hotair--2020-11-20--Michigan legislators who met with Trump: We'll follow the law and the normal process in awarding our

Michigan legislators who met with Trump: We'll follow the law and the normal process in awarding our state's electors

The key bit is below but you can read the full statement here .
They claim the point of the meeting from their perspective was to lobby the president for more COVID relief money for Michigan .
As for that little “ overturning the election and awarding the loser the state ’ s electoral votes ” suggestion that ’ s been going around , it doesn ’ t sound like it ’ s happening : Note the reference to “ threats and intimidation.
” I wonder what Trump said to them .
I ’ ll give these two the benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re acting on principle .
Meeting with the president under the circumstances of this week created an appearance of gross impropriety , but it ’ s true that they ’ ve said all along that they won ’ t meddle with the process of awarding electoral votes to the winner of the state ’ s election .
To the extent that they might have been tempted to waver from their principles , though , the fact that pieces were circulating today speculating about how they might be prosecuted for bribery by conspiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If in fact they gave the president a hard no on overturning the election , maybe we ’ re a little closer to him throwing in the towel .
Some reporters claim that he ’ s coming around to reality — maybe : It ’ s true , today during his press briefing on prescription drug prices he said of his new regulations , “ I just hope they keep it .
I hope they have the courage to keep it ” — “ they ” presumably meaning the Biden administration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ privately recognizes that he lost but that he ’ s pressing on with his fight for a different reason : That smells like a rationalization .
I ’ m sure he understands that any behavior , no matter how destructive , can be deemed acceptable by rank-and-file Republicans so long as it ’ s presented as a countermeasure to some form of Democratic behavior .
“ Trump knows he lost but can ’ t bring himself to concede no matter how much damage he does because his ego can ’ t bear it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump knows he lost but he can ’ t bring himself to concede no matter how much damage he does because he ’ s making the libs pay for Russiagate ” is much easier for righties to digest .
I think he ’ s genuinely trying to cling to power and overturn the election and the Russiagate-payback stuff is just a bit of face-saving prepared for if and when he fails .
So long as he owns the libs , he didn ’ t really lose .
Although some of CNN ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also think he genuinely seems to believe the conspiracy theories Giuliani and Sidney Powell are feeding him , which would be in character : I don ’ t think there ’ s an either/or here , where this is either a kabuki fight exacted as revenge on Democrats or a genuine fight in which Trump believe he actually won and had his victory stolen by Dominion .
He ’ s an erratic figure ; his mind probably changes moment to moment .
Catch him in the morning and he might tell you he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get even before leaving .
Catch him in the evening and he might be watching YouTube videos about the great software conspiracy to defeat him .
It ’ s not just the Michigan lawmakers who are resisting him .
His nemeses in the Senate GOP are also pushing harder on him in the last 24 hours : Ed wrote this morning , and I completely agree , that it seems like Giuliani ’ s being set up as a fall guy for the inevitable failure to overturn the election , particularly by Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t think Trump himself is looking to scapegoat him ; as noted above , he ’ s allegedly soaking up the conspiracy theories that Rudy is pushing .
But for everyone else involved in the legal effort , being able to blame Rudy ’ s buffoonishness for its eventual failure is a lot more convenient than having to admit that there was never any evidence of widespread fraud and that the effort would have failed anyway .
“ The near-universal opinion ” of Axios ’ s sources is that “ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giuliani could not have done more harm to Trump.
” Sources attached to Trump ’ s operation complained to Politico too : Haberman ’ s getting an earful as well : Their “ discreet challenges ” were never going to do anything except ultimately piss off Trump when they failed .
Now that Giuliani has rushed in and Leeroy-Jenkins-ed the whole production , the rest can throw their hands up in the air and pretend that Rudy ruined everything .
In fact , *if* the real goal here is nothing more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidency , Giuliani ’ s wild conspiracy-mongering is a lot more effective than the respectable lawyers ’ strategy of trying to knock 100 votes off of Biden ’ s lead in a few states and then declare a moral victory .
And in fairness to Rudy , by no means is he the only clown in this circus .
He ’ s just the most famous : I ’ ll leave you with this exit question from Tim Miller .
Come to think of it , it *is* strange that the GOP ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so open-minded to the president ’ s claims of massive , historic fraud , aren ’ t lifting a finger to try to find the evidence .
It ’ s as if they know this is a giant self-serving charade and don ’ t want to waste a minute participating in it .

The key bit is below but you can read the full statement here. They claim the point of the meeting from their perspective was to lobby the president for more COVID relief money for Michigan. As for that little “overturning the election and awarding the loser the state’s electoral votes” suggestion that’s been going around, it doesn’t sound like it’s happening:
Michigan Republican Senate Majority Leader Shirkey and House Speaker Lee Chatfield put out a joint statement on their White House meeting with President Trump. They said they talked about Covid-19 relief and here’s the part about the election: pic.twitter.com/2KnnikR0hp — Annie Grayer (@AnnieGrayerCNN) November 20, 2020
Note the reference to “threats and intimidation.” I wonder what Trump said to them.
I’ll give these two the benefit of the doubt in assuming that they’re acting on principle. Meeting with the president under the circumstances of this week created an appearance of gross impropriety, but it’s true that they’ve said all along that they won’t meddle with the process of awarding electoral votes to the winner of the state’s election. To the extent that they might have been tempted to waver from their principles, though, the fact that pieces were circulating today speculating about how they might be prosecuted for bribery by conspiring with Trump may have stiffened their resolve.
If in fact they gave the president a hard no on overturning the election, maybe we’re a little closer to him throwing in the towel. Some reporters claim that he’s coming around to reality — maybe:
Most people in touch with him say he knows he lost despite refusing to concede. Other times he sounds like he believes the conspiracy theories that Sidney Powell has aired. But his public appearances give weight to the former. https://t.co/Qy2iSC3pIs — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 20, 2020
It’s true, today during his press briefing on prescription drug prices he said of his new regulations, “I just hope they keep it. I hope they have the courage to keep it” — “they” presumably meaning the Biden administration. CNN also reported this morning that Trump privately recognizes that he lost but that he’s pressing on with his fight for a different reason:
The President’s refusal to concede, as CNN has previously reported, stems in part from his perceived grievance that Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama undermined his own presidency by saying Russia interfered in the 2016 election and could have impacted the outcome, people around him have said. Trump continues to hold a grudge against those who he claims undercut his election by pointing to Russian interference efforts, and he has suggested it is fair game to not recognize Joe Biden as the President-elect, even though Clinton conceded on election night in 2016 and the Trump transition was able to begin immediately.
That smells like a rationalization. I’m sure he understands that any behavior, no matter how destructive, can be deemed acceptable by rank-and-file Republicans so long as it’s presented as a countermeasure to some form of Democratic behavior. “Trump knows he lost but can’t bring himself to concede no matter how much damage he does because his ego can’t bear it” is a bad headline. “Trump knows he lost but he can’t bring himself to concede no matter how much damage he does because he’s making the libs pay for Russiagate” is much easier for righties to digest.
I think he’s genuinely trying to cling to power and overturn the election and the Russiagate-payback stuff is just a bit of face-saving prepared for if and when he fails. So long as he owns the libs, he didn’t really lose. Although some of CNN’s sources, like Haberman’s, also think he genuinely seems to believe the conspiracy theories Giuliani and Sidney Powell are feeding him, which would be in character:
When Trump has been told to get Rudy Giuliani and other members of his legal team off the case, the President has disagreed. He wants to continue the fight, and people close to the President have even expressed concern that he is buying into Giuliani’s false claims that his legal efforts can change the election’s outcome. He has shown no signs of backing down, even as those around him continue indicating that the end is near. Those allies have expressed worry that a sizable faction of the country thinks the election was stolen from Trump and that Biden isn’t receiving national security briefings.
I don’t think there’s an either/or here, where this is either a kabuki fight exacted as revenge on Democrats or a genuine fight in which Trump believe he actually won and had his victory stolen by Dominion. He’s an erratic figure; his mind probably changes moment to moment. Catch him in the morning and he might tell you he lost but he’s going to get even before leaving. Catch him in the evening and he might be watching YouTube videos about the great software conspiracy to defeat him.
It’s not just the Michigan lawmakers who are resisting him. His nemeses in the Senate GOP are also pushing harder on him in the last 24 hours:
Here’s a statement on the Giuliani presser today from @BenSasse, who somehow is still somewhat alone — with a few exceptions — in the GOP in speaking out honestly and forthrightly about what’s happening. pic.twitter.com/E1wKzyY8ON — Jon Ward (@jonward11) November 20, 2020
Ed wrote this morning, and I completely agree, that it seems like Giuliani’s being set up as a fall guy for the inevitable failure to overturn the election, particularly by Trump’s more respectable lawyers. I don’t think Trump himself is looking to scapegoat him; as noted above, he’s allegedly soaking up the conspiracy theories that Rudy is pushing. But for everyone else involved in the legal effort, being able to blame Rudy’s buffoonishness for its eventual failure is a lot more convenient than having to admit that there was never any evidence of widespread fraud and that the effort would have failed anyway. “The near-universal opinion” of Axios’s sources is that “In his efforts to ‘help,’ Giuliani could not have done more harm to Trump.” Sources attached to Trump’s operation complained to Politico too:
“It turned into a circus with conspiracy theories,” said one person close to the campaign after watching Giuliani’s news conference, ostensibly held to give an update on the Trump campaign’s legal strategy. “Some of it was indefensible and hearsay, and dilutes any argument we were trying to make.”… Giuliani’s elevation has left numerous Republicans around Trump exasperated, with many campaign aides and allies admitting privately that the fight is likely lost. “They are put in an impossible situation with Rudy,” said a Republican close to the campaign. “He is running everything now.”
Haberman’s getting an earful as well:
Trump’s political aides had seen a scenario where they could make discreet challenges in specific states that, while long shots, would have likely been seen as serious. Instead, the approach was scattershot and ultimately overtaken by Giuliani and littered w conspiracy theories. — Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 20, 2020
Their “discreet challenges” were never going to do anything except ultimately piss off Trump when they failed. Now that Giuliani has rushed in and Leeroy-Jenkins-ed the whole production, the rest can throw their hands up in the air and pretend that Rudy ruined everything.
In fact, *if* the real goal here is nothing more than a straightforward nihilistic delegitimization of Biden’s presidency, Giuliani’s wild conspiracy-mongering is a lot more effective than the respectable lawyers’ strategy of trying to knock 100 votes off of Biden’s lead in a few states and then declare a moral victory. And in fairness to Rudy, by no means is he the only clown in this circus. He’s just the most famous:
As someone *from Colorado,* she should know that everyone in Colorado votes entirely on paper ballots, not on Dominion voting machines — with the exception of a few voters w disabilities/accessibility issues who vote on ballot-marking devices, which still produce a paper ballot https://t.co/5XtsfGN7Tn — Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) November 20, 2020
I’ll leave you with this exit question from Tim Miller. Come to think of it, it *is* strange that the GOP’s congressional members, who are supposedly so open-minded to the president’s claims of massive, historic fraud, aren’t lifting a finger to try to find the evidence. It’s as if they know this is a giant self-serving charade and don’t want to waste a minute participating in it.


hotair--2020-11-20--Texas Governor Abbott: “We’re not gonna have another shutdown”

The Governor of Texas , Greg Abbott , held his first press conference on the coronavirus pandemic in two months on Thursday in Lubbock .
He came bearing good news for the city , currently a hotspot due to a spike in cases of the virus .
A newly approved coronavirus treatment is being distributed in Lubbock and other areas with overcrowded hospitals , including Midland , Amarillo , and El Paso .
The treatment is made by Eli Lilly and like the one President Trump received .
It is known as bamlanivimab , an antibody therapy .
The federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its use .
It is only is only effective in patients already infected with the coronavirus , in the early stage of the virus , and before hospitalization .
“ They have enough right now where they can begin the process and treat patients at least for the next several days , ” Abbott said .
He said he expects a second treatment to arrive in the coming weeks , as well as the first few shipments of a coronavirus vaccine , which could arrive by December and would go to first responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said , as the state reported another 230 deaths from the virus Thursday .
The antibody treatment is coming and another company has filed for emergency approval with the federal government , too .
But doses are likely to be very limited .
About 80,000 doses were ready for distribution nationwide last week , and a few hundred thousand more were expected to be available through the end of the year .
A second company , Regeneron , has filed for federal emergency approval as well , and its treatment is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both treatments must be administered early in an infection , and it ’ s unclear how they will be distributed or who will be prioritized .
The Eli Lilly treatment is being sent to hospitals , but to be eligible to receive it , patients can ’ t have been hospitalized yet .
Abbott said Texas was second in line for shipments of the drug , based on need .
More than 1 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state , and nearly 8,000 were hospitalized for it as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubled from early October and are nearing the record highs from this summer , when cases were raging across the state .
So , the bad news is the increase in hospitalizations and cases in Texas .
The good news is that hotspots are receiving antibody therapy drugs while we all wait for the coronavirus vaccine to become available .
In the meantime , there will not be another statewide lockdown ordered by the governor .
On Thursday the state reported 12,293 new cases , surpassing the previous record of 12,293 just two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ability to claw back re-opening measures based on regional hospital capacity , not on a statewide measure .
He made a point of encouraging Texans to “ remember the habits that got us through the spike of COVID-19 cases in July ” — things like staying home if possible , wearing masks , social distancing and using hand sanitizer ” should continue .
Texas has been here before , the state can get through it again .
No one should let their guard down , mitigation measures remain in place .
He advised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personally responsible.
” The CDC and others in the medical community have advised against traveling during the holidays or holding large gatherings with people outside of your household .
Democrats are criticizing the governor for not taking stricter measures .
They want to see local officials having the ability to shut down their counties as cases spike .
Governor Abbott explained that he won ’ t lockdown the entire state again but focus on “ working to heal those who have COVID , get them out of hospitals quickly , make sure they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A group of nurses , doctors and other medical professionals in Lubbock drafted a petition asking the governor to put stricter restriction in place .
They ask for banning after-school activities for children and limiting group sizes at restaurants and bars .
Bars are already shut down in Lubbock due to the hospital capacity rate .

The Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, held his first press conference on the coronavirus pandemic in two months on Thursday in Lubbock. He came bearing good news for the city, currently a hotspot due to a spike in cases of the virus. A newly approved coronavirus treatment is being distributed in Lubbock and other areas with overcrowded hospitals, including Midland, Amarillo, and El Paso.
The treatment is made by Eli Lilly and like the one President Trump received. It is known as bamlanivimab, an antibody therapy. The federal government granted emergency use authorization Monday for its use. It is only is only effective in patients already infected with the coronavirus, in the early stage of the virus, and before hospitalization.
“They have enough right now where they can begin the process and treat patients at least for the next several days,” Abbott said. He said he expects a second treatment to arrive in the coming weeks, as well as the first few shipments of a coronavirus vaccine, which could arrive by December and would go to first responders. “The cavalry is coming,” he said, as the state reported another 230 deaths from the virus Thursday.
The antibody treatment is coming and another company has filed for emergency approval with the federal government, too.
But doses are likely to be very limited. About 80,000 doses were ready for distribution nationwide last week, and a few hundred thousand more were expected to be available through the end of the year. A second company, Regeneron, has filed for federal emergency approval as well, and its treatment is likely to be available to states soon. Both treatments must be administered early in an infection, and it’s unclear how they will be distributed or who will be prioritized. The Eli Lilly treatment is being sent to hospitals, but to be eligible to receive it, patients can’t have been hospitalized yet. Abbott said Texas was second in line for shipments of the drug, based on need. More than 1 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state, and nearly 8,000 were hospitalized for it as of Thursday. Hospitalizations have more than doubled from early October and are nearing the record highs from this summer, when cases were raging across the state.
So, the bad news is the increase in hospitalizations and cases in Texas. The good news is that hotspots are receiving antibody therapy drugs while we all wait for the coronavirus vaccine to become available. In the meantime, there will not be another statewide lockdown ordered by the governor. On Thursday the state reported 12,293 new cases, surpassing the previous record of 12,293 just two days earlier. Abbott focuses on the ability to claw back re-opening measures based on regional hospital capacity, not on a statewide measure. He made a point of encouraging Texans to “remember the habits that got us through the spike of COVID-19 cases in July” — things like staying home if possible, wearing masks, social distancing and using hand sanitizer” should continue. Texas has been here before, the state can get through it again.
No one should let their guard down, mitigation measures remain in place. He advised those celebrating upcoming holidays to be “personally responsible.” The CDC and others in the medical community have advised against traveling during the holidays or holding large gatherings with people outside of your household.
Democrats are criticizing the governor for not taking stricter measures. They want to see local officials having the ability to shut down their counties as cases spike.
“I hope this new treatment is successful and saves lives, but Gov. Abbott should return power to local leaders so they can take decisive action to curb the rampant spread of COVID-19 in their communities,” state Rep. Chris Turner of Grand Prairie, head of the House Democratic Caucus, said in a statement. “Resigning ourselves to more people falling ill while focusing exclusively on potential therapies is not the strong response that is required.”
Governor Abbott explained that he won’t lockdown the entire state again but focus on “working to heal those who have COVID, get them out of hospitals quickly, make sure they get back to their normal lives.” A group of nurses, doctors and other medical professionals in Lubbock drafted a petition asking the governor to put stricter restriction in place. They ask for banning after-school activities for children and limiting group sizes at restaurants and bars. Bars are already shut down in Lubbock due to the hospital capacity rate.


hotair--2020-11-20--Georgia governor: State law requires me to formalize the certification of Biden's victory

Nothing better captures the miserable state of this party than the feeling of surprise one has upon watching this guy do what the law says instead of what Trump want him to do .
It feels downright transgressive .
“ You ’ re choosing … law over Trump ?
Don ’ t you know what that means for your career ?
” The primary voters of Georgia won ’ t stand for such disgraceful behavior .
The secretary of state ’ s office issued a press release hours ago announcing that the results of the election had been certified .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ been issued prematurely , and that Gov .
Brian Kemp would speak at 5 p.m .
Political junkies on social media felt anxious : Was Kemp about to intervene at the last second to delay the certification somehow , the first step towards voiding the results in Georgia ?
He was not .
Within the last hour or so a second press release was issued affirming that yes , the results had been certified .
Kemp ’ s announcement was simply to say that he ’ ll follow the law and formalize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ secretary of state Brad Raffensperger for showing immense integrity by , uh , [ checks notes ] not carrying out a coup on Trump ’ s behalf on the barest unproved assertion of voter fraud .
It takes real guts as a Republican in 2020 to fulfill the most basic requirements of the office the public has entrusted to you when the president demands otherwise .
I ’ m only half-joking too .
As I write this , the senate majority leader and house speaker of the Michigan state legislature are meeting with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re willing to try to execute a coup in their own home state on his behalf .
Kemp and Raffensperger made that a little harder for them through their example today .
For standing up for democracy while an authoritarian browbeats them over Twitter from afar , both are probably unelectable to any office ever again .
Which is just as well : Decent people are grossly unfit to serve the American public in 2020 .
Raffensperger wouldn ’ t have taken a meeting with Trump to let the president lobby him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ goons from Michigan aren ’ t made of stuff as stern .
You can watch the full four minutes of Kemp ’ s speech here .
( I didn ’ t embed it because the audio is poor . )
He does what he can to massage Trump ’ s ego in his remarks , making one good point and one not so good one in so doing .
The good point is that it ’ s an egregious embarrassment that the state found thousands of uncounted ballots during its hand recount .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ counties , making it unlikely that they were deliberately hidden to hurt Trump .
And yes , the gains Trump made from those ballots didn ’ t affect the final margin materially .
But at a moment when the president and his aides are kitchen-sinking an attempt to make Americans doubt the validity of elections , any failure involving uncounted ballots is a bad error .
Kemp ’ s right that it can ’ t be repeated in the Senate runoffs .
His not-so-good point is when he demands some sort of audit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see if they match the signatures on absentee ballot envelopes .
Erick Erickson spoke to Raffensperger about that a few days ago .
I don ’ t know what Kemp has in mind beyond what Georgia ’ s already done : Note point five .
Even if you could prove that the signature on a ballot envelope didn ’ t match the signature on the application — which Raffensperger claims they already checked for , per point 4 — there ’ s no way to invalidate a ballot because of that .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago and have no identifying marks in order to preserve the secrecy of each voter ’ s vote .
So what does Kemp want ?
Then again , we don ’ t need to overthink it .
He ’ s mentioning the signature thing not because he fears there ’ s anything to it but because it ’ s been a hobbyhorse for Trump when complaining about Georgia .
He ’ s humoring the president on a day when the state is letting him down bigly , nothing more .
Exit quotation from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of years for Brian Kemp , accused by both left-wing and right-wing icons of stealing Georgia elections .
”

Nothing better captures the miserable state of this party than the feeling of surprise one has upon watching this guy do what the law says instead of what Trump want him to do.
It feels downright transgressive. “You’re choosing … law over Trump? Don’t you know what that means for your career?”
The primary voters of Georgia won’t stand for such disgraceful behavior.
The secretary of state’s office issued a press release hours ago announcing that the results of the election had been certified. Then came news that the release had been issued prematurely, and that Gov. Brian Kemp would speak at 5 p.m. Political junkies on social media felt anxious: Was Kemp about to intervene at the last second to delay the certification somehow, the first step towards voiding the results in Georgia?
He was not. Within the last hour or so a second press release was issued affirming that yes, the results had been certified. Kemp’s announcement was simply to say that he’ll follow the law and formalize that certification tomorrow.
Here is the video.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says "state law requires the Governor's office to formalize the certification." pic.twitter.com/VXh23S1anB — Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) November 20, 2020
Kudos to him and secretary of state Brad Raffensperger for showing immense integrity by, uh, [checks notes] not carrying out a coup on Trump’s behalf on the barest unproved assertion of voter fraud.
It takes real guts as a Republican in 2020 to fulfill the most basic requirements of the office the public has entrusted to you when the president demands otherwise.
I’m only half-joking too. As I write this, the senate majority leader and house speaker of the Michigan state legislature are meeting with Trump, presumably talking over whether they’re willing to try to execute a coup in their own home state on his behalf. Kemp and Raffensperger made that a little harder for them through their example today. For standing up for democracy while an authoritarian browbeats them over Twitter from afar, both are probably unelectable to any office ever again. Which is just as well: Decent people are grossly unfit to serve the American public in 2020.
“A top adviser to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) said there is ‘zero’ chance the secretary would take a phone call from the president or his advisers. Raffensperger is expected to certify the statewide result Friday, as required by law.” https://t.co/NhZCBKGB57 — Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) November 20, 2020
Raffensperger wouldn’t have taken a meeting with Trump to let the president lobby him about voiding the election. The two goons from Michigan aren’t made of stuff as stern.
You can watch the full four minutes of Kemp’s speech here. (I didn’t embed it because the audio is poor.) He does what he can to massage Trump’s ego in his remarks, making one good point and one not so good one in so doing. The good point is that it’s an egregious embarrassment that the state found thousands of uncounted ballots during its hand recount. Yes, those ballots came from Republican counties, making it unlikely that they were deliberately hidden to hurt Trump. And yes, the gains Trump made from those ballots didn’t affect the final margin materially. But at a moment when the president and his aides are kitchen-sinking an attempt to make Americans doubt the validity of elections, any failure involving uncounted ballots is a bad error. Kemp’s right that it can’t be repeated in the Senate runoffs.
His not-so-good point is when he demands some sort of audit of the signatures on absentee ballot applications to see if they match the signatures on absentee ballot envelopes. Erick Erickson spoke to Raffensperger about that a few days ago. I don’t know what Kemp has in mind beyond what Georgia’s already done:
https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1328449371919314944
https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1328449373278244865
https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1328449374909837313
Note point five. Even if you could prove that the signature on a ballot envelope didn’t match the signature on the application — which Raffensperger claims they already checked for, per point 4 — there’s no way to invalidate a ballot because of that. Ballots were separated from their envelopes weeks ago and have no identifying marks in order to preserve the secrecy of each voter’s vote. So what does Kemp want? Then again, we don’t need to overthink it. He’s mentioning the signature thing not because he fears there’s anything to it but because it’s been a hobbyhorse for Trump when complaining about Georgia. He’s humoring the president on a day when the state is letting him down bigly, nothing more.
Exit quotation from Rich Lowry: “Hell of a couple of years for Brian Kemp, accused by both left-wing and right-wing icons of stealing Georgia elections.”


hotair--2020-11-20--BLM Co-founder: Biden's election was 'won by Black people', 'We want something for our vote.'

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrice Cullors has a message for the incoming Biden administration – pay up .
She hasn ’ t come right out and said that but the message is clear .
Cullors sent a letter requesting a one-on-one meeting with the president-elect but so far her request has not garnered a response .
Cullors says that the organization has “ expectations ” of the Biden administration and they will be around to hold the administration accountable .
The presidential election was ‘ won by Black people ’ for Biden , she said .
She is ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created headlines after signing a multi-year deal with Warner Brothers Television Group .
She has a large platform available to her and she is claiming that “ black voters showed up in huge numbers to turn this country around and remove the racist in the White House.
” What is abundantly clear is Black voters tipped the scales in favor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris , especially in Rust Belt battleground states .
It ’ s a testament to our communities that the same people who have been treated the worst by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
We congratulate President-elect Biden and particularly Vice President-elect Kamala Harris , on becoming the country ’ s first woman — a Black woman — to serve as Vice President .
This historic win is a testament to the work Black women have been doing in the streets , in this campaign , and at every level of politics .
On Jan. 20 , 2021 , the sun will rise on an America that is no longer a global embarrassment .
New work will begin .
Biden ’ s win wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he did win the most votes of a presidential candidate .
Likewise , President Trump won the most votes of a president seeking re-election .
Kamala Harris ’ s victory was historic .
So , Cullor ’ s brand of race-baiting and sense of entitlement may not reap the rewards she expects .
As I wrote last month , she and the other two women who co-founded BLM are cashing in .
There is no mandate for a far-left administration after the election .
Voters soundly rejected far-left candidates and there was no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a red wave , as Republicans are flipping seats in the House and winning contested races .
At the state level , Republicans gained ground , especially with redistricting on the agenda in 2021 .
Joe Biden had to walk a fine line between claiming the mantle of a moderate Democrat who can work with Republicans and a progressive who will be beholden to the far-left who fell in behind him to win the election .
Biden is a career politician so he aptly managed to do that .
Now , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the socialist/Marxist wing of his party who feel entitled to make their agenda happen .
I , for one , will enjoy watching Biden maneuver between rank and file Democrats and the far-left progressives .
Biden did brag that he will be the most progressive president ever , so , we ’ ll see about that .
Black Lives Matter Global Network sent a letter to the Biden-Harris team to really ask for a seat at the table .
We have not heard back from them .
I really hope my first fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will meet with us .
We know that the Black Lives Matter Global Network and all the Black-led organizations around the country really helped win this election and we hope that they sit down with the leadership that was dedicated to getting them in office .
Black Lives Matter will be there to hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable and work with this administration to dismantle a system that for too long hasn ’ t worked for the Black community .
One specific piece of legislation Cullors and her supporters expect to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first 100 days is the BREATHE Act .
It ’ s a defund the police-style bill that solely concentrates on black people – 13 % of the population of the U.S. How is good old Joe going to get unity in our country if he focuses on only one group ?
Biden isn ’ t the only politician that will be feeling the heat from BLM .
Governor Newsom is being told by the organization that Senator Kamala Harris must be replaced by another black woman .
It ’ s non-negotiable .
Elsewhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gavin Newsom to appoint another black woman to replace Kamala Harris , who will vacate her senate seat in January when she become Vice President .
The group has started a petition calling for either Karen Bass or Barbara Lee to be appointed in Harris ’ s stead , guaranteeing a black woman will remain in the senate until at least 2022 , when Harris ’ s current term expires .
‘ Appointing a Black woman to this seat is nonnegotiable – this must be done , ’ the peititon says .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cave to that pressure – unless he caves to pressure to appoint a Latino .
He ’ s determined to appear as woke as possible .
We ’ re going to need a lot of popcorn to watch Democrat politicians who live and die by identity politics manage everyone ’ s expectations going forward .

Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrice Cullors has a message for the incoming Biden administration – pay up. She hasn’t come right out and said that but the message is clear. Cullors sent a letter requesting a one-on-one meeting with the president-elect but so far her request has not garnered a response.
Cullors says that the organization has “expectations” of the Biden administration and they will be around to hold the administration accountable. The presidential election was ‘won by Black people’ for Biden, she said. She is ready to leverage her new-found power. Recently she created headlines after signing a multi-year deal with Warner Brothers Television Group. She has a large platform available to her and she is claiming that “black voters showed up in huge numbers to turn this country around and remove the racist in the White House.”
What is abundantly clear is Black voters tipped the scales in favor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, especially in Rust Belt battleground states. It’s a testament to our communities that the same people who have been treated the worst by our democracy still showed up to save it. We congratulate President-elect Biden and particularly Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, on becoming the country’s first woman — a Black woman — to serve as Vice President. This historic win is a testament to the work Black women have been doing in the streets, in this campaign, and at every level of politics. On Jan. 20, 2021, the sun will rise on an America that is no longer a global embarrassment. New work will begin.
Biden’s win wasn’t historic, of course, but he did win the most votes of a presidential candidate. Likewise, President Trump won the most votes of a president seeking re-election. Kamala Harris’s victory was historic. So, Cullor’s brand of race-baiting and sense of entitlement may not reap the rewards she expects. As I wrote last month, she and the other two women who co-founded BLM are cashing in. There is no mandate for a far-left administration after the election. Voters soundly rejected far-left candidates and there was no blue wave. If anything, there was a red wave, as Republicans are flipping seats in the House and winning contested races. At the state level, Republicans gained ground, especially with redistricting on the agenda in 2021.
Joe Biden had to walk a fine line between claiming the mantle of a moderate Democrat who can work with Republicans and a progressive who will be beholden to the far-left who fell in behind him to win the election. Biden is a career politician so he aptly managed to do that. Now, he faces four long years of demands from the socialist/Marxist wing of his party who feel entitled to make their agenda happen. I, for one, will enjoy watching Biden maneuver between rank and file Democrats and the far-left progressives. Biden did brag that he will be the most progressive president ever, so, we’ll see about that.
Black Lives Matter Global Network sent a letter to the Biden-Harris team to really ask for a seat at the table. We have not heard back from them. I really hope my first fight with this administration isn’t whether they will meet with us. We know that the Black Lives Matter Global Network and all the Black-led organizations around the country really helped win this election and we hope that they sit down with the leadership that was dedicated to getting them in office. Black Lives Matter will be there to hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable and work with this administration to dismantle a system that for too long hasn’t worked for the Black community.
One specific piece of legislation Cullors and her supporters expect to be passed in the Biden administration’s first 100 days is the BREATHE Act. It’s a defund the police-style bill that solely concentrates on black people – 13% of the population of the U.S. How is good old Joe going to get unity in our country if he focuses on only one group?
The BREATHE Act brings four simple ideas to the table: divest federal resources from incarceration and policing; invest in new, nonpunitive, non-carceral approaches to community safety that lead states to shrink their criminal-legal systems and center the protection of Black lives — including Black mothers, Black trans people and Black women; allocate new money to build healthy, sustainable and equitable communities; and hold political leaders accountable to their promises and enhance the self-determination of all Black communities.
Biden isn’t the only politician that will be feeling the heat from BLM. Governor Newsom is being told by the organization that Senator Kamala Harris must be replaced by another black woman. It’s non-negotiable.
Elsewhere, BLM has begun pressuring California governor Gavin Newsom to appoint another black woman to replace Kamala Harris, who will vacate her senate seat in January when she become Vice President. The group has started a petition calling for either Karen Bass or Barbara Lee to be appointed in Harris’s stead, guaranteeing a black woman will remain in the senate until at least 2022, when Harris’s current term expires. ‘Appointing a Black woman to this seat is nonnegotiable – this must be done,’ the peititon says.
It’s quite likely that Newsom will cave to that pressure – unless he caves to pressure to appoint a Latino. He’s determined to appear as woke as possible. We’re going to need a lot of popcorn to watch Democrat politicians who live and die by identity politics manage everyone’s expectations going forward.


hotair--2020-11-20--Report: It may be "weeks" before GSA chief moves ahead with formal transition to Biden

“ Weeks ” ain ’ t gon na cut it , chief .
Not in a year when the country ’ s being swallowed up by COVID quicksand and the incoming administration needs to be ready on hour one of day one to make the vaccine machine hum .
At the absolute maximum , I suspect Team Joe will give her until Thanksgiving to pull the trigger .
Georgia is certifying its results today , Michigan and Pennsylvania are certifying on Monday .
At that point , even if we assume Team Trump figures out a way to flip Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t — Biden will have more than 270 electoral votes .
GSA chief Emily Murphy has already proved she ’ s a partisan hack willing to hamstring the new government because she ’ s afraid of Trump , but for the moment she still has the fig leaf that the outcome in key states is unofficial .
That changes on Monday .
And let ’ s be honest .
The only reason it ’ s unofficial is because the president and his cronies are trying to get state legislatures to pull off a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no lawsuit pending anywhere that would jeopardize Biden ’ s lead in either Michigan or Pennsylvania .
This isn ’ t a court fight anymore , it ’ s a coup attempt .
And Murphy is knowingly endorsing that coup attempt by letting it affect her “ ascertainment ” of whether Biden is the rightful winner or not .
This is a nice PR stunt by Team Joe to call attention to her obstructionism : WaPo has a story today about Murphy allegedly agonizing over what to do even though the choice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump ’ s win was certified the day after the election in 2016 despite the fact this margins were tighter in key states and he lost the popular vote .
Murphy ’ s given him two weeks to make something happen in court , and all she ’ s gotten for her trouble was a press conference at which Rudy Giuliani ’ s hair dye ran down his cheeks while he ranted about a centralized conspiracy that no one ’ s actually put in front of a judge .
Moreover , Murphy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and releasing transition funds to his team wouldn ’ t do a thing procedurally to hinder Trump ’ s effort to the election overturned , whether in court or via a coup .
He still gets to sue , he still gets to threaten state legislators .
All the “ ascertainment ” would do is facilitate Team Biden ’ s readiness for January .
But it would piss Trump off , and evidently she ’ s a weak person , so she won ’ t do it .
She doesn ’ t serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A senior Trump administration official said Murphy is confiding to others that she feels extreme pressure , knowing that whatever decision she makes will bring her scrutiny , including the possibility that Trump could fire her if she crosses him .
She has instructed others in the government to be ready for an “ ascertainment ” but has suggested it could be weeks away , this person said .
“ She wants to see what happens with all of the states , and she is looking for cues from the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity .
“ She doesn ’ t want to be disloyal to the administration that hired her.
” She is upset , this person said , at becoming a figure of intense scorn despite her reputation as a behind-the-scenes bureaucrat who has mostly avoided politics .
“ She is not a bona fide Trump person , ” the official said .
“ She is not a Seb Gorka or Steve Bannon or Stephen Miller type ” — a reference to three hard-liners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murphy ’ s staff says she can not give timetables because she is considering each factor , the unstated one being the moment Republicans on Capitol Hill give her enough cover by publicly accepting Biden ’ s victory .
She deserves every bit of the scorn she ’ s getting for treating this like a 2000 “ one state decided by a few hundred votes ” situation , which it isn ’ t .
In the end , she ’ ll get much more scorn from MAGA types when she does finally release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from anti-Trumpers for not releasing them , as any act of recognition by a Trump deputy at any point that Biden won will be considered treason .
Only the president himself can give her political cover by acknowledging Biden ’ s victory , and he won ’ t do that .
So unless she ’ s prepared to hold out until January 20 , she ’ s destined to be a hate object to both sides .
The longer she holds out , the more Trump ’ s critics will vilify her — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for holding out from his supporters once she caves .
If she ’ s waiting for cover from Republicans in Congress , she ’ s already got it .
Some of it , at least .
Mitt Romney , Ben Sasse , and Susan Collins have already acknowledged Biden as president-elect .
Last night Lamar Alexander issued this pitiful , mealy-mouthed statement , which could have gone much further given that his Senate career will be over in a few weeks and thus he ’ ll face no repercussions from Trump for anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s time to start the transition : House Republicans like Kay Granger and Fred Upton have also started nudging Trump that it ’ s time to “ move on.
” The problem in this pathetic little crisis is that no one wants to go first .
Murphy ’ s waiting for more congressional Republicans to recognize Biden , congressional Republicans are waiting for Murphy to recognize him , everyone ’ s looking to see if Trump gives some signal of throwing in the towel , and on and on .
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s wrath , so the country — not Biden , but the people he has to serve on January 20 — has to suffer .
None of this is ultimately about Biden , it ’ s about Republicans putting Trump ’ s ego above Americans ’ need for the next government to perform effectively as soon as it takes power .
Case in point : The WSJ has a story today about Biden ’ s team needing to use private tech platforms , which may not be as secure as the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pull the trigger on “ ascertainment ” and give him access to federal servers .
If she did so , at worst she ’ d end up being fired soon from a job she ’ ll lose in two months anyway .
Evidently she sees herself as working for Trump , though , not the people who pay her salary .
Democrats have mostly sat back during Trump ’ s tantrum and not engaged him , rightly believing that answering his provocations will only make things worse and give him a pretext to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re running out of patience with Murphy .
Yesterday a House committee sent her a letter demanding that she brief them by Monday on her reasoning for delaying the “ ascertainment ” of Biden ’ s victory .
If Murphy declines , they said , they ’ ll haul her in for a public hearing .
If she and Trump try to obstruct that with some sort of dubious executive privilege claim , I assume the next step will be to go to court .
If WaPo is right that Murphy ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure of scorn , the prospect of having to dig in for a legal battle *after* the key states have already certified Biden as the winner must be extremely unpalatable to her .
My guess is that she ’ ll “ ascertain ” his win early next week .
Stay tuned .

“Weeks” ain’t gonna cut it, chief. Not in a year when the country’s being swallowed up by COVID quicksand and the incoming administration needs to be ready on hour one of day one to make the vaccine machine hum.
At the absolute maximum, I suspect Team Joe will give her until Thanksgiving to pull the trigger. Georgia is certifying its results today, Michigan and Pennsylvania are certifying on Monday. At that point, even if we assume Team Trump figures out a way to flip Wisconsin and Arizona — which it won’t — Biden will have more than 270 electoral votes. GSA chief Emily Murphy has already proved she’s a partisan hack willing to hamstring the new government because she’s afraid of Trump, but for the moment she still has the fig leaf that the outcome in key states is unofficial. That changes on Monday.
And let’s be honest. The only reason it’s unofficial is because the president and his cronies are trying to get state legislatures to pull off a coup on his behalf. There’s no lawsuit pending anywhere that would jeopardize Biden’s lead in either Michigan or Pennsylvania. This isn’t a court fight anymore, it’s a coup attempt. And Murphy is knowingly endorsing that coup attempt by letting it affect her “ascertainment” of whether Biden is the rightful winner or not.
This is a nice PR stunt by Team Joe to call attention to her obstructionism:
Here's the deal: Because President Trump refuses to concede and is delaying the transition, we have to fund it ourselves and need your help. If you're able, chip in to help fund the Biden-Harris transition. https://t.co/apJMrdpoSS — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 20, 2020
WaPo has a story today about Murphy allegedly agonizing over what to do even though the choice before her is child’s play. Trump’s win was certified the day after the election in 2016 despite the fact this margins were tighter in key states and he lost the popular vote. Murphy’s given him two weeks to make something happen in court, and all she’s gotten for her trouble was a press conference at which Rudy Giuliani’s hair dye ran down his cheeks while he ranted about a centralized conspiracy that no one’s actually put in front of a judge. Moreover, Murphy “ascertaining” Biden’s win and releasing transition funds to his team wouldn’t do a thing procedurally to hinder Trump’s effort to the election overturned, whether in court or via a coup. He still gets to sue, he still gets to threaten state legislators. All the “ascertainment” would do is facilitate Team Biden’s readiness for January. But it would piss Trump off, and evidently she’s a weak person, so she won’t do it. She doesn’t serve the public, she serves Trump.
A senior Trump administration official said Murphy is confiding to others that she feels extreme pressure, knowing that whatever decision she makes will bring her scrutiny, including the possibility that Trump could fire her if she crosses him. She has instructed others in the government to be ready for an “ascertainment” but has suggested it could be weeks away, this person said. “She wants to see what happens with all of the states, and she is looking for cues from the White House,” said the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. “She doesn’t want to be disloyal to the administration that hired her.” She is upset, this person said, at becoming a figure of intense scorn despite her reputation as a behind-the-scenes bureaucrat who has mostly avoided politics. “She is not a bona fide Trump person,” the official said. “She is not a Seb Gorka or Steve Bannon or Stephen Miller type” — a reference to three hard-liners who have served in the White House… Murphy’s staff says she cannot give timetables because she is considering each factor, the unstated one being the moment Republicans on Capitol Hill give her enough cover by publicly accepting Biden’s victory.
She deserves every bit of the scorn she’s getting for treating this like a 2000 “one state decided by a few hundred votes” situation, which it isn’t. In the end, she’ll get much more scorn from MAGA types when she does finally release the funds then she’s getting from anti-Trumpers for not releasing them, as any act of recognition by a Trump deputy at any point that Biden won will be considered treason. Only the president himself can give her political cover by acknowledging Biden’s victory, and he won’t do that. So unless she’s prepared to hold out until January 20, she’s destined to be a hate object to both sides. The longer she holds out, the more Trump’s critics will vilify her — and she’ll get no credit for holding out from his supporters once she caves.
If she’s waiting for cover from Republicans in Congress, she’s already got it. Some of it, at least. Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, and Susan Collins have already acknowledged Biden as president-elect. Last night Lamar Alexander issued this pitiful, mealy-mouthed statement, which could have gone much further given that his Senate career will be over in a few weeks and thus he’ll face no repercussions from Trump for anything he says. But even Alexander thinks it’s time to start the transition:
Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of Senate HELP Committee, calls on Trump to allow transition process to begin, especially on vaccine distribution pic.twitter.com/NqAESs1mkZ — Manu Raju (@mkraju) November 20, 2020
House Republicans like Kay Granger and Fred Upton have also started nudging Trump that it’s time to “move on.” The problem in this pathetic little crisis is that no one wants to go first. Murphy’s waiting for more congressional Republicans to recognize Biden, congressional Republicans are waiting for Murphy to recognize him, everyone’s looking to see if Trump gives some signal of throwing in the towel, and on and on. No one wants to feel the bully’s wrath, so the country — not Biden, but the people he has to serve on January 20 — has to suffer. None of this is ultimately about Biden, it’s about Republicans putting Trump’s ego above Americans’ need for the next government to perform effectively as soon as it takes power. Case in point: The WSJ has a story today about Biden’s team needing to use private tech platforms, which may not be as secure as the government’s, because Murphy won’t pull the trigger on “ascertainment” and give him access to federal servers. If she did so, at worst she’d end up being fired soon from a job she’ll lose in two months anyway. Evidently she sees herself as working for Trump, though, not the people who pay her salary.
Democrats have mostly sat back during Trump’s tantrum and not engaged him, rightly believing that answering his provocations will only make things worse and give him a pretext to behave more recklessly. But they’re running out of patience with Murphy. Yesterday a House committee sent her a letter demanding that she brief them by Monday on her reasoning for delaying the “ascertainment” of Biden’s victory. If Murphy declines, they said, they’ll haul her in for a public hearing. If she and Trump try to obstruct that with some sort of dubious executive privilege claim, I assume the next step will be to go to court. If WaPo is right that Murphy’s already “upset” at being a figure of scorn, the prospect of having to dig in for a legal battle *after* the key states have already certified Biden as the winner must be extremely unpalatable to her. My guess is that she’ll “ascertain” his win early next week. Stay tuned.


hotair--2020-11-20--Biden attorney: Legislatures can't replace electors -- even if Trump cuts a deal for it

Will a meeting between Donald Trump and the two Republican leaders of Michigan ’ s state legislature result in a deal to invalidate the state ’ s election results ?
That ’ s certainly the concern expressed as House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey arrive at the White House , although both Chatfield and Shirkey have previously rejected the idea .
Democrats in Michigan ripped the pair for meeting with Trump under the circumstances , but Chatfield said when the president calls , you answer : Even if this seems like an odd time to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything much to come of it , says Bob Bauer .
The legal adviser to the Joe Biden campaign argues that nothing can come out of it .
The US Constitution only allows state legislatures to choose the method of appointing electors to the Electoral College .
And once they have chosen the method , they ’ re essentially stuck with the result : Bob Bauer , a legal adviser for President-elect Joe Biden ’ s campaign , said Friday it ’ s “ not possible ” for the Republican-controlled Michigan Legislature to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to President Donald Trump .
During a briefing for Biden ’ s campaign , Bauer blasted the Republican president for holding a meeting with the Republican leaders of the Michigan House and Senate on Friday afternoon as the state prepares to certify its election results as early as Monday .
… “ The popular vote governs , ” he said of Michigan .
“ That was the system in place on Nov. 3 and that is the system that is going to produce the slate of Biden-Harris electors.
” Trying to change the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ not legal , ” Bauer said .
It “ can not happen , ” he added .
Likewise , Bauer said any attempt to delay the certification of Michigan ’ s votes would ultimately not be successful .
Article II Section One does give each state the authority to choose their process : Bauer argues that Michigan — and every other state — had already directed the manner of appointing electors : a statewide popular vote .
Most states use winner-take-all policies for those appointments , but two ( Maine and Nebraska @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional districts .
Either way , the “ Manner ” in which electors are appointed has already been chosen — and executed .
The time to choose a different manner would have been before Michigan held a statewide election for that purpose .
To change that manner after an election would not just violate Article II Section One but also the due-process clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments , Bauer argued , as well as the Electoral Count Act and its Safe Harbor provision : The federal Electoral Count Act governs how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is a “ failed elections ” mechanism that would allow states to choose new electors if the state ’ s voters did not decide on a presidential choice , and what qualifies as a “ failed ” election may be up for debate .
Another provision of the law , called the “ safe harbor ” provision , requires electors to be chosen according to laws enacted before Election Day , and any disputes over those laws or the selection process must be completed before Dec. 8 .
“ Even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , disregard that fact that Nov. 3 is behind us , and attempt by some mechanism here to send Trump-Pence electors to replace the Biden-Harris electors or to compete with them before the Congress , they couldn ’ t do that either because they would be violating the Constitution , ” Bauer said .
“ The Constitution guarantees the right to vote — and the constitutional due process clause .
And that ’ s presumably why Republican state legislative leaders have said in Pennsylvania , as well as in Michigan , that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does have its own loopholes , though .
In 3 USC 2 , the law does allow legislatures to appoint electors — but only if their elections result in “ a failure to make a choice on the day prescribed by the law , ” ie , Election Day .
That would require an intervention before a state certified an election , which is why Trump ’ s team wants to block those moves .
( Too late in Georgia now . )
However , such a move then negates the Safe Harbor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 only protects electors from challenge if they are appointed “ by laws enacted prior to the day fixed for the appointment of the electors.
” If legislatures appoint them directly after a popular vote , their electors run a high risk of being excluded from the vote in Congress .
And this also clearly shows that the law and its interpretation of the Constitution favors sticking with the manner initially chosen by states rather than post-election legislative interventions .
But let ’ s say for the sake of argument that Trump convinces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whom they rely for their very jobs .
What then ?
Trump would pick up 16 electors , but not for long .
The House would almost certainly vote to reject those electors , which only takes a majority vote and is not based on state delegations .
( That ’ s only for the election itself in the unlikely event that the Electoral College can ’ t settle it . )
Michigan ’ s election wouldn ’ t count , and Joe Biden would have only , er … 290 electors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump would need more states to sabotage their own voters .
Yeah , but even with Michigan and Pennsylvania tossed aside , Joe Biden still has 270 Electoral College votes , meeting the threshold of victory .
Trump would need three states to go along with such a strategy , then hope that House Republicans in Congress would stick with him in a state-delegation vote to settle the 2020 election — assuming that the states don ’ t certify their results first and take the matter out of the hands of the legislatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s not popular enough in Arizona to expect that kind of loyalty to prevail over the duty to the voters in this election , needless to say .
This is an absurd exercise , in other words , and not just absurd but patently offensive .
It seeks to nullify state elections and disenfranchise millions of American citizens on the basis of unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud , for which the Trump campaign has repeatedly failed to provide any evidence in court .
And if they ’ re strategizing around this plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a signal as any that they don ’ t have any evidence of fraud on a scale that would explain why an unpopular president lost an election .
That makes this plotting all the more detestable .

Will a meeting between Donald Trump and the two Republican leaders of Michigan’s state legislature result in a deal to invalidate the state’s election results? That’s certainly the concern expressed as House Speaker Lee Chatfield and Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey arrive at the White House, although both Chatfield and Shirkey have previously rejected the idea. Democrats in Michigan ripped the pair for meeting with Trump under the circumstances, but Chatfield said when the president calls, you answer:
https://twitter.com/LeeChatfield/status/1329844168995299333
Even if this seems like an odd time to get an invitation, don’t expect anything much to come of it, says Bob Bauer. The legal adviser to the Joe Biden campaign argues that nothing can come out of it. The US Constitution only allows state legislatures to choose the method of appointing electors to the Electoral College. And once they have chosen the method, they’re essentially stuck with the result:
Bob Bauer, a legal adviser for President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign, said Friday it’s “not possible” for the Republican-controlled Michigan Legislature to redirect the state’s electoral votes to President Donald Trump. During a briefing for Biden’s campaign, Bauer blasted the Republican president for holding a meeting with the Republican leaders of the Michigan House and Senate on Friday afternoon as the state prepares to certify its election results as early as Monday. … “The popular vote governs,” he said of Michigan. “That was the system in place on Nov. 3 and that is the system that is going to produce the slate of Biden-Harris electors.” Trying to change the fact is “not possible” and “not legal,” Bauer said. It “cannot happen,” he added. Likewise, Bauer said any attempt to delay the certification of Michigan’s votes would ultimately not be successful.
Article II Section One does give each state the authority to choose their process:
Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.
Bauer argues that Michigan — and every other state — had already directed the manner of appointing electors: a statewide popular vote. Most states use winner-take-all policies for those appointments, but two (Maine and Nebraska) allow for split electors based on congressional districts. Either way, the “Manner” in which electors are appointed has already been chosen — and executed.
The time to choose a different manner would have been before Michigan held a statewide election for that purpose. To change that manner after an election would not just violate Article II Section One but also the due-process clause of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, Bauer argued, as well as the Electoral Count Act and its Safe Harbor provision:
The federal Electoral Count Act governs how state officials can assign and certify electors. There is a “failed elections” mechanism that would allow states to choose new electors if the state’s voters did not decide on a presidential choice, and what qualifies as a “failed” election may be up for debate. Another provision of the law, called the “safe harbor” provision, requires electors to be chosen according to laws enacted before Election Day, and any disputes over those laws or the selection process must be completed before Dec. 8. “Even if they were to ignore the federal statute, disregard that fact that Nov. 3 is behind us, and attempt by some mechanism here to send Trump-Pence electors to replace the Biden-Harris electors or to compete with them before the Congress, they couldn’t do that either because they would be violating the Constitution,” Bauer said. “The Constitution guarantees the right to vote — and the constitutional due process clause. And that’s presumably why Republican state legislative leaders have said in Pennsylvania, as well as in Michigan, that they wouldn’t do that.”
That does have its own loopholes, though. In 3 USC 2, the law does allow legislatures to appoint electors — but only if their elections result in “a failure to make a choice on the day prescribed by the law,” ie, Election Day. That would require an intervention before a state certified an election, which is why Trump’s team wants to block those moves. (Too late in Georgia now.) However, such a move then negates the Safe Harbor rule, which according to 3 USC 5 only protects electors from challenge if they are appointed “by laws enacted prior to the day fixed for the appointment of the electors.” If legislatures appoint them directly after a popular vote, their electors run a high risk of being excluded from the vote in Congress. And this also clearly shows that the law and its interpretation of the Constitution favors sticking with the manner initially chosen by states rather than post-election legislative interventions.
But let’s say for the sake of argument that Trump convinces Shirkey and Chatfield to disenfranchise the voters on whom they rely for their very jobs. What then? Trump would pick up 16 electors, but not for long. The House would almost certainly vote to reject those electors, which only takes a majority vote and is not based on state delegations. (That’s only for the election itself in the unlikely event that the Electoral College can’t settle it.) Michigan’s election wouldn’t count, and Joe Biden would have only, er … 290 electors, more than enough to win. Trump would need more states to sabotage their own voters.
Voila:
The Michigan effort is among multiple last-ditch tactics Trump and his allies are using to challenge his defeat. His team also has suggested in a legal challenge that Pennsylvania set aside the popular vote there and pressured county officials in Arizona to delay certifying vote tallies. At the White House, discussions were underway about extending an invite to Pennsylvania’s Republican legislative leadership as well.
Yeah, but even with Michigan and Pennsylvania tossed aside, Joe Biden still has 270 Electoral College votes, meeting the threshold of victory. Trump would need three states to go along with such a strategy, then hope that House Republicans in Congress would stick with him in a state-delegation vote to settle the 2020 election — assuming that the states don’t certify their results first and take the matter out of the hands of the legislatures in the first place. And Trump’s not popular enough in Arizona to expect that kind of loyalty to prevail over the duty to the voters in this election, needless to say.
This is an absurd exercise, in other words, and not just absurd but patently offensive. It seeks to nullify state elections and disenfranchise millions of American citizens on the basis of unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud, for which the Trump campaign has repeatedly failed to provide any evidence in court. And if they’re strategizing around this plan, then that’s as good a signal as any that they don’t have any evidence of fraud on a scale that would explain why an unpopular president lost an election. That makes this plotting all the more detestable.


hotair--2020-11-20--America's worst governor to get international Emmy for ... leadership during the pandemic

Good thing I ’ ve started drinking in the morning .
This news would have been hard to face sober .
But you know what ?
He deserves an Emmy .
Marvel at his achievement : Day by day he created a fictional universe , believed by millions of people , that he was a coolheaded visionary hero of crisis management instead of a serially blundering imbecile .
He racked up a body count in New York not even approached by other U.S. states , including ones like California with populations much bigger than his .
And dopey liberals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s see George Lucas or Steven Spielberg pull that off .
Dave “ Iowahawk ” Burge ’ s response to the news : “ please stay tuned through the 18 hour ‘ In Memoriam ’ segment.
” “ This award seems like the ultimate elevation of style ( he ’ s good on TV ! )
over results , ” writes David French .
That ’ s the core truth of last spring ’ s media Cuomomania : He wasn ’ t an effective leader but he played one on television convincingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t deserve an award for drama .
Brooke Rogers cut to the heart of New Yorkers ’ and the broader left ’ s Cuomo fascination in an op-ed yesterday .
He ’ s an overbearing father figure , which is obnoxious 99 percent of the time but reassuring during that one percent when everyone ’ s panicking and needs to know that someone ’ s in charge .
At Jezebel , Rebecca Fishbein summed up the emerging urban infatuation with the governor : “ In this time of crisis , with little concrete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s measured bullying , his love of circumventing the federal government , his sparring with increasingly incompetent city leadership.
” As the pandemic raged on , the governor seemed to take his role as “ Daddy Cuomo ” to heart .
His tweets became increasingly scolding .
In June , he responded to a video of New Yorkers gathered outside at St. Mark ’ s Place with : “ Don ’ t make me come down there ” — the kind of threat kids might expect when they ’ ve gotten into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daughter to a press conference , frequently ragged on her boyfriend during briefings and even went so far as to put a “ boyfriend cliff ” on one of the several bizarre COVID-19 posters he commissioned to immortalize his leadership during the pandemic .
For Cuomo , the lines between child-rearing and governance are blurred , and New Yorkers are the ones who frequently pay the price .
If New York were an actual family , someone would have called CPS on him before the end of March .
I wonder how many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s second wave for someone to give him an Oscar .
It must be said : If Cuomo ’ s getting an Emmy for best actor , it ’ s partly due to the strong performance of his supporting actor , Donald Trump .
Just as Obama ’ s undeserved Nobel was essentially a commentary on Bush ’ s failures , I think Cuomo ’ s award is partly or even mostly a reaction to Trump ’ s public statements .
His own advisors convinced him to wind down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ habit of turning them into 90-minute rant sessions about the media and the Russia investigation were pissing voters off .
Americans were worried about the virus , not Trump ’ s grievance medley .
It was also at one of those briefings where he made his now legendary suggestion about introducing some sort of disinfectant into the body to cleanse it of COVID while a dazed Deborah Birx looked on .
Cuomo was a disaster of pandemic control in New York but his daily briefings did make for a favorable contrast with Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , hit the right notes of concern and caution , and seemed to know what he was talking about — even as the bodies piled up .
It ’ s ironic that the president , a bona fide TV star , would have trouble communicating while a charmless goon like Cuomo would succeed , but oh well .
Exit question : Cuomo ’ s going to start taunting Trump about having won more Emmys than he did for “ The Apprentice , ” isn ’ t he ?

Good thing I’ve started drinking in the morning. This news would have been hard to face sober.
But you know what? He deserves an Emmy. Marvel at his achievement: Day by day he created a fictional universe, believed by millions of people, that he was a coolheaded visionary hero of crisis management instead of a serially blundering imbecile. He racked up a body count in New York not even approached by other U.S. states, including ones like California with populations much bigger than his. And dopey liberals are handing him awards for it.
Let’s see George Lucas or Steven Spielberg pull that off.
Dave “Iowahawk” Burge’s response to the news: “please stay tuned through the 18 hour ‘In Memoriam’ segment.”
Gov Andrew M Cuomo of NY will receive the International Emmy Founders Award in recognition of his leadership during the Covid19 pandemic & his masterful use of TV to inform & calm people around the world. The Emmy will be presented to @NYGovCuomo on Nov 23 https://t.co/dwKIImwYNV pic.twitter.com/1mKkmg6FKW — International Emmy Awards (@iemmys) November 20, 2020
Quote from International academy President Bruce Paisner: pic.twitter.com/63wobi4reO — Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) November 20, 2020
“This award seems like the ultimate elevation of style (he’s good on TV!) over results,” writes David French. That’s the core truth of last spring’s media Cuomomania: He wasn’t an effective leader but he played one on television convincingly. Tell me again he doesn’t deserve an award for drama.
Brooke Rogers cut to the heart of New Yorkers’ and the broader left’s Cuomo fascination in an op-ed yesterday. He’s an overbearing father figure, which is obnoxious 99 percent of the time but reassuring during that one percent when everyone’s panicking and needs to know that someone’s in charge.
At Jezebel, Rebecca Fishbein summed up the emerging urban infatuation with the governor: “In this time of crisis, with little concrete information available, I need Cuomo’s measured bullying, his love of circumventing the federal government, his sparring with increasingly incompetent city leadership.” As the pandemic raged on, the governor seemed to take his role as “Daddy Cuomo” to heart. His tweets became increasingly scolding. In June, he responded to a video of New Yorkers gathered outside at St. Mark’s Place with: “Don’t make me come down there” — the kind of threat kids might expect when they’ve gotten into a particularly loud scuffle. He brought his daughter to a press conference, frequently ragged on her boyfriend during briefings and even went so far as to put a “boyfriend cliff” on one of the several bizarre COVID-19 posters he commissioned to immortalize his leadership during the pandemic. For Cuomo, the lines between child-rearing and governance are blurred, and New Yorkers are the ones who frequently pay the price.
If New York were an actual family, someone would have called CPS on him before the end of March. I wonder how many nursing-home residents will need to die in the state’s second wave for someone to give him an Oscar.
It must be said: If Cuomo’s getting an Emmy for best actor, it’s partly due to the strong performance of his supporting actor, Donald Trump. Just as Obama’s undeserved Nobel was essentially a commentary on Bush’s failures, I think Cuomo’s award is partly or even mostly a reaction to Trump’s public statements. His own advisors convinced him to wind down the coronavirus task briefings in spring because his habit of turning them into 90-minute rant sessions about the media and the Russia investigation were pissing voters off. Americans were worried about the virus, not Trump’s grievance medley. It was also at one of those briefings where he made his now legendary suggestion about introducing some sort of disinfectant into the body to cleanse it of COVID while a dazed Deborah Birx looked on. Cuomo was a disaster of pandemic control in New York but his daily briefings did make for a favorable contrast with Trump’s, as he was focused, hit the right notes of concern and caution, and seemed to know what he was talking about — even as the bodies piled up. It’s ironic that the president, a bona fide TV star, would have trouble communicating while a charmless goon like Cuomo would succeed, but oh well.
Exit question: Cuomo’s going to start taunting Trump about having won more Emmys than he did for “The Apprentice,” isn’t he?


hotair--2020-11-20--California entertainment workers exempted from Gov. Newsom's stay at home orders

Who knew that the entertainment industry workers are essential workers ?
No one knew that because it is an absurd stretch of the definition of an essential worker .
In California , Governor Gavin Newsom is issuing a new stay-at-home order to California residents and exempting entertainment industry workers from it .
The order issued by Newsom on Thursday is described as a “ limited stay-at-home order ” .
It establishes a curfew between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM .
All non-essential work , movement , and gatherings must stop during those hours , except for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state ’ s purple tier , essentially every county in Southern California and 94 % of the state ’ s population .
The entertainment industry is located in Southern California and the governor is allowing a nice little carve-out for Hollywood .
Though entertainment workers were not exempted in Newsom ’ s original stay-at-home orders last March , the industry is listed in the latest order under the category of essential workers .
The original order still applies with some revisions , like this one .
So , all those grave shift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luck and out of work for the next month – the curfew is issued for one month – while entertainment workers continue to work .
The governor ’ s original Stay-at-Home order ( read it here ) from March includes the following passage , which still applies : In accordance with this order , the State Public Health Officer has designated the following list of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers to help state , local , tribal , and industry partners as they work to protect communities , while ensuring continuity of functions critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as economic and national security .
On that list of exemptions , under “ Industrial , Commercial , Residential , and Sheltering Facilities and Services , ” there is essential worker designation 15 which reads , “ Workers supporting the entertainment industries , studios , and other related establishments , provided they follow covid-19 public health guidance around physical distancing.
” The guidance does indicate this exemption only applies if remote work is not possible , but with film and TV production it is often not .
Clearly , remote work is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We ’ ve seen evidence of that since the beginning of the pandemic when non-essential businesses were forced to close and Hollywood followed those orders .
Television shows and movie productions were shut down , leaving a void in new entertainment coming out for consumers .
Did you notice the surge in bringing back classic game shows on television over the summer months ?
There wasn ’ t anything else available to the networks for broadcasting besides reruns of episodes of shows shown in the fall television season .
Talk shows can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Movies can ’ t be filmed using Zoom .
It ’ s hard to not be cynical here and assume that the governor was pressured by the industry to allow them to continue to operate .
Lots of television shows and some movie productions have resumed in recent weeks .
You may be noticing some of your favorite shows beginning to offer a new season of episodes over the last week or two .
The industry is slowly getting back to work .
The entertainment industry unions and guilds contribute to Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active actors , directors , producers , writers , and so on .
He is probably feeling the heat to keep productions open during the night and early morning hours , too .
California is one of several states taking stricter measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus as new spikes in cases emerge .
Apparently , though , the governor thinks the virus doesn ’ t affect some segments of California ’ s population as it does others .
Newsom is in hot water for showing his own arrogance by attending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French Laundry .
The guests , twelve in all including Newsom , didn ’ t bother to wear masks or social distance .
The group included doctors .
Newsom , you may remember , recently tried to micro-manage diners by telling them to wear a mask even while eating – taking it down only for bites of food and putting it back on their faces between bites .
The rules are for the little people , you know , and apparently Hollywood gets a pass , too .
“ We know from our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which flattened the curve in California , that reducing the movement and mixing of individuals dramatically decreases COVID-19 spread , hospitalizations , and deaths , ” California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly added in the statement .
Along with the limited stay-at-home order , California has also issued a travel advisory asking people to avoid nonessential out-of-state travel and to quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country .
Masks are required to be worn by individuals whenever they are outside their homes , with limited exceptions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t in this thing together .
Perhaps someone should hand a copy of his own rules to him for a little leisurely reading .

Who knew that the entertainment industry workers are essential workers? No one knew that because it is an absurd stretch of the definition of an essential worker. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom is issuing a new stay-at-home order to California residents and exempting entertainment industry workers from it.
The order issued by Newsom on Thursday is described as a “limited stay-at-home order”. It establishes a curfew between the hours of 10 PM and 5 AM. All non-essential work, movement, and gatherings must stop during those hours, except for the exempted categories of those deemed essential in the state’s purple tier, essentially every county in Southern California and 94% of the state’s population. The entertainment industry is located in Southern California and the governor is allowing a nice little carve-out for Hollywood. Though entertainment workers were not exempted in Newsom’s original stay-at-home orders last March, the industry is listed in the latest order under the category of essential workers. The original order still applies with some revisions, like this one.
So, all those grave shift workers in other industries are out of luck and out of work for the next month – the curfew is issued for one month – while entertainment workers continue to work.
The governor’s original Stay-at-Home order (read it here) from March includes the following passage, which still applies: In accordance with this order, the State Public Health Officer has designated the following list of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers to help state, local, tribal, and industry partners as they work to protect communities, while ensuring continuity of functions critical to public health and safety, as well as economic and national security. On that list of exemptions, under “Industrial, Commercial, Residential, and Sheltering Facilities and Services,” there is essential worker designation 15 which reads, “Workers supporting the entertainment industries, studios, and other related establishments, provided they follow covid-19 public health guidance around physical distancing.” The guidance does indicate this exemption only applies if remote work is not possible, but with film and TV production it is often not.
Due to the rise in #COVID19 cases, CA is issuing a limited Stay at Home Order. Non-essential work and gatherings must stop from 10pm-5am in counties in the purple tier. This will take effect at 10pm on Saturday and remain for 1 month. Together–we can flatten the curve again. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) November 19, 2020
Clearly, remote work is not possible for most of the industry. We’ve seen evidence of that since the beginning of the pandemic when non-essential businesses were forced to close and Hollywood followed those orders. Television shows and movie productions were shut down, leaving a void in new entertainment coming out for consumers. Did you notice the surge in bringing back classic game shows on television over the summer months? There wasn’t anything else available to the networks for broadcasting besides reruns of episodes of shows shown in the fall television season. Talk shows can operate remotely but not regular television programming. Movies can’t be filmed using Zoom.
It’s hard to not be cynical here and assume that the governor was pressured by the industry to allow them to continue to operate. Lots of television shows and some movie productions have resumed in recent weeks. You may be noticing some of your favorite shows beginning to offer a new season of episodes over the last week or two. The industry is slowly getting back to work. The entertainment industry unions and guilds contribute to Democrats, as do the majority of politically active actors, directors, producers, writers, and so on. He is probably feeling the heat to keep productions open during the night and early morning hours, too.
California is one of several states taking stricter measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus as new spikes in cases emerge. Apparently, though, the governor thinks the virus doesn’t affect some segments of California’s population as it does others. Newsom is in hot water for showing his own arrogance by attending social gatherings like a birthday dinner at French Laundry. The guests, twelve in all including Newsom, didn’t bother to wear masks or social distance. The group included doctors. Newsom, you may remember, recently tried to micro-manage diners by telling them to wear a mask even while eating – taking it down only for bites of food and putting it back on their faces between bites. The rules are for the little people, you know, and apparently Hollywood gets a pass, too.
“We know from our stay at home order this spring, which flattened the curve in California, that reducing the movement and mixing of individuals dramatically decreases COVID-19 spread, hospitalizations, and deaths,” California Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly added in the statement. Along with the limited stay-at-home order, California has also issued a travel advisory asking people to avoid nonessential out-of-state travel and to quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country. Masks are required to be worn by individuals whenever they are outside their homes, with limited exceptions.
It looks as though we all aren’t in this thing together. Perhaps someone should hand a copy of his own rules to him for a little leisurely reading.


hotair--2020-11-20--Geraldo: C'mon, let's name the COVID vaccine after Trump

MAGA nemesis George Conway thinks naming the virus after the president would be more fitting .
I think I know what Geraldo ’ s up to here .
In his own eternally weird way , he means well .
But it ’ s high comedy that he thinks it would help ease tensions in a “ world so divided ” to name the coronavirus vaccine after a president who ’ s despised by half the country and is at this very moment attempting to pull off a half-assed coup .
We want people to get the vaccine , buddy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump label on it would be like branding it with a skull and crossbones .
I wouldn ’ t want to name the vaccine after Fauci either for the same reason .
Any association that ’ s polarizing , whether for reasons meritorious or stupid , would be a deterrent to some people getting it .
Name it after Mister Rogers if you ’ re hellbent on naming it after someone .
Besides , Trump can and will , deservedly , continue to claim credit for the vaccine for the rest of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Warp Speed , his FDA will end up approving the vaccine for emergency use , and his administration will hammer out a distribution plan that Team Biden will be more or less stuck with next year .
There ’ s no need to formally brand the vaccine as a Trump production when Trump himself will spend the next year informally branding it that way to his millions of devotees .
Which is a good thing .
Partisanship has reached a point of such suicidal nihilism that Republican support for the vaccine is destined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sworn in .
Having Trump running around telling righties “ that ’ s my vaccine !
” will reassure them that it ’ s okay to get the shot .
I think Derek Thompson ’ s right about the game that Geraldo — and certain other Fox personalities — are playing : Fox News hosts are keenly aware that the president himself watches the network religiously .
Brian Kilmeade ’ s gentle admonition a few days ago about letting the formal transition begin was obviously aimed at his most powerful viewer .
Tucker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Powell last night was probably also designed to nudge to Trump to back away from the utterly humiliating hallucinatory nonsense about a vote-rigging plot involving Hugo Chavez .
God knows Tucker didn ’ t do it because he thought the rest of his viewers would appreciate it : Michael Brendan Dougherty did a nice job today explaining why people are losing their heads trying to rationalize , or rather irrationalize , Biden ’ s victory : The attempt to bind conservatives to Trump after he has lost , by believing in a massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from previous psychotic reactions on the political right when it faced a stifling and powerful consensus .
In previous ages , it expressed itself in the demand to believe Dwight Eisenhower was a communist .
Allegiance to a plain insanity is a good test of loyalty , like being beat-in during a gang initiation .
It marks you in a way that makes you less suitable as an object for the Left ’ s blandishments .
It demonstrates “ commitment ” or heart .
Shared insanity can make people loyal to each other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by rendering them useless or repulsive to the normal and decent people who need champions .
That also illuminates why Fox ’ s anodyne and ultimately correct projection on election night that Biden had won Arizona caused such an intense reaction among viewers that it made Newsmax a player in cable TV almost literally overnight .
Fox ’ s projection was rash , as it clearly wasn ’ t justified by the vote totals at the time , but viewers don ’ t normally desert a media outlet en masse for an error @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end not to have been erroneous .
Fox ’ s great sin was being quick to acknowledge an intolerable reality , that Biden really might win and win legitimately , by getting the most votes .
It was an act of supreme disloyalty to the belief that righty populism , especially led by the heroic Trump , is invincible .
Forced to choose between believing that Biden won AZ and that Sidney Powell has evidence of the most sensational international plot against America in the history of the country but still hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states getting ready to certify their results , the choice was obvious .
Loyalty .

MAGA nemesis George Conway thinks naming the virus after the president would be more fitting.
“Trump mumps,” we could call COVID.
I think I know what Geraldo’s up to here. In his own eternally weird way, he means well. But it’s high comedy that he thinks it would help ease tensions in a “world so divided” to name the coronavirus vaccine after a president who’s despised by half the country and is at this very moment attempting to pull off a half-assed coup. We want people to get the vaccine, buddy. For millions of Americans, slapping the Trump label on it would be like branding it with a skull and crossbones.
Geraldo WHAT: "I had an idea with the world so divided and everybody telling [Trump] he's gotta give up and time to leave and time to transition … why not name the vaccine The Trump, make it, like, 'have you gotten your Trump yet?' It would be a nice gesture to him." pic.twitter.com/UjdMXGiBYb — The Recount (@therecount) November 20, 2020
I wouldn’t want to name the vaccine after Fauci either for the same reason. Any association that’s polarizing, whether for reasons meritorious or stupid, would be a deterrent to some people getting it. Name it after Mister Rogers if you’re hellbent on naming it after someone.
Besides, Trump can and will, deservedly, continue to claim credit for the vaccine for the rest of his life. His administration put together Operation Warp Speed, his FDA will end up approving the vaccine for emergency use, and his administration will hammer out a distribution plan that Team Biden will be more or less stuck with next year. There’s no need to formally brand the vaccine as a Trump production when Trump himself will spend the next year informally branding it that way to his millions of devotees.
Which is a good thing. Partisanship has reached a point of such suicidal nihilism that Republican support for the vaccine is destined to drop somewhat once Biden’s sworn in. Having Trump running around telling righties “that’s my vaccine!” will reassure them that it’s okay to get the shot.
I think Derek Thompson’s right about the game that Geraldo — and certain other Fox personalities — are playing:
https://twitter.com/DKThomp/status/1329795642747707394
Fox News hosts are keenly aware that the president himself watches the network religiously. Brian Kilmeade’s gentle admonition a few days ago about letting the formal transition begin was obviously aimed at his most powerful viewer. Tucker Carlson’s surprising skepticism of Sidney Powell last night was probably also designed to nudge to Trump to back away from the utterly humiliating hallucinatory nonsense about a vote-rigging plot involving Hugo Chavez. God knows Tucker didn’t do it because he thought the rest of his viewers would appreciate it:
Tucker Carlson carefully called out Sidney Powell for not providing evidence to support her wild claims — and since then, his mentions have been FLOODED with people calling him a traitor, sellout, etc. Notable that some won't even believe *Tucker Carlson* delivering this info. — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) November 20, 2020
Michael Brendan Dougherty did a nice job today explaining why people are losing their heads trying to rationalize, or rather irrationalize, Biden’s victory:
The attempt to bind conservatives to Trump after he has lost, by believing in a massive conspiratorial plot, is not so different from previous psychotic reactions on the political right when it faced a stifling and powerful consensus. In previous ages, it expressed itself in the demand to believe Dwight Eisenhower was a communist. Allegiance to a plain insanity is a good test of loyalty, like being beat-in during a gang initiation. It marks you in a way that makes you less suitable as an object for the Left’s blandishments. It demonstrates “commitment” or heart. Shared insanity can make people loyal to each other, sure. But it does so by rendering them useless or repulsive to the normal and decent people who need champions.
That also illuminates why Fox’s anodyne and ultimately correct projection on election night that Biden had won Arizona caused such an intense reaction among viewers that it made Newsmax a player in cable TV almost literally overnight. Fox’s projection was rash, as it clearly wasn’t justified by the vote totals at the time, but viewers don’t normally desert a media outlet en masse for an error — especially an error that proved in the end not to have been erroneous. Fox’s great sin was being quick to acknowledge an intolerable reality, that Biden really might win and win legitimately, by getting the most votes. It was an act of supreme disloyalty to the belief that righty populism, especially led by the heroic Trump, is invincible. Forced to choose between believing that Biden won AZ and that Sidney Powell has evidence of the most sensational international plot against America in the history of the country but still hasn’t released it yet despite swing states getting ready to certify their results, the choice was obvious. Loyalty.