hotair--2020-08-28--Andrew Sullivan: 'These despicable fanatics, like it or not, are now in part the face of the Democra

Andrew Sullivan: 'These despicable fanatics, like it or not, are now in part the face of the Democrats' (Update)

Andrew Sullivan ’ s take on the danger posed to Dems by chaos in the streets is worth a read .
I don ’ t agree with all of it but Sullivan seems to be making a genuine attempt to not be guided by talking points from either side of the aisle and it ’ s interesting to watch even if it ’ s not a completely successful effort .
Frankly , some of what he says seems to at least partly contradict other things he ’ s saying but I guess that ’ s what happens sometimes when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picking sides .
Mostly what comes through is his disgust at the rioting which Democrats have only belatedly realized could be a problem .
Here ’ s one thing I have absolutely no conflict about .
Rioting and lawlessness is evil .
And any civil authority that permits , condones or dismisses violence , looting and mayhem in the streets disqualifies itself from any legitimacy .
This comes first .
If one party supports everything I believe in but doesn ’ t believe in maintaining law and order all the time and everywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that does .
In that sense , I ’ m a one-issue voter , because without order , there is no room for any other issue .
Disorder always and everywhere begets more disorder ; the minute the authorities appear to permit such violence , it is destined to grow .
And if liberals do not defend order , fascists will .
Here is a quote from Yoom Nguyen , owner of the Lotus Restaurant in Minneapolis , who just witnessed a second assault on his business : “ Watching looters bust down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senseless , they ’ re doing it while laughing and smirking .
Not gon na lie , I damn near shot a man tonight .
He threw that fucking rock at my family photo and looked right at me .
I said ‘ you motherfucker … ’ tears immediately rolled down my face .
I just can ’ t no more .
I ’ m thankful I walked away but Fuck y ’ all.
” This is how violence metastasizes .
And as I ’ ve watched protests devolve over the summer into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and lawless occupations of city blocks , along with disgusting and often racist profanity , I ’ ve begun to feel similarly .
And when I watched the Democratic Convention and heard close to nothing about ending this lawlessness , I noted the silence .
Sullivan ’ s conclusion from the silence at the DNC is that Democrats aren ’ t willing to call out the extremism in their ranks : All this reassurance played out against a backdrop of Kenosha , which was burning , and Minneapolis , where a suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Washington DC , where mobs of wokesters went through the city chanting obscenities , invading others ’ spaces , demanding bystanders raise fists in solidarity , with occasional spasms of violence .
These despicable fanatics , like it or not , are now in part the face of the Democrats : a snarling bunch of self-righteous , entitled bigots , chanting slogans rooted in pseudo-Marxist claptrap , erecting guillotines — guillotines !
— in the streets as emblems of their agenda .
They are not arguing ; they are attempting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign to the New York Times , are too cowardly and intimidated to call out these bullies and expel them from the ranks .
The guillotine thing is very real .
Rioters in Portland have been doing there thing while their mobile DJ plays “ We got the guillotine ” by The Coup .
So it ’ s not an isolated sentiment .
One place where I disagree with Sullivan is the idea that it would be easy to separate the extremists and expel them as he suggests .
As I wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an easily rebuked group of identifiable extremists .
This is a woke mindset which is gradually seeping in to the entire party .
On the most fringe are those who think rioting isn ’ t violence .
Then there are those who agree it is violence but who also think speech is violence so violence in response is justified .
Then there are those who don ’ t want to engage in violence but won ’ t speak up to discourage others who feel differently because they agree a “ diversity of tactics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the right saw this coming back when it was just conservatives being shouted down on college campuses .
Now some of these same attitudes are out there in the streets and it ’ s not going to be easy to put the genie back in the bottle .
Frankly , I don ’ t think most Democrats realize just how far down this road they ’ ve gone already .
Update : Not surprisingly , people on the left are calling Sullivan a fascist over this piece .

Andrew Sullivan’s take on the danger posed to Dems by chaos in the streets is worth a read. I don’t agree with all of it but Sullivan seems to be making a genuine attempt to not be guided by talking points from either side of the aisle and it’s interesting to watch even if it’s not a completely successful effort. Frankly, some of what he says seems to at least partly contradict other things he’s saying but I guess that’s what happens sometimes when you’re reacting honestly and not just picking sides. Mostly what comes through is his disgust at the rioting which Democrats have only belatedly realized could be a problem.
Here’s one thing I have absolutely no conflict about. Rioting and lawlessness is evil. And any civil authority that permits, condones or dismisses violence, looting and mayhem in the streets disqualifies itself from any legitimacy. This comes first. If one party supports everything I believe in but doesn’t believe in maintaining law and order all the time and everywhere, I’ll back a party that does. In that sense, I’m a one-issue voter, because without order, there is no room for any other issue. Disorder always and everywhere begets more disorder; the minute the authorities appear to permit such violence, it is destined to grow. And if liberals do not defend order, fascists will. Here is a quote from Yoom Nguyen, owner of the Lotus Restaurant in Minneapolis, who just witnessed a second assault on his business: “Watching looters bust down our family restaurant is so heartbreaking. Senseless, they’re doing it while laughing and smirking. Not gonna lie, I damn near shot a man tonight. He threw that fucking rock at my family photo and looked right at me. I said ‘you motherfucker …’ tears immediately rolled down my face. I just can’t no more. I’m thankful I walked away but Fuck y’all.” This is how violence metastasizes. And as I’ve watched protests devolve over the summer into a series of riots, arson expeditions, and lawless occupations of city blocks, along with disgusting and often racist profanity, I’ve begun to feel similarly. And when I watched the Democratic Convention and heard close to nothing about ending this lawlessness, I noted the silence.
Sullivan’s conclusion from the silence at the DNC is that Democrats aren’t willing to call out the extremism in their ranks:
All this reassurance played out against a backdrop of Kenosha, which was burning, and Minneapolis, where a suicide led to a bout of opportunistic looting, and Washington DC, where mobs of wokesters went through the city chanting obscenities, invading others’ spaces, demanding bystanders raise fists in solidarity, with occasional spasms of violence. These despicable fanatics, like it or not, are now in part the face of the Democrats: a snarling bunch of self-righteous, entitled bigots, chanting slogans rooted in pseudo-Marxist claptrap, erecting guillotines — guillotines! — in the streets as emblems of their agenda. They are not arguing; they are attempting to coerce. And liberals, from the Biden campaign to the New York Times, are too cowardly and intimidated to call out these bullies and expel them from the ranks.
The guillotine thing is very real.
Someone just put a fake Trump on the guillotine in front of the White House. There’s a piece of paper on him that says “Ticket – Fascist, Rapist, Criminal”@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/zOmQ7DgIo0 — Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) August 28, 2020
Rioters in Portland have been doing their thing while their mobile DJ plays “We got the guillotine” by The Coup. So it’s not an isolated sentiment.
One place where I disagree with Sullivan is the idea that it would be easy to separate the extremists and expel them as he suggests. As I wrote here, these aren’t just an easily rebuked group of identifiable extremists. This is a woke mindset which is gradually seeping in to the entire party. On the most fringe are those who think rioting isn’t violence. Then there are those who agree it is violence but who also think speech is violence so violence in response is justified. Then there are those who don’t want to engage in violence but won’t speak up to discourage others who feel differently because they agree a “diversity of tactics” is best.
Many of us on the right saw this coming back when it was just conservatives being shouted down on college campuses. Now some of these same attitudes are out there in the streets and it’s not going to be easy to put the genie back in the bottle. Frankly, I don’t think most Democrats realize just how far down this road they’ve gone already.
Update: Not surprisingly, people on the left are calling Sullivan a fascist over this piece.


hotair--2020-08-28--Meghan McCain slams Ivanka Trump: "They have lost all decent people"

Yikes !
Meghan McCain had a hot take to offer about Ivanka Trump ’ s speech which served as an introduction to President Trump during last night ’ s GOP convention .
Ivanka did what was expected of her – she spoke of him as her father and as the president .
It was actually a pretty good speech because she went through many of the Trump administration ’ s policy accomplishments , which often get overlooked as political discussions take a spin to the personal .
For four years we have heard Orange Man bad rhetoric , non-stop , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trumpers .
I am often struck by how vitriolic the verbal attacks are against the Trump family , in general .
Granted , Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner are working in the White House ( unpaid ) but during a political convention flowery speeches are to be expected in favor of the party ’ s nominee .
That includes Ivanka ’ s speech about her own father .
One part of her speech hit a nerve with Meghan McCain .
“ Whether you agree with him or not , you always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that my dad ’ s communication style is not to everyone ’ s taste , ” Trump said in her speech while talking about President Trump .
“ And I know his Tweets can feel a bit unfiltered .
But the results speak for themselves.
” “ Dad , people attack you for being unconventional , but I love you for being real , and I respect you for being effective , ” she went on to say toward the end of her speech .
So , Meghan reacted in the 2020 way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was doing ok with her response until she got to the very last part – the part about decent people .
Her anger at Ivanka ’ s words was typical for Meghan , she ’ s very protective of her father and his legacy because she is his daughter and she loved him .
What she ignored , though , in her angry response to Ivanka is that the same is true of Ivanka .
She , too , loves her father and does what she thinks will best help him .
Meghan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she wants .
She shouldn ’ t have attacked Trump voters though .
That ’ s a rookie political mistake and she ’ s no political rookie .
She knows better .
She is probably not surprised about the blowback from Trump supporters in response to her tweet .
They let their emotions get the better of them , too .
It only serves to confirm their support for Trump .
Ivanka was keeping her remarks about her father ’ s style of communication light .
Trump ’ s base supporters love his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like his style but they like his policies and the successes he has attained as president .
The base loves the fight and he ’ s a fighter .
He takes no prisoners .
He doesn ’ t even care if an opponent ( which he saw McCain as ) was a prisoner of war or not .
The speech that Ivanka delivered was good , as I said .
She opened by expressing her message of support for those in the path of Hurricane Laura .
She went on to call her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
She spoke the same thoughts that frankly , got her father elected in 2016 .
People were fed up with politicians not figuring out answers to big problems and just blaming the other guy for everything .
I ’ ve seen that in Washington , it ’ s easy for politicians to survive if they silence their convictions and skip the hard fights .
I couldn ’ t believe that so many politicians actually prefer to complain about a problem , rather than fix it .
I was shocked to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can blame the other side and campaign on the same issue in the next election .
Ivanka spoke about “ the warrior in the White House ” and that ’ s a legit description .
For better or worse , he is on the offense every day because of the unrelenting attacks from the left and the right over the past four years .
We know that both Meghan McCain and her mother will not be voting for Trump because they have said so .
This is their choice , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swamp .
For decades John McCain dwelled in the swamp and expected support from loyal Republican voters .
Republican voters voted for him in 2008 for president , many holding their noses , because it was the right thing to do to try to avoid the Obama years .
As much as McCain sucked up to Democrats – including Joe Biden – didn ’ t matter when push came to shove .
The media loved John McCain because he often went against his own party and sided with Democrats .
Then , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nomination and they abandoned him .
This is what the Never Trump people don ’ t understand .
Once Trump is out of office – whether it is 2020 or 2024 , there will be no market for Never Trumpers .
For now they are useful idiots for Team Biden .
There is nothing conservative about Joe Biden .
A vote for him is not a vote for unity and a kinder , gentler electorate .

Yikes! Meghan McCain had a hot take to offer about Ivanka Trump’s speech which served as an introduction to President Trump during last night’s GOP convention. Ivanka did what was expected of her – she spoke of him as her father and as the president. It was actually a pretty good speech because she went through many of the Trump administration’s policy accomplishments, which often get overlooked as political discussions take a spin to the personal.
For four years we have heard Orange Man bad rhetoric, non-stop, from Democrats and their pals the Never Trumpers. I am often struck by how vitriolic the verbal attacks are against the Trump family, in general. Granted, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner are working in the White House (unpaid) but during a political convention flowery speeches are to be expected in favor of the party’s nominee. That includes Ivanka’s speech about her own father. One part of her speech hit a nerve with Meghan McCain.
“Whether you agree with him or not, you always know where he stands. I recognize that my dad’s communication style is not to everyone’s taste,” Trump said in her speech while talking about President Trump. “And I know his Tweets can feel a bit unfiltered. But the results speak for themselves.” “Dad, people attack you for being unconventional, but I love you for being real, and I respect you for being effective,” she went on to say toward the end of her speech.
Ivanka Trump speaks about the president at the #RNC2020: "I recognize that my dad’s communication style is not to everyone’s taste. And I know his tweets can feel a bit…unfiltered. But the results speak for themselves.” pic.twitter.com/KV7Dkr0u6p — NBC News (@NBCNews) August 28, 2020
So, Meghan reacted in the 2020 way – she tweeted.
“It’s not a ‘communication style’, its cruelty and indecency,” she tweeted. “Trump said he didn’t like POW’s [prisoners of war] who were captured, implied my father was burning in hell after he died and constantly trashed him while he was fighting brain cancer. This is how they have lost all decent people.”
It’s not a “communication style”, its cruelty and indecency. Trump said he didn’t like POW’s who were captured, implied my father was burning in hell after he died and constantly trashed him while he was fighting brain cancer. This is how they have lost all decent people. — Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) August 28, 2020
See, she was doing ok with her response until she got to the very last part – the part about decent people. Her anger at Ivanka’s words was typical for Meghan, she’s very protective of her father and his legacy because she is his daughter and she loved him. What she ignored, though, in her angry response to Ivanka is that the same is true of Ivanka. She, too, loves her father and does what she thinks will best help him.
Meghan can attack Ivanka and President Trump all she wants. She shouldn’t have attacked Trump voters though. That’s a rookie political mistake and she’s no political rookie. She knows better. She is probably not surprised about the blowback from Trump supporters in response to her tweet. They let their emotions get the better of them, too. It only serves to confirm their support for Trump.
Ivanka was keeping her remarks about her father’s style of communication light. Trump’s base supporters love his style. Trump voters may not particularly like his style but they like his policies and the successes he has attained as president. The base loves the fight and he’s a fighter. He takes no prisoners. He doesn’t even care if an opponent (which he saw McCain as) was a prisoner of war or not.
The speech that Ivanka delivered was good, as I said. She opened by expressing her message of support for those in the path of Hurricane Laura. She went on to call her father the “people’s president”. She spoke the same thoughts that frankly, got her father elected in 2016. People were fed up with politicians not figuring out answers to big problems and just blaming the other guy for everything.
I’ve seen that in Washington, it’s easy for politicians to survive if they silence their convictions and skip the hard fights. I couldn’t believe that so many politicians actually prefer to complain about a problem, rather than fix it. I was shocked to see people leave major challenges unsolved, so they can blame the other side and campaign on the same issue in the next election.
Ivanka spoke about “the warrior in the White House” and that’s a legit description. For better or worse, he is on the offense every day because of the unrelenting attacks from the left and the right over the past four years. We know that both Meghan McCain and her mother will not be voting for Trump because they have said so. This is their choice, of course, but it speaks to the political swamp. For decades John McCain dwelled in the swamp and expected support from loyal Republican voters. Republican voters voted for him in 2008 for president, many holding their noses, because it was the right thing to do to try to avoid the Obama years. As much as McCain sucked up to Democrats – including Joe Biden – didn’t matter when push came to shove. The media loved John McCain because he often went against his own party and sided with Democrats. Then, he ran for president and got the GOP nomination and they abandoned him. This is what the Never Trump people don’t understand. Once Trump is out of office – whether it is 2020 or 2024, there will be no market for Never Trumpers. For now they are useful idiots for Team Biden. There is nothing conservative about Joe Biden. A vote for him is not a vote for unity and a kinder, gentler electorate.


hotair--2020-08-28--Trafalgar poll: Trump now leads by two -- in Michigan

I try to give Trafalgar every benefit of the doubt after its stunning success in 2016 and 2018 but I ’ m a leeeetle skeptical of this one .
Especially since they also have Republican John James leading incumbent Gary Peters for Peters ’ s Senate seat .
That ’ s the first time James has led in any poll all year .
Until today , the closest he ’ d been was three points behind a few weeks ago .
Another reason to be skeptical : This poll was conducted between August 14 and 23 , a period encompassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican convention had begun .
Is it impossible that Biden *lost* ground in Michigan , a state where he ’ s been leading since the start of the race , while his own convention was happening ?
Nope , not impossible .
But conventions are designed to convince the public to warm up to their candidate .
There were no disasters onstage for the Dems last week .
It ’ d be odd if Biden lost votes in a state where he ’ d been strong until now because of it .
Of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he lost ground for unrelated reasons , like rioting .
But this poll wrapped before Kenosha went up in flames .
Anyway : There *is* corroborating evidence that Trafalgar is onto something here .
Even if they ’ re wrong about Trump surging ahead , there ’ s little doubt that the race in Michigan has tightened over the past month .
Just as Biden ’ s numbers have slid a few points nationally off of their high in late June and July , his once gaudy lead in Michigan has slipped .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed sufficiently safe for Democrats this year that Trump had temporarily suspended advertising there .
In June , Biden had three polls in a row there in which he led by double digits .
As recently as late July , CNN had him up 12 .
The last five polls taken there have seen that lead cut in half .
Two of them have Biden ahead by four , one by five , one by six , and then there ’ s today ’ s Trafalgar poll putting him two points behind .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan .
In fact , today ’ s numbers feel a lot like the final weeks of the 2016 polling in Michigan .
Trafalgar became famous that year as the only pollster to actually have Trump ahead on Election Day in a state he went on to win , but Michigan had been trending towards him for weeks before that in other surveys .
Just look at the dramatic graph RCP compiled at the time , starting in mid-October .
Once again we ’ re seeing a broader polling trend towards Trump there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead .
So why am I ( a little ) skeptical ?
Simply because back in mid-June , at the height of the Biden boomlet , when various other pollsters ( including the New York Times ) had Biden with a commanding lead , Trafalgar had him up … one point .
The RCP average of the state put Biden ’ s advantage at more than eight points at the time .
There was no trend towards Trump back then to corroborate their data ; rather , it seems that their polls are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That doesn ’ t mean they were wrong and everyone else was right , but the June outlier makes you wonder about today ’ s data .
On the other hand , the secret sauce used by Trafalgar to try to find “ hidden ” Trump voters is asking people whom they think their neighbors will vote for .
The idea is that someone might be more candid about their own preference for Trump if you couch your question in terms of whether someone they know might support him .
Is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a new study , yes .
A new online study finds that Republicans and independents are twice as likely as Democrats to say they would not give their true opinion in a telephone poll question about their preference for president in the 2020 election .
That raises the possibility that polls understate support for President Donald Trump .
Some 11.7 % of Republicans and 10.5 % independents said they would not give their true opinion , vs. 5.4 % of Democrats , according to the study by CloudResearch LLC , a Queens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research and data collection for clients .
Among the reasons they gave was that “ it ’ s dangerous to express an opinion outside of the current liberal viewpoint , ” according to Leib Litman , the co-chief executive officer and chief research officer… Political party preference was the only characteristic that correlated consistently with reluctance to share presidential preference , Leib says .
Are we sure that cuts entirely in Trump ’ s favor , though ?
Given the extent to which Republicans are expected to show “ loyalty ” to Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden when secretly they support Trump or are they telling them they support Trump when secretly they support Biden ?
Remember that a lot of anti-Trump righties have become independents ( or Democrats ) over the last four years , leaving self-identified Republicans a much Trumpier group generally .
Why would people who ’ ve stuck with the party through the Trump era , who are willing to tell pollsters they ’ re Republicans , *not* be willing to admit that they ’ re supporting the president ?
Anyway , I don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Trafalgar is right that Trump ’ s ahead at the moment in Michigan or if they ’ re merely overstating a real trend towards him there across multiple polls .
The plain truth seems to be that he ’ s gotten back in the race and is in striking distance as the campaign enters its most intense stretch .
That ’ s all he could have hoped for after the summer he ’ s had .
And a convention bounce really might nudge him into the lead .
Since we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it shockingly right ( or more right than most ) in 2016 , though , I ’ d be remiss if I didn ’ t share the latest data from USC Dornsife .
Their poll is a little different from others in that they ’ re re-polling the same group of people periodically instead of taking different random samples of the population each time .
In 2016 , they had Trump ahead for most of the race while other pollsters were showing big Clinton leads .
Their final survey had it Trump 46.8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , isn ’ t exactly “ correct ” since Hillary , not Trump , won the popular vote , but they did at least detect somehow that Trump ’ s support might be stronger than most of the rest of the polling field believed .
USC just started publishing its 2020 polling and today ’ s new numbers have the race … Biden by 12 .
He ’ s gained a few points since last week too , suggesting that he might have gotten a modest convention bounce after all .
How does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data ?
Oh , by the way : Biden announced today that he ’ ll hit the campaign trail after Labor Day , with expected stops to include Wisconsin and Minnesota , a state that Hillary won four years ago .
It ’ s a safe bet that Michigan ’ s on the list too , especially in light of the new polling .

I try to give Trafalgar every benefit of the doubt after its stunning success in 2016 and 2018 but I’m a leeeetle skeptical of this one. Especially since they also have Republican John James leading incumbent Gary Peters for Peters’s Senate seat. That’s the first time James has led in any poll all year. Until today, the closest he’d been was three points behind a few weeks ago.
Another reason to be skeptical: This poll was conducted between August 14 and 23, a period encompassing the entire Democratic convention and before the Republican convention had begun. Is it impossible that Biden *lost* ground in Michigan, a state where he’s been leading since the start of the race, while his own convention was happening? Nope, not impossible. But conventions are designed to convince the public to warm up to their candidate. There were no disasters onstage for the Dems last week. It’d be odd if Biden lost votes in a state where he’d been strong until now because of it.
Of course, it’s possible that he lost ground for unrelated reasons, like rioting. But this poll wrapped before Kenosha went up in flames. Anyway:
There *is* corroborating evidence that Trafalgar is onto something here. Even if they’re wrong about Trump surging ahead, there’s little doubt that the race in Michigan has tightened over the past month. Just as Biden’s numbers have slid a few points nationally off of their high in late June and July, his once gaudy lead in Michigan has slipped. As of late July, the state seemed sufficiently safe for Democrats this year that Trump had temporarily suspended advertising there. In June, Biden had three polls in a row there in which he led by double digits. As recently as late July, CNN had him up 12.
The last five polls taken there have seen that lead cut in half. Two of them have Biden ahead by four, one by five, one by six, and then there’s today’s Trafalgar poll putting him two points behind. It’s a race again in Michigan. In fact, today’s numbers feel a lot like the final weeks of the 2016 polling in Michigan. Trafalgar became famous that year as the only pollster to actually have Trump ahead on Election Day in a state he went on to win, but Michigan had been trending towards him for weeks before that in other surveys. Just look at the dramatic graph RCP compiled at the time, starting in mid-October. Once again we’re seeing a broader polling trend towards Trump there capped by Trafalgar putting him in the lead.
So why am I (a little) skeptical? Simply because back in mid-June, at the height of the Biden boomlet, when various other pollsters (including the New York Times) had Biden with a commanding lead, Trafalgar had him up … one point. The RCP average of the state put Biden’s advantage at more than eight points at the time. There was no trend towards Trump back then to corroborate their data; rather, it seems that their polls are just exceedingly Trumpy in how they lean. That doesn’t mean they were wrong and everyone else was right, but the June outlier makes you wonder about today’s data.
On the other hand, the secret sauce used by Trafalgar to try to find “hidden” Trump voters is asking people whom they think their neighbors will vote for. The idea is that someone might be more candid about their own preference for Trump if you couch your question in terms of whether someone they know might support him. Is there any method to that madness? According to a new study, yes.
A new online study finds that Republicans and independents are twice as likely as Democrats to say they would not give their true opinion in a telephone poll question about their preference for president in the 2020 election. That raises the possibility that polls understate support for President Donald Trump. Some 11.7% of Republicans and 10.5% independents said they would not give their true opinion, vs. 5.4% of Democrats, according to the study by CloudResearch LLC, a Queens, N.Y.-based company that conducts online market research and data collection for clients. Among the reasons they gave was that “it’s dangerous to express an opinion outside of the current liberal viewpoint,” according to Leib Litman, the co-chief executive officer and chief research officer… Political party preference was the only characteristic that correlated consistently with reluctance to share presidential preference, Leib says.
Are we sure that cuts entirely in Trump’s favor, though? Given the extent to which Republicans are expected to show “loyalty” to Trump, are GOPers telling pollsters they support Biden when secretly they support Trump or are they telling them they support Trump when secretly they support Biden? Remember that a lot of anti-Trump righties have become independents (or Democrats) over the last four years, leaving self-identified Republicans a much Trumpier group generally. Why would people who’ve stuck with the party through the Trump era, who are willing to tell pollsters they’re Republicans, *not* be willing to admit that they’re supporting the president?
Anyway, I don’t think we need to obsess over whether Trafalgar is right that Trump’s ahead at the moment in Michigan or if they’re merely overstating a real trend towards him there across multiple polls. The plain truth seems to be that he’s gotten back in the race and is in striking distance as the campaign enters its most intense stretch. That’s all he could have hoped for after the summer he’s had. And a convention bounce really might nudge him into the lead.
Since we’re on the topic of polls that got it shockingly right (or more right than most) in 2016, though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share the latest data from USC Dornsife. Their poll is a little different from others in that they’re re-polling the same group of people periodically instead of taking different random samples of the population each time. In 2016, they had Trump ahead for most of the race while other pollsters were showing big Clinton leads. Their final survey had it Trump 46.8 to Clinton 43.6. Which, er, isn’t exactly “correct” since Hillary, not Trump, won the popular vote, but they did at least detect somehow that Trump’s support might be stronger than most of the rest of the polling field believed. USC just started publishing its 2020 polling and today’s new numbers have the race … Biden by 12. He’s gained a few points since last week too, suggesting that he might have gotten a modest convention bounce after all. How does that square with Trafalgar’s Michigan data?
Oh, by the way: Biden announced today that he’ll hit the campaign trail after Labor Day, with expected stops to include Wisconsin and Minnesota, a state that Hillary won four years ago. It’s a safe bet that Michigan’s on the list too, especially in light of the new polling.


hotair--2020-08-28--Bulwark: 'Democrats need to convince voters that they really are against riots'

My headline is the actual subhead of this piece today by Robert Tracinski .
He ’ s basically echoing something that Don Lemon said this week , i.e .
the rioting has to stop because it ’ s showing up in the polls .
Consider another exchange caught on video : a store owner shouting out from his shattered window , “ Are they trying to get Trump re-elected ?
” A protester replies , “ These people don ’ t represent our movement.
” His rejoinder : “ I ’ m sorry , but they ’ re with you.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nutshell .
The anarchist and revolutionary wing of the protest movement has run riot—quite literally—among the non-violent protesters with not nearly enough resistance from either elected Democrats or the left-leaning media .
Consider , for example , the role of the press in sugar-coating the dark side of these protests .
There is the way they described the takeover of downtown Seattle as having a “ festive ” atmosphere—which Seattle ’ s mayor compared to the Summer of Love—and only later printed the stories of residents and business owners intimidated by lawless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the burning of businesses in downtown Kenosha as “ fiery but mostly peaceful protests.
” “ Mostly peaceful protest ” has become a running joke as an evasive way to describe a violent mob .
Is there a big difference between a protest and a riot ?
Absolutely .
I just wish the media would remember this and stop blurring the difference between them… This is precisely the sort of thing that could tip the election back to Trump by making his opponents seem like weak and timid men afraid to confront the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right that the rioters have been sheltered by Democratic mayors and the media .
Why ?
Tracinski doesn ’ t really say .
He does say that every political party attracts a fringe element , which is true .
But why are so many mayors and media outlets eager to back or at least downplay the left ’ s fringe when it is rioting in the streets ?
I think the answer to that question helps explain why Democrats are so nervous right now .
Here ’ s my answer : BLM isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest source of energy for the Democratic party at this moment .
So they can ’ t afford to alienate BLM .
At the same time , BLM ’ s politics remain deeply fringe .
Disbanding the police .
Reparations .
Identity politics .
White fragility .
These are not things that every one is on board with but they are inseparable from BLM .
And those things are really just scratching the surface of how deeply fringe some of this stuff is .
A lot of the proposals being put forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of often unspoken ideas about race , collectivism , individuality , etc .
I ’ m not going to recapitulate the full argument here because it would take up a lot of space but go back and look at that NY Times piece about the foundations of anti-racism training .
What the author found was underneath all of the talk about white fragility and systemic oppression was a fairly consistent view of the world ( among the top trainers in the field ) that was anti-captialist , anti-individualism , anti-rationalism , anti-excellence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read that already , consider looking at James Lindsay ’ s piece on why the woke won ’ t debate .
Again , it ’ s not because there ’ s a rule out there against it , it ’ s because wokeness comes with deep skepticism about all of the cultural structures that have led us to what they see as a corrupt and failed system of oppression .
They don ’ t want to play the liberal game anymore , and by liberal I mean they don ’ t really support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of this means that in practice , these groups often behave differently in the streets because they are coming from a very different perspective .
When you believe reality is a state of constant conflict for power among different racial groups , you wind up with groups of people telling white strangers to give up their home to a black person .
When you believe the purpose of white people is to be allies to black causes , you end up with a mob of white kids being told by black leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white woman who won ’ t show solidarity by raising her fist .
And more to the point of the ongoing riots , you get people who believe looting is a form of reparations and destruction of property isn ’ t violence and maybe even that violence is necessary for change .
So to wrap this all up , I think Democrats have a real problem .
The problem is that they can ’ t really afford to condemn the extremism which is creating the problem for them at this moment because that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a group of outsiders .
There is no Sister Souljah to condemn .
The extremism is already well inside the tent .
It ’ s too late to throw Antifa under the bus after months of people like Don Lemon defending Antifa and media outlets downplaying Antifa .
No one would believe it .
It ’ s true that “ mostly peaceful ” has become a running joke to many as a description for nightly protests that inevitably turn violent .
What that phrase conceals is that there are large groups of agitated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar ideas and who believe in a “ diversity of tactics ” to achieve their shared goals .
They have been working together for months , so condemning the riots without offending the wider movement is going to be very tricky to do at this late date .

My headline is the actual subhead of this piece today by Robert Tracinski. He’s basically echoing something that Don Lemon said this week, i.e. the rioting has to stop because it’s showing up in the polls.
Consider another exchange caught on video: a store owner shouting out from his shattered window, “Are they trying to get Trump re-elected?” A protester replies, “These people don’t represent our movement.” His rejoinder: “I’m sorry, but they’re with you.” That’s the problem in a nutshell. The anarchist and revolutionary wing of the protest movement has run riot—quite literally—among the non-violent protesters with not nearly enough resistance from either elected Democrats or the left-leaning media. Consider, for example, the role of the press in sugar-coating the dark side of these protests. There is the way they described the takeover of downtown Seattle as having a “festive” atmosphere—which Seattle’s mayor compared to the Summer of Love—and only later printed the stories of residents and business owners intimidated by lawless mobs. Or the way CNN characterized the burning of businesses in downtown Kenosha as “fiery but mostly peaceful protests.” “Mostly peaceful protest” has become a running joke as an evasive way to describe a violent mob. Is there a big difference between a protest and a riot? Absolutely. I just wish the media would remember this and stop blurring the difference between them… This is precisely the sort of thing that could tip the election back to Trump by making his opponents seem like weak and timid men afraid to confront the violent brutes.
He’s absolutely right that the rioters have been sheltered by Democratic mayors and the media. Why? Tracinski doesn’t really say. He does say that every political party attracts a fringe element, which is true. But why are so many mayors and media outlets eager to back or at least downplay the left’s fringe when it is rioting in the streets? I think the answer to that question helps explain why Democrats are so nervous right now.
Here’s my answer: BLM isn’t fringe anymore it’s the biggest source of energy for the Democratic party at this moment. So they can’t afford to alienate BLM. At the same time, BLM’s politics remain deeply fringe. Disbanding the police. Reparations. Identity politics. White fragility. These are not things that every one is on board with but they are inseparable from BLM. And those things are really just scratching the surface of how deeply fringe some of this stuff is.
A lot of the proposals being put forward by the woke arrive in a framework of often unspoken ideas about race, collectivism, individuality, etc. I’m not going to recapitulate the full argument here because it would take up a lot of space but go back and look at that NY Times piece about the foundations of anti-racism training. What the author found was underneath all of the talk about white fragility and systemic oppression was a fairly consistent view of the world (among the top trainers in the field) that was anti-captialist, anti-individualism, anti-rationalism, anti-excellence and even anti-punctuality.
If you’ve read that already, consider looking at James Lindsay’s piece on why the woke won’t debate. Again, it’s not because there’s a rule out there against it, it’s because wokeness comes with deep skepticism about all of the cultural structures that have led us to what they see as a corrupt and failed system of oppression. They don’t want to play the liberal game anymore, and by liberal I mean they don’t really support things like free speech for everyone.
All of this means that in practice, these groups often behave differently in the streets because they are coming from a very different perspective. When you believe reality is a state of constant conflict for power among different racial groups, you wind up with groups of people telling white strangers to give up their home to a black person. When you believe the purpose of white people is to be allies to black causes, you end up with a mob of white kids being told by black leaders to move in and confront the one white woman who won’t show solidarity by raising her fist.
And more to the point of the ongoing riots, you get people who believe looting is a form of reparations and destruction of property isn’t violence and maybe even that violence is necessary for change.
So to wrap this all up, I think Democrats have a real problem. The problem is that they can’t really afford to condemn the extremism which is creating the problem for them at this moment because that extremism can’t be localized to a group of outsiders. There is no Sister Souljah to condemn. The extremism is already well inside the tent. It’s too late to throw Antifa under the bus after months of people like Don Lemon defending Antifa and media outlets downplaying Antifa. No one would believe it.
It’s true that “mostly peaceful” has become a running joke to many as a description for nightly protests that inevitably turn violent. What that phrase conceals is that there are large groups of agitated people in the streets who all share similar ideas and who believe in a “diversity of tactics” to achieve their shared goals. They have been working together for months, so condemning the riots without offending the wider movement is going to be very tricky to do at this late date.


hotair--2020-08-28--Tennessee Dem slams rioters and vandals: "Peaceful protest ends peacefully. Anarchy ends in chaos."

This speech was given a few weeks ago and picked up a few days ago in righty media .
I missed it at the time , but it ’ s breaking big online today after what happened in Kenosha this week .
I ’ m surprised John DeBerry isn ’ t a bigger name politically .
Anyone who can uncork a stemwinder like this extemporaneously , without missing a beat , has serious talent .
He was cursed to have been born a Democrat in a red state , I guess .
Or , rather , an ex-Democrat .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive committee kicked him out of the party back in April for having affronted Democrats ’ sensibilities too many times .
That was a big deal , as it meant that DeBerry wouldn ’ t be his party ’ s nominee on the ballot this fall .
And since the deadline to re-register as a Republican or an independent had passed by then , it appeared that his political career would be ending after 26 years in office .
“ What happened yesterday was basically unprecedented , ” he said at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , without time to garner a defense or allow people from my district to make any type of comment , I was removed by a tribunal.
” What had he done that was so awful that necessitated purging him from the Democratic ranks ?
A complaint filed against him with the state party last year noted that he had supported a Republican as speaker of the Tennessee House , had accepted contributions from Republican outside groups , and — gasp — had voted for school vouchers .
But one wonders if the real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with some of his more notable heresies against leftist orthodoxy .
DeBerry is a preacher in his spare time , prone to saying , “ It ’ s not about the elephant .
It ’ s not about the donkey .
It ’ s about the Lamb.
” That ’ s led him to some un-Democratic policy views : But to opponents , including Planned Parenthood , the LGBTQ Victory Fund and the Tennessee Democratic Party ’ s executive committee , the 13-term incumbent is an out-of-touch relic .
In their view , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as abortion , gay rights and school choice make him unfit to remain in office… DeBerry made national news in July as a lead signatory on a letter organized by the anti-abortion group Democrats for Life… But last year , DeBerry drew the ire of the political arm of Planned Parenthood in Tennessee for supporting a bill banning abortions after detection of a heartbeat at about six weeks , the Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis reported .
The group announced an ad campaign targeting DeBerry .
He apparently gave the speech below @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the penalties for assaulting a police officer and vandalizing property .
So , I don ’ t know : Given the way Democrats are drifting , maybe they would have kicked him out of the party for that it they hadn ’ t kicked him out already .
The good news is that he ’ ll be on the ballot this fall after all .
After Democrats booted him , the GOP passed a bill that allows him to run as an independent despite having missed the registration deadline .
He ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s no Republican on the ballot ) and stands a good chance of winning given how well-known he is locally .
Here ’ s the speech .
In lieu of an exit question , read this post from Reason ’ s Robby Soave reminding lefties of what happened to political analyst David Shor .
Shor committed the ideological sin of reminding progressives back in June , after the first burst of rioting following George Floyd ’ s death , that peaceful protests for a just cause tend to attract voters to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name of that cause tends to alienate them .
That wasn ’ t Shor offering an opinion ; he was pointing to research that had been done on the 1968 election that suggested it .
Some lefties were so outraged at his discouraging words about the righteousness of riots that he ended up being fired by the data firm he worked for .
Ironically , per the research cited by Shor , the ex-Democrat DeBerry is pointing his old party here towards a position that ’ s much more likely to help them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the idiots in charge of Portland .

This speech was given a few weeks ago and picked up a few days ago in righty media. I missed it at the time, but it’s breaking big online today after what happened in Kenosha this week.
I’m surprised John DeBerry isn’t a bigger name politically. Anyone who can uncork a stemwinder like this extemporaneously, without missing a beat, has serious talent. He was cursed to have been born a Democrat in a red state, I guess.
Or, rather, an ex-Democrat. It turns out that the Tennessee Democratic Party executive committee kicked him out of the party back in April for having affronted Democrats’ sensibilities too many times. That was a big deal, as it meant that DeBerry wouldn’t be his party’s nominee on the ballot this fall. And since the deadline to re-register as a Republican or an independent had passed by then, it appeared that his political career would be ending after 26 years in office. “What happened yesterday was basically unprecedented,” he said at the time. “Without notice, without warning, without time to garner a defense or allow people from my district to make any type of comment, I was removed by a tribunal.”
What had he done that was so awful that necessitated purging him from the Democratic ranks? A complaint filed against him with the state party last year noted that he had supported a Republican as speaker of the Tennessee House, had accepted contributions from Republican outside groups, and — gasp — had voted for school vouchers. But one wonders if the real explanation doesn’t have to do with some of his more notable heresies against leftist orthodoxy. DeBerry is a preacher in his spare time, prone to saying, “It’s not about the elephant. It’s not about the donkey. It’s about the Lamb.” That’s led him to some un-Democratic policy views:
But to opponents, including Planned Parenthood, the LGBTQ Victory Fund and the Tennessee Democratic Party’s executive committee, the 13-term incumbent is an out-of-touch relic. In their view, DeBerry’s conservative positions on issues such as abortion, gay rights and school choice make him unfit to remain in office… DeBerry made national news in July as a lead signatory on a letter organized by the anti-abortion group Democrats for Life… But last year, DeBerry drew the ire of the political arm of Planned Parenthood in Tennessee for supporting a bill banning abortions after detection of a heartbeat at about six weeks, the Commercial Appeal newspaper in Memphis reported. The group announced an ad campaign targeting DeBerry.
He apparently gave the speech below in support of a bill to raise the penalties for assaulting a police officer and vandalizing property. So, I don’t know: Given the way Democrats are drifting, maybe they would have kicked him out of the party for that it they hadn’t kicked him out already.
The good news is that he’ll be on the ballot this fall after all. After Democrats booted him, the GOP passed a bill that allows him to run as an independent despite having missed the registration deadline. He’ll be facing a Democrat in November (there’s no Republican on the ballot) and stands a good chance of winning given how well-known he is locally.
Here’s the speech. In lieu of an exit question, read this post from Reason’s Robby Soave reminding lefties of what happened to political analyst David Shor. Shor committed the ideological sin of reminding progressives back in June, after the first burst of rioting following George Floyd’s death, that peaceful protests for a just cause tend to attract voters to the Democratic Party while violence in the name of that cause tends to alienate them. That wasn’t Shor offering an opinion; he was pointing to research that had been done on the 1968 election that suggested it. Some lefties were so outraged at his discouraging words about the righteousness of riots that he ended up being fired by the data firm he worked for. Ironically, per the research cited by Shor, the ex-Democrat DeBerry is pointing his old party here towards a position that’s much more likely to help them in November than the approach favored by the idiots in charge of Portland.


hotair--2020-08-28--Arrest made in Breonna Taylor case - It's not who you might think

Jamarcus Glover , the ex-boyfriend of Breonna Taylor , has been arrested on drug charges .
He is a key figure and link to the no-knock warrant raid that ended in the death of the 26-year-old EMT in her Louisville apartment .
Glover is not the boyfriend that was in Breonna ’ s apartment at the time of the drug raid .
Glover , age 30 , was one of the main targets of the narcotics investigation that was focused on Elliott Avenue , in Louisville ’ s Russell neighborhood .
The investigation led police to Breonna ’ s apartment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of March 13 , Glover was arrested with the help of a no-knock warrant signed by Jefferson Circuit Judge Mary Shaw .
March 13 was also the date of the raid on Breonna ’ s apartment .
Court records show Glover , Taylor ’ s ex-boyfriend , had two bench warrants issued on July 27 in connection with two 2019 criminal cases in which he failed to pay the higher bond set later by a judge .
He was booked in Louisville Metro Corrections at 11:32 a.m. Thursday , jail records show .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marijuana , assorted pills , crack cocaine , cash , and surveillance cameras were taken from the Glover ’ s property .
The no-knock warrant issued for Breonna ’ s apartment was tied to the search because of her suspected connection to Glover .
A trip to Breonna ’ s apartment in January by Glover was given as a piece of the investigation .
Allegedly Glover left with “ a suspected USPS package ” and drove to a “ known drug house ” at that time .
As we now know , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment the night she was killed .
Detective Joshua Jaynes , who has since been put on administrative reassignment , also wrote that he had verified through a U.S .
Postal inspector that Glover had received packages there .
That was later challenged .
An internal report written by Louisville Metro Police after Taylor ’ s death also included photos of Glover entering and exiting Taylor ’ s apartment , results of a tracking device placed on Glover ’ s vehicle and a recorded jail call in January in which he asked Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Still , police found no drugs or cash in Taylor ’ s apartment on March 13 .
Breonna ’ s boyfriend at the time of her death was Kenneth Walker .
He was there in her apartment the night of the drug raid .
Her apartment was one of five locations that night , including Glover ’ s house , that was targeted .
The search took place after officers fatally shot Taylor , 26 .
Her boyfriend , Kenneth Walker , fired one shot as officers broke down her door .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ firing a “ warning ” shot and didn ’ t realize they were police officers .
His shot struck Sgt .
Jonathan Mattingly , who returned fire along with two other officers — detectives Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove .
Hankison has since been fired , while Mattingly and Cosgrove are on administrative reassignment .
Taylor was shot five times and died in her hallway .
So , Glover was arrested on March 13 .
He was released on bail .
Then , Thursday , he was arrested again .
The day before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Louisville newspaper “ that police used misleading and wrong information to obtain that warrant , during which Taylor , an EMT and aspiring nurse , was fatally shot.
” He said the police are trying to make her death his fault .
“ There was nothing never there or anything ever there , and at the end of the day , they went about it the wrong way and lied on that search warrant and shot that girl out there , ” he said .
Breonna ’ s family has maintained that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal activities .
“ It ’ s always been our position and still is that she was never involved in any illegal activity , ” Taylor ’ s family attorney Lonita Baker told CNN when asked about Glover ’ s comments .
Ju ’ Niyah Palmer , Taylor ’ s sister , previously told CNN that Taylor was not involved in Glover ’ s alleged drug operation and had forbade him from bringing that aspect of his life into her personal life .
“ You can not come up in my house with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sister as telling Glover .
“ My sister live ( s ) here and I can ’ t jeopardize her getting hurt because of what you do.
” The angry mobs protesting the death of Breonna Taylor demand that the law enforcement officers involved in the death of Breonna be arrested .
There is no innocent until proven guilty provision for them .
While it certainly looks like Glover may have been a player in the tragic drug raid gone wrong at Breonna ’ s apartment that night in March , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police officers should be charged with her murder .
The situation went sideways , that ’ s clear since Breonna is dead , but it still looks like the police were reacting to her boyfriend ’ s “ warning shot ” .
Meanwhile , we wait for the full investigation to be completed .

Jamarcus Glover, the ex-boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, has been arrested on drug charges. He is a key figure and link to the no-knock warrant raid that ended in the death of the 26-year-old EMT in her Louisville apartment. Glover is not the boyfriend that was in Breonna’s apartment at the time of the drug raid.
Glover, age 30, was one of the main targets of the narcotics investigation that was focused on Elliott Avenue, in Louisville’s Russell neighborhood. The investigation led police to Breonna’s apartment 10 miles away. On the morning of March 13, Glover was arrested with the help of a no-knock warrant signed by Jefferson Circuit Judge Mary Shaw. March 13 was also the date of the raid on Breonna’s apartment.
Court records show Glover, Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, had two bench warrants issued on July 27 in connection with two 2019 criminal cases in which he failed to pay the higher bond set later by a judge. He was booked in Louisville Metro Corrections at 11:32 a.m. Thursday, jail records show. He has a $50,000 bond.
Marijuana, assorted pills, crack cocaine, cash, and surveillance cameras were taken from the Glover’s property. The no-knock warrant issued for Breonna’s apartment was tied to the search because of her suspected connection to Glover. A trip to Breonna’s apartment in January by Glover was given as a piece of the investigation. Allegedly Glover left with “a suspected USPS package” and drove to a “known drug house” at that time. As we now know, no drugs were found in Breonna’s apartment the night she was killed.
Detective Joshua Jaynes, who has since been put on administrative reassignment, also wrote that he had verified through a U.S. Postal inspector that Glover had received packages there. That was later challenged. An internal report written by Louisville Metro Police after Taylor’s death also included photos of Glover entering and exiting Taylor’s apartment, results of a tracking device placed on Glover’s vehicle and a recorded jail call in January in which he asked Taylor to contact a co-defendant for bail money. Still, police found no drugs or cash in Taylor’s apartment on March 13.
Breonna’s boyfriend at the time of her death was Kenneth Walker. He was there in her apartment the night of the drug raid. Her apartment was one of five locations that night, including Glover’s house, that was targeted.
The search took place after officers fatally shot Taylor, 26. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired one shot as officers broke down her door. He’s since said he was firing a “warning” shot and didn’t realize they were police officers. His shot struck Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who returned fire along with two other officers — detectives Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove. Hankison has since been fired, while Mattingly and Cosgrove are on administrative reassignment. Taylor was shot five times and died in her hallway.
So, Glover was arrested on March 13. He was released on bail. Then, Thursday, he was arrested again. The day before, on Wednesday, he told a Louisville newspaper “that police used misleading and wrong information to obtain that warrant, during which Taylor, an EMT and aspiring nurse, was fatally shot.” He said the police are trying to make her death his fault. “There was nothing never there or anything ever there, and at the end of the day, they went about it the wrong way and lied on that search warrant and shot that girl out there,” he said.
Glover was arrested on drug charges Thursday morning, according to Louisville Metro Department of Corrections records and his attorney. He was booked on a number of drug-related charges, including complicity possession of a controlled substance for cocaine and heroin, complicity trafficking in marijuana, complicity tampering with physical evidence and complicity to trafficking cocaine, records show. He’s being held on bond of $50,000.
Breonna’s family has maintained that she was not involved in Glover’s illegal activities.
“It’s always been our position and still is that she was never involved in any illegal activity,” Taylor’s family attorney Lonita Baker told CNN when asked about Glover’s comments. Ju’Niyah Palmer, Taylor’s sister, previously told CNN that Taylor was not involved in Glover’s alleged drug operation and had forbade him from bringing that aspect of his life into her personal life. “You cannot come up in my house with any drugs,” she quoted her sister as telling Glover. “My sister live(s) here and I can’t jeopardize her getting hurt because of what you do.”
The angry mobs protesting the death of Breonna Taylor demand that the law enforcement officers involved in the death of Breonna be arrested. There is no innocent until proven guilty provision for them. While it certainly looks like Glover may have been a player in the tragic drug raid gone wrong at Breonna’s apartment that night in March, there is still no evidence being shown that the police officers should be charged with her murder. The situation went sideways, that’s clear since Breonna is dead, but it still looks like the police were reacting to her boyfriend’s “warning shot”. Meanwhile, we wait for the full investigation to be completed.


hotair--2020-08-28--Media: Last night's White House gathering could end up being a COVID superspreader event

Mm , perhaps .
But these complaints would hit harder today if equal concern had been shown for certain much larger outdoor gatherings that took place across the country in June .
The consensus then , as I recall , was that some causes are so righteous and urgent that the risk of mass superspreader events simply had to be borne in the name of progress .
On the other hand , I ’ m not part of the majority of the GOP nowadays that calibrates its own ethical behavior to that of the least responsible members of the opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration violate the Hatch Act ?
Well , then , it ’ s fine for the president to throw a big campaign rally on the White House lawn.
” “ Did some BLM randos irresponsibly hold rallies in the middle of a pandemic ?
Well , then , it ’ s fine for the president to behave just as irresponsibly.
” Healthy skepticism is warranted of all Jim Acosta reporting but it ’ s not hard to believe what he says below is accurate .
The White House gave up on suppressing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling for businesses to reopen before his own guidelines said it was safe : The BLM protesters had two things going for them that last night ’ s audience didn ’ t .
Many were wearing masks during the protests , and the protests often took the form of marches in which everyone was on the move instead of breathing the same air in proximity to the same people .
Hopefully the fact that Trump ’ s speech was held outdoors was enough to limit infections because it sounds from this like that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weren ’ t spaced out , they weren ’ t masked up , they weren ’ t even screened upon entry .
The overwhelming majority of guests were not administered rapid coronavirus tests , Trump campaign and convention officials said , despite their relative proximity to the president and other White House officials .
A White House official said it was logistically unfeasible to test such a large number of people .
Two attendees said in interviews that they were not offered tests and were not even put through a more basic screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had any symptoms , such as coughs , or taking their temperature .
They spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly… “ When you look at the way the president has handled the pandemic , it has basically been one evasion after another evasion , ” said Amesh Adalja , an infectious-disease expert at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security .
“ And when you see this type of event and the way he is acting and the way he is allowing his supporters to act , it cements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this outbreak seriously from the beginning.
” There ’ s no proof that Herman Cain was infected with the virus that would eventually kill him at Trump ’ s rally in Tulsa on June 20 ( which was held indoors , unlike last night ) , but it ’ s possible .
That possibility alone , one would think , would have led to more stringent precautions before this speech .
Amazingly , according to Atlantic reporter Peter Nicholas , precautions inside the White House itself don ’ t seem to be much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Trump gets tested , but what about all of the other staffers who work there ?
Trump is regularly tested for the virus , as are aides and reporters who are in his presence , but others like me can get perilously close to those who interact with the commander in chief .
Some of the West Wing desks are spaced so closely together , and some of the offices are so cramped , that it ’ s tough to see how people avoid exposure at all .
In one small office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to each other without masks .
Young aides sat at desks in an open bullpen-style space without masks .
Walking through the hallways accessible to the press , I wore a mask , but I haven ’ t been tested for COVID-19 ; had I removed my mask for some reason and coughed or sneezed , there was no hint of a mask patrol prepared to whisk me out the building .
The vibe was shockingly lax .
Nicholas claims that when he visited the White House in May , he was at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or had experienced headaches lately .
Yesterday no one asked him anything even though there are twice as many cases nationally now as there were when he was there three months ago .
The key difference between protesters gathering outdoors and the president ’ s top aides and admirers gathering outdoors is that many more Americans are apt to take their cues about what ’ s safe and what isn ’ t from the latter .
An average joe watching the former on TV might think , “ Look at these selfish A-holes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us need to follow.
” Watching last night he might reasonably think , “ Wait , are crowds safe now ?
” Just the message you want to send as winter and a second wave of the virus approaches .
Here ’ s CNN tut-tutting about it this morning .
Whether they ’ d have reacted the same way to Gretchen Whitmer or Gavin Newsom , say , gathering a thousand people last night in close quarters for a speech , I don ’ t know .
I do know that MAGA media @ @ @ @ @

Mm, perhaps. But these complaints would hit harder today if equal concern had been shown for certain much larger outdoor gatherings that took place across the country in June. The consensus then, as I recall, was that some causes are so righteous and urgent that the risk of mass superspreader events simply had to be borne in the name of progress.
On the other hand, I’m not part of the majority of the GOP nowadays that calibrates its own ethical behavior to that of the least responsible members of the opposition. “Did anyone in the Obama administration violate the Hatch Act? Well, then, it’s fine for the president to throw a big campaign rally on the White House lawn.” “Did some BLM randos irresponsibly hold rallies in the middle of a pandemic? Well, then, it’s fine for the president to behave just as irresponsibly.”
Healthy skepticism is warranted of all Jim Acosta reporting but it’s not hard to believe what he says below is accurate. The White House gave up on suppressing the virus months ago, when Trump started calling for businesses to reopen before his own guidelines said it was safe:
https://twitter.com/joshscampbell/status/1299203202328354816
The BLM protesters had two things going for them that last night’s audience didn’t. Many were wearing masks during the protests, and the protests often took the form of marches in which everyone was on the move instead of breathing the same air in proximity to the same people. Hopefully the fact that Trump’s speech was held outdoors was enough to limit infections because it sounds from this like that was the only precaution taken. Attendees weren’t spaced out, they weren’t masked up, they weren’t even screened upon entry.
The overwhelming majority of guests were not administered rapid coronavirus tests, Trump campaign and convention officials said, despite their relative proximity to the president and other White House officials. A White House official said it was logistically unfeasible to test such a large number of people. Two attendees said in interviews that they were not offered tests and were not even put through a more basic screening, such as being questioned whether they had any symptoms, such as coughs, or taking their temperature. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly… “When you look at the way the president has handled the pandemic, it has basically been one evasion after another evasion,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease expert at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security. “And when you see this type of event and the way he is acting and the way he is allowing his supporters to act, it cements the fact that they have never taken this outbreak seriously from the beginning.”
There’s no proof that Herman Cain was infected with the virus that would eventually kill him at Trump’s rally in Tulsa on June 20 (which was held indoors, unlike last night), but it’s possible. That possibility alone, one would think, would have led to more stringent precautions before this speech. Amazingly, according to Atlantic reporter Peter Nicholas, precautions inside the White House itself don’t seem to be much more rigorous. Everyone in immediate contact with Trump gets tested, but what about all of the other staffers who work there?
Trump is regularly tested for the virus, as are aides and reporters who are in his presence, but others like me can get perilously close to those who interact with the commander in chief. Some of the West Wing desks are spaced so closely together, and some of the offices are so cramped, that it’s tough to see how people avoid exposure at all. In one small office today, two aides stood and spoke to each other without masks. Young aides sat at desks in an open bullpen-style space without masks. Walking through the hallways accessible to the press, I wore a mask, but I haven’t been tested for COVID-19; had I removed my mask for some reason and coughed or sneezed, there was no hint of a mask patrol prepared to whisk me out the building. The vibe was shockingly lax.
Nicholas claims that when he visited the White House in May, he was at least asked if he had a cough or had experienced headaches lately. Yesterday no one asked him anything even though there are twice as many cases nationally now as there were when he was there three months ago.
The key difference between protesters gathering outdoors and the president’s top aides and admirers gathering outdoors is that many more Americans are apt to take their cues about what’s safe and what isn’t from the latter. An average joe watching the former on TV might think, “Look at these selfish A-holes breaking the rules that the rest of us need to follow.” Watching last night he might reasonably think, “Wait, are crowds safe now?” Just the message you want to send as winter and a second wave of the virus approaches.
Here’s CNN tut-tutting about it this morning. Whether they’d have reacted the same way to Gretchen Whitmer or Gavin Newsom, say, gathering a thousand people last night in close quarters for a speech, I don’t know. I do know that MAGA media wouldn’t have.


hotair--2020-08-28--"They saved my life": Police protect Rand Paul from angry mob outside White House

As the RNC finished up convention week at the White House Thursday night , protesters did their thing outside the White House .
As Senator Rand Paul and his wife Kelley were walking about a block from the White House , an angry mob surrounded them .
Speaking about it in his first interview after the attack this morning on FNC ’ s Fox and Friends , Rand Paul was still visibly shaken .
Senator and Mrs. Paul were walking with two women , friends there for the convention , back to the hotel two blocks from the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decision to walk instead of getting an Uber or other ride .
“ It was horrific ” , he says of the experience .
The crowd of protesters kept increasing , he said , as they recognized him .
One police officer was pushed by protesters which caused him to stumble and Senator Paul ended up helping him regain his balance .
Protesters recognized him as the senator from Kentucky and shouted , “ Say her name ” , in reference to Breonna Taylor who was killed during a police raid at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crowd shouted threats and were inciting protesters around them .
Law enforcement had to form a wall with their bodies around them to fend off the protesters .
As he spoke about the attack this morning he noted how stupid the protesters were to try to go after him because he is one of the lawmakers who is working on criminal justice reform .
He mentioned , for example , that he is the author of the Justice for Brionna Taylor Act which bars no-knock warrants .
He went on to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice reform bills during both the Obama administration and Trump administration .
Here ’ s the thing – the angry mob doesn ’ t care about actual work being done on the cause they allegedly are championing .
The angry mob just wants to cause mayhem and scare people into submission .
Senator Paul is convinced that many of the protesters are from outside the area and paid to be agitators .
“ We ’ ve got to wake up .
We can ’ t live this way .
We can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the police .
I can ’ t say that strongly enough.
” He said it is important that Biden be defeated , one important reason being the defund the police movement by leftists .
He said America can not become Portland or other cities now being destroyed by violent mobs .
He wants investigations into what he calls “ interstate criminal traffic ” going across state lines to be paid protesters .
Rand Paul has some experience with his life being threatened by an opponent .
He was hospitalized and required several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbor at his home in Kentucky .
It is understandable that he is sounding the alarm about this kind of continued violence and aggression by protesters .
When violence begins , the protest is no longer a protest , it ’ s a riot .
Breonna Taylor was an EMT , a first responder who served others .
Threatening lives of lawmakers and resorting to violence against them and law enforcement doesn ’ t honor her memory .
It ’ s not about Breonna , or George Floyd , anymore .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The protest outside the White House was meant to disrupt the Republican convention on the night that President Trump accepted the party ’ s nomination as its presidential candidate .
They failed to be heard by television viewers , though .
No word from Team Biden as I write this condemning the actions of protesters .
Remember , it was only this week that Biden and Harris finally said that violence is wrong during these riots .
Their statements were weak and feckless , especially in this stage of the campaign .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what appeared to be a “ party ” school bus and a character dressed as the infamous Baby Trump holding a cell phone .
Images showed attendees taking photos of a guillotine with an effigy of Trump .
Once Trump ’ s speech was over , the unrest seemed to intensify .
Videos emerged on social media that appeared to show city police clashing with protesters who called them names like “ pig.
” There were unconfirmed reports of arrests .
Video emerged that claimed to show a bus carrying RNC attendees being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jumped on and tried to gain entry .
Others appeared to try and prevent the bus from backing up .
As Senator Paul said , there is no reasoning with them .
Their violence is senseless .
Joe Biden is agitating the left by claiming President Trump wants violence so his law and order platform is helped .
That is irresponsible and dangerous rhetoric coming out of the Democrat nominee for president .
Senator Paul thanked the police again this morning on FNC .
“ They saved my life .
”

As the RNC finished up convention week at the White House Thursday night, protesters did their thing outside the White House. As Senator Rand Paul and his wife Kelley were walking about a block from the White House, an angry mob surrounded them. Speaking about it in his first interview after the attack this morning on FNC’s Fox and Friends, Rand Paul was still visibly shaken.
Senator and Mrs. Paul were walking with two women, friends there for the convention, back to the hotel two blocks from the White House. Paul now says he regrets making the decision to walk instead of getting an Uber or other ride. “It was horrific”, he says of the experience. The crowd of protesters kept increasing, he said, as they recognized him. One police officer was pushed by protesters which caused him to stumble and Senator Paul ended up helping him regain his balance.
Protesters recognized him as the senator from Kentucky and shouted, “Say her name”, in reference to Breonna Taylor who was killed during a police raid at her home in Louisville. Paul says the crowd shouted threats and were inciting protesters around them. Law enforcement had to form a wall with their bodies around them to fend off the protesters.
Rand Paul just got chased by a crowd back to his hotel, after leaving the White House from Trump’s Republican Party Nomination #DC #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/h1kPcZG1jh — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 28, 2020
As he spoke about the attack this morning he noted how stupid the protesters were to try to go after him because he is one of the lawmakers who is working on criminal justice reform. He mentioned, for example, that he is the author of the Justice for Brionna Taylor Act which bars no-knock warrants. He went on to say that he has worked on 22 criminal justice reform bills during both the Obama administration and Trump administration.
I think protesters are confronting … Rand Paul pic.twitter.com/aBLRnP5WgQ — Justin Wm. Moyer (@justinwmmoyer) August 28, 2020
Here’s the thing – the angry mob doesn’t care about actual work being done on the cause they allegedly are championing. The angry mob just wants to cause mayhem and scare people into submission. Senator Paul is convinced that many of the protesters are from outside the area and paid to be agitators. “We’ve got to wake up. We can’t live this way. We can’t go outside now. We have to support the police. I can’t say that strongly enough.” He said it is important that Biden be defeated, one important reason being the defund the police movement by leftists. He said America cannot become Portland or other cities now being destroyed by violent mobs. He wants investigations into what he calls “interstate criminal traffic” going across state lines to be paid protesters.
Rand Paul has some experience with his life being threatened by an opponent. He was hospitalized and required several surgeries after a physical attack by his neighbor at his home in Kentucky. It is understandable that he is sounding the alarm about this kind of continued violence and aggression by protesters. When violence begins, the protest is no longer a protest, it’s a riot. Breonna Taylor was an EMT, a first responder who served others. Threatening lives of lawmakers and resorting to violence against them and law enforcement doesn’t honor her memory. It’s not about Breonna, or George Floyd, anymore. It’s about a violent Marxist agenda.
The protest outside the White House was meant to disrupt the Republican convention on the night that President Trump accepted the party’s nomination as its presidential candidate. They failed to be heard by television viewers, though. No word from Team Biden as I write this condemning the actions of protesters. Remember, it was only this week that Biden and Harris finally said that violence is wrong during these riots. Their statements were weak and feckless, especially in this stage of the campaign.
The demonstration was complete with a band, what appeared to be a “party” school bus and a character dressed as the infamous Baby Trump holding a cell phone. Images showed attendees taking photos of a guillotine with an effigy of Trump. Once Trump’s speech was over, the unrest seemed to intensify. Videos emerged on social media that appeared to show city police clashing with protesters who called them names like “pig.” There were unconfirmed reports of arrests. Video emerged that claimed to show a bus carrying RNC attendees being targeted by protesters, some of whom jumped on and tried to gain entry. Others appeared to try and prevent the bus from backing up.
A bus full of RNC Convention attendees came down 14th heading towards a hotel. Upon seeing protesters in the street and a wall of police, they turn around, only to have protesters jump on the vehicle #RNCConvention2020 #DC #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/5vx68ESQ5d — Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 28, 2020
As Senator Paul said, there is no reasoning with them. Their violence is senseless. Joe Biden is agitating the left by claiming President Trump wants violence so his law and order platform is helped. That is irresponsible and dangerous rhetoric coming out of the Democrat nominee for president. Senator Paul thanked the police again this morning on FNC. “They saved my life.”


hotair--2020-08-28--Virginia moves to make assaulting a police officer a misdemeanor

My apologies in advance if that title seems a bit on the bizarre side .
I can already imagine what some non-Virginia readers are thinking .
What ?
You mean it wasn ’ t illegal to assault a cop before now ?
Not at all .
It ’ s been illegal to assault a police officer in Virginia for pretty much as long as there have been police .
The actual news item in this story is that it ’ s traditionally been a felony to do so .
But now , thanks to the Democratic majority in the Old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be a misdemeanor if a new senate bill is passed into law , at least under some circumstances .
I bet the cops in Virginia all being overcome with warm and fuzzy feelings for their government right about now , eh ?
( WSLS ) A controversial bill is moving forward during the current Virginia General Assembly special session .
On Wednesday , the Virginia Senate voted 21-15 to pass Senate Bill 5032 , which would allow an assault against a law enforcement officer to a misdemeanor if the person attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summary of the bill : Eliminates the mandatory minimum term of confinement for an assault and battery committed against a judge ; magistrate ; law-enforcement officer ; correctional officer ; person directly involved in the care , treatment , or supervision of inmates ; firefighter ; or volunteer firefighter or any emergency medical services personnel and provides that such crime can no longer be committed as a simple assault and must result in a bodily injury .
So it ’ s not just the police who would be losing this protection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ guards , firefighters , ambulance crews and pretty much any first responders .
Isn ’ t that just lovely ?
There ’ s currently a minimum six-month sentence for committing such an assault .
That would also be removed under the provisions of this new senate bill .
We ’ re currently living in an era where people in New York City are throwing Molotov cocktails into police cruisers .
In Chicago and Minnesota ( among other places ) rioters are firing bottle rockets and other forms of fireworks at the cops .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or bottles of frozen water .
And what is the response from the Democrats in Virginia ’ s legislature ?
Let ’ s pass a law letting people know we aren ’ t going to take it too seriously if you decide to beat up some cops .
Or firemen .
Or ambulance drivers .
Or anyone else who puts their lives on the line to keep you ingrates alive while you ’ re looting and burning your own cities .
I ’ m aware of some of the traditional arguments against having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
They ’ re just citizens like the rest of us .
Don ’ t we all get equal protection under the law ?
From a strictly libertarian point of view , that ’ s a completely valid argument , but because of the extenuating circumstances , I don ’ t see it that way .
When you attack a police officer you aren ’ t just attacking the person inside the uniform .
You ’ re attacking the uniform itself .
You ’ re attacking the Thin Blue Line that stands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mayhem engulfing many of our cities in 2020 and the growing toll of deaths , injuries and arson damage at the hands of the mobs , I would think that this lesson would be particularly fresh in everyone ’ s minds .
Not so in the Virginia state senate , I ’ m afraid .
So long as you don ’ t put them in the hospital , you can get away with sucker-punching a cop and only receive a small fine for your trouble .
Because the police are the real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start seriously coming off of this wagon and you see a lot more shootings like the one we just saw in Wisconsin , please do us all a favor and don ’ t pretend you ’ re surprised .

My apologies in advance if that title seems a bit on the bizarre side. I can already imagine what some non-Virginia readers are thinking. What? You mean it wasn’t illegal to assault a cop before now?
Not at all. It’s been illegal to assault a police officer in Virginia for pretty much as long as there have been police. The actual news item in this story is that it’s traditionally been a felony to do so. But now, thanks to the Democratic majority in the Old Dominion State, it’s only going to be a misdemeanor if a new senate bill is passed into law, at least under some circumstances. I bet the cops in Virginia all being overcome with warm and fuzzy feelings for their government right about now, eh? (WSLS)
A controversial bill is moving forward during the current Virginia General Assembly special session. On Wednesday, the Virginia Senate voted 21-15 to pass Senate Bill 5032, which would allow an assault against a law enforcement officer to a misdemeanor if the person attacked is not hurt. Here’s the summary of the bill: Eliminates the mandatory minimum term of confinement for an assault and battery committed against a judge; magistrate; law-enforcement officer; correctional officer; person directly involved in the care, treatment, or supervision of inmates; firefighter; or volunteer firefighter or any emergency medical services personnel and provides that such crime can no longer be committed as a simple assault and must result in a bodily injury.
So it’s not just the police who would be losing this protection. It’s also judges, prison guards, firefighters, ambulance crews and pretty much any first responders. Isn’t that just lovely?
There’s currently a minimum six-month sentence for committing such an assault. That would also be removed under the provisions of this new senate bill.
We’re currently living in an era where people in New York City are throwing Molotov cocktails into police cruisers. In Chicago and Minnesota (among other places) rioters are firing bottle rockets and other forms of fireworks at the cops. Some are just throwing good old-fashioned bricks or bottles of frozen water. And what is the response from the Democrats in Virginia’s legislature? Let’s pass a law letting people know we aren’t going to take it too seriously if you decide to beat up some cops. Or firemen. Or ambulance drivers. Or anyone else who puts their lives on the line to keep you ingrates alive while you’re looting and burning your own cities.
I’m aware of some of the traditional arguments against having laws providing enhanced sentences for attacking the police. They’re just citizens like the rest of us. Don’t we all get equal protection under the law?
From a strictly libertarian point of view, that’s a completely valid argument, but because of the extenuating circumstances, I don’t see it that way. When you attack a police officer you aren’t just attacking the person inside the uniform. You’re attacking the uniform itself. You’re attacking the Thin Blue Line that stands between civil society and anarchy. Considering the mayhem engulfing many of our cities in 2020 and the growing toll of deaths, injuries and arson damage at the hands of the mobs, I would think that this lesson would be particularly fresh in everyone’s minds.
Not so in the Virginia state senate, I’m afraid. So long as you don’t put them in the hospital, you can get away with sucker-punching a cop and only receive a small fine for your trouble. Because the police are the real problem, right? When the wheels start seriously coming off of this wagon and you see a lot more shootings like the one we just saw in Wisconsin, please do us all a favor and don’t pretend you’re surprised.


hotair--2020-08-28--Did China "force a U.S. warship away" from the Paracel Islands?

John reported on Wednesday about the Chinese launching one of their “ aircraft carrier killer missiles ” into the South China Sea , presumably as some sort of warning to the United States .
A warning over precisely what remains unknown , since the American Navy is operating in international waters and keeping the sea lanes clear for commercial traffic .
Yet the Chinese continue to insist that they own the Paracel Islands and the waters surrounding them , so they ’ re looking to flex their muscle .
What they ’ re flexing at the moment , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. Navy exercises in the region , the Chinese claimed to have “ forced away ” one of our Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers out of the waters surrounding the Paracel Islands .
The claim is pretty much laughable , but the Chinese are clearly trying to prove a point and make themselves look tough in the international press .
( Newsweek ) The Chinese military said it forced a U.S. warship away from disputed islands in the South China Sea , where both sides have defied military warnings to stay out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the two powers .
Senior Colonel Li Huamin , spokesperson for the Chinese People ’ s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command , announced Thursday that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin had “ trespassed into the Chinese territorial waters ” off the Paracel Islands , known as Xisha to China and as Hoang Sa to Vietnam , which also claims sovereignty over them .
In response to the U.S. movement , Colonel Li said China summoned a combined sea and air force that “ warned it away.
” Li , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters , ” issued a stern warning to U.S. forces operating in this contested region .
This posturing by the Chinese didn ’ t go over very well with our military .
U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson Navy Lieutenant James Adams told Newsweek that the USS Mustin wasn ’ t “ expelled ” from any nation ’ s territory .
She was conducting lawful maritime operations in international waters and continued on with her mission uninterrupted .
Unfortunately , this appears to be only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confrontations between the PRC and the United States .
And it ’ s all over the question of the rights to a series of “ islands ” that are little more than chunks of rock and coral that jut out of the South China Sea if the waves aren ’ t too rough .
Had China not started construction projects out there to militarize them , the Paracels wouldn ’ t be of interest to anyone beyond the occasional seabirds that nest there sometimes .
Those islands have bounced back and forth between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese for ages .
Until the recent military construction began , nobody was able to do much of anything with them since they ’ re so small and frequently get inundated during typhoons .
But now we ’ re apparently expected to fight over them yet again ( at least verbally , if not militarily ) because we ’ re human beings and I guess that ’ s what we do .
Claiming sovereign control over a massive amount of “ territorial waters ” around these rocks seems like the height of idiocy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ military value , I suppose this was unavoidable .
Frankly , I wouldn ’ t give two hoots if everyone just let China have the Paracels were it not for the assumed control of territorial waters .
The South China Sea is an important international trade route , and it needs to remain open to commercial shipping and other uses .
Handing China the ability to shut down those lanes entirely isn ’ t a plausible response .

John reported on Wednesday about the Chinese launching one of their “aircraft carrier killer missiles” into the South China Sea, presumably as some sort of warning to the United States. A warning over precisely what remains unknown, since the American Navy is operating in international waters and keeping the sea lanes clear for commercial traffic. Yet the Chinese continue to insist that they own the Paracel Islands and the waters surrounding them, so they’re looking to flex their muscle.
What they’re flexing at the moment, however, is their mouths. At the conclusion of the U.S. Navy exercises in the region, the Chinese claimed to have “forced away” one of our Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers out of the waters surrounding the Paracel Islands. The claim is pretty much laughable, but the Chinese are clearly trying to prove a point and make themselves look tough in the international press. (Newsweek)
The Chinese military said it forced a U.S. warship away from disputed islands in the South China Sea, where both sides have defied military warnings to stay out of sensitive areas amid heightened military tensions between the two powers. Senior Colonel Li Huamin, spokesperson for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command, announced Thursday that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin had “trespassed into the Chinese territorial waters” off the Paracel Islands, known as Xisha to China and as Hoang Sa to Vietnam, which also claims sovereignty over them. In response to the U.S. movement, Colonel Li said China summoned a combined sea and air force that “warned it away.” Li, who reiterated his country’s “indisputable sovereignty over the South China Sea islands and their adjacent waters,” issued a stern warning to U.S. forces operating in this contested region.
This posturing by the Chinese didn’t go over very well with our military. U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesperson Navy Lieutenant James Adams told Newsweek that the USS Mustin wasn’t “expelled” from any nation’s territory. She was conducting lawful maritime operations in international waters and continued on with her mission uninterrupted.
Unfortunately, this appears to be only the latest in a series of tense confrontations between the PRC and the United States. And it’s all over the question of the rights to a series of “islands” that are little more than chunks of rock and coral that jut out of the South China Sea if the waves aren’t too rough. Had China not started construction projects out there to militarize them, the Paracels wouldn’t be of interest to anyone beyond the occasional seabirds that nest there sometimes.
Those islands have bounced back and forth between the French, the Vietnamese and the Chinese for ages. Until the recent military construction began, nobody was able to do much of anything with them since they’re so small and frequently get inundated during typhoons. But now we’re apparently expected to fight over them yet again (at least verbally, if not militarily) because we’re human beings and I guess that’s what we do. Claiming sovereign control over a massive amount of “territorial waters” around these rocks seems like the height of idiocy, but now that they have some military value, I suppose this was unavoidable.
Frankly, I wouldn’t give two hoots if everyone just let China have the Paracels were it not for the assumed control of territorial waters. The South China Sea is an important international trade route, and it needs to remain open to commercial shipping and other uses. Handing China the ability to shut down those lanes entirely isn’t a plausible response.