hotair--2020-11-19--Romney to Trump: Normally you find the evidence before you claim fraud

Funny and true , but we ’ re leaving the “ respectable ” lawsuit phase of this process today in which fraud is semi-seriously averred and entering the “ desperation ” phase .
That ’ s when Trump effectively gives up on trying to get the election overturned in court and starts leaning on Republican officials at the state level to just hand him the election by any political means necessary .
The coup phase , in other words .
It almost certainly won ’ t work but many , many , many millions of self-described “ constitutionalists ” will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence and then after seeing evidence then you reach a conclusion about whether or not there was a crime committed , ’ Romney chuckled to David Axelrod during an interview on the CNN commentator ’ s podcast .
‘ But I understand the president is not happy with the result , he ’ s entitled to pursue his legal remedies , ’ Romney continued .
‘ But I think in all likelihood , it ’ s pretty clear that Joe Biden will become the next president.
’ … Romney said he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s win is ‘ illegitimate ’ and due to some sort of funny business in ballot collection and tabulation .
I ’ m surprised that he ’ s surprised .
Ed noted earlier that Team Trump has already thrown in the towel on its lawsuit in Michigan on the … interesting theory that it ’ s no longer necessary because Wayne County hasn ’ t certified its results .
Of course , as Ed pointed out , Wayne County has certified its results .
The two Republicans on the canvassing board who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today have no legal avenue to do so .
The certification will stand .
It turns out that each of them received a call from the president of the United States himself on Tuesday night after they initially refused to certify : “ I did receive a call from President Trump , late Tuesday evening , after the meeting , ” Monica Palmer , one of two Republican members of the four-member Wayne County canvassing board , told The Post .
“ He was checking in to make sure I was safe after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occurred.
” … Asked if they discussed the presidential vote count , she said , “ It ’ s hard for me to describe .
There was a lot of adrenalin and stress going on .
There were general comments about different states but we really didn ’ t discuss the details of the certification.
” Asked again about possible pressure from such a call , Palmer said , “ It was not pressure .
It was genuine concern for my safety.
” I bet a lot of Republican canvassing officials and state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Pennsylvania are getting calls from well-known people this week , possibly including Trump himself , about their safety — and the upcoming certification votes .
That ’ s what I mean by “ desperation ” phase .
This is now a lobbying effort , not a legal effort .
And what they ’ re lobbying for is a coup .
Which also explains why the Michigan lawsuit was withdrawn under false pretenses , I assume .
Team Trump isn ’ t trying to win in court anymore , they just want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheated .
So they ’ re going to pretend that Wayne County never certified its results even though they did purely so that they can act outraged and gaslight Trump fans when Michigan ultimately certifies Biden ’ s victory .
Wayne County never agreed !
Another reason why they ’ re shifting from a legal approach to a lobbying approach is , well , because the legal effort is a mess : The legal campaign has exacerbated tensions among the president ’ s advisers , people familiar with the discussions said .
Early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conference call laid out a path for how the legal effort could conceivably reverse calls in some states , according to people familiar with the call… “ There was this period of hope that there ’ s fraud .
And then it was , ‘ Is there really enough fraud ?
’ ” said a campaign aide .
“ It ’ s starting to get a little embarrassing.
” The president put Mr. Giuliani in charge of the legal effort after a tense Oval Office meeting last week in which the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lying to the president about his slim odds of overturning the election , according to a person familiar with the meeting .
That prompted deputy campaign manager Justin Clark to call Mr. Giuliani a “ f—ing asshole.
” Mr. Trump elevated Mr. Giuliani , the person said , because “ he was the only person telling the president he could win.
” The unreality bubble around the president is getting thicker , not thinner , which Republicans like McConnell really ought to bear in mind as they continue to humor his belief that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in doubt .
The “ desperation ” phase could get very messy even though it ’ s all but certain not to give Trump the result he wants .
Although he can bring intense pressure on local Republican officials to do his bidding , there ’ s only so much they ’ re legally able to do .
“ It is against the law in Pennsylvania , Wisconsin law gives no role to the legislature in choosing presidential electors , and there is little public will in other states to pursue such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s plan to convince state legislatures to award their electors to him notwithstanding the result of the state ’ s election .
It may well be unconstitutional too .
The Constitution lets states decide how their electors are awarded but they already made that decision when they agreed to hold an election .
Not even a 6-3 conservative SCOTUS would allow them to flush democracy down the toilet because they ’ re too intimidated by Trump ’ s bout of authoritarian mania to tell him no .
I think .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the legal path is arduous .
The goal now is to play for delay and cast doubt on the election , they said , ” again according to WaPo , which claims that Steve Bannon — who is himself under indictment for fraud by Trump ’ s DOJ — is coordinating with Giuliani on the big “ Democrats committed fraud ” campaign .
That ’ s the real endgame .
Retaining power is a one-in-a-million longshot but giving Republicans in Congress and across the country some flimsy pretext not to work with Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ in doubt ” will be gratefully received by all of them .
If that makes the country a nastier , more vicious , less governable place , so be it .
Just payback for the Mueller investigation , right ?
All of the elected Republicans indulging this , though , had better understand that they ’ re committing themselves to this strategy in the future too .
This is correct : I think it depends on who ’ s nominated .
If , by some stroke of luck , the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the line , populists will have much less difficulty believing that they were defeated fairly .
Haley and Rubio aren ’ t populists , after all .
Of course Americans would vote against them !
But for Trump to lose , and lose fairly badly , is so intolerable a blow to the populist psyche that it can ’ t be reconciled to reality .
Any election going forward in which a populist nominee loses will need to follow the sinister playbook Trump ’ s using now , in which theories of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ air to explain the defeat .
It ’ ll look “ weak ” for that nominee not to “ fight ” on by wrecking the country after Trump proved he was willing to .
Here ’ s the very serious head of the president ’ s very serious legal effort making a very serious argument at today ’ s press conference .

Funny and true, but we’re leaving the “respectable” lawsuit phase of this process today in which fraud is semi-seriously averred and entering the “desperation” phase. That’s when Trump effectively gives up on trying to get the election overturned in court and starts leaning on Republican officials at the state level to just hand him the election by any political means necessary.
The coup phase, in other words.
It almost certainly won’t work but many, many, many millions of self-described “constitutionalists” will support it.
‘Normally you find evidence and then after seeing evidence then you reach a conclusion about whether or not there was a crime committed,’ Romney chuckled to David Axelrod during an interview on the CNN commentator’s podcast. ‘But I understand the president is not happy with the result, he’s entitled to pursue his legal remedies,’ Romney continued. ‘But I think in all likelihood, it’s pretty clear that Joe Biden will become the next president.’… Romney said he’s surprised so many Republicans believe that Biden’s win is ‘illegitimate’ and due to some sort of funny business in ballot collection and tabulation.
I’m surprised that he’s surprised. Ed noted earlier that Team Trump has already thrown in the towel on its lawsuit in Michigan on the … interesting theory that it’s no longer necessary because Wayne County hasn’t certified its results. Of course, as Ed pointed out, Wayne County has certified its results. The two Republicans on the canvassing board who are trying to rescind their certification votes today have no legal avenue to do so. The certification will stand. It turns out that each of them received a call from the president of the United States himself on Tuesday night after they initially refused to certify:
“I did receive a call from President Trump, late Tuesday evening, after the meeting,” Monica Palmer, one of two Republican members of the four-member Wayne County canvassing board, told The Post. “He was checking in to make sure I was safe after hearing the threats and doxing that had occurred.”… Asked if they discussed the presidential vote count, she said, “It’s hard for me to describe. There was a lot of adrenalin and stress going on. There were general comments about different states but we really didn’t discuss the details of the certification.” Asked again about possible pressure from such a call, Palmer said, “It was not pressure. It was genuine concern for my safety.”
I bet a lot of Republican canvassing officials and state legislators in Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are getting calls from well-known people this week, possibly including Trump himself, about their safety — and the upcoming certification votes. That’s what I mean by “desperation” phase. This is now a lobbying effort, not a legal effort. And what they’re lobbying for is a coup.
More Michigan news: Lawmakers are flying into DC to meet with President Trump tomorrow, at his request. — Amy Gardner (@AmyEGardner) November 19, 2020
Which also explains why the Michigan lawsuit was withdrawn under false pretenses, I assume. Team Trump isn’t trying to win in court anymore, they just want to pretend that they’ve been cheated. So they’re going to pretend that Wayne County never certified its results even though they did purely so that they can act outraged and gaslight Trump fans when Michigan ultimately certifies Biden’s victory. Wayne County never agreed!
Another reason why they’re shifting from a legal approach to a lobbying approach is, well, because the legal effort is a mess:
The legal campaign has exacerbated tensions among the president’s advisers, people familiar with the discussions said. Early last week, top campaign aides on a conference call laid out a path for how the legal effort could conceivably reverse calls in some states, according to people familiar with the call… “There was this period of hope that there’s fraud. And then it was, ‘Is there really enough fraud?’ ” said a campaign aide. “It’s starting to get a little embarrassing.” The president put Mr. Giuliani in charge of the legal effort after a tense Oval Office meeting last week in which the former New York mayor accused other lawyers of lying to the president about his slim odds of overturning the election, according to a person familiar with the meeting. That prompted deputy campaign manager Justin Clark to call Mr. Giuliani a “f—ing asshole.” Mr. Trump elevated Mr. Giuliani, the person said, because “he was the only person telling the president he could win.”
The unreality bubble around the president is getting thicker, not thinner, which Republicans like McConnell really ought to bear in mind as they continue to humor his belief that the outcome of the election is still in doubt. The “desperation” phase could get very messy even though it’s all but certain not to give Trump the result he wants. Although he can bring intense pressure on local Republican officials to do his bidding, there’s only so much they’re legally able to do. “It is against the law in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin law gives no role to the legislature in choosing presidential electors, and there is little public will in other states to pursue such a path,” wrote WaPo today of Trump’s plan to convince state legislatures to award their electors to him notwithstanding the result of the state’s election. It may well be unconstitutional too. The Constitution lets states decide how their electors are awarded but they already made that decision when they agreed to hold an election. Not even a 6-3 conservative SCOTUS would allow them to flush democracy down the toilet because they’re too intimidated by Trump’s bout of authoritarian mania to tell him no. I think.
“Several Republicans said that even Giuliani believes the legal path is arduous. The goal now is to play for delay and cast doubt on the election, they said,” again according to WaPo, which claims that Steve Bannon — who is himself under indictment for fraud by Trump’s DOJ — is coordinating with Giuliani on the big “Democrats committed fraud” campaign. That’s the real endgame. Retaining power is a one-in-a-million longshot but giving Republicans in Congress and across the country some flimsy pretext not to work with Biden after he takes office because the election is “in doubt” will be gratefully received by all of them. If that makes the country a nastier, more vicious, less governable place, so be it. Just payback for the Mueller investigation, right?
All of the elected Republicans indulging this, though, had better understand that they’re committing themselves to this strategy in the future too. This is correct:
https://twitter.com/kjhealy/status/1329415247053139970
I think it depends on who’s nominated. If, by some stroke of luck, the GOP nominates a Nikki Haley or Marco Rubio down the line, populists will have much less difficulty believing that they were defeated fairly. Haley and Rubio aren’t populists, after all. Of course Americans would vote against them! But for Trump to lose, and lose fairly badly, is so intolerable a blow to the populist psyche that it can’t be reconciled to reality. Any election going forward in which a populist nominee loses will need to follow the sinister playbook Trump’s using now, in which theories of massive fraud are conjured out of thin air to explain the defeat. It’ll look “weak” for that nominee not to “fight” on by wrecking the country after Trump proved he was willing to.
Here’s the very serious head of the president’s very serious legal effort making a very serious argument at today’s press conference.


hotair--2020-11-19--Let's face it, Democrats, Trump's right about opening schools, says ... NYT's Kristof? <span class='

Let's face it, Democrats, Trump's right about opening schools, says ... NYT's Kristof? Update: Closures in CA are "state-sanctioned segregation," says Assembly Dem

Although it may look counter-intuitive , don ’ t be too surprised about this rebuke to Democrats from Nicholas Kristof over school closures .
For one thing , they ’ re indefensible from either a scientific or economic perspective , and the greatest harm is done to children — a topic on which Kristof often focuses .
Even though Kristof usually fits neatly into the New York Times ’ liberal-progressive paradigm , or more accurately the enforced progressive commune these days , he ’ s also broken away from that paradigm when warranted by the burdens on the poor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t broken away quite this much in the past , though ( via The Anchoress ) : Some things are true even though President Trump says them .
Trump has been demanding for months that schools reopen , and on that he seems to have been largely right .
Schools , especially elementary schools , do not appear to have been major sources of coronavirus transmission , and remote learning is proving to be a catastrophe for many low-income children .
Yet America is shutting schools — New York City announced Wednesday that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s largest school district — even as it allows businesses like restaurants and bars to operate .
What are our priorities ?
… Granted , the United States has done such a poor job of controlling the virus that as the pandemic rages across the country it may be necessary to shut some schools .
But that should be the last resort .
Kristof peppers his column with criticisms of Trump , arguing that Trump has politicized the COVID-19 response .
There ’ s truth to that , but Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue , nor was he particularly worse than others .
What about Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi calling his decision to close off travel with China as “ xenophobic ” ?
Most of the column , however , Kristof spends in pointing out all of the long-term damage being done to American students .
Democrats spend a lot of effort talking about their support for the poor and disadvantaged , those issues near and dear to Kristof ’ s heart , but they ’ re actively consigning those children to far worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure : America ’ s education system already transmits advantage and disadvantage from one generation to the next : Rich kids attend rich schools that propel them forward , and low-income children attend struggling schools that hold them back .
School closures magnify these inequities , as many private schools remain open and affluent parents are better able to help kids adjust to remote learning .
At the same time , low-income children fall even further behind .
… Dropouts live shorter lives , so while the virus kills , so do school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that closures of primary schools in the United States will cause many more years of life lost , because of increasing numbers of dropouts , than could be saved even if schools did spread the virus freely .
Which they haven ’ t , as we already know : So what are “ our priorities , ” as Kristof asks ?
In New York , it ’ s not the children or science , but union power , as Allahpundit noted yesterday : The only reason de Blasio came up with such an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best this dolt could do in negotiations with the United Federation of Teachers .
As the Reason Foundation ’ s director of school choice , Corey A. DeAngelis , has documented , the single biggest factor in determining whether a school system opens its doors is not the underlying COVID-19 rate but the comparative power of the relevant teachers ’ union .
Just follow the science !
You know what will still be open when the 3 percent trigger shuts down the in-person education option for 900,000 kids ?
Day-care centers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public-school system is losing whole swaths of the population !
It ’ s hard to imagine a better advertisement for education provided by non-governmental means .
So parents with wealth can still go out and earn money by putting their kids in private schools and care centers .
Single-parent and poorer households will have to stay home and lose their jobs , all to prevent perhaps the lowest-transmission environment from operating to educate the next generation of Americans .
All to avoid admitting that Trump ’ s actually correct about this issue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ union .
Kudos to Kristof for rebuking New York officials over this shameful decision .
Should we open a pool to determine just when his colleagues at the Gray Lady try to get him fired for it ?
Update : Don ’ t look now , but there ’ s a battle brewing on the other coast too : A hands-off approach by Democratic Gov .
Gavin Newsom and public pressure from powerful labor unions has led the state ’ s biggest city districts to keep schools shuttered , leaving most of California @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at home .
Even San Francisco , which has had one of the lowest infection rates for any U.S. city , hasn ’ t attempted in-person teaching .
As the pandemic wears on , more Democrats are sounding the alarm after staying silent earlier this fall .
They are increasingly distressed that California ’ s approach has widened the gap between low-income communities of color and wealthier white families .
Frustrations hit a new level in October , when Newsom said his own children had returned to private school in Sacramento — while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained home .
Now leaders in the governor ’ s own party are turning on him , saying the status quo has left the state with crisis-level inequity .
California ’ s system amounts to “ state-sanctioned segregation , ” Patrick O ’ Donnell ( D-Long Beach ) , the chair of the state Assembly Education Committee , said in an interview — a frank declaration for a Democrat consistently supported by the California Teachers Association .
Indeed .
And one has to wonder whether this might be a watershed moment for teacher-union @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Although it may look counter-intuitive, don’t be too surprised about this rebuke to Democrats from Nicholas Kristof over school closures. For one thing, they’re indefensible from either a scientific or economic perspective, and the greatest harm is done to children — a topic on which Kristof often focuses. Even though Kristof usually fits neatly into the New York Times’ liberal-progressive paradigm, or more accurately the enforced progressive commune these days, he’s also broken away from that paradigm when warranted by the burdens on the poor and the disadvantaged.
Perhaps Kristof hasn’t broken away quite this much in the past, though (via The Anchoress):
Some things are true even though President Trump says them. Trump has been demanding for months that schools reopen, and on that he seems to have been largely right. Schools, especially elementary schools, do not appear to have been major sources of coronavirus transmission, and remote learning is proving to be a catastrophe for many low-income children. Yet America is shutting schools — New York City announced Wednesday that it was closing schools in the nation’s largest school district — even as it allows businesses like restaurants and bars to operate. What are our priorities? … Granted, the United States has done such a poor job of controlling the virus that as the pandemic rages across the country it may be necessary to shut some schools. But that should be the last resort.
Kristof peppers his column with criticisms of Trump, arguing that Trump has politicized the COVID-19 response. There’s truth to that, but Trump’s hardly the only one guilty of politicizing the issue, nor was he particularly worse than others. What about Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi calling his decision to close off travel with China as “xenophobic”?
Most of the column, however, Kristof spends in pointing out all of the long-term damage being done to American students. Democrats spend a lot of effort talking about their support for the poor and disadvantaged, those issues near and dear to Kristof’s heart, but they’re actively consigning those children to far worse outcomes than they can expect from COVID-19 exposure:
America’s education system already transmits advantage and disadvantage from one generation to the next: Rich kids attend rich schools that propel them forward, and low-income children attend struggling schools that hold them back. School closures magnify these inequities, as many private schools remain open and affluent parents are better able to help kids adjust to remote learning. At the same time, low-income children fall even further behind. … Dropouts live shorter lives, so while the virus kills, so do school closures. One study this month estimated that closures of primary schools in the United States will cause many more years of life lost, because of increasing numbers of dropouts, than could be saved even if schools did spread the virus freely.
Which they haven’t, as we already know:
New York public schools have tested more than 140,000 students and staff and had a positivity rate of 0.23% as of Monday. — Rebecca Jarvis (@RebeccaJarvis) November 18, 2020
So what are “our priorities,” as Kristof asks? In New York, it’s not the children or science, but union power, as Allahpundit noted yesterday:
The only reason de Blasio came up with such an artificially low number is that it was the best this dolt could do in negotiations with the United Federation of Teachers. As the Reason Foundation’s director of school choice, Corey A. DeAngelis, has documented, the single biggest factor in determining whether a school system opens its doors is not the underlying COVID-19 rate but the comparative power of the relevant teachers’ union. Just follow the science! You know what will still be open when the 3 percent trigger shuts down the in-person education option for 900,000 kids? Day-care centers. And private schools. So strange that the public-school system is losing whole swaths of the population! It’s hard to imagine a better advertisement for education provided by non-governmental means.
So parents with wealth can still go out and earn money by putting their kids in private schools and care centers. Single-parent and poorer households will have to stay home and lose their jobs, all to prevent perhaps the lowest-transmission environment from operating to educate the next generation of Americans. All to avoid admitting that Trump’s actually correct about this issue and to ingratiate themselves with a powerful union.
Kudos to Kristof for rebuking New York officials over this shameful decision. Should we open a pool to determine just when his colleagues at the Gray Lady try to get him fired for it?
Update: Don’t look now, but there’s a battle brewing on the other coast too:
A hands-off approach by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and public pressure from powerful labor unions has led the state’s biggest city districts to keep schools shuttered, leaving most of California’s 6 million public schoolchildren learning at home. Even San Francisco, which has had one of the lowest infection rates for any U.S. city, hasn’t attempted in-person teaching. As the pandemic wears on, more Democrats are sounding the alarm after staying silent earlier this fall. They are increasingly distressed that California’s approach has widened the gap between low-income communities of color and wealthier white families. Frustrations hit a new level in October, when Newsom said his own children had returned to private school in Sacramento — while public school students in the surrounding neighborhoods remained home. Now leaders in the governor’s own party are turning on him, saying the status quo has left the state with crisis-level inequity. California’s system amounts to “state-sanctioned segregation,” Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), the chair of the state Assembly Education Committee, said in an interview — a frank declaration for a Democrat consistently supported by the California Teachers Association.
Indeed. And one has to wonder whether this might be a watershed moment for teacher-union standing, even in blue states.


hotair--2020-11-19--Reports: Some Trump admin officials quietly working on transition behind the scenes

I ’ m guessing it ’ s mostly natsec people and scientists attached to the pandemic effort who ’ ve begun coordinating with Team Biden before everyone else .
They deal with life and death , after all , and most of them are civil servants , not political appointees .
They ’ re not going to let the new administration fall down on the job on matters of utmost urgency to indulge Trump in a tantrum .
One former Trump official told CNN they ’ re viewing the outreach effort as putting duty to the country over partisan considerations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as formal briefings that would take place under the officially sanctioned transition , sources said , but they at least could help incoming Biden transition members have a sense of the issues they might have to deal with upon taking office .
Another former White House official who left the administration a few months ago said that he personally emailed someone who he expects will be back in the Biden administration in a similar role to his and offered to help .
One current administration official confirmed to CNN on Wednesday that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s government to Biden ’ s team .
“ Nothing that would get us in trouble , ” the official said .
“ Just an offer to be of help .
They know what we mean , and what we can-and-can ’ t do or say.
” A senior adviser to Biden acknowledged the outreach from across the government , but declined to comment .
This report claims that officials as high up as NSA Robert O ’ Brien are involved in the effort : I ’ m skeptical that O ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way after being a loyal Trump servant , but he did surprise everyone a few days ago by claiming that it “ obviously ” appears that Biden has won .
He ’ s not an old-school loyalist Trumper either .
He was part of Romney ’ s 2012 campaign and came to Trump recommended by Romney himself .
I wouldn ’ t put anything past anyone inside this administration but O ’ Brien ’ s bio makes him less likely to join the effort to burn the civic tradition of transition to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nothing can happen officially unless and until the head of the GSA , Emily Murphy , “ ascertains ” Biden as the “ apparent ” winner .
I still don ’ t understand what her endgame is .
Unless she ’ s prepared to block the transition all the way to January 20 , she ’ s destined to leave her job vilified by both sides .
To anti-Trumpers she ’ s already the soulless apparatchik who cowardly went along with Trump ’ s goonish attempt to block Biden despite the latter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ ll be the traitor who betrayed the president when she inevitably signs off on the transition process against his wishes .
She ’ s better off doing it sooner rather than later , knowing that the longer this stretches out , the more she ’ ll be blamed next year if the new administration hits a snag that leads to people getting killed .
Team Biden is reportedly applying soft pressure to her behind the scenes , for now , and also meeting with certain unnamed Republican officials to start the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition officials , Biden ’ s team is in talks with multiple Republican leaders and officeholders to end the transition stalemate , warning them of risks to national security and public health if the president-elect isn ’ t granted access to the government .
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are also deploying aides and allies to ramp up public pressure on General Services Administrator Emily Murphy , who has refused to acknowledge Biden ’ s victory and thus allow the transition to officially begin .
And Biden ’ s roster of medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV to argue that the transition needs to get underway now for the country to distribute Covid-19 vaccines to hundreds of millions of Americans quickly next year… Biden ’ s team is trying to walk a line between blasting Murphy and Republicans — which might cause them to dig in more — and highlighting what they call legitimate dangers of delay .
The Biden team is like a police hostage negotiator outside a house where someone inside is unstable and holed up with weapons .
That person has to come out , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with brute force — lawsuits , mass demonstrations , and so on in this analogy .
That ’ s dangerous and chaotic , the option of last resort .
You try to get them to come out willingly first .
In this case , that means gradually convincing Trump that even the people around him know it ’ s over and there ’ s no way out .
Murphy “ ascertaining ” Biden ’ s victory will help with that .
So will more rhetoric from top Republicans accepting Biden ’ s victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate Republicans recently that they should “ make the most ” of their remaining time with Trump , although John Cornyn tried to clean that up afterward by saying that Meadows clarified that the remaining time could be “ 45 days or four years and 45 days.
” Sure , Mark .
Whatever you need to tell yourself , buddy .
Just come on out with your hands up .
The punchline is that Trump ’ s denial of reality is also hurting the GOP ’ s ability to transition .
Politico has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and media outlets trying to shift towards battling the Biden administration and they can ’ t do it because it ’ s treason to acknowledge that Trump won ’ t be president on January 21 .
“ Several prominent conservatives , granted anonymity to speak candidly about the situation , said they should be readying a legal response to Biden ’ s promise to sign a series of executive orders on his first day in office that would undo some of Trump ’ s key policies on immigration , foreign policy and deregulation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people can ’ t move forward lest they pierce the president ’ s unreality bubble .
One righty activist said he had an op-ed criticizing Biden ’ s social policies rejected by a conservative outlet because it referenced a “ Biden administration.
” Personality cults rarely end well .
This one is no exception .

I’m guessing it’s mostly natsec people and scientists attached to the pandemic effort who’ve begun coordinating with Team Biden before everyone else. They deal with life and death, after all, and most of them are civil servants, not political appointees. They’re not going to let the new administration fall down on the job on matters of utmost urgency to indulge Trump in a tantrum.
One former Trump official told CNN they’re viewing the outreach effort as putting duty to the country over partisan considerations. The conversations are not as detailed as formal briefings that would take place under the officially sanctioned transition, sources said, but they at least could help incoming Biden transition members have a sense of the issues they might have to deal with upon taking office. Another former White House official who left the administration a few months ago said that he personally emailed someone who he expects will be back in the Biden administration in a similar role to his and offered to help. One current administration official confirmed to CNN on Wednesday that there has been informal outreach from inside Trump’s government to Biden’s team. “Nothing that would get us in trouble,” the official said. “Just an offer to be of help. They know what we mean, and what we can-and-can’t do or say.” A senior adviser to Biden acknowledged the outreach from across the government, but declined to comment.
This report claims that officials as high up as NSA Robert O’Brien are involved in the effort:
BREAKING: While @POTUS @realDonaldTrump hunkers down, refusing to concede to President-elect @JoeBiden, a well placed source tells me the staff @WHNSC, including @robertcobrien, are quietly “doing the transition work…clean-up work…to ensure that the transition moves smoothly.” — James Rosen (@JamesRosenTV) November 19, 2020
I’m skeptical that O’Brien would stick his neck out that way after being a loyal Trump servant, but he did surprise everyone a few days ago by claiming that it “obviously” appears that Biden has won. He’s not an old-school loyalist Trumper either. He was part of Romney’s 2012 campaign and came to Trump recommended by Romney himself. I wouldn’t put anything past anyone inside this administration but O’Brien’s bio makes him less likely to join the effort to burn the civic tradition of transition to the ground than others are, I suspect.
Nothing can happen officially unless and until the head of the GSA, Emily Murphy, “ascertains” Biden as the “apparent” winner. I still don’t understand what her endgame is. Unless she’s prepared to block the transition all the way to January 20, she’s destined to leave her job vilified by both sides. To anti-Trumpers she’s already the soulless apparatchik who cowardly went along with Trump’s goonish attempt to block Biden despite the latter’s clear victory. To Trumpers she’ll be the traitor who betrayed the president when she inevitably signs off on the transition process against his wishes. She’s better off doing it sooner rather than later, knowing that the longer this stretches out, the more she’ll be blamed next year if the new administration hits a snag that leads to people getting killed. Team Biden is reportedly applying soft pressure to her behind the scenes, for now, and also meeting with certain unnamed Republican officials to start the transition wheels turning:
According to three transition officials, Biden’s team is in talks with multiple Republican leaders and officeholders to end the transition stalemate, warning them of risks to national security and public health if the president-elect isn’t granted access to the government. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are also deploying aides and allies to ramp up public pressure on General Services Administrator Emily Murphy, who has refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory and thus allow the transition to officially begin. And Biden’s roster of medical experts is making the rounds on cable TV to argue that the transition needs to get underway now for the country to distribute Covid-19 vaccines to hundreds of millions of Americans quickly next year… Biden’s team is trying to walk a line between blasting Murphy and Republicans — which might cause them to dig in more — and highlighting what they call legitimate dangers of delay.
The Biden team is like a police hostage negotiator outside a house where someone inside is unstable and holed up with weapons. That person has to come out, but you don’t approach them initially with brute force — lawsuits, mass demonstrations, and so on in this analogy. That’s dangerous and chaotic, the option of last resort. You try to get them to come out willingly first. In this case, that means gradually convincing Trump that even the people around him know it’s over and there’s no way out. Murphy “ascertaining” Biden’s victory will help with that. So will more rhetoric from top Republicans accepting Biden’s victory. Notably, Mark Meadows reportedly told Senate Republicans recently that they should “make the most” of their remaining time with Trump, although John Cornyn tried to clean that up afterward by saying that Meadows clarified that the remaining time could be “45 days or four years and 45 days.”
Sure, Mark. Whatever you need to tell yourself, buddy. Just come on out with your hands up.
The punchline is that Trump’s denial of reality is also hurting the GOP’s ability to transition. Politico has an amusing story today about conservative groups and media outlets trying to shift towards battling the Biden administration and they can’t do it because it’s treason to acknowledge that Trump won’t be president on January 21. “Several prominent conservatives, granted anonymity to speak candidly about the situation, said they should be readying a legal response to Biden’s promise to sign a series of executive orders on his first day in office that would undo some of Trump’s key policies on immigration, foreign policy and deregulation,” claims Politico, but those people can’t move forward lest they pierce the president’s unreality bubble. One righty activist said he had an op-ed criticizing Biden’s social policies rejected by a conservative outlet because it referenced a “Biden administration.” Personality cults rarely end well. This one is no exception.


hotair--2020-11-19--Breaking: Team Trump drops Michigan lawsuit

Has Team Trump thrown in the towel over Wayne County ?
The campaign has withdrawn its lawsuit over the certification of election results in Michigan ’ s most populous county , the only chance — microscopic as it was — for overturning Donald Trump ’ s loss in the state .
However , the statement this morning from Rudy Giuliani claims to have stopped the county ’ s certification , when in fact it took place two days ago : President Donald Trump ’ s re-election campaign said on Thursday it was withdrawing its lawsuit disputing vote results in Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge the Nov. 3 victory of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden .
“ This morning we are withdrawing our lawsuit in Michigan as a direct result of achieving the relief we sought : to stop the election in Wayne County from being prematurely certified before residents can be assured that every legal vote has been counted and every illegal vote has not been counted , ” Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in a statement .
Er … what ?
The results got certified at the last minute in Wayne County in a dramatic standoff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The two later claimed to rescind those votes , but there is no mechanism for reversing a certification , especially after the deadline .
The state Board of Canvassers have to accept the submission , too , although the legislature still has authority at any time to investigate the process .
The GOP leadership has pledged to do that , but they have also made it clear that they ’ re not going to change electors and void the popular vote results , not with a 154,000-vote gap between Joe Biden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mystified by the explanation : The campaign for President Donald Trump withdrew a much ballyhooed federal lawsuit on Thursday , incorrectly characterizing the actions of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers as its rationale for the decision .
The campaign championed the suit when it was filed last week , with surrogates speaking on national television about the more than 100 affidavits from Republican poll challengers and others included in the lawsuit .
… But in a new filing Thursday , campaign attorney Thor Hearne states the campaign decided not to pursue the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Board of Canvassers do not want to certify the county ’ s election results .
“ The Wayne County board of county canvassers met and declined to certify the results of the presidential election , ” the three-sentence filing states .
… The statement and legal filing are inaccurate .
Although the four-member board initially deadlocked 2-2 on a vote to certify , the two Republican members eventually agreed to vote to certify the results .
Certification of county results is a necessary step in the process to formalize final vote tallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bald misstatement too : In its filing , the campaign misrepresented the sequence of events surrounding the vote certification out of Wayne County , which was finalized Tuesday night .
While the Wayne County Board of Canvassers initially deadlocked 2-2 on whether to certify the results , the four member board eventually unanimously agreed to certify the presidential race for Joe Biden .
Thursday morning ’ s filing wrongly claims that the Wayne County board “ declined to certify the results of the presidential election.
” Attached to the filing are affidavits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now claim that they were bullied into siding with the Democrats and want to now rescind their votes to certify .
But certification will move forward with the Board of State Canvassers set to meet on Nov. 23 to complete the final step of certifying the state ’ s votes for Biden .
If Team Trump doesn ’ t refile this complaint , it goes a long way to undermining their claims of a rigged election in Detroit .
Certification in most states is a necessary step for legal challenges , so this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense , not less .
It sounds as though the Trump campaign has assessed its complaint and their evidence and recognizes that they don ’ t actually have a case — or at least one they can present in good faith in court .
Maybe that ’ s why Trump called one of the two canvassers immediately after the meeting , although it ’ s just as possible that he was truly concerned for their well-being .
It does at least raise the possibility that he was hoping to change their minds , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up in the conversation : President Trump called a GOP canvassing board member in Wayne County who announced Wednesday she wanted to rescind her decision to certify the results of the presidential election , the member said in a message to The Washington Post Thursday .
“ I did receive a call from President Trump , late Tuesday evening , after the meeting , ” Monica Palmer , one of two Republican members of the four-member Wayne County canvassing board , told The Post .
“ He was checking in to make sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doxing that had occurred.
” … In an interview , Palmer estimated that she talked with Trump for about two minutes Tuesday .
She said she felt no pressure to change her vote .
Palmer has said she received messages threatening her and her family during and after the Tuesday tense meeting .
“ His concern was about my safety and that was really touching .
He is a really busy guy and to have his concern about my safety was appreciated , ” she told The Post .
Was this an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but bear this in mind — when Trump made the call , the issue was already moot .
The certification decision is final and the deadline passed after the meeting had concluded .
There was nothing more to influence , except for potential PR moves .
If Team Trump really thought that the discrepancies in Wayne County were significant enough to challenge the election results , they ’ d be doubling down now rather than withdrawing .
This move makes it look like they know they can ’ t sustain their public-relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s why it pays to wait and see what claims are lodged and defended in court rather than rely on statements from campaign flacks .

Has Team Trump thrown in the towel over Wayne County? The campaign has withdrawn its lawsuit over the certification of election results in Michigan’s most populous county, the only chance — microscopic as it was — for overturning Donald Trump’s loss in the state. However, the statement this morning from Rudy Giuliani claims to have stopped the county’s certification, when in fact it took place two days ago:
President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign said on Thursday it was withdrawing its lawsuit disputing vote results in Michigan, in another faltering legal attempt to challenge the Nov. 3 victory of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. “This morning we are withdrawing our lawsuit in Michigan as a direct result of achieving the relief we sought: to stop the election in Wayne County from being prematurely certified before residents can be assured that every legal vote has been counted and every illegal vote has not been counted,” Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in a statement.
Er … what? The results got certified at the last minute in Wayne County in a dramatic standoff between the commissioners responsible for the decision. The two later claimed to rescind those votes, but there is no mechanism for reversing a certification, especially after the deadline. The state Board of Canvassers have to accept the submission, too, although the legislature still has authority at any time to investigate the process. The GOP leadership has pledged to do that, but they have also made it clear that they’re not going to change electors and void the popular vote results, not with a 154,000-vote gap between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
The Free Press is mystified by the explanation:
The campaign for President Donald Trump withdrew a much ballyhooed federal lawsuit on Thursday, incorrectly characterizing the actions of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers as its rationale for the decision. The campaign championed the suit when it was filed last week, with surrogates speaking on national television about the more than 100 affidavits from Republican poll challengers and others included in the lawsuit. … But in a new filing Thursday, campaign attorney Thor Hearne states the campaign decided not to pursue the lawsuit because two members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers do not want to certify the county’s election results. “The Wayne County board of county canvassers met and declined to certify the results of the presidential election,” the three-sentence filing states. … The statement and legal filing are inaccurate. Although the four-member board initially deadlocked 2-2 on a vote to certify, the two Republican members eventually agreed to vote to certify the results. Certification of county results is a necessary step in the process to formalize final vote tallies in Michigan elections.
CNN points out the bald misstatement too:
In its filing, the campaign misrepresented the sequence of events surrounding the vote certification out of Wayne County, which was finalized Tuesday night. While the Wayne County Board of Canvassers initially deadlocked 2-2 on whether to certify the results, the four member board eventually unanimously agreed to certify the presidential race for Joe Biden. Thursday morning’s filing wrongly claims that the Wayne County board “declined to certify the results of the presidential election.” Attached to the filing are affidavits from the two Republican board members who now claim that they were bullied into siding with the Democrats and want to now rescind their votes to certify. But certification will move forward with the Board of State Canvassers set to meet on Nov. 23 to complete the final step of certifying the state’s votes for Biden.
If Team Trump doesn’t refile this complaint, it goes a long way to undermining their claims of a rigged election in Detroit. Certification in most states is a necessary step for legal challenges, so this is when a lawsuit would make more sense, not less. It sounds as though the Trump campaign has assessed its complaint and their evidence and recognizes that they don’t actually have a case — or at least one they can present in good faith in court.
Maybe that’s why Trump called one of the two canvassers immediately after the meeting, although it’s just as possible that he was truly concerned for their well-being. It does at least raise the possibility that he was hoping to change their minds, but Monica Palmer says it never came up in the conversation:
President Trump called a GOP canvassing board member in Wayne County who announced Wednesday she wanted to rescind her decision to certify the results of the presidential election, the member said in a message to The Washington Post Thursday. “I did receive a call from President Trump, late Tuesday evening, after the meeting,” Monica Palmer, one of two Republican members of the four-member Wayne County canvassing board, told The Post. “He was checking in to make sure I was safe after hearing the threats and doxing that had occurred.” … In an interview, Palmer estimated that she talked with Trump for about two minutes Tuesday. She said she felt no pressure to change her vote. Palmer has said she received messages threatening her and her family during and after the Tuesday tense meeting. “His concern was about my safety and that was really touching. He is a really busy guy and to have his concern about my safety was appreciated,” she told The Post.
Was this an attempt to influence the canvassers? YMMV, but bear this in mind — when Trump made the call, the issue was already moot. The certification decision is final and the deadline passed after the meeting had concluded. There was nothing more to influence, except for potential PR moves.
If Team Trump really thought that the discrepancies in Wayne County were significant enough to challenge the election results, they’d be doubling down now rather than withdrawing. This move makes it look like they know they can’t sustain their public-relations argument in good-faith submissions in court. That’s why it pays to wait and see what claims are lodged and defended in court rather than rely on statements from campaign flacks.


hotair--2020-11-19--Send me money to fight for Dems in Georgia, says ... $88M bust McGrath

Yashar Ali was LOL ’ ing over this yesterday , and he won ’ t be alone in it .
Both parties have turned on the money spigots in Georgia for the two Senate runoff elections , as expected .
Democrats and Republicans are making hard pitches for cash , but one might think that past performance might impact donor spending decisions .
How many people want to hand over their hard-earned cash to someone who just lost a Senate race by twenty points , for instance ?
Democrats from all over are pouring money into the Georgia Senate runoffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate .
Among them is Amy McGrath , the Democratic challenger who lost her Kentucky Senate race against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
McGrath recently launched a super PAC in an attempt to mobilize her cadre of small donors and out-of-state fans to help Democrats flip the Senate .
Democratic Majority Action filed with the Federal Election Commission last Tuesday .
In an email asking her supporters to donate to the committee , McGrath writes , “ Our first mission is to continue to direct much-needed resources to Georgia—chip in what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go directly toward the work to elect Jon Ossoff and Rev .
Raphael Warnock on January 5th.
” McGrath practically became the poster child for Democrats ’ misbegotten spending in 2020 .
McGrath raised $ 88 million for her challenge to “ Cocaine Mitch ” McConnell in the 202o cycle , outraising the Senate Majority Leader by nearly $ 33 million — almost the exact amount raised by Ossoff overall in 2020 , in fact .
McGrath outspent McConnell by $ 30 million .
The net result ?
And now Democrats around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their money !
Who ’ s next , Jaime Harrison doing a telethon ?
Donors might as well just set fire to their cash on the lawn .
At least they ’ d get a few more moments of warmth out of that exercise .
Democrats do need the help , however .
Republicans got off to a fast start after the November 3 election , and now have control of Georgia ’ s airwaves : Republican Sens .
Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue hold an early advantage over the airways in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine the control of the Senate next year .
Political groups have already spent or reserved more than $ 126 million to advertise for the 63-day campaign , with Republicans exceeding Democrats $ 77.2 million to $ 49.3 million , according to Kantar ’ s Campaign Media Analysis Group .
… Outside groups on the Left are starting to ramp up their activity .
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee , and the Senate Majority PAC , a Super PAC aligned with Schumer , are set to spend millions .
But they will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including the Georgia Battleground Fund , a joint fundraising account formed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the GOP candidates , which recently named Republican strategist Karl Rove as its national finance chairman .
Republicans lead both overall and in the two races separately , but the latter matters less .
This will be basically one election with two ballot choices .
It ’ s basically one issue , too — who gets to control the Senate ?
With Joe Biden in the White House and Chuck Schumer promising to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP is betting that Georgians will tilt to the GOP .
But they ’ re not leaving it to chance , either .
Neither should political donors , who should be asking themselves about what the stewards of these monies say about the parties and campaigns .
Who ’ s a better steward … Karl Rove or Amy McGrath ?
That answer seems plainly obvious , which is why Republicans across the country will shortly be urging Democrats to send McGrath all their cash .

Yashar Ali was LOL’ing over this yesterday, and he won’t be alone in it. Both parties have turned on the money spigots in Georgia for the two Senate runoff elections, as expected. Democrats and Republicans are making hard pitches for cash, but one might think that past performance might impact donor spending decisions.
How many people want to hand over their hard-earned cash to someone who just lost a Senate race by twenty points, for instance?
Democrats from all over are pouring money into the Georgia Senate runoffs, which will determine control of the Senate. Among them is Amy McGrath, the Democratic challenger who lost her Kentucky Senate race against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McGrath recently launched a super PAC in an attempt to mobilize her cadre of small donors and out-of-state fans to help Democrats flip the Senate. Democratic Majority Action filed with the Federal Election Commission last Tuesday. In an email asking her supporters to donate to the committee, McGrath writes, “Our first mission is to continue to direct much-needed resources to Georgia—chip in what you can right now and all proceeds will go directly toward the work to elect Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock on January 5th.”
McGrath practically became the poster child for Democrats’ misbegotten spending in 2020. McGrath raised $88 million for her challenge to “Cocaine Mitch” McConnell in the 202o cycle, outraising the Senate Majority Leader by nearly $33 million — almost the exact amount raised by Ossoff overall in 2020, in fact. McGrath outspent McConnell by $30 million. The net result?
And now Democrats around the country can give McGrath even more of their money! Who’s next, Jaime Harrison doing a telethon? Donors might as well just set fire to their cash on the lawn. At least they’d get a few more moments of warmth out of that exercise.
Democrats do need the help, however. Republicans got off to a fast start after the November 3 election, and now have control of Georgia’s airwaves:
Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue hold an early advantage over the airways in their two runoff races in Georgia that will determine the control of the Senate next year. Political groups have already spent or reserved more than $126 million to advertise for the 63-day campaign, with Republicans exceeding Democrats $77.2 million to $49.3 million, according to Kantar’s Campaign Media Analysis Group. … Outside groups on the Left are starting to ramp up their activity. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Senate Majority PAC, a Super PAC aligned with Schumer, are set to spend millions. But they will be countered by other groups on the Right, including the Georgia Battleground Fund, a joint fundraising account formed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the GOP candidates, which recently named Republican strategist Karl Rove as its national finance chairman.
Republicans lead both overall and in the two races separately, but the latter matters less. This will be basically one election with two ballot choices. It’s basically one issue, too — who gets to control the Senate? With Joe Biden in the White House and Chuck Schumer promising to change Georgia and then change America, the GOP is betting that Georgians will tilt to the GOP. But they’re not leaving it to chance, either.
Neither should political donors, who should be asking themselves about what the stewards of these monies say about the parties and campaigns. Who’s a better steward … Karl Rove or Amy McGrath? That answer seems plainly obvious, which is why Republicans across the country will shortly be urging Democrats to send McGrath all their cash.


hotair--2020-11-19--Kaepernick: We must ensure the legacy of that cop-killer matters

Well , it ’ s been a while since we saw the name of convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal popping up in the news , but here we go again .
Alleging some sort of racist plot and coverup in the trial of the murderer , Colin Kaepernick has decided to take up his cause and call for his immediate release from prison .
On what grounds ?
Because he ’ s “ consistently maintained his innocence ” for all of these years .
I ’ m not entirely sure how Kaepernick got involved in this debate , but he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do so .
Whoopi Goldberg has long been a cheerleader for the murderer , despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary .
So let ’ s check in and see what Kaepernick has to say about it .
( Daily Wire ) Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has now called for the release of cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal , who was convicted for the 1981 murder of police officer and U.S. Army veteran David Faulkner .
During a virtual news conference on Monday , Kaepernick called upon the Philadelphia district attorney ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was framed after falling prey to police brutality .
“ Mumia has been in prison longer than I ’ ve been alive , ” Kaepernick said in the press conference , later adding : “ Since 1981 , Mumia has maintained his innocence .
His story has not changed.
” It appears that Kaepernick has been listening to the BLM rumor mill and decided that he has enough information to deliver a final finding in this case .
Having determined that Abu-Jamal is innocent as the driven snow , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the murderer at once in the interest of justice… or something .
Arguing that the murderer has “ maintained his innocence ” and that his “ story has not changed ” hasn ’ t traditionally been a very strong argument in a court of law .
If you go by nothing but surveys taken of prisoners , 99 % of the people behind bars were wrongly convicted .
I mean , someone locked up for life on one of the more serious charges imaginable wouldn ’ t actually tell a lie about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s had plenty of chances to appeal and try to get out of prison .
In fact , he was allowed a new hearing only last year .
He has thus far failed to persuade anyone in power to believe him .
I ’ ve been familiar with Abu-Jamal ’ s case for quite a while now .
Back in 2014 , I covered a story about the students at a small college who invited him to be one of their commencement speakers .
( Via a recorded video , of course .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a cult figure on the left for quite a while now and he ’ s attracted a following .
For what it ’ s worth , let ’ s take a short trip down memory lane to remind anyone new to the conversation precisely why Mumia Abu-Jamal is rotting in jail .
When U.S. Army veteran and Police Officer David Faulkner was murdered in cold blood in 1981 he was in the process of pulling over Abu-Jamal ’ s brother for a traffic infraction .
Multiple witnesses testified that they saw him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While in the hospital ( he was shot himself during the encounter ) , Abu-Jamal bragged of shooting Faulkner and said that he “ hoped he would die.
” The only defense some of Abu-Jamal ’ s fans have been able to raise is what came to be known as “ the running man theory.
” One witness recalled seeing someone who supposedly matched Abu-Jamal ’ s description running away from the scene .
Even leaving aside the fact that people fleeing an area where a gunfight is taking place shouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this theory still relies on so many assumptions that it ’ s laughable .
In order for the running man theory to be believable , we would have to accept all of the following conclusions .
The running man would have to have been able to : – Steal the gun registered to Abu-Jamal from the shoulder holster he was still wearing when taken into custody – Shoot Officer Faulkner in the back with Abu-Jamal ’ s gun – Shove Abu-Jamal back in between himself and Officer Faulkner long enough for Abu-Jamal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolver – Jump back around Abu-Jamal and fire four more shots with Abu-Jamal ’ s gun , executing Officer Faulkner – Toss Abu-Jamal ’ s gun to the ground next to him while leaving no prints on it – Escape before other police arrived with nobody getting a good look at him and somehow make the multiple witnesses on the scene think that Abu-Jamal had done all this – Convince Abu-Jamal to yell in front of witnesses at the hospital that he had shot Officer Faulkner and that he hoped Officer Faulkner would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you like , but as I wrote seven years ago , that would make Mumia Abu-Jamal just about the unluckiest person on the face of the planet .
I think Kaepernick should do himself a favor and sit this one out before he winds up looking even more foolish .

Well, it’s been a while since we saw the name of convicted cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal popping up in the news, but here we go again. Alleging some sort of racist plot and coverup in the trial of the murderer, Colin Kaepernick has decided to take up his cause and call for his immediate release from prison. On what grounds? Because he’s “consistently maintained his innocence” for all of these years. I’m not entirely sure how Kaepernick got involved in this debate, but he’s far from the first celebrity to do so. Whoopi Goldberg has long been a cheerleader for the murderer, despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary. So let’s check in and see what Kaepernick has to say about it. (Daily Wire)
Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has now called for the release of cop-killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted for the 1981 murder of police officer and U.S. Army veteran David Faulkner. During a virtual news conference on Monday, Kaepernick called upon the Philadelphia district attorney’s office to release Abu-Jamal, claiming that he was framed after falling prey to police brutality. “Mumia has been in prison longer than I’ve been alive,” Kaepernick said in the press conference, later adding: “Since 1981, Mumia has maintained his innocence. His story has not changed.”
It appears that Kaepernick has been listening to the BLM rumor mill and decided that he has enough information to deliver a final finding in this case. Having determined that Abu-Jamal is innocent as the driven snow, he’s demanding that the DA from Philadelphia release the murderer at once in the interest of justice… or something.
Arguing that the murderer has “maintained his innocence” and that his “story has not changed” hasn’t traditionally been a very strong argument in a court of law. If you go by nothing but surveys taken of prisoners, 99% of the people behind bars were wrongly convicted. I mean, someone locked up for life on one of the more serious charges imaginable wouldn’t actually tell a lie about it, would they? But he’s had plenty of chances to appeal and try to get out of prison. In fact, he was allowed a new hearing only last year. He has thus far failed to persuade anyone in power to believe him.
I’ve been familiar with Abu-Jamal’s case for quite a while now. Back in 2014, I covered a story about the students at a small college who invited him to be one of their commencement speakers. (Via a recorded video, of course.) So he’s been something of a cult figure on the left for quite a while now and he’s attracted a following.
For what it’s worth, let’s take a short trip down memory lane to remind anyone new to the conversation precisely why Mumia Abu-Jamal is rotting in jail. When U.S. Army veteran and Police Officer David Faulkner was murdered in cold blood in 1981 he was in the process of pulling over Abu-Jamal’s brother for a traffic infraction. Multiple witnesses testified that they saw him shoot Faulkner several times from different ranges. While in the hospital (he was shot himself during the encounter), Abu-Jamal bragged of shooting Faulkner and said that he “hoped he would die.”
The only defense some of Abu-Jamal’s fans have been able to raise is what came to be known as “the running man theory.” One witness recalled seeing someone who supposedly matched Abu-Jamal’s description running away from the scene. Even leaving aside the fact that people fleeing an area where a gunfight is taking place shouldn’t be considered all that unusual, this theory still relies on so many assumptions that it’s laughable. In order for the running man theory to be believable, we would have to accept all of the following conclusions. The running man would have to have been able to:
– Steal the gun registered to Abu-Jamal from the shoulder holster he was still wearing when taken into custody
– Shoot Officer Faulkner in the back with Abu-Jamal’s gun
– Shove Abu-Jamal back in between himself and Officer Faulkner long enough for Abu-Jamal to be shot by Faulkner’s service revolver
– Jump back around Abu-Jamal and fire four more shots with Abu-Jamal’s gun, executing Officer Faulkner
– Toss Abu-Jamal’s gun to the ground next to him while leaving no prints on it
– Escape before other police arrived with nobody getting a good look at him and somehow make the multiple witnesses on the scene think that Abu-Jamal had done all this
– Convince Abu-Jamal to yell in front of witnesses at the hospital that he had shot Officer Faulkner and that he hoped Officer Faulkner would die
You can believe that scenario if you like, but as I wrote seven years ago, that would make Mumia Abu-Jamal just about the unluckiest person on the face of the planet. I think Kaepernick should do himself a favor and sit this one out before he winds up looking even more foolish.


hotair--2020-11-19--NY Governor "furious" that cops won't enforce his Thanksgiving crackdown

On Tuesday , we covered the news of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ’ s edict stating that no more than ten people could gather in private residences for Thanksgiving and the response he received from numerous law enforcement agencies around the state .
To put it kindly , none of the police departments or sheriffs were enthusiastic about taking on the job .
To put it more bluntly , a lot of them flatly refused , pointing out the impossible scope of even attempting such a task .
The Governor was asked about that response in a press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his famously short temper had gotten the better of him again .
( NY Post ) “ I don ’ t believe as a law enforcement officer you have a right to pick and choose what laws you will enforce , ” Cuomo told reporters Wednesday during an Albany-based press conference… The third-term Democrat mimicked the defying cops : “ ‘ Well I don ’ t believe in that law and therefore I won ’ t enforce it.
’ ” “ That is frankly frightening to me as an individual , frightening to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a violation of constitutional duty .
“ I didn ’ t say : I swear to uphold the laws that I agree with .
I didn ’ t say that , ” he continued .
Saying that all of the laws need to be enforced regardless of your personal feelings on the subject is an excellent point to make .
In fact , I ’ ve called out government officials for the exact same reason on more occasions than I could count .
But the problem here is that if you want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure you ’ ve been practicing what you ’ re preaching .
In the case of Andrew Cuomo and the other senior elected officials in New York State , that ’ s simply not the case .
The fact is that New York has been scandalous in terms of picking and choosing which laws it decides to enforce and against whom .
All during the riots in New York City , the cops were ordered to stand down when they saw people looting .
Monuments have been defaced and toppled while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warned by the executive branch not to “ inflame ” the situation further by enforcing the law .
Elected officials have joined in with protesters to deface the public streets with political murals .
That last one is admittedly only a misdemeanor , but the same principle applies .
Which crimes do you imagine are more important and deserving of the attention of law enforcement ?
Would you rate ensuring there aren ’ t eleven people passing the cranberry sauce around the Thanksgiving feast table as being a greater problem than somebody smashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in SoHo and hauling away all of the Rolex watches ?
Should the Sheriff ’ s deputies spend more of their time investigating incidents of arson during recent riots or getting a warrant to find out if you ordered a fifteen-pound turkey instead of a six-pounder ?
Another sad fact is that there are millions of illegal aliens in this country that are known to immigration enforcement who never get a visit by ICE .
That ’ s because a lot of them are primarily laying low and our agents barely have enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who are actively murdering , raping or robbing people .
The reality is that decisions are made in terms of prioritizing law enforcement policy all of the time .
And in those examples I listed , we ’ re talking about important laws that actually make sense .
There are two elements of that sentence that don ’ t apply to Cuomo ’ s temper tantrum .
First of all , Cuomo ’ s Thanksgiving crackdown isn ’ t “ a law.
” It ’ s an executive order that has never even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secondly , it ’ s nonsensical in the extreme .
It would be unacceptable even if we had the law enforcement resources available to force people into compliance , which we don ’ t .
Even the Mayor of New York City admitted there was no way to put this mandate into effect .
There may be a showdown coming next week out on Staten Island .
Republican City Councilman Joe Borelli has already announced that he ’ s hosting a Thanksgiving dinner at this home with more than ten people coming sans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governor to send out the State Police to shut him down .
Would Cuomo be arrogant enough to try it ?
And would the state troopers agree to obey the order ?
We may have some interesting times coming in the very near future .

On Tuesday, we covered the news of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s edict stating that no more than ten people could gather in private residences for Thanksgiving and the response he received from numerous law enforcement agencies around the state. To put it kindly, none of the police departments or sheriffs were enthusiastic about taking on the job. To put it more bluntly, a lot of them flatly refused, pointing out the impossible scope of even attempting such a task. The Governor was asked about that response in a press conference yesterday and it’s obvious that his famously short temper had gotten the better of him again. (NY Post)
“I don’t believe as a law enforcement officer you have a right to pick and choose what laws you will enforce,” Cuomo told reporters Wednesday during an Albany-based press conference… The third-term Democrat mimicked the defying cops: “‘Well I don’t believe in that law and therefore I won’t enforce it.’” “That is frankly frightening to me as an individual, frightening to democracy, it’s arrogant and a violation of constitutional duty. “I didn’t say: I swear to uphold the laws that I agree with. I didn’t say that,” he continued.
Saying that all of the laws need to be enforced regardless of your personal feelings on the subject is an excellent point to make. In fact, I’ve called out government officials for the exact same reason on more occasions than I could count. But the problem here is that if you want to make such an assertion, you need to make sure you’ve been practicing what you’re preaching. In the case of Andrew Cuomo and the other senior elected officials in New York State, that’s simply not the case.
The fact is that New York has been scandalous in terms of picking and choosing which laws it decides to enforce and against whom. All during the riots in New York City, the cops were ordered to stand down when they saw people looting. Monuments have been defaced and toppled while the police looked on, having been warned by the executive branch not to “inflame” the situation further by enforcing the law. Elected officials have joined in with protesters to deface the public streets with political murals. That last one is admittedly only a misdemeanor, but the same principle applies.
Which crimes do you imagine are more important and deserving of the attention of law enforcement? Would you rate ensuring there aren’t eleven people passing the cranberry sauce around the Thanksgiving feast table as being a greater problem than somebody smashing all the windows at the Cartier store in SoHo and hauling away all of the Rolex watches? Should the Sheriff’s deputies spend more of their time investigating incidents of arson during recent riots or getting a warrant to find out if you ordered a fifteen-pound turkey instead of a six-pounder?
Another sad fact is that there are millions of illegal aliens in this country that are known to immigration enforcement who never get a visit by ICE. That’s because a lot of them are primarily laying low and our agents barely have enough resources to keep up with the ones who are actively murdering, raping or robbing people. The reality is that decisions are made in terms of prioritizing law enforcement policy all of the time.
And in those examples I listed, we’re talking about important laws that actually make sense. There are two elements of that sentence that don’t apply to Cuomo’s temper tantrum. First of all, Cuomo’s Thanksgiving crackdown isn’t “a law.” It’s an executive order that has never even been considered by the legislature. And secondly, it’s nonsensical in the extreme. It would be unacceptable even if we had the law enforcement resources available to force people into compliance, which we don’t. Even the Mayor of New York City admitted there was no way to put this mandate into effect.
There may be a showdown coming next week out on Staten Island. Republican City Councilman Joe Borelli has already announced that he’s hosting a Thanksgiving dinner at this home with more than ten people coming sans masks. He has effectively dared the Governor to send out the State Police to shut him down. Would Cuomo be arrogant enough to try it? And would the state troopers agree to obey the order? We may have some interesting times coming in the very near future.


hotair--2020-11-19--Wayne County canvassers: Can we rescind our votes to certify?

Er , no , but that won ’ t stop the two Republicans on the board from making even bigger fools of themselves .
Tuesday night , the pair tried to enable a nullification strategy in Wayne County , Michigan by refusing to certify election results .
That would theoretically have enabled the GOP-controlled legislature to select the state ’ s electors rather than the popular vote .
However , Republican legislative leaders flat-out rejected that scenario , and the pair reversed themselves .
Now they want to reverse themselves again , claiming they were bullied and misled into their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening , the two GOP members of the four-member Wayne County Board of Canvassers allege that they were improperly pressured into certifying the election and accused Democrats of reneging on a promise to audit votes in Detroit .
“ I rescind my prior vote , ” Monica Palmer , the board ’ s chairwoman , wrote in an affidavit reviewed by The Washington Post .
“ I fully believe the Wayne County vote should not be certified.
” William Hartmann , the other Republican on the board , has signed a similar affidavit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ document .
Hartmann did not respond to a message from The Post .
To be fair , the pair did get an agreement on Tuesday for an audit of the vote .
Both Republicans want a probe into why Detroits “ poll book ” didn ’ t match up precisely with the number of votes counted .
Palmer claims that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson ( D ) has rejected that agreement as non-binding , and now Palmer says she was “ misled ” into rescinding her vote .
However , the Detroit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s office : “ Late in the evening , I was enticed to agree to certify based on the promise that a full and independent audit would take place , ” Hartmann said in his affidavit .
“ I would not have agreed to the certification but for the promise of an audit.
” Tracy Wimmer , a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson , told the Free Press Wednesday she could not comment on an audit , because a request for an audit is the subject of ongoing litigation surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off are the poll books ?
They ’ d need to be gargantually off to justify tossing out the election .
Donald Trump lost Wayne County by 322,000 votes out of 872,000 cast , more than a third of the overall vote .
Needless to say , if the poll books were off by 32,000 let alone 322,000 , those figures would already be part of a lawsuit challenging the election results .
As Benson told CNN on Tuesday night after the first reversal , the problem cited by the pair isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But interestingly , in 2016 and this happens after every election , the Board meets and reviews the canvass , and reviews an audit of the process , and certifies the vote .
And notably , they certified the vote in 2016 with 80 percent of Detroit precincts out of balance .
And yet , today , 42 percent were out of balance , and yet , it didn ’ t get certified , so clearly there is no valid point here .
It ’ s truly just partisan politics .
But importantly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocol for when this happens .
It simply now then goes to our Bureau of Elections within the Department of State .
They will then complete the canvass , address any clerical or bookkeeping errors , and then , in the next 10 days , hand it over to the State Board of Canvassers to review and perform their ministerial functioning of certifying the vote .
That ’ s 42 % of precinct books out of balance , not 42 % of the vote .
We are likely looking at differences in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not a full third of the election .
Benson also claims that the two Republicans never raised the issue with her office before their refusal to certify , either : CUOMO : However , just to be clear , they offered you none of the proof of what the GOP State Party put out in their statement that there were real problem .
They didn ’ t show you “ Look at these real problems , Secretary of State .
How can we certify ?
” None of that ?
BENSON : Truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly would have looked at them .
There is a lot of nonsense floating around about the numbers in this election , most of it easily dismissible .
Trump himself declared yesterday that there were “ FAR MORE VOTES THAN PEOPLE ” in Detroit , which is easily debunked .
That claim confuses the vote count in Wayne County ( 872K ) with the population of Detroit ( 713K ) , but there are 1.8 million people living in Wayne County .
The total number of votes out of Detroit is slightly over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason not to credit any claim that ’ s not being made in court under oath at this point , and even then still take it with a grain of salt .
At any rate , the final vote on Tuesday can ’ t be rescinded , affadavits or not .
The deadline has passed , which means the certification goes to the state board as is , as Benson says .
And hopefully , this will put an end to the embarrassing attempt at election nullification by rogue Republican officials in Wayne @ @

Er, no, but that won’t stop the two Republicans on the board from making even bigger fools of themselves. Tuesday night, the pair tried to enable a nullification strategy in Wayne County, Michigan by refusing to certify election results. That would theoretically have enabled the GOP-controlled legislature to select the state’s electors rather than the popular vote. However, Republican legislative leaders flat-out rejected that scenario, and the pair reversed themselves.
Now they want to reverse themselves again, claiming they were bullied and misled into their first reversal:
In affidavits signed Wednesday evening, the two GOP members of the four-member Wayne County Board of Canvassers allege that they were improperly pressured into certifying the election and accused Democrats of reneging on a promise to audit votes in Detroit. “I rescind my prior vote,” Monica Palmer, the board’s chairwoman, wrote in an affidavit reviewed by The Washington Post. “I fully believe the Wayne County vote should not be certified.” William Hartmann, the other Republican on the board, has signed a similar affidavit, according a person familiar with the document. Hartmann did not respond to a message from The Post.
To be fair, the pair did get an agreement on Tuesday for an audit of the vote. Both Republicans want a probe into why Detroits “poll book” didn’t match up precisely with the number of votes counted. Palmer claims that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) has rejected that agreement as non-binding, and now Palmer says she was “misled” into rescinding her vote. However, the Detroit Free Press hears something different from Benson’s office:
“Late in the evening, I was enticed to agree to certify based on the promise that a full and independent audit would take place,” Hartmann said in his affidavit. “I would not have agreed to the certification but for the promise of an audit.” Tracy Wimmer, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, told the Free Press Wednesday she could not comment on an audit, because a request for an audit is the subject of ongoing litigation surrounding the Nov. 3 election.
How far off are the poll books? They’d need to be gargantually off to justify tossing out the election. Donald Trump lost Wayne County by 322,000 votes out of 872,000 cast, more than a third of the overall vote. Needless to say, if the poll books were off by 32,000 let alone 322,000, those figures would already be part of a lawsuit challenging the election results.
As Benson told CNN on Tuesday night after the first reversal, the problem cited by the pair isn’t unusual at all:
BENSON: But interestingly, in 2016 and this happens after every election, the Board meets and reviews the canvass, and reviews an audit of the process, and certifies the vote. And notably, they certified the vote in 2016 with 80 percent of Detroit precincts out of balance. And yet, today, 42 percent were out of balance, and yet, it didn’t get certified, so clearly there is no valid point here. It’s truly just partisan politics. But importantly, Chris, the State has a protocol for when this happens. It simply now then goes to our Bureau of Elections within the Department of State. They will then complete the canvass, address any clerical or bookkeeping errors, and then, in the next 10 days, hand it over to the State Board of Canvassers to review and perform their ministerial functioning of certifying the vote.
That’s 42% of precinct books out of balance, not 42% of the vote. We are likely looking at differences in the hundreds or low thousands at worst, not a full third of the election. Benson also claims that the two Republicans never raised the issue with her office before their refusal to certify, either:
CUOMO: However, just to be clear, they offered you none of the proof of what the GOP State Party put out in their statement that there were real problem. They didn’t show you “Look at these real problems, Secretary of State. How can we certify?” None of that? BENSON: Truly, and if they had, we certainly would have looked at them.
There is a lot of nonsense floating around about the numbers in this election, most of it easily dismissible. Trump himself declared yesterday that there were “FAR MORE VOTES THAN PEOPLE” in Detroit, which is easily debunked. That claim confuses the vote count in Wayne County (872K) with the population of Detroit (713K), but there are 1.8 million people living in Wayne County. The total number of votes out of Detroit is slightly over 250,000. It’s yet another reason not to credit any claim that’s not being made in court under oath at this point, and even then still take it with a grain of salt.
At any rate, the final vote on Tuesday can’t be rescinded, affadavits or not. The deadline has passed, which means the certification goes to the state board as is, as Benson says. And hopefully, this will put an end to the embarrassing attempt at election nullification by rogue Republican officials in Wayne County.


hotair--2020-11-20--Is the next Trump to run for office... Lara Trump?

It could happen .
Lara Trump , wife of Eric Trump , is reported to be considering a run for the open Senate seat in North Carolina in 2022 .
Senator Richard Burr is retiring at the end of his term .
For the first time in a generation , there will be an open Senate seat in 2022 .
Is Lara Trump the face of the next generation of Trump politicians ?
Lara Trump is a native of North Carolina , a Democratic stronghold until shifting demographics and a surge in the number of independent voters turned it into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named Carolina , after her home state .
The president won North Carolina by just 1.3 percentage points , a smaller amount than four years ago .
It may be a sign that North Carolina will trend blue in a post-Trump election year .
The race will likely be hotly contested and is expected to draw a large field of candidates interested in running for the Senate seat .
She would be jumping the line , so to speak , in front of politicians who have been waiting for the opportunity for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next person in line as they did in pre-Trump years , or will they remain open to someone who is coming from the outside world , not the political world ?
So , who might be Ms. Trump ’ s competition in a Republican primary race ?
There ’ s Representative Mark Walker , a Trump ally whom the president has encouraged to run for Mr. Burr ’ s seat , and indicated he would support .
There ’ s Pat McCrory , the former governor , who has said he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the North Carolina speaker of the House , is said to be in the mix .
And Dan Forest , who just lost a race for governor against the Democratic incumbent , Roy Cooper , is expected to be in the field .
And then there is another contender from the president ’ s inner circle , at least as it stands at the moment : Mark Meadows , the former North Carolina representative and White House chief of staff , is widely expected to move back home and run for the seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to comment about his political future .
I assume that Trump would endorse his daughter-in-law over his ally , Mark Walker if they both run .
Will Mark Meadows be popular enough to win a primary with many other candidates ?
He endorsed a candidate in the primary race to fill his vacant seat in the House when he went to work in the White House , but that person didn ’ t win .
It ’ s not clear he has garnered enough attention as White House chief of staff to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate race .
Perhaps he could get the old band back together and get endorsements by some well-known members of the Freedom Caucus in the House which he used to lead .
Lara Trump proved herself to be the surprise star from the Trump family during the president ’ s re-election campaign .
She has a resume that includes personal trainer , and television producer for Inside Edition .
She and Eric have two very young children .
She was a senior adviser on the Trump campaign and active with the Women for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Donald Trump , Jr. as the next generation of Trumps to run for political office .
Some speculation has included suggesting Ivanka might run for office but that always seemed unlikely .
Both Ivanka and Lara were deployed by the campaign to appeal to women voters – Ivanka to suburban women , Lara to other areas .
Lara is said to be good with people on the campaign trail .
A poll was commissioned by the Club for Growth to determine Lara Trump ’ s potential support if she runs for office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run in New York ’ s Second District .
It was all hypothetical , Lara Trump never expressed any interest in making that run .
Still , she won by 30 points .
The Club for Growth , an influential conservative anti-tax group , earlier this year commissioned a poll with Ms. Trump as a candidate for Congress representing New York ’ s Second District .
David McIntosh , the president of Club for Growth , said at the time that the group simply polled her name to show there was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an open race .
In a hypothetical primary , the poll showed her winning by 30 points .
Stranger things have happened .
It may never come about but in the meantime , it ’ s fun to speculate on future races since we all know the 2022 election season has already begun .

It could happen. Lara Trump, wife of Eric Trump, is reported to be considering a run for the open Senate seat in North Carolina in 2022. Senator Richard Burr is retiring at the end of his term. For the first time in a generation, there will be an open Senate seat in 2022. Is Lara Trump the face of the next generation of Trump politicians?
Lara Trump is a native of North Carolina, a Democratic stronghold until shifting demographics and a surge in the number of independent voters turned it into a swing state. Her daughter is named Carolina, after her home state. The president won North Carolina by just 1.3 percentage points, a smaller amount than four years ago. It may be a sign that North Carolina will trend blue in a post-Trump election year. The race will likely be hotly contested and is expected to draw a large field of candidates interested in running for the Senate seat. She would be jumping the line, so to speak, in front of politicians who have been waiting for the opportunity for years. Will Republicans go back to choosing the next person in line as they did in pre-Trump years, or will they remain open to someone who is coming from the outside world, not the political world?
So, who might be Ms. Trump’s competition in a Republican primary race?
There’s Representative Mark Walker, a Trump ally whom the president has encouraged to run for Mr. Burr’s seat, and indicated he would support. There’s Pat McCrory, the former governor, who has said he is eyeing the seat. Tim Moore, the North Carolina speaker of the House, is said to be in the mix. And Dan Forest, who just lost a race for governor against the Democratic incumbent, Roy Cooper, is expected to be in the field. And then there is another contender from the president’s inner circle, at least as it stands at the moment: Mark Meadows, the former North Carolina representative and White House chief of staff, is widely expected to move back home and run for the seat as well. Aides to Mr. Meadows declined to comment about his political future.
I assume that Trump would endorse his daughter-in-law over his ally, Mark Walker if they both run. Will Mark Meadows be popular enough to win a primary with many other candidates? He endorsed a candidate in the primary race to fill his vacant seat in the House when he went to work in the White House, but that person didn’t win. It’s not clear he has garnered enough attention as White House chief of staff to be considered the best candidate in the Senate race. Perhaps he could get the old band back together and get endorsements by some well-known members of the Freedom Caucus in the House which he used to lead.
Lara Trump proved herself to be the surprise star from the Trump family during the president’s re-election campaign. She has a resume that includes personal trainer, and television producer for Inside Edition. She and Eric have two very young children. She was a senior adviser on the Trump campaign and active with the Women for Trump group.
“She’s very charismatic, she understands retail politics well, and has a natural instinct for politics,” said Mercedes Schlapp, a Trump campaign adviser who traveled the country as a surrogate alongside Ms. Trump. “In North Carolina, in particular, she’s a household name and people know her. She worked really hard on the campaign and was very involved in a lot of decisions throughout.”
Past predictions usually pointed to Donald Trump, Jr. as the next generation of Trumps to run for political office. Some speculation has included suggesting Ivanka might run for office but that always seemed unlikely. Both Ivanka and Lara were deployed by the campaign to appeal to women voters – Ivanka to suburban women, Lara to other areas. Lara is said to be good with people on the campaign trail.
“She would be formidable,” said Kellyanne Conway, a former White House official and the 2016 Trump campaign manager. “She has the trifecta: She can raise money, raise awareness of key issues and raise attention to her race. Unlike many typical politicians, she connects with people and is a compelling messenger.”
A poll was commissioned by the Club for Growth to determine Lara Trump’s potential support if she runs for office. At that time, it was to run in New York’s Second District. It was all hypothetical, Lara Trump never expressed any interest in making that run. Still, she won by 30 points.
The Club for Growth, an influential conservative anti-tax group, earlier this year commissioned a poll with Ms. Trump as a candidate for Congress representing New York’s Second District. David McIntosh, the president of Club for Growth, said at the time that the group simply polled her name to show there was a well of support and lure her into an open race. In a hypothetical primary, the poll showed her winning by 30 points.
Stranger things have happened. It may never come about but in the meantime, it’s fun to speculate on future races since we all know the 2022 election season has already begun.