hotair--2020-08-21--AMC movie theatres re-open with drastically reduced tickets, will anyone buy them?

Movie theatres are slowing re-opening but will anyone want to sit and watch an old release during a pandemic , even with tickets being sold at a dirt-cheap rate ?
So far some folks are ready and raring to go .
It ’ s been a long five months for moviegoers .
Movie theatres were one of the early victims of the coronavirus pandemic .
Now the public has to weigh the pros and cons of being a part of the paying moviegoing audience .
And , does the public want to take a potential health risk to see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Like everything else in 2020 , the coronavirus mucked up movie production so there are few new movies being released to theatres .
It ’ s slim pickings so in order to entice patrons back , AMC is offering some oldies but goodies .
They are betting on a viewing public desperate to get out of the house and enjoy a little entertainment , especially some family entertainment with the kids they ’ ve been locked down with and are driving their parents nuts trying to keep them entertained .
You know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-opening theatres in some states .
August 20 was chosen to celebrate the movie chain ’ s 100th birthday .
In honor of the celebration , ticket prices were slashed to 15 cents , for one day only .
That was the price of a ticket in 1920 .
Friday and the rest of the re-opening weekend , the price of a ticket goes up to $ 5.00 apiece .
More than 100 AMC locations are scheduled to reopen Aug. 20 , including in areas across Georgia , Texas , Connecticut , Colorado @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indiana , Florida , Illinois , Missouri , Nevada , Minnesota , Ohio , Alabama , Tennessee , Louisiana , Kansas and Oklahoma , as well as Washington , DC .
Some of the movies being shown on the 15-cent day include throwbacks like Inception , Black Panther , Back to the Future , Ghostbusters , Grease and Star Wars Episode V : The Empire Strikes Back .
Once the 100th anniversary pricing concludes , those movies will be priced at $ 5 per ticket .
The reopening is the first step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US .
It aims to have 600 theaters , or two-thirds of its operations , open by Sept. 3 in time for the launch of Christopher Nolan ’ s Tenet , which has been repeatedly delayed due to COVID-19 .
The rest of its theaters will reopen when state and local officials give the go-ahead .
AMC had previously planned to reopen in July but pushed back its reopening again last month citing delays in movie release dates .
Some of the year ’ s biggest movies have been continually delayed , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now scheduled to launch in October ; Disney ’ s Mulan , which has been pushed to August ; and Marvel ’ s Black Widow , now set for November .
In 2020 , your decision on whether or not to go ahead and go back to the movies may depend on your political leanings , if you believe what the media reports .
Like everything else during the plague , movie attendance has a political component .
The CDC states on its website that there are examples of activities and situations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 and going to the movies is one of those activities .
The reasoning is that this is one of the activities where people are exposed to others in a crowd , therefore a preventable way of limiting exposure is to stay out of crowds .
Going to a movie is different now .
Masks are mandatory in the theatre , except while eating or drinking .
Theatres are only selling to 30 % of capacity and limiting showings to 2 per day to allow time for cleaning to be done properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from congregating in the lobby area .
Concessions are cash only sales , but patrons can order online and are simply handed their purchases when they show up at the theatre .
Epidemiologists and health experts are worried that air conditioning units like the ones in movie theaters can push infected droplets around enclosed spaces , a concern because of the likelihood that some people will take off their face masks once the lights go down .
AMC has installed new air filtration systems to slow the spread of the disease .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Industry experts are expecting a strong opening weekend but hesitate to predict a quick return to normal .
Experts don ’ t know any more than the rest of us .
I haven ’ t been a regular moviegoer for several years .
I think it ’ s way more comfortable to watch at home in my comfortable chair and enjoying popcorn that doesn ’ t cost an arm and a leg per bag .
Movies were going to streaming services quickly before the pandemic and now even more so .
Best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t have to wear a mask .

Movie theatres are slowing re-opening but will anyone want to sit and watch an old release during a pandemic, even with tickets being sold at a dirt-cheap rate? So far some folks are ready and raring to go.
It’s been a long five months for moviegoers. Movie theatres were one of the early victims of the coronavirus pandemic. Now the public has to weigh the pros and cons of being a part of the paying moviegoing audience. And, does the public want to take a potential health risk to see a movie that they have likely already seen?
Like everything else in 2020, the coronavirus mucked up movie production so there are few new movies being released to theatres. It’s slim pickings so in order to entice patrons back, AMC is offering some oldies but goodies. They are betting on a viewing public desperate to get out of the house and enjoy a little entertainment, especially some family entertainment with the kids they’ve been locked down with and are driving their parents nuts trying to keep them entertained. You know it’s true.
AMC is re-opening theatres in some states. August 20 was chosen to celebrate the movie chain’s 100th birthday. In honor of the celebration, ticket prices were slashed to 15 cents, for one day only. That was the price of a ticket in 1920. Friday and the rest of the re-opening weekend, the price of a ticket goes up to $5.00 apiece.
More than 100 AMC locations are scheduled to reopen Aug. 20, including in areas across Georgia, Texas, Connecticut, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, Minnesota, Ohio, Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kansas and Oklahoma, as well as Washington, DC. Some of the movies being shown on the 15-cent day include throwbacks like Inception, Black Panther, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Grease and Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Once the 100th anniversary pricing concludes, those movies will be priced at $5 per ticket. The reopening is the first step in AMC’s phased plan for the US. It aims to have 600 theaters, or two-thirds of its operations, open by Sept. 3 in time for the launch of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which has been repeatedly delayed due to COVID-19. The rest of its theaters will reopen when state and local officials give the go-ahead. AMC had previously planned to reopen in July but pushed back its reopening again last month citing delays in movie release dates. Some of the year’s biggest movies have been continually delayed, including DC’s Wonder Woman, which is now scheduled to launch in October; Disney’s Mulan, which has been pushed to August; and Marvel’s Black Widow, now set for November.
In 2020, your decision on whether or not to go ahead and go back to the movies may depend on your political leanings, if you believe what the media reports. Like everything else during the plague, movie attendance has a political component.
A majority of Republicans say they would feel comfortable flying on an airplane, eating indoors in a restaurant or seeing a movie in a theater. Large majorities of Democrats and political independents say they would not. “The degree to which Republicans are more comfortable than both Democrats and independents is quite jarring,” said Laura Wronski, a research scientist for SurveyMonkey. “It appears that people are living in quite different realities.”
The CDC states on its website that there are examples of activities and situations that can increase your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and going to the movies is one of those activities. The reasoning is that this is one of the activities where people are exposed to others in a crowd, therefore a preventable way of limiting exposure is to stay out of crowds.
Going to a movie is different now. Masks are mandatory in the theatre, except while eating or drinking. Theatres are only selling to 30% of capacity and limiting showings to 2 per day to allow time for cleaning to be done properly. Showtimes are staggered to prevent people from congregating in the lobby area. Concessions are cash only sales, but patrons can order online and are simply handed their purchases when they show up at the theatre.
Epidemiologists and health experts are worried that air conditioning units like the ones in movie theaters can push infected droplets around enclosed spaces, a concern because of the likelihood that some people will take off their face masks once the lights go down. AMC has installed new air filtration systems to slow the spread of the disease.
So, do you think people will go? Industry experts are expecting a strong opening weekend but hesitate to predict a quick return to normal.
“I suspect we’ll see a surge of activity opening weekend and if all goes without incident, a very slow return to normal. Like months, not weeks,” Bock said. “Of course, if multiple, traceable outbreaks occur, we’ll definitely be looking at (premium video on demand) for the foreseeable future until we wrangle this virus.”
Experts don’t know any more than the rest of us. I haven’t been a regular moviegoer for several years. I think it’s way more comfortable to watch at home in my comfortable chair and enjoying popcorn that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg per bag. Movies were going to streaming services quickly before the pandemic and now even more so. Best of all, at home, I don’t have to wear a mask.


hotair--2020-08-21--Fox News has a fever and the only prescription is ... Joe Biden?

Maybe Fox is Antifa now .
It wasn ’ t a surprise that the newsier side of the network thought last night ’ s acceptance speech was a hit : It ’ s a little more surprising that the opinion side gave him his props : Then again , what choice did Ingraham have ?
Like Wallace says , Trump ’ s campaign foolishly spent months lowering the bar for Biden by suggesting that his brain had turned to oatmeal when in reality it ’ s still … mostly non-oatmeal .
No doubt there were casual voters who tuned in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve heard about him showing signs of cognitive decline is true .
What impression do you think they came away with about the truth or falsity of that allegation ?
The jury will remain out on his acuity until after the debates , but he helped himself last night .
At this point Team Trump can either dial back the senility attacks on Biden to try to raise the bar before he gets onstage with Trump or , I guess , they can go all-in : Go all-in and the bar will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden would literally have to start asking the moderators what year it is to blow it .
Even so , I ’ m not convinced that the convention was a net gain for him .
The last four days have been shockingly light on policy , which is consistent with the Democrats ’ strategy all year but which leaves them exposed to a GOP offensive next week .
From the start of the campaign , the Dems have wanted to turn this election into a referendum on Trump , not a choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his .
He ’ s historically unpopular , never once polling above 50 percent job approval in RCP ’ s average , and he ’ s currently overseeing a six-figure pandemic death toll and an economic catastrophe .
If you ’ re the opposition party in circumstances like that , your pitch is obvious : Elect us , we ’ re not the other guy .
Factor in the special threat from a Trump second term and Democrats are content to ride voters ’ antipathy to him all the way to Election Day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it too , one of the most generic members of the Democratic establishment , whose most noteworthy attribute is his ability to muster empathy for others .
Even better , steering away from policy specifics helps smooth over the rift between progressives and neoliberals about the direction of the party , for now .
I doubt we ’ ve ever had an election where the challenger ’ s argument boiled down more clearly and simply to “ Elect me , I ’ m not the other guy.
” I mean , really : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my word : If you entrust me with the presidency , I will draw on the best of us , not the worst , ” the former vice president said from a crowd-free convention center in Delaware .
“ I will be an ally of the light , not the darkness.
” … The former vice president laid out a series of contrasts with Trump , vowing that “ while I ’ ll be a Democratic candidate , I will be an American president .
I ’ ll work hard for those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard for them as I did for those who did vote for me.
” He added : “ That ’ s the job of a president , to represent all of us , not just our base or our party.
” I am good and he is evil , I will unite you while he tries to divide you .
Is that enough for swing voters ?
Many Americans approach elections by asking the question , “ What are you offering me , specifically ?
” , which is why the state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ top priority .
What is Biden offering them , specifically ?
If you follow politics closely , if you worry about Trump ’ s conspiratorial mindset and authoritarian impulses about delaying the election , etc , then Biden ’ s offering you something : “ I ’ m not Trump.
” But what if you don ’ t follow politics or Trump ’ s day-to-day antics closely ?
What if you ’ re more worried about crime , or the feds taking a wrecking ball to your paycheck to fund new programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s convention a “ eulogy ” for Biden in the sense that it was almost entirely focused on what a swell guy he is , to contrast him with Trump , rather than specifying what he plans to do for Americans : Over and over again we were told about how Biden always calls , how he holds your hand , how that one time he said something that made you feel really good about yourself , how he remembers your name and buys you a cup of coffee for the train ride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and grandchildren .
I have previously described the last four days of the DNC as “ funereal.
” This was not accidental .
The things former colleagues and opponents from the Democratic primaries have said about this year ’ s nominee were what one expects to hear at a wake .
Biden ’ s flashes of anger during his own remarks might briefly have conveyed a sense of urgency and vitality .
But the unmistakable impression made by the proceedings was one of impending death .
The rhetorical value of these obsequies is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not clear to me that the current president ’ s supporters voted for him in 2016 because they thought he was a nice man or because they were hoping that one day he would tell them something that made their days better .
In fact , it is the total absence of these qualities , Trump ’ s almost pathological inability to say something that is not either hyperbolic praise of himself and his accomplishments or a mean-spirited insult , that has endeared him to half the country .
Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for nearly 50 years , notes Walther .
How is it that we heard so little about his long , long , long record ?
Is it because Democrats were ashamed of too many parts of it to tout it , or is it because the more they focus on what Biden believes , the more it complicates their strategy to make the election a pure referendum on Trump ?
Matthew Continetti calls it the “ sleight-of-hand convention.
” Watch the Democrats ’ policy program vanish before your very eyes : I watched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word “ China ” was not uttered until 10:57 p.m. on Thursday .
Nor did any of the Democrats mention the violence that has erupted in America ’ s cities after the protests against the killing of George Floyd .
Biden talked about jobs , but the American worker made only guest appearances in the four days of programming .
If you are a Hispanic contractor or an Obama-Trump voter in the Midwest , was any of this convention relevant to you ?
No doubt Biden ’ s speech was affecting .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they plan to do if they find themselves in power next year .
Time and again , Americans have elected Democratic governments only to find themselves shocked and appalled two years later .
The Democrats campaign as a worker ’ s party , but govern as a Bobo one .
It happened to Bill Clinton .
It happened to Obama .
Is there any reason to think a Biden presidency will be different ?
There ’ s an irony here .
Because of the intense cult of personality that surrounds Trump , typically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s written off as being too focused on the persona of its leader and not focused enough on a policy program .
It ’ s the Democrats , supposedly , who are the party of ideas — Medicare for All , the Green New Deal , gun regulation , amnesty for illegal immigrants , on and on .
The Dems ’ “ referendum ” strategy has flipped the script , though .
Their core pitch to voters this years is to elect Biden because of his persona .
And the GOP is likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention with … not a policy program , exactly , but a laundry list of bona fide threats to voters that were glossed over by the DNC .
We face an economic and geopolitical threat from China .
Murder rates are rising and lefty radicals continue to run wild in Portland , months after unrest there began .
Big Tech increasingly seems to have a monopoly of the information Americans consume .
We ’ ve amassed an enormous amount of debt over the past six months and will need a solution to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course we need a plan to help laid-off Americans get back on their feet once “ normalcy ” resumes .
That list is enormously complicated for Republicans by the fact that each of those threats has grown *during Trump ’ s presidency* , raising the question of why we should give him another term .
But some voters may overlook that and reason , “ At least the GOP is talking about the problems we face , not what a sweet old guy their nominee is.
” Remember , the entire point of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s planning to take us back to the less chaotic golden age of 2015 .
2015 was so un-golden for so many people that the country ended up electing a game-show host president the following year .
We ’ ll see whether Biden or Trump ends up with the bigger convention bounce .
I ’ ll leave you with this :

Maybe Trump’s right.
Maybe Fox is Antifa now.
It wasn’t a surprise that the newsier side of the network thought last night’s acceptance speech was a hit:
Fox News's Chris Wallace praises Biden's speech: "I thought it was an enormously effective speech. Remember, Donald Trump has been talking for months about Joe Biden as mentally shot … I thought that he blew a hole, a big hole in the characterization." pic.twitter.com/sChU4jBzw2 — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 21, 2020
Dana Parino said Biden “just hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth,” followed by Karl Rove saying “it was a very good speech.” pic.twitter.com/trWr5eyrJx — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 21, 2020
It’s a little more surprising that the opinion side gave him his props:
Watch the smile disappear from Jr’s face as Laura Ingraham says Joe Biden exceeded expectations. It almost looks like he’s about to cry pic.twitter.com/p3XVncSOYZ — Acyn (@Acyn) August 21, 2020
Then again, what choice did Ingraham have? Like Wallace says, Trump’s campaign foolishly spent months lowering the bar for Biden by suggesting that his brain had turned to oatmeal when in reality it’s still … mostly non-oatmeal. No doubt there were casual voters who tuned in last night to see if what they’ve heard about him showing signs of cognitive decline is true. What impression do you think they came away with about the truth or falsity of that allegation?
The jury will remain out on his acuity until after the debates, but he helped himself last night. At this point Team Trump can either dial back the senility attacks on Biden to try to raise the bar before he gets onstage with Trump or, I guess, they can go all-in:
QUESTION: How do we know Biden's speech was live? Maybe he was doing different takes all day until they got one where he didn’t stumble all over himself. — Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) August 21, 2020
Go all-in and the bar will be on the floor on debate night. Biden would literally have to start asking the moderators what year it is to blow it.
Even so, I’m not convinced that the convention was a net gain for him. The last four days have been shockingly light on policy, which is consistent with the Democrats’ strategy all year but which leaves them exposed to a GOP offensive next week. From the start of the campaign, the Dems have wanted to turn this election into a referendum on Trump, not a choice between their vision for the country and his. He’s historically unpopular, never once polling above 50 percent job approval in RCP’s average, and he’s currently overseeing a six-figure pandemic death toll and an economic catastrophe. If you’re the opposition party in circumstances like that, your pitch is obvious: Elect us, we’re not the other guy. Factor in the special threat from a Trump second term and Democrats are content to ride voters’ antipathy to him all the way to Election Day. They have the perfect nominee for it too, one of the most generic members of the Democratic establishment, whose most noteworthy attribute is his ability to muster empathy for others. Even better, steering away from policy specifics helps smooth over the rift between progressives and neoliberals about the direction of the party, for now.
I doubt we’ve ever had an election where the challenger’s argument boiled down more clearly and simply to “Elect me, I’m not the other guy.” I mean, really:
“Here and now I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst,” the former vice president said from a crowd-free convention center in Delaware. “I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness.”… The former vice president laid out a series of contrasts with Trump, vowing that “while I’ll be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I’ll work hard for those who didn’t support me, as hard for them as I did for those who did vote for me.” He added: “That’s the job of a president, to represent all of us, not just our base or our party.”
I am good and he is evil, I will unite you while he tries to divide you. Is that enough for swing voters? Many Americans approach elections by asking the question, “What are you offering me, specifically?”, which is why the state of the economy almost always ranks as voters’ top priority.
What is Biden offering them, specifically? If you follow politics closely, if you worry about Trump’s conspiratorial mindset and authoritarian impulses about delaying the election, etc, then Biden’s offering you something: “I’m not Trump.” But what if you don’t follow politics or Trump’s day-to-day antics closely? What if you’re more worried about crime, or the feds taking a wrecking ball to your paycheck to fund new programs? Matthew Walther calls this week’s convention a “eulogy” for Biden in the sense that it was almost entirely focused on what a swell guy he is, to contrast him with Trump, rather than specifying what he plans to do for Americans:
Over and over again we were told about how Biden always calls, how he holds your hand, how that one time he said something that made you feel really good about yourself, how he remembers your name and buys you a cup of coffee for the train ride back, how he loves his children and grandchildren. I have previously described the last four days of the DNC as “funereal.” This was not accidental. The things former colleagues and opponents from the Democratic primaries have said about this year’s nominee were what one expects to hear at a wake. Biden’s flashes of anger during his own remarks might briefly have conveyed a sense of urgency and vitality. But the unmistakable impression made by the proceedings was one of impending death. The rhetorical value of these obsequies is very much an open question. It is not clear to me that the current president’s supporters voted for him in 2016 because they thought he was a nice man or because they were hoping that one day he would tell them something that made their days better. In fact, it is the total absence of these qualities, Trump’s almost pathological inability to say something that is not either hyperbolic praise of himself and his accomplishments or a mean-spirited insult, that has endeared him to half the country.
Biden’s been in politics at the highest levels for nearly 50 years, notes Walther. How is it that we heard so little about his long, long, long record? Is it because Democrats were ashamed of too many parts of it to tout it, or is it because the more they focus on what Biden believes, the more it complicates their strategy to make the election a pure referendum on Trump?
Matthew Continetti calls it the “sleight-of-hand convention.” Watch the Democrats’ policy program vanish before your very eyes:
I watched all of the convention, and the word “China” was not uttered until 10:57 p.m. on Thursday. Nor did any of the Democrats mention the violence that has erupted in America’s cities after the protests against the killing of George Floyd. Biden talked about jobs, but the American worker made only guest appearances in the four days of programming. If you are a Hispanic contractor or an Obama-Trump voter in the Midwest, was any of this convention relevant to you? No doubt Biden’s speech was affecting. But the Democrats were awfully vague about what they plan to do if they find themselves in power next year. Time and again, Americans have elected Democratic governments only to find themselves shocked and appalled two years later. The Democrats campaign as a worker’s party, but govern as a Bobo one. It happened to Bill Clinton. It happened to Obama. Is there any reason to think a Biden presidency will be different?
There’s an irony here. Because of the intense cult of personality that surrounds Trump, typically it’s the GOP that’s written off as being too focused on the persona of its leader and not focused enough on a policy program. It’s the Democrats, supposedly, who are the party of ideas — Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, gun regulation, amnesty for illegal immigrants, on and on. The Dems’ “referendum” strategy has flipped the script, though. Their core pitch to voters this years is to elect Biden because of his persona. And the GOP is likely to counter at next week’s convention with … not a policy program, exactly, but a laundry list of bona fide threats to voters that were glossed over by the DNC. We face an economic and geopolitical threat from China. Murder rates are rising and lefty radicals continue to run wild in Portland, months after unrest there began. Big Tech increasingly seems to have a monopoly of the information Americans consume. We’ve amassed an enormous amount of debt over the past six months and will need a solution to it after the pandemic abates. And of course we need a plan to help laid-off Americans get back on their feet once “normalcy” resumes.
That list is enormously complicated for Republicans by the fact that each of those threats has grown *during Trump’s presidency*, raising the question of why we should give him another term. But some voters may overlook that and reason, “At least the GOP is talking about the problems we face, not what a sweet old guy their nominee is.” Remember, the entire point of Biden’s campaign is that he’s planning to take us back to the less chaotic golden age of 2015. 2015 was so un-golden for so many people that the country ended up electing a game-show host president the following year.
We’ll see whether Biden or Trump ends up with the bigger convention bounce. I’ll leave you with this:


hotair--2020-08-21--The biggest loser from Night 4 of the Democrat convention is...

It ’ s Julia Louis-Dreyfus .
Julia Louis- Dreyfus is the biggest loser of Night 4 of the Democrat convention .
What in the heck happened to her ?
Remember when she used to be funny at least some of the time ?
The days of Seinfeld are long over but we can still watch the re-runs on television .
The show ended in 1998 but Louis-Dreyfus has maintained a career in entertainment – most recently as the lead character in HBO ’ s Veep .
She ’ s been a political activist for years , openly since the days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least that is when I first remember her talking about her political opinions in interviews .
So , as I tuned into the beginning of the final night of the DNC ’ s virtual convention , it wasn ’ t a big surprise to see that she was chosen to be the celebrity host .
Little did I know how badly she would perform .
I could only get through her bit with Andrew Yang before I had to change the channel .
I was watching the convention coverage on PBS during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even liberal host Judy Woodruff had to cut away from the live coverage after that painful attempt at humor .
Andrew Yang and Julia Louis-Dreyfus mocked the pronunciation of the last name of the current vice-president , Mike Pence , as a way of poking people who mispronounce Kamala ’ s name .
It happened after Yang made his remarks to the convention viewers .
Yeah , as I said , it was painful .
When I dipped back into coverage during the evening , the ‘ comedy ’ was not any better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacation ?
Yang wasn ’ t originally scheduled to speak at the convention , which was odd considering he ran for the nomination and was able to appeal to lots of young people who called themselves the Yang Gang .
His online supporters raised a ruckus and just like that , Yang was put on the schedule .
Some of his supporters accused the DNC of racism against an Asian-American Democrat , which was effective .
Yang was given 1 minute , 48 seconds , which is 48 seconds longer than Sandy from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While his speech wasn ’ t as ugly as many delivered , he did play up the narrative that the Trump administration is “ leaving America in a “ deep , dark , hole.
” He , like all the other Democrats , are already measuring the drapes in Oval Office for Joe Biden .
We are in a deep , dark hole , and we need leaders who will help dig us out .
I know many politicians promise and then fail to deliver .
I understand if you voted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all , back in 2016 .
Many of us have gotten tired of our leaders seeming far removed from our everyday lives .
We despair that our government will ever rise to the challenges of our time .
But we must give this country a chance to recover—and recovery is only possible with a change of leadership and new ideas .
Bold and innovative policies that will get help into your hands in the midst of this crisis are possible—but we need your help to turn the page for our country in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the convention was the urgency in the pleas for Democrats and Independents to get out and vote in November .
The desperation of the Democrat Party was obvious .
Yet , instead of giving a reason for voters to go and vote for Biden , each evening was all about doom and gloom .
The only reason given was that the Orange Man is bad and Joe Biden is pure and good , or something .
Elections are won when voters are inspired and motivated to get out and vote .
The Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was just more of the same we ’ ve heard for the last four years .
Joe Biden ’ s acceptance speech , I ’ m sorry to say , went off well .
His delivery was maybe the best I ’ ve ever seen from him , which isn ’ t necessarily saying much .
The bar for Joe was set so low , though , that as long as he got through it without drooling on himself or collapsing behind the podium , it would be seen as a success @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party – the media – went way over the line in their swooning approval of the speech and their man Joe .
A couple of Democrats who make livings as historians really want us to believe that it was a historically terrific speech .
Whatever .
That is to be expected , especially in 2020 .
However , there were no memorable quotes from the speech that I heard .
Also , the speech was absent of any concrete ideas for solving all the alleged problems that Trump has brought to the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the teleprompter and that is something he won ’ t have once the debates begin and he has to answer real questions .
Just kidding .
He won ’ t have to answer for anything in this campaign .

It’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Julia Louis- Dreyfus is the biggest loser of Night 4 of the Democrat convention. What in the heck happened to her? Remember when she used to be funny at least some of the time?
The days of Seinfeld are long over but we can still watch the re-runs on television. The show ended in 1998 but Louis-Dreyfus has maintained a career in entertainment – most recently as the lead character in HBO’s Veep. She’s been a political activist for years, openly since the days of the George W. Bush administration – at least that is when I first remember her talking about her political opinions in interviews. So, as I tuned into the beginning of the final night of the DNC’s virtual convention, it wasn’t a big surprise to see that she was chosen to be the celebrity host.
Little did I know how badly she would perform. I could only get through her bit with Andrew Yang before I had to change the channel. I was watching the convention coverage on PBS during the first part of Night 4. Even liberal host Judy Woodruff had to cut away from the live coverage after that painful attempt at humor.
Lol! Even PBS turned away from Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She is not up to the job of hosting tonight's coverage. — Karen Townsend (@penguinponders) August 21, 2020
Andrew Yang and Julia Louis-Dreyfus mocked the pronunciation of the last name of the current vice-president, Mike Pence, as a way of poking people who mispronounce Kamala’s name. It happened after Yang made his remarks to the convention viewers.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: "I cannot wait to see her debate our current VP, Mika Pince. Or is it Pance?" Yang: "It's pronounced Ponce I believe." JLD: "Oh some kind of weird foreign name?" Yang: "Yeah not very American-sounding." JLD: "Yeah that's what people are saying. Strongly." pic.twitter.com/eg0cBsl6pO — The Hill (@thehill) August 21, 2020
Yeah, as I said, it was painful. When I dipped back into coverage during the evening, the ‘comedy’ was not any better. Were Julia’s writers on vacation?
Yang wasn’t originally scheduled to speak at the convention, which was odd considering he ran for the nomination and was able to appeal to lots of young people who called themselves the Yang Gang. His online supporters raised a ruckus and just like that, Yang was put on the schedule. Some of his supporters accused the DNC of racism against an Asian-American Democrat, which was effective. Yang was given 1 minute, 48 seconds, which is 48 seconds longer than Sandy from the Bronx (AOC) was given. While his speech wasn’t as ugly as many delivered, he did play up the narrative that the Trump administration is “leaving America in a “deep, dark, hole.” He, like all the other Democrats, are already measuring the drapes in Oval Office for Joe Biden.
We are in a deep, dark hole, and we need leaders who will help dig us out. I know many politicians promise and then fail to deliver. I understand if you voted for Trump, or didn’t vote at all, back in 2016. Many of us have gotten tired of our leaders seeming far removed from our everyday lives. We despair that our government will ever rise to the challenges of our time. But we must give this country a chance to recover—and recovery is only possible with a change of leadership and new ideas. Bold and innovative policies that will get help into your hands in the midst of this crisis are possible—but we need your help to turn the page for our country in 75 days.
What was striking throughout the convention was the urgency in the pleas for Democrats and Independents to get out and vote in November. The desperation of the Democrat Party was obvious. Yet, instead of giving a reason for voters to go and vote for Biden, each evening was all about doom and gloom. The only reason given was that the Orange Man is bad and Joe Biden is pure and good, or something. Elections are won when voters are inspired and motivated to get out and vote. The Democrat convention was, frankly, depressing. It was just more of the same we’ve heard for the last four years.
Joe Biden’s acceptance speech, I’m sorry to say, went off well. His delivery was maybe the best I’ve ever seen from him, which isn’t necessarily saying much. The bar for Joe was set so low, though, that as long as he got through it without drooling on himself or collapsing behind the podium, it would be seen as a success. The propaganda wing of the Democrat Party – the media – went way over the line in their swooning approval of the speech and their man Joe. A couple of Democrats who make livings as historians really want us to believe that it was a historically terrific speech. Whatever. That is to be expected, especially in 2020. However, there were no memorable quotes from the speech that I heard. Also, the speech was absent of any concrete ideas for solving all the alleged problems that Trump has brought to the country and Americans in general. Biden read the teleprompter and that is something he won’t have once the debates begin and he has to answer real questions. Just kidding. He won’t have to answer for anything in this campaign.


hotair--2020-08-21--Breaking: The Associated Press fact checks Spartacus

One thing I noticed over the course of the Democratic National Convention this year ( such as it was ) was a distinct lack of the “ instant fact-checking ” that you see every time President Trump approaches a microphone .
Normally , when Trump finishes a couple of sentences , networks such as CNN and MSNBC quickly cut away to their desk jockeys who are excitedly Googling up a storm to find any error or alternate analysis to add to their ever-growing list of the President ’ s “ unprecedented number of lies and mistruths ” over the course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t see much of that during this event while the Democrats ( and a handful of Never Trumper Republicans ) were speaking , did you ?
But last night , there was something approaching an exception to that media rule .
Cory Booker was given his five minutes in the spotlight on the final night of the convention .
As usual , he talked about the typical laundry list of Democrat wish list items .
Mixed in among all of the promises and sunny visions of a socialist utopia , Booker brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national $ 15 per hour minimum wage .
“ Together , with Joe and Kamala in the White House , we ’ ll raise the minimum wage so no one who works a full-time job lives in poverty , ” he said .
Obviously , nobody at the cable news networks cut away to set him straight , but the Associated Press did coast in after the fact and point out that what Booker had described is “ an improbable outcome ” at best .
THE FACTS : That ’ s an improbable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported by Biden .
A 2019 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated increasing the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour would lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty , a small fraction of the roughly 38 million people living in poverty in 2018 .
Moreover , the report estimated a $ 15 minimum wage would cost 1.3 million people their jobs because they would be priced out of the market .
Those are some rough numbers for Booker to attempt to square , and that was only the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If a $ 15 per hour minimum wage lifts 1.3 million American workers with full-time jobs above the poverty level , that ’ s only 3.4 % of the full-time workers who are below that threshold .
And if the result of this change ( as has consistently been predicted ) is that an equal number of minimum wage workers will lose their jobs because of the impact on labor costs for employers , is there actually a net benefit ?
The AP goes on to point out that not only would millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pay scale remain in poverty , but none of the ones who primarily work part-time or are fully unemployed ( those “ unwilling or unable to work ” ) would rise above the threshold either .
Of course , Booker ’ s comment was directed specifically at full-time workers , so I suppose we can ’ t hold that part against him .
As for the other speakers , ranging from the nominee and his running mate to the other Democratic celebrities , there usually wasn ’ t much to fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were of the breezy variety that were very much short on specifics and heavily tilted toward describing just how Bad the Bad Orange Man is and how everyone must vote like your life depends on it to get rid of him .
Why bog down the evening ’ s itinerary with a bunch of actual solutions for the challenges facing the nation , right ?
Where was all the talk of Joe Biden ’ s promise that the “ first thing he would do ” would be to raise taxes ?
Or how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end fossil fuel ” and the millions of jobs the oil and gas industry supports across the country ?
They could have mentioned his pledge to support the Green New Deal , despite the significant number of Americans who oppose such an extreme plan .
And yes , they neglected to promote Uncle Joe ’ s pledge to end all deportations of illegal aliens and create a pathway to amnesty .
And let ’ s not forget when he said he might even get behind defunding the police in some circumstances .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was willing to fact check Booker on the $ 15 minimum wage , they could have a field day with the projected outcomes from all of those proposals .
But we didn ’ t hear a peep out of them on those subjects for the most part .
You have to wonder why that is .

One thing I noticed over the course of the Democratic National Convention this year (such as it was) was a distinct lack of the “instant fact-checking” that you see every time President Trump approaches a microphone. Normally, when Trump finishes a couple of sentences, networks such as CNN and MSNBC quickly cut away to their desk jockeys who are excitedly Googling up a storm to find any error or alternate analysis to add to their ever-growing list of the President’s “unprecedented number of lies and mistruths” over the course of his administration. You really didn’t see much of that during this event while the Democrats (and a handful of Never Trumper Republicans) were speaking, did you?
But last night, there was something approaching an exception to that media rule. Cory Booker was given his five minutes in the spotlight on the final night of the convention. As usual, he talked about the typical laundry list of Democrat wish list items. Mixed in among all of the promises and sunny visions of a socialist utopia, Booker brought up the traditional stalking horse of a national $15 per hour minimum wage. “Together, with Joe and Kamala in the White House, we’ll raise the minimum wage so no one who works a full-time job lives in poverty,” he said.
Obviously, nobody at the cable news networks cut away to set him straight, but the Associated Press did coast in after the fact and point out that what Booker had described is “an improbable outcome” at best.
THE FACTS: That’s an improbable outcome for the $15 minimum wage supported by Biden. A 2019 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would lift 1.3 million Americans out of poverty, a small fraction of the roughly 38 million people living in poverty in 2018. Moreover, the report estimated a $15 minimum wage would cost 1.3 million people their jobs because they would be priced out of the market.
Those are some rough numbers for Booker to attempt to square, and that was only the first couple of paragraphs of the analysis. If a $15 per hour minimum wage lifts 1.3 million American workers with full-time jobs above the poverty level, that’s only 3.4% of the full-time workers who are below that threshold. And if the result of this change (as has consistently been predicted) is that an equal number of minimum wage workers will lose their jobs because of the impact on labor costs for employers, is there actually a net benefit?
The AP goes on to point out that not only would millions of full-time workers on the lower end of the pay scale remain in poverty, but none of the ones who primarily work part-time or are fully unemployed (those “unwilling or unable to work”) would rise above the threshold either. Of course, Booker’s comment was directed specifically at full-time workers, so I suppose we can’t hold that part against him.
As for the other speakers, ranging from the nominee and his running mate to the other Democratic celebrities, there usually wasn’t much to fact check. The majority of the remarks were of the breezy variety that were very much short on specifics and heavily tilted toward describing just how Bad the Bad Orange Man is and how everyone must vote like your life depends on it to get rid of him. Why bog down the evening’s itinerary with a bunch of actual solutions for the challenges facing the nation, right?
Where was all the talk of Joe Biden’s promise that the “first thing he would do” would be to raise taxes? Or how about when he promised he would “end fossil fuel” and the millions of jobs the oil and gas industry supports across the country? They could have mentioned his pledge to support the Green New Deal, despite the significant number of Americans who oppose such an extreme plan. And yes, they neglected to promote Uncle Joe’s pledge to end all deportations of illegal aliens and create a pathway to amnesty. And let’s not forget when he said he might even get behind defunding the police in some circumstances.
Just imagine the possibilities. If the AP was willing to fact check Booker on the $15 minimum wage, they could have a field day with the projected outcomes from all of those proposals. But we didn’t hear a peep out of them on those subjects for the most part. You have to wonder why that is.


hotair--2020-08-21--So was Navalny poisoned or not?

So was Navalny poisoned or not?

When the news first broke concerning Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny ’ s plane making an emergency landing yesterday , the situation looked fairly easy to suss out .
The high-profile Putin critic had been poisoned , right ?
And that ’ s precisely what his spokesperson said .
He was in a Siberian hospital , with some reports saying he was in a coma and fighting for his life .
But as the hours dragged on , we were informed that the doctors had checked him out and there was no sign of poisoning .
So what gives ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID ?
( Don ’ t bother Googling .
I just made that up . )
The Russian doctors are blaming it on ( wait for it… ) low blood sugar .
( Sky News ) Russian doctors say there is no evidence Alexei Navalny was poisoned – and have put his condition down to metabolic disease caused by low blood sugar .
The long-time critic of President Vladimir Putin is fighting for his life on a ventilator after drinking tea that allies believe was laced with poison… Speaking to reporters on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Omsk hospital said that as of today , no traces of poison were found in Mr Navalny ’ s body .
I ’ m no doctor , but anyone who listened to the video that I posted yesterday of Navalny howling in pain from inside the airplane restroom might have some questions about this being a case of someone with low blood sugar .
What they ’ re describing is more specifically known as hypoglycemia and yes , it can be serious .
But it ’ s almost always caused by a failure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is Navalny even diabetic ?
An admittedly quick search this morning didn ’ t turn up any indication that he ’ s been dealing with that condition , but I suppose it ’ s possible that it just wasn ’ t seen as being newsworthy .
Still… this sounds rather unlikely .
While we ’ re on the subject , one item I speculated about yesterday turned out to be incorrect .
Navalny didn ’ t order his tea on the plane .
( The only thing he supposedly had to eat or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a picture of him sipping the cup of tea at the gate so it looks like he picked it up in the airport .
In that case , the possible circle of suspects widens considerably if we ’ re still assuming he was poisoned .
His spokeswoman is sticking with the poisoning line and adding a new twist to it .
Reports indicate that a plane was scheduled to fly to Siberia , pick up Navalny and take him to Germany for treatment .
But the Russians doctors currently treating him have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The medical team says he ’ s not up to travel at this point while the spokeswoman claims the doctors caved to pressure from Moscow to keep him where he is .
( Fox News ) Alright , let ’ s try one more trip down the rabbit hole here , shall we ?
Assuming we want to give a huge benefit fo the doubt to the Kremlin , it ’ s impossible to deny that the story being told by the doctors at the Siberian hospital could be possible .
Navalny was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plane ( obviously ) so there was something wrong with him medically .
And if they ’ re being honest about him being effectively in a coma and on a respirator , moving him to the airport and putting him on a plane could indeed be dangerous .
It ’ s estimated to be a six-hour flight from the hospital in Omsk to Berlin .
That ’ s a lot to put someone on a ventilator through .
But then , there ’ s the “ c ’ mon , man ” factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon enough , one way or the other , but those doctors are going to be stuck in that hospital for a long time .
Is it so hard to imagine that the activist ’ s spokeswoman is correct and they had either a phone call or a visit from someone in the KGB shortly after their patient arrived ?
You can picture what the conversation might have sounded like .
( You ’ ll have to imagine me saying this in a truly awful Boris Badenov accent . )
“ The President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our good friend Mr. Navalny .
Not to mention your excellent hospital and your promising careers here .
He ’ s much better off under your care than some strangers in Germany , wouldn ’ t you agree ?
Oh , and the President wouldn ’ t want you to rush into some quick announcement about the toxicology test results .
These things can be tricky .
You wouldn ’ t want to put out a report about him testing positive for poison only to find out later that you ’ d made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” I ’ m not longer at 100 % certainty about what happened to Navalny , I ’ ll confess .
Yes , it stinks to high heaven , but people do suddenly fall ill sometimes at less than ideal locations such as when they ’ re traveling .
It ’ s still possible that the official story being put out is true .
But man… it ’ s a tough line to swallow .

When the news first broke concerning Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny’s plane making an emergency landing yesterday, the situation looked fairly easy to suss out. The high-profile Putin critic had been poisoned, right? And that’s precisely what his spokesperson said. He was in a Siberian hospital, with some reports saying he was in a coma and fighting for his life. But as the hours dragged on, we were informed that the doctors had checked him out and there was no sign of poisoning. So what gives? Was this a case of Rapid Onset COVID? (Don’t bother Googling. I just made that up.) The Russian doctors are blaming it on (wait for it…) low blood sugar. (Sky News)
Russian doctors say there is no evidence Alexei Navalny was poisoned – and have put his condition down to metabolic disease caused by low blood sugar. The long-time critic of President Vladimir Putin is fighting for his life on a ventilator after drinking tea that allies believe was laced with poison… Speaking to reporters on Friday, deputy chief doctor Anatoly Kalinichenko at Omsk hospital said that as of today, no traces of poison were found in Mr Navalny’s body.
I’m no doctor, but anyone who listened to the video that I posted yesterday of Navalny howling in pain from inside the airplane restroom might have some questions about this being a case of someone with low blood sugar. What they’re describing is more specifically known as hypoglycemia and yes, it can be serious. But it’s almost always caused by a failure to properly administer medicine for diabetes. Is Navalny even diabetic? An admittedly quick search this morning didn’t turn up any indication that he’s been dealing with that condition, but I suppose it’s possible that it just wasn’t seen as being newsworthy. Still… this sounds rather unlikely.
While we’re on the subject, one item I speculated about yesterday turned out to be incorrect. Navalny didn’t order his tea on the plane. (The only thing he supposedly had to eat or drink all morning.) There’s a picture of him sipping the cup of tea at the gate so it looks like he picked it up in the airport. In that case, the possible circle of suspects widens considerably if we’re still assuming he was poisoned.
His spokeswoman is sticking with the poisoning line and adding a new twist to it. Reports indicate that a plane was scheduled to fly to Siberia, pick up Navalny and take him to Germany for treatment. But the Russians doctors currently treating him have refused permission to have him moved. The medical team says he’s not up to travel at this point while the spokeswoman claims the doctors caved to pressure from Moscow to keep him where he is. (Fox News)
Russian doctors refused to authorize opposition politician Alexei Navalny’s transfer to a German hospital from the Siberian city of Omsk on Friday… “The chief doctor said that Navalny is non-transportable. (His) condition is unstable. Family’s decision to transfer him is not enough,” Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh tweeted.
Alright, let’s try one more trip down the rabbit hole here, shall we? Assuming we want to give a huge benefit fo the doubt to the Kremlin, it’s impossible to deny that the story being told by the doctors at the Siberian hospital could be possible. Navalny was in a lot of distress on the plane (obviously) so there was something wrong with him medically. And if they’re being honest about him being effectively in a coma and on a respirator, moving him to the airport and putting him on a plane could indeed be dangerous. It’s estimated to be a six-hour flight from the hospital in Omsk to Berlin. That’s a lot to put someone on a ventilator through.
But then, there’s the “c’mon, man” factor to consider. Navalny will be gone soon enough, one way or the other, but those doctors are going to be stuck in that hospital for a long time. Is it so hard to imagine that the activist’s spokeswoman is correct and they had either a phone call or a visit from someone in the KGB shortly after their patient arrived? You can picture what the conversation might have sounded like. (You’ll have to imagine me saying this in a truly awful Boris Badenov accent.)
“The President is very concerned about the welfare of our good friend Mr. Navalny. Not to mention your excellent hospital and your promising careers here. He’s much better off under your care than some strangers in Germany, wouldn’t you agree? Oh, and the President wouldn’t want you to rush into some quick announcement about the toxicology test results. These things can be tricky. You wouldn’t want to put out a report about him testing positive for poison only to find out later that you’d made a terrible mistake. Would you?”
I’m not longer at 100% certainty about what happened to Navalny, I’ll confess. Yes, it stinks to high heaven, but people do suddenly fall ill sometimes at less than ideal locations such as when they’re traveling. It’s still possible that the official story being put out is true. But man… it’s a tough line to swallow.


hotair--2020-08-21--Kanye West loses chance to be placed on Wisconsin ballot ... for the dumbest reason ever

Wouldn ’ t you think that a billionaire running for president would hire people that can tell time ?
Kanye West lost his effort to get on the ballot in Wisconsin because his lawyer missed the filing deadline by a matter of one or two minutes .
I ’ m not kidding .
Truth is stranger than fiction and this story validates that expression .
When Kanye West hired his election lawyer , Lane Ruhland , he probably thought she was a smart choice for the job .
She is a former general counsel for the state Republican Party who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I know what you ’ re thinking after reading those last words – the Trump reelection campaign ?
Is this further proof that Kanye is a stalking horse ?
Who knows ?
The West campaign has been bizarre from the beginning , to put it mildly .
He announced his candidacy , running as a candidate for the Birthday Party , Then he withdrew from the race but kept filing to run .
So , it ’ s impossible to believe that anyone other than Kanye himself knows what in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it looks like he isn ’ t really even trying to do a campaign but to stir things up and provide a distraction .
It ’ s not impossible , though to believe that he is running to dilute the Black vote from Biden on the Democrat ticket .
But that can end up going either way .
Maybe he ’ ll take votes from Trump , too .
Alas , his lawyer was late and missed the filing deadline .
After a 2 1/2 hour meeting , the decision was made to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When you ’ re late , you ’ re late , ” Commissioner Julie Glancey said during a 2½ hour hearing at which the panel voted 5-1 against West .
“ We ’ ve knocked people off the ballot for being one signature short .
If we are holding their feet to the fire on the number of signatures , we need to hold their feet to the fire on the time they file.
” One elections commissioner in Wisconsin said it was ironic that Democrats “ have spent billions of dollars ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote , but weren ’ t interested in making it easier for candidates to file , as well .
Ironic , indeed .
Now , however , Kanye ’ s representatives are off to Illinois , his home state , to defend the validity of the signatures collected to get him on the ballot there .
A hearing is set for today .
That doesn ’ t sound very hopeful , does it ?
Kanye is counting on write-in votes to make him competitive in states where his name is not printed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unicorns and rainbows but it also sounds very Kanye .
The man has a very healthy ego .
During an interview with Forbes , he refused to deny he is running to take votes away from Biden .
And , so it goes in 2020 .
Every time we think things can ’ t get any stranger , they do , don ’ t they ?

Wouldn’t you think that a billionaire running for president would hire people that can tell time? Kanye West lost his effort to get on the ballot in Wisconsin because his lawyer missed the filing deadline by a matter of one or two minutes. I’m not kidding.
Truth is stranger than fiction and this story validates that expression. When Kanye West hired his election lawyer, Lane Ruhland, he probably thought she was a smart choice for the job. She is a former general counsel for the state Republican Party who has also represented the Trump reelection campaign. I know what you’re thinking after reading those last words – the Trump reelection campaign? Is this further proof that Kanye is a stalking horse? Who knows?
The West campaign has been bizarre from the beginning, to put it mildly. He announced his candidacy, running as a candidate for the Birthday Party, Then he withdrew from the race but kept filing to run. So, it’s impossible to believe that anyone other than Kanye himself knows what in the world he is doing. To me, it looks like he isn’t really even trying to do a campaign but to stir things up and provide a distraction.
It’s not impossible, though to believe that he is running to dilute the Black vote from Biden on the Democrat ticket. But that can end up going either way. Maybe he’ll take votes from Trump, too.
Wisconsin is a swing state critical to President Donald Trump’s reelection fight and a place where he defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by less than 30,000 votes. Some political observers saw West as a potential spoiler who could pull Black voters from Joe Biden in November, but a recent poll POLITICO/Morning Consult poll showed West getting a mere 2 percent support overall among registered voters and Black voters. So far, West has qualified to be on the ballot in Arkansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah, and Vermont.
Alas, his lawyer was late and missed the filing deadline. After a 2 1/2 hour meeting, the decision was made to deny West’s application.
“When you’re late, you’re late,” Commissioner Julie Glancey said during a 2½ hour hearing at which the panel voted 5-1 against West. “We’ve knocked people off the ballot for being one signature short. If we are holding their feet to the fire on the number of signatures, we need to hold their feet to the fire on the time they file.” One elections commissioner in Wisconsin said it was ironic that Democrats “have spent billions of dollars” to make it easier for constituents to vote, but weren’t interested in making it easier for candidates to file, as well.
Ironic, indeed. Now, however, Kanye’s representatives are off to Illinois, his home state, to defend the validity of the signatures collected to get him on the ballot there. A hearing is set for today.
Collecting — and challenging — the signatures needed to get on the ballot in the Land of Lincoln is traditional election-season warfare, unlike almost anywhere else in the nation, and West’s team seems unprepared. West’s petitions will come under scrutiny for turning in 1,200 valid signatures, far short of the 2,500 needed to get on the ballot in Illinois.
That doesn’t sound very hopeful, does it? Kanye is counting on write-in votes to make him competitive in states where his name is not printed on the ballot. Sounds like wishing for unicorns and rainbows but it also sounds very Kanye. The man has a very healthy ego. During an interview with Forbes, he refused to deny he is running to take votes away from Biden.
The acclaimed rapper told the publication that he was “walking … to win” the presidency, but when it was pointed out that he wouldn’t be on the ballot in enough states to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the White House, West answered, “I’m not going to argue with you. Jesus is King.”
And, so it goes in 2020. Every time we think things can’t get any stranger, they do, don’t they?


hotair--2020-08-22--Portland riot: Vandalism, naked people, poop balloons and nine arrests

Another riot was declared in Portland last night .
I think that makes four this week .
Last night the focus was the north precinct and Antifa vandalized a police car .
While they were there they also vandalized a van for the Boys & Girls Club which is not part of the police bureau .
A crowd of 150-200 people gathered at Irving Park at 707 Northeast Fremont Street and began marching around 9:30p.m.
, blocking traffic .
In the march , many individuals wore protective gear including helmets , eye protection , gas masks , and body armor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Officers placed unoccupied police vehicles parked on Northeast Emerson Street on the southwest side of the precinct and yellow police line tape across the road .
That was done with the intention of keeping the crowd away from the building .
In past protests there have been attempts to commit arson and burn the occupied building .
A police loudspeaker provided warnings to the crowd not to enter city property and on the closed area of Northeast Emerson Street .
Almost immediately the officers were targeted by thrown bottles , eggs , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lasers are powerful enough that they ’ re capable of causing serious , permanent eye damage .
The police sound truck issued further warnings , notifying the crowd that officers have observed people in the area of North Precinct throwing projectiles and pointing lasers at officers… Over the next three hours , individuals in the crowd pelted the police vehicles with softball-sized rocks , glass bottles , golf balls , ball bearings , metal railroad spikes ( photo ) , and plastic eggs filled with paint ( photo ) .
There were also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cars and even a torn up street sign was used to vandalize the marked police cars ( photo ) .
Windows were broken and tires were deflated ( photo ) .
So long as the mob was remaining off police property , the officers stayed back and let them vandalize the vehicles which were empty .
But eventually the crowd closed in and the police responded and then pulled back again : At least two officers were struck with rocks despite their safety buffer .
A ball bearing struck the loudspeaker truck almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parked in front of the neighboring Boys and Girls Club had a window broken by what is believed to be a golf ball ( photos ) .
Numerous people with “ press ” markings encroached on the closed area .
One person with “ press ” written on their garments deflated another police vehicle tire ( photo ) … At 1:10a.m.
, a riot was declared .
More warnings were given .
Officers moved the crowd to the south .
One vehicle tried to run over some officers , but was unsuccessful in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she was struck by a rock that had been thrown .
Green lasers targeted the PPB Air Unit .
Of course there ’ s video .
Let ’ s dive right in with naked person : This appears to be the first arrest of the night .
As always , the mob is reinforcing its commitment to not turn anyone in for criminal behavior : As mentioned above , they broke windows on a van belonging to the Boys & Girls Club because they ’ re idiots .
Sergio Olmos has video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of it being vandalized .
At least one reporter did catch some of the vandalism happening .
There were at least a dozen journalists there but none of the others caught it : As the rioters enter the area with shields , police finally push back : Officers are pushing people wearing press badges , but as mentioned above some of the “ press ” are slashing tires when they think no one is looking : Police have been wasting their time ( and the city ’ s money ) with these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve vandalized city property and injured officers and they are forming shield walls to resist orders to disperse .
And yet , the moment someone gets pushed they are outraged .
Another angle on the Antifa shield wall : Police published images of some of the damage and the items thrown at them last night including ballons full of poop .
And I think that ’ s about it for last night .
There ’ s some kind of confrontation happening in Portland today but I ’ ll leave that for another @ @

Another riot was declared in Portland last night. I think that makes four this week. Last night the focus was the north precinct and Antifa vandalized a police car. While they were there they also vandalized a van for the Boys & Girls Club which is not part of the police bureau.
A crowd of 150-200 people gathered at Irving Park at 707 Northeast Fremont Street and began marching around 9:30p.m., blocking traffic. In the march, many individuals wore protective gear including helmets, eye protection, gas masks, and body armor. Some carried homemade wooden shields. Officers placed unoccupied police vehicles parked on Northeast Emerson Street on the southwest side of the precinct and yellow police line tape across the road. That was done with the intention of keeping the crowd away from the building. In past protests there have been attempts to commit arson and burn the occupied building. A police loudspeaker provided warnings to the crowd not to enter city property and on the closed area of Northeast Emerson Street. Almost immediately the officers were targeted by thrown bottles, eggs, and green lasers toward their eyes. The lasers are powerful enough that they’re capable of causing serious, permanent eye damage. The police sound truck issued further warnings, notifying the crowd that officers have observed people in the area of North Precinct throwing projectiles and pointing lasers at officers… Over the next three hours, individuals in the crowd pelted the police vehicles with softball-sized rocks, glass bottles, golf balls, ball bearings, metal railroad spikes (photo), and plastic eggs filled with paint (photo). There were also balloons filled with feces thrown on the cars and even a torn up street sign was used to vandalize the marked police cars (photo). Windows were broken and tires were deflated (photo).
So long as the mob was remaining off police property, the officers stayed back and let them vandalize the vehicles which were empty. But eventually the crowd closed in and the police responded and then pulled back again:
At least two officers were struck with rocks despite their safety buffer. A ball bearing struck the loudspeaker truck almost a full block away. A van parked in front of the neighboring Boys and Girls Club had a window broken by what is believed to be a golf ball (photos). Numerous people with “press” markings encroached on the closed area. One person with “press” written on their garments deflated another police vehicle tire (photo)… At 1:10a.m., a riot was declared. More warnings were given. Officers moved the crowd to the south. One vehicle tried to run over some officers, but was unsuccessful in injuring them. An officer was injured when she was struck by a rock that had been thrown. Green lasers targeted the PPB Air Unit.
Of course there’s video. Let’s dive right in with naked person:
A protester just got completely naked except for a mask and is just sort of … chilling. pic.twitter.com/GdpZrHHalr — Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) August 22, 2020
LRAD now giving long-winded instructions about where protesters can stand, and calling out specific protesters who aren’t complying (including, I believe, the protester who was shot in the forehead by a less-lethal munition earlier) — Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) August 22, 2020
Police issue a warning not to vandalize police cars:
Police LRAD warning about not vandalizing the vehicles pic.twitter.com/Gsbr7DWx3M — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
This appears to be the first arrest of the night. As always, the mob is reinforcing its commitment to not turn anyone in for criminal behavior:
“What did you see/I didn’t see shit” pic.twitter.com/xJ1mdXZA9D — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
As mentioned above, they broke windows on a van belonging to the Boys&Girls Club because they’re idiots. Sergio Olmos has video of a vandalized cop car but no video of it being vandalized.
The police car windows smashed out pic.twitter.com/gpxSiZ4z5p — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
At least one reporter did catch some of the vandalism happening. There were at least a dozen journalists there but none of the others caught it:
Just before unlawful assembly declared pic.twitter.com/XC22FC2JAc — Molly Harbarger (@MollyHarbarger) August 22, 2020
As the rioters enter the area with shields, police finally push back:
Police walk towards protestors to begin dispersment pic.twitter.com/MQa7hHt2vQ — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
Officers are pushing people wearing press badges, but as mentioned above some of the “press” are slashing tires when they think no one is looking:
Police make an arrest, officer physically push press back pic.twitter.com/SoinBdQdfZ — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
Police have been wasting their time (and the city’s money) with these idiots every night for months. They’ve vandalized city property and injured officers and they are forming shield walls to resist orders to disperse. And yet, the moment someone gets pushed they are outraged.
Police push protesters getting off the ground, other protestors try to help the fallen, police push them too pic.twitter.com/0p5IG5fBnm — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
Another angle on the Antifa shield wall:
LAST NIGHT: After rioters vandalized and began to light street fires, Antifa attempted to mobilize and form a shield line against police, watch as Portland PD make a complete mockery out of the Antifa shield line pic.twitter.com/o680A4CFY6 — Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) August 22, 2020
Police published images of some of the damage and the items thrown at them last night including ballons full of poop.
Not sure whose job it was to make these…. 💩🎈
Just when we thought we had seen it all in over 80 days. pic.twitter.com/9TxqT1tjlk — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 22, 2020
And I think that’s about it for last night. There’s some kind of confrontation happening in Portland today but I’ll leave that for another post.


hotair--2020-08-22--Ah oh! Did Biden plagiarize a Canadian politician in his acceptance speech?

Well , it ’ s not like he doesn ’ t have a history of plagiarism , you know .
Canadians were quick to note that some of Joe Biden ’ s acceptance speech at the Democrat convention sounded mighty familiar to them .
It turns out Joey B. helped himself to former NDP leader Jack Layton ’ s final letter , delivered a few days before his death in 2011 .
Today is the ninth anniversary of Layton ’ s death .
Here is the part of Biden ’ s speech in question : Nice words .
Love and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and light .
Who can argue with that ?
Jack Layton liked those words , too .
Here is what his final words to his fellow Canadians included : Do you see what Biden ( more likely his writers ) did there ?
Biden ’ s words are those of Layton ’ s .
Layton , by the way , likely took the words from a Canadian prime minister , Wilfrid Laurier in 1916 .
But even Layton wasn ’ t the first Canadian politician to mobilize “ love is better than hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime minister Wilfrid Laurier , who said something similar in 1916 .
“ I shall remind you that already many problems rise before you : problems of race division , problems of creed difference , problems of economic conflict , problems of national duty and national aspiration , ” Laurier said during a speech in London , Ont .
“ Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide , an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s words are ever so slightly different than Layton ’ s but certainly close enough that he should of at least credited Layton with the words , or at least Wilfried Laurier who first brought them to a political address .
Joey B. wants you to think he is the most compassionate , kind-hearted man that ever ran for political office .
Love and light .
As you would expect , Layton was a far-left politician , someone who today ’ s Democrat Party would be comfortable plagiarizing .
The NDP ( New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canadian Liberal Party .
Sounds like today ’ s Democratic Socialists and Team AOC .
Lots of us are old enough to remember Biden ’ s troubled history with plagiarism , and with the truth , too .
His first run for president more than thirty years ago ended abruptly over a plagiarism charge .
He continues to lie about his academic record , too .
So , it is really sloppy of Team Biden to let this kind of thing happen now .
Biden is this close to his big day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measuring the drapes in the Oval Office and preparing to don a cape and save the world after the democracy-destroying years of President Trump , you know .
Those were nice , emotional words .
That ’ s really all Biden has at this point .
Democrat voters are still not enthusiastic about voting for him but many are eager to vote against Trump .
He is playing with Democrats ’ emotions in order to get them motivated .
He has no new ideas to offer , follows Trump ’ s lead on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to America .
Biden ’ s been a part of the problems in Washington for 50 years that Trump has been cleaning up .
Will Democrats hold Biden accountable ?
Nah .
They are too nervous about him as a candidate now as it is .
He already won the primary season , thanks to Rep. James Clyburn in South Carolina , so they will turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to this kind of error .
His acceptance speech is heralded as great and the best Biden has ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the media .
They don ’ t care that astute Canadians noticed when he stole the words of others and took the credit for himself .
Remember , Joe Biden is running on personal character , values , and morals .
Who are we to question that ?

Well, it’s not like he doesn’t have a history of plagiarism, you know. Canadians were quick to note that some of Joe Biden’s acceptance speech at the Democrat convention sounded mighty familiar to them. It turns out Joey B. helped himself to former NDP leader Jack Layton’s final letter, delivered a few days before his death in 2011. Today is the ninth anniversary of Layton’s death.
Here is the part of Biden’s speech in question:
“Let us begin you and I together, one nation under God. United in our love for America. United in our love for each other,” Biden said. “For love is more powerful than hate, hope is more powerful than fear and light is more powerful than dark.”
Nice words. Love and light, y’all, love and light. Who can argue with that? Jack Layton liked those words, too. Here is what his final words to his fellow Canadians included:
“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”
Do you see what Biden (more likely his writers) did there? Biden’s words are those of Layton’s. Layton, by the way, likely took the words from a Canadian prime minister, Wilfrid Laurier in 1916.
But even Layton wasn’t the first Canadian politician to mobilize “love is better than hate” phrasing. That honour goes to prime minister Wilfrid Laurier, who said something similar in 1916. “I shall remind you that already many problems rise before you: problems of race division, problems of creed difference, problems of economic conflict, problems of national duty and national aspiration,” Laurier said during a speech in London, Ont. “Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide, an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate.”
So, Biden’s words are ever so slightly different than Layton’s but certainly close enough that he should of at least credited Layton with the words, or at least Wilfried Laurier who first brought them to a political address. Joey B. wants you to think he is the most compassionate, kind-hearted man that ever ran for political office. Love and light. As you would expect, Layton was a far-left politician, someone who today’s Democrat Party would be comfortable plagiarizing. The NDP (New Democratic Party) is left of the Canadian Liberal Party. Sounds like today’s Democratic Socialists and Team AOC.
Lots of us are old enough to remember Biden’s troubled history with plagiarism, and with the truth, too. His first run for president more than thirty years ago ended abruptly over a plagiarism charge. He continues to lie about his academic record, too.
In 1987, Biden had to drop out of his first presidential run, after he was busted for lying shamelessly about his academic record after yelling at a voter about how much smarter he was then him, as well as plagiarizing the Irish politician Neil Kinnock in a speech. Biden also admitted that he plagiarized a paper in law school.
So, it is really sloppy of Team Biden to let this kind of thing happen now. Biden is this close to his big day, Election Day 2020. He’s measuring the drapes in the Oval Office and preparing to don a cape and save the world after the democracy-destroying years of President Trump, you know. Those were nice, emotional words. That’s really all Biden has at this point. Democrat voters are still not enthusiastic about voting for him but many are eager to vote against Trump. He is playing with Democrats’ emotions in order to get them motivated. He has no new ideas to offer, follows Trump’s lead on the coronavirus, and on bringing jobs back to America. Biden’s been a part of the problems in Washington for 50 years that Trump has been cleaning up.
Will Democrats hold Biden accountable? Nah. They are too nervous about him as a candidate now as it is. He already won the primary season, thanks to Rep. James Clyburn in South Carolina, so they will turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to this kind of error. His acceptance speech is heralded as great and the best Biden has ever done by the Democrats and their wingmen in the media. They don’t care that astute Canadians noticed when he stole the words of others and took the credit for himself. Remember, Joe Biden is running on personal character, values, and morals. Who are we to question that?


hotair--2020-08-22--WSJ: Biden's COVID-19 plan "is Mr. Trump’s without the bluster"

The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed Friday evening which served to fact check Joe Biden ’ s plan to combat COVID-19 if he is elected as president in November .
The board calls Biden ’ s plan a me-too COVID plan .
While the media couldn ’ t say enough glowing words about Slow Joe ’ s acceptance speech at the Democrat convention , what came through to some of us is that there are no new ideas or plans coming from the Biden campaign on pretty much any subject .
That is especially true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration would handle the coronavirus pandemic .
Spoiler alert : a Biden administration would handle it just as the Trump administration is handling it but with softer and gentler words .
And , of course , Biden wouldn ’ t point a finger at the Communist Chinese for inflicting the plague on the United States because , well , Hunter has bills to pay and Joey B. can get along with everyone , or something .
We know this election revolves around Trump and his administration ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always about how the incumbent handled the big pressing issues of the day .
2020 has been like no other year that any of us have ever seen .
Joey B. wants to run as a savior to Americans in his ability to contain and extinguish the pandemic .
He has no such record after 50 years as an elected public servant but never mind that little inconvenient truth .
The Ebola pandemic and the H1N1 pandemic ( swine flu ) were not the same as the coronavirus that we are now battling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with us , by the way , as COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future , too .
No one can wave a magic wand and do away with these viruses , not even St. Joe .
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood and body fluids .
I have kept an eye on Ebola outbreaks for a long time and there are reports as recent as this morning as I write this that Congo is experiencing a new outbreak that is alarming local health officials .
The point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the helm didn ’ t rid the world of that virus any more than they did the swine flu , which is more like the current coronavirus .
Both COVID-19 and the H1N1 virus are spread through airborne transmission .
So , what exactly would Joe Biden do ?
The dirty little secret is that while Democrats are railing against Trump ’ s coronavirus response and accusing him of deliberately murdering people , the Trump administration ’ s response has been much better than he is given credit .
Everything that Biden offers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or is being done by Trump and his team of experts .
We ’ ll start with testing and move forward from that .
The CDC and the FDA botched it in the beginning – it ’ s not the fault of the president that those two agencies dropped the ball .
New tests like the saliva test developed by Yale University are cheap and can be readily available to the public .
How about Biden ’ s call for “ a coordinated , country-wide , future-facing national effort to acquire , produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and machines , lab supplies , and other critical supplies , including by fully utilizing the authorities ” ?
Well , Trump is already doing that through the Defense Production Act .
Biden wants to hire 100,000 federal employees to do contact tracing .
States are already doing this , though , and the fact is that contact tracing isn ’ t useful in coronavirus hot spots , while the virus is raging through communities .
There is also the problem that people being trained as contact tracers haven ’ t shown a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government programs that train workers are dysfunctional and inefficient .
My own city of Houston is experiencing problems with getting a handle on doing contact tracing efficiently .
Lots of taxpayer money is being wasted on poor training and bad policies .
And about a vaccine – Biden promises to “ ramp up the large-scale manufacturing of as many vaccine candidates as necessary.
” Well , that is already being done now , too .
The same is true with searching for therapeutic drug therapies .
Hey , do you think a vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election cycle ?
The Trump Administration and private industry are already on that .
Health and Human Services this spring issued a $ 628 million contract to Emergent BioSolutions , a private firm , to coordinate with vaccine developers ramping up manufacturing capacity .
The Administration has contracted with Johnson & Johnson , Pfizer , BioNTech , Moderna and AstraZeneca for hundreds of millions of dosages as soon as their vaccines are proven safe and effective in trials .
Pfizer and BioNTech said this week that their vaccine is on track to seek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The National Institutes of Health is also funding the most promising treatments .
Last month the Trump Administration signed a contract with Regeneron to manufacture 300,000 doses of its antibody cocktail by the end of the summer .
Mr. Biden ’ s proposals for price controls and threats to prosecute health-care executives would blunt the incentive to develop therapies and vaccines .
The first thing the Trump administration did was put together a White House coronavirus task force with experienced medical experts and Trump shut down air travel coming from China , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Joe Biden was busy calling Trump a xenophobe and racist during that time .
Biden wants more money going to schools to deal with educating students during the pandemic .
Trump is doing that and offering incentives to re-open , which is something that has to happen at some point .
Joe ’ s inner authoritarian is waiting to spring forward , should he win the election .
Besides the standard arrogant talking point that he listens to scientists ( because ignorant Republicans don ’ t believe in science , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown the national economy if he has his way .
He ’ d be listening to scientists that agree with him , you see .
Never mind that there is no such thing as the scientific community marching in lockstep on almost any issue .
The Trump administration is doing all the right things .
Sure , it was a rough start and Trump didn ’ t help things by downplaying the outbreak but he was trying to keep the public calm while everyone scrambled to get into action .
No president in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like 2020 .
Obama and Biden botched the N1H1 outbreak and ignored the Ebola pandemic until they couldn ’ t do so anymore .
We remember .
For Biden now to accuse Trump of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic and Democrats to go as far as to say Trump is murdering over 170,000 people because of his incompetence is unconscionable , even for them .

The Editorial Board of the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed Friday evening which served to fact check Joe Biden’s plan to combat COVID-19 if he is elected as president in November. The board calls Biden’s plan a me-too COVID plan.
While the media couldn’t say enough glowing words about Slow Joe’s acceptance speech at the Democrat convention, what came through to some of us is that there are no new ideas or plans coming from the Biden campaign on pretty much any subject. That is especially true when it comes to how a Biden administration would handle the coronavirus pandemic. Spoiler alert: a Biden administration would handle it just as the Trump administration is handling it but with softer and gentler words. And, of course, Biden wouldn’t point a finger at the Communist Chinese for inflicting the plague on the United States because, well, Hunter has bills to pay and Joey B. can get along with everyone, or something.
We know this election revolves around Trump and his administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and on the economy. Re-elections are always about how the incumbent handled the big pressing issues of the day. 2020 has been like no other year that any of us have ever seen. Joey B. wants to run as a savior to Americans in his ability to contain and extinguish the pandemic. He has no such record after 50 years as an elected public servant but never mind that little inconvenient truth. The Ebola pandemic and the H1N1 pandemic (swine flu) were not the same as the coronavirus that we are now battling in the U.S. Both are still with us, by the way, as COVID-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future, too. No one can wave a magic wand and do away with these viruses, not even St. Joe. Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood and body fluids. I have kept an eye on Ebola outbreaks for a long time and there are reports as recent as this morning as I write this that Congo is experiencing a new outbreak that is alarming local health officials. The point being that Team Obama with Joe at the helm didn’t rid the world of that virus any more than they did the swine flu, which is more like the current coronavirus. Both COVID-19 and the H1N1 virus are spread through airborne transmission.
So, what exactly would Joe Biden do? The dirty little secret is that while Democrats are railing against Trump’s coronavirus response and accusing him of deliberately murdering people, the Trump administration’s response has been much better than he is given credit. Everything that Biden offers up has already been done by Trump or is being done by Trump and his team of experts. We’ll start with testing and move forward from that.
Start with testing. Mr. Biden promises to “develop and deploy rapid tests with results available immediately.” Great—the Food and Drug Administration in the past week has approved two new rapid tests that can be scaled up quickly. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention botched the initial testing rollout. And earlier this summer, shortages of chemical reagents and lab equipment led to delays in processing tests amid a surge of infections. But supply-chain hiccups are gradually being worked out. The U.S. is now conducting 700,000 or so tests a day, up from about 400,000 in early June and 100,000 in late March.
The CDC and the FDA botched it in the beginning – it’s not the fault of the president that those two agencies dropped the ball. New tests like the saliva test developed by Yale University are cheap and can be readily available to the public.
How about Biden’s call for “a coordinated, country-wide, future-facing national effort to acquire, produce, and distribute PPE, test kits and machines, lab supplies, and other critical supplies, including by fully utilizing the authorities”? Well, Trump is already doing that through the Defense Production Act.
Biden wants to hire 100,000 federal employees to do contact tracing. States are already doing this, though, and the fact is that contact tracing isn’t useful in coronavirus hot spots, while the virus is raging through communities. There is also the problem that people being trained as contact tracers haven’t shown a lot of promise in their success. Government programs that train workers are dysfunctional and inefficient. My own city of Houston is experiencing problems with getting a handle on doing contact tracing efficiently. Lots of taxpayer money is being wasted on poor training and bad policies.
And about a vaccine – Biden promises to “ramp up the large-scale manufacturing of as many vaccine candidates as necessary.” Well, that is already being done now, too. The same is true with searching for therapeutic drug therapies. Hey, do you think a vaccine may be the October surprise in this election cycle?
The Trump Administration and private industry are already on that. Health and Human Services this spring issued a $628 million contract to Emergent BioSolutions, a private firm, to coordinate with vaccine developers ramping up manufacturing capacity. The Administration has contracted with Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca for hundreds of millions of dosages as soon as their vaccines are proven safe and effective in trials. Pfizer and BioNTech said this week that their vaccine is on track to seek regulatory approval as early as October. The National Institutes of Health is also funding the most promising treatments. Last month the Trump Administration signed a contract with Regeneron to manufacture 300,000 doses of its antibody cocktail by the end of the summer. Mr. Biden’s proposals for price controls and threats to prosecute health-care executives would blunt the incentive to develop therapies and vaccines.
The first thing the Trump administration did was put together a White House coronavirus task force with experienced medical experts and Trump shut down air travel coming from China, then some air travel from Europe and elsewhere. Joe Biden was busy calling Trump a xenophobe and racist during that time.
Biden wants more money going to schools to deal with educating students during the pandemic. Trump is doing that and offering incentives to re-open, which is something that has to happen at some point.
Joe’s inner authoritarian is waiting to spring forward, should he win the election. Besides the standard arrogant talking point that he listens to scientists (because ignorant Republicans don’t believe in science, you know) he said he’ll just lockdown the national economy if he has his way. He’d be listening to scientists that agree with him, you see. Never mind that there is no such thing as the scientific community marching in lockstep on almost any issue.
The Trump administration is doing all the right things. Sure, it was a rough start and Trump didn’t help things by downplaying the outbreak but he was trying to keep the public calm while everyone scrambled to get into action. No president in our lifetimes has dealt with a year like 2020. Obama and Biden botched the N1H1 outbreak and ignored the Ebola pandemic until they couldn’t do so anymore. We remember. For Biden now to accuse Trump of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic and Democrats to go as far as to say Trump is murdering over 170,000 people because of his incompetence is unconscionable, even for them.