hotair--2020-06-26--Biden: I'd use federal power to make masks mandatory

Bad legally , bad substantively — but maybe not so bad politically , especially if Trump engages on this issue .
“ I would go back to making sure that everybody had masks , that you had PPE lined up , making sure we stockpile all the things that we need and we don ’ t have now .
The one thing we do know , these masks make a gigantic difference .
I would insist that everybody in public be wearing that mask .
Anyone to reopen , it would have to make sure that they walked into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Couldn ’ t you use your federal leverage to mandate that ?
Biden : Yes , I would from an executive standpoint , yes I would .
Rice : So you would , in effect , mandate the wearing of masks ?
Biden : I would do everything possible to make it required the people had to wear masks in public.
” Bad legally : If there ’ s a constitutional argument that gives the feds the power to mandate mask-wearing , I ’ m unaware of it .
Even under “ anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ d be a stretch to justify non-economic intrastate public-hygiene activity like wearing masks as a subset of interstate commerce .
( “ B-b-but we can ’ t have interstate commerce if people are too sick to shop !
” How many heavy-handed federal health mandates could be justified that way ? )
The Commerce Clause argument was stronger for mandating the purchase of a product like health insurance under ObamaCare — and remember that that argument failed in the Supreme Court .
All five conservative justices deemed it unconstitutional ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treating the mandate as a tax instead .
We went through a variation of this argument awhile ago with Trump .
Remember when he ( briefly ) claimed the power to lift state lockdown orders ?
Can ’ t do that , said conservative legal scholars .
Police powers , such as the power to impose or rescind public-health orders , belong to the state .
Same goes for Sleepy Joe and his federal mask mandate .
At a minimum it should be Congress , not the president unilaterally via executive order , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like this .
They could certainly pressure states to enact mask mandates locally by conditioning federal funding on it .
Bad substantively : You ’ d think someone like Biden who ’ s been in politics for 800 years would grasp by now that edicts from Washington , especially edicts issued by a Democratic-run government , are destined to promote a backlash among righties .
And righties are the people who need to be persuaded here : They ’ re less likely than Democrats in polls to say that they wear masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republicans support mask-wearing in most polls that I ’ ve seen .
A decree from a liberal president requiring mask-wearing would electrify the subject with partisanship , making defiance of the new pro-mask norm not just acceptable among righty populists but fashionably patriotic .
I wrote the other day about the wisdom of Mike DeWine in backing off a proposed mask mandate in Ohio .
As wonderful as it ’ d be if everyone wore masks as a matter of very basic common sense , heavy-handed state action towards that goal will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to less mask-wearing overall .
It ’ ll also ( further ) stupefy public discourse about the pandemic by bogging it down in arguments about whether the feds have the power to mandate masks , whether the Founding Fathers would have worn masks if George III had demanded it , yadda yadda , which would sidetrack the country from the simple task of getting more people to wear masks .
A President Biden should use any “ soft power ” he has to normalize and incentivize mask-wearing and , if necessary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scenes to get them to issue mandates , which will be ( somewhat ) more acceptable to local skeptics since they wouldn ’ t be coming from the Washington leviathan .
Not-so-bad politically : The public broadly supports mask-wearing and many Americans are , ah , not sticklers about whether the Constitution grants the feds particular powers or not .
Most voters will probably hear these comments from Biden and think , “ Good , we need much more action from the White House to promote mask-wearing than Trump is giving us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finesse that point by making the argument I made above — stressing that yes , mask-wearing is good , but we don ’ t want to mainstream the belief that the feds should enjoy unenumerated powers in an emergency .
The problem is ( a ) Trump doesn ’ t do finesse , ( b ) it ’ s an open question whether he thinks mask-wearing is good , and ( c ) he ’ d be … perfectly comfortable with the idea that the president gets extra powers in times of crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything , his impulse towards drawing bright contrasts with whatever Democrats support might lead him into crude statements of opposition to mask-wearing generally ( “ MASKS ARE WEAK !
” ) .
That would be ruinous for him politically since the public is afraid of the virus , has accepted masks as a useful containment measure , and doesn ’ t think Trump ’ s handled the pandemic well so far according to the polling .
Biden maneuvering Trump into taking the “ anti ” side in a debate over whether masks are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Which , to be clear , isn ’ t what I think he ’ s doing here .
He ’ s not playing five-dimensional chess by supporting a federal mask mandate .
He ’ s just being who he is , an old liberal who thinks the power of the federal government is limitless .
But it could pay off for him if Trump chooses to clash with him on the subject .

Bad legally, bad substantively — but maybe not so bad politically, especially if Trump engages on this issue.
“I would go back to making sure that everybody had masks, that you had PPE lined up, making sure we stockpile all the things that we need and we don’t have now. The one thing we do know, these masks make a gigantic difference. I would insist that everybody in public be wearing that mask. Anyone to reopen, it would have to make sure that they walked into a business that had masks.” Rice: Couldn’t you use your federal leverage to mandate that? Biden: Yes. Rice: Would you? Biden: Yes, I would from an executive standpoint, yes I would. Rice: So you would, in effect, mandate the wearing of masks? Biden: I would do everything possible to make it required the people had to wear masks in public.”
Bad legally: If there’s a constitutional argument that gives the feds the power to mandate mask-wearing, I’m unaware of it. Even under “anything goes” interpretations of the Commerce Clause, it’d be a stretch to justify non-economic intrastate public-hygiene activity like wearing masks as a subset of interstate commerce. (“B-b-but we can’t have interstate commerce if people are too sick to shop!” How many heavy-handed federal health mandates could be justified that way?) The Commerce Clause argument was stronger for mandating the purchase of a product like health insurance under ObamaCare — and remember that that argument failed in the Supreme Court. All five conservative justices deemed it unconstitutional; Roberts saved the day for Obama by treating the mandate as a tax instead.
We went through a variation of this argument awhile ago with Trump. Remember when he (briefly) claimed the power to lift state lockdown orders? Can’t do that, said conservative legal scholars. Police powers, such as the power to impose or rescind public-health orders, belong to the state. Same goes for Sleepy Joe and his federal mask mandate. At a minimum it should be Congress, not the president unilaterally via executive order, that acts to try to impose something like this. They could certainly pressure states to enact mask mandates locally by conditioning federal funding on it.
Bad substantively: You’d think someone like Biden who’s been in politics for 800 years would grasp by now that edicts from Washington, especially edicts issued by a Democratic-run government, are destined to promote a backlash among righties. And righties are the people who need to be persuaded here: They’re less likely than Democrats in polls to say that they wear masks, although for the moment even a majority of Republicans support mask-wearing in most polls that I’ve seen. A decree from a liberal president requiring mask-wearing would electrify the subject with partisanship, making defiance of the new pro-mask norm not just acceptable among righty populists but fashionably patriotic.
I wrote the other day about the wisdom of Mike DeWine in backing off a proposed mask mandate in Ohio. As wonderful as it’d be if everyone wore masks as a matter of very basic common sense, heavy-handed state action towards that goal will make some people chafe — which may lead to less mask-wearing overall. It’ll also (further) stupefy public discourse about the pandemic by bogging it down in arguments about whether the feds have the power to mandate masks, whether the Founding Fathers would have worn masks if George III had demanded it, yadda yadda, which would sidetrack the country from the simple task of getting more people to wear masks.
A President Biden should use any “soft power” he has to normalize and incentivize mask-wearing and, if necessary, do a little arm-twisting of governors behind the scenes to get them to issue mandates, which will be (somewhat) more acceptable to local skeptics since they wouldn’t be coming from the Washington leviathan.
Not-so-bad politically: The public broadly supports mask-wearing and many Americans are, ah, not sticklers about whether the Constitution grants the feds particular powers or not. Most voters will probably hear these comments from Biden and think, “Good, we need much more action from the White House to promote mask-wearing than Trump is giving us right now.” Trump could try to finesse that point by making the argument I made above — stressing that yes, mask-wearing is good, but we don’t want to mainstream the belief that the feds should enjoy unenumerated powers in an emergency. The problem is (a) Trump doesn’t do finesse, (b) it’s an open question whether he thinks mask-wearing is good, and (c) he’d be … perfectly comfortable with the idea that the president gets extra powers in times of crisis, I’m sure. If anything, his impulse towards drawing bright contrasts with whatever Democrats support might lead him into crude statements of opposition to mask-wearing generally (“MASKS ARE WEAK!”). That would be ruinous for him politically since the public is afraid of the virus, has accepted masks as a useful containment measure, and doesn’t think Trump’s handled the pandemic well so far according to the polling. Biden maneuvering Trump into taking the “anti” side in a debate over whether masks are good would be a master stroke.
Which, to be clear, isn’t what I think he’s doing here. He’s not playing five-dimensional chess by supporting a federal mask mandate. He’s just being who he is, an old liberal who thinks the power of the federal government is limitless. But it could pay off for him if Trump chooses to clash with him on the subject.


hotair--2020-06-26--Politico wonders: Why won't Biden "get woke" and embrace the entire Black Lives Matter agenda?

Are both Joe Biden and Donald Trump “ misreading ” the current political situation ?
Or is Politico ?
Ryan Lizza and Laura Barrón-López spend a lot of time arguing that Biden should fully embrace the Black Lives Matter agenda , especially its “ boldest proposals , ” arguing that the time is right for radical change to get mainstreamed : This itself is a significant misreading of the situation .
The violence has not yet fully abated ; just ask Portland about that , as well as other cities .
The topping of statues hasn ’ t been targeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anarchists just took down statues of George Washington in more than one place , who was hardly a Confederate figure .
Neither was Abraham Lincoln , but “ protesters ” targeted him as well , even though the monument was built by freed slaves as a memorial to the Great Emancipator .
In Madison , they tore down the statue of Hans Christian Heg , who died in the Civil War on the Union side at Chickamauga , a staunch abolitionist to the end .
That one paragraph in the Politico piece suggests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtuse framing that undermines their central point .
And that continues : Does the BLM agenda have majority support , or just the slogan ?
After all , their premise is that Biden ’ s risking everything by only embracing the movement and not the “ boldest proposals ” of BLM .
That might include items like reparations , stripping Confederate names from military bases , and defunding the police .
However , an ABC/Ipsos poll taken last week made it clear that most Americans actually oppose the first two initiatives : Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed to defunding or abolishing the police .
In the Economist/YouGov poll , only 39 % of black voters favored “ defunding , ” and only 22 % supported “ abolishing ” the police .
Quinnipiac found an overall majority opposed to “ defunding ” ( 41/54 ) , with urbanites opposed 44/51 , suburbanites opposed 46/48 , and majorities of whites ( 37/58 ) and Hispanics ( 42/55 ) opposed .
So , on what basis do the authors claim that white suburbanites have “ joined ” the protests ?
Perhaps white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t seen a lot of evidence for that either .
In fact , there isn ’ t a lot of evidence for the specific claims made in these statements , except perhaps on Twitter — which isn ’ t reality , political or otherwise .
That ’ s what Team Biden tried to gently explain to Lizza and Barrón-López : Biden ’ s advisers were often less attentive — and sometimes downright dismissive — of certain obsessions of the social media left .
Biden did not discuss white privilege the way Kirsten @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorse reparations or the legalization of marijuana when some of his chief rivals did .
He stubbornly insisted that the two most important primary constituencies were political moderates and older working class African-Americans , two groups without much influence online .
The Biden campaign ’ s unspoken primary slogan could have been , “ Twitter isn ’ t real life.
” This cautiousness and skepticism has spilled into the general election .
One way to think of the Biden campaign ’ s navigation of racial issues is that he and his advisers care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than they do about addressing cultural issues .
“ There is a conversation that ’ s going on on Twitter that they don ’ t care about , ” one Democratic strategist observed .
“ They won the primary by ignoring all of that .
The Biden campaign does not care about the critical race theory-intersectional left that has taken over places like the New York Times .
You can be against chokeholds and not believe in white fragility .
You can be for reforming police departments and don ’ t necessarily have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ irredeemably racist.
” We might all be better off if more politicians ignored Twitter “ conversations.
” Twitter isn ’ t representative of the electorate , and it ’ s not predictive either .
If it were , we ’ d be debating President Hillary Clinton ’ s re-election campaign strategies rather than Biden ’ s challenge to Trump .
Lizza and Barrón-López should listen more closely to their strategist source .
Most Americans don ’ t care about the “ the critical race theory-intersectional left , ” except to the extent that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New York Times.
” Biden no doubt doesn ’ t mind taking advantage of the turmoil as long as it damages Trump , but unless he ’ s brain dead , he ’ s not going to embrace that radical intersectional Left .
Otherwise , welcome back to 1968 , as one adviser told Politico : Indeed .
Donald Trump didn ’ t just take up the “ law and order ” mantra because he ’ s a big fan of Jerry Orbach and Sam Waterston .
The riots and continuing violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thus far majorities of Americans are opposed to the radical-deconstruction agenda of the far Left when it comes to policing .
Maybe the only people misreading the situation are at Politico .

Are both Joe Biden and Donald Trump “misreading” the current political situation? Or is Politico? Ryan Lizza and Laura Barrón-López spend a lot of time arguing that Biden should fully embrace the Black Lives Matter agenda, especially its “boldest proposals,” arguing that the time is right for radical change to get mainstreamed:
The spasms of vandalism and theft that marked some of the early protests have diminished, replaced by the targeted toppling of statues memorializing the Confederacy. Mitt Romney marched in Washington and said, “Black Lives Matter.” Polls reflected a seismic shift in the electorate’s attitudes: 76 percent of the public say racism and discrimination is a major problem, up from 68 percent in 2016. Seventy-one percent of white people agree.
This itself is a significant misreading of the situation. The violence has not yet fully abated; just ask Portland about that, as well as other cities. The topping of statues hasn’t been targeted in any sense of the word. Anarchists just took down statues of George Washington in more than one place, who was hardly a Confederate figure. Neither was Abraham Lincoln, but “protesters” targeted him as well, even though the monument was built by freed slaves as a memorial to the Great Emancipator. In Madison, they tore down the statue of Hans Christian Heg, who died in the Civil War on the Union side at Chickamauga, a staunch abolitionist to the end.
That one paragraph in the Politico piece suggests either an ill-informed supposition or a deliberately obtuse framing that undermines their central point. And that continues:
The Black Lives Matter movement now has majority support. The expected revolt of white suburbanites against the protests hasn’t materialized. Instead, they’ve joined them.
Does the BLM agenda have majority support, or just the slogan? After all, their premise is that Biden’s risking everything by only embracing the movement and not the “boldest proposals” of BLM. That might include items like reparations, stripping Confederate names from military bases, and defunding the police. However, an ABC/Ipsos poll taken last week made it clear that most Americans actually oppose the first two initiatives:
Almost three-quarters of Americans (73%) think the federal government should not ‘pay money to black Americans whose ancestors were slaves as compensations for that slavery’. Only about one in eight white Americans (14%) support reparations compared to three-quarters of African Americans (72%). Democrats are split on reparations (54% should, 45% should not), with the majority of Republicans (94%) and Independents (82%) opposed.
Two different polls last week also showed Americans opposed to defunding or abolishing the police. In the Economist/YouGov poll, only 39% of black voters favored “defunding,” and only 22% supported “abolishing” the police. Quinnipiac found an overall majority opposed to “defunding” (41/54), with urbanites opposed 44/51 , suburbanites opposed 46/48, and majorities of whites (37/58) and Hispanics (42/55) opposed.
So, on what basis do the authors claim that white suburbanites have “joined” the protests? Perhaps white urban residents have, but we haven’t seen a lot of evidence for that either. In fact, there isn’t a lot of evidence for the specific claims made in these statements, except perhaps on Twitter — which isn’t reality, political or otherwise.
That’s what Team Biden tried to gently explain to Lizza and Barrón-López:
Biden’s advisers were often less attentive — and sometimes downright dismissive — of certain obsessions of the social media left. Biden did not discuss white privilege the way Kirsten Gillibrand did. He didn’t endorse reparations or the legalization of marijuana when some of his chief rivals did. He stubbornly insisted that the two most important primary constituencies were political moderates and older working class African-Americans, two groups without much influence online. The Biden campaign’s unspoken primary slogan could have been, “Twitter isn’t real life.” This cautiousness and skepticism has spilled into the general election. One way to think of the Biden campaign’s navigation of racial issues is that he and his advisers care a lot more about addressing policy demands than they do about addressing cultural issues. “There is a conversation that’s going on on Twitter that they don’t care about,” one Democratic strategist observed. “They won the primary by ignoring all of that. The Biden campaign does not care about the critical race theory-intersectional left that has taken over places like the New York Times. You can be against chokeholds and not believe in white fragility. You can be for reforming police departments and don’t necessarily have to believe that the United States is irredeemably racist.”
We might all be better off if more politicians ignored Twitter “conversations.” Twitter isn’t representative of the electorate, and it’s not predictive either. If it were, we’d be debating President Hillary Clinton’s re-election campaign strategies rather than Biden’s challenge to Trump.
Lizza and Barrón-López should listen more closely to their strategist source. Most Americans don’t care about the “the critical race theory-intersectional left,” except to the extent that they have “taken over places like the New York Times.” Biden no doubt doesn’t mind taking advantage of the turmoil as long as it damages Trump, but unless he’s brain dead, he’s not going to embrace that radical intersectional Left. Otherwise, welcome back to 1968, as one adviser told Politico:
“The first thought of someone my age is Nixon and law and order,” said an adviser to Biden, who is white and in his late 60s and admitted concern early on that the protests could benefit Trump.
Indeed. Donald Trump didn’t just take up the “law and order” mantra because he’s a big fan of Jerry Orbach and Sam Waterston. The riots and continuing violence make that a compelling argument, and thus far majorities of Americans are opposed to the radical-deconstruction agenda of the far Left when it comes to policing. Maybe the only people misreading the situation are at Politico.


hotair--2020-06-26--Trump administration to SCOTUS: Kill Obamacare for good

If a tax falls in a legislative forest and collects no money , does it still make a federal mandate to purchase health insurance constitutional ?
The Trump administration weighed in with a resounding no overnight in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court just before the deadline for submissions .
The brief ’ s appearance in a federal challenge by eighteen states to the Affordable Care Act will add yet another flashpoint on healthcare to the 2020 election , the New York Times points out : The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court late Thursday to overturn the Affordable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if successful , would bring a permanent end to the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans .
In an 82-page brief submitted an hour before a midnight deadline , the administration joined Republican officials in Texas and 17 other states in arguing that in 2017 , Congress , then controlled by Republicans , had rendered the law unconstitutional when it zeroed out the tax penalty for not buying insurance — the so-called individual mandate .
The administration ’ s argument , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season — as well as a pandemic that has devastated the economy and left millions of unemployed Americans without health coverage — is sure to reignite Washington ’ s bitter political debate over health care .
The timing is interesting in more than one way .
First , as the NYT notes , it ’ s almost certain to stoke more passions in the upcoming election , and that may not be a good idea for Donald Trump .
Democrats successfully leveraged the health-care issue in 2018 ’ s midterms , giving Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the one the GOP gave Democrats after passing ObamaCare .
Republicans still don ’ t have a coherent plan to replace ObamaCare if the Supreme Court invalidates it , either .
This has the potential to hand Joe Biden a very big stick on domestic policy right in the middle of a pandemic .
Biden took advantage of it yesterday , using the amicus brief to argue that “ 23 million Americans would lose coverage overnight.
” Complications from COVID-19 would become “ the new pre-existing conditions ” that would no longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued , saying “ I can not comprehend the cruelty ” : If Biden seemed uncommonly coherent here , it ’ s because he ’ s worked on preparation for this issue for years .
These are well-rehearsed arguments that Biden can effectively deliver , even with the slight update to include COVID-19 complications .
( Biden slips up when discussing COVID-19 more directly , as Karen just pointed out . )
Moreover , Biden has an advantage over Trump in this case by having a solution on the table — preserving ObamaCare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t put together any kind of comprehensive plan together at all .
Nor has its allies on Capitol Hill , for that matter , despite that 2018 shellacking .
So why make this a campaign issue now by filing a brief in the case ?
That ’ s a mystery , as the combined 18 Attorneys General likely made all of the apposite arguments in their briefs already .
If any gaps existed , the White House could have quietly worked with others to fill it .
It ’ s not as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the table for a while , and that actually makes the last-minute filing look even more curious .
Did this intervention come at the end of a debate on whether to pull health care back into the debate ?
If so , who thought that was a good idea ?
By the way , the court won ’ t even consider this case until the start of its new term in October , which means the political risk might not even have a payoff .
The argument over tax policy and reconsideration of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ACA will likely take months to hash out .
It won ’ t even work as a reminder of the need to appoint conservative jurists to the Supreme Court before people cast ballots in the general election .
Team Trump might have been much better off letting the state AGs carry the water on this case , especially if it can ’ t put together a comprehensive replacement proposal for ObamaCare in the next couple of months — one that the entire GOP can support .
Unlike the last time around .

If a tax falls in a legislative forest and collects no money, does it still make a federal mandate to purchase health insurance constitutional? The Trump administration weighed in with a resounding no overnight in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court just before the deadline for submissions. The brief’s appearance in a federal challenge by eighteen states to the Affordable Care Act will add yet another flashpoint on healthcare to the 2020 election, the New York Times points out:
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court late Thursday to overturn the Affordable Care Act — a move that, if successful, would bring a permanent end to the health insurance program popularly known as Obamacare and wipe out coverage for as many as 23 million Americans. In an 82-page brief submitted an hour before a midnight deadline, the administration joined Republican officials in Texas and 17 other states in arguing that in 2017, Congress, then controlled by Republicans, had rendered the law unconstitutional when it zeroed out the tax penalty for not buying insurance — the so-called individual mandate. The administration’s argument, coming in the thick of an election season — as well as a pandemic that has devastated the economy and left millions of unemployed Americans without health coverage — is sure to reignite Washington’s bitter political debate over health care.
The timing is interesting in more than one way. First, as the NYT notes, it’s almost certain to stoke more passions in the upcoming election, and that may not be a good idea for Donald Trump. Democrats successfully leveraged the health-care issue in 2018’s midterms, giving Republicans a shellacking that was almost as bad as the one the GOP gave Democrats after passing ObamaCare. Republicans still don’t have a coherent plan to replace ObamaCare if the Supreme Court invalidates it, either. This has the potential to hand Joe Biden a very big stick on domestic policy right in the middle of a pandemic.
Biden took advantage of it yesterday, using the amicus brief to argue that “23 million Americans would lose coverage overnight.” Complications from COVID-19 would become “the new pre-existing conditions” that would no longer be protected from health-policy cancellation, Biden argued, saying “I cannot comprehend the cruelty”:
If Biden seemed uncommonly coherent here, it’s because he’s worked on preparation for this issue for years. These are well-rehearsed arguments that Biden can effectively deliver, even with the slight update to include COVID-19 complications. (Biden slips up when discussing COVID-19 more directly, as Karen just pointed out.) Moreover, Biden has an advantage over Trump in this case by having a solution on the table — preserving ObamaCare — while the White House still hasn’t put together any kind of comprehensive plan together at all. Nor has its allies on Capitol Hill, for that matter, despite that 2018 shellacking.
So why make this a campaign issue now by filing a brief in the case? That’s a mystery, as the combined 18 Attorneys General likely made all of the apposite arguments in their briefs already. If any gaps existed, the White House could have quietly worked with others to fill it. It’s not as if this hasn’t been on the table for a while, and that actually makes the last-minute filing look even more curious. Did this intervention come at the end of a debate on whether to pull health care back into the debate? If so, who thought that was a good idea?
By the way, the court won’t even consider this case until the start of its new term in October, which means the political risk might not even have a payoff. The argument over tax policy and reconsideration of the court’s previous ruling on the ACA will likely take months to hash out. It won’t even work as a reminder of the need to appoint conservative jurists to the Supreme Court before people cast ballots in the general election. Team Trump might have been much better off letting the state AGs carry the water on this case, especially if it can’t put together a comprehensive replacement proposal for ObamaCare in the next couple of months — one that the entire GOP can support. Unlike the last time around.


hotair--2020-06-26--Oops, he did it again. Biden's outlandish gaffe in Pennsylvania delights GOP

Joe Biden is the luckiest candidate that has ever run for president .
Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic , good old Joe can go downstairs to his basement studio and do a video or hold a virtual campaign event whenever he is told to do so by his staff .
He doesn ’ t have to break a sweat and yet so far he is doing well in the polls .
He pretty much beats Trump in the places where Trump needs to win .
Now , don ’ t get me wrong .
I don ’ t think the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2016 election , it is hard to put much faith in any polling .
But , just for the sake of an argument , we ’ ll go with the numbers as they stand now .
I think Biden is at his high water mark in the polls so he should enjoy it while he can .
As a matter of fact , I hope his campaign staff and the candidate himself bask in the numbers and take his victory in November for granted , a done deal .
How did that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinton ?
As Allah Pundit wrote about yesterday , Biden ventured out of the basement and traveled to Pennsylvania for campaign events on Thursday .
During one event , Biden was seated outdoors with members of three families who have been touched by the coronavirus .
He was doing what he always does – he was telling the few people there about his plans for health care and slammed President Trump for his response to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States .
However , as he was railing against Trump , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignored .
He wildly exxagerated the number of deaths from COVID-19 .
“ People don ’ t have a job , people don ’ t know where to go , they don ’ t know what to do , ” Biden said Thursday .
“ Now we have over 120 million dead from COVID.
” Wow !
That is quite a pandemic , right ?
What he meant to say , I hope , is that the death toll as of Thursday was 122,000 according to Johns Hopkins .
This is why Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why his staff ( and Dr. Jill ) keep Joe Biden in the basement studio .
Why should he do events , even these really small gatherings , if he can just work out of his basement and whoever handles his media engagement can edit videos ?
Also , Joe doesn ’ t have to take questions from pesky reporters in his basement .
Oh , wait .
He doesn ’ t take questions during events , either .
In Lancaster , Team Biden refused to give local media reporters access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from reporters who shouted from a distance .
Have no fear , Biden began to catch himself as he delivered the shocking number of deaths , and then the pool video cut off after he made the remark .
How convenient , amirite ?
The way the press has kowtowed to Biden so far in the campaign , they may as well be paid staffers .
Team Trump was quick to respond .
Joe Biden is a gaffe machine .
We can always count on him to say something or do something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As he has gotten older , his gaffe-making has accelerated , as you would expect from an elderly man .
At the age of 77 , he doesn ’ t inspire a lot of confidence in his ability to do the job of running the leading country in the free world .
There is no energy in the man .
He especially seems to have trouble when talking about big numbers .
Remember back in February when he was talking about his plan for some good old gun-grabbing and wildly exaggerated the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
That one was a whopper , too .
Fortunately for President Trump , the Trump campaign ’ s rapid response team is good .
They are quick to put up these gaffes on social media and push back .
President Trump , in contrast to Joe Biden on Thursday , went to Wisconsin and toured Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette .
He was well-received , including lines of supporters on the streets cheering his arrival .
He delivered remarks to workers at the shipyard and then Trump taped a one-hour town @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Fox News host Sean Hannity at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport .
Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard recently won a contract to build up to 10 Navy frigates .
Trump was playing up his administration ’ s work in bringing jobs back to America , rightly so , and this is the very type of event Trump should be doing from now until election day in November , as often as possible .
I know the big rallies are exciting to the base and Trump feeds off the enthusiastic crowds but this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic .
Trump gets press and television coverage , at least from FNC , when he does these daytime events at factories and the like so why not take advantage of it ?
It drives Team Biden nuts , too , so that is a plus .
Biden and other Democrats criticized Trump for using his Marinette trip to take credit for a contract that was years in the making .
In a statement to the Green Bay Press-Gazette , the presumptive Democratic nominee accused the president of taking credit for investment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by President Barack Obama ’ s administration .
“ Today , Donald Trump is in Marinette to take credit for Obama-Biden Administration-fueled successes in an attempt to paper over the fact that Wisconsin has been bleeding blue-collar manufacturing jobs over the past few weeks , ” Biden said .
“ Instead of offering real relief to working families , he ’ s trying to claim credit for progress in Marinette he did not build.
” A Democrat state senator said , wait a minute , “ the contract came together with the help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal government.
” State Senator Dave Hansen said , “ Let ’ s give everybody credit … it ’ s about all of us working together to make this happen because this is essential to Marinette for their economic well-being.
” Take a seat , Joe .
The locals in Marinette loved the president ’ s visit .
Wisconsin is a must-win state for Trump .
The campaign will be smart to continue to focus on these kinds of events because Trump does well one-on-one with people .
Let Sleepy Joe do his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasional trip outside to speak with a few people that have been selected by his campaign staff .
We ’ ll see how the polls are looking after Labor Day when regular people start really paying attention to the campaigns .
The power of the bully pulpit is hard to beat for a low-energy kind of guy like Joe Biden .

Joe Biden is the luckiest candidate that has ever run for president. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, good old Joe can go downstairs to his basement studio and do a video or hold a virtual campaign event whenever he is told to do so by his staff. He doesn’t have to break a sweat and yet so far he is doing well in the polls. He pretty much beats Trump in the places where Trump needs to win.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think the polling will hold for Biden. After the 2016 election, it is hard to put much faith in any polling. But, just for the sake of an argument, we’ll go with the numbers as they stand now. I think Biden is at his high water mark in the polls so he should enjoy it while he can. As a matter of fact, I hope his campaign staff and the candidate himself bask in the numbers and take his victory in November for granted, a done deal. How did that kind of self-entitled arrogance work for Hillary Clinton?
As Allah Pundit wrote about yesterday, Biden ventured out of the basement and traveled to Pennsylvania for campaign events on Thursday. During one event, Biden was seated outdoors with members of three families who have been touched by the coronavirus. He was doing what he always does – he was telling the few people there about his plans for health care and slammed President Trump for his response to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. However, as he was railing against Trump, he made a gaffe that cannot be ignored. He wildly exxagerated the number of deaths from COVID-19.
“People don’t have a job, people don’t know where to go, they don’t know what to do,” Biden said Thursday. “Now we have over 120 million dead from COVID.” Wow! That is quite a pandemic, right? What he meant to say, I hope, is that the death toll as of Thursday was 122,000 according to Johns Hopkins.
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH JOE BIDEN? Joe Biden just said, "Now we have OVER 120 MILLION dead from COVID." pic.twitter.com/QBQTDyzzZt — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 25, 2020
This is why Joe is a lucky presidential candidate. This is why his staff (and Dr. Jill) keep Joe Biden in the basement studio. Why should he do events, even these really small gatherings, if he can just work out of his basement and whoever handles his media engagement can edit videos? Also, Joe doesn’t have to take questions from pesky reporters in his basement. Oh, wait. He doesn’t take questions during events, either. In Lancaster, Team Biden refused to give local media reporters access to the event. Biden blew off questions from reporters who shouted from a distance.
Have no fear, Biden began to catch himself as he delivered the shocking number of deaths, and then the pool video cut off after he made the remark. How convenient, amirite? The way the press has kowtowed to Biden so far in the campaign, they may as well be paid staffers. Team Trump was quick to respond.
Joe Biden is very confused. He just falsely claimed 120 million Americans (more than one-third of the country) died from the coronavirus. This is after he previously claimed 150 million Americans died from guns. He's not playing with a full deck, folks. #BarelyThereBiden pic.twitter.com/GwKgdiFjdb — Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 25, 2020
Joe Biden is a gaffe machine. We can always count on him to say something or do something that makes us cringe or shake our head. As he has gotten older, his gaffe-making has accelerated, as you would expect from an elderly man. At the age of 77, he doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in his ability to do the job of running the leading country in the free world. There is no energy in the man. He especially seems to have trouble when talking about big numbers. Remember back in February when he was talking about his plan for some good old gun-grabbing and wildly exaggerated the number of Americans killed by gun violence? That one was a whopper, too.
FLASHBACK: Back in February, no one batted an eye or bothered to correct Joe Biden when he said 150 MILLION Americans have been killed by by gun violence. (a completely absurd number). pic.twitter.com/k6M8EfYHeF — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) June 25, 2020
Fortunately for President Trump, the Trump campaign’s rapid response team is good. They are quick to put up these gaffes on social media and push back.
President Trump, in contrast to Joe Biden on Thursday, went to Wisconsin and toured Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette. He was well-received, including lines of supporters on the streets cheering his arrival. He delivered remarks to workers at the shipyard and then Trump taped a one-hour town hall on the election and police reform with Fox News host Sean Hannity at Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport.
Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard recently won a contract to build up to 10 Navy frigates. Trump was playing up his administration’s work in bringing jobs back to America, rightly so, and this is the very type of event Trump should be doing from now until election day in November, as often as possible. I know the big rallies are exciting to the base and Trump feeds off the enthusiastic crowds but this campaign is different, thanks to the pandemic. Trump gets press and television coverage, at least from FNC, when he does these daytime events at factories and the like so why not take advantage of it? It drives Team Biden nuts, too, so that is a plus.
Biden and other Democrats criticized Trump for using his Marinette trip to take credit for a contract that was years in the making. In a statement to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the presumptive Democratic nominee accused the president of taking credit for investment in Marinette’s shipbuilding that was initiated by President Barack Obama’s administration. “Today, Donald Trump is in Marinette to take credit for Obama-Biden Administration-fueled successes in an attempt to paper over the fact that Wisconsin has been bleeding blue-collar manufacturing jobs over the past few weeks,” Biden said. “Instead of offering real relief to working families, he’s trying to claim credit for progress in Marinette he did not build.”
A Democrat state senator said, wait a minute, “the contract came together with the help of Republicans and Democrats in state and federal government.” State Senator Dave Hansen said, “Let’s give everybody credit … it’s about all of us working together to make this happen because this is essential to Marinette for their economic well-being.” Take a seat, Joe.
The locals in Marinette loved the president’s visit. Wisconsin is a must-win state for Trump. The campaign will be smart to continue to focus on these kinds of events because Trump does well one-on-one with people. Let Sleepy Joe do his thing in his basement, with the occasional trip outside to speak with a few people that have been selected by his campaign staff. We’ll see how the polls are looking after Labor Day when regular people start really paying attention to the campaigns. The power of the bully pulpit is hard to beat for a low-energy kind of guy like Joe Biden.


hotair--2020-06-27--Washington Post: It doesn't matter that the most violent cities in America are run by Democrats

I missed this when it was published Thursday .
The Washington Post ’ s Philip Bump did a fact-check of sorts on a claim made by President Trump : “ You hear about certain places like Chicago and you hear about what ’ s going on in Detroit and other — other cities , all Democrat run , ” he said .
“ Every one of them is Democrat run .
Twenty out of 20 .
The 20 worst , the 20 most dangerous are Democrat run.
” Having admitted that he doesn ’ t actually know what Trump means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent crime : As you can see , the top 20 cities with the most crime ( raw numbers ) includes one city run by a Republican mayor ( Jacksonville , FL ) .
That list also includes two independent mayors .
The bottom graph is a list of the highest crime rates per 10,000 residents .
On this list there are no Republicans but there is one independent .
So if either of these are what Trump had in mind by “ most dangerous ” then Trump ’ s statement isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the mayors are Democrats .
And yet , it seems that Trump still has a point since the overwhelming majority of the most violent cities are run by Democrats .
And that ’ s when Bump ’ s piece takes a strange turn [ emphasis added ] .
Trump would no doubt shrug at that detail , decrying as “ fake news ” the revelation that his assertion was only slightly wrong .
And , in fairness , it actually doesn ’ t matter that four of the 32 cities listed above have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t really matter that the other mayors are Democrats .
Wait , what ?
Why doesn ’ t it matter ?
Cities generally have more crime than suburban and rural areas .
That ’ s been true for decades if not centuries and is true across the planet .
The connection has been the focus of repeated research .
In other words , if it were the case that cities were also more prone to elect members of one party over another , it might seem as though the most crime-riddled places in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that party .
I ’ ll grant that crime is higher in cities and also that cities are more likely to vote for Democrats .
But I think it ’ s a stretch from there to say “ it doesn ’ t really matter ” who cities select to run things .
In fact , that seems pretty counter-intuitive .
Usually , we elect mayors to do the job of running things and one of the most important parts of their job is public safety .
Especially in cities with higher crime rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point of discussion during election season .
For instance , Memphis , Tennessee is at the top of the per capita crime list .
Guess what became an issue during the last mayoral election .
At a rally Saturday morning , former Mayor Willie Herenton criticized current Mayor Jim Strickland for the city ’ s high crime rate .
“ We are going to bring to the attention of people that this mayor said that he was going to reduce crime and today when I read the headlines , we are the third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation , ” said Herenton .
“ Mayor Strickland understands that he made promises to the Memphis community that he did not keep.
” Herenton ’ s comments came just days after Strickland criticized his record on crime .
“ When ( Herenton ) resigned as mayor , he left the city with high crime , high poverty and low educational achievement .
He failed , ” Strickland said .
“ We ’ re trying to fix his failures right now.
” It seems like all of the mayoral candidates in Memphis think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it matters to city voters .
Why would the fact that the winner is almost always going to be a Democrat not matter ?
Don ’ t Democrats tend to have certain specific views about crime , policing , mass incarceration , etc.
?
Don ’ t Republicans have a reputation for being tougher on crime , more friendly to police and prosecutors , etc.
?
How can this not matter ?
And this brings me to another point that Bump glosses over .
Trump ’ s statement about crime comes in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police .
Guess which party is most amenable to this idea and which party is least amenable ?
Actually , it turns out neither party is quite ready to “ defund the police ” but it ’ s a close question on the Democratic side .
A large majority of Democratic voters , 82 percent , believe police departments need a complete overhaul or major reforms , compared with just 33 percent of Republicans .
Among independents , 60 percent think departments need a complete overhaul or major reforms .
Voters are divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding ( 25 percent ) , the right amount of funding ( 26 percent ) or not enough funding ( 28 percent ) .
Only 18 percent of Democratic voters think police departments don ’ t receive enough funding , while just 8 percent of Republicans say the police get too much funding .
As for the “ Defund the Police ” movement , it garners support from 48 percent of Democrats , 11 percent of Republicans and 26 percent of independents .
The point is , the fact that Democrats run cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of these left-wing views on policing are going to be adopted in these places .
Will it matter ?
Of course it will !
You can argue that it might improve things ( which is clearly what Democrats hope ) but I don ’ t think you can argue it doesn ’ t matter .

I missed this when it was published Thursday. The Washington Post’s Philip Bump did a fact-check of sorts on a claim made by President Trump:
“You hear about certain places like Chicago and you hear about what’s going on in Detroit and other — other cities, all Democrat run,” he said. “Every one of them is Democrat run. Twenty out of 20. The 20 worst, the 20 most dangerous are Democrat run.”
It’s not clear how Trump is defining “most dangerous” in this context. So let’s look at two related sets of data compiled by the FBI: most violent crime and most violent crime per capita.
Having admitted that he doesn’t actually know what Trump means, Bump then produces this graph of violent crime:
As you can see, the top 20 cities with the most crime (raw numbers) includes one city run by a Republican mayor (Jacksonville, FL). That list also includes two independent mayors. The bottom graph is a list of the highest crime rates per 10,000 residents. On this list there are no Republicans but there is one independent. So if either of these are what Trump had in mind by “most dangerous” then Trump’s statement isn’t strictly true since not all of the mayors are Democrats.
And yet, it seems that Trump still has a point since the overwhelming majority of the most violent cities are run by Democrats. And that’s when Bump’s piece takes a strange turn [emphasis added].
Trump would no doubt shrug at that detail, decrying as “fake news” the revelation that his assertion was only slightly wrong. And, in fairness, it actually doesn’t matter that four of the 32 cities listed above have non-Democratic mayors — because it doesn’t really matter that the other mayors are Democrats.
Wait, what? Why doesn’t it matter?
Cities generally have more crime than suburban and rural areas. That’s been true for decades if not centuries and is true across the planet. The connection has been the focus of repeated research. In other words, if it were the case that cities were also more prone to elect members of one party over another, it might seem as though the most crime-riddled places in America were a function of leadership from that party.
I’ll grant that crime is higher in cities and also that cities are more likely to vote for Democrats. But I think it’s a stretch from there to say “it doesn’t really matter” who cities select to run things. In fact, that seems pretty counter-intuitive.
Usually, we elect mayors to do the job of running things and one of the most important parts of their job is public safety. Especially in cities with higher crime rates, crime reduction is often a major point of discussion during election season. For instance, Memphis, Tennessee is at the top of the per capita crime list. Guess what became an issue during the last mayoral election.
At a rally Saturday morning, former Mayor Willie Herenton criticized current Mayor Jim Strickland for the city’s high crime rate. “We are going to bring to the attention of people that this mayor said that he was going to reduce crime and today when I read the headlines, we are the third highest crime rate per capita in the nation,” said Herenton. “Mayor Strickland understands that he made promises to the Memphis community that he did not keep.” Herenton’s comments came just days after Strickland criticized his record on crime. “When (Herenton) resigned as mayor, he left the city with high crime, high poverty and low educational achievement. He failed,” Strickland said. “We’re trying to fix his failures right now.”


hotair--2020-06-27--Cha-cha-changes: 'The Simpsons', 'Family Guy' recast actors as voices of non-white characters

Say it isn ’ t so , Cleveland Brown .
The producers of two long-running animated television series , The Simpsons and Family Guy , announced Friday they will no longer use white actors as the voices of non-white characters .
This decision follows that of other entertainment companies .
Netflix and Apple TV have been in the news for making the same decision .
For several years , The Simpsons have come under fire for the voice of the character , Apu .
White actor Hank Azaria was the voice of Apu , an Indian immigrant who runs a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documentary was made about the conflict – The Problem With Apu .
Azaria no longer plays the voice of Apu as a result , and a South Asian actor took over the role .
Now it looks like The Simpsons have decided to stop fighting it and meet the demands of the woke activists .
Azaria will out of voicing other characters , too , if this decision is carried out across the board , as well as other actors .
Mike Henry is the actor who does the voice of Cleveland Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the show from its beginning , for 20 years .
Henry has written for the show and created the spin-off for his very popular character .
The Cleveland Show lasted for four seasons .
Henry is out , too .
So far , Family Guy producer 20th Century Fox TV have not declined comment , as has Seth MacFarlane , though MacFarlane retweeted Henry ’ s tweet on Friday .
These shows have been on television for decades .
Now that the Black Lives Matter movement is front and center on newscasts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the need to comment .
It ’ s everywhere .
Networks are doing PSAs about racial equality and asking young people to register to vote .
The awards shows are no longer awards shows , they are Black Lives Matter rallies .
It happened during the ESPYs last Sunday night and the Daytime Emmy Awards Friday night .
I am quite sure the same will happen during the BET Awards Sunday night .
This is where we are .
It is notable , though , that very little was heard from the social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama .
During the Obama administration is when Black Lives Matter began , in 2013 .
If liberals are so aware and able to save the world , why didn ’ t the Obama-Biden administration eliminate racial injustice ?
Why do black voters keep voting in the same Democrats who have mismanaged cities and states ?
Celebrities and Democrats can call for an increase in minority voter registration all they want but if the new voters continue to vote for Democrats ( if they vote ) nothing changes .
Other animated shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment .
This news comes after Josh Gad , one of the creators of the new musical animated series , Central Park , announced that the mixed race character ‘ Molly ’ will be recast .
Gad announced the show ’ s intention to cast ‘ black or mixed race actress ’ actress in the role to replace original star , Kristen Bell .
According to the announcement Bell will stay with the show as a different character .
Also , comedian Jenny Slate announced that she will also step down from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Netflix animated series , Big Mouth .
What has been good for over 20 years is now no longer acceptable .
The marches and protests continue along with the unrest seen in cities across the country .
There will be a lot of clean-up in Hollywood as we go forward with the new rules .
Shows like 30 Rock and Community and The Office , all very popular still today , are pulling episodes from streaming services that include blackface scenes .
Tina Fey , who starred in 30 Rock , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show , issued a statement about that show .
“ As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America , we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing makeup are best taken out of circulation , ” Fey wrote .
“ I understand now that ‘ intent ’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images.
” The comedian added : “ I apologize for pain they have caused .
Going forward , no comedy-loving kid needs to stumble on these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fey then thanked NBCUniversal for “ honoring this request.
” “ Race-changing makeup , ” Tina ?
How is this an apology if she can ’ t even say the word blackface ?
Megyn Kelly is finding some vindication in all of this .
She was fired from NBC over her comments on blackface .
“ So it turns out that when Andy Lack said ‘ there is no place on our air ’ for my discussion of blackface , it was b/c NBC was already chalk-full ( sic ) of shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the air … at NBC , ” she tweeted .
Kelly is referring to a controversial 2018 on-air segment in which Kelly seemingly defended “ blackface ” and “ white face ” for Halloween because it was “ OK when I was a kid as long as you were dressing like a character.
” Kelly apologized , saying that she realized “ that such behavior is indeed wrong.
” But it was too late .
Kelly ’ s talk show “ Megyn Kelly Today ” on NBC was promptly canceled .

Say it isn’t so, Cleveland Brown. The producers of two long-running animated television series, The Simpsons and Family Guy, announced Friday they will no longer use white actors as the voices of non-white characters. This decision follows that of other entertainment companies. Netflix and Apple TV have been in the news for making the same decision.
For several years, The Simpsons have come under fire for the voice of the character, Apu. White actor Hank Azaria was the voice of Apu, an Indian immigrant who runs a convenience store. In 2017, a documentary was made about the conflict – The Problem With Apu. Azaria no longer plays the voice of Apu as a result, and a South Asian actor took over the role. Now it looks like The Simpsons have decided to stop fighting it and meet the demands of the woke activists. Azaria will out of voicing other characters, too, if this decision is carried out across the board, as well as other actors.
Azaria also voices Carl Carlson and Springfield police officer Lou, who are Black, and Hispanic character Bumblebee Man. Harry Shearer, meanwhile, has played Dr. Hibbert, who’s Black, for the show’s entire run. Tress MacNeille has also voiced several non-White characters, including Apu’s wife, Manjula.
Mike Henry is the actor who does the voice of Cleveland Brown in Family Guy. He has been with the show from its beginning, for 20 years. Henry has written for the show and created the spin-off for his very popular character. The Cleveland Show lasted for four seasons. Henry is out, too.
It’s been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role. pic.twitter.com/FmKasWITKT — Mike Henry (@mikehenrybro) June 26, 2020
So far, Family Guy producer 20th Century Fox TV have not declined comment, as has Seth MacFarlane, though MacFarlane retweeted Henry’s tweet on Friday.
These shows have been on television for decades. Now that the Black Lives Matter movement is front and center on newscasts 24/7, all aspects of entertainment feel the need to comment. It’s everywhere. Networks are doing PSAs about racial equality and asking young people to register to vote. The awards shows are no longer awards shows, they are Black Lives Matter rallies. It happened during the ESPYs last Sunday night and the Daytime Emmy Awards Friday night. I am quite sure the same will happen during the BET Awards Sunday night. This is where we are. It is notable, though, that very little was heard from the social justice warriors during the two terms of Barack Obama. During the Obama administration is when Black Lives Matter began, in 2013. If liberals are so aware and able to save the world, why didn’t the Obama-Biden administration eliminate racial injustice? Why do black voters keep voting in the same Democrats who have mismanaged cities and states? Celebrities and Democrats can call for an increase in minority voter registration all they want but if the new voters continue to vote for Democrats (if they vote) nothing changes.
Other animated shows are feeling the pressure of the current environment.
This news comes after Josh Gad, one of the creators of the new musical animated series, Central Park, announced that the mixed race character ‘Molly’ will be recast. Gad announced the show’s intention to cast ‘black or mixed race actress’ actress in the role to replace original star, Kristen Bell. According to the announcement Bell will stay with the show as a different character. Also, comedian Jenny Slate announced that she will also step down from the black voice role of ‘Missy’ on the Netflix animated series, Big Mouth.
What has been good for over 20 years is now no longer acceptable. The marches and protests continue along with the unrest seen in cities across the country. There will be a lot of clean-up in Hollywood as we go forward with the new rules. Shows like 30 Rock and Community and The Office, all very popular still today, are pulling episodes from streaming services that include blackface scenes. Tina Fey, who starred in 30 Rock, and was an executive producer of the show, issued a statement about that show.
“As we strive to do the work and do better in regards to race in America, we believe that these episodes featuring actors in race-changing makeup are best taken out of circulation,” Fey wrote. “I understand now that ‘intent’ is not a free pass for white people to use these images.” The comedian added: “I apologize for pain they have caused. Going forward, no comedy-loving kid needs to stumble on these tropes and be stung by their ugliness.” Fey then thanked NBCUniversal for “honoring this request.”
“Race-changing makeup,” Tina? How is this an apology if she can’t even say the word blackface?
Megyn Kelly is finding some vindication in all of this. She was fired from NBC over her comments on blackface.
“So it turns out that when Andy Lack said ‘there is no place on our air’ for my discussion of blackface, it was b/c NBC was already chalk-full (sic) of shows and major stars actually wearing blackface … on the air … at NBC,” she tweeted. Kelly is referring to a controversial 2018 on-air segment in which Kelly seemingly defended “blackface” and “white face” for Halloween because it was “OK when I was a kid as long as you were dressing like a character.” Kelly apologized, saying that she realized “that such behavior is indeed wrong.” But it was too late. Kelly’s talk show “Megyn Kelly Today” on NBC was promptly canceled.


hotair--2020-06-27--Video: Kaepernick's attorney's PAC takes an ugly shot at Ivanka Trump

A political action committee ( PAC ) recently formed by Colin Kaepernick ’ s attorney and his brothers released a video Friday that was meant to embarrass Ivanka Trump .
Her crime ?
She is the daughter of President Trump and an unpaid adviser to the president .
The brothers don ’ t like nepotism , you see .
Friday was not a great day for Ivanka Trump , though if she were any other member of the Trump administration ( except her husband , Jared Kushner , perhaps ) it would have been .
President Trump signed an Executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiring process .
Instead of concentrating on hiring people with college degrees , the EO transforms the degree-based hiring with skills-based hiring .
Ivanka Trump worked on this change and posted a video on Twitter touting the president signing the EO .
That ’ s all standard stuff , right ?
Yes , except it ’ s Ivanka .
The left went nuts , as they always do when Ivanka pops up .
President Trump ’ s Pledge to America ’ s Workers is all about jobs .
It certainly comes at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic .
President Trump ’ s Pledge to America ’ s Workers has prompted more than 400 companies to commit career opportunities for more than 16 million American students and workers .
The President has worked to expand apprenticeship programs , helping more than 750,000 additional Americans gain hands-on training and experience with no student debt .
The Administration worked with Congress to reauthorize the Perkins CTE Act , providing more than $ 1 billion for States each year to fund vocational education programs .
President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure that the American people have the skills necessary to succeed in the industries of the future .
As soon as the video was posted on Twitter , the nepotism slam against Ivanka took off .
Ivanka Trump was labeled # NepotismBarbie .
The charge is that Ivanka has her position thanks to her father .
That ’ s true and nepotism isn ’ t usually the best way to go but in the case of Trump , he ’ s always included his children in his business ventures .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and tends to govern as such .
In other words , when Trump brought Ivanka and Jared into the White House , it wasn ’ t a huge surprise .
Neither draws a salary .
Nonetheless , the left truly despises Ivanka , especially the lefty feminists who think she is “ complicit ” in her father ’ s evil-doing .
It ’ s the same way they treat Melania .
Yet , they were all perfectly fine with Hillary Clinton ’ s work in the Clinton administration , including trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And , of course , they all turned a blind eye to Bill ’ s abuse of women , including an intern .
So , with the success of the hashtag on Friday , a progressive PAC , MeidasTouch , piggybacked off it .
They released a video and encouraged the hashtag # ByeIvanka .
Well , no one said these guys were offering any sort of originality .
The video responds to Ivanka ’ s claim that Trump has always been for the working man by showing video clips that prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not in America .
It goes on to say that Trump created a booming economy for himself .
And it ends by claiming that the Trumps are stealing from you .
That part isn ’ t really explained but it ’ s dramatic , right ?
That ’ s what the PAC is going for .
HuffPo has the story on Meidas Touch and the video .
To be clear , the EO doesn ’ t do away with the requirements of college degrees for some positions .
It modernizes recruitment and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and knowledge , not just a college degree or experience alone .
The order requires agencies to increase the use of skill assessments and interviews with subject matter experts to determine an applicant ’ s qualifications , rather than simply looking at educational achievements .
Degree requirements will not go away entirely , and certain positions—such as those in medical , legal and certain technical fields—will still require advanced degrees .
The goal of the order , Trump administration officials said on Friday , is to create a broader pool of potential federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the world of Trump deranged critics , creating jobs during a time of high unemployment is bad because they think he is bad .
And , since his daughter worked on the initiative , she must be punished , too .
We live in incredibly stupid times .

A political action committee (PAC) recently formed by Colin Kaepernick’s attorney and his brothers released a video Friday that was meant to embarrass Ivanka Trump. Her crime? She is the daughter of President Trump and an unpaid adviser to the president. The brothers don’t like nepotism, you see.
Friday was not a great day for Ivanka Trump, though if she were any other member of the Trump administration (except her husband, Jared Kushner, perhaps) it would have been. President Trump signed an Executive Order that reforms and modernizes the federal hiring process. Instead of concentrating on hiring people with college degrees, the EO transforms the degree-based hiring with skills-based hiring. Ivanka Trump worked on this change and posted a video on Twitter touting the president signing the EO. That’s all standard stuff, right? Yes, except it’s Ivanka. The left went nuts, as they always do when Ivanka pops up.
Today, President @realDonaldTrump will sign an executive order to transform the federal hiring process—and replace one-size-fits-all, degree-based hiring with skills-based hiring. More from @IvankaTrump: pic.twitter.com/W8xhiyCRBy — The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) June 26, 2020
President Trump’s Pledge to America’s Workers is all about jobs. It certainly comes at a timely moment as the country struggles with high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic.
President Trump’s Pledge to America’s Workers has prompted more than 400 companies to commit career opportunities for more than 16 million American students and workers. The President has worked to expand apprenticeship programs, helping more than 750,000 additional Americans gain hands-on training and experience with no student debt. The Administration worked with Congress to reauthorize the Perkins CTE Act, providing more than $1 billion for States each year to fund vocational education programs. President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum prioritizing STEM Education to ensure that the American people have the skills necessary to succeed in the industries of the future.
As soon as the video was posted on Twitter, the nepotism slam against Ivanka took off. Ivanka Trump was labeled #NepotismBarbie. The charge is that Ivanka has her position thanks to her father. That’s true and nepotism isn’t usually the best way to go but in the case of Trump, he’s always included his children in his business ventures. He’s a businessman, not a politician, and tends to govern as such. In other words, when Trump brought Ivanka and Jared into the White House, it wasn’t a huge surprise. Neither draws a salary. Nonetheless, the left truly despises Ivanka, especially the lefty feminists who think she is “complicit” in her father’s evil-doing. It’s the same way they treat Melania. Yet, they were all perfectly fine with Hillary Clinton’s work in the Clinton administration, including trying to overhaul health insurance and the healthcare industry. And, of course, they all turned a blind eye to Bill’s abuse of women, including an intern.
So, with the success of the hashtag on Friday, a progressive PAC, MeidasTouch, piggybacked off it. They released a video and encouraged the hashtag #ByeIvanka. Well, no one said these guys were offering any sort of originality. The video responds to Ivanka’s claim that Trump has always been for the working man by showing video clips that prove Trump’s products are made overseas, not in America. It goes on to say that Trump created a booming economy for himself. And it ends by claiming that the Trumps are stealing from you. That part isn’t really explained but it’s dramatic, right? That’s what the PAC is going for.
HuffPo has the story on Meidas Touch and the video.
This video, the latest from the recently formed political action committee ― made up of lawyer Ben Meiselas, who represented former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, and his two brothers ― has garnered more than 1.2 million views on Twitter. Other ads released by the PAC this month have taken swipes at Trump’s botched response to the coronavirus pandemic and his violent rhetoric about anti-racism protesters.
📺 NEW VIDEO@IvankaTrump laughably says that her father hires based on skill and competence. Retweet and use the hashtag #ByeIvanka if you disagree. pic.twitter.com/548PGvsl37 — MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) June 27, 2020
To be clear, the EO doesn’t do away with the requirements of college degrees for some positions. It modernizes recruitment and hiring practices to look for specific skills and knowledge, not just a college degree or experience alone.
The order requires agencies to increase the use of skill assessments and interviews with subject matter experts to determine an applicant’s qualifications, rather than simply looking at educational achievements. Degree requirements will not go away entirely, and certain positions—such as those in medical, legal and certain technical fields—will still require advanced degrees. The goal of the order, Trump administration officials said on Friday, is to create a broader pool of potential federal employees and a more equitable hiring process.
In the world of Trump deranged critics, creating jobs during a time of high unemployment is bad because they think he is bad. And, since his daughter worked on the initiative, she must be punished, too. We live in incredibly stupid times.


hotair--2020-06-27--Trump to local, state gov'ts: Either protect federal monuments or lose federal funding

Consider this a copy of Donald Trump ’ s Tuesday tweet in EO form .
Remember this ?
Late yesterday , Trump formalized it into an executive order , but added a new provision .
Local and state governments that don ’ t act to protect federal monuments can expect to kiss some of their federal grant money goodbye — at least to the extent Trump controls those pursestrings : President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Justice Department to prioritize prosecution of protesters who damage federal monuments and limit federal funding for local governments that are perceived to not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive order also emphasized strict sentencing , with a maximum of 10 years in prison , for those found guilty of such acts , a key plank of Trump ’ s law and order strategy the president has repeatedly tweeted and talked about in recent weeks .
Trump ’ s order comes as protests across the country against systemic racism and police brutality have resulted in the toppling of monuments to Confederate leaders , slave owners and European colonists .
The order characterizes protesters as actively seeking to undermine the integrity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Anarchists and left-wing extremists ” — and comes a day after Trump labeled demonstrators as “ terrorists ” who will face “ retribution.
” I don ’ t think that ’ s a terribly inaccurate way to describe the mobs that seek to destroy monuments .
The group gathering in DC to pull down a statue of Abraham Lincoln that commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation openly advertise it as a “ revolution.
” Repeated attempts to establish autonomous zones are efforts to deny sovereignty of the US , and the CHAZ in Seattle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the businesses and residents trapped within those areas whether they think the torching , vandalizing , and extortive behavior was terrorism .
On the issue of federal funds , it will be interesting to see what Trump has in mind ( and the metrics of “ adequate protection ” too ) .
Congress controls funds , at least through the appropriation process , but agencies under control of the executive branch tend to disperse them .
Presumably Trump means mainly Department of Justice funds that support local law enforcement , but perhaps he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If Trump wants to choke off funds through the DoJ , though , it might end up being a case of cutting off one ’ s nose to spite one ’ s face .
That would cut against the “ law and order ” theme of his 2020 campaign .
The DoJ itself is taking it seriously : On Thursday , AG William Barr told Ted Cruz that over 500 investigations had begun into rioting , including attacks on monuments .
Those had already produced “ scores ” of indictments , Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started around May 25 , 26 , and so forth , we started using our joint terrorist task forces around the country .
And there are 35 of them around the country , ” Barr said .
“ And now they are starting to go full bore , cranking out investigations , indictments against the people who are involved in this violence .
So we ’ ve had scores of indictments already for such things as arson , destruction of federal property , things like that .
And we have , right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he added .
Barr told Cruz and Knowles that groups of “ provocateurs and agitators ” appeared to be well-coordinated and often call upon anarchist groups to carry out violent criminal activity .
“ They want to tear down the country .
They are different than many traditional groups , and frequently , the signs of coordination and activity are very close to the event itself , ” the attorney general said .
“ So like the morning of or the day before , and things are very fast-moving .
But we definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communication , of organization , of preplanning , prepositioning of things .
So it ’ s definitely organized activity.
” On the prosecution side , the EO is on firm ground , but it ’ s also unnecessary , except perhaps as a statement of priorities .
The DoJ had authority to pursue these cases before Trump ’ s direction under the 2003 Veterans Memorial Preservation Act , a point Tom Cotton raised the day before .
In this case , it should be relatively easy to get scores or even hundreds of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved helpfully posted admissions of their crimes on social media , and sometimes video evidence of them , too .
The real trick will be getting the actual organizers , who were no doubt smarter than the sheep they led to the legal slaughter .
It ’ s good to see , nonetheless , as a statement of priorities .
We should prioritize democracy over mob rule , which means standing firm against anarchists that rule by strength of violence alone .

Consider this a copy of Donald Trump’s Tuesday tweet in EO form. Remember this?
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1275379766959505408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1275379766959505408%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotair.com%2Farchives%2Fed-morrissey%2F2020%2F06%2F23%2Ftrump-say-know-vandalizing-statues-federal-crime%2F
Late yesterday, Trump formalized it into an executive order, but added a new provision. Local and state governments that don’t act to protect federal monuments can expect to kiss some of their federal grant money goodbye — at least to the extent Trump controls those pursestrings:
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the Justice Department to prioritize prosecution of protesters who damage federal monuments and limit federal funding for local governments that are perceived to not be adequately protecting those monuments. The executive order also emphasized strict sentencing, with a maximum of 10 years in prison, for those found guilty of such acts, a key plank of Trump’s law and order strategy the president has repeatedly tweeted and talked about in recent weeks. Trump’s order comes as protests across the country against systemic racism and police brutality have resulted in the toppling of monuments to Confederate leaders, slave owners and European colonists. The order characterizes protesters as actively seeking to undermine the integrity of the United States government — referring to them “Anarchists and left-wing extremists” — and comes a day after Trump labeled demonstrators as “terrorists” who will face “retribution.”
I don’t think that’s a terribly inaccurate way to describe the mobs that seek to destroy monuments. The group gathering in DC to pull down a statue of Abraham Lincoln that commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation openly advertise it as a “revolution.” Repeated attempts to establish autonomous zones are efforts to deny sovereignty of the US, and the CHAZ in Seattle openly declared themselves as separatists. Ask the businesses and residents trapped within those areas whether they think the torching, vandalizing, and extortive behavior was terrorism.
On the issue of federal funds, it will be interesting to see what Trump has in mind (and the metrics of “adequate protection” too). Congress controls funds, at least through the appropriation process, but agencies under control of the executive branch tend to disperse them. Presumably Trump means mainly Department of Justice funds that support local law enforcement, but perhaps he’s thinking of a wider approach. If Trump wants to choke off funds through the DoJ, though, it might end up being a case of cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face. That would cut against the “law and order” theme of his 2020 campaign.
The DoJ itself is taking it seriously:
NEW: AG Barr has created task force on violent anti-government extremists, to be led by @USAO_NJ and @USAttyNealyCox. “Some pretend to profess a message of freedom and progress, but they are in fact forces of anarchy, destruction, and coercion.” pic.twitter.com/bfyB9Sacmn — Kerri Kupec DOJ (@KerriKupecDOJ) June 26, 2020
On Thursday, AG William Barr told Ted Cruz that over 500 investigations had begun into rioting, including attacks on monuments. Those had already produced “scores” of indictments, Barr claimed:
“When the real violence started around May 25, 26, and so forth, we started using our joint terrorist task forces around the country. And there are 35 of them around the country,” Barr said. “And now they are starting to go full bore, cranking out investigations, indictments against the people who are involved in this violence. So we’ve had scores of indictments already for such things as arson, destruction of federal property, things like that. And we have, right now, about 500 investigations underway,” he added. Barr told Cruz and Knowles that groups of “provocateurs and agitators” appeared to be well-coordinated and often call upon anarchist groups to carry out violent criminal activity. “They want to tear down the country. They are different than many traditional groups, and frequently, the signs of coordination and activity are very close to the event itself,” the attorney general said. “So like the morning of or the day before, and things are very fast-moving. But we definitely see signs out on the street of communication, of organization, of preplanning, prepositioning of things. So it’s definitely organized activity.”
On the prosecution side, the EO is on firm ground, but it’s also unnecessary, except perhaps as a statement of priorities. The DoJ had authority to pursue these cases before Trump’s direction under the 2003 Veterans Memorial Preservation Act, a point Tom Cotton raised the day before. In this case, it should be relatively easy to get scores or even hundreds of indictments, because many of the idiots involved helpfully posted admissions of their crimes on social media, and sometimes video evidence of them, too. The real trick will be getting the actual organizers, who were no doubt smarter than the sheep they led to the legal slaughter.
It’s good to see, nonetheless, as a statement of priorities. We should prioritize democracy over mob rule, which means standing firm against anarchists that rule by strength of violence alone.


hotair--2020-06-27--"I have made it my mission to protect that statue": Woman defends Emancipation monument to protester

"I have made it my mission to protect that statue": Woman defends Emancipation monument to protesters

The statue was supposed to come down last night .
It did not , but reading through this thorough Examiner write-up of the gathering and what preceded it , you get the sense that it ’ s a matter of time before a serious attempt is made .
The organizer of the tear-it-down group is Harvard student ( of course ) Glenn Foster , who leads a group called Freedom Neighborhood .
According to the Examiner , the group ’ s advance planning for bringing down the monument went as far to involve “ human shields ” while the act @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] e need white people to be willing to put their bodies between the police and black bodies , if necessary.
” ) When they arrived last night , though , their main obstacle wasn ’ t police or white people but black people .
Remember this woman , Marcia Cole ?
The clip of her offering her interpretation of the statue ’ s meaning went viral a few days ago : She was there at the protest last night too , dressed similarly .
That ’ s not her normal attire ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a tribute to Charlotte Scott , the former slave who made the very first donation to fund the statue in the 19th century .
In the end it was paid for exclusively through donations from other former slaves .
That gives it an unusual legacy , as I noted a few days ago , as a contribution to America ’ s civic architecture by African-Americans during Jim Crow .
It ’ s not just a commemoration of an historic act .
It ’ s history itself .
Cole made the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : So did D.C. tour guide Don Folden , who ’ s also African-American : The Examiner describes the reaction on the scene to Folden ’ s speech : As Folden spoke , Foster asked him to be quiet , saying that older people should have no say in black activism .
“ Last time I checked , this was my event , ” Foster said… Foster then asked the crowd to put their hands in the air if they truly believed that black lives matter .
Several journalists recording the event did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the crowd , who called them Nazis and sprayed them with squirt guns .
Folden stepped in to escort the journalists away , and the crowd began shoving them .
Police approached , and the event effectively ended .
Nothing says “ woke ” like assaulting journalists and older black people .
Folden and a reenactor dressed as Frederick Douglass , who spoke at the statue ’ s dedication in 1876 , tried to reason with one Jacobin and it went exactly as well as you ’ d suppose .
Debating with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ errand : Needless to say , the statue should stand .
It honors one of America ’ s grandest moments , however “ problematically.
” It ’ s worth noting too that the posture of the freed slave was seen as cringy even at its debut , with Douglass reportedly moved to criticize it in his remarks at the dedication : Lincoln himself disliked the idea of freed slaves kneeling in gratitude before him .
After Richmond was finally captured by the Union in 1865 , he visited and was greeted by some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Don ’ t kneel to me , ” he told them .
“ That is not right .
You must kneel to God only , and thank Him for the liberty you will afterward enjoy.
” But as Cole said in her explanation , it ’ s open to interpretation whether the freed slave depicted in the statue is kneeling or rising to his feet from subjugation .
And Douglass ’ s disapproval of the figure ’ s posture obviously didn ’ t stop him from sanctioning the monument .
This isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the crosshairs of the woke brigades , by the way .
For all the chatter this week devoted to this specific monument because of the freed slave ’ s posture , there are other tributes to the Great Emancipator that are being targeted because he was , after all , a man of his time in his racial attitudes , never mind his actions to free African-Americans from bondage .
Exit quotation : “ He was also very publicly anti-Black .
Just because he was anti-slavery doesn ’ t mean he was @ @ @

The statue was supposed to come down last night. It did not, but reading through this thorough Examiner write-up of the gathering and what preceded it, you get the sense that it’s a matter of time before a serious attempt is made.
The organizer of the tear-it-down group is Harvard student (of course) Glenn Foster, who leads a group called Freedom Neighborhood. According to the Examiner, the group’s advance planning for bringing down the monument went as far to involve “human shields” while the act was done. (“[W]e need white people to be willing to put their bodies between the police and black bodies, if necessary.”) When they arrived last night, though, their main obstacle wasn’t police or white people but black people. Remember this woman, Marcia Cole? The clip of her offering her interpretation of the statue’s meaning went viral a few days ago:
"That man is not kneeling on two knees with his head bowed. He is in the act of getting up." Listen to this beautiful soul.pic.twitter.com/jfOoO8PfWS — Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) June 24, 2020
She was there at the protest last night too, dressed similarly. That’s not her normal attire; rather, notes the WSJ, it’s a tribute to Charlotte Scott, the former slave who made the very first donation to fund the statue in the 19th century. In the end it was paid for exclusively through donations from other former slaves. That gives it an unusual legacy, as I noted a few days ago, as a contribution to America’s civic architecture by African-Americans during Jim Crow. It’s not just a commemoration of an historic act. It’s history itself.
Cole made the case last night for leaving the statue alone:
**LANGUAGE ALERT (from crowd)** You might remember this woman from the video earlier this week explaining the statue. pic.twitter.com/s3hlirR6nF — Robert Donachie (@RJDonachie3) June 26, 2020
So did D.C. tour guide Don Folden, who’s also African-American:
Anyway, here’s Don Folden, a DC tour guide, making a case for keeping the statue. Glenn wouldn’t let him speak because he’s “old.” pic.twitter.com/7FiiXYXOwD — Nic Rowan (@NicXTempore) June 27, 2020
The Examiner describes the reaction on the scene to Folden’s speech:
As Folden spoke, Foster asked him to be quiet, saying that older people should have no say in black activism. “Last time I checked, this was my event,” Foster said… Foster then asked the crowd to put their hands in the air if they truly believed that black lives matter. Several journalists recording the event did not, provoking the ire of people in the crowd, who called them Nazis and sprayed them with squirt guns. Folden stepped in to escort the journalists away, and the crowd began shoving them. Police approached, and the event effectively ended.
Nothing says “woke” like assaulting journalists and older black people. Folden and a reenactor dressed as Frederick Douglass, who spoke at the statue’s dedication in 1876, tried to reason with one Jacobin and it went exactly as well as you’d suppose. Debating with religious fanatics is a fool’s errand:
“Why are you protecting it?!” BLM activist gets into a verbal exchange with an older black guy who was speaking up against tearing the statue down.#emancipationstatue pic.twitter.com/4crUOJhDFP — Sagnik Basu (@_sagnikbasu) June 27, 2020
Needless to say, the statue should stand. It honors one of America’s grandest moments, however “problematically.” It’s worth noting too that the posture of the freed slave was seen as cringy even at its debut, with Douglass reportedly moved to criticize it in his remarks at the dedication:
A Washington-area journalist who attended the event, John Wesley Cromwell, reported that Douglass himself offered an ad-lib critique of the statue during his address. “He was very clear and emphatic in saying that he did not like the attitude; it showed the Negro on his knees, when a more manly attitude would have been more indicative of freedom,” Cromwell wrote.
Lincoln himself disliked the idea of freed slaves kneeling in gratitude before him. After Richmond was finally captured by the Union in 1865, he visited and was greeted by some who stooped to kiss his feet. “Don’t kneel to me,” he told them. “That is not right. You must kneel to God only, and thank Him for the liberty you will afterward enjoy.” But as Cole said in her explanation, it’s open to interpretation whether the freed slave depicted in the statue is kneeling or rising to his feet from subjugation. And Douglass’s disapproval of the figure’s posture obviously didn’t stop him from sanctioning the monument.
This isn’t the only statue of Lincoln in the crosshairs of the woke brigades, by the way. For all the chatter this week devoted to this specific monument because of the freed slave’s posture, there are other tributes to the Great Emancipator that are being targeted because he was, after all, a man of his time in his racial attitudes, never mind his actions to free African-Americans from bondage. Exit quotation: “He was also very publicly anti-Black. Just because he was anti-slavery doesn’t mean he was pro-Black.”