hotair--2020-12-28--NY Post to Trump: "Stop the insanity" -- it's over

Pretty strong stuff , especially coming from the editorial board that went to war with Big Tech over its reporting on Hunter Biden .
The famously pro-Trump New York Post has had enough of Donald Trump ’ s election challenges , it made clear in its editorial today .
Under a front-page headline of “ STOP THE INSANITY , ” the Post ’ s editors emphasize that Trump lost the election — and that his challenges have proven nothing other than that fact : You had every right to investigate the election .
But let ’ s be clear : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take just two examples : Your campaign paid $ 3 million for a recount in two Wisconsin counties , and you lost by 87 more votes .
Georgia did two recounts of the state , each time affirming Biden ’ s win .
These ballots were counted by hand , which alone debunks the claims of a Venezuelan vote-manipulating Kraken conspiracy .
Sidney Powell is a crazy person .
Michael Flynn suggesting martial law is tantamount to treason .
It is shameful .
We understand , Mr. President , that you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue down this road is ruinous .
We offer this as a newspaper that endorsed you , that supported you : If you want to cement your influence , even set the stage for a future return , you must channel your fury into something more productive .
This might not be as surprising as it seems .
The NYP ’ s editorial board scolded Trump on November 7th over his “ stolen election ” rhetoric , as WaPo analyst Aaron Blake pointed out on Twitter .
They warned Trump at that point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” and to stick to legal challenges such as recounts .
To do otherwise , they warned at that time , would tarnish his legacy : They ’ re even more concerned about that in today ’ s editorial , especially after watching Trump ’ s lawyers lose every court case they have presented , save a mooted victory in Pennsylvania over ballots that weren ’ t counted in the first place .
The editors worry that Trump might end up losing two winnable Senate runoffs in Georgia by feeding the flames @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s not just Trump ’ s legacy that would be at stake with Democratic control of the Senate , they warn , but Trump himself would become an even bigger target : If Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win , they will prevent Biden from rolling back what you have accomplished .
A Republican Senate can pressure Biden against returning to the old , failed Iran deal , can stop him from throwing open our southern border , will prevent him from packing the court .
Now imagine a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi in the House , Chuck Schumer in the Senate , Joe Biden in the White House .
How high will taxes go ?
How many of your initiatives will be strangled ?
And , on a personal note , do you think they won ’ t spend the next four years torturing you with baseless hearings and investigations ?
One has to wonder whether Trump might have already reached the same conclusion .
Last week ’ s late drops of pardons signaled that Trump had turned a corner on grasping his exit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it .
His signing of the omnibus/relief bill last night seemed to also indicate a recognition that he didn ’ t have enough leverage to force Congress back to the drawing board on direct COVID-19 relief payments .
He still spent the holidays venting his spleen on Twitter about a “ stolen election , ” but Powell has become persona non grata at the White House , and a couple of more court losses over the last few days might have finally hammered the point home .
If that doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the NDAA certainly will make the point that Trump has reached lame-duck status .
When Republicans sign up to reverse that veto , it will demonstrate that Trump ’ s dream of a Congressional appointment to the presidency by throwing out the Electoral College results is nothing more than a fantasy — a dangerous , caustic fantasy that will only encourage a backlash against him personally if Democrats gain full control in Washington .
Hence , this development late last night : That ’ s also an encouraging sign of refocused priorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runoffs .
He did a pretty good job of focusing on Perdue and Loeffler in his previous rally , although Trump also vented plenty about election irregularities and the supposed failings of Brian Kemp and Brad Raffersperger , too .
If he expects to have an impact with this rally and to have a Senate willing to defend his policy legacy , Trump will have to cut through the extraneous nonsense and focus hard on encouraging his followers to turn out en masse the next day to support the GOP ticket .

Pretty strong stuff, especially coming from the editorial board that went to war with Big Tech over its reporting on Hunter Biden. The famously pro-Trump New York Post has had enough of Donald Trump’s election challenges, it made clear in its editorial today. Under a front-page headline of “STOP THE INSANITY,” the Post’s editors emphasize that Trump lost the election — and that his challenges have proven nothing other than that fact:
The Post says: Give it up, Mr. President — for your sake and the nation’s https://t.co/uTh5Vm1dlR pic.twitter.com/HLTCl5ulzy — NY Post Opinion (@NYPostOpinion) December 28, 2020
You had every right to investigate the election. But let’s be clear: Those efforts have found nothing. To take just two examples: Your campaign paid $3 million for a recount in two Wisconsin counties, and you lost by 87 more votes. Georgia did two recounts of the state, each time affirming Biden’s win. These ballots were counted by hand, which alone debunks the claims of a Venezuelan vote-manipulating Kraken conspiracy. Sidney Powell is a crazy person. Michael Flynn suggesting martial law is tantamount to treason. It is shameful. We understand, Mr. President, that you’re angry that you lost. But to continue down this road is ruinous. We offer this as a newspaper that endorsed you, that supported you: If you want to cement your influence, even set the stage for a future return, you must channel your fury into something more productive.
This might not be as surprising as it seems. The NYP’s editorial board scolded Trump on November 7th over his “stolen election” rhetoric, as WaPo analyst Aaron Blake pointed out on Twitter. They warned Trump at that point to “get Rudy Giuliani off TV,” and to stick to legal challenges such as recounts. To do otherwise, they warned at that time, would tarnish his legacy:
If Trump persists in wild talk to the contrary, he’ll lead his people into irrelevance and marginalize his own voice. His years in the White House have transformed the nation, but refusing to let go now will make it easier for his enemies to undo it all.
They’re even more concerned about that in today’s editorial, especially after watching Trump’s lawyers lose every court case they have presented, save a mooted victory in Pennsylvania over ballots that weren’t counted in the first place. The editors worry that Trump might end up losing two winnable Senate runoffs in Georgia by feeding the flames that Lin Wood and Powell are fanning. It’s not just Trump’s legacy that would be at stake with Democratic control of the Senate, they warn, but Trump himself would become an even bigger target:
If Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler win, they will prevent Biden from rolling back what you have accomplished. A Republican Senate can pressure Biden against returning to the old, failed Iran deal, can stop him from throwing open our southern border, will prevent him from packing the court. Now imagine a government controlled by your nemeses — Nancy Pelosi in the House, Chuck Schumer in the Senate, Joe Biden in the White House. How high will taxes go? How many of your initiatives will be strangled? And, on a personal note, do you think they won’t spend the next four years torturing you with baseless hearings and investigations?
One has to wonder whether Trump might have already reached the same conclusion. Last week’s late drops of pardons signaled that Trump had turned a corner on grasping his exit, even if he continued to complain about it. His signing of the omnibus/relief bill last night seemed to also indicate a recognition that he didn’t have enough leverage to force Congress back to the drawing board on direct COVID-19 relief payments. He still spent the holidays venting his spleen on Twitter about a “stolen election,” but Powell has become persona non grata at the White House, and a couple of more court losses over the last few days might have finally hammered the point home.
If that doesn’t do it, the upcoming veto override on the NDAA certainly will make the point that Trump has reached lame-duck status. When Republicans sign up to reverse that veto, it will demonstrate that Trump’s dream of a Congressional appointment to the presidency by throwing out the Electoral College results is nothing more than a fantasy — a dangerous, caustic fantasy that will only encourage a backlash against him personally if Democrats gain full control in Washington.
Hence, this development late last night:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1343328283824447488
That’s also an encouraging sign of refocused priorities — if Trump stays disciplined on the runoffs. He did a pretty good job of focusing on Perdue and Loeffler in his previous rally, although Trump also vented plenty about election irregularities and the supposed failings of Brian Kemp and Brad Raffersperger, too. If he expects to have an impact with this rally and to have a Senate willing to defend his policy legacy, Trump will have to cut through the extraneous nonsense and focus hard on encouraging his followers to turn out en masse the next day to support the GOP ticket.


hotair--2020-12-29--Defense bill veto override passes House. Update: Filibuster?

It ’ s never happened during Donald Trump ’ s presidency , but last night it certainly looked like it might , just as 2020 is drawing to a close .
The vote to override the President ’ s veto of the NDAA ( defense spending bill ) wasn ’ t even close in the end , coming in at 322-87 .
Some of the usual suspects who never support any spending on the military voted against it ( from both parties ) but for the most part , the measure received broad , bipartisan support .
The two-thirds requirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room to spare .
Now the fate of the veto rests in the hands of Midnight Mitch .
( Associated Press ) The Democratic-controlled House voted overwhelmingly to override President Donald Trump ’ s veto of a defense policy bill , setting the stage for what would be the first veto override of his presidency .
House members voted 322-87 on Monday to override the veto , well above the two-thirds needed to override .
The Senate , which is expected to vote on the override this week , also needs to approve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected the defense bill last week , saying it failed to limit social media companies he claims were biased against him during his failed reelection campaign .
Trump also opposes language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders .
It ’ s still unclear what the President ’ s strategy was here and how he thought he could avoid this .
The original vote on the NDAA in the Senate was 84-13 in favor of passage .
While a couple of Trump ’ s die-hard supporters in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last minute , there doesn ’ t appear to be any chance that he ’ ll get the nearly twenty defectors he would need to make the veto hold up .
Cocaine Mitch has been fairly quiet on the subject , but he ’ s never been any sort of dove that doesn ’ t support fully funding the military .
The GOP also has to remember that we ’ re only days away from the runoff elections in Georgia .
There are a lot of military bases and facilities in the Peach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly impacted by defense spending or a lack thereof .
Having the Republicans cause the spending bill to fail would be a huge , last-minute gift to Ossoff and Warnock .
For that reason , as much as they have been vocal supporters of Donald Trump , you can expect to see David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler backing the move to override the veto also .
Put me in the same camp as them .
Ever since this issue bubbled to the surface a couple of weeks ago , I ’ ve only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vetoing the NDAA in the first place .
He objected to a lack of a provision to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act , the mandate to rename some bases honoring Confederate leaders , and he claimed that the current bill would be “ a gift to China and Russia.
” Taking these complaints in order , Section 230 has absolutely nothing to do with defense spending and it has no place cluttering up this bill .
As for the renaming of the bases , I ’ m no fan of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But it ’ s looking increasingly like that ship has sailed and supporters of such name changes have won over a significant number of Republicans on top of overwhelming support from liberal activists .
That ’ s a fight that will probably have to wait for another day .
How a massive spending bill to pay our troops and fund the military can be construed as “ a gift to Russia and China ” is a mystery as far as I ’ m concerned .
Lacking a more detailed explanation , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throwaway line to justify breaking out the veto stamp .
I ’ ll be the first to stand up and point out that Congress frequently messes up , but in this instance , I have to offer the swamp-dwellers a tip of my hat .
I didn ’ t want to see the President ’ s term end in some sort of food fight between him and his own party in the legislative branch , but this bill needed to be passed and the veto had to be overridden .
The override of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernie Sanders is promising to filibuster the veto override unless the Senate schedules a vote on the $ 2,000 direct payment relief checks .
( Politico ) Sen. Bernie Sanders will filibuster an override of President Donald Trump ’ s defense bill veto unless the Senate holds a vote on providing $ 2,000 direct payments to Americans .
“ McConnell and the Senate want to expedite the override vote and I understand that .
But I ’ m not going to allow that to happen unless there is a vote , no matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 2,000 direct payment , ” Sanders said in an interview on Monday night .
The Vermont independent can ’ t ultimately stop the veto override vote , but he can delay it until New Year ’ s Day and make things more difficult for the GOP .
Sanders is being too clever by half here and he openly admitted what he ’ s doing .
He ’ s not opposed to overriding the veto at all .
He ’ s threatening this maneuver mostly to impact the Georgia Senate runoff races .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ session through New Year ’ s and delay the vote , he can potentially keep both Perdue and Loeffler off the campaign trail and in Washington .
Also , if he can manage to force a vote on the $ 2,000 checks ( which are opposed by the GOP ) , he will allow Ossoff and Warnock to use their votes against them if they don ’ t vote in favor of the larger checks .
Alternately , they can vote in favor , but that would likely give the measure enough votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to McConnell and the Republican leadership .
This is a dangerous juncture for the GOP .

(Please see update at end of article)
It’s never happened during Donald Trump’s presidency, but last night it certainly looked like it might, just as 2020 is drawing to a close. The vote to override the President’s veto of the NDAA (defense spending bill) wasn’t even close in the end, coming in at 322-87. Some of the usual suspects who never support any spending on the military voted against it (from both parties) but for the most part, the measure received broad, bipartisan support. The two-thirds requirement for an override was easily surpassed with room to spare. Now the fate of the veto rests in the hands of Midnight Mitch. (Associated Press)
The Democratic-controlled House voted overwhelmingly to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a defense policy bill, setting the stage for what would be the first veto override of his presidency. House members voted 322-87 on Monday to override the veto, well above the two-thirds needed to override. The Senate, which is expected to vote on the override this week, also needs to approve it by a two-thirds majority. Trump rejected the defense bill last week, saying it failed to limit social media companies he claims were biased against him during his failed reelection campaign. Trump also opposes language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honor Confederate leaders.
It’s still unclear what the President’s strategy was here and how he thought he could avoid this. The original vote on the NDAA in the Senate was 84-13 in favor of passage. While a couple of Trump’s die-hard supporters in the upper chamber might switch sides at the last minute, there doesn’t appear to be any chance that he’ll get the nearly twenty defectors he would need to make the veto hold up. Cocaine Mitch has been fairly quiet on the subject, but he’s never been any sort of dove that doesn’t support fully funding the military.
The GOP also has to remember that we’re only days away from the runoff elections in Georgia. There are a lot of military bases and facilities in the Peach State and millions of families who are directly impacted by defense spending or a lack thereof. Having the Republicans cause the spending bill to fail would be a huge, last-minute gift to Ossoff and Warnock. For that reason, as much as they have been vocal supporters of Donald Trump, you can expect to see David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler backing the move to override the veto also.
Put me in the same camp as them. Ever since this issue bubbled to the surface a couple of weeks ago, I’ve only heard President Trump citing three reasons for vetoing the NDAA in the first place. He objected to a lack of a provision to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the mandate to rename some bases honoring Confederate leaders, and he claimed that the current bill would be “a gift to China and Russia.”
Taking these complaints in order, Section 230 has absolutely nothing to do with defense spending and it has no place cluttering up this bill. As for the renaming of the bases, I’m no fan of erasing our history as regular readers know. But it’s looking increasingly like that ship has sailed and supporters of such name changes have won over a significant number of Republicans on top of overwhelming support from liberal activists. That’s a fight that will probably have to wait for another day.
How a massive spending bill to pay our troops and fund the military can be construed as “a gift to Russia and China” is a mystery as far as I’m concerned. Lacking a more detailed explanation, that sounds like it was more of a throwaway line to justify breaking out the veto stamp.
I’ll be the first to stand up and point out that Congress frequently messes up, but in this instance, I have to offer the swamp-dwellers a tip of my hat. I didn’t want to see the President’s term end in some sort of food fight between him and his own party in the legislative branch, but this bill needed to be passed and the veto had to be overridden.
UPDATE: (Jazz)
The override of the veto hit another stumbling block. Bernie Sanders is promising to filibuster the veto override unless the Senate schedules a vote on the $2,000 direct payment relief checks. (Politico)
Sen. Bernie Sanders will filibuster an override of President Donald Trump’s defense bill veto unless the Senate holds a vote on providing $2,000 direct payments to Americans. “McConnell and the Senate want to expedite the override vote and I understand that. But I’m not going to allow that to happen unless there is a vote, no matter how long that takes, on the $2,000 direct payment,” Sanders said in an interview on Monday night. The Vermont independent can’t ultimately stop the veto override vote, but he can delay it until New Year’s Day and make things more difficult for the GOP.
Sanders is being too clever by half here and he openly admitted what he’s doing. He’s not opposed to overriding the veto at all. He’s threatening this maneuver mostly to impact the Georgia Senate runoff races. If he can keep the Senate in session through New Year’s and delay the vote, he can potentially keep both Perdue and Loeffler off the campaign trail and in Washington. Also, if he can manage to force a vote on the $2,000 checks (which are opposed by the GOP), he will allow Ossoff and Warnock to use their votes against them if they don’t vote in favor of the larger checks. Alternately, they can vote in favor, but that would likely give the measure enough votes to pass, handing a big defeat to McConnell and the Republican leadership. This is a dangerous juncture for the GOP.


hotair--2020-12-28--Film review: <i>Wolfwalkers</i> a magical, beautiful walk in the wild

Robyn , a young English girl in the 17th century who craves adventure , finds more of it than she bargains for in Kilkenny , where her father has been sent to tame the Irish woods as part of Oliver Cromwell ’ s “ pacification ” of the country .
When Robyn and her pet falcon Merlyn venture out past the city walls to help her father kill wolves , she comes in contact with a wild girl named Mebh who represents everything her father ’ s commander opposes .
Are the Irish folk tales about “ wolfwalkers ” true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to saving the town and the forest ?
I didn ’ t hear about the new animated feature film Wolfwalkers until this weekend , when I saw an ad for the film and its exclusive distribution on the Apple TV+ subscription service .
When it played , I remarked to my wife , “ This looks like it came from the same team that made Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells , ” two of my favorite animated films .
And indeed , Wolfwalkers comes to us from Tomm Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ films stand out against a sea of hyper-realistic animation of this age .
Moore puts his artistry to more complicated use in Wolfwalkers , a film which might be the most political of the three — in its way .
The Kilkenny under control of the “ Lord Protector ” and the English is almost entirely static and gray : rigid lines and rigidly protected , although not rigidly enough , as is shortly seen in the film .
The town is repeatedly seen from above as a box with neat rows and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense of life or dynamism .
It feels like nothing more than a military outpost , a dark hiding place for those who fear the unknown , rather than a community .
This even extends to the people within its walls , especially the Lord Protector and the soldiers , including Robyn ’ s father , who are drawn in sharp angles and straighter lines .
In contrast , the forest of Moore ’ s imagination is a masterpiece of color , rhythm , and movement , without a straight line to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on screen , leaping and jumping in both joy and sorrow .
Rather than confined in fear , the forest and its inhabitants live nearly fearlessly and with passion .
Mebh and her mother are all rounded lines and motion , and even the wolves have more texture .
As with both of Moore ’ s earlier films , Wolfwalkers has a vitality and beauty that transcends the story itself and pays homage to the Ireland of history and folklore in a way that makes the latter more real than reality itself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of werewolf folklore , as well as the memory of oppression .
In this version , those bitten by wolfwalkers will become wolfwalkers themselves , which tangles up the fates of Robyn and Mebh Óg MacTíre ( roughly , Young Mebh of the Wolves in Irish ) , as well as their parents .
The theme here should be easily discerned about the lack of respect for the natural elements , but it ’ s not an environmental argument being advanced — at all , really .
This conflict relates to imperialism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a symbol for Ireland itself — indeed , the “ Lord Protector ” makes that an explicit point in his demand to kill all the wolves .
The Lord Protector carries all of the sins of imperialism in Wolfwalkers , including Cromwell ’ s puritanical vision of religion and the intolerance at its heart .
Even with that political context , however , Moore plays fair with all sides .
The only real villain is the “ Lord Protector , ” who never gets named but clearly is a representation of Oliver Cromwell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
Robyn and her father , both English , are quite sympathetic , and young Irish bullies who torment Robyn are not treated with much sympathy at all .
The local shepherds and farmers are more or less comic relief , and Moore treats everyone fairly equally — by which I mean fairly and equally .
Given the circumstances and the historical weight , Moore ’ s artistic attack on English imperialism is surprisingly nuanced and unifying , lifting the personal over the political .
At its considerable heart , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ties that bind and how they can tie us up from doing what ’ s right , and free us to do that as well .
It speaks to what we have in common more than what separates us , and how the old and the new can coexist without one eclipsing the other .
If the resolutions to the conflicts can be somewhat easily predicted , the journey itself is well worth it — especially with the beauty Moore and his team provide for us along the way .
Using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on home theater platforms , Wolfwalkers gets a 4 : • 4 – Buy the film/subscribe to the service • 2 – Wait for it to come on a TV channel you already get The good news is that Apple TV+ gives people a 7-day free trial before charging for the service , and Wolfwalkers is available immediately .
It ’ s rated PG , likely for violent imagery and tension ; its violence is perhaps at the same levels as the Viking sequences in The Secret of Kells .
My younger granddaughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was nine , and I ’ d guess that she would have no trouble with Wolfwalkers then or now .
It might be too intense for very young viewers , but otherwise it ’ s a wholesome film for the whole family to enjoy .

Robyn, a young English girl in the 17th century who craves adventure, finds more of it than she bargains for in Kilkenny, where her father has been sent to tame the Irish woods as part of Oliver Cromwell’s “pacification” of the country. When Robyn and her pet falcon Merlyn venture out past the city walls to help her father kill wolves, she comes in contact with a wild girl named Mebh who represents everything her father’s commander opposes. Are the Irish folk tales about “wolfwalkers” true, and does Robyn hold the key to saving the town and the forest?
I didn’t hear about the new animated feature film Wolfwalkers until this weekend, when I saw an ad for the film and its exclusive distribution on the Apple TV+ subscription service. When it played, I remarked to my wife, “This looks like it came from the same team that made Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells,” two of my favorite animated films. And indeed, Wolfwalkers comes to us from Tomm Moore, whose animated artistry made those two films stand out against a sea of hyper-realistic animation of this age.
Moore puts his artistry to more complicated use in Wolfwalkers, a film which might be the most political of the three — in its way. The Kilkenny under control of the “Lord Protector” and the English is almost entirely static and gray: rigid lines and rigidly protected, although not rigidly enough, as is shortly seen in the film. The town is repeatedly seen from above as a box with neat rows and ranks of structures, with hardly any sense of life or dynamism. It feels like nothing more than a military outpost, a dark hiding place for those who fear the unknown, rather than a community. This even extends to the people within its walls, especially the Lord Protector and the soldiers, including Robyn’s father, who are drawn in sharp angles and straighter lines.
In contrast, the forest of Moore’s imagination is a masterpiece of color, rhythm, and movement, without a straight line to be seen anywhere. The colors almost throb on screen, leaping and jumping in both joy and sorrow. Rather than confined in fear, the forest and its inhabitants live nearly fearlessly and with passion. Mebh and her mother are all rounded lines and motion, and even the wolves have more texture. As with both of Moore’s earlier films, Wolfwalkers has a vitality and beauty that transcends the story itself and pays homage to the Ireland of history and folklore in a way that makes the latter more real than reality itself.
The story itself relies on the Irish version of werewolf folklore, as well as the memory of oppression. In this version, those bitten by wolfwalkers will become wolfwalkers themselves, which tangles up the fates of Robyn and Mebh Óg MacTíre (roughly, Young Mebh of the Wolves in Irish), as well as their parents. The theme here should be easily discerned about the lack of respect for the natural elements, but it’s not an environmental argument being advanced — at all, really. This conflict relates to imperialism, with the forest barely disguised as a symbol for Ireland itself — indeed, the “Lord Protector” makes that an explicit point in his demand to kill all the wolves. The Lord Protector carries all of the sins of imperialism in Wolfwalkers, including Cromwell’s puritanical vision of religion and the intolerance at its heart.
Even with that political context, however, Moore plays fair with all sides. The only real villain is the “Lord Protector,” who never gets named but clearly is a representation of Oliver Cromwell, who held that title at the time. Robyn and her father, both English, are quite sympathetic, and young Irish bullies who torment Robyn are not treated with much sympathy at all. The local shepherds and farmers are more or less comic relief, and Moore treats everyone fairly equally — by which I mean fairly and equally. Given the circumstances and the historical weight, Moore’s artistic attack on English imperialism is surprisingly nuanced and unifying, lifting the personal over the political.
At its considerable heart, however, Wolfwalkers is about family and friendship — of the ties that bind and how they can tie us up from doing what’s right, and free us to do that as well. It speaks to what we have in common more than what separates us, and how the old and the new can coexist without one eclipsing the other. If the resolutions to the conflicts can be somewhat easily predicted, the journey itself is well worth it — especially with the beauty Moore and his team provide for us along the way.
Using the Hot Air scale for films already on home theater platforms, Wolfwalkers gets a 4:
4 – Buy the film/subscribe to the service
3 – Worth a rental price or pay-per-view
2 – Wait for it to come on a TV channel you already get
1 – Avoid at all costs
The good news is that Apple TV+ gives people a 7-day free trial before charging for the service, and Wolfwalkers is available immediately. It’s rated PG, likely for violent imagery and tension; its violence is perhaps at the same levels as the Viking sequences in The Secret of Kells. My younger granddaughter had no trouble with that when she was nine, and I’d guess that she would have no trouble with Wolfwalkers then or now. It might be too intense for very young viewers, but otherwise it’s a wholesome film for the whole family to enjoy.


hotair--2020-12-29--Comedian David Cross "wants blood", not Biden's message of healing and unity

On Saturday Joe Biden tweeted out a call for healing and unity .
This wasn ’ t unusual — there have been other such tweets since the election from his Twitter account .
What made this one different , though , was not the tweet itself but a response to it .
One B ( C ? )
List actor/comedian is now getting the attention he would not normally be receiving thanks to his response to the president-elect .
David Cross , a name that didn ’ t ring a bell at the time I read the tweet and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of Arrested Development and his stand-up comedy routines .
I know this information thanks to a quick Google search .
He , like his peers in LaLa Land , is a big ole NeverTrumper .
I have to say , when I first read his response , I laughed .
Why ?
Because it was honest .
Biden voters have no desire for peace and love and kumbaya with Trump voters .
That goes both ways , of course , so a little bit of honesty was amusing .
When that tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task because that is how this works .
There were comments of the boldness of keyboard warriors when in real life they are probably soy boys and that sort of comment .
He noticed .
He admits to expressing a violent fantasy .
I wonder why Twitter didn ’ t flag the tweet as one that violates its policy .
Oh , never mind .
Later he acknowledged how the tweet had “ taken off ” and tried to make a joke about the blood remark .
It ’ s lame and weird @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing .
Humor is best when it is reality-based .
This guy was honestly putting his opinion out there .
It ’ s pretty hard to imagine he ’ d do anything to follow through on his violent fantasy of getting blood from Trump supporters .
It wasn ’ t like Kathy Griffin ’ s tweet where she holds a decapitated likeness of Trump ’ s head , for example .
That was graphic and shocking .
Cross just typed out some words that he thought were clever .
I ’ m much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unhinged behavior .
Biden is insufferable on Twitter .
By the way , I don ’ t for a minute think it is actually Biden running his Twitter account .
Some staffer is doing it and the tweets are lame and/or partisan in nature .
There is no unifying tone to his tweets against Republicans or Trump .
Why would any reasonable person expect Republicans to flip a switch and suddenly be open to linking arms with the Biden administration and the Democrats in Congress to do their bidding ?
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years of every crazy thing the Democrats tried to pull – impeachment , # TheResistance and protests included .
David Cross exemplifies a Biden supporter .
He is such a good example that The Lincoln Project grifters used some of his comedy routine and his voice in an ad against President Trump leading up to the November election .
That comes from this comedy routine in 2019 : Liberal Trump bashers often speak in violent terms while talking about their fantasies of taking Trump out of the White House .
Cross has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even joked about different ways Trump ’ s presidency would end during a recent stand-up show .
“ Will he be arrested and sent to federal prison for treason ?
” he asked the audience during his Oh Come On comedy special .
“ Or will he die of a massive coronary on a golden toilet ?
Or will he be assassinated by a group of caring nuns ?
” Others in the entertainment industry have sounded off on their elation that Trump will leave the White House next month , including actor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways the president could be removed from the Pennsylvania Avenue residence .
“ Who arrests Trump if he refuses to concede ?
Who drags him out ?
” Baldwin asked on Twitter last week .
“ A knee on his neck , cutting off his oxygen ?
Does he wheeze ‘ I can ’ t breathe.
’ Just whale away on him like a piñata ?
Rodney King style ?
The thug who has destroyed the country .
What does he deserve ?
” Baldwin wrote .
Baldwin has his own troubles right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of the most vocally Trump-deranged in the entertainment world .
Soon enough , they will all have to find new material .
No , not from Biden .
He ’ ll get a free pass on everything until he can no longer show up for work and Kamala takes over .

On Saturday Joe Biden tweeted out a call for healing and unity. This wasn’t unusual — there have been other such tweets since the election from his Twitter account. What made this one different, though, was not the tweet itself but a response to it. One B (C?) List actor/comedian is now getting the attention he would not normally be receiving thanks to his response to the president-elect.
David Cross, a name that didn’t ring a bell at the time I read the tweet and his response, is known as a cast member of Arrested Development and his stand-up comedy routines. I know this information thanks to a quick Google search. He, like his peers in LaLa Land, is a big ole NeverTrumper. I have to say, when I first read his response, I laughed. Why? Because it was honest. Biden voters have no desire for peace and love and kumbaya with Trump voters. That goes both ways, of course, so a little bit of honesty was amusing.
Fuck that. I want blood https://t.co/WuIBUmhOt7 — david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) December 27, 2020
When that tweet was posted, conservatives took Cross to task because that is how this works. There were comments of the boldness of keyboard warriors when in real life they are probably soy boys and that sort of comment. He noticed.
I am loving the responses to this that are all, "come and try pussy soy lib hollywood girl woman" as if these anonymous maga chuds & chudettes don't practice the same exact feckless violent fantasy trolling https://t.co/m517NJTqE7 — david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) December 28, 2020
He admits to expressing a violent fantasy. I wonder why Twitter didn’t flag the tweet as one that violates its policy. Oh, never mind. Later he acknowledged how the tweet had “taken off” and tried to make a joke about the blood remark. It’s lame and weird. Whatever.
This tweet has really taken off! I feel that I should be clearer though, while I DO want blood i only need about 14cc's of it, and not from everyone, just Kyle McCarthy in Davenport Iowa. I will explain later https://t.co/m517NJTqE7 — david cross✍ (@davidcrosss) December 28, 2020
Here’s the thing. Humor is best when it is reality-based. This guy was honestly putting his opinion out there. It’s pretty hard to imagine he’d do anything to follow through on his violent fantasy of getting blood from Trump supporters. It wasn’t like Kathy Griffin’s tweet where she holds a decapitated likeness of Trump’s head, for example. That was graphic and shocking. Cross just typed out some words that he thought were clever. I’m much more ok with his method than Griffin’s unhinged behavior.
Biden is insufferable on Twitter. By the way, I don’t for a minute think it is actually Biden running his Twitter account. Some staffer is doing it and the tweets are lame and/or partisan in nature. There is no unifying tone to his tweets against Republicans or Trump. Why would any reasonable person expect Republicans to flip a switch and suddenly be open to linking arms with the Biden administration and the Democrats in Congress to do their bidding? It’s not happening after four solid years of every crazy thing the Democrats tried to pull – impeachment, #TheResistance and protests included.
David Cross exemplifies a Biden supporter. He is such a good example that The Lincoln Project grifters used some of his comedy routine and his voice in an ad against President Trump leading up to the November election.
A lot of people are saying they’re regretting voting for trump… I can see why. pic.twitter.com/lqubPCcGvd — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) August 9, 2020
That comes from this comedy routine in 2019:
Liberal Trump bashers often speak in violent terms while talking about their fantasies of taking Trump out of the White House.
Cross has been a vocal critic of President Trump and even joked about different ways Trump’s presidency would end during a recent stand-up show. “Will he be arrested and sent to federal prison for treason?” he asked the audience during his Oh Come On comedy special. “Or will he die of a massive coronary on a golden toilet? Or will he be assassinated by a group of caring nuns?” Others in the entertainment industry have sounded off on their elation that Trump will leave the White House next month, including actor Alec Baldwin, who listed different violent ways the president could be removed from the Pennsylvania Avenue residence. “Who arrests Trump if he refuses to concede? Who drags him out?” Baldwin asked on Twitter last week. “A knee on his neck, cutting off his oxygen? Does he wheeze ‘I can’t breathe.’ Just whale away on him like a piñata? Rodney King style? The thug who has destroyed the country. What does he deserve?” Baldwin wrote.
Baldwin has his own troubles right now but he, too, is part of the most vocally Trump-deranged in the entertainment world. Soon enough, they will all have to find new material. No, not from Biden. He’ll get a free pass on everything until he can no longer show up for work and Kamala takes over.


hotair--2020-12-29--Mac repair shop owner sues Twitter for $500 million

In mid-October the NY Post published a story about the contents of a laptop that had been left behind in a Delaware repair shop .
As soon as the story was published Facebook announced it would reduce access to it on the site .
Twitter followed suit and said it would prevent sharing of the story .
It ’ s first explanation for this decision involved its hacked materials policy : And from Twitter Safety explaining the policy : So the claim at the time was that the NY Post story contained images of Hunter Biden and other materials that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off limits .
But there was no evidence the information was hacked .
In fact , the Post story explained how the owner of the repair shop had come into possession of the laptops .
Now the owner of the shop has sued Twitter for $ 500 million claiming they defamed him : John Paul Mac Isaac , the owner of the shop , was at the center of the pre-election New York Post story that claimed to have obtained emails retrieved from Biden ’ s laptop .
But when the story was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s account , saying that it violated its policy on the distribution of hacked material .
It also prevented other users from sharing the story .
But Mac Isaac claims that in taking the action , Twitter defamed him , because he is “ now widely considered a hacker ” and that he “ began to receive negative reviews of his business as well as threats to his person and property.
” Twitter had no comment about the lawsuit .
CEO Jack Dorsey later admitted the decision to block the Post story was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes to its hacked materials policy to prevent it from happening again .
The Verge argues the lawsuit against Twitter is a stretch : Twitter defines “ hacking ” loosely to include obtaining documents without authorization , and it didn ’ t name a specific individual as a “ hacker.
” The Post said it indirectly obtained its files via Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani ’ s attorney , who in turn obtained them from Mac Isaac .
Some critics of the Post speculated that Russian disinformation operatives had planted the emails , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mac Isaac .
( These critiques have not been corroborated . )
The complaint cites several negative business reviews that criticize Mac Isaac based on the facts of the Post story — but it ’ s unclear why Twitter should be held liable for those reviews .
I think they have a point about the bad reviews .
Some of that was going to happen just because people on the left considered the NY Post story an attack on their candidate .
As for the hacking claim , that never made any sense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that claim .
It ’ s true that Twitter never identified the hacker by name but I think at least some people might have concluded Mac Isaac was a shady figure who might have been the hacker or possibly working with the hacker .
It ’ s true that the FBI investigated whether hackers planted this but that all came a day or more after Twitter labeled this story the result of a hack .
I think they at least deserve credit for getting this particular ball rolling .
Whether or not that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I don ’ t know .
The fact that Mac Isaac wasn ’ t a public figure might help his case .
On the other hand , the fact that Twitter never mentioned him by name and that they reversed the policy soon after probably helps their case .

In mid-October the NY Post published a story about the contents of a laptop that had been left behind in a Delaware repair shop. As soon as the story was published Facebook announced it would reduce access to it on the site. Twitter followed suit and said it would prevent sharing of the story. It’s first explanation for this decision involved its hacked materials policy:
From Twitter re blocking the NY Post link. https://t.co/k908Xf1ODV pic.twitter.com/sOMS29lTfB — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 14, 2020
And from Twitter Safety explaining the policy:
Commentary on or discussion about hacked materials, such as articles that cover them but do not include or link to the materials themselves, aren’t a violation of this policy. Our policy only covers links to or images of hacked material themselves. — Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) October 14, 2020
So the claim at the time was that the NY Post story contained images of Hunter Biden and other materials that had been hacked, therefore they were off limits. But there was no evidence the information was hacked. In fact, the Post story explained how the owner of the repair shop had come into possession of the laptops. Now the owner of the shop has sued Twitter for $500 million claiming they defamed him:
John Paul Mac Isaac, the owner of the shop, was at the center of the pre-election New York Post story that claimed to have obtained emails retrieved from Biden’s laptop. But when the story was published, Twitter locked the Post‘s account, saying that it violated its policy on the distribution of hacked material. It also prevented other users from sharing the story. But Mac Isaac claims that in taking the action, Twitter defamed him, because he is “now widely considered a hacker” and that he “began to receive negative reviews of his business as well as threats to his person and property.”
Twitter had no comment about the lawsuit. CEO Jack Dorsey later admitted the decision to block the Post story was a bad one. Twitter also made changes to its hacked materials policy to prevent it from happening again.
The Verge argues the lawsuit against Twitter is a stretch:
Twitter defines “hacking” loosely to include obtaining documents without authorization, and it didn’t name a specific individual as a “hacker.” The Post said it indirectly obtained its files via Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani’s attorney, who in turn obtained them from Mac Isaac. Some critics of the Post speculated that Russian disinformation operatives had planted the emails, which wouldn’t place the blame on Mac Isaac. (These critiques have not been corroborated.) The complaint cites several negative business reviews that criticize Mac Isaac based on the facts of the Post story — but it’s unclear why Twitter should be held liable for those reviews.
I think they have a point about the bad reviews. Some of that was going to happen just because people on the left considered the NY Post story an attack on their candidate. As for the hacking claim, that never made any sense because Twitter had no basis for making that claim. It’s true that Twitter never identified the hacker by name but I think at least some people might have concluded Mac Isaac was a shady figure who might have been the hacker or possibly working with the hacker. It’s true that the FBI investigated whether hackers planted this but that all came a day or more after Twitter labeled this story the result of a hack. I think they at least deserve credit for getting this particular ball rolling.
Whether or not that decision is enough to count as defamation, I don’t know. The fact that Mac Isaac wasn’t a public figure might help his case. On the other hand, the fact that Twitter never mentioned him by name and that they reversed the policy soon after probably helps their case.


hotair--2020-12-29--Frustrated experts: This vaccination process sure is off to a slow start

Last week was the week for people like me who don ’ t know what they ’ re talking about to worry about this .
This week is the week for people who *do* know what they ’ re talking about to worry .
The official number of vaccinated Americans right now is north of two million .
The feds were aiming for 20 million by New Year ’ s .
Someone pointed out last night on Twitter that we ’ ve had around three million new confirmed cases of COVID in the U.S. since the vaccination rollout began , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself is immunizing people more efficiently than Operation Warp Speed is .
It ’ s going to get better as the process becomes more systematized and an infrastructure develops to support it , just like testing got better .
But it took many months for testing to reach its current levels of efficiency , and many months now means hundreds of thousands more deaths .
Experts want to know : Why wasn ’ t the infrastructure for distributing the vaccine as much of a federal priority as developing the vaccine was ?
HHS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produce an effective vaccine in record time but the plan for delivering it into people ’ s arms appears to be , “ We ’ ll let the states and CVS worry about that.
” Take it from the man in charge : Watch Ashish Jha , the dean of Brown ’ s school of public health : There is money for vaccine distribution in the new COVID relief package , Jha noted last night .
But that means states are going to need to build a system on the fly after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an efficient delivery mechanism in place on day one : Distribution isn ’ t just underfunded , it ’ s understaffed thanks to the relentless demands of containing the pandemic .
From local departments of health to frontline doctors and nurses , no one has a spare moment to stand up a fantastically ambitious , urgent nationwide vaccination program : “ We are trying to plan for the most complex vaccination program in human history after a year of complete exhaustion , with a chronically underfunded infrastructure and personnel who are still responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making sure your water is clean , ” Moore said .
Although Operation Warp Speed spent $ 18 billion on developing vaccines , the federal government initially offered states less than 2 percent of that— $ 340 million—to deploy them .
The recently approved stimulus bill will add $ 8 billion for vaccine distribution , but , though welcome , those funds were needed months ago .
And there is still no national vaccination strategy , said Saad Omer , a vaccinologist at Yale .
The Trump administration has again left things up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concocted a hodgepodge of plans .
“ We shouldn ’ t be going into the biggest immunization effort this country has ever undertaken without a solid playbook and without enough resources to back the plays , ” Omer said .
These numbers make me think this really is a staffing problem at heart .
The only reason why vaccinations should be declining on weekends right now is there are simply fewer people on duty on Saturdays and Sundays to dispense doses : “ We certainly are not at the numbers we wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Anthony Fauci admitted to CNN this morning .
He expects the pace to pick up soon , but that sounds more like a wish than a prediction .
At some point today Joe Biden reportedly “ plans to call out the Trump administration for falling short on the pace of vaccine distribution , and will discuss his own plan to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible , ” which I ’ m eager to hear about .
How ’ s he planning to put more people to work to administer shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time ?
Are we already at the point where we ’ re calling in the National Guard ?
Is there an incentive plan to bring older doctors and nurses out of retirement and put them to work giving out shots , maybe ?
An obvious solution ( which may or may not be Biden ’ s solution ) is to tap the gigantic pool of laid-off Americans by hiring and training thousands to dispense the shot .
That ’ ll be tricky with Pfizer ’ s vaccine since the product needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which may require more advanced training by a medical professional .
But Moderna ’ s vaccine is less finicky , and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine that ’ s in the works may be less finicky still .
Rapid vaccination *can* be done .
Israel , with a population of just nine million , is processing 100,000 vaccinations per day and is already well on its way to getting the entire country vaccinated within a few months : Set up vaccination centers , like Israel has , and start training unemployed people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By the time everyone ’ s trained and ready to roll , there ’ ll probably be enough of a stockpile of doses at Pfizer and Moderna that we ’ ll never need worry about a shortage as the process takes off .
Here ’ s Leana Wen with some hard math .
Obviously the pace of vaccinations will increase .
The question is by how much , and how soon .

Last week was the week for people like me who don’t know what they’re talking about to worry about this.
This week is the week for people who *do* know what they’re talking about to worry.
The official number of vaccinated Americans right now is north of two million. The feds were aiming for 20 million by New Year’s. Someone pointed out last night on Twitter that we’ve had around three million new confirmed cases of COVID in the U.S. since the vaccination rollout began, which means at the moment the virus itself is immunizing people more efficiently than Operation Warp Speed is.
It’s going to get better as the process becomes more systematized and an infrastructure develops to support it, just like testing got better. But it took many months for testing to reach its current levels of efficiency, and many months now means hundreds of thousands more deaths. Experts want to know: Why wasn’t the infrastructure for distributing the vaccine as much of a federal priority as developing the vaccine was? HHS and the biotech industry moved mountains to produce an effective vaccine in record time but the plan for delivering it into people’s arms appears to be, “We’ll let the states and CVS worry about that.” Take it from the man in charge:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1344051613216993281
Watch Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown’s school of public health:
“We’re repeating all of the mistakes we made with PPE and testing all over again.” –@ashishkjha on the coronavirus vaccine rollout pic.twitter.com/Fcf1IEA3vb — TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 29, 2020
There is money for vaccine distribution in the new COVID relief package, Jha noted last night. But that means states are going to need to build a system on the fly after the process has already begun instead of having an efficient delivery mechanism in place on day one:
Addendum@SpoxHHS are pushing back on this thread Their point? Over past 9 months, on average, states/territories got $6M each, yes Million, for vaccine readiness True So not "no money" Just trivial $ — Ashish K. Jha, MD, MPH (@ashishkjha) December 29, 2020
Distribution isn’t just underfunded, it’s understaffed thanks to the relentless demands of containing the pandemic. From local departments of health to frontline doctors and nurses, no one has a spare moment to stand up a fantastically ambitious, urgent nationwide vaccination program:
“We are trying to plan for the most complex vaccination program in human history after a year of complete exhaustion, with a chronically underfunded infrastructure and personnel who are still responsible for measles and sexually transmitted diseases and making sure your water is clean,” Moore said. Although Operation Warp Speed spent $18 billion on developing vaccines, the federal government initially offered states less than 2 percent of that—$340 million—to deploy them. The recently approved stimulus bill will add $8 billion for vaccine distribution, but, though welcome, those funds were needed months ago. And there is still no national vaccination strategy, said Saad Omer, a vaccinologist at Yale. The Trump administration has again left things up to the states, which have again concocted a hodgepodge of plans. “We shouldn’t be going into the biggest immunization effort this country has ever undertaken without a solid playbook and without enough resources to back the plays,” Omer said.
These numbers make me think this really is a staffing problem at heart. The only reason why vaccinations should be declining on weekends right now is there are simply fewer people on duty on Saturdays and Sundays to dispense doses:
From NYC's data on how many people are vaccinated per day, it's looking like considerably fewer people are being vaccinated on weekends (and holidays) than weekdays. It seems like we really ought to be vaccinating as many people as possible 7 days a week.https://t.co/Bqt3U7oFG8 pic.twitter.com/xPIQRtC0VG — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) December 29, 2020
“We certainly are not at the numbers we wanted to be at the end of December,” Anthony Fauci admitted to CNN this morning. He expects the pace to pick up soon, but that sounds more like a wish than a prediction. At some point today Joe Biden reportedly “plans to call out the Trump administration for falling short on the pace of vaccine distribution, and will discuss his own plan to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible,” which I’m eager to hear about. How’s he planning to put more people to work to administer shots to the public in a short period of time? Are we already at the point where we’re calling in the National Guard? Is there an incentive plan to bring older doctors and nurses out of retirement and put them to work giving out shots, maybe?
An obvious solution (which may or may not be Biden’s solution) is to tap the gigantic pool of laid-off Americans by hiring and training thousands to dispense the shot. That’ll be tricky with Pfizer’s vaccine since the product needs to be kept ultracold and then thawed, which may require more advanced training by a medical professional. But Moderna’s vaccine is less finicky, and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine that’s in the works may be less finicky still. Rapid vaccination *can* be done. Israel, with a population of just nine million, is processing 100,000 vaccinations per day and is already well on its way to getting the entire country vaccinated within a few months:
Israel vaccination update: ~500,000 vaccinated (>5% of pop) ~25% of all 60+ years old vaccinated We estimate that in a week we will see a lower percent of 60+ years old out of the critically ill, going from ~70% now to ~20% by mid-January Hope this forecast will come true pic.twitter.com/6lJKD1uEu5 — Eran Segal (@segal_eran) December 29, 2020
Set up vaccination centers, like Israel has, and start training unemployed people who need jobs to dispense the shots. By the time everyone’s trained and ready to roll, there’ll probably be enough of a stockpile of doses at Pfizer and Moderna that we’ll never need worry about a shortage as the process takes off.
Here’s Leana Wen with some hard math. Obviously the pace of vaccinations will increase. The question is by how much, and how soon.


hotair--2020-12-29--Resistance journalists looking to take a break now that Biden is in office

Resistance journalism had a good run and made a lot of people in the media very wealthy and well known within the industry .
The journalists who made a name for themselves attack Trump were showered with book deals and became minor celebrities themselves on the left .
But with Trump leaving the White House in less than a month , what are all those scrappy journalists planning to do now ?
Not surprisingly , the answer for many of them appears to be to bring it down a notch ( or ten ) during the Biden administration .
Olivia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unsavory fact that her career took off because of Trump .
A lively writer who covered the 2016 campaign for The Daily Beast , she joined New York magazine around the time Trump took office , and quickly became known for her caustic profiles of the president ’ s hangers-on .
TV appearances and awards shortly followed , and in 2018 Nuzzi announced a major book deal with Simon & Schuster… Nuzzi can already tell that the dynamic will be different in the incoming administration .
“ On a purely social level , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critically on Joe Biden will feel as safe for reporters , ” she told me .
“ You ’ re not going to get yass queen–ed to death.
” No reporter , with the possible exception of Rachel Maddow , became more emblematic of the resistance to Trump than Jim Acosta .
Like Nuzzi he got a book deal for a book all about his battles with the Trump administration .
The drama has made him famous , but Acosta said he doesn ’ t expect to bring the same crusading style to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t think the press should be trying to whip up the Biden presidency and turn it into must-see TV in a contrived way , ” he said .
If that sounds like a double standard , Acosta told me it ’ s not partisan—it ’ s a matter of professional solidarity .
In his view , Trump ’ s campaign to discredit the press has constituted a “ nonstop national emergency , ” one that required a defiant response .
“ If being at the White House is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said , “ then perhaps it is going to be approached differently.
” PBS ’ Yamiche Alcindor , who has given Acosta a run for his money this year , says she hopes the suspicion of government seen from the press corps during the Trump era continues into the Biden administration .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s going to be boring , ” she said .
Maybe not but it ’ s hard to believe Alcindor will stirring things up .
She has already swooned over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to superheroes .
Alcindor was a reporter during the Obama years as well .
You probably never heard of her back then .
There ’ s a reason for that .
But celebrity resistance journalism isn ’ t the only problem with the progressive media these days .
Matt Yglesias has an interesting piece up at his new self-funding blog site which makes a point about this summer ’ s COVID relief package while also making a larger point about the warped incentives in progressive journalism .
He starts with the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was treated as a big success by the left .
Here ’ s his explanation : …there ’ s a norm in American progressive politics of looking at every glass as half empty .
Basically , the understanding is that whoever can paint the darkest possible portrait of the status quo is the one who is showing the most commitment to the cause .
And you see this norm at work across climate change , health care , criminal justice reform , the economy , and everything else .
If you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that shows you don ’ t really care .
A true comrade in the struggle would deny that any progress has been made or insist that any good news is trivial .
I tend to think this approach to politics is counterproductive — it ’ s psychologically and emotionally exhausting , out of touch with people ’ s lived experience of the world , and ultimately demoralizing and un-motivating .
But even if it does in some sense work , it ’ s simply not true .
Yglesias isn ’ t calling this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ commitment to the cause ” and “ the struggle ” show it ’ s pretty similar .
Psychologically what he ’ s describing isn ’ t much different from what Acosta and Alcindor are doing at the White House , i.e .
stoking the sense this is an emergency and part of a battle between us ( the good people on the left ) and them ( everyone else ) .
As Yglesias points out , it ’ s possible to believe climate change is a serious threat without taking the extreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wipe out humanity and turn the earth into a superheated clone of Venus .
But finding some sort of reasonable middle ground on any issue the left takes up doesn ’ t garner as many eyeballs and doesn ’ t make stars out of as many progressive writers as treating everything as an ongoing , world-threatening emergency .
Everything is always as bad as it can be , therefore every effort to resist and obstruct is justified , even if it ’ s not true .
It ’ s the logic of Extinction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s increasingly being applied to everything all the time .
You may remember Extinction Rebellion as a the extremist mob that blocked traffic and trains in London earlier this year .
As former members of that group have pointed out , any kind of nuance or middle ground is seen as compromise .
I ’ ve posted this video of Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Zion Lights before but here ’ s what it looks like when the media actually does their job and holds progressive catastrophists to account .
We haven ’ t seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past four years .

Resistance journalism had a good run and made a lot of people in the media very wealthy and well known within the industry. The journalists who made a name for themselves attack Trump were showered with book deals and became minor celebrities themselves on the left. But with Trump leaving the White House in less than a month, what are all those scrappy journalists planning to do now? Not surprisingly, the answer for many of them appears to be to bring it down a notch (or ten) during the Biden administration.
Olivia Nuzzi tries not to dwell on the unsavory fact that her career took off because of Trump. A lively writer who covered the 2016 campaign for The Daily Beast, she joined New York magazine around the time Trump took office, and quickly became known for her caustic profiles of the president’s hangers-on. TV appearances and awards shortly followed, and in 2018 Nuzzi announced a major book deal with Simon & Schuster… Nuzzi can already tell that the dynamic will be different in the incoming administration. “On a purely social level, I don’t know that reporting critically on Joe Biden will feel as safe for reporters,” she told me. “You’re not going to get yass queen–ed to death.”
No reporter, with the possible exception of Rachel Maddow, became more emblematic of the resistance to Trump than Jim Acosta. Like Nuzzi he got a book deal for a book all about his battles with the Trump administration.
The drama has made him famous, but Acosta said he doesn’t expect to bring the same crusading style to his coverage of the next administration. “I don’t think the press should be trying to whip up the Biden presidency and turn it into must-see TV in a contrived way,” he said. If that sounds like a double standard, Acosta told me it’s not partisan—it’s a matter of professional solidarity. In his view, Trump’s campaign to discredit the press has constituted a “nonstop national emergency,” one that required a defiant response. “If being at the White House is not an experience that might merit hazard pay,” he said, “then perhaps it is going to be approached differently.”
PBS’ Yamiche Alcindor, who has given Acosta a run for his money this year, says she hopes the suspicion of government seen from the press corps during the Trump era continues into the Biden administration. “I don’t think it’s going to be boring,” she said. Maybe not but it’s hard to believe Alcindor will stirring things up. She has already swooned over Biden’s cabinet picks, comparing them to superheroes. Alcindor was a reporter during the Obama years as well. You probably never heard of her back then. There’s a reason for that.
But celebrity resistance journalism isn’t the only problem with the progressive media these days. Matt Yglesias has an interesting piece up at his new self-funding blog site which makes a point about this summer’s COVID relief package while also making a larger point about the warped incentives in progressive journalism. He starts with the question of why the “CARES superdole” was treated as a big success by the left. Here’s his explanation:
…there’s a norm in American progressive politics of looking at every glass as half empty. Basically, the understanding is that whoever can paint the darkest possible portrait of the status quo is the one who is showing the most commitment to the cause. And you see this norm at work across climate change, health care, criminal justice reform, the economy, and everything else. If you’re not saying the sky is falling, that shows you don’t really care. A true comrade in the struggle would deny that any progress has been made or insist that any good news is trivial. I tend to think this approach to politics is counterproductive — it’s psychologically and emotionally exhausting, out of touch with people’s lived experience of the world, and ultimately demoralizing and un-motivating. But even if it does in some sense work, it’s simply not true.
Yglesias isn’t calling this resistance journalism but hopefully his comments about “commitment to the cause” and “the struggle” show it’s pretty similar. Psychologically what he’s describing isn’t much different from what Acosta and Alcindor are doing at the White House, i.e. stoking the sense this is an emergency and part of a battle between us (the good people on the left) and them (everyone else).
As Yglesias points out, it’s possible to believe climate change is a serious threat without taking the extreme position that it’s going to wipe out humanity and turn the earth into a superheated clone of Venus. But finding some sort of reasonable middle ground on any issue the left takes up doesn’t garner as many eyeballs and doesn’t make stars out of as many progressive writers as treating everything as an ongoing, world-threatening emergency. Everything is always as bad as it can be, therefore every effort to resist and obstruct is justified, even if it’s not true. It’s the logic of Extinction Rebellion climate change protesters and it’s increasingly being applied to everything all the time.
You may remember Extinction Rebellion as a the extremist mob that blocked traffic and trains in London earlier this year. As former members of that group have pointed out, any kind of nuance or middle ground is seen as compromise. I’ve posted this video of Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Zion Lights before but here’s what it looks like when the media actually does their job and holds progressive catastrophists to account. We haven’t seen much of this in America in the past four years.


hotair--2020-12-29--McConnell: We'll "begin a process" to consider expanded COVID-19 relief

Kinda puts a new spin on the check ’ s in the mail , eh ?
The House began the process yesterday with its supermajority passage of a clean bill that bumps direct COVID-19 relief payments to $ 2000 per individual .
Chuck Schumer tried to “ begin the process ” this morning by moving the House bill on an emergency basis , which requires unanimous consent .
Mitch McConnell objected , blocking the move , but promised a “ process ” for dealing with Donald Trump ’ s demand : Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky , the majority leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase stimulus checks to $ 2,000 , saying instead that the Senate would “ begin a process ” to consider bigger payments , along with two of President Trump ’ s other demands : protecting election security and removing some legal protections for technology companies .
Mr. McConnell did not elaborate further on how exactly the Senate would move to consider Mr. Trump ’ s demands , which the president made on Sunday after finally agreeing to sign a $ 900 billion stimulus package and government spending bill into law .
Mr. Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , insisting that lawmakers triple the direct payments to $ 2,000 from $ 600 , remove a legal shield for companies like YouTube and Facebook and investigate ” very substantial voter fraud.
” Blocking Schumer ’ s move doesn ’ t mean he ’ s blocked the bill itself , but it delays the processing considerably by forcing HR9051 into the regular order — meaning readings , committee assignment , and so forth .
Furthermore , McConnell declared that all of the president ’ s priorities should be addressed if the Senate is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That suggests that McConnell will link these three into a single bill , which creates all sorts of new obstacles for any of them to pass : In a floor speech , McConnell acknowledged President Donald Trump ’ s demand to increase payments , limit legal protections on tech companies and investigate election fraud as a condition for signing the $ 900 billion stimulus bill on Sunday .
But he made only a vague commitment to litigating those issues in the coming days .
“ Those are the three important subjects the president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate will begin a process to bring those three priorities into focus , ” McConnell said as he tried to set up a veto override vote on the annual defense bill for Wednesday .
Democrats are clearly wary that McConnell will try and roll the three disparate topics together , which Sen. Chris Murphy ( D-Conn. ) said “ is an invitation for this entire effort to fall apart.
” McConnell ’ s trying his best here , but it ’ s going to be a losing battle .
For one thing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of company among Senate Democrats in demanding a floor vote on HR 9051 before getting to the veto override on the NDAA .
“ Begin the process ” won ’ t cut it , especially with hints that McConnell ’ s process looks like the addition of poison pills on unrelated matters like Big Tech regulation and election security .
Plus , any new bill would then require the House to meet again to pass the relief expansion again , and the clock is running out on legislative action already .
For another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evaporating around McConnell .
Allahpundit already wrote about the position switch from Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue , who will face voters in seven days and whose previous opposition to higher relief checks made them vulnerable in the runoffs .
However , Politico also reports that Sen. Deb Fischer ( R-NE ) has flipped as well , and she ’ s already not on board with McConnell ’ s apparent “ process ” : Many House Republicans supported a House bill to boost checks on Monday and conservative Sen. Deb Fischer ( R-Neb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s open to the idea .
“ People are hurting and I think we need to get more aid , ” she said , while panning the possibility the checks might get rolled together with unrelated bills .
“ I ’ m upset it ’ s not targeted .
I ’ m upset that the process is always throwing in things together , I ’ m upset we continue to not have bills in time to really study them.
” Fischer ’ s complaint is clearly aimed at McConnell , as HR9051 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s only five pages long , and only focuses on the immediate issue .
The easiest “ process ” would be to move this bill on the Senate floor for a roll call vote as soon as rules now allow without encumbering it with non-COVID issues , especially issues as contentious as Section 230 and election issues .
So now not only does McConnell have to deal with a potential filibuster on the veto override , but has to worry that he ’ ll soon be unable to sustain a filibuster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing lingers , the more McConnell ’ s position will erode .
Had he been smarter , McConnell would have passed a second round of the $ 1200 payments and pre-empted this play , especially with Donald Trump ’ s occasional calls for bigger relief payments over the last couple of months .
Now he ’ s playing fiscal hawk after passing the bloated omnibus bill without complaint , a ridiculous position everywhere outside the Beltway in the middle of a crisis .
Perhaps McConnell had better start “ processing ” that reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all , and this futile attempt to recover his sunk costs in the previous negotiations carries a real potential of losing his grip on the Senate if Georgia voters take it out on Perdue and Loeffler .
They ’ re both smart enough to figure it out — why isn ’ t McConnell ?

Kinda puts a new spin on the check’s in the mail, eh? The House began the process yesterday with its supermajority passage of a clean bill that bumps direct COVID-19 relief payments to $2000 per individual. Chuck Schumer tried to “begin the process” this morning by moving the House bill on an emergency basis, which requires unanimous consent. Mitch McConnell objected, blocking the move, but promised a “process” for dealing with Donald Trump’s demand:
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, on Tuesday sidestepped a push to increase stimulus checks to $2,000, saying instead that the Senate would “begin a process” to consider bigger payments, along with two of President Trump’s other demands: protecting election security and removing some legal protections for technology companies. Mr. McConnell did not elaborate further on how exactly the Senate would move to consider Mr. Trump’s demands, which the president made on Sunday after finally agreeing to sign a $900 billion stimulus package and government spending bill into law. Mr. Trump had held the package hostage for days, insisting that lawmakers triple the direct payments to $2,000 from $600, remove a legal shield for companies like YouTube and Facebook and investigate ”very substantial voter fraud.”
Blocking Schumer’s move doesn’t mean he’s blocked the bill itself, but it delays the processing considerably by forcing HR9051 into the regular order — meaning readings, committee assignment, and so forth. Furthermore, McConnell declared that all of the president’s priorities should be addressed if the Senate is to take up the direct payments. That suggests that McConnell will link these three into a single bill, which creates all sorts of new obstacles for any of them to pass:
In a floor speech, McConnell acknowledged President Donald Trump’s demand to increase payments, limit legal protections on tech companies and investigate election fraud as a condition for signing the $900 billion stimulus bill on Sunday. But he made only a vague commitment to litigating those issues in the coming days. “Those are the three important subjects the president has linked together. This week the Senate will begin a process to bring those three priorities into focus,” McConnell said as he tried to set up a veto override vote on the annual defense bill for Wednesday. Democrats are clearly wary that McConnell will try and roll the three disparate topics together, which Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said “is an invitation for this entire effort to fall apart.”
McConnell’s trying his best here, but it’s going to be a losing battle. For one thing, it appears that Bernie Sanders has plenty of company among Senate Democrats in demanding a floor vote on HR 9051 before getting to the veto override on the NDAA. “Begin the process” won’t cut it, especially with hints that McConnell’s process looks like the addition of poison pills on unrelated matters like Big Tech regulation and election security. Plus, any new bill would then require the House to meet again to pass the relief expansion again, and the clock is running out on legislative action already.
For another, opposition to the expanded relief is evaporating around McConnell. Allahpundit already wrote about the position switch from Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who will face voters in seven days and whose previous opposition to higher relief checks made them vulnerable in the runoffs. However, Politico also reports that Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) has flipped as well, and she’s already not on board with McConnell’s apparent “process”:
Many House Republicans supported a House bill to boost checks on Monday and conservative Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) told reporters on Tuesday she’s open to the idea. “People are hurting and I think we need to get more aid,” she said, while panning the possibility the checks might get rolled together with unrelated bills. “I’m upset it’s not targeted. I’m upset that the process is always throwing in things together, I’m upset we continue to not have bills in time to really study them.”
Fischer’s complaint is clearly aimed at McConnell, as HR9051 is both available and easily read. It’s only five pages long, and only focuses on the immediate issue. The easiest “process” would be to move this bill on the Senate floor for a roll call vote as soon as rules now allow without encumbering it with non-COVID issues, especially issues as contentious as Section 230 and election issues.
So now not only does McConnell have to deal with a potential filibuster on the veto override, but has to worry that he’ll soon be unable to sustain a filibuster on HR9051 too. The longer this thing lingers, the more McConnell’s position will erode. Had he been smarter, McConnell would have passed a second round of the $1200 payments and pre-empted this play, especially with Donald Trump’s occasional calls for bigger relief payments over the last couple of months. Now he’s playing fiscal hawk after passing the bloated omnibus bill without complaint, a ridiculous position everywhere outside the Beltway in the middle of a crisis.
Perhaps McConnell had better start “processing” that reality. He can’t win them all, and this futile attempt to recover his sunk costs in the previous negotiations carries a real potential of losing his grip on the Senate if Georgia voters take it out on Perdue and Loeffler. They’re both smart enough to figure it out — why isn’t McConnell?


hotair--2020-12-29--Hoo boy: Trafalgar poll shows Loeffler, Perdue now trailing in Georgia Senate runoffs

I have good news and bad news .
The good news is that Trafalgar ’ s final poll of the presidential race in Georgia was way off so there ’ s no need to take this one too seriously .
The bad news is that their presidential poll was way off *in Trump ’ s direction .
* Trafalgar saw him beating Biden by more than four points .
If they ’ re overestimating GOP support in Georgia by that much , it means Loeffler and Perdue may be in even more trouble than we think .
This isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now showing the two Democrats ahead , either .
But because Trafalgar is so well known for Trump-friendly numbers , the fact that they have the two Republicans trailing feels shocking .
Two weeks ago Trafalgar had Perdue up two points on Ossoff and Loeffler up six ( ! )
on Warnock .
Now they ’ re both behind .
They ’ re behind in the RCP averages too , with Ossoff leading by 0.8 points and Warnock ahead by 1.8 .
( The FiveThirtyEight averages are basically ties , with less than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both races . )
Each contest is destined to be a coin flip next Tuesday , but given the stellar Republican track record in Georgia runoffs , 50/50 seems … sweaty .
The early voting indicators are ominous , also per FiveThirtyEight : We do have some clues about who has voted thanks to demographic information in the voter file : namely , voters ’ race .
Voters so far in Georgia are 55 percent non-Hispanic white , 32 percent non-Hispanic Black and 13 percent of other races ( or of unknown race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diverse electorate than at this point in the general election , when , according to The New York Times/Upshot ’ s Nate Cohn , fewer than 30 percent of early voters were Black .
At first glance , that might seem like a good omen for Democrats given their strength with Black voters .
And there are other rosy signs for Democrats in the early-voting data too , like turnout being lowest in two heavily Republican congressional districts in north Georgia .
That includes 80,000 people who didn ’ t vote in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ margin in Georgia was less than 12,000 ballots .
More from Nate Cohn : FiveThirtyEight goes on to note that of course we shouldn ’ t read too much into early turnout since it could be that Republican voters are preparing to turn out en masse in person on Election Day .
But the wrinkle in that theory is that the president has spent the better part of two months telling his fans there that Georgia ’ s in-person voting machines can ’ t be trusted .
Lin Wood , the right ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him one better by insisting that Republicans can prove that the machines were rigged against Trump on November 3 by boycotting the Senate runoffs on January 5 .
Righty populists have special reason not to turn out and use Dominion ’ s machines next Tuesday , in other words .
The big red Election Day wave may not show this time .
In fact , there ’ s already some evidence of that .
Read this thread for two surprises from the early voting data in Georgia .
One is that Republicans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mail ballots this time than they did in the general election .
The other is that early voting *in person* in some Republican districts is down .
That is , it may be that the conspiracy theories about Dominion have convinced some meaningful number of Georgia Republicans that absentee voting is the more trustworthy option when the only alternative is Dominion voting machines — which , if so , would augur poorly for turnout next Tuesday .
Or it could be that Wood has successfully persuaded a number of Republicans not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not great either way .
The other X factor besides the “ stop the steal ” nonsense that may be depressing GOP turnout is the ongoing stimulus saga .
Republicans in Washington are at war with each other , with the nationalist faction led by Trump demanding $ 2,000 COVID relief checks and the fiscally conservative faction led by McConnell looking to stick with $ 600 .
Loeffler and Perdue have now each sided with Trump on that issue , believing that they have more to fear from angering Trump ’ s fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever small contingent of “ small government ” righties remains in the state .
But maybe the damage is done : Ossoff and Warnock spent the past week hammering them for not supporting $ 2,000 checks and it ’ s unclear right now whether McConnell will allow a floor vote on the House bill .
What happens if Cocaine Mitch manages to snuff the push for big checks right before the Georgia election , with Trump tweeting stuff like this ?
Will voters blame Loeffler and Perdue if the Senate GOP manages to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two support the president ’ s call for two grand apiece ?
Raging intraparty battles aren ’ t normally great for election turnout .
On the other hand , whom will they blame if McConnell introduces a single bill incorporating all of the things Trump asked for — $ 2,000 checks , repeal of Section 230 , and some sort of formal investigation of voter fraud , and Senate Dems end up blocking it because of its poison pills ?
Whom would *Trump* blame in that situation ?
Schumer , for refusing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Or McConnell , who could probably get the $ 2,000 checks passed if only he put them in a separate “ clean ” bill and offered that for a vote ?
Hard to say .
But since Ossoff and Warnock have been flogging Republicans for not supporting $ 2,000 checks , I ’ d guess that any outcome in which the checks don ’ t pass isn ’ t great for Republican turnout in Georgia and/or *is* great for Democratic turnout there .
I ’ ll leave you with this , which made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because it ’ s ( possibly ) true .

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Trafalgar’s final poll of the presidential race in Georgia was way off so there’s no need to take this one too seriously.
The bad news is that their presidential poll was way off *in Trump’s direction.* Trafalgar saw him beating Biden by more than four points. If they’re overestimating GOP support in Georgia by that much, it means Loeffler and Perdue may be in even more trouble than we think.
This isn’t the only poll out there right now showing the two Democrats ahead, either. But because Trafalgar is so well known for Trump-friendly numbers, the fact that they have the two Republicans trailing feels shocking.
Two weeks ago Trafalgar had Perdue up two points on Ossoff and Loeffler up six(!) on Warnock. Now they’re both behind. They’re behind in the RCP averages too, with Ossoff leading by 0.8 points and Warnock ahead by 1.8. (The FiveThirtyEight averages are basically ties, with less than half a point separating the candidates in both races.) Each contest is destined to be a coin flip next Tuesday, but given the stellar Republican track record in Georgia runoffs, 50/50 seems … sweaty.
The early voting indicators are ominous, also per FiveThirtyEight:
We do have some clues about who has voted thanks to demographic information in the voter file: namely, voters’ race. Voters so far in Georgia are 55 percent non-Hispanic white, 32 percent non-Hispanic Black and 13 percent of other races (or of unknown race). That’s a more diverse electorate than at this point in the general election, when, according to The New York Times/Upshot’s Nate Cohn, fewer than 30 percent of early voters were Black. At first glance, that might seem like a good omen for Democrats given their strength with Black voters. And there are other rosy signs for Democrats in the early-voting data too, like turnout being lowest in two heavily Republican congressional districts in north Georgia.
That includes 80,000 people who didn’t vote in the general election. Biden’s final margin in Georgia was less than 12,000 ballots. More from Nate Cohn:
By party primary vote history, the 18-29 year olds who have voted so far are D 38, R 12. They were D 33, R 14 in the general at this stage. — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) December 29, 2020
But even among young white voters, you get a similar pattern. They're D 27, R 23 so far; they were D 22, R 24 at this stage of the general — Nate Cohn (@Nate_Cohn) December 29, 2020
FiveThirtyEight goes on to note that of course we shouldn’t read too much into early turnout since it could be that Republican voters are preparing to turn out en masse in person on Election Day. But the wrinkle in that theory is that the president has spent the better part of two months telling his fans there that Georgia’s in-person voting machines can’t be trusted. Lin Wood, the right’s new populist hero, has done him one better by insisting that Republicans can prove that the machines were rigged against Trump on November 3 by boycotting the Senate runoffs on January 5. Righty populists have special reason not to turn out and use Dominion’s machines next Tuesday, in other words. The big red Election Day wave may not show this time.
In fact, there’s already some evidence of that. Read this thread for two surprises from the early voting data in Georgia. One is that Republicans in some deep-red districts are making greater use of mail ballots this time than they did in the general election. The other is that early voting *in person* in some Republican districts is down. That is, it may be that the conspiracy theories about Dominion have convinced some meaningful number of Georgia Republicans that absentee voting is the more trustworthy option when the only alternative is Dominion voting machines — which, if so, would augur poorly for turnout next Tuesday.
Or it could be that Wood has successfully persuaded a number of Republicans not to bother voting at all this time. Not great either way.
The other X factor besides the “stop the steal” nonsense that may be depressing GOP turnout is the ongoing stimulus saga. Republicans in Washington are at war with each other, with the nationalist faction led by Trump demanding $2,000 COVID relief checks and the fiscally conservative faction led by McConnell looking to stick with $600. Loeffler and Perdue have now each sided with Trump on that issue, believing that they have more to fear from angering Trump’s fans in Georgia than they do from angering whatever small contingent of “small government” righties remains in the state. But maybe the damage is done: Ossoff and Warnock spent the past week hammering them for not supporting $2,000 checks and it’s unclear right now whether McConnell will allow a floor vote on the House bill. What happens if Cocaine Mitch manages to snuff the push for big checks right before the Georgia election, with Trump tweeting stuff like this?
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1343998076084748288
Will voters blame Loeffler and Perdue if the Senate GOP manages to block Trump on this even though the two support the president’s call for two grand apiece? Raging intraparty battles aren’t normally great for election turnout. On the other hand, whom will they blame if McConnell introduces a single bill incorporating all of the things Trump asked for — $2,000 checks, repeal of Section 230, and some sort of formal investigation of voter fraud, and Senate Dems end up blocking it because of its poison pills? Whom would *Trump* blame in that situation? Schumer, for refusing to agree to all of his demands? Or McConnell, who could probably get the $2,000 checks passed if only he put them in a separate “clean” bill and offered that for a vote?
Hard to say. But since Ossoff and Warnock have been flogging Republicans for not supporting $2,000 checks, I’d guess that any outcome in which the checks don’t pass isn’t great for Republican turnout in Georgia and/or *is* great for Democratic turnout there.
I’ll leave you with this, which made me chuckle. It’s funny because it’s (possibly) true.


hotair--2020-12-29--Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Georgia update, Iranians irate, relief debate, Hilaria's deflate, and m

Today's hot topics on #TEMS: Georgia update, Iranians irate, relief debate, Hilaria's deflate, and more!

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show ( 4 pm ET ) , we have another great lineup for the news of the day !
The show will be streamed on Hot Air ’ s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook .
Join us as we welcome : • Andrew Malcom can ’ t be here today , but Jeff Dunetz will co-host in his place for today !
We ’ ll take a look at a couple of Jeff ’ s top stories , including why Iranians are protesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Plus , we ’ ll discuss what eyebrow-raising moves in Morocco and Saudi Arabia might mean for Israel .
• We ’ ll also talk about the latest in Congress , what ’ s happening in Georgia , what ’ s happening in Hilaria , and take your questions in the Facebook comments and chat room !
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page .
Be sure to join us , and don ’ t forget to keep up with the debate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016 ?
Find out in GOING RED , published in April from Crown Forum !

Today on The Ed Morrissey Show (4 pm ET), we have another great lineup for the news of the day! The show will be streamed on Hot Air’s Facebook page and embedded here and on the show page for those who are not on Facebook.
Join us as we welcome:
Andrew Malcom can’t be here today, but Jeff Dunetz will co-host in his place for today! We’ll take a look at a couple of Jeff’s top stories, including why Iranians are protesting the regime on social media this week. Plus, we’ll discuss what eyebrow-raising moves in Morocco and Saudi Arabia might mean for Israel.
We’ll also talk about the latest in Congress, what’s happening in Georgia, what’s happening in Hilaria, and take your questions in the Facebook comments and chat room!
The Ed Morrissey Show and its dynamic chatroom can be seen on the permanent TEMS page. Be sure to join us, and don’t forget to keep up with the debate on my Facebook page, too!
How can Republicans and conservatives keep winning after 2016? Find out in GOING RED, published in April from Crown Forum!