hotair--2020-03-09--Pelosi pops Trump: "Civilization as we know it is at stake"

Speaker Pelosi spoke at Northeastern University ’ s “ Women Who Empower Summit ” event Monday in conjunction with International Women ’ s Day .
The speaker was celebrating women but only liberal women .
The event was supposed to be a non-political event , acknowledged by Pelosi at one point but that didn ’ t stop her from speaking solely in political terms for much of her time .
She looked at the moderator and said , “ You asked a political question so what do you expect ?
” She began her remarks by declaring that “ Civilization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” There ’ s nothing subtle with that statement .
As she touted the work of Rep. Katherine Clark , a Congresswoman from the area , Pelosi made clear that she appoints Democrat congresswomen to important committee leadership positions so that women don ’ t just have a seat at the table , but sit at the head of the table .
The speaker gave four criticisms of President Trump and his administration .
First , she said , is disloyalty to the constitution .
Next came her assertation that the Trump administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal immigrants ) , Republicans degrade the environment , and lastly , she said , “ Our values are being devalued by the current attitude in D.C. ” See , she wasn ’ t bold enough to specifically say President Trump ’ s name out loud among all of the word salad she was serving up to the audience , so she referenced “ attitude ” in an odd way .
Civilization as we know it is at stake because Trump is killing it , or something .
After rattling off the ways @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is killing civilization , she had the chutzpah to claim that if Democrats win the election they can focus on “ coming together , unifying , not dividing.
” She said they would repair and heal the country .
Self-awareness is not her strong suit .
She said that any of “ their ” candidates would be better than Trump in the 2020 election because he has set such “ a low threshold ” when she was asked which presidential candidate she will endorse .
Then she said , “ I usually always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , she won ’ t in the presidential race because her party ’ s voters are choosing two old white men instead of the remaining woman left in the race .
The DNC won ’ t even allow Tulsi on the debate stage .
Later , as she spoke about the upcoming tenth anniversary of the passage of the ACA legislation , she made it clear she is no fan of Medicare for All , so clearly she ’ ll throw her support to Joe Biden , whether she does so publicly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing she said was when asked about the possibility that a Republican woman may be the first woman president , not a Democrat , and would she be ok with that .
She said , “ That ’ s ok. ” Yeah , right .
More honestly , though , she said that “ By and large we don ’ t have that much in common ” with Republican women .
She took a shot at Sarah Palin , whom she referred to as the first Republican woman to be on a presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name .
The irony of listening to Speaker Pelosi blast Trump for acting in crude or uncivil ways is not lost on any of us .
She sat right behind him during the State of the Union address , as the most powerful woman in America , and made a production of ripping up Trump ’ s speech for the camera .
She regularly trashes him to the press and then turns around and calls for civility .
After the speech , she was asked by a local reporter about the stock market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market to a lack of confidence in the federal government in its response to the COVID-19 epidemic .
This is a shallow , easy answer to a broader question .
Today , Monday , in particular , the market is falling because of the battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia over the price of a barrel of oil .
After OPEC met last week , Russia decided to not go along with the other countries to slow or reduce oil production in order to increase the price of crude .
Russia decided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to disrupt shale gas drilling in the U.S. , in particular so that European countries would be more dependent on Russia .
None of this had anything to do with the Trump administration ’ s handling of the coronavirus .
The coronavirus , however , has a strong hand in the falling stock market numbers .
Pelosi may or may not understand any of this .
She certainly should be called out for politicizing the situation but she won ’ t be .
She uses the opportunity to lay out her agenda – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move some pet projects to the forefront .
While she was blaming President Trump for not being consistent with coordinating his messaging with public health experts , she said more than the spending bill signed by the president last week must be done .
She cited paid sick leave for all workers , no co-pays , and no deductibles for COVID-19 testing .
House lawmakers will begin working on all of that this evening , she said .
It always boils down to more government control and more government spending to magically fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s no wonder that President Trump has declined an invitation to St. Patrick ’ s Day luncheon on The Hill .
Pelosi is the host for the annual bipartisan event .
Trump ’ s in re-election mode .
Why should he place himself in that situation ?
It ’ s ridiculous at this point to pretend there is any level of bi-partisanship on The Hill .
President Trump will celebrate the friendship of the United States and Ireland with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the White House on Thursday .

Speaker Pelosi spoke at Northeastern University’s “Women Who Empower Summit” event Monday in conjunction with International Women’s Day. The speaker was celebrating women but only liberal women. The event was supposed to be a non-political event, acknowledged by Pelosi at one point but that didn’t stop her from speaking solely in political terms for much of her time. She looked at the moderator and said, “You asked a political question so what do you expect?”
She began her remarks by declaring that “Civilization as we know it is at stake.” There’s nothing subtle with that statement. As she touted the work of Rep. Katherine Clark, a Congresswoman from the area, Pelosi made clear that she appoints Democrat congresswomen to important committee leadership positions so that women don’t just have a seat at the table, but sit at the head of the table.
The speaker gave four criticisms of President Trump and his administration. First, she said, is disloyalty to the constitution. Next came her assertation that the Trump administration denigrates “newcomers” (code for illegal immigrants), Republicans degrade the environment, and lastly, she said, “Our values are being devalued by the current attitude in D.C.” See, she wasn’t bold enough to specifically say President Trump’s name out loud among all of the word salad she was serving up to the audience, so she referenced “attitude” in an odd way. Civilization as we know it is at stake because Trump is killing it, or something.
After rattling off the ways in which the nameless bad Orange Man is killing civilization, she had the chutzpah to claim that if Democrats win the election they can focus on “coming together, unifying, not dividing.” She said they would repair and heal the country. Self-awareness is not her strong suit. She said that any of “their” candidates would be better than Trump in the 2020 election because he has set such “a low threshold” when she was asked which presidential candidate she will endorse. Then she said, “I usually always cast my vote for a woman.” Well, she won’t in the presidential race because her party’s voters are choosing two old white men instead of the remaining woman left in the race. The DNC won’t even allow Tulsi on the debate stage. Later, as she spoke about the upcoming tenth anniversary of the passage of the ACA legislation, she made it clear she is no fan of Medicare for All, so clearly she’ll throw her support to Joe Biden, whether she does so publicly or not.
Perhaps the most absurd thing she said was when asked about the possibility that a Republican woman may be the first woman president, not a Democrat, and would she be ok with that. She said, “That’s ok.” Yeah, right. More honestly, though, she said that “By and large we don’t have that much in common” with Republican women. She took a shot at Sarah Palin, whom she referred to as the first Republican woman to be on a presidential ticket, again without actually saying her name.
The irony of listening to Speaker Pelosi blast Trump for acting in crude or uncivil ways is not lost on any of us. She sat right behind him during the State of the Union address, as the most powerful woman in America, and made a production of ripping up Trump’s speech for the camera. She regularly trashes him to the press and then turns around and calls for civility.
After the speech, she was asked by a local reporter about the stock market and she blamed the fall in the market to a lack of confidence in the federal government in its response to the COVID-19 epidemic. This is a shallow, easy answer to a broader question. Today, Monday, in particular, the market is falling because of the battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia over the price of a barrel of oil. After OPEC met last week, Russia decided to not go along with the other countries to slow or reduce oil production in order to increase the price of crude. Russia decided to go it alone and take the opportunity to disrupt shale gas drilling in the U.S., in particular so that European countries would be more dependent on Russia. None of this had anything to do with the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus. The coronavirus, however, has a strong hand in the falling stock market numbers. Pelosi may or may not understand any of this. She certainly should be called out for politicizing the situation but she won’t be.
She uses the opportunity to lay out her agenda – the coronavirus epidemic is an excuse to move some pet projects to the forefront. While she was blaming President Trump for not being consistent with coordinating his messaging with public health experts, she said more than the spending bill signed by the president last week must be done. She cited paid sick leave for all workers, no co-pays, and no deductibles for COVID-19 testing. House lawmakers will begin working on all of that this evening, she said. It always boils down to more government control and more government spending to magically fix everything, even a flu-like virus.
It’s no wonder that President Trump has declined an invitation to St. Patrick’s Day luncheon on The Hill. Pelosi is the host for the annual bipartisan event. Trump’s in re-election mode. Why should he place himself in that situation? It’s ridiculous at this point to pretend there is any level of bi-partisanship on The Hill.
“Since the speaker has chosen to tear this nation apart with her actions and her rhetoric, the president will not participate in moments where she so often chooses to drive discord and disunity,” spokesman Judd Deere said in an emailed statement.
President Trump will celebrate the friendship of the United States and Ireland with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar at the White House on Thursday.


hotair--2020-03-09--New national and Michigan polling: Looks like Bernie has a ceiling of about 40% now

Gon na remind you up front that Biden ’ s game-changing win in South Carolina was … 10 days ago .
He wasn ’ t even showing signs of life in SC polling until around February 24 .
Unless the new polls miss very badly , he ’ s going to go from the brink of ignominious failure to runaway Democratic nominee in the span of two weeks .
Not only has that never been done before , I doubt that it could feasibly be done in any shorter time period .
I wrote this morning about two of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit Free Press and Mitchell Research ) .
Three more have since been published by Monmouth , YouGov , and Target-Insyght .
Tell me if you see any consistency here : The one poll showing Sanders north of 40 percent came from YouGov , which used a sample of registered voters , not likely voters .
Want national polling instead ?
The day after Biden ’ s South Carolina win , before it had reverberated among the wider Democratic electorate , Morning Consult found Bernie up three points nationally .
Two days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then another Morning Consult poll showed him ahead by eight .
Then , after Buttigieg and Klobuchar bailed out , a different poll found him up 13 .
Then two more polls found him up by 16 .
And now here ’ s Quinnipiac , polling a de facto two-man race : Note that , for all the hype about Biden ’ s strength with nonwhite voters ( black voters in particular , much more so than Latinos ) , he ’ s winning comfortably with white college grads and whites without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a Bernie constituency .
The age demographics are revealing too .
Sanders is running up the score with young adults , a vital part of his strategy , but he ’ s behind among middle-aged Democrats and getting obliterated among Democrats 50 and older .
Bernie just can ’ t turn out enough kids to hold down Biden ’ s margins .
Whether that ’ s because older Democrats remember the Cold War and are more suspicious of “ socialism ” than twentysomethings are or because they ’ re old enough to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want Bernie raiding them , I leave to your speculation .
Er , wasn ’ t Elizabeth Warren ’ s exit from the race supposed to help Bernie by freeing up some progressive votes ?
It doesn ’ t seem to be doing so in any of the new polling .
FiveThirtyEight has a piece this afternoon arguing that , while Sanders and Warren are similar creatures politically , their voters don ’ t overlap as neatly : [ P ] erhaps most troubling for Sanders : He was particularly weak with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups — white college-educated women — on Super Tuesday , suggesting that it might not be easy for him to draw these voters into his fold .
White college-educated women weren ’ t Biden ’ s strongest group , to be sure , but he still outpaced Sanders by 15 percent points with this core piece of Warren ’ s base… The exit polls also indicate that many Warren supporters aren ’ t making their decision on the basis of ideology alone .
On the one hand , a clear majority ( 59 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want a president who will be more liberal than Barack Obama , while only 32 percent say they want a return to Obama-era status quo .
That might seem like bad news for Biden , whose entire campaign pitch is a return to the Obama administration .
But most Warren voters also prioritize electing someone who can beat Trump — and Biden did much better than Sanders among voters who shared that sentiment .
Only 30 percent of Warren supporters said they prefer a candidate who agrees with them on the issues over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning in the general election , while 67 percent say their main priority is to choose a candidate who can beat Trump .
Biden won the largest share of white women college grads on Super Tuesday , 36 percent , but Warren was second at 28 percent and Bernie a distant third at 21 percent .
Presumably Joe ’ s inheriting most of that group from Warren , forcing Sanders to try to pile up votes elsewhere .
As for Warren fans putting a premium on electability , Quinnipiac ’ s new poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Fully 80 percent of Dems say it ’ s at least somewhat likely Biden would beat Trump versus just 61 percent who say the same of Sanders .
Biden also has a higher favorable rating than Sanders , notching a 45/40 split versus Bernie ’ s 40/46 .
Why Sanders is underwater is unclear ; maybe it ’ s a simple matter of people concluding that he ’ s no longer viable .
if electability is the key to Biden ’ s comeback , which I think it is given the freakish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally proved in South Carolina that he could win somewhere , then polling showing him running up the margins against Trump head to hear should only further entice undecideds to back him over Bernie .
In Quinnipiac today , Biden leads Trump by 11 ( 52/41 ) while Bernie leads by just seven ( 49/42 ) .
More notably , Biden leads Trump by seven ( 48/41 ) in Monmouth ’ s poll of Michigan , a key swing state , while Sanders leads by just five ( 46/41 ) .
Nearly 60 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November is more important to them in choosing a candidate than any policy concern .
It ’ s pretty clear that Joe ’ s running away with things now because of widespread perceptions that he ’ s more likely to win this fall than Bernie is .
And since nothing ’ s happened since Super Tuesday to alter that perception — apart from Bernie fans straining to convince voters that Biden is senile — we should expect Joementum to continue tomorrow night .
By the way , that 52/41 deficit against Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a 54/42 approval rating on the economy and a not-terribly-bad 43/49 approval on how he ’ s handling the coronavirus so far .
( Among independents it ’ s 37/50 . )
Those numbers are apt to worsen in the next poll in light of events .
If the White House succeeds in slowing the spread of the disease and preventing hospitals from being overtaxed , Trump stands to get a lot of credit .
But that ’ s what it ’ s going to take , measurable progress on actually solving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flu is pretty bad too ” won ’ t hack it : Already , 56 percent say Biden would handle a crisis better than Trump would .
I hope for Bernie ’ s own sake that he gets routed tomorrow night and can wrap up the campaign before it puts him at real risk .
Exit question : Should states start moving towards universal voting-by-mail , just in case COVID-19 makes it too risky to go to the polls this fall ?
I loathe early voting but early voting is better than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re afraid of getting sick .

Gonna remind you up front that Biden’s game-changing win in South Carolina was … 10 days ago. He wasn’t even showing signs of life in SC polling until around February 24.
Unless the new polls miss very badly, he’s going to go from the brink of ignominious failure to runaway Democratic nominee in the span of two weeks. Not only has that never been done before, I doubt that it could feasibly be done in any shorter time period.
I wrote this morning about two of the new polls from Michigan (from the Detroit Free Press and Mitchell Research). Three more have since been published by Monmouth, YouGov, and Target-Insyght. Tell me if you see any consistency here:
The one poll showing Sanders north of 40 percent came from YouGov, which used a sample of registered voters, not likely voters.
Want national polling instead? The day after Biden’s South Carolina win, before it had reverberated among the wider Democratic electorate, Morning Consult found Bernie up three points nationally. Two days later, YouGov found Biden up four. Then another Morning Consult poll showed him ahead by eight. Then, after Buttigieg and Klobuchar bailed out, a different poll found him up 13. Then two more polls found him up by 16. And now here’s Quinnipiac, polling a de facto two-man race:
Note that, for all the hype about Biden’s strength with nonwhite voters (black voters in particular, much more so than Latinos), he’s winning comfortably with white college grads and whites without a degree. That group is supposed to be a Bernie constituency. The age demographics are revealing too. Sanders is running up the score with young adults, a vital part of his strategy, but he’s behind among middle-aged Democrats and getting obliterated among Democrats 50 and older. Bernie just can’t turn out enough kids to hold down Biden’s margins. Whether that’s because older Democrats remember the Cold War and are more suspicious of “socialism” than twentysomethings are or because they’re old enough to have 401k’s and don’t want Bernie raiding them, I leave to your speculation.
Er, wasn’t Elizabeth Warren’s exit from the race supposed to help Bernie by freeing up some progressive votes? It doesn’t seem to be doing so in any of the new polling. FiveThirtyEight has a piece this afternoon arguing that, while Sanders and Warren are similar creatures politically, their voters don’t overlap as neatly:
[P]erhaps most troubling for Sanders: He was particularly weak with one of Warren’s key demographic groups — white college-educated women — on Super Tuesday, suggesting that it might not be easy for him to draw these voters into his fold. White college-educated women weren’t Biden’s strongest group, to be sure, but he still outpaced Sanders by 15 percent points with this core piece of Warren’s base… The exit polls also indicate that many Warren supporters aren’t making their decision on the basis of ideology alone. On the one hand, a clear majority (59 percent) of Warren voters say they want a president who will be more liberal than Barack Obama, while only 32 percent say they want a return to Obama-era status quo. That might seem like bad news for Biden, whose entire campaign pitch is a return to the Obama administration. But most Warren voters also prioritize electing someone who can beat Trump — and Biden did much better than Sanders among voters who shared that sentiment. Only 30 percent of Warren supporters said they prefer a candidate who agrees with them on the issues over one who has a good chance of winning in the general election, while 67 percent say their main priority is to choose a candidate who can beat Trump.
Biden won the largest share of white women college grads on Super Tuesday, 36 percent, but Warren was second at 28 percent and Bernie a distant third at 21 percent. Presumably Joe’s inheriting most of that group from Warren, forcing Sanders to try to pile up votes elsewhere. As for Warren fans putting a premium on electability, Quinnipiac’s new poll had big numbers on that point too: Fully 80 percent of Dems say it’s at least somewhat likely Biden would beat Trump versus just 61 percent who say the same of Sanders. Biden also has a higher favorable rating than Sanders, notching a 45/40 split versus Bernie’s 40/46. Why Sanders is underwater is unclear; maybe it’s a simple matter of people concluding that he’s no longer viable.
if electability is the key to Biden’s comeback, which I think it is given the freakish burst of support he got after he finally proved in South Carolina that he could win somewhere, then polling showing him running up the margins against Trump head to hear should only further entice undecideds to back him over Bernie. In Quinnipiac today, Biden leads Trump by 11 (52/41) while Bernie leads by just seven (49/42). More notably, Biden leads Trump by seven (48/41) in Monmouth’s poll of Michigan, a key swing state, while Sanders leads by just five (46/41). Nearly 60 percent of Dems there say beating Trump in November is more important to them in choosing a candidate than any policy concern. It’s pretty clear that Joe’s running away with things now because of widespread perceptions that he’s more likely to win this fall than Bernie is. And since nothing’s happened since Super Tuesday to alter that perception — apart from Bernie fans straining to convince voters that Biden is senile — we should expect Joementum to continue tomorrow night.
By the way, that 52/41 deficit against Biden that Quinnipiac measured for Trump also comes with a 54/42 approval rating on the economy and a not-terribly-bad 43/49 approval on how he’s handling the coronavirus so far. (Among independents it’s 37/50.) Those numbers are apt to worsen in the next poll in light of events. If the White House succeeds in slowing the spread of the disease and preventing hospitals from being overtaxed, Trump stands to get a lot of credit. But that’s what it’s going to take, measurable progress on actually solving the problem. Tweeting “hey, the flu is pretty bad too” won’t hack it: Already, 56 percent say Biden would handle a crisis better than Trump would.
Speaking of coronavirus:
Sanders, a 78-year-old man with an underlying health condition, qualifies as an at-risk person for Coronavirus. Asked what he’s doing to protect his health, Sanders makes a joke and basically says he’s too busy running for president to worry about it, so, lol. — Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) March 9, 2020
I hope for Bernie’s own sake that he gets routed tomorrow night and can wrap up the campaign before it puts him at real risk.
Exit question: Should states start moving towards universal voting-by-mail, just in case COVID-19 makes it too risky to go to the polls this fall? I loathe early voting but early voting is better than people staying home en masse because they’re afraid of getting sick.


hotair--2020-03-09--Cuomo: Who's up for some official New York State hand sanitizer?

Every epidemic proceeds in ( mostly ) predictable stages and right now we ’ re at the stage where the governor of New York brags about the “ floral bouquet ” of the hand disinfectant being manufactured by his state ’ s prisoners .
If China can solve its coronavirus problem partly through slave-like labor , then darn it , we can solve ours the same way .
Although , based on the general quality of government-made products , I ’ m going to guess that this item will accidentally end up giving people coronavirus .
“ To Purell and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said elsewhere today , “ if you continue the price gouging , we ’ ll introduce our product , which is superior to your product.
” This guy knows how laws of supply and demand work , right ?
( Of course not , he ’ s a Democrat . )
If he wants to sign an executive order allowing Purell to pay workers 50 cents an hour or whatever NYS prisoners are getting , maybe the price-gouging problem will go away .
Seriously , this is one of the most surreal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve ever seen .
The “ open the curtains ” unveiling makes it downright campy .
Watch , then read on .
Hopefully a glut of hand sanitizer will sharply limit the spread of the disease in New York .
And if it doesn ’ t , there ’ s another job waiting for state prisoners .
The rationing stage has already begun .
You ’ ll have to look hard to find hand sanitizer on Amazon , and Target has begun limiting customers to a maximum of six disinfecting items in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quirk : Hand soap seems to be plentiful everywhere even though soap and water is the oft-repeated gold standard among health officials for how to minimize your risk of contracting the virus .
Which stands to reason , as water will rinse some microbes off your hands even if you miss a spot in lathering up .
People who work outdoors or in service industries and don ’ t have ready access to soap and water while they ’ re interacting with customers all day long obviously have a need for sanitizer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When will Cuomo commandeer distribution of Purell to those in the greatest need ?
We aren ’ t at that stage yet , but stay tuned .

Every epidemic proceeds in (mostly) predictable stages and right now we’re at the stage where the governor of New York brags about the “floral bouquet” of the hand disinfectant being manufactured by his state’s prisoners. If China can solve its coronavirus problem partly through slave-like labor, then darn it, we can solve ours the same way.
Although, based on the general quality of government-made products, I’m going to guess that this item will accidentally end up giving people coronavirus.
“To Purell and Mr. Amazon and Mr. eBay,” he said elsewhere today, “if you continue the price gouging, we’ll introduce our product, which is superior to your product.” This guy knows how laws of supply and demand work, right? (Of course not, he’s a Democrat.) If he wants to sign an executive order allowing Purell to pay workers 50 cents an hour or whatever NYS prisoners are getting, maybe the price-gouging problem will go away.
Seriously, this is one of the most surreal clips of a top government official I’ve ever seen. The “open the curtains” unveiling makes it downright campy. Watch, then read on.
“This is a superior product to products now on the market”: Gov. Cuomo announces new state-made hand sanitizer https://t.co/XFEOh6t5Uy pic.twitter.com/HrPyErPHsT — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 9, 2020
Hopefully a glut of hand sanitizer will sharply limit the spread of the disease in New York. And if it doesn’t, there’s another job waiting for state prisoners.
This made me laugh:
This bottle of Purell I found in the car this weekend is my 401k now. pic.twitter.com/WSzzh08Vhl — Jennifer Brrrrrooks 🥶 (@stribrooks) March 9, 2020
The rationing stage has already begun. You’ll have to look hard to find hand sanitizer on Amazon, and Target has begun limiting customers to a maximum of six disinfecting items in order to prevent hoarding. A weird quirk: Hand soap seems to be plentiful everywhere even though soap and water is the oft-repeated gold standard among health officials for how to minimize your risk of contracting the virus. Which stands to reason, as water will rinse some microbes off your hands even if you miss a spot in lathering up. People who work outdoors or in service industries and don’t have ready access to soap and water while they’re interacting with customers all day long obviously have a need for sanitizer, but desk workers have less of one. When will Cuomo commandeer distribution of Purell to those in the greatest need? We aren’t at that stage yet, but stay tuned.


hotair--2020-03-09--Chait: Trump sounds a lot like the Mayor in Jaws and it could cost him the election

Jonathan Chait is a left-winger but one who has proven himself willing to tell uncomfortable truths to his own party .
Just a few weeks ago he warned that nominating Bernie Sanders would be an “ act of insanity ” for Democrats .
Today he has a similar type of warning aimed at President Trump : Stop sounding like the Mayor from Jaws or you ’ ll lose the election .
Trump seemed totally oblivious to the danger of hardening his public image as the national-level equivalent of the mayor in Jaws , blithely ignoring reports of a gigantic shark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt the tourism season .
Enough of the debacle has played out in public to supply Democrats with a campaign ’ s worth of damning video clips .
Trump appeared in public insisting that the virus was “ contained , ” and that the number of cases “ within a couple of days , is going to be down to close to zero.
” Trump and his surrogates kept advising people to buy stocks after every dip .
The strategy made no sense except as a desperation gambit to prop up the stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money from Trump ’ s marks… It is possible that the public-health and economic catastrophes that loom so large at the moment will be gone by autumn .
It is even possible that they will remain and Trump will somehow survive anyway .
( After all , the mayor in Jaws had somehow retained his position in Jaws 2 .
And he was still minimizing shark risks ! )
But it seems more likely that Trump has finally made his unfitness for office so blatant that even his own supporters will notice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and perhaps more are plunging into foreseeable crisis .
And every step Trump has taken along the way seems almost calculated to expose him to maximal blame .
Trump is now quite likely to lose his reelection , and we will look back at the last few weeks as the time when he sealed his own fate .
I don ’ t think anyone ’ s fate is sealed in this election ( well , except for Bernie Sanders ) but Chait is right that Trump ’ s downplaying of the infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the actual numbers in the U.S. rise as they have in China , South Korea , Iran , and Italy .
There ’ s no guarantee this will turn into a worst-case-scenario in the U.S. as it has in other countries , but it ’ s unlikely the numbers will stay anywhere close to where they are now .
As Allahpundit pointed out earlier , there ’ s still time for Trump to make some different choices to change the dynamic .
Holding off on public events for a few weeks out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whatever he does , the guiding principle really does come down to not acting like the Mayor of Amity during a crisis .
By now we ’ ve all seen the video of people passing out in the streets in China and Iran .
If that starts happening in LA , Seattle , or New York you really don ’ t want to be the person who was predicting it would all blow over .
That doesn ’ t mean Trump has to stoke a panic but there is plenty of middle ground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s been saying and panic .

Jonathan Chait is a left-winger but one who has proven himself willing to tell uncomfortable truths to his own party. Just a few weeks ago he warned that nominating Bernie Sanders would be an “act of insanity” for Democrats. Today he has a similar type of warning aimed at President Trump: Stop sounding like the Mayor from Jaws or you’ll lose the election.
Trump seemed totally oblivious to the danger of hardening his public image as the national-level equivalent of the mayor in Jaws, blithely ignoring reports of a gigantic shark because he didn’t want to hurt the tourism season. Enough of the debacle has played out in public to supply Democrats with a campaign’s worth of damning video clips. Trump appeared in public insisting that the virus was “contained,” and that the number of cases “within a couple of days, is going to be down to close to zero.” Trump and his surrogates kept advising people to buy stocks after every dip. The strategy made no sense except as a desperation gambit to prop up the stock market on an hour-to-hour basis with dumb money from Trump’s marks… It is possible that the public-health and economic catastrophes that loom so large at the moment will be gone by autumn. It is even possible that they will remain and Trump will somehow survive anyway. (After all, the mayor in Jaws had somehow retained his position in Jaws 2. And he was still minimizing shark risks!) But it seems more likely that Trump has finally made his unfitness for office so blatant that even his own supporters will notice. The American economy, its health infrastructure, and perhaps more are plunging into foreseeable crisis. And every step Trump has taken along the way seems almost calculated to expose him to maximal blame. Trump is now quite likely to lose his reelection, and we will look back at the last few weeks as the time when he sealed his own fate.
I don’t think anyone’s fate is sealed in this election (well, except for Bernie Sanders) but Chait is right that Trump’s downplaying of the infection numbers will be used against him if the actual numbers in the U.S. rise as they have in China, South Korea, Iran, and Italy. There’s no guarantee this will turn into a worst-case-scenario in the U.S. as it has in other countries, but it’s unlikely the numbers will stay anywhere close to where they are now.
As Allahpundit pointed out earlier, there’s still time for Trump to make some different choices to change the dynamic. Holding off on public events for a few weeks out of caution would be a good start. Whatever he does, the guiding principle really does come down to not acting like the Mayor of Amity during a crisis.
By now we’ve all seen the video of people passing out in the streets in China and Iran. If that starts happening in LA, Seattle, or New York you really don’t want to be the person who was predicting it would all blow over. That doesn’t mean Trump has to stoke a panic but there is plenty of middle ground between the sort of thing he’s been saying and panic.


hotair--2020-03-10--Not-So-Super Tuesday live updating results thread

Ed and John have a breakdown of the six individual races in the main open thread , but this one will include all of the results as they become available via the Decision Desk tracking system .
We ’ ll just take a few moments up front to cover some of the things we should be keeping an eye on .
The polls close at 8 p.m .
ET in Mississippi , Missouri and North Dakota ; 9 p.m .
ET in Michigan ; and 11 p.m .
ET in Idaho and Washington .
If the polls are anywhere near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some significant wins in Mississippi and Missouri .
Sanders is expected to do somewhat better in Washington and Idaho .
And , of course , the big red flag , assuming there is one , will come from Michigan , along with the largest number of delegates for the evening .
Bernie was leading there for quite a while , but after Super Tuesday , it looks like Biden came storming back .
If he manages to snag a win in Wisconsin with more than 60 % , the path forward for Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a needle .
If Biden sweeps all six states convincingly and pulls more than , let ’ s say 80 of the 135 available earned delegates , Sanders won ’ t be out of the race mathematically , but it ’ s tough to see where he mounts a comeback at that point .
All of this recent activity just goes to show how wrong you can be .
I freely confess that only a few weeks ago I thought this race was going go deep into the primary season if the moderate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t entirely off the table .
South Carolina and the subsequent stampede of candidates out of the race and into Joe Biden ’ s corner changed all of that .
But we ’ ve lived to see interesting times so anything is possible .
Perhaps the Democratic primary voters have a few more surprises up their sleeves for us .
So what ’ s the over/under on whether Joe Biden forgets what state he ’ s in during his victory speech tonight ?
I ’ d put it at 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the widgets !
Here are your results , loading here as they become available , in order of when the polls close .
Also included is the overall map tracker and , at the bottom , the running delegate totals as they are awarded .
Don ’ t expect all of those to be complete by tomorrow morning .

Ed and John have a breakdown of the six individual races in the main open thread, but this one will include all of the results as they become available via the Decision Desk tracking system. We’ll just take a few moments up front to cover some of the things we should be keeping an eye on. The polls close at 8 p.m. ET in Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota; 9 p.m. ET in Michigan; and 11 p.m. ET in Idaho and Washington.
If the polls are anywhere near accurate, Joe Biden is looking at some significant wins in Mississippi and Missouri. Sanders is expected to do somewhat better in Washington and Idaho. And, of course, the big red flag, assuming there is one, will come from Michigan, along with the largest number of delegates for the evening. Bernie was leading there for quite a while, but after Super Tuesday, it looks like Biden came storming back. If he manages to snag a win in Wisconsin with more than 60%, the path forward for Bernie Sanders starts looking like the eye of a needle. If Biden sweeps all six states convincingly and pulls more than, let’s say 80 of the 135 available earned delegates, Sanders won’t be out of the race mathematically, but it’s tough to see where he mounts a comeback at that point.
All of this recent activity just goes to show how wrong you can be. I freely confess that only a few weeks ago I thought this race was going go deep into the primary season if the moderate lane remained splintered and a brokered convention wasn’t entirely off the table. South Carolina and the subsequent stampede of candidates out of the race and into Joe Biden’s corner changed all of that. But we’ve lived to see interesting times so anything is possible. Perhaps the Democratic primary voters have a few more surprises up their sleeves for us. So what’s the over/under on whether Joe Biden forgets what state he’s in during his victory speech tonight? I’d put it at 50% tops.
And now, on with the widgets! Here are your results, loading here as they become available, in order of when the polls close. Also included is the overall map tracker and, at the bottom, the running delegate totals as they are awarded. Don’t expect all of those to be complete by tomorrow morning.
UPDATE: (Jazz) The early returns show Biden crushing it in Missouri and Mississippi as expected.
UPDATE: (Jazz) Add Michigan to the list, mostly quashing Bernie’s hopes.
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY MAP
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
NORTH DAKOTA
MICHIGAN
IDAHO
WASHINGTON
DELEGATE TRACKER


hotair--2020-03-10--Berniedammerung: Super Tuesday II open thread and live blog

Update , 7:06 pm ET — This might be a long wait , according to the Michigan SoS : That ’ s when they figure to have completed the first count , but we should see results this evening that will tell us which way the wind blows .
I hope .
What can Bernie Sanders expect out of tonight ’ s new round of primary results ?
To quote Groundhog Day , it will be cold , dark , and last the rest of Sanders ’ political life .
Democrats have 352 delegates up for grabs in six states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down to two states — Michigan and Washington .
And Joe Biden only really needs to win Michigan tonight to put a fork in the Bernie Bros. Not that the other states in play are meaningless , of course , but they are already expected to fall into Biden ’ s column rather easily .
Mississippi , Idaho , North Dakota , and Missouri run red in national elections , so their Democratic electorate is already inclined away from Sanders ’ brand of extreme-progressive politics , and especially his communist apologias .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come , here are a couple of notable exit-poll results .
Electability turns out to be the biggest virtue : Enthusiasm … not so much : Michigan and Washington , in their own ways , have the potential to bury Sanders for good .
Sanders barely beat Hillary Clinton in Michigan ’ s 2016 primary ( 49.7/48.3 ) on the strength of his appeal to working-class voters and the strong anti-establishment impulse in play on both sides of the aisle .
Sanders only got a four-delegate advantage out of that , but at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrast , six polls over the last two weeks put Sanders far behind Biden in the state ; his RCP average is 22 points behind Biden , and the closest of the six polls puts him twelve points back .
It ’ s a margin-of-error race in Washington , RCP notes , but that ’ s almost as bad for Bernie .
He beat Hillary like a drum in 2016 here , where progressivism finds one of its national bases , and he desperately needs a big delegate haul to counter Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ split doesn ’ t do Bernie any good , neither narratively nor mathematically , not when Biden looks set to get a large majority of the other 263 delegates up for grabs .
As usual , follow our live-results post for the latest numbers thanks to our Decision Desk HQ partners on election-night coverage , and watch for live-blog updates at the top of this post , starting just after the polls close at 8 pm ET in Mississippi , Missouri , and North Dakota .
Michigan follows at 9 pm ET , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ET .
Stand by for surprises , but there ’ s an excellent possibility that the competition for the nomination comes to a sudden halt tonight with a Biden sweep .
Whether Bernie acknowledges that will be one potential point of suspense in a night that will likely lack any other significant drama .
The other — will the Bernie Bros stand down ?

12:24 – Okay, I’m going to call it a night. Not much has changed in the last hour. With about half the vote in, Biden is leading in Idaho. With two-thirds of the vote in Sanders is leading in Washington but his lead is just a couple thousand votes. And in North Dakota, Sanders is leading but only 18% of the vote is in.
The big story tonight was Biden’s convincing win in Michigan. Second to that is Sanders decision to head to Vermont without speaking. Biden is almost certainly going to be the nominee. The question now is how long we have to wait before Sanders admits it.
11:20 – Biden spoke a few minutes ago. It was a subdued speech very different from the viral video of him yelling at a voter earlier today.
Joe Biden: "I want to thank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for their tireless energy and their passion. We share a common goal." #SuperTuesday2 pic.twitter.com/CjR5RWvGkR — The Hill (@thehill) March 11, 2020
11:15 – Bernie takes the lead in Washington state but the divide is 32 votes.
11:07 – NY Times has numbers for Washington. With 54% reporting Biden is leading 33.2% to 33.1% for Sanders!
11:02 – No projected winner in North Dakota yet. So far only 10% of the vote is in and Sanders is leading. Polls just closed in Idaho and Washington but no calls made.
10:51 – Bernie will not be speaking tonight.
NEWS: Bernie Sanders will not speak or appear in public to address tonight's results, his campaign says. — Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein) March 11, 2020
10:27 – Bad night at Chapo Trap House.
Everyone who tells Bernie to drop out so he can “get concessions” from Biden have no explanation for how the fuck that work because they haven’t thought that far ahead they only say it so Bernie will go away. — matt christman (@cushbomb) March 11, 2020
There’s a non-zero chance the DNC uses Biden to soak up delegates then replaces him with someone else at the convention after he steps down for “health reasons.” — matt christman (@cushbomb) March 11, 2020
It’s awful but I’ve been at peace since our last show in SF. We did all we could. We’re all still in this for life. — Will 🦥 Menaker (@willmenaker) March 11, 2020
10:07 – Carville says it’s time to “shut this puppy down.” He wants Sanders to drop out now.
"Let's shut this puppy down and… worry about November. This thing is decided." James Carville reacts to Joe Biden's projected victories in Michigan, Missouri, and Mississippi pic.twitter.com/BAAvy7HSLI — MSNBC (@MSNBC) March 11, 2020
10:05 – More of the same…
What is the @BernieSanders rationale for staying in the race? — Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) March 11, 2020
10:02 – Paul Krugman suggests it’s time for Bernie to bow out.
Or he can hang on, bashing Biden for weeks or months to come, which will both lose any leverage he now has and help Trump. I wish I knew which route he'll choose. 2/ — Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) March 11, 2020
9:56 = Good point from Dave Weigel. The loss in Michigan isn’t just a loss for Bernie as a candidate. It’s a loss for his whole theory about the appeal of socialism to blue collar workers.
Tonight may be worse for the electoral left than Super Tuesday was. Michigan played an enormous role in Sanders’s electoral theory – that there was a big rust belt electorate ready for his ideas. Opponents will now argue that the 2016 win was a low-turnout fluke. — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) March 11, 2020
9:55 – Andrew Yang endorsed Joe Biden on CNN:
9:10 — This was the biggest prize of the night, and a state Sanders couldn’t allow Biden to win. If Biden won it by double digits, Sanders will be way behind with no big catch-up states until Illinois next week. RCP has only one poll listed for Illinois, where Sanders led by five over Biden 22/17 — a month ago. Might as well have been a year ago. Kyle Kondik is skeptical that Sanders has any path now to catch up:
I personally don't think any of the states next week (FL-AZ-OH-IL) are as favorable to Sanders as Michigan. HRC carried them all last time and only IL was close — and Sanders was dependent there, as in MI, on outstate anti-HRC backing that seems to be deserting him now — Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) March 11, 2020
9:08 — Add in ABC, too. Michigan must not be too terribly close after all.
9:05 — CBS now calls MI for Biden, and so does the Associated Press too.
9:03 — NBC has called Michigan for Biden, but ABC and CNN are waiting. ABC’s exit poll analysis shows union members account for 25% of voters, and Biden won them 60/35. Biden won 73% of senior citizens, Bernie won 82% of those under 30 — but young voters were only 15% of the electorate. Oof.
8:57 — Michigan’s polls will close in a couple of minutes, but some of them have been closed almost an hour. That’s why we’re getting some results already. Right now Biden’s up 52.7/41.8. I’d guess that a call won’t be long in coming here.
8:40 — Or, er, don’t. FWIW, Silver’s right. If Bernie doesn’t start winning states and winning them convincingly, he’s never going to catch up to Biden or even keep Biden from a first-ballot nomination.
The next set of states "are mostly pretty bad" for Bernie Sanders, @NateSilver538 says, meaning Sanders "can't break even in states like Michigan. He has to win Michigan by 10 points or something. He has to win Washington by 15 points." https://t.co/9rX8r0fVZR pic.twitter.com/JOmsRcNzxN — ABC News (@ABC) March 11, 2020
8:33 — Keep hope alive!
An email from Bernie's campaign is trying to lower expectations: "The first polls closed a short while ago. But please know this…tonight’s results are going to get better for us as the night goes on. We expect to do well out west where polls close late"https://t.co/vcqfWtfA6C — POLITICO (@politico) March 11, 2020
8:27 — Just noticed that we’re getting data from MI already, although their polls are supposed to be open for another 30 minutes. These might be the early votes getting counted; assuming that’s the case, Biden’s up 52.6/42.8. Michigan officials say an absentee ballot surge will keep them from getting a complete count until tomorrow afternoon, though.
8:23 — Another interesting data point: Among those MO voters who prioritized “needed change,” Sanders led but only 53/44. And those were only 35% of the electorate.
8:17 — More evidence that the Bidenmentum is all about electability rather than passion:
Joe Biden won support from Mississippi Democratic voters who prefer a candidate who can beat Trump to one who agrees with them on issues. https://t.co/gbUWwhylXt pic.twitter.com/qYytVd0MpK — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 11, 2020
8:06 — My apologies for screwing up the headline; I wrote “MI” for Mississippi, which is supposed to be MS. “MI” is Michigan, and their polls don’t close for another hour.
8:04 — If you want to know how Biden took Mississippi, look no further:
MORE: Black Democratic primary voters in Mississippi supported Biden by a vast margin over Sanders (84-13%) — Biden’s biggest win yet among blacks this primary season. https://t.co/4TRSk74JOe pic.twitter.com/ly08wCFhaE — ABC News (@ABC) March 11, 2020
That’s an astounding split — normally one you’d expect between a Democrat and a Republican, not two Democrats.
8:00 — Polls just closed in Mississippi, Missouri, and North Dakota. Networks are already calling Mississippi and Missouri for Joe Biden. It’s worth noting that Sanders came within a quarter-point of Hillary Clinton in Missouri four years ago.
Update, 7:06 pm ET — This might be a long wait, according to the Michigan SoS:
Michigan primary update: The Michigan secretary of state confirms to ABC News that complete, unofficial results from the secretary of state's office are now not expected until Wednesday afternoon. https://t.co/YnVPjJoQEB — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) March 10, 2020
That’s when they figure to have completed the first count, but we should see results this evening that will tell us which way the wind blows. I hope.
Original post follows …
What can Bernie Sanders expect out of tonight’s new round of primary results? To quote Groundhog Day, it will be cold, dark, and last the rest of Sanders’ political life. Democrats have 352 delegates up for grabs in six states tonight, but in reality this comes down to two states — Michigan and Washington. And Joe Biden only really needs to win Michigan tonight to put a fork in the Bernie Bros.
Not that the other states in play are meaningless, of course, but they are already expected to fall into Biden’s column rather easily. Mississippi, Idaho, North Dakota, and Missouri run red in national elections, so their Democratic electorate is already inclined away from Sanders’ brand of extreme-progressive politics, and especially his communist apologias.
For a taste of what’s to come, here are a couple of notable exit-poll results. Electability turns out to be the biggest virtue:
MORE: 69% in Washington state, 59% in Missouri and 53% in Mississippi say beating Trump is more important to them than supporting the candidate who agrees with them on major issues. https://t.co/0dPQiuix6T #PrimaryDay — ABC News (@ABC) March 10, 2020
Enthusiasm … not so much:
https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1237490640335835138
Michigan and Washington, in their own ways, have the potential to bury Sanders for good. Sanders barely beat Hillary Clinton in Michigan’s 2016 primary (49.7/48.3) on the strength of his appeal to working-class voters and the strong anti-establishment impulse in play on both sides of the aisle. Sanders only got a four-delegate advantage out of that, but at least it was a win. In contrast, six polls over the last two weeks put Sanders far behind Biden in the state; his RCP average is 22 points behind Biden, and the closest of the six polls puts him twelve points back.
It’s a margin-of-error race in Washington, RCP notes, but that’s almost as bad for Bernie. He beat Hillary like a drum in 2016 here, where progressivism finds one of its national bases, and he desperately needs a big delegate haul to counter Biden’s presumed juggernaut today. A narrow split doesn’t do Bernie any good, neither narratively nor mathematically, not when Biden looks set to get a large majority of the other 263 delegates up for grabs.
As usual, follow our live-results post for the latest numbers thanks to our Decision Desk HQ partners on election-night coverage, and watch for live-blog updates at the top of this post, starting just after the polls close at 8 pm ET in Mississippi, Missouri, and North Dakota. Michigan follows at 9 pm ET, and Idaho and Washington at 11 pm ET. Stand by for surprises, but there’s an excellent possibility that the competition for the nomination comes to a sudden halt tonight with a Biden sweep. Whether Bernie acknowledges that will be one potential point of suspense in a night that will likely lack any other significant drama. The other — will the Bernie Bros stand down?


hotair--2020-03-10--Here we go: Bernie cancels Ohio rally due to coronavirus fears

I ’ m tempted to call this a sign of things to come for him but I don ’ t know how many more events Team Bernie will realistically want to hold going forward if the polling from Michigan proves accurate tonight .
Asking crowds to show up for a political campaign while an epidemic is growing is bad .
Asking crowds to show up for a zombie political campaign while an epidemic is growing is unconscionable .
Bernie 2020 is likely to have joined the walking dead before the evening is out .
So maybe he won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long .
Biden will — although if Sanders quits soon , obviously that ’ ll take pressure off Joe to host many new rallies until the general election campaign gets rolling in earnest .
“ Out of concern for public health and safety , we are canceling tonight ’ s rally in Cleveland , ” communications director Mike Casca said in a statement .
“ We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials , who have communicated concern about holding large , indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak .
Sen. Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thousands of Ohioans who had planned to attend the event tonight.
” He said future events for Sanders ’ presidential campaign “ will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
” Mike DeWine , the governor of Ohio , announced just a few hours ago that it ’ s time to start limiting crowds : Biden ’ s campaign also canceled a rally tonight in Cleveland shortly after Bernie ’ s did .
Good for both of them in leading by example , especially Sanders since he ’ s the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs every weapon at hand .
( It ’ s also wise for two guys in their late seventies to avoid crowds right now . )
No matter what happens tonight , the coming month will be interesting from a campaign standpoint .
If Bernie decides to keep going , whether because this evening ’ s outcome is encouraging or because he just refuses to quit , presumably the number of rallies he holds will diminish .
Will he try to campaign “ virtually , ” with YouTube events or whatever , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but more sparingly ?
I ’ m guessing Biden will cut way back on live events regardless , possibly even down to zero , since he doesn ’ t really need them anymore to win and not having to do them will reduce the opportunity for new “ he ’ s lost something off his fastball ” gaffes .
This is a guy who won 10 states on Super Tuesday without advertising or staffing up in some of them .
He can get by fine without rallies .
The X factor is Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats begging off of rallies in the name of public health , instinctively he ’ s going to want to prove that he ’ s more daring or whatever by continuing to hold them .
“ Don ’ t do this , ” his health advisors will say .
“ You need to lead by example at a moment when we ’ re asking Americans to sacrifice as a community .
If you ’ re still holding rallies while we ’ re begging people to isolate themselves , they ’ ll decide that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t that high or that it ’ s not fair that you get to keep having your fun while they ’ re being asked to give up theirs .
It ’ s time to be a leader on this disease.
” He ’ ll probably ignore them and keep holding rallies .
And Biden and other Democrats will mercilessly torch him for it .
Maybe that ’ ll finally convince him to stop : Once the price of holding the rallies begins to affect him personally in the form of political pain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change his behavior .
Meanwhile , in America ’ s hottest coronavirus hot spot , the governor of Washington finally announced some small but sensible measures today to try to contain the spread of the disease .
One visit a day for nursing-home residents from now on , and that visitor has to be screened for coronavirus before entering .
Nursing-home staff will also be screened regularly .
Which is nice , but Jay Inslee is still behind the curve on the sort of aggressive “ social distancing ” measures that governors like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still hasn ’ t done anything as aggressive as the “ containment area ” that Andrew Cuomo is instituting in New Rochelle to identify sick residents before they go out and spread the disease .
He ’ s hearing about it too from experts like Scott Gottlieb : Inslee does at least understand the grim math involved here , as you ’ ll see in about 90 seconds of the clip below .
Six days ago , genetic modeling suggested around 600 hidden infections or so in the Seattle area .
Coronavirus infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or so without aggressive “ social distancing ” in the population so now there ’ s an estimated 1,100 infections in Seattle or thereabouts .
Build out that math week by week and you get to 64,000 infections as soon as May thanks to the magic of exponential growth .
Of course , if people start isolating conscientiously then the math can change dramatically : Why Inslee is waiting to call for an end to large gatherings until testing is running full throttle , I have no idea .

I’m tempted to call this a sign of things to come for him but I don’t know how many more events Team Bernie will realistically want to hold going forward if the polling from Michigan proves accurate tonight.
Asking crowds to show up for a political campaign while an epidemic is growing is bad. Asking crowds to show up for a zombie political campaign while an epidemic is growing is unconscionable. Bernie 2020 is likely to have joined the walking dead before the evening is out.
So maybe he won’t have to worry about this problem for long. Biden will — although if Sanders quits soon, obviously that’ll take pressure off Joe to host many new rallies until the general election campaign gets rolling in earnest.
“Out of concern for public health and safety, we are canceling tonight’s rally in Cleveland,” communications director Mike Casca said in a statement. “We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials, who have communicated concern about holding large, indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak. Sen. Sanders would like to express his regret to the thousands of Ohioans who had planned to attend the event tonight.” He said future events for Sanders’ presidential campaign “will be evaluated on a case by case basis.”
Mike DeWine, the governor of Ohio, announced just a few hours ago that it’s time to start limiting crowds:
Through the limiting of large events, our goal is to dramatically slow down the spread of #COVID19 and save lives. Now is the time to take action. #COVID19OhioReady — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 10, 2020
The truth is that #COVID19 is dangerous. We can't ignore it. We can't wish it away. We have to call it as it is. — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 10, 2020
Biden’s campaign also canceled a rally tonight in Cleveland shortly after Bernie’s did. Good for both of them in leading by example, especially Sanders since he’s the one who’s playing from behind and needs every weapon at hand. (It’s also wise for two guys in their late seventies to avoid crowds right now.) No matter what happens tonight, the coming month will be interesting from a campaign standpoint. If Bernie decides to keep going, whether because this evening’s outcome is encouraging or because he just refuses to quit, presumably the number of rallies he holds will diminish. Will he try to campaign “virtually,” with YouTube events or whatever, or will he continue to hold live rallies but more sparingly? I’m guessing Biden will cut way back on live events regardless, possibly even down to zero, since he doesn’t really need them anymore to win and not having to do them will reduce the opportunity for new “he’s lost something off his fastball” gaffes. This is a guy who won 10 states on Super Tuesday without advertising or staffing up in some of them. He can get by fine without rallies.
The X factor is Trump, as always. If he sees Democrats begging off of rallies in the name of public health, instinctively he’s going to want to prove that he’s more daring or whatever by continuing to hold them. “Don’t do this,” his health advisors will say. “You need to lead by example at a moment when we’re asking Americans to sacrifice as a community. If you’re still holding rallies while we’re begging people to isolate themselves, they’ll decide that either the risk of contagion isn’t that high or that it’s not fair that you get to keep having your fun while they’re being asked to give up theirs. It’s time to be a leader on this disease.”
He’ll probably ignore them and keep holding rallies. And Biden and other Democrats will mercilessly torch him for it. Maybe that’ll finally convince him to stop: Once the price of holding the rallies begins to affect him personally in the form of political pain, that’s when he’ll change his behavior.
Meanwhile, in America’s hottest coronavirus hot spot, the governor of Washington finally announced some small but sensible measures today to try to contain the spread of the disease. One visit a day for nursing-home residents from now on, and that visitor has to be screened for coronavirus before entering. Nursing-home staff will also be screened regularly. Which is nice, but Jay Inslee is still behind the curve on the sort of aggressive “social distancing” measures that governors like DeWine are now promoting. And he still hasn’t done anything as aggressive as the “containment area” that Andrew Cuomo is instituting in New Rochelle to identify sick residents before they go out and spread the disease. He’s hearing about it too from experts like Scott Gottlieb:
New York under the leadership of Governor Cuomo is taking some of the strongest and sensible mitigation steps in U.S. to slow spread of #coronavirus epidemic. It stands in stark contrast to Washington State, which has been slow to act forcefully in Seattle https://t.co/2tX0D4aFV0 — Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) March 10, 2020
Inslee does at least understand the grim math involved here, as you’ll see in about 90 seconds of the clip below. Six days ago, genetic modeling suggested around 600 hidden infections or so in the Seattle area. Coronavirus infections are projected to double every six days or so without aggressive “social distancing” in the population so now there’s an estimated 1,100 infections in Seattle or thereabouts. Build out that math week by week and you get to 64,000 infections as soon as May thanks to the magic of exponential growth. Of course, if people start isolating conscientiously then the math can change dramatically:
Hello from South Korea. It took about a week-and-a-half to get the coronavirus under control with large-scale testing, closing schools, wearing masks, etc. Why are the experts so confident that this can't be contained? — Nathan Cofnas (@nathancofnas) March 10, 2020
Why Inslee is waiting to call for an end to large gatherings until testing is running full throttle, I have no idea.


hotair--2020-03-10--Cuomo announces one-mile coronavirus "containment area" involving National Guard in New York State h

Cuomo announces one-mile coronavirus "containment area" involving National Guard in New York State hot spot

The headline makes it sound like martial law , especially with the National Guard participating , but “ containment area ” is a misnomer .
They aren ’ t restricting the residents ’ movements .
“ Somebody who lives in that containment area could be in this room today .
There ’ s nothing you can do about that , ” said Cuomo at today ’ s briefing .
What they ’ re trying to contain is the virus itself by providing on-site testing for residents in hopes of identifying everyone who ’ s sick and discouraging them from leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools and churches will also be shut for a couple of weeks .
The Guard is there to help deliver food to those who are already ill and to sanitize infected public spaces .
Watch , then read on .
New Rochelle is just north of New York City .
Lots of residents commute to Manhattan for work .
If New Rochelle burns , NYC will eventually burn too .
In an alternate universe where the CDC had been effective from the start in identifying and containing the sick , a move like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because the feds have been bumbling and reactive throughout , most New Yorkers will appreciate Cuomo for being aggressive .
Others might be shaken from their current complacency about the disease .
It ’ s also good retail politics for him to be out in front of the cameras doing “ here ’ s how seriously we ’ re taking this ” briefings .
When even Trump-friendly righties are begging the president to rise to the occasion and recognize the threat , Cuomo ’ s obviously going to benefit from the implicit contrast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be increasingly proactive about the crisis , and not just Democratic governors either : March Madness games will be played in DeWine ’ s home state of Ohio 10 days from now .
Presumably that means empty stands , a prudent measure .
Meanwhile in Italy , the news is not good : The situation is worse in Italy right now than it is in China .
Xi Jinping visited Wuhan today to signal that the government believes the worst is behind them ; there were , allegedly , only 19 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy — and Chinese state media claims temporary hospitals to treat coronavirus patients are closing down .
Maybe that ’ s propaganda to highlight China ’ s “ victory ” over the disease at a moment when it ’ s bedeviling the west , or maybe it ’ s legit evidence of what a totalitarian government can achieve when it orders several hundred million people to shelter in place .
As for Italy , the death toll has crept up to five percent , higher than it was even in China .
Why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : In Lombardy , the worst-affected region , the death rate is 6 % .
Globally , about 3.5 % out of 109,578 people with confirmed cases have died , according to the latest data from the World Health Organization .
Many experts say the real mortality rate may well be lower , because many infection cases aren ’ t known… “ From a biological point of view , it ’ s inexplicable , ” said Giorgio Palù , a virologist at the University of Padua .
“ The only thing we know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population is one of the oldest in the world.
” … In Italy , which has the oldest population in the world after Japan , 58 % of Covid-19 patients who died so far were over 80 years old , and a further 31 % were in their 70s , according to the National Institute of Health , Italy ’ s disease-control agency .
Italy is a bureaucratic western nation , not a communist autocracy that can easily commandeer labor , so temporary hospitals to house the glut of sick older people can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re on track for the same nightmare soon — maybe .
Proactive measures like DeWine ’ s decree and widespread reports of businesses and colleges following the CDC ’ s device and encouraging “ social distancing ” by asking people to work/learn remotely will obviously succeed to some degree in slowing down the spread , which will save lives .
Airport density is also waaaay down .
We may be flattening the proverbial curve : Aggressive testing , like South Korea has done , sure helps a lot too : Unfortunately , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on testing .
The single hottest hot spot in America for coronavirus is the Life Care Center nursing home in Seattle , where dozens of patients and staff have contracted COVID-19 .
As of this morning , they still couldn ’ t get enough tests there to screen everyone with symptoms .
And just as I ’ m writing this , suddenly we have a new hot spot on the other side of the country : Exit question via the Daily Beast : How the hell are there still people booking cruises ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with my two kids and my husband as we are up each others throats because of the quarantine ?
Would it be better to be in the middle of the Atlantic with free room service ?
At least I wouldn ’ t have to cook .
”

The headline makes it sound like martial law, especially with the National Guard participating, but “containment area” is a misnomer. They aren’t restricting the residents’ movements. “Somebody who lives in that containment area could be in this room today. There’s nothing you can do about that,” said Cuomo at today’s briefing. What they’re trying to contain is the virus itself by providing on-site testing for residents in hopes of identifying everyone who’s sick and discouraging them from leaving the area. Large gathering places like schools and churches will also be shut for a couple of weeks. The Guard is there to help deliver food to those who are already ill and to sanitize infected public spaces. Watch, then read on.
BREAKING: NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces containment zone around New Rochelle, lasting until 3/25; National Guard to be deployed to assist in food delivery, cleaning. "This is the single greatest public health challenge we have in the state right now." https://t.co/waOLY1RvC9 pic.twitter.com/ubq6lFo0yH — ABC News (@ABC) March 10, 2020
New Rochelle is just north of New York City. Lots of residents commute to Manhattan for work. If New Rochelle burns, NYC will eventually burn too.
In an alternate universe where the CDC had been effective from the start in identifying and containing the sick, a move like this might be attacked as heavy-handed. Because the feds have been bumbling and reactive throughout, most New Yorkers will appreciate Cuomo for being aggressive. Others might be shaken from their current complacency about the disease. It’s also good retail politics for him to be out in front of the cameras doing “here’s how seriously we’re taking this” briefings. When even Trump-friendly righties are begging the president to rise to the occasion and recognize the threat, Cuomo’s obviously going to benefit from the implicit contrast. I mean…
The president has been calling up friends after hours, to ask them what they think about coronavirus. They told him:
1. *they* don't know anybody with it.
2. Trump is super-duper healthy.
His conclusion: Keep shaking hands. "You have to live your life."https://t.co/VrkdUuE54g — David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) March 10, 2020
Other governors will also be increasingly proactive about the crisis, and not just Democratic governors either:
ATHLETICS: For indoor events, we are asking for no events with spectators other than the athletes, parents, and others essential to the game. Right now, outdoor events can continue. #COVID19 — Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 10, 2020
March Madness games will be played in DeWine’s home state of Ohio 10 days from now. Presumably that means empty stands, a prudent measure.
Meanwhile in Italy, the news is not good:
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy has jumped by 168 to 631, an increase of 36%, the Civil Protection Agency said on Tuesday, the largest rise in absolute numbers since the contagion came to light on 21 February, Reuters reports. The total number of cases in Italy, the European country hardest hit by the virus in Europe, rose to 10,149 from a previous 9,172, an increase of 10.7%.
The situation is worse in Italy right now than it is in China. Xi Jinping visited Wuhan today to signal that the government believes the worst is behind them; there were, allegedly, only 19 new cases there today — far fewer than in Italy — and Chinese state media claims temporary hospitals to treat coronavirus patients are closing down. Maybe that’s propaganda to highlight China’s “victory” over the disease at a moment when it’s bedeviling the west, or maybe it’s legit evidence of what a totalitarian government can achieve when it orders several hundred million people to shelter in place. As for Italy, the death toll has crept up to five percent, higher than it was even in China. Why? A combination of demographics and capacity:
In Lombardy, the worst-affected region, the death rate is 6%. Globally, about 3.5% out of 109,578 people with confirmed cases have died, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization. Many experts say the real mortality rate may well be lower, because many infection cases aren’t known… “From a biological point of view, it’s inexplicable,” said Giorgio Palù, a virologist at the University of Padua. “The only thing we know for sure is that Italy’s population is one of the oldest in the world.”… In Italy, which has the oldest population in the world after Japan, 58% of Covid-19 patients who died so far were over 80 years old, and a further 31% were in their 70s, according to the National Institute of Health, Italy’s disease-control agency.
Italy is a bureaucratic western nation, not a communist autocracy that can easily commandeer labor, so temporary hospitals to house the glut of sick older people can’t spring up overnight. We’re on track for the same nightmare soon — maybe. Proactive measures like DeWine’s decree and widespread reports of businesses and colleges following the CDC’s device and encouraging “social distancing” by asking people to work/learn remotely will obviously succeed to some degree in slowing down the spread, which will save lives. Airport density is also waaaay down. We may be flattening the proverbial curve:
The most important graph in the world right now https://t.co/Im8VQNPzNt pic.twitter.com/VTNwR8bMCK — Rutger Bregman (@rcbregman) March 10, 2020
Aggressive testing, like South Korea has done, sure helps a lot too:
Amazing! What South Korea is doing is really bending their #Covid19 epidemic curve. Only 131 new cases today, versus 909 on Feb. 29.
It's not just China. This clearly can be done. https://t.co/sueAO9XLF7 pic.twitter.com/Bw7WX1s9nM — Helen Branswell (@HelenBranswell) March 10, 2020
Unfortunately, we’re still in terrible shape on testing. The single hottest hot spot in America for coronavirus is the Life Care Center nursing home in Seattle, where dozens of patients and staff have contracted COVID-19. As of this morning, they still couldn’t get enough tests there to screen everyone with symptoms. And just as I’m writing this, suddenly we have a new hot spot on the other side of the country:
BREAKING: Massachusetts has just announced 51 *new* cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of presumptive cases to 92 — a 124 percent increase from yesterday. Seventy of the cases are related to the Biogen conference in Boston. Six people are hospitalized. #WBZ — Liam Martin (@LiamWBZ) March 10, 2020
Exit question via the Daily Beast: How the hell are there still people booking cruises? “Do I want to be stuck with my two kids and my husband as we are up each others throats because of the quarantine? Would it be better to be in the middle of the Atlantic with free room service? At least I wouldn’t have to cook.”


hotair--2020-03-10--Kim Foxx: 'This issue with Smollett...is bulls**t'

Last week Cook County State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx appeared on a Chicago Sun-Times podcast where she let people know how she really feels about the Jussie Smollett case .
“ This issue with Smollett , cause I ’ ll just take it head on , we ’ ve got 12 days left , is—excuse my language—is bulls**t. ” One of Kim Foxx ’ s rivals in the Cook County State ’ s Attorney primary , Bill Conway , has just introduced a new campaign ad quoting that portion of her comments .
“ The reputation of the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jussie Smollett , ” Foxx says in the ad , as her image is plastered to the screen .
Then the commercial features a mashup of news reports from when the high-profile , nationally watched case was unfolding… In her interview with Joravsky last week , Foxx expressed disappointment that it ’ s been a year since the Smollett incident happened and yet it has become the focus of many interviews and conversations .
The commercial highlights a part of her quote , but in the 40-minute interview , she said much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Smollett … ’ cause I ’ ll just take it head on … we ’ ve got 12 days left … is … excuse my language … is bull—- .
Sorry , ” she said .
“ Hold me accountable .
Absolutely .
We could have done a better job of explaining how this fits in the context of the work that we do .
And in the process of doing it , we owed a greater level of transparency to the people of Cook County.
” Foxx has been claiming for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was just like that of any other low level offender .
That excuse held up a lot better before a special prosecutor filed six new charges of disorderly conduct against him last month .
Here ’ s what the Chicago Tribune said about that at the time : A statement from Webb , a former U.S. attorney here , opens the candidate to fresh accusations of incompetence if not deceit : Foxx has maintained that her office treated Smollett the way it treats other defendants every day .
She has made much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s attorney ’ s office couldn ’ t point to those comparable cases .
Webb ’ s conclusion contradicts Foxx ’ s statement to WBEZ on March 27 , 2019 , that “ every single day … there are people who get similar arrangements , people who get diversion , people who get sentences that are probably not what some people would want .
Every single day.
” Webb is saying Foxx ’ s office had no precedent or consistent policy to justify letting Smollett off the hook — but did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get the same treatment others get despite the fact that his case attracted international attention but she just keeps claiming he did .
And with the election just a week away , now she ’ s claiming it ’ s all BS .
Here ’ s the new ad put out by Bill Conway .
Finally , here ’ s the full interview with the Sun-Times podcast .
The section where Foxx call the Smollett case BS comes about two hours and five minutes in to this .

Last week Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx appeared on a Chicago Sun-Times podcast where she let people know how she really feels about the Jussie Smollett case. “This issue with Smollett, cause I’ll just take it head on, we’ve got 12 days left, is—excuse my language—is bulls**t.” One of Kim Foxx’s rivals in the Cook County State’s Attorney primary, Bill Conway, has just introduced a new campaign ad quoting that portion of her comments.
“The reputation of the city of Chicago wasn’t marred by Jussie Smollett,” Foxx says in the ad, as her image is plastered to the screen. Then the commercial features a mashup of news reports from when the high-profile, nationally watched case was unfolding… In her interview with Joravsky last week, Foxx expressed disappointment that it’s been a year since the Smollett incident happened and yet it has become the focus of many interviews and conversations. The commercial highlights a part of her quote, but in the 40-minute interview, she said much more about the case. “This issue with Smollett … ’cause I’ll just take it head on … we’ve got 12 days left … is … excuse my language … is bull—-. Sorry,” she said. “Hold me accountable. Absolutely. We could have done a better job of explaining how this fits in the context of the work that we do. And in the process of doing it, we owed a greater level of transparency to the people of Cook County.”
Foxx has been claiming for a year that her treatment of Smollett was just like that of any other low level offender. That excuse held up a lot better before a special prosecutor filed six new charges of disorderly conduct against him last month. Here’s what the Chicago Tribune said about that at the time:
A statement from Webb, a former U.S. attorney here, opens the candidate to fresh accusations of incompetence if not deceit: Foxx has maintained that her office treated Smollett the way it treats other defendants every day. She has made much of that claim. Yet Webb says her state’s attorney’s office couldn’t point to those comparable cases. Webb’s conclusion contradicts Foxx’s statement to WBEZ on March 27, 2019, that “every single day … there are people who get similar arrangements, people who get diversion, people who get sentences that are probably not what some people would want. Every single day.” Webb is saying Foxx’s office had no precedent or consistent policy to justify letting Smollett off the hook — but did it anyway.
Smollett didn’t get the same treatment others get despite the fact that his case attracted international attention but she just keeps claiming he did. And with the election just a week away, now she’s claiming it’s all BS. Here’s the new ad put out by Bill Conway.
Finally, here’s the full interview with the Sun-Times podcast. The section where Foxx call the Smollett case BS comes about two hours and five minutes in to this.


hotair--2020-03-10--Where is the NeverBernie movement?

Where is the NeverBernie movement?

The title question comes to us courtesy of Kevin D. Williamson at National Review .
An established veteran of the NeverTrump movement , Williamson looks over the quickly collapsing prospects of Senator Bernie Sanders , noting the level of ire he raises among many of the established footsoldiers of the Democratic Party and wonders why there hasn ’ t been a corresponding “ Never Bernie ” movement among their ranks .
The author notes that there is definitely organized ( if very quiet ) opposition to Bernie Sanders ’ hopes to be the presidential nominee , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than any sort of pledge to keep Sanders and his socialist manifesto from ever darkening their doorway .
There is a purely strategic anti-Sanders effort , to be sure , typified by the Big Tent Project , which works to promote less radical candidates ( it helped Joe Biden in South Carolina ) and warns Democrats that “ nominating Bernie means we reelect Trump.
” There is a very large difference between worrying that a candidate will lose and believing that he does not deserve to win—that he is , as many conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfit for the office he seeks .
Which Senator Sanders manifestly is .
Democrats may be concerned that his radicalism is likely to be a political loser , but there is not much intellectual or moral pushback against the radicalism itself .
To the extent that one exists at all , the supra-strategic “ Never Bernie ” tendency consists of 7,844 nobodies on Twitter and David Brooks , a conservative-leaning New York Times columnist who interned for William F. Buckley Jr. and who has been an ex-Republican for about as long as Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also touches on the lack of shock and horror being expressed by nearly anyone on the left that Sanders is an overt socialist if not a closet communist .
For this part of the discussion , he points us to this article from Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine .
Chait goes to great lengths to attempt to draw a line between Bernie ’ s flavor of socialism and actual communism .
The best he ’ s able to come up with is that communist revolutions result in the creation of a single-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite that far .
And while it is unfortunately easy to confuse socialism with communism , the two are not synonymous .
As you move left on the ideological spectrum , liberalism bleeds into socialism , but it is difficult to define a fixed point where one ends and the other begins .
( The Socialist Party ’ s program from a century ago is now largely uncontroversial not only among Democrats but Republicans . )
But the divide between democratic socialism and communism is fairly clear .
Communism envisions political change occurring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a one-party state , that party representing the sole political organ with a claim to political legitimacy .
Sanders has rejected this theory his entire political life .
In a speech 30 years ago , while extolling socialism , he distinguished his creed from communism : You can read the dusty , old Sanders speech at the link if you like , but the distinction is more of a technicality when looked at in 21st-century realities .
Bernie may not be looking to officially eliminate all political parties and replace them with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would clearly be just fine with one party dominating control of Washington in perpetuity , regulating every aspect of the lives of all citizens and redistributing every last bit of wealth until we all exist equally in a state of government-managed poverty .
Getting back to the original question , however , I have a slightly different take on why a true parallel to the NeverTrumpers hasn ’ t risen up on the left .
The Democrats who are fighting to stop Bernie Sanders from firing up his “ revolution ” and seizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , don ’ t really hate Bernie Sanders or find him reprehensible ( though plenty of lefties in the media seem to ) .
As I wrote this weekend when discussing Ben Smith ’ s recent article about Sanders , there are plenty of Democrats who would probably love to see many of Sanders ’ policies put in place .
They would be fine with the Green New Deal , Medicare for All , Basic Guaranteed Income and a wealth tax that would drive the hated top one percent into the poorhouse .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of policies lose elections .
Their opposition to Sanders is a practical matter rather than a visceral one .
The NeverTrumpers like Williamson , however , are motivated by something entirely different .
They despise Donald Trump for being Donald Trump .
They love to talk about how he ’ s not a real conservative ( and for most of his life he certainly wasn ’ t ) .
They hate his brash , public persona and how he interacts with anyone that stands in his way .
But when it comes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day when you hear the NeverTrumpers complaining about all of the justices Trump has flooded into the courts around the nation .
Virtually every one of them believes we need to strengthen our borders and combat illegal immigration .
And with the exception of a few hawks , I would wager that the majority of them would like to see us extricate ourselves from Afghanistan and aren ’ t terribly sorry that we ’ re out of Iraq , either .
Sure , they will rightly complain about the levels of federal spending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , but Republicans have sadly grown used to that it seems .
The GOP is opposed to big government spending when it ’ s Democrats doing the spending .
Not so much when the shoe is on the other foot .
So , in short , there simply isn ’ t enough visceral hatred of Bernie on the left to fuel a real NeverBernie movement .
They would rather pat him on the head , tell him he gave it a good try and send him back to Vermont or whichever of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in these days .
The NeverTrumpers , on the other hand , would prefer to see the President leave town strapped to a rail .
But they ’ ll happily keep all of the judges he ’ s appointed and the gains he ’ s made in key policy areas .
And that ’ s why the parallel that Williamson is searching for doesn ’ t really exist .

The title question comes to us courtesy of Kevin D. Williamson at National Review. An established veteran of the NeverTrump movement, Williamson looks over the quickly collapsing prospects of Senator Bernie Sanders, noting the level of ire he raises among many of the established footsoldiers of the Democratic Party and wonders why there hasn’t been a corresponding “Never Bernie” movement among their ranks. The author notes that there is definitely organized (if very quiet) opposition to Bernie Sanders’ hopes to be the presidential nominee, but it’s more of a utilitarian, businesslike affair than any sort of pledge to keep Sanders and his socialist manifesto from ever darkening their doorway.
There is a purely strategic anti-Sanders effort, to be sure, typified by the Big Tent Project, which works to promote less radical candidates (it helped Joe Biden in South Carolina) and warns Democrats that “nominating Bernie means we reelect Trump.” There is a very large difference between worrying that a candidate will lose and believing that he does not deserve to win—that he is, as many conservatives said of Trump in 2016, fundamentally unfit for the office he seeks. Which Senator Sanders manifestly is. Democrats may be concerned that his radicalism is likely to be a political loser, but there is not much intellectual or moral pushback against the radicalism itself. To the extent that one exists at all, the supra-strategic “Never Bernie” tendency consists of 7,844 nobodies on Twitter and David Brooks, a conservative-leaning New York Times columnist who interned for William F. Buckley Jr. and who has been an ex-Republican for about as long as Donald Trump has been a Republican.
Williamson also touches on the lack of shock and horror being expressed by nearly anyone on the left that Sanders is an overt socialist if not a closet communist. For this part of the discussion, he points us to this article from Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine. Chait goes to great lengths to attempt to draw a line between Bernie’s flavor of socialism and actual communism. The best he’s able to come up with is that communist revolutions result in the creation of a single-party state, whereas Bernie has never gone quite that far.
And while it is unfortunately easy to confuse socialism with communism, the two are not synonymous. As you move left on the ideological spectrum, liberalism bleeds into socialism, but it is difficult to define a fixed point where one ends and the other begins. (The Socialist Party’s program from a century ago is now largely uncontroversial not only among Democrats but Republicans.) But the divide between democratic socialism and communism is fairly clear. Communism envisions political change occurring through revolution, followed by the establishment of a one-party state, that party representing the sole political organ with a claim to political legitimacy. Sanders has rejected this theory his entire political life. In a speech 30 years ago, while extolling socialism, he distinguished his creed from communism:
You can read the dusty, old Sanders speech at the link if you like, but the distinction is more of a technicality when looked at in 21st-century realities. Bernie may not be looking to officially eliminate all political parties and replace them with a single state organism, but he would clearly be just fine with one party dominating control of Washington in perpetuity, regulating every aspect of the lives of all citizens and redistributing every last bit of wealth until we all exist equally in a state of government-managed poverty.
Getting back to the original question, however, I have a slightly different take on why a true parallel to the NeverTrumpers hasn’t risen up on the left. The Democrats who are fighting to stop Bernie Sanders from firing up his “revolution” and seizing the presidential nomination, by and large, don’t really hate Bernie Sanders or find him reprehensible (though plenty of lefties in the media seem to). As I wrote this weekend when discussing Ben Smith’s recent article about Sanders, there are plenty of Democrats who would probably love to see many of Sanders’ policies put in place. They would be fine with the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, Basic Guaranteed Income and a wealth tax that would drive the hated top one percent into the poorhouse. But they also realize that those types of policies lose elections. Their opposition to Sanders is a practical matter rather than a visceral one.
The NeverTrumpers like Williamson, however, are motivated by something entirely different. They despise Donald Trump for being Donald Trump. They love to talk about how he’s not a real conservative (and for most of his life he certainly wasn’t). They hate his brash, public persona and how he interacts with anyone that stands in his way. But when it comes to policy? It’s a rare day when you hear the NeverTrumpers complaining about all of the justices Trump has flooded into the courts around the nation. Virtually every one of them believes we need to strengthen our borders and combat illegal immigration. And with the exception of a few hawks, I would wager that the majority of them would like to see us extricate ourselves from Afghanistan and aren’t terribly sorry that we’re out of Iraq, either. Sure, they will rightly complain about the levels of federal spending and the soaring debt and deficit under Trump, but Republicans have sadly grown used to that it seems. The GOP is opposed to big government spending when it’s Democrats doing the spending. Not so much when the shoe is on the other foot.
So, in short, there simply isn’t enough visceral hatred of Bernie on the left to fuel a real NeverBernie movement. They would rather pat him on the head, tell him he gave it a good try and send him back to Vermont or whichever of his three homes he’s staying in these days. The NeverTrumpers, on the other hand, would prefer to see the President leave town strapped to a rail. But they’ll happily keep all of the judges he’s appointed and the gains he’s made in key policy areas. And that’s why the parallel that Williamson is searching for doesn’t really exist.