Golden Boy

 

Friends, so far I've watched about half of the DeSantis-Newsom debate, and I have to say that I'm beginning to understand why the Republican base never fell in love with DeSantis, and why Democrats are gaga for Gavin.  Is Newsom perfect?  Heck no.  He presides over a wreck of a once-great state, but the truth is that the truth doesn't matter much when you've got a winning smile and an answer for everything.  Newsom is quick on his feet and easily put DeSantis on the defensive.  I agree with the article below that Newsom would be an immensely more competitive and electable candidate than Joe Biden...and so I hope he remains on the sidelines!

https://themessenger.com/opinion/gavin-newsom-desantis-debate-presidential-democrat-policy-charisma-harris

 

In other news, the House of Representatives pulled the trigger and expelled George Santos.  Santos was, by all accounts, an ethical trainwreck, but the fact remains that his fellow Republicans did not let his trial play out, or even begin, before they decided to eject him to unburden themselves of a political liability.  I predict Democrats will win his seat, and plenty more calls to expel "unethical" Republicans will ensue.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67593885 

Rumble in the Hannungle

 

Friends, Governors Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom of Florida and California, respectively, squared off in a televised debate last night.  While I haven't watched it (yet), I offer you this analysis:

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/top-takeaways-real-winner-of-desantis-newsom-debate

 

What's more, the debate was one of the themes we discussed on this week's Newsmaker Show!  Brian and I also dissected the rise of the populist right despite the herculean efforts by the establishment to stifle it, the political impact of current economic turmoil and the IDF-Hamas truce, and the state of the polls.

 

When we get to This Day in History, Brian and I talk about the impact of arms control talks during the latter stages of the Cold War, as well as the historical significance of the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-40.

Folks, it's YET ANOTHER tour de force!  Some would say my sheer analytical excellence is growing tiresome...  Couldn't I drop the ball just once or twice?  Nah.  Not my style.  Sorry!

 

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-november-30-2023-dr-nick-waddy/ 

Finally, here's a reminder that Henry Kissinger, who passed away Wednesday, wasn't just a master manipulator of geopolitics.  He was also the "Playboy of the West Wing"!  Gross, right?

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/30/list-gorgeous-glamorous-women-henry-kissinger-reportedly-romanced/

Ancient History

 

Friends, you remember the presidential election of 2020?  It seemed like a big deal at the time.  Well, today I share with you an article that demonstrates with compelling evidence just how different the political landscape is now, compared to the same point in the 2020 cycle.  To make a long story short, Trump was consistently at a polling disadvantage throughout the 2020 campaign.  In this cycle, by contrast, he's often been even, and now he's ahead.  So, yes, 2024 may be a repeat of 2020, in terms of the candidates headlining it, but the dynamics have shifted significantly, and it behooves the dastardly Dems to figure that out and find some way to respond.  Plan A -- to stifle the Trump campaign with adversarial prosecutions -- doesn't seem to be working so well.  Ergo, we have to ask, what will the Dems and the Deep State try next?  John Nolte claims they might be building up to...assassination!  Well, that would be a refreshingly direct approach, but I'm not sure it's their style.  Then again, I may be out of touch.  The radicalization and polarization of American politics is a progressive condition, after all...  Give it a week, or a month, or a year, and we could end up virtually anywhere.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/27/nolte-biden-down-12-2-points-against-trump-compared-2020/

In other news, the much-ballyhooed DeSantis vs. Newsom debate is almost here!  The Wall Street Journal has given us a preview -- which is actually more of a retrospective on the records of these two men as governors.  It doesn't make for reassuring reading if you're a Newsom supporter...  But hey, results are overrated.  What Californians want most is to be fed plenty of red meat, i.e. righteous indignation in the form of Trump hatred, "anti-racism", climate activism, and the like.  And they're getting exactly what they voted for, time and time again.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/gavin-newsom-ron-desantis-fox-news-debate-florida-california-239e637b?mod=opinion_lead_pos1

Finally, here's an intriguing article about "zombie schools", i.e. public schools that are still open for business despite the fact that virtually no students are left to attend them.  This is partly because of declining birth rates, and partly because of the flight of many students (and their parents) from underperforming school districts.  What's the solution, according to the Dems?  Throw even more money at the worst schools, of course!

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/11/28/night_of_the_living_ed_zombie_public_schools_drained_of_pandemic_lifeblood_haunt_the_land_993686.html

The Powers-That-Used-to-Be?

 

Friends, recent developments have me questioning just how firm the establishment's grip on public opinion is these days.  You've got the big wins in Argentina and the Netherlands for "far-right" populists, and you've got DJT's steadily improving poll numbers vis-a-vis Joe Biden.  The level of popular distrust of establishment narratives is quite extraordinary, when you consider how many advantages the "approved" voices have over the views of dissidents and "deplorables"...  My latest article speculates that, as the powers-that-be see their dominance slipping away, they could resort to extreme measures to protect it.  Yikes!

https://townhall.com/columnists/nicholaswaddy/2023/11/25/alarm-bells-for-the-establishment-n2631610

Bounteous Blessings

 

Friends, I wish you the most festive and enjoyable of Thanksgivings!  I hope you spend lots of quality time with your loved ones, and that you take time to count your blessings, which, if you live in the United States of America, are bountiful indeed!  We Americans may not often stop to acknowledge that fact, but today, of all days, we should.  I am grateful, above all, for the wonderful people in my life, including...YOU!!!  Keep up the good work, amigos.  👍

What Might Have Been

 

Friends, today we mark the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and, in retrospect, it seems to mark a turning point in so many ways.  I have a few articles to share with you: an interview with JFK's mother about the family's reaction to his death, a piece that speculates on how different history might have been had Kennedy avoided the assassin's bullet in November 1963, and an article about RFK, Jr.'s reminisences on his uncle's passing, and his desire for greater transparency from the government about what happened on that fateful day.  I hope you find all this analysis interesting.  I would love to hear your thoughts!

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20231121-jfk-assassination-john-f-kennedys-mother-roses-agony-and-ecstasy-on-the-tragic-loss-of-her-son-60-years-ago

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/60-years-after-jfk-s-death-what-might-have-been/ar-AA1klfKA?cvid=93f3fe4f0bdd458f966d9dbf1b6e0776&ei=6 

https://themessenger.com/politics/robert-f-kennedy-jfk-files-biden

 

Yet another poll shows Trump ahead, and it also shows Trump more ahead when one adds in Kennedy, West, and Stein.  It's looking ominous for your side, Sleepy Joe!  You might want to call up the DOJ and arrange for a few dozen more indictments?

 

https://emersoncollegepolling.com/november-2023-national-poll-trump-maintains-lead-over-biden/ 

Congrats to anti-immigrant conservative Geert Wilders, whose party has emerged as the big winner in Holland's parliamentary election.  The most likely outcome, therefore, is that the establishment parties will band together to give him, and the voters, the finger.  What else is new?

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/11/22/anti-mass-migration-populist-geert-wilders-wins-most-seats-in-dutch-elections-exit-polls-show/

 

Finally, are misinformation watchdogs fatally compromised by their financial ties to corporations that are pushing an establishment-approved agenda (and, of course, their own products on consumers)?  That is, are the news-checkers essentially corrupt?  It may be so, but then again leftists don't need any monetary incentive to trash those who dare to disagree with them, do they?  It comes naturally!

 

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/nov/18/big-pharma-financing-newsguards-for-profit-busines/ 

Firestorm!!!

 

Friends, Joe Biden recently celebrated his 81st birthday in the White House with a cake festooned with a truly irresponsible number of candles (presumably, 81).  My question is: how was climate change impacted by this grossly self-indulgent display???  More to the point, is it wise for President Biden to draw attention to his birthday, when almost everyone agrees that he's steadily sinking into senility?  Come to think of it, if he is senile, I suppose he'd be pretty indifferent to the public reaction, wouldn't he?  He seems equally indifferent to the polls!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz43szWtuww/

 

In a slightly surprising twist, the Israelis have agreed to a ceasefire with Hamas, in exchange for the release of dozens of hostages.  Is this a savvy move on Israel's part, or does it telegraph weakness and indecision?  More to the point, will it possible to resume the war, in full force, after this pause?  We shall see.

 

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-11-21-2023-39f5ae0bdb4e32f0e69115aa43446132 

As you know, the establishment and the Deep State are "all in" when it comes to efforts to vilify and ultimately destroy Twitter/X.  It is being subjected to levels of (deceptive) scrutiny that no other social media company has to deal with.  Musk is responding with a "thermonuclear" lawsuit against his attackers.  Will it work?  That probably hinges on the venue and the judge...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/elon-musk-s-x-follows-through-with-thermonuclear-lawsuit-against-media-matters/ar-AA1kg0lP

 

Finally, along with President Trump, I congratulate the victor in Argentina's presidential election, Javier Milei.  Milei is a libertarian bomb-thrower (rhetorically speaking) who favors, among other things, the adoption of the U.S. dollar as Argentina's currency in order to tame inflation.  You read that right!!!  There's a country out there with inflation much worse than ours, which feels that cleaving to the dollar would bring it financial stability (relatively speaking).  As down on the dollar as we Americans appear to be, a lot of people around the world rather like it, and it remains the global reserve currency.  Long may it last!

 

https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2023/11/21/donald-trump-congratulates-javier-milei-make-argentina-great-again/ 

Delightfully Diverse, But Dumb as Rocks

 

Friends, the decline and fall of objective testing has been confirmed, once again, by New York State's decision to scrap the requirement that students pass Regents exams before they can become high school graduates.  Apparently, not everyone passes, and we can't have that!  Personally, I can't think of any downside to socially promoting every moron right out of high school and into the workforce.  Heck, this raises the question of why we need objective testing as an entrance requirement for, say, law school or medical school -- and why, come to think of it, lawyers and doctors need to demonstrate competence of any kind...  Isn't "competence" just another word for white supremacy???

https://www.joannejacobs.com/post/dumb-and-dumber-ny-rethinks-regents-exams?fbclid=IwAR1C-5ms9D0WPC8DIhQgqAXq_dDsqy9Fw5o4KxmIkn7v0TLasHeaOZNkxjE

 

In other news, a Colorado judge has ruled that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist, but he should be allowed to stay on the presidential ballot anyway.  Kind of a Pyrrhic victory there, huh?  Expect much more to come on this front.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/17/colorado-judge-rules-trump-must-appear-ballot/ 

Finally, the commercial assault on Twitter/X is accelerating, based on vague concerns about "hate speech".  Of course, hate speech flourishes all over social media, but don't expect advertizers ever to flee from Google or Facebook.  Those platforms at least make all the right noises about hating the haters, except of course the haters who hate conservatives, who are totally cool.

https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2023/11/17/ibm-eu-suspend-advertising-on-elon-musks-x-twitter-over-antisemitism-allegations/

Once a Tory, Always a Tory!

 

Friends, this week's Newsmaker Show is, as always, a masterful meta-analysis of everything newsworthy, including, in case you missed it, David Cameron's miraculous political resurrection!  He's the U.K. P.M. who resigned in the wake of the Brexit vote.  Well, now he's back as the current P.M. Rishi Sunak's Foreign Secretary!  Talk about unexpected...  Sunak is really struggling in the polls, so I guess he figured dusting off a political has-been couldn't do him any harm.  Anyway, I always rather liked Cameron, so I hope he acquits himself well.  Sadly, he'll probably be a fine mouthpiece for Britain's hawkish stance on Ukraine, but maybe, in due course, even the Tories and David Cameron might have to dial back the bellicosity.

In addition to Sunak's cabinet reshuffle, Brian and I discuss the increasing acrimony between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, the persistent and malignant influence of the establishment media, who may pick up the Trumpian mantle when Trump himself fades away, the recent horseplay between Kevin McCarthy and a Republican backbencher, the demise of Tim Scott as a presidential contender, the chances that a REAL government shutdown is looming, and the stunning success of the Biden Administration in appointing leftist judges.

And, when we get to This Day in History, Brian and I cover the love affair between the Carter Administration and the Shah of Iran, as well as the allegations of a "missile gap" between the United States and the USSR during the late 50s and early 60s.

 

From Tehran to Number 10, Downing Street, the Newsmaker Show brings YOU the world!

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-november-15-2023-dr-nick-waddy/

 

***

 

In other news, we're getting our first polls that pitch the 2024 presidential race as a five-way contest!  This means Trump, Biden, Kennedy, West, and Jill Stein.  So far, Trump looks like he's performing quite strongly in that kind of political environment, and it bears repeating that, in any scenario in which the GOP presidential candidate wins the national popular vote, he probably wins the electoral college in a landslide.

 

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden_vs_kennedy_vs_west_vs_stein-8329.html 

One of the persistent problems that conservatives and Republicans now have in American politics is the fact that we're consistently outspent by the evil leftists.  It didn't used to be this way!!!  It makes sense, though.  The wealthy, the establishment, and corporate interests are now mostly left-leaning.  Ergo, why would the GOP ever be able to compete financially with the dastardly Dems?  What's more, political kingmakers are getting better and better at translating dollars into votes, via "election education", strategic grants to election authorities, watering holes for "mules", and what not.  Losing the money race will increasingly mean just plain losing, and, I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of losing!

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/major-dem-dark-money-nonprofit-poured-150-million-into-progressive-causes-in-2022-tax-forms-show

 

Finally, while some efforts to evict DJT from the presidential ballot have foundered recently, it's just a matter of time before one of them succeeds, and then the stakes will rise immeasurably, and the federal courts will have to consider the question of Trump's eligibility.  This battle is a long way from over.

 

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/trump-2024-14th-amendment-insurrection-colorado/2023/11/15/id/1142464/ 

The Business of America is STILL Business

 

Friends, the domination of American politics by captains of industry and Big Business is nothing new.  President Calvin Coolidge more or less wore it as a badge of honor back in the 20s.  Well, politicians' reliance on corporate sponsorship and largesse is far greater now than it was then.  My latest article, therefore, asks the question: can Speaker Mike Johnson, who appears to be a man of faith and of principle, manage to govern in the national interest, or will he succumb to the temptations of The Swamp?  I explore a case study in this classic dilemma.

https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/is-america-back-in-business-with-mike-johnson-or-is-it-business-as-usual

 

In other news, Nikki Haley has built up a head of steam lately and is trying to solidify her newfound status as the obvious Republican alternative to Trump.  What does it matter, you ask, when Trump is so far ahead?  Well, maybe it doesn't.  Then again, Trump's legal problems are only beginning, and no one can be absolutely sure that he will survive the full onslaught of our so-called "justice system".

 

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/nikki-haley-ron-desantis-ad-buy-iowa-new-hampshire