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FEBRUARY 2,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:51 P.M. ET: 

WILL UNITED BE ALLOWED TO EXIST? – FROM SMITHSONIAN:    Over the weekend, a United Airlines passenger named Dexter was getting ready to board a flight from Newark to Los Angeles. He had his ticket ready. He was, incidentally, looking pretty great. But Dexter was not allowed to board the plane. Dexter, you see, is a peacock.  According to Daniella Silva of NBC News, the peacock, which is reportedly an emotional support animal, and his human were turned away from their flight at the Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday. United Airlines told Silva in a statement that the bird “did not meet guidelines for a number of reasons, including its weight and size.”  I love animals.  I'm all for peacocks.  Peacocks have fought in all our wars.  But I will not get on a plane and sit next to a peacock.  That is my feeling.  Call me a birdist pig. 

ANOTHER GREAT MOMENT IN EDUCATION – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  A New York high school has canceled a production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” after a student activist group complained about a white student being cast in a lead role.  The school now will be putting on an alternative production.
Members of Ithaca High School’s Students United Ithaca — all five of them — got together and wrote up a letter and list of demands after the role of Esmeralda went to a Caucasian peer.  “It shows you that theater wasn’t made for you,” said Maddi Carroll, a member of the Students United group who is African-American. “And it shows you that, if you can’t get the parts that are written for you, what parts are you going to get?”  Students United’s letter conceded that the student cast as Esmeralda “is a stellar actor, singer, and dancer” and that any production would be “lucky to have her.”  However, it added: “Our concern is not with her, but with the fact that in terms of demographics, she is the wrong choice for this role.”  What a sick idea.  The most talented actress is denied the role because she is the wrong color, and these social justice warriors (choke) say they're not concerned about her.  What a terrible lesson this sends.

THE UNDERGROUND WORLD – FROM BBC:  Researchers have found more than 60,000 hidden Maya ruins in Guatemala in a major archaeological breakthrough.  Laser technology was used to survey digitally beneath the forest canopy, revealing houses, palaces, elevated highways, and defensive fortifications.  The landscape, near already-known Maya cities, is thought to have been home to millions more people than other research had previously suggested.  The researchers mapped over 810 square miles (2,100 sq km) in northern Peten.  Archaeologists believe the cutting-edge technology will change the way the world will see the Maya civilisation.  "I think this is one of the greatest advances in over 150 years of Maya archaeology," said Stephen Houston, Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology at Brown University.  The researchers also found 6,000 e-mails from Hillary Clinton and 45,000 Chicago voters.

February 2,  2018     Permalink

We don't do many plugs here, but we are always happy to call attention to books written by our distinguished readers and subscribers.  In that spirit, may I recommend "World War 1990 – Anzacs," by the prominent military historian, William Stroock.  It's part of Will's "World War 1990" series, taking us back to the time when the Cold War was presumably ending, and new crises developing.  Although the book is fiction, the reader will get an education in military strategy and equipment, with the action seen, in Will's usual style, from a variety of perspectives.  Good reading, exciting, and available here at Amazon.  

A SUPER SUNDAY? – AT 12:22 P.M. ET:  The Super Bowl is played this Sunday, and there's almost as much speculation about the TV ratings as about the outcome of the game between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.  NFL ratings have nosedived this season, thanks in large measure to the politicization of the game by the "take a knee" crowd.  Will the losses continue into the biggest football day of the year?  From Yahoo: 

Super Bowl 52 is just a few days away, and after NFL regular season TV ratings fell by nearly 10% this season on average, one of the biggest questions pundits and sports media have is: Will the Super Bowl ratings be good?

If the results of a new survey from Seton Hall University are to be believed, the answer might be no.
Seton Hall surveyed 706 Americans across the country, via landlines and cellphones, from Jan. 29 to Jan. 31. The first question asked people how closely they follow the NFL. Of those who said they follow it “very closely,” which the survey identifies as NFL fans, 16% said they won’t watch this year’s Super Bowl. The poll has a 3.8% margin of error.

Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, calls 16% a “significant number” that “should be a concern to the league, the broadcasters and especially the advertisers.”

The poll didn’t ask those why say they won’t watch what their reasons are, but the political controversy that overshadowed this football season is almost surely a factor.

COMMENT:  We'll see Sunday.  The NFL has done precious little to get itself out of the hole it's in.  There is nothing in writing that says football has to continue as a major professional sport.

February 2,  2018     Permalink

MORE BAD NEWS FOR THE DEMS – AT 10:52 A.M. ET:  It keeps building.  Once the proud party of Roosevelt, Truman, and Kennedy, the Democratic Party today is a public embarrassment, obsessed with race, gender, and ethnicity, and little else.  It's also reportedly broke.  From The Week: 

The Democratic National Committee had a rough 2017, plagued by leadership troubles, internal squabbling, and unflattering reports. To top it off, the party ended the year "dead broke," says The Intercept's Ryan Grim.

The Democratic Party is carrying more than $6 million in debt, according to year-end filings — and has just $6.5 million in the bank. Do the math, and the party is working with just over $400,000 overall. Meanwhile, the Republicans are swimming in pools of money. The Republican National Committee had raised $132 million by the end of 2017 — about twice as much as the DNC — and entered 2018 with almost $40 million to spare, with not a penny of debt.

COMMENT:  Who would you rather have running the government?  The national party is a mess.  However, at the local level it is doing better, often because some local Democratic candidates are actually sane, and have at least some belief in the United States.

I'm careful about speculation, but I do believe there is some chance the Democratic Party may collapse, with a new moderate-to-liberal party emerging as a possible replacement.  It would be healthy for the country.

February 2, 2018       Permalink

SPECTACULAR – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:  We have wondered what kind of bounce the president would receive from his State of the Union message.  We have the first polling answer:  A spectacular one.  From Rasmussen: 

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows President Trump making substantial gains after Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, and achieving his highest voter approval since March 7, 2017. 

Forty-nine (49%) of Likely U.S. Voters approve of the president's job performance. Another 49% disapprove.

The latest figures include 35% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 38% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -3.

These findings include the first two full nights of surveying following Tuesday’s speech.

COMMENT:  Okay, Rasmussen tends to give the president a bit more in polls than some other pollsters, but Rasmussen has also been awfully accurate.  Trump normally underpolls.  He did better in the primaries and in the general election than polls had indicated.  So if you see CNN come in with lower numbers, that's part of a pattern.

Rasmussen is the only daily tracking poll left, so we do get a sense of direction, and the direction for the president has, recently, been dramatically upward.  The president also gained substantially in the Fox poll, coming in recently at 45%.

All of this can change, of course, and you may be sure that the anti-Trump press, seeing the new numbers, will double down on its bias, to drive those numbers down again.  (Some smarter journalists will not double down, and will understand the new reality.)

The tax cut will show up this week in many paychecks.  That will not hurt Mr. Trump.

February 2,  2018     Permalink

FEBRUARY 1,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:56 P.M. ET:

MAMA MAXINE SPEAKS – FROM FOX:  Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who appeared on BET Wednesday to lambast President Trump's State of the Union Address, called for a parental advisory each time the president appears on television.  “Whenever he appears on TV there should be a disclaimer that says ‘This may be may not be acceptable for children,'” she said.  Waters recorded a pre-taped response to Trump’s address, which was broadcast on attorney and political commentator Angela Rye’s BET special.
“One speech cannot and does not make Donald Trump presidential. He’s not presidential and he never will be presidential. He claims that’s bringing people together but make no mistake, he is a dangerous, unprincipled, divisive, and shameful racist,” Waters said.  Please note that Mama Maxine's response was pre-taped.  In other words, she responded to the president's speech before she even heard it.  Genius.

SIGN OF THE TIMES – FROM FOX:   Virgin Atlantic says it will feature "Love Suites" on some of its New York bound jets that are designed with couples in mind.  It will have three Love Suites in some Airbus A330-200 planes that are joining the fleet in March, along with other special seating arrangements. The Love Suites are ideal for dual dining, watching movies together or catching up on "work," according to the airline. The seats are located in the center of the cabin.  The revamped Upper Class seating arrangements include "freedom suites" and extra-private corner suites in the jet's upper cabin.  All three private corner suites will include free Wi-Fi messaging and a barista-style coffee menu.  I'm sure the "love suites" are all about work.  As I understand it, each flight will offer the services of a sexual harassment attorney.

ROMNEY TO ANNOUNCE – FROM THE HILL:  Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will reveal later this month whether he'll run for Senate in Utah.  Romney announced the timeline in a short tweet Thursday, saying he would reveal his decision on Feb. 15.  "Looking forward to making an announcement on February 15th about the Utah Senate race," he tweeted, along with a link to his website.  Romney is expected to launch a bid to replace retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a bid that would make him the far-and-away favorite.   His potential candidacy has been the source of speculation for years, with Senate Republicans excited at the chance for the former Massachusetts governor to join them in the body.  As a former presidential candidate, he'd immediately have stature and name recognition.  But he must make his peace with President Trump, whom he's criticized regularly, and recognize that Trump is the leader of the party.  Romney is 70, and would be a probable presidential contender in 2020 if Trump declined to run again.  He would be 76 in 2024, still a possibility.  But Mike Pence or Nikki Haley would be more popular among Republican voters.

February 1, 2018       Permalink

OH GOODY – AT 7:31 P.M. ET:  Well, this guy apparently has exhausted his 15 minutes of fame, and we bid him farewell as he fades back into the woodwork.  From Fox: 

Controversial anti-Trump author Michael Wolff appears to be wearing out his welcome among the liberal media elite after spending weeks as the toast of the industry.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders has blasted Wolff’s book, “Fire and Fury,” as “tabloid gossip” laced with “false and fraudulent claims,” and many members of the mainstream media finally seem to agree with her on something.

While promoting the book on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Wolff said he was “absolutely sure” that President Trump was currently having an extramarital affair and teased that his book reveals the mistress if you “read between the lines.”

Internet sleuths quickly pointed to United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who was forced to deny the speculation. Wolff has essentially tried to slut-shame Haley, pointing out that "Nikki Haley has chosen to vociferously deny something she was not accused of."

Washington Post media columnist Erik Wemple has mocked Wolff, saying he should have simply admitted his comments to Maher were “ill-advised” before pointing out that Wolff has bragged about writing “millions” of words without issuing a correction.

“We’re learning why,” Wemple wrote.

Axios reporter Jonathan Swan tweeted to Wolff on Wednesday, “It must be fun to write and say whatever you want under the banner of ‘non-fiction,’ with zero fact-checking or basic decency.”

Swan then asked Wolff to remove his name from the author acknowledgment section for the next edition.

On Thursday Wolff was even cut off by MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski when the Haley rumors came up.

COMMENT:  The book reflects the low standards that exist in at least some corners of American "culture" today.  There was a time when stuff like this would have been relegated to supermarket tabloids.

February 1, 2018       Permalink

THIS IS MADNESS – AT 10:18 A.M. ET:   The Congressional Black Caucus is going way out on a limb, and leading the fight to impeach President Trump.  From The Hill:

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are proving central to efforts to impeach President Trump.

Black lawmakers say that’s the result of Trump repeatedly stirring racial controversies, from personally attacking two members of the caucus to casting equal blame on white supremacists and counterprotesters for fatal violence in Charlottesville, Va., last summer.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), former head of the CBC, said the bitter feelings originated well before Trump arrived in office, when the real estate mogul began raising doubts about former President Obama’s birthplace — and, by extension, his authority to be president.

“I don’t know if the people around the country understand that he has launched … an assault against African-American people starting with his refusal to accept the first African-American president, by continuing to declare that he was from Kenya,” Cleaver said. “No other president in history has had to face that kind of criticism. 

“We’ve come to conclude that this is a part of his belief system.”

COMMENT:  This is awful.  Donald Trump, love him or not, has been a public figure for about 40 years.  If he were a racist, we would have known about it long before now. 

On the contrary, his economic policies are helping African-Americans to an unprecedented degree.  Yes, he has made some poorly worded comments in the past, but none came close to racism.  That is a word that is used rather loosely, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus are using it loosely today.  They should seek to work with Trump, who has the imagination, experience, and drive to improve lives in inner cities.  Instead, they seek to remove him.

The CBC will simply isolate itself further.  Already, there are many who believe it has done too little for its own constituency.  This looks more like a power play than serious politics. 

If, while they're impeaching President Trump, the president's approval ratings rise in black America, the CBC can begin to look ridiculous.

February 1, 2018       Permalink

THE CONTINUING BOOM – AT 9:40 A.M. ET:  The new Labor Department jobs report gives ground for more optimism.  From CNBC: 

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to a tightening labor market and strengthening economy at the start of the year.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 1,000 to a seasonally adjusted 230,000 for the week ended Jan. 27, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Data for the prior week was revised to show 2,000 fewer claims received than previously reported.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast claims rising to 238,000 in the latest week. The Labor Department said claims for Maine were estimated last week. It also said claims-taking procedures in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands had still not returned to normal months after the territories were slammed by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Last week marked the 152nd straight week that claims remained below the 300,000 threshold, which is associated with a strong labor market. That is the longest such stretch since 1970, when the labor market was much smaller.

COMMENT:   And this is the week when Americans should begin to see the tax cut appear in their paychecks.  It should be a great time.  I'm not sure the press will announce it.

February 1,  2018     Permalink