hotair--2020-10-16--Romney: It's time for Trump and everyone else to stop coddling the cranks on their side

It ’ s easy to read this statement as a pair with the one he put out a few days ago .
In the earlier one , he criticized both sides for the nastiness of their partisan rhetoric .
In today ’ s , he criticizes both for going too soft on the fringier reaches of their respective ideologies .
But I think there ’ s a difference .
The first statement , although nominally an indictment of both sides , felt like a criticism of Trump because it specifically exempted Joe Biden from the charge Romney was making .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s opponent , especially following the kidnapping plot against Gretchen Whitmer which Whitmer herself blamed on the president .
Today ’ s statement mentions Trump too , keying off of his comments at last night ’ s townhall , but I don ’ t think he ’ s the prime target .
I sense that Romney ’ s looking ahead here , past the Trump presidency , and recognizing that his party has a problem .
Anyway , his tweet doesn ’ t include the word “ QAnon ” but that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about .
Here ’ s what Trump said to Savannah Guthrie : That was bad but it ’ s not news to Romney or anyone else that Trump can ’ t help but speak warmly of people who speak warmly of him .
If the GOP ’ s QAnon problem were just a Trump problem , then , well , that problem would appear likely to be solved 18 days from now .
What I suspect is bugging Romney is the repulsive spectacle of “ respectable ” Republican Kelly Loeffler cuddling up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia .
Loeffler is a country-club business-class Republican just like Romney ; she donated big , big money to his 2012 campaign and wasn ’ t nearly as generous to Trump four years later .
She was appointed to her Senate seat by Brian Kemp precisely because it was thought she ’ d appeal to the educated voters in the suburbs , particularly professional women , who ’ ve been voting Democratic lately .
But when Trump sycophant Doug Collins jumped into Georgia ’ s Senate race this year , Loeffler was terrified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote and beat her .
So she went all in on the dumbest , most low-rent populist messaging she could muster , to the point where one of her campaign ads seemed to parody her own strategy .
The culmination of that strategy was earning Greene ’ s endorsement yesterday .
For Romney , it ’ s probably one thing for a conspiratorial loose cannon like Trump to go mushy on cranks .
But to see Loeffler do it because she thinks she ’ ll benefit from it politically is a tremendously ominous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more ominous than nominating Trump four years ago .
With Trump , after all , the outrageous stuff at least came packaged with some defensible populist policy proposals .
With Q , it ’ s just crankery for the sake of crankery .
The party ’ s drift towards viewing QAnon cultists as some semi-legit part of the coalition , replete with competing for their endorsement , is what he ’ s truly worried about , not Trump .
And you know what ?
He should be .
Republicans are starting to with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party in Congress , and some have started reaching out to these believers .
At least one sitting GOP member of Congress has appeared on programs that promote QAnon content , and even more candidates have gone to these networks to appeal for money .
Major Republicans and ambassadors of the Trump orbit have appeared at events with QAnon adherents , and most notably , none has withdrawn endorsements of candidates specifically because of their affinity with QAnon — though they did make a point of withdrawing their endorsement of Marjorie Taylor Greene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In effect , QAnon has become a voter bloc within the MAGA-fied version of the Republican Party .
As the official networks housing Q theories get taken down — platforms shutting down groups , Twitter cracking down on hashtags — the QAnon movement has found a home inside the MAGA movement .
Whether this is a marriage of love or of convenience depends on how you look at it .
“ This seems to sum up the Republican strategy : Don ’ t criticize the QAnon movement because the movement is useful to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said one critic to Politico , taking the “ convenience ” view .
But the same story notes that more than one poll recently has shown ~40 percent of Republicans say that the basic tenets of the Q conspiracy theory are true or that QAnon is at least “ somewhat ” good for America .
Business Insider has noticed that subjects that are central to the Q mythology have increasingly crept into Republican attack ads and social media content from right-wing “ influencers ” over time : In recent months Republican politicians have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seizing on bizarre and wildly misleading accusations of child endangerment , falsely painting several Democratic politicians as pedophiles or accusing them of lobbying on behalf of sex criminals… Insider ’ s analysis found that QAnon motifs were not major talking points for Republicans when “ Q ” first emerged on 4chan in late 2017 , but have picked up steady traction over the past two years .
Forty-five percent of the accounts that Insider analyzed had published tweets trading in subject matter associated with QAnon ; these included the accounts of dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ QAnon and child sex-trafficking most frequently were conservative influencers and congressional candidates with a documented interest in the conspiracy theory , topped by One America News Network reporter Jack Posobiec — the most prolific tweeter overall — Marjorie Taylor Greene , Charlie Kirk , Erin Cruz , and Donald Trump Jr .
Right now McConnell and his caucus are busily laying the groundwork for a pivot back to small-government conservatism if/when Biden is elected , believing that they ’ ll have extra credibility in resuming that posture next year if they can kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kelly Loeffler and Doug Collins weren ’ t courting Marjorie Taylor Greene because she ’ s a renowned critic of federal spending .
They were courting here because she has sway with the sort of right-wing populist voters whose interest in culture war has turned so malignant that they ’ ve had to concoct a fantasy about Satanic Democrats killing children and drinking their blood to scratch their itch .
They ’ re the political equivalent of men who ’ ve watched so much porn that they ’ re now inured to all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Complaints about “ cancel culture ” and Section 230 just won ’ t get them off anymore .
It ’ s Hillary Clinton ’ s baby-eating cabal or bust .
That ’ s the vote Loeffler ’ s after and that ’ s what Romney ’ s fretting about , quite rightly .
And it ’ s all going to get worse before it gets better .

It’s easy to read this statement as a pair with the one he put out a few days ago. In the earlier one, he criticized both sides for the nastiness of their partisan rhetoric. In today’s, he criticizes both for going too soft on the fringier reaches of their respective ideologies.
But I think there’s a difference. The first statement, although nominally an indictment of both sides, felt like a criticism of Trump because it specifically exempted Joe Biden from the charge Romney was making. It read like an indirect endorsement of Trump’s opponent, especially following the kidnapping plot against Gretchen Whitmer which Whitmer herself blamed on the president.
Today’s statement mentions Trump too, keying off of his comments at last night’s townhall, but I don’t think he’s the prime target. I sense that Romney’s looking ahead here, past the Trump presidency, and recognizing that his party has a problem.
“Supremicists”?
Anyway, his tweet doesn’t include the word “QAnon” but that’s what he’s worried about. Here’s what Trump said to Savannah Guthrie:
Here’s video of Trump refusing to denounce QAnon at the NBC town hall pic.twitter.com/BmSHGYSlxO — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2020
That was bad but it’s not news to Romney or anyone else that Trump can’t help but speak warmly of people who speak warmly of him. If the GOP’s QAnon problem were just a Trump problem, then, well, that problem would appear likely to be solved 18 days from now.
What I suspect is bugging Romney is the repulsive spectacle of “respectable” Republican Kelly Loeffler cuddling up to supposedly former QAnoner Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia. Loeffler is a country-club business-class Republican just like Romney; she donated big, big money to his 2012 campaign and wasn’t nearly as generous to Trump four years later. She was appointed to her Senate seat by Brian Kemp precisely because it was thought she’d appeal to the educated voters in the suburbs, particularly professional women, who’ve been voting Democratic lately. But when Trump sycophant Doug Collins jumped into Georgia’s Senate race this year, Loeffler was terrified that he’d consolidate the populist vote and beat her. So she went all in on the dumbest, most low-rent populist messaging she could muster, to the point where one of her campaign ads seemed to parody her own strategy.
The culmination of that strategy was earning Greene’s endorsement yesterday. For Romney, it’s probably one thing for a conspiratorial loose cannon like Trump to go mushy on cranks. But to see Loeffler do it because she thinks she’ll benefit from it politically is a tremendously ominous sign for the GOP, possibly even more ominous than nominating Trump four years ago. With Trump, after all, the outrageous stuff at least came packaged with some defensible populist policy proposals. With Q, it’s just crankery for the sake of crankery.
The party’s drift towards viewing QAnon cultists as some semi-legit part of the coalition, replete with competing for their endorsement, is what he’s truly worried about, not Trump. And you know what? He should be.
Republicans are starting to with deal with potential QAnon adherents joining their party in Congress, and some have started reaching out to these believers. At least one sitting GOP member of Congress has appeared on programs that promote QAnon content, and even more candidates have gone to these networks to appeal for money. Major Republicans and ambassadors of the Trump orbit have appeared at events with QAnon adherents, and most notably, none has withdrawn endorsements of candidates specifically because of their affinity with QAnon — though they did make a point of withdrawing their endorsement of Marjorie Taylor Greene for her anti-semitic and racist statements. In effect, QAnon has become a voter bloc within the MAGA-fied version of the Republican Party. As the official networks housing Q theories get taken down — platforms shutting down groups, Twitter cracking down on hashtags — the QAnon movement has found a home inside the MAGA movement.
Whether this is a marriage of love or of convenience depends on how you look at it. “This seems to sum up the Republican strategy: Don’t criticize the QAnon movement because the movement is useful to Trump’s reelection prospects,” said one critic to Politico, taking the “convenience” view. But the same story notes that more than one poll recently has shown ~40 percent of Republicans say that the basic tenets of the Q conspiracy theory are true or that QAnon is at least “somewhat” good for America.
Business Insider has noticed that subjects that are central to the Q mythology have increasingly crept into Republican attack ads and social media content from right-wing “influencers” over time:
In recent months Republican politicians have attempted to reach voters like Coohill by seizing on bizarre and wildly misleading accusations of child endangerment, falsely painting several Democratic politicians as pedophiles or accusing them of lobbying on behalf of sex criminals… Insider’s analysis found that QAnon motifs were not major talking points for Republicans when “Q” first emerged on 4chan in late 2017, but have picked up steady traction over the past two years. Forty-five percent of the accounts that Insider analyzed had published tweets trading in subject matter associated with QAnon; these included the accounts of dozens of elected officials. Those who tweeted about QAnon and child sex-trafficking most frequently were conservative influencers and congressional candidates with a documented interest in the conspiracy theory, topped by One America News Network reporter Jack Posobiec — the most prolific tweeter overall — Marjorie Taylor Greene, Charlie Kirk, Erin Cruz, and Donald Trump Jr.
Right now McConnell and his caucus are busily laying the groundwork for a pivot back to small-government conservatism if/when Biden is elected, believing that they’ll have extra credibility in resuming that posture next year if they can kill a Trump/Pelosi stimulus deal now. But Kelly Loeffler and Doug Collins weren’t courting Marjorie Taylor Greene because she’s a renowned critic of federal spending. They were courting here because she has sway with the sort of right-wing populist voters whose interest in culture war has turned so malignant that they’ve had to concoct a fantasy about Satanic Democrats killing children and drinking their blood to scratch their itch. They’re the political equivalent of men who’ve watched so much porn that they’re now inured to all but the most insanely extreme stuff. Complaints about “cancel culture” and Section 230 just won’t get them off anymore. It’s Hillary Clinton’s baby-eating cabal or bust. That’s the vote Loeffler’s after and that’s what Romney’s fretting about, quite rightly.
And it’s all going to get worse before it gets better.
https://twitter.com/joshscampbell/status/1317202461522788355


hotair--2020-10-16--Report: Trump campaign manager pessimistic about election, sees three narrow paths to win

The bitter recriminations scheduled to begin on November 4 may start a little earlier than expected .
Seriously , though , there ’ s nothing in this Jonathan Swan report that ’ s all that surprising or damning .
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien is said to think defeat is likely ( “ It ’ s not a great feeling when you get the sense the campaign manager doesn ’ t deep down think we ’ re going to win ” ) , but what else is he supposed to think right now ?
He knows how to read a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s sources quote him as saying anything defeatist ; the most they have on him is a bland metaphor about trying to land a plane amid heavy turbulence .
The paths to victory imagined by Stepien aren ’ t that far-fetched either if the race tightens a bit and if , as some expect , there are more surprise Trump voters waiting in the wings this time than there were last time .
The newsiest bit is simply the fact that internal fingerpointing has already begun , with all fingers ultimately pointing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrowly all partisan energies will be devoted to making the case that he was cheated at the polls somehow .
But if he loses badly , much of that energy will be spent on intraparty bloodletting instead .
Trump versus his campaign , Trump versus the Senate GOP , Always Trumpers versus Never Trumpers , on and on .
Swan ’ s piece is an early warning that campaign aides will pin defeat on you-know-who .
“ A lot of this is the president himself , ” one adviser said .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t want to take the diagnosis.
” … Stepien ’ s defenders tell me the campaign sees several remaining paths to victory , and note that it ’ s hardly his fault when the president insists on actions like taking a joyride with the Secret Service while infected by COVID-19 .
They added that it ’ s also hardly Stepien ’ s fault that Trump continues to attack his public health officials and present views that are out of step with public opinion — such as his denigration of the basic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In terms of really changing the trajectory of the race , ” said one campaign source , “ there ’ s only one person , from either side , who can do that .
And that ’ s Trump.
” One interesting detail has to do with Stepien ’ s dilemma in how to spend Trump ’ s much-diminished war chest .
Biden outraised him again last month , $ 383 million to $ 248 million , and had $ 180 million more in cash on hand than Trump did at the start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how apocalyptic the Democrats ’ money advantage is , including in Senate races , read this .
The amounts look like typos where the decimal point is in the wrong place . )
Now should be the moment for Team Trump to decide on what its likeliest path to victory is , go all-in on spending in those states to maximize Trump ’ s chances there , and give up on the states they don ’ t need .
But according to Swan ’ s sources , Stepien ’ s afraid to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t cope with the reality that he ’ s unlikely to win certain battlegrounds this time that he won four years ago .
So instead of gambling on a single path to 270 and spending big on it , Stepien ’ s spreading some money around to longshot states like Minnesota which aren ’ t even part of the paths to victory he ’ s imagined .
How can this campaign be so dysfunctional that Stepien can ’ t sit Trump down and explain to him that refusing to give up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it more likely that he ’ ll lose the presidency ?
What path *does* Stepien see ?
Reportedly he ’ s telling aides that winning Georgia , Iowa , Florida , and Ohio will be the “ easy part.
” And you know what ?
I think he ’ s right .
Trump will win those four .
Iowa and Ohio were so red in 2016 that it ’ s hard to believe Biden can flip them now even though polling has them neck and neck .
And if Biden does manage to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t matter ; he ’ ll have wiped Trump out on the rest of the map .
( Question : If winning Iowa is the easy part , why did Stepien have Trump hold an event there a few days ago ? )
Georgia was close-ish in 2016 , tilting to Trump by five points , but everyone believes that a red southern state will ultimately stay with the incumbent .
And Florida is Florida .
Republicans have registered a bunch of new voters there and polling in recent cycles has consistently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s probably underestimating Trump again now .
I ’ d bet on him there too .
But then things get hairy .
According to Swan , Stepien sees these three paths for Trump to get to 270 , in order of likelihood : That last path is a long longshot because it would require Trump to flip a Hillary state from 2016 ( Nevada ) in an environment in which Biden has flipped three Trump states ( Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Arizona ) .
That ’ s hard to grok , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean he ’ s done well with Latinos , which would make nearby Nevada likely to stay blue .
The second path is a bit more likely , as Trump won all three of those states in 2016 .
But the numbers lately in Michigan are ugly .
A new poll out today from The Hill/HarrisX has Biden up 11 there , and the Democrat is now above 50 percent in the RCP average .
Even Trafalgar , Trump ’ s friendliest pollster , has the president hanging by a thread with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Biden leads by an average of just 4.0 points , and North Carolina is gettable , with Biden leading by just 2.7 points .
But Michigan doesn ’ t look very gettable today at 7.2 points .
And unlike in 2016 , there ’ s a lot of high-quality polling happening there this year .
Trafalgar would have to be right and a lot of skilled outfits would have to be not just wrong but wildly wrong to make the second path happen .
Which leaves the first path : Pennsylvania .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michigan today , with Biden up 5.6 points on average .
That ’ s probably too big of a margin to fully explain by a polling error , but if Trump can chip off a few points and make that a three-point race by Election Day , say ?
Sure , he ’ s got a shot .
So why doesn ’ t he cut the crap about Minnesota and Nevada and Wisconsin and Michigan and just go all-in on Pennsylvania with his remaining spending ?
Ride or die with PA.
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terms eventually with losing a 2016 state or two , at a minimum , to Biden .
Might as well do it now , when he can still benefit from it , than the day after the election .
Speaking of Trump allies being pessimistic about his chances , your exit quotation : “ [ Rupert ] Murdoch , known for speaking freely among associates and family members , has said on several occasions he thinks Mr. Biden is likely to win the presidency , the person said .
He has used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

The bitter recriminations scheduled to begin on November 4 may start a little earlier than expected.
Seriously, though, there’s nothing in this Jonathan Swan report that’s all that surprising or damning. Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien is said to think defeat is likely (“It’s not a great feeling when you get the sense the campaign manager doesn’t deep down think we’re going to win”), but what else is he supposed to think right now? He knows how to read a poll. Still, none of Swan’s sources quote him as saying anything defeatist; the most they have on him is a bland metaphor about trying to land a plane amid heavy turbulence.
The paths to victory imagined by Stepien aren’t that far-fetched either if the race tightens a bit and if, as some expect, there are more surprise Trump voters waiting in the wings this time than there were last time.
The newsiest bit is simply the fact that internal fingerpointing has already begun, with all fingers ultimately pointing back at Trump. If he loses narrowly all partisan energies will be devoted to making the case that he was cheated at the polls somehow. But if he loses badly, much of that energy will be spent on intraparty bloodletting instead. Trump versus his campaign, Trump versus the Senate GOP, Always Trumpers versus Never Trumpers, on and on. Swan’s piece is an early warning that campaign aides will pin defeat on you-know-who.
“A lot of this is the president himself,” one adviser said. “You can’t heal a patient who doesn’t want to take the diagnosis.”… Stepien’s defenders tell me the campaign sees several remaining paths to victory, and note that it’s hardly his fault when the president insists on actions like taking a joyride with the Secret Service while infected by COVID-19. They added that it’s also hardly Stepien’s fault that Trump continues to attack his public health officials and present views that are out of step with public opinion — such as his denigration of the basic safety act of wearing a mask… “In terms of really changing the trajectory of the race,” said one campaign source, “there’s only one person, from either side, who can do that. And that’s Trump.”
One interesting detail has to do with Stepien’s dilemma in how to spend Trump’s much-diminished war chest. Biden outraised him again last month, $383 million to $248 million, and had $180 million more in cash on hand than Trump did at the start of October. (To fully grasp how apocalyptic the Democrats’ money advantage is, including in Senate races, read this. The amounts look like typos where the decimal point is in the wrong place.) Now should be the moment for Team Trump to decide on what its likeliest path to victory is, go all-in on spending in those states to maximize Trump’s chances there, and give up on the states they don’t need.
But according to Swan’s sources, Stepien’s afraid to do that because the boss’s ego can’t cope with the reality that he’s unlikely to win certain battlegrounds this time that he won four years ago. So instead of gambling on a single path to 270 and spending big on it, Stepien’s spreading some money around to longshot states like Minnesota which aren’t even part of the paths to victory he’s imagined.
How can this campaign be so dysfunctional that Stepien can’t sit Trump down and explain to him that refusing to give up on Minnesota — or Wisconsin — makes it more likely that he’ll lose the presidency?
What path *does* Stepien see? Reportedly he’s telling aides that winning Georgia, Iowa, Florida, and Ohio will be the “easy part.” And you know what? I think he’s right. Trump will win those four. Iowa and Ohio were so red in 2016 that it’s hard to believe Biden can flip them now even though polling has them neck and neck. And if Biden does manage to flip one or both, it won’t matter; he’ll have wiped Trump out on the rest of the map. (Question: If winning Iowa is the easy part, why did Stepien have Trump hold an event there a few days ago?) Georgia was close-ish in 2016, tilting to Trump by five points, but everyone believes that a red southern state will ultimately stay with the incumbent. And Florida is Florida. Republicans have registered a bunch of new voters there and polling in recent cycles has consistently underestimated the GOP’s strength. It’s probably underestimating Trump again now. I’d bet on him there too.
But then things get hairy. According to Swan, Stepien sees these three paths for Trump to get to 270, in order of likelihood:
1. Pennsylvania + North Carolina + Arizona
2. Michigan + North Carolina + Arizona
3. Michigan + North Carolina + Nevada
That last path is a long longshot because it would require Trump to flip a Hillary state from 2016 (Nevada) in an environment in which Biden has flipped three Trump states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona). That’s hard to grok, especially since Biden winning Arizona would probably mean he’s done well with Latinos, which would make nearby Nevada likely to stay blue.
The second path is a bit more likely, as Trump won all three of those states in 2016. But the numbers lately in Michigan are ugly. A new poll out today from The Hill/HarrisX has Biden up 11 there, and the Democrat is now above 50 percent in the RCP average. Even Trafalgar, Trump’s friendliest pollster, has the president hanging by a thread with a one-point lead. Arizona is gettable, as Biden leads by an average of just 4.0 points, and North Carolina is gettable, with Biden leading by just 2.7 points. But Michigan doesn’t look very gettable today at 7.2 points. And unlike in 2016, there’s a lot of high-quality polling happening there this year. Trafalgar would have to be right and a lot of skilled outfits would have to be not just wrong but wildly wrong to make the second path happen.
Which leaves the first path: Pennsylvania. It’s a little tighter than Michigan today, with Biden up 5.6 points on average. That’s probably too big of a margin to fully explain by a polling error, but if Trump can chip off a few points and make that a three-point race by Election Day, say? Sure, he’s got a shot.
So why doesn’t he cut the crap about Minnesota and Nevada and Wisconsin and Michigan and just go all-in on Pennsylvania with his remaining spending? Ride or die with PA. He’s going to have to come to terms eventually with losing a 2016 state or two, at a minimum, to Biden. Might as well do it now, when he can still benefit from it, than the day after the election.
Speaking of Trump allies being pessimistic about his chances, your exit quotation: “[Rupert] Murdoch, known for speaking freely among associates and family members, has said on several occasions he thinks Mr. Biden is likely to win the presidency, the person said. He has used the word ‘landslide’ in some instances.”


hotair--2020-10-16--Teacher beheaded in Paris after showing students Charlie Hebdo cartoons, suspect killed by police

Here we go again .
A high-school teacher in a Paris suburb was beheaded Friday .
Police were called in around 5 pm local time and quickly located the suspect .
The following is auto-translated from Le Monde newspaper : Police officers from the anti-crime squad were called in for a suspicious individual prowling the scene .
There , they discovered the victim , a history and geography teacher at the school .
After discovering the body , the police tried to arrest a man who threatened them with a knife in the nearby town of Eragny , and shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allah Akbar !
“ Before being shot .
His death was confirmed to the World by a judicial source .
A security perimeter was installed and the demining service called , due to a suspicion of an explosive vest .
Police quickly identified a possible motive for the attack .
The teacher had recently taught a lesson on freedom of expression during which he showed students one or more of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons : The victim , a teacher of history and geography , had been talking in class about freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which caused uproar among some Muslims when Charlie Hebdo published them .
Earlier this month , some Muslim parents complained to the school about the teacher ’ s decision to use one or more of the cartoons as part of a discussion about the Charlie Hebdo trial , French media report .
There has already been a claim of responsibility on Twitter but police still don ’ t know if the person who tweeted it is the person they shot today : A message claiming responsibility for the attack was posted on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the tragedy .
This account had , according to a judicial source in Le Monde , a kunya ( Muslim nickname ) of someone claiming to be Chechen .
At this stage , however , investigators are not yet able to say whether he was sent by the young man killed by the police .
The published message was addressed to “ Macron , the leader of the infidels ” , before continuing : “ I executed one of your hell dogs , who dared to belittle Mohammad ” .
Tonight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim taught and defended freedom of expression : “ One of our compatriots was murdered today because he was teaching pupils about freedom of expression , the freedom to believe or not believe , ” Mr Macron said .
“ Our compatriot was flagrantly attacked , was the victim of an Islamist terrorist attack… They won ’ t win… We will act .
Firmly , And quickly .
You can count on my determination.
” Minutes later he tweeted the short phrase “ Ils ne passeront pas ” , meaning : “ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of September , 14 people charged with providing aid and support to the killers in the deadly 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo ’ s offices were put on trial .
To mark the moment , Charlie Hebdo republished the cartoons which it hadn ’ t published since the attack .
The head of Charlie Hebdo ’ s HR department had to quickly abandon her apartment last month after receiving credible threats .
A few days later there was a knife attack near the tabloid ’ s offices .
In short , Islamic extremists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some cartoons and , as of today , are once again killing people in Paris over them .

Here we go again. A high-school teacher in a Paris suburb was beheaded Friday. Police were called in around 5 pm local time and quickly located the suspect. The following is auto-translated from Le Monde newspaper:
Police officers from the anti-crime squad were called in for a suspicious individual prowling the scene. There, they discovered the victim, a history and geography teacher at the school. After discovering the body, the police tried to arrest a man who threatened them with a knife in the nearby town of Eragny, and shot him. The man reportedly shouted “Allah Akbar! “ Before being shot. His death was confirmed to the World by a judicial source. A security perimeter was installed and the demining service called, due to a suspicion of an explosive vest.
Police quickly identified a possible motive for the attack. The teacher had recently taught a lesson on freedom of expression during which he showed students one or more of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons:
The victim, a teacher of history and geography, had been talking in class about freedom of expression in connection with the Muhammad cartoons, which caused uproar among some Muslims when Charlie Hebdo published them. Earlier this month, some Muslim parents complained to the school about the teacher’s decision to use one or more of the cartoons as part of a discussion about the Charlie Hebdo trial, French media report.
There has already been a claim of responsibility on Twitter but police still don’t know if the person who tweeted it is the person they shot today:
A message claiming responsibility for the attack was posted on a Twitter account on Friday night minutes after the tragedy. This account had, according to a judicial source in Le Monde , a kunya (Muslim nickname) of someone claiming to be Chechen. At this stage, however, investigators are not yet able to say whether he was sent by the young man killed by the police. The published message was addressed to “Macron, the leader of the infidels” , before continuing: “I executed one of your hell dogs, who dared to belittle Mohammad”.
Tonight, President Macron visited the school where the victim taught and defended freedom of expression:
“One of our compatriots was murdered today because he was teaching pupils about freedom of expression, the freedom to believe or not believe,” Mr Macron said. “Our compatriot was flagrantly attacked, was the victim of an Islamist terrorist attack… They won’t win… We will act. Firmly, And quickly. You can count on my determination.” Minutes later he tweeted the short phrase “Ils ne passeront pas”, meaning: “They will not pass.”
At the beginning of September, 14 people charged with providing aid and support to the killers in the deadly 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo’s offices were put on trial. To mark the moment, Charlie Hebdo republished the cartoons which it hadn’t published since the attack. The head of Charlie Hebdo’s HR department had to quickly abandon her apartment last month after receiving credible threats. A few days later there was a knife attack near the tabloid’s offices. In short, Islamic extremists have once again been stirred up by some cartoons and, as of today, are once again killing people in Paris over them.


hotair--2020-10-16--Flirty Biden voter to Trump: "You're so handsome when you smile"

A truly unexpected moment happened during the Trump town hall on NBC Thursday night .
A woman identified by Savannah Guthrie as a registered Republican who is leaning toward voting for Joe Biden this election stood up and paid a compliment to President Trump before asking a serious question .
She gushed , actually , and kind of giggled .
“ I have to say , you have a great smile , ” Dale told the president .
“ You ’ re so handsome when you smile.
” The president smiled and thanked her and some in the audience clapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re so handsome when you smile.
” She sounds like a true Trump fan , right ?
Nope .
She ’ s not .
Despite her schoolgirl behavior as she began to speak , she is a Biden voter .
Maybe she was just nervous about posing a question to the most powerful man on earth but after Savannah Guthrie introduced Paulette Dean as a registered Republican “ leaning ” toward voting for Biden , her unprompted compliment was odd .
She went on to ask a good question about DACA and immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to do a solo performance of a good cop/bad cop interrogation but she was too pleasant , frankly , to pull it off .
So , the audience was left thinking that maybe she was swayed by their interaction and Ms. Dale decided to go ahead and vote for Biden .
Again , nope .
She ’ s still voting for Biden .
I don ’ t want to dog the woman for gushing .
If she hadn ’ t gone so overboard with such a personal statement , her remark could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin the exchange as she said hello to him .
But , c ’ mon .
That was weird .
I do think it was a nervous reaction on her part .
As I said , she asked a good question which Savannah Guthrie did not ask about – immigration .
She is a former college professor and she is a member of a focus group in Miami so she is used to speaking to people and engaging in serious discussions .
Her question specifically about DACA was rooted in her concern for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose her for her question about DACA .
A former resident of Miami , Dale now lives in Palm Beach County in the town of Highland Beach .
After 35 years as a professor at Miami Dade College , she retired about a decade ago .
Dale said her big television appearance was fairly last-minute .
For years , she has been a part of a focus group called Ask Miami , and on Wednesday she responded to a questionnaire for voters interested in posing a question to Trump or Biden .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone at NBC who said they liked a question she submitted for Trump about DACA .
At the town hall , Dale described having grandparents from Russia and Poland .
“ As the daughter of immigrants to the United States who fled Eastern Europe due to religious persecution , the United States ’ immigration policies are very personal for me , ” she said .
“ Surveys show that most Americans and the majority of Republicans support the Dreamers program .
So my question for you , Mr. President , is : If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , do you expect to pursue your previous efforts to cut the DACA program ?
” She indicated she was satisfied with Trump ’ s response .
It just wasn ’ t enough to change her mind about her vote .
“ We are working very hard on the DACA program and you will be , I think , very happy over the course of the next year , because I feel the same way that you do about it , ” the president assured Dale .
Dale said she was pleased with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wouldn ’ t be enough to sway her vote .
She plans to vote for Biden during Florida ’ s early-voting period , which begins on Monday .
Dale said she asked about immigration based partly on her experience at Miami Dade College .
She said many of her students were Dreamers , and she worries about their future under Trump .
“ I know these kids are the cream of the crop and are so worthy , and I was very concerned that the rug would be pulled out from under them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” she said .
She also submitted a question about climate change because she doesn ’ t think Trump “ believes in science.
” People reacting to Ms. Dale on Twitter hope that Allison Janey is cast as her on SNL .
Most of all , Ms. Dale proves my point that there are really no undecided voters out there .
It would have been more honest for her to have been introduced as a Biden voter , not someone leaning toward voting for status quo Joe .
Ms. Dale sounds like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama/Biden .
She sounds as though she wants open borders and climate change agreements that hurt the American economy and are not enforceable on the world stage .
After the debate , Ms. Dean came clean about her decision to vote for Biden .
She was satisfied with her exchange with Trump but no matter what he says , she ’ ll still vote for Biden .
She is not an undecided voter leaning toward Biden .
She has decided to vote for Biden .
Oh yeah , she voted for Hillary in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , is Ms. Dale really a registered Republican ?
Maybe she wishes Hillary had smiled more .
Surely that would have gotten her elected , right ?
Yeah , no .

A truly unexpected moment happened during the Trump town hall on NBC Thursday night. A woman identified by Savannah Guthrie as a registered Republican who is leaning toward voting for Joe Biden this election stood up and paid a compliment to President Trump before asking a serious question. She gushed, actually, and kind of giggled.
“I have to say, you have a great smile,” Dale told the president. “You’re so handsome when you smile.” The president smiled and thanked her and some in the audience clapped. “He does. You’re so handsome when you smile.”
“You're so handsome when you smile.” pic.twitter.com/xvrupGUhqd — Vince Coglianese (@VinceCoglianese) October 16, 2020
She sounds like a true Trump fan, right? Nope. She’s not. Despite her schoolgirl behavior as she began to speak, she is a Biden voter. Maybe she was just nervous about posing a question to the most powerful man on earth but after Savannah Guthrie introduced Paulette Dean as a registered Republican “leaning” toward voting for Biden, her unprompted compliment was odd. She went on to ask a good question about DACA and immigration. It almost looked like she was trying to do a solo performance of a good cop/bad cop interrogation but she was too pleasant, frankly, to pull it off. So, the audience was left thinking that maybe she was swayed by their interaction and Ms. Dale decided to go ahead and vote for Biden. Again, nope. She’s still voting for Biden.
I don’t want to dog the woman for gushing. If she hadn’t gone so overboard with such a personal statement, her remark could have sounded like a pleasant way to begin the exchange as she said hello to him. But, c’mon. That was weird. I do think it was a nervous reaction on her part. As I said, she asked a good question which Savannah Guthrie did not ask about – immigration. She is a former college professor and she is a member of a focus group in Miami so she is used to speaking to people and engaging in serious discussions. Her question specifically about DACA was rooted in her concern for students, she said later. NBC chose her for her question about DACA.
A former resident of Miami, Dale now lives in Palm Beach County in the town of Highland Beach. After 35 years as a professor at Miami Dade College, she retired about a decade ago. Dale said her big television appearance was fairly last-minute. For years, she has been a part of a focus group called Ask Miami, and on Wednesday she responded to a questionnaire for voters interested in posing a question to Trump or Biden. She said she was contacted hours later by someone at NBC who said they liked a question she submitted for Trump about DACA. At the town hall, Dale described having grandparents from Russia and Poland. “As the daughter of immigrants to the United States who fled Eastern Europe due to religious persecution, the United States’ immigration policies are very personal for me,” she said. “Surveys show that most Americans and the majority of Republicans support the Dreamers program. So my question for you, Mr. President, is: If you are elected to a second term, do you expect to pursue your previous efforts to cut the DACA program?”
She indicated she was satisfied with Trump’s response. It just wasn’t enough to change her mind about her vote.
“We are working very hard on the DACA program and you will be, I think, very happy over the course of the next year, because I feel the same way that you do about it,” the president assured Dale. Dale said she was pleased with Trump’s response, but it wouldn’t be enough to sway her vote. She plans to vote for Biden during Florida’s early-voting period, which begins on Monday. Dale said she asked about immigration based partly on her experience at Miami Dade College. She said many of her students were Dreamers, and she worries about their future under Trump. “I know these kids are the cream of the crop and are so worthy, and I was very concerned that the rug would be pulled out from under them and they would be sent back,” she said.
She also submitted a question about climate change because she doesn’t think Trump “believes in science.”
“He’s very combative and he doesn’t believe in science, and that’s a big concern to me,” she said. “And by his own words, he knows more than the [military] generals, knows more than the public-health experts, knows more than anybody. I believe Joe Biden will listen to the experts.”
People reacting to Ms. Dale on Twitter hope that Allison Janey is cast as her on SNL.
Please God! Tell me @AllisonBJanney will play Paulette Dale this week on @SNL??? 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/gXLcdEgymh — Bryant (@BryantMartinTx) October 16, 2020
Most of all, Ms. Dale proves my point that there are really no undecided voters out there. It would have been more honest for her to have been introduced as a Biden voter, not someone leaning toward voting for status quo Joe. Ms. Dale sounds like a Democrat who longs for the days of Obama/Biden. She sounds as though she wants open borders and climate change agreements that hurt the American economy and are not enforceable on the world stage.
Mr waiter, I’ll have a double pork stuffed lobster with a bowl of gravy. – Paulette Dale, Leaning Vegetarian pic.twitter.com/OhJ5jr7zw2 — raf (@rafaelshimunov) October 16, 2020
After the debate, Ms. Dean came clean about her decision to vote for Biden.
The woman who told Trump that he was handsome and had a great smile is apparently voting for…Joe Biden. “I wish he would smile more and talk less,” she said of Trump. “I think the man has a nice smile. However, I’m not a fan."https://t.co/RYxRG6O7RW — Matt Viser (@mviser) October 16, 2020
“I wish he would smile more and talk less,” she quipped. Asked to elaborate, Dale said the president “steps in it every time he opens his mouth.” “I think the man has a nice smile. However, I’m not a fan,” she further clarified.
She was satisfied with her exchange with Trump but no matter what he says, she’ll still vote for Biden. She is not an undecided voter leaning toward Biden. She has decided to vote for Biden. Oh yeah, she voted for Hillary in 2016. At this point the question is, is Ms. Dale really a registered Republican?
Maybe she wishes Hillary had smiled more. Surely that would have gotten her elected, right? Yeah, no.


hotair--2020-10-16--Mayor reacts to San Francisco's plan to rename schools named for Lincoln, Washington: How about a pl

Mayor reacts to San Francisco's plan to rename schools named for Lincoln, Washington: How about a plan to open schools instead

In the midst of a pandemic and with most public schools still closed to students , San Francisco has announced plans to rename about a third of its schools .
The schools being renamed include several named for former U.S. Presidents including Abraham Lincoln and George Washington : A third of San Francisco public schools could see their names changed as officials push to replace “ inappropriate ” ones honoring presidents , writers , generals and even Sen. Dianne Feinstein… Those names on the school buildings , including Lincoln , Washington and Jefferson , that have connections to slavery , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a committee recommendation heading to the school board… The principal of Commodore Sloat , Fowzigiah Abdolcader , notified parents Wednesday of the need to come up with a new name , because John D. Sloat was a colonizer who “ claimed/stole ” California from Mexico , according to the committee… [ Dianne Feinstein Elementary ] made the list because , as mayor in 1986 , Feinstein reportedly replaced a vandalized Confederate flag , one of several historic flags flying in front of City Hall at the time .
Putting aside that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ names of former U.S. presidents off public schools , some parents were just amazed that the school board had time for this in the midst of the pandemic : “ Principals are devoting resources to this , ” said parent Jonathan Alloy , whose children attend Commodore Sloat , one of the schools on the list .
“ We ’ re being presented with it as a fait accompli.
” … “ We ’ re not actually helping disadvantaged children by changing the name of the school they can ’ t attend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London Breed issued a statement joining with those parents and calling the focus on renaming schools “ offensive.
” Here ’ s what Mayor Breed said : Schools have been allowed to open in San Francisco under public health orders issued at the beginning of September and while many private schools are open today , our public schools have still not yet made a firm plan to open .
Parents are frustrated and looking for answers .
The achievement gap is widening as our public schools kids are falling further behind every single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be made , but the School District and the Board of Education need to do what needs to be done to get our kids back in school .
And now , in the midst of this once in a century challenge , to hear that the District is focusing energy and resources on renaming schools — schools that they haven ’ t even opened — is offensive .
It ’ s offensive to parents who are juggling their children ’ s daily at-home learning schedules with doing their own jobs and maintaining their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me as someone who went to our public schools , who loves our public schools , and who knows how those years in the classroom are what lifted me out of poverty and into college .
It ’ s offensive to our kids who are staring at screens day after day instead of learning and growing with their classmates and friends .
Look , I believe in equity .
It ’ s at the forefront of my administration and we ’ ve made historic investments to address the systemic racism confronting our city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t in school is what ’ s driving inequity in our City .
Not the name of a school .
We are in a pandemic right now that is forcing us all to prioritize what truly matters .
Conversations around school names can be had once the critical work of educating our young people in person is underway .
Once that is happening , then we can talk about everything else .
Until those doors are open , the School Board and the District should be focused on getting our kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a good statement as far as it goes .
San Francisco shouldn ’ t be wasting time on this while kids are stuck at home .
I wish she ’ d go further and say that the contributions of George Washington , Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln to our nation ’ s history deserve recognition as well as criticism .
Even poor Dianne Feinstein deserves more respect then she is getting from the panel making these calls .
This is the elevation of woke ideology above all else .
It might make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lincoln ’ s name off a high school isn ’ t going to improve test scores .
Update : I meant to include this above .
The best evidence right now is that schools do not add to the spread of the coronavirus .
Public schools need to reopen everywhere next semester .
The plan to accomplish that is what the San Francisco school board should be spending its time on .

In the midst of a pandemic and with most public schools still closed to students, San Francisco has announced plans to rename about a third of its schools. The schools being renamed include several named for former U.S. Presidents including Abraham Lincoln and George Washington:
A third of San Francisco public schools could see their names changed as officials push to replace “inappropriate” ones honoring presidents, writers, generals and even Sen. Dianne Feinstein… Those names on the school buildings, including Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson, that have connections to slavery, genocide or oppression should be changed, according to a committee recommendation heading to the school board… The principal of Commodore Sloat, Fowzigiah Abdolcader, notified parents Wednesday of the need to come up with a new name, because John D. Sloat was a colonizer who “claimed/stole” California from Mexico, according to the committee… [Dianne Feinstein Elementary] made the list because, as mayor in 1986, Feinstein reportedly replaced a vandalized Confederate flag, one of several historic flags flying in front of City Hall at the time.
Putting aside that we’re talking about taking the names of former U.S. presidents off public schools, some parents were just amazed that the school board had time for this in the midst of the pandemic:
“Principals are devoting resources to this,” said parent Jonathan Alloy, whose children attend Commodore Sloat, one of the schools on the list. “We’re being presented with it as a fait accompli.”… “We’re not actually helping disadvantaged children by changing the name of the school they can’t attend,” he said.
Today, Mayor London Breed issued a statement joining with those parents and calling the focus on renaming schools “offensive.” Here’s what Mayor Breed said:
Schools have been allowed to open in San Francisco under public health orders issued at the beginning of September and while many private schools are open today, our public schools have still not yet made a firm plan to open. Parents are frustrated and looking for answers. The achievement gap is widening as our public schools kids are falling further behind every single day…I know there are tough choices to be made, but the School District and the Board of Education need to do what needs to be done to get our kids back in school. And now, in the midst of this once in a century challenge, to hear that the District is focusing energy and resources on renaming schools — schools that they haven’t even opened — is offensive. It’s offensive to parents who are juggling their children’s daily at-home learning schedules with doing their own jobs and maintaining their sanity. It’s offensive to me as someone who went to our public schools, who loves our public schools, and who knows how those years in the classroom are what lifted me out of poverty and into college. It’s offensive to our kids who are staring at screens day after day instead of learning and growing with their classmates and friends. Look, I believe in equity. It’s at the forefront of my administration and we’ve made historic investments to address the systemic racism confronting our city. But the fact that our kids aren’t in school is what’s driving inequity in our City. Not the name of a school. We are in a pandemic right now that is forcing us all to prioritize what truly matters. Conversations around school names can be had once the critical work of educating our young people in person is underway. Once that is happening, then we can talk about everything else. Until those doors are open, the School Board and the District should be focused on getting our kids back in the classroom.”
It’s a good statement as far as it goes. San Francisco shouldn’t be wasting time on this while kids are stuck at home. I wish she’d go further and say that the contributions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln to our nation’s history deserve recognition as well as criticism. Even poor Dianne Feinstein deserves more respect then she is getting from the panel making these calls. This is the elevation of woke ideology above all else. It might make a few parents feel good but taking Lincoln’s name off a high school isn’t going to improve test scores.
Update: I meant to include this above. The best evidence right now is that schools do not add to the spread of the coronavirus.
Thousands of students and teachers have become sick with the coronavirus since schools began opening last month, but public health experts have found little evidence that the virus is spreading inside buildings, and the rates of infection are far below what is found in the surrounding communities.
This early evidence, experts say, suggests that opening schools may not be as risky as many have feared and could guide administrators as they chart the rest of what is already an unprecedented school year.
Public schools need to reopen everywhere next semester. The plan to accomplish that is what the San Francisco school board should be spending its time on.


hotair--2020-10-16--Biden's pledge: Trust me, "you will not hear me race-baiting"

Oh , please .
Remember when he told a largely black audience in August 2012 that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would “ put y ’ all back in chains ” ?
Afterward , Biden and Barack Obama claimed Biden meant it financially , but it didn ’ t convince fellow Democrat Rep. Charlie Rangel .
“ Was he talking about slavery ?
You bet your ass he was , ” Rangel told Perez Notes .
“ Was he using the vernacular ?
Yes , he was .
Did he think it was cute ?
Yes , he did .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ You bet your life it was stupid.
” Well , maybe Biden learned a lesson from it .
Just five months ago , though , race-baiting was still a Biden strategy : “ Well I tell you what , ” Biden told Charlamagne Tha God , “ if you have a problem figuring out whether you ’ re for me or Trump , then you ain ’ t black.
” Team Biden tried claiming later that it was a joke , but Charlamagne wasn ’ t laughing .
That moment stuck so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s town hall on ABC News .
Joe Biden ’ s team clipped this exchange last night , but they left out the biting question that far preceded it , emphasis mine : HUMPHREY : Many people believe that the true swing demographic in this election will be black voters under the age of 30 .
Not because they ’ ll be voting for Trump , but because they won ’ t vote at all .
I myself have had this exact same conflict .
So , my question for you then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black , what do you have to say to young black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that continually fails to not protect them ?
Biden never did address that race-baiting quip , but later replied to another question that voters could rest assured that he was all about “ trying to unify ” : But it ’ s the thing that ’ s motivated — my dad used to have an expression , for real .
He said , “ Everyone is entitled to be treated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was real .
Everybody is .
And so , whether I ’ m a defeated candidate for president back teaching , or I ’ m elected president , it is a major element of everything that I ’ m about , because it reflects who we are as a nation .
And it ’ s what makes us — this is — every single solitary generation , the dial has moved closer and closer and more and more to inclusion .
And we are a country that is a country of slaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indigenous people , and everyone else is an immigrant .
And we ’ re a diverse country .
Unless we are able to treat people equally , we ’ re — we ’ re just never going to meet our potential .
But I think the American people want to see that happen .
I think they ’ re ready to see that happen .
And I ’ ll tell you one thing .
If I ’ m elected president , you will not hear my race-baiting and you ’ ll not hear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( inaudible ) trying to unify .
And unify with — bring people together .
That would be a nice change , but Biden ’ s long history with race-baiting attacks — some of which in his earlier career ran the other direction — doesn ’ t provide much of a basis for trust that he ’ d deliver .
And while Donald Trump was being asked again to denounce white supremacy again by Savannah Guthrie , what did George Stephanopoulos do to follow up on these points with Biden ?
Here are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instances :

Oh, please. Remember when he told a largely black audience in August 2012 that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would “put y’all back in chains”?
Afterward, Biden and Barack Obama claimed Biden meant it financially, but it didn’t convince fellow Democrat Rep. Charlie Rangel. “Was he talking about slavery? You bet your ass he was,” Rangel told Perez Notes. “Was he using the vernacular? Yes, he was. Did he think it was cute? Yes, he did. Was it something stupid to say? You bet your life it was stupid.”
Well, maybe Biden learned a lesson from it. Just five months ago, though, race-baiting was still a Biden strategy:
“Well I tell you what,” Biden told Charlamagne Tha God, “if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.” Team Biden tried claiming later that it was a joke, but Charlamagne wasn’t laughing.
That moment stuck so much that it came up in last night’s town hall on ABC News. Joe Biden’s team clipped this exchange last night, but they left out the biting question that far preceded it, emphasis mine:
HUMPHREY: Many people believe that the true swing demographic in this election will be black voters under the age of 30. Not because they’ll be voting for Trump, but because they won’t vote at all. I myself have had this exact same conflict. So, my question for you then is, besides you ain’t black, what do you have to say to young black voters who see voting for you as further participation in a system that continually fails to not protect them?
Biden never did address that race-baiting quip, but later replied to another question that voters could rest assured that he was all about “trying to unify”:
If I'm elected president, you won't hear me race-baiting, you won't hear me dividing — you'll hear me trying to unify. pic.twitter.com/PNsBW8OQmX — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 16, 2020
But it’s the thing that’s motivated — my dad used to have an expression, for real. He said, “Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity,” everybody. And it was real. Everybody is. And so, whether I’m a defeated candidate for president back teaching, or I’m elected president, it is a major element of everything that I’m about, because it reflects who we are as a nation. And it’s what makes us — this is — every single solitary generation, the dial has moved closer and closer and more and more to inclusion. And we are a country that is a country of slaves who came here 400 years ago, indigenous people, and everyone else is an immigrant. And we’re a diverse country. Unless we are able to treat people equally, we’re — we’re just never going to meet our potential. But I think the American people want to see that happen. I think they’re ready to see that happen. And I’ll tell you one thing. If I’m elected president, you will not hear my race-baiting and you’ll not hear me dividing you. I’m (inaudible) trying to unify. And unify with — bring people together.
That would be a nice change, but Biden’s long history with race-baiting attacks — some of which in his earlier career ran the other direction — doesn’t provide much of a basis for trust that he’d deliver.
And while Donald Trump was being asked again to denounce white supremacy again by Savannah Guthrie, what did George Stephanopoulos do to follow up on these points with Biden? Here are the follow-up questions Stephanopoulos asked in both instances:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Cedric? (CROSSTALK) I said did you hear what you needed to hear? … STEPHANOPOULOS: Mr. Vice President, if you lose, what will that say to you about where America is today?
Tough, George, mighty tough.


hotair--2020-10-16--Biden won the townhall TV ratings race with Trump?

This is going to bug him more than losing the election will .
He ’ s the biggest star in the world .
And TV is his turf , not Biden ’ s .
Whatever you think of Sleepy Joe as a person and a politician , he doesn ’ t make for compelling viewing .
Plus , the inevitable cries from Trump that he was cheated will be harder to sell in this case than on election night .
If he loses the vote by 10 points , he can point to ballot irregularities here and there as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victim of massive fraud , or return to the tried-and-true “ eight million illegal aliens secretly voted ” excuse .
But if he ’ s lost the ratings war , what ’ s the play ?
Claim that Nielsen has been infiltrated by Antifa ?
The reason Trump opted for a townhall on NBC , I thought , was because he knew that it would also be carried on their sister networks , MSNBC and CNBC .
That seemed to guarantee that he would draw a larger audience than Biden , who ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ABC .
And drawing a larger audience is of the utmost importance to the president : There is some humiliation happening this afternoon , but not at Biden ’ s expense .
CNN says he won the night : Joe Biden ’ s town hall on ABC averaged 13.9 million viewers on Thursday night , easily surpassing the Nielsen ratings for President Trump ’ s town hall on NBC .
That alone was a result virtually no one in the TV business expected .
And that ’ s not even the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10.6 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network .
On MSNBC , Trump reached 1.74 million viewers , and on CNBC , about 671,000 viewers .
So Trump ’ s gross audience across the three channels was 13 million , about one million fewer than Biden ’ s audience on ABC alone .
Staffers at ABC News privately admitted to their surprise when the preliminary ratings came in on Friday .
“ In terms of the fast national 18-49 demographic , Biden is comfortably on top with a 2.6 rating to Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the early numbers .
So , who ’ s getting fired from the campaign ?
Bill Stepien ?
Everyone ?
There are two obvious possibilities to explain Biden ’ s ratings triumph , however unlikely it may have seemed a few hours ago .
One is that Trump ’ s act is simply played out after five long years .
Dan Foster made me laugh with this : “ The Walking Dead ” might be the only show on television more predictable than a Trump interview .
The other possibility , not exclusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are watching the polls , realize who ’ s likely to be in charge on January 21 , and figured it ’ s time to start paying a little attention to that guy .
Biden ’ s campaign spokesman put it this way : Whichever theory you favor , the takeaway is clear .
We appear to be approaching the “ Puppet Show and Donald Trump ” phase of the MAGA saga .
I ’ ll give you another pair of interesting numbers in closing .
First , YouGov seems to have anticipated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polling data it gathered overnight .
Fifteen percent of registered voters said that they watched parts of both townhalls , but an additional 17 percent said they watched Biden ’ s exclusively while just 14 percent said they watched Trump ’ s exclusively .
More independents watched Biden than Trump too .
And Sleepy Joe seems to have made a good impression , with 50 percent overall saying they came away with at least a somewhat more favorable view of him versus 39 percent who said the same of Trump .
Second , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people who watched each event is much larger than even the largest cable news shows ( e.g.
, Tucker Carlson drew around 5.5 million last night ) , it ’ s a small fraction of what a debate would have drawn .
The first Trump/Biden showdown brought in 73 million viewers , or roughly two and a half times the *combined* audience for last night ’ s townhall .
Trump shouldn ’ t have backed out of the second debate when it went virtual .

This is going to bug him more than losing the election will.
He’s the biggest star in the world. And TV is his turf, not Biden’s. Whatever you think of Sleepy Joe as a person and a politician, he doesn’t make for compelling viewing.
Plus, the inevitable cries from Trump that he was cheated will be harder to sell in this case than on election night. If he loses the vote by 10 points, he can point to ballot irregularities here and there as “evidence” that he’s the victim of massive fraud, or return to the tried-and-true “eight million illegal aliens secretly voted” excuse. But if he’s lost the ratings war, what’s the play?
Claim that Nielsen has been infiltrated by Antifa?
The reason Trump opted for a townhall on NBC, I thought, was because he knew that it would also be carried on their sister networks, MSNBC and CNBC. That seemed to guarantee that he would draw a larger audience than Biden, who’d be stuck with a single platform in ABC. And drawing a larger audience is of the utmost importance to the president:
EXCLUSIVE: According to multiple sources familiar with the president's thinking, Trump has told close associates that he wishes to counter-program the Biden town hall and score higher TV viewership numbers, and then use such a contrast to humiliate Biden — The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 14, 2020
There is some humiliation happening this afternoon, but not at Biden’s expense. CNN says he won the night:
Joe Biden’s town hall on ABC averaged 13.9 million viewers on Thursday night, easily surpassing the Nielsen ratings for President Trump’s town hall on NBC. That alone was a result virtually no one in the TV business expected. And that’s not even the most surprising part… The Trump town hall averaged 10.6 million viewers on the NBC broadcast network. On MSNBC, Trump reached 1.74 million viewers, and on CNBC, about 671,000 viewers. So Trump’s gross audience across the three channels was 13 million, about one million fewer than Biden’s audience on ABC alone. Staffers at ABC News privately admitted to their surprise when the preliminary ratings came in on Friday.
“In terms of the fast national 18-49 demographic, Biden is comfortably on top with a 2.6 rating to Trump’s 1.7,” said Variety of the early numbers.
So, who’s getting fired from the campaign? Bill Stepien? Everyone?
There are two obvious possibilities to explain Biden’s ratings triumph, however unlikely it may have seemed a few hours ago. One is that Trump’s act is simply played out after five long years. Dan Foster made me laugh with this:
https://twitter.com/DanFosterType/status/1317161327622750208
“The Walking Dead” might be the only show on television more predictable than a Trump interview. The other possibility, not exclusive from the first, is that Americans are watching the polls, realize who’s likely to be in charge on January 21, and figured it’s time to start paying a little attention to that guy. Biden’s campaign spokesman put it this way:
Turns out more people last night were interested in watching a leader with a clear plan to get this pandemic under control and Americans back to work, than the same combative, chaotic liar whose incompetence got us into this mess — regardless of how many channels he was on. https://t.co/kvN89pCzAX — TJ Ducklo (@TDucklo) October 16, 2020
Whichever theory you favor, the takeaway is clear. We appear to be approaching the “Puppet Show and Donald Trump” phase of the MAGA saga.
I’ll give you another pair of interesting numbers in closing. First, YouGov seems to have anticipated Biden’s ratings victory with the polling data it gathered overnight. Fifteen percent of registered voters said that they watched parts of both townhalls, but an additional 17 percent said they watched Biden’s exclusively while just 14 percent said they watched Trump’s exclusively. More independents watched Biden than Trump too. And Sleepy Joe seems to have made a good impression, with 50 percent overall saying they came away with at least a somewhat more favorable view of him versus 39 percent who said the same of Trump.
Second, even though the audience of 13-14 million people who watched each event is much larger than even the largest cable news shows (e.g., Tucker Carlson drew around 5.5 million last night), it’s a small fraction of what a debate would have drawn. The first Trump/Biden showdown brought in 73 million viewers, or roughly two and a half times the *combined* audience for last night’s townhall. Trump shouldn’t have backed out of the second debate when it went virtual.


hotair--2020-10-16--US authorities investigating whether Hunter Biden emails are connected to Russian disinformation cam

US authorities investigating whether Hunter Biden emails are connected to Russian disinformation campaign

Yesterday NBC published a story stating that authorities were looking into the hard drives that were the basis for the NY Post stories about Hunter Biden to see if there was any connection to foreign intelligence operations : NBC never directly identified which intelligence operations they were looking at , though the story mentions Rudy Giuliani ’ s connections to a person identified as a Russian agent .
Today CNN has a follow-up which recapitulates much of the NBC story but directly states that the FBI is looking for connections between the hard drives and Russian disinformation .
US authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purport to detail the business dealings of Joe Biden ’ s son in Ukraine and China are connected to an ongoing Russian disinformation effort targeting the former vice president ’ s campaign , a US official and a congressional source briefed on the matter said… The FBI is leading the investigation , the official and congressional source said .
NBC was first to report the inquiry .
The probe is part of a larger investigation into Russian disinformation that dates back to before the impeachment inquiry last fall .
The alleged disinformation campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president to his son ’ s dealings with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma , according to US officials familiar with the matter .
CNN points to a couple of threads on Twitter , one of which suggests the emails could be part of a Russian disinformation campaign .
That doesn ’ t mean the information itself ( the photos , videos and emails on the hard drive ) are necessarily false or that the suspicion justifies how Facebook and Twitter have handled the story .
One thing that is leading to some suspicion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that the computer shop owner has apparently told different stories about contacting the FBI about the hard drives : That shop employee has been identified as John Paul Mac Isaac .
He spoke to CNN on Thursday in Wilmington .
Mac Isaac said that in April 2019 someone claiming to be Hunter Biden brought in a damaged laptop computer to retrieve the data on it .
This required him to manually transfer the computer ’ s data to a separate hard drive , Mac Isaac said , which is how he came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contained .
“ Something that has the potential of being damaging , ” said Mac Isaac about the files he saw .
“ That ’ s what I feel somebody would come looking for .
I needed a level of protection.
” Contradicting what he told reporters the day before , Mac Isaac told CNN he did not contact anyone at the FBI about what he saw but that he made “ other plans ” to get in touch because he “ didn ’ t feel comfortable.
” Eventually , he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a subpoena on Dec. 9 , 2019 .
He said he has a receipt for the seized property but declined to share a copy of the FBI paperwork with CNN .
There was also a Daily Beast story yesterday which said the shop owner gave various accounts .
Asked if he called the FBI from his store or his house he replied , “ They approached me.
” When reporters reacted in surprise he may have whispered “ Ah , sh*t. ” In any case he seemingly didn ’ t want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened .
You can listen to a recording of the interview with the shop owner here .
However it happened , it seems clear the FBI knew about the laptops at some point before they picked them up : Did the FBI get that information from the shop owner ?
That seems logical but if so , why is the owner now telling CNN he didn ’ t contact the FBI ?
These are questions that should be answered but so far the fact that there is an investigation doesn ’ t prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manipulated or that it was hacked as part of a Russian disinformation campaign .
Still , given the links to Russian disinformation in the sourcing of the discredited Steele Dossier and the fact that Putin would no doubt love to fool us again , it makes sense to look carefully at where this information came from .

Yesterday NBC published a story stating that authorities were looking into the hard drives that were the basis for the NY Post stories about Hunter Biden to see if there was any connection to foreign intelligence operations:
Federal investigators are examining whether the emails allegedly describing activities by Joe Biden and his son Hunter and found on a laptop at a Delaware repair shop are linked to a foreign intelligence operation, two people familiar with the matter told NBC News.
NBC never directly identified which intelligence operations they were looking at, though the story mentions Rudy Giuliani’s connections to a person identified as a Russian agent.
Giuliani, who acknowledged helping bring the material to light, has in the past sought to unearth information damaging to Biden with the help of a man identified by the U.S. government as a Russian intelligence officer.
Today CNN has a follow-up which recapitulates much of the NBC story but directly states that the FBI is looking for connections between the hard drives and Russian disinformation.
US authorities are investigating whether recently published emails that purport to detail the business dealings of Joe Biden’s son in Ukraine and China are connected to an ongoing Russian disinformation effort targeting the former vice president’s campaign, a US official and a congressional source briefed on the matter said… The FBI is leading the investigation, the official and congressional source said. NBC was first to report the inquiry. The probe is part of a larger investigation into Russian disinformation that dates back to before the impeachment inquiry last fall. The alleged disinformation campaign is aimed at tying the former vice president to his son’s dealings with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, according to US officials familiar with the matter.
CNN points to a couple of threads on Twitter, one of which suggests the emails could be part of a Russian disinformation campaign. That doesn’t mean the information itself (the photos, videos and emails on the hard drive) are necessarily false or that the suspicion justifies how Facebook and Twitter have handled the story.
One thing that is leading to some suspicion, at least by the media, is that the computer shop owner has apparently told different stories about contacting the FBI about the hard drives:
That shop employee has been identified as John Paul Mac Isaac. He spoke to CNN on Thursday in Wilmington. Mac Isaac said that in April 2019 someone claiming to be Hunter Biden brought in a damaged laptop computer to retrieve the data on it. This required him to manually transfer the computer’s data to a separate hard drive, Mac Isaac said, which is how he came to see what some of the files contained. “Something that has the potential of being damaging,” said Mac Isaac about the files he saw. “That’s what I feel somebody would come looking for. I needed a level of protection.” Contradicting what he told reporters the day before, Mac Isaac told CNN he did not contact anyone at the FBI about what he saw but that he made “other plans” to get in touch because he “didn’t feel comfortable.” Eventually, he said, the FBI came and seized the laptop with a subpoena on Dec. 9, 2019. He said he has a receipt for the seized property but declined to share a copy of the FBI paperwork with CNN.
There was also a Daily Beast story yesterday which said the shop owner gave various accounts. Asked if he called the FBI from his store or his house he replied, “They approached me.” When reporters reacted in surprise he may have whispered “Ah, sh*t.” In any case he seemingly didn’t want to describe in detail how the FBI contact happened. You can listen to a recording of the interview with the shop owner here. However it happened, it seems clear the FBI knew about the laptops at some point before they picked them up:
The Post published a grand jury subpoena for the laptop and hard drive. The subpoena had been issued by a federal prosecutor who already had the serial numbers of the devices when they were ordered to be handed over in early December 2019, indicating federal law enforcement was aware of the specific devices they want to examine.
Did the FBI get that information from the shop owner? That seems logical but if so, why is the owner now telling CNN he didn’t contact the FBI? These are questions that should be answered but so far the fact that there is an investigation doesn’t prove the data on the drives was was manipulated or that it was hacked as part of a Russian disinformation campaign.
Still, given the links to Russian disinformation in the sourcing of the discredited Steele Dossier and the fact that Putin would no doubt love to fool us again, it makes sense to look carefully at where this information came from.


hotair--2020-10-16--Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Hunter laptop, Armenia, assisted suicide, police use of force

Today's hot topics on Relevant Radio®: Hunter laptop, Armenia, assisted suicide, police use of force, academic diversity, and more!

Once again , I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today !
The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air , as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows .
• Andy McCarthy joins us to talk about the reliability of the information coming from the New York Post ’ s reports on Hunter Biden ’ s laptop — and how we should be wise consumers of news right before an election • War has broken out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explains the issues , the geopolitical situation , and the risks .
• The Netherlands is making assisted suicide legal for children under 12 .
Alex Schadenburg joins us to discuss • Should police shoot people in the leg as a “ de-escalation ” strategy ?
Former NYPD lieutenant Rob O ’ Donnell explains use of force issues , and why that advice might be much more dangerous than movies and TV shows suggest .
• And more to come … stay tuned !
We may add more before the show starts today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Divine Mercy in the second hour .
We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149 .
You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world , so download it now .
I ’ ll look forward to talking with you !

Once again, I get to step outside the box and guest host the Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio® from 3-6 ET today! The Catholic talk-radio network is heard nationwide on the air, as well as online and through their free mobile app that plays live and podcast shows.
Today’s Relevant Radio® show includes:
Andy McCarthy joins us to talk about the reliability of the information coming from the New York Post’s reports on Hunter Biden’s laptop — and how we should be wise consumers of news right before an election
War has broken out between Armenia and Azerbaijan. King Banaian explains the issues, the geopolitical situation, and the risks.
Kevin O’Brien on Unite Our Nation
Fr. Jim Nadeau on Saint Faustina and spiritual warfare
The Netherlands is making assisted suicide legal for children under 12. Alex Schadenburg joins us to discuss
Should police shoot people in the leg as a “de-escalation” strategy? Former NYPD lieutenant Rob O’Donnell explains use of force issues, and why that advice might be much more dangerous than movies and TV shows suggest.
Prof. Robert George on political diversity in Academia
And more to come … stay tuned!
We may add more before the show starts today, plus we will have the chaplet of Divine Mercy in the second hour. We will also take your calls at 1-888-914-9149. You can also listen on the Relevant Radio® app no matter where you are in the world, so download it now. I’ll look forward to talking with you!


hotair--2020-10-16--Chris Christie, post-COVID: I was wrong not to wear a mask at the White House

Has anyone else connected to the outbreak at the White House come out afterward like this and admitted error , or used their bout with the disease to encourage others to take strict precautions ?
Trump did the opposite .
Upon returning from Walter Reed , he urged people to go about their business and not let the virus “ dominate ” them , the suggestion being that COVID ’ s no big deal in a world where hospital care is just a phone call away .
Also , did anyone at the White House publicly acknowledge Christie while he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fighting for his life ?
Trump called him several times , he says in the clip below , which is nice .
But I don ’ t remember hearing anyone mention him in public remarks while he was hospitalized .
Was Christie ’ s difficulty with the illness just too inconvenient for the “ back to normal ” messaging to be mentioned ?
Either way , the big guy ’ s seen the light : “ I believed when I entered the White House grounds , that I had entered a safe zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and many others underwent every day , ” Mr. Christie said in the statement .
“ I was wrong .
I was wrong not to wear a mask at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement and I was wrong not to wear a mask at my multiple debate prep sessions with the president and the rest of the team.
” … Unlike Mr. Trump , who has posited that he feels like “ Superman ” and left the hospital as quickly as possible , Mr. Christie said that the virus is “ something to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wildly random and potentially deadly.
” … “ I don ’ t know who infected me and I don ’ t know how frequently he was tested , ” he said of Mr. Trump .
While aides have left the impression publicly that Mr. Trump was tested daily , the president himself has acknowledged he was not .
Mr. Christie said that even at the event for Ms. Barrett on Sept. 26 , “ I was put in the third row , and what they told us was that everybody in the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tested negative.
” He thought he was in a safe zone at the White House , where masks are frowned upon and there ’ s hardly any social distancing ?
Mitch McConnell hasn ’ t been inside the building for two months for his own safety , knowing that it was a biohazard waiting to happen .
It ’ s like getting infected at a kegger at a party-school dorm and saying , “ I had no idea that might put me at risk.
” Christie ’ s timing in giving this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re at another bad point nationally .
The COVID Tracking Project crunched its latest numbers yesterday and declared that the “ third wave ” has indeed now clearly descended on the United States .
Deaths are up three percent from the week before ; hospitalizations are up 14 percent .
Here ’ s one of the more dramatic visualizations I ’ ve seen lately of the state of play : You can see the regional waves there in the color codes .
The northeast got it early , the south got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the midwest ’ s turn .
But not just the midwest : So many parts of the country are seeing outbreaks this week that we could discard the midwest entirely and still have a record number of states at the peak of their case counts .
Trump and his acolytes have been talking lately about “ herd immunity ” as a possible solution to the crisis , in which the old and vulnerable isolate themselves and everyone else goes about their business .
That was the UK strategy for a brief time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ) it was logistically impossible and ( b ) even a lot of “ healthy ” people would have been culled if the virus had run rampant among them .
I recommend this Tyler Cowen critique of the Great Barrington Declaration , which is in vogue this week among lockdown opponents because it recommends a herd-immunity strategy for otherwise healthy people .
Cowen can ’ t understand why anyone would want to let things rip right now , when we ’ re on the cusp of a vaccine that will — hopefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needless death .
Neither can I. Cowen also wonders how , exactly , authorities would get “ healthy ” people to behave normally when many millions of those people have watched what happened to Trump and Christie , read the harrowing accounts of people debilitated by COVID months after they ’ ve “ recovered , ” and decided they ’ re going to self-isolate as fully as possible whether there ’ s a lockdown or not .
I wonder the same thing .
A major theater chain just shut its doors , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but because there aren ’ t enough moviegoers willing to risk infection to keep those theaters afloat .
Trump is quite likely to lose his bid for reelection three weeks from now because he never grasped that most voters are risk-averse when it comes to a novel killer disease , not risk-neutral like him .
Tell them it ’ s time for herd immunity and they ’ re all apt to think the same thing : You first .
Anyway , here ’ s Christie , who says he went from feeling fine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ span of 24 hours .
By the way , a Twitter pal makes a good point about the new surge in U.S. cases .
The electoral consequences of that are secondary to the humanitarian ones , but if you ’ re thinking about the potential effect on turnout , remember that Democrats are far more likely to vote by mail than Republicans .
If swing states are battling truly frightening outbreaks on November 3 , a lot of Biden votes will already have been banked while Trump ’ s votes will depend on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stand in line that day .
Most will brave it , especially the hardcore MAGA fans .
But what about the “ soft ” Trump voters ?
Especially if protocols to prevent infection slow down the voting process and produce long , long waits ?

Has anyone else connected to the outbreak at the White House come out afterward like this and admitted error, or used their bout with the disease to encourage others to take strict precautions?
Trump did the opposite. Upon returning from Walter Reed, he urged people to go about their business and not let the virus “dominate” them, the suggestion being that COVID’s no big deal in a world where hospital care is just a phone call away.
Also, did anyone at the White House publicly acknowledge Christie while he was in the ICU for a week fighting for his life? Trump called him several times, he says in the clip below, which is nice. But I don’t remember hearing anyone mention him in public remarks while he was hospitalized.
Was Christie’s difficulty with the illness just too inconvenient for the “back to normal” messaging to be mentioned?
Either way, the big guy’s seen the light:
“I believed when I entered the White House grounds, that I had entered a safe zone, due to the testing that I and many others underwent every day,” Mr. Christie said in the statement. “I was wrong. I was wrong not to wear a mask at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement and I was wrong not to wear a mask at my multiple debate prep sessions with the president and the rest of the team.”… Unlike Mr. Trump, who has posited that he feels like “Superman” and left the hospital as quickly as possible, Mr. Christie said that the virus is “something to take very seriously. The ramifications are wildly random and potentially deadly.”… “I don’t know who infected me and I don’t know how frequently he was tested,” he said of Mr. Trump. While aides have left the impression publicly that Mr. Trump was tested daily, the president himself has acknowledged he was not. Mr. Christie said that even at the event for Ms. Barrett on Sept. 26, “I was put in the third row, and what they told us was that everybody in the first three rows had been tested that day and tested negative.”
He thought he was in a safe zone at the White House, where masks are frowned upon and there’s hardly any social distancing? Mitch McConnell hasn’t been inside the building for two months for his own safety, knowing that it was a biohazard waiting to happen.
It’s like getting infected at a kegger at a party-school dorm and saying, “I had no idea that might put me at risk.”
Christie’s timing in giving this advice is fortunate, though, as we’re at another bad point nationally. The COVID Tracking Project crunched its latest numbers yesterday and declared that the “third wave” has indeed now clearly descended on the United States.
Today’s national case count was the highest since late-July. Several states reported their highest-ever case totals, some of which also broke their hospitalization records. pic.twitter.com/JrDQnmlAOG — The COVID Tracking Project (@COVID19Tracking) October 15, 2020
Deaths are up three percent from the week before; hospitalizations are up 14 percent. Here’s one of the more dramatic visualizations I’ve seen lately of the state of play:
You can see the regional waves there in the color codes. The northeast got it early, the south got it this summer, now it’s the midwest’s turn. But not just the midwest: So many parts of the country are seeing outbreaks this week that we could discard the midwest entirely and still have a record number of states at the peak of their case counts.
Trump and his acolytes have been talking lately about “herd immunity” as a possible solution to the crisis, in which the old and vulnerable isolate themselves and everyone else goes about their business. That was the UK strategy for a brief time in February, soon abandoned because (a) it was logistically impossible and (b) even a lot of “healthy” people would have been culled if the virus had run rampant among them. I recommend this Tyler Cowen critique of the Great Barrington Declaration, which is in vogue this week among lockdown opponents because it recommends a herd-immunity strategy for otherwise healthy people. Cowen can’t understand why anyone would want to let things rip right now, when we’re on the cusp of a vaccine that will — hopefully — create herd immunity without all the needless death. Neither can I. Cowen also wonders how, exactly, authorities would get “healthy” people to behave normally when many millions of those people have watched what happened to Trump and Christie, read the harrowing accounts of people debilitated by COVID months after they’ve “recovered,” and decided they’re going to self-isolate as fully as possible whether there’s a lockdown or not.
I wonder the same thing. A major theater chain just shut its doors, not because lockdown rules prevented Americans from going but because there aren’t enough moviegoers willing to risk infection to keep those theaters afloat. Trump is quite likely to lose his bid for reelection three weeks from now because he never grasped that most voters are risk-averse when it comes to a novel killer disease, not risk-neutral like him. Tell them it’s time for herd immunity and they’re all apt to think the same thing: You first.
Anyway, here’s Christie, who says he went from feeling fine to being in the ICU in the span of 24 hours. By the way, a Twitter pal makes a good point about the new surge in U.S. cases. The electoral consequences of that are secondary to the humanitarian ones, but if you’re thinking about the potential effect on turnout, remember that Democrats are far more likely to vote by mail than Republicans. If swing states are battling truly frightening outbreaks on November 3, a lot of Biden votes will already have been banked while Trump’s votes will depend on people’s willingness to show up and stand in line that day. Most will brave it, especially the hardcore MAGA fans. But what about the “soft” Trump voters? Especially if protocols to prevent infection slow down the voting process and produce long, long waits?