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 

Thus Always to...Talking Heads!

 

Friends, it turns out that the great Commonwealth of Virginia may not be as far gone as the mainstream media has led us to believe in recent days.  We've been told that Democrats won a crushing victory in the 2023 elections, capped by the retention of control over the State Senate in Virginia, and their capture of the majority in the state's House of Delegates.  Well, what you perhaps haven't been told is that they won these victories by the thinnest of margins, and they did so in a fundamentally blue state.  The bottom line is that, if Republicans and Democrats performed nationally in 2024 more or less as they did in Virginia on election night, 2023, then the national Democratic Party would lose control of the White House and the Senate, and the GOP majority in the House would grow apace.  Another way of putting it is that the Dems in their current condition can barely win in blue states, and they look very likely to lose in purple ones.

https://amac.us/newsline/elections/not-so-fast-virginia-election-results-should-worry-democrats/

 

In other news, the U.S. may be on the verge of another credit rating downgrade, and, as usual, the Biden Administration takes no responsibility whatsoever.  Our two-party system is largely dysfunctional, it's true, but the biggest fiscal problem we have is overspending, and ole Sleepy Joe is right at the heart of it.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-credit-rating-outlook-changed-222359030.html 

U.S. population growth is almost entirely the result of Third World migration.  No surprise there, and there's little reason to think this might change in the years ahead.  What does the future look like, therefore?  It looks like Los Angeles, Houston, and Miami.  Deal with it!

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/11/census-mass-immigration-set-to-drive-u-s-population-to-400-million-by-2060/

 

Finally, Elon Musk is once again pondering the future of humanity.  Perceptively, he realizes that our collective future won't be characterized by grinding poverty and climate-induced misery, but instead by material abundance, and a declining need for humans to do meaningful, productive work to secure their share of that abundance.  There's much talk of a "basic income" to support those who aren't needed as workers, or who aren't fit to work.  Don't let the terminology fool you -- in many ways we already have such a "basic income".  Theoretically, government programs insure a basic level of sustenance, i.e. access to food, shelter, and health care, regardless of one's circumstances.  In that sense, they more or less guarantee a standard of living that, while it may not seem all that enviable, actually represents a better diet, better housing, and better health care than even wealthy and privileged people enjoyed not so long ago.  Ergo, I conclude that the future looks bright, materially...but man does not live by bread alone.

 

https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/what-elon-musks-age-of-abundance-means-for-the-future-of-capitalism-7c0807df?mod=hp_lead_pos8 

The "Other" Joe

 

Friends, the enigmatic Democratic Senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, has announced that he won't run for reelection in 2024.  That almost certainly increases the GOP's odds of taking over the Senate, but, simultaneously, it may also increase the Republican Party's odds of seizing back control of the White House.  That's because Joe Manchin has long been teasing a possible centrist, "No Labels" run for the presidency.  I think it's a great idea!  Throw him into the mix with Trump, Biden, Kennedy, West, the Greens, the Libertarians, and who knows who else, and -- voila! -- you've got a recipe for total chaos.  And who's Agent of Chaos Numero Uno, who we all know and love?  Trump!  A thoroughly scrambled presidential field works to Trump's advantage.  No doubt about it.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-i-wont-be-seeking-re-election-to-the-senate-politics-washington-joe-manchin-7f61ee21?mod=opinion_lead_pos5

 

In other news, it's the developing world's dirty little secret that, for all its protestations about climate change, it is, by and large, steadily increasing its use of coal to feed its burgeoning demands for electrical power.  So enjoy driving around in that Tesla and, when global temps become sweltering, turn up your A/C and you should be fine.

 

https://www.breitbart.com/africa/2023/11/10/south-africa-break-paris-agreement-promises-because-cannot-shut-down-coal/ 

Finally, I know many conservatives are gung-ho about supporting Israel and its operations against Hamas, but Israel does have a perception problem internationally.  There's really no way to root out Hamas without causing a lot of civilian casualties...and in the process global condemnation of Israel will reach a crescendo.  Only Israel can decide when it's reached a point of diminishing returns.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67356581

The Two Faces of the Democratic Party

 

Friends, a day after the 2023 elections in places like Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio, Democrats are extremely chuffed -- and highly anxious.  They're confident, but also cowed.  What gives?  Simply put, they regard the outcomes yesterday as signifying a "blowout" for Team Blue.  That's largely true, in the sense that Republicans set themselves some ambitious goals, assuming the weakness of a Democratic Party hobbled by Bidenism, and failed to achieve most of them.  The dastardly Dems kept control of the Governor's mansion in Kentucky, they won state constitutional protection for "abortion rights" in Ohio, and they captured control of Virginia's House of Delegates.  The Dems outspent us almost everywhere that counted, they out-organized us, and they proved once again that their voters are more motivated and consistent, which certainly has not always been the case.  BUT...it's not all good news for those godless pinkos.  Consider the recent CNN poll below, which, in a four-way race, has Biden losing to Trump by six points!!!  A loss of that magnitude in the national popular vote would be devastating in the electoral college and, in any case, it would put Trump back in the White House, and it doesn't get any more devastating than that, if you're a "progressive".  As the Dionne column observes, the Dems' wins yesterday mean that the whole Democratic Party, including Biden, can temporarily breathe a sigh of relief and they can convince themselves that no major adjustments in strategy are needed.  In other words, perversely, the Dems' good night in 2023 may have been the best thing that could have happened to the GOP, because it reinforces Democratic complacency and entrenches Sleepy Joe himself in his determination to see the 2024 campaign out and go mano-a-mano with Trump.  So, as for me, I lament the fact we lost some winnable races, but our chances of winning the race that matters, in 2024, look better and better -- assuming we can convince conservatives to get off their duffs, that is.

https://1ft.io/proxy?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/08/kentucky-virginia-elections-youngkin-beshear-biden/

 

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/08/republicans-lost-election-women-00126181 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/07/politics/cnn-poll-trump-biden-matchup/index.html

 

In other news, the House has censured Rep. Rashida Tlaib for comments that have been interpreted as anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic.  Personally, I can see why some are upset, but, where ambiguity exists in the meaning of political rhetoric, I would say the better course of action is to let the fur fly and ask the voters to sort it out later.  Censure is a reasonably meaningless penalty anyway, especially in this day and age, when everyone feels aggrieved and no one ever acknowledges fault, but in addition we have a tendency to read extreme prejudice and/or calls for "violence" into the most innocuous, or at least ambiguous, speech.  If Rep. Tlaib directly calls for violence against civilians, or genocide, then have at her, but as long as her remarks are open to interpretation, then I say move on and fight her offensive words with constructive arguments about why she's wrong.  If we're not careful, we'll be considering censure motions all the time, since we do so love to be censorious, but what would be the point?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rashida-tlaib-censure-vote-rich-mccormick-marjorie-taylor-greene/

Why You Little!!!

 

Friends, I am appalled -- appalled, I say! -- by woke Fox's decision to dial back Homer Simpson's time-honored attempts to strangle his son, Bart, for misbehavior.  The Simpsons has been sliding inexorably into the pit of wokeness for years now, even cancelling some beloved characters because they trigger oversensitive leftists.  When will the madness end?  Not anytime soon, I think we can safely assume.  Hollywood grows more unhinged by the day.  In fact, I imagine it's only a matter of time before one or more of the members of the Simpson family become black, or trans, or disabled, or "undocumented", or some such nonsense.  Oy!  Anyway, getting back to the strangling, the message of Fox's new editorial line is, of course, that child abuse isn't acceptable, even in "art", and moreover it isn't even remotely funny.  Well, I suppose one could take that exceptionally pious view, sure, but will Fox also be reconsidering all the violence that is done to Homer himself on the show?  The poor guy's been put through the proverbial ringer, and we've laughed with (but mostly at) him all along.  But of course what am I saying?  Why would Fox take Homer's plight even slightly seriously?  He isn't a member of a "protected class", or a vulnerable one, so, as per neo-Marxism, he deserves what he gets!  I say there's only one fair resolution to this dilemma: STRANGLE EVERYONE!!!  It's the only democratic solution, after all...

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2023/11/06/the-simpsons-retire-homer-strangling-bart-scene-times-have-changed/

 

I also recommend to you this interesting article about whether "the West" is ready for "WWIII".  The author does not consider whether Americans and Europeans are morally and psychologically prepared for a major war -- I think we can safely answer that question with a resounding NO! -- but whether we are industrially and materially prepared.  The degree to which our global industrial dominance has slipped is indeed shocking, and the degree to which we rely on various Asian countries for critical and strategic technologies calls into question whether we could ever go to war with a country like China, even if we wanted to!  In all likelihood, we are entering a new phase of world history, in which the ability of the United States to call the shots internationally will rapidly diminish and then disappear.  That doesn't mean that some Asian superpower will seamlessly step into the breach, mind you.  We may face a long period of global instability instead.  Buckle up!

 

https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/11/05/is-the-west-ready-for-world-war-3/ 

Could Sleepy Joe Be Ready to Nod Off for the Last Time (Politically)?

 

Friends, Joe Biden was never a prize pig, even in his salad days, but he's been steadily running out of gas as president (don't you love all those mixed metaphors?).  The American people's patience and enthusiasm for him is waning too.  The latest New York Times swing state polls have Biden losing in almost all of them, and not by insignificant margins.  Bill Kristol, Trump-hater extraordinaire, is now calling on Sleepy Joe to make discretion the better part of valor and let someone else carry the Democratic Party banner in 2024.  On the other hand, the closer we get to campaign season, the harder it gets to change horses midstream.  One wonders whether Biden takes any of this seriously, and has he ever had a conversation with someone close to him about whether it would be best for him to retire?  My sense is that Biden still has the ego of a young buck, and they'll have to drag him kicking and screaming from his race for relection.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/05/nolte-trump-stomps-biden-in-5-crucial-swing-states-per-ny-times-polling/

 

In other news, RFK, Jr. looks more and more like he will be a major factor in the 2024 campaign and could draw a lot of votes, potentially even helping the Democratic candidate stay competitive with Trump.  So why would the Biden Administration continue to deny Kennedy Secret Service protection?  It's hard to think of any rational answer to that question.  One suspects that irrational hatred has to be the main factor.

 

https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/4292933-why-is-biden-denying-secret-service-protection-to-rfk-jr/ 

That execrable rag, the Washington Post, has a new editor.  One has to wonder whether the paper's far-leftist editorial line will thus be softened, and whether it might even try to appeal to some independents and Republicans.  I won't hold my breath.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/04/media/washington-post-publisher-william-lewis/index.html

 

Finally, Elon Musk has unveiled his own A.I.-powered chatbot, called "Grok", which is designed to be saucy and sarcastic.  How fun!  Musk does predict, however, that in the foreseeable future we will all lose our jobs because of A.I.  I guess the good news is that unemployment will give us more time to spend with our new pal, Grok!

 

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/05/elon-musk-unveils-grok-an-ai-chatbot-with-a-rebellious-streak 

Decision 2023

 

Friends, although the stakes are far lower in 2023 than in 2024, there are still some important bellwether races that you'll want to keep track of.  For instance, a popular Democratic Governor in the deep red state of Kentucky may be ousted by a Trump devotee, Daniel Cameron.  That would be big news.  Republicans are also hoping to take control of the State Senate in Virginia, thus consolidating their grip on the state.  The Dems, of course, are hoping to perform well nationally and to prove that their massive and well-financed turnout machine can still do its job, despite Biden's unpopularity.  All in all, I wouldn't put much stock in anything that happens in 2023, as far as what it means for 2024, but it never hurts to go into an election cycle with a head of steam, does it?

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/04/10-biggest-races-election-day-00125386

The People's House?

 

Friends, although most Democrats are outraged that someone of George Santos's, uhh, ilk is able to serve as a member of the House of Representatives, I wish to single out for praise those 31 Democrats who voted against a resolution to expel him.  A cynic might say that these Dems voted to keep Santos in the House only because they enjoy watching Republicans squirm.  The truth, though, is that some Democrats can perceive the danger in expelling anyone from the chamber only because they've been charged with a crime, rather than convicted.  No kidding!!!  The article below claims that Santos must go because he's a "charlatan".  Well, that term could be applied with a fair degree of accuracy to dozens of Congressmen, Senators, and prominent figures in the Biden Administration.  Santos' lies were mostly trivial, and frankly not that convincing, but the more dangerous prevarications, by far, are the ones that catch fire nationally and internationally, and which threaten, at times, to destabilize our whole system of government.  Not so long ago, almost every Democrat was propagating the myth that Donald Trump, as President of the United States, was an agent of a foreign and a hostile power.  Their evidence was shockingly thin...but they clung to their delusions with amazing vehemence, and many of them still do.  Almost none have apologized for misleading the American people.  So, my perspective would be that "charlatans" are a dime a dozen in our system of government, and we had better get used to it.  The fundamental basis of democracy, at any rate, is not that the truth or decency should prevail, but that the will of the people must reign supreme.  That means that the voters get to choose their representatives in elections, and sometimes, maybe even most of the time, they choose poorly.  Unfortunately, though, the only alternative to letting the people decide is letting a much smaller number of people -- the experts, or the elite -- choose for us.  Now that sounds like the type of "democracy" that most Democrats would be very comfortable with.

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/democrats-george-santos-house-expel-vote-rcna123314

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

 

Friends, the results of this CDC survey on "life satisfaction" are most interesting, and broadly confirm what we already knew: that being poor stinks, but being rich doesn't necessarily convey any more happiness than being merely comfortable.  What's most stunning to me is how few Americans -- only about 5% -- are dissatisfied with life.  Oh really?  Then why are almost half of women on anti-depressants?  I guess another way to look at it is: those mind-altering medications must really be doing their job!

https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/money-happiness-health/2023/11/02/id/1140732/

 

In other news, pollsters continue to churn out more data on what the presidential race will look like, if it's a two-way, three-way, or four-way contest.  The results are varied, but what they tend to show is that a three-way race (adding Kennedy) may hurt Trump, but a four-way race propels Trump either into the lead or into a statistical tie.  My guess would be that a lot of pollsters are probably skeptical that Kennedy and West will keep their relatively high levels of support throughout the campaign...but dissatisfaction with Trump and Biden as candidates is high, so you never know.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/

The Best of All Possible Worlds

 

Friends, no doubt you agree with me that the invention of the hydrogen bomb -- hundreds of times more powerful than the mere firecrackers dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- was the best thing that ever happened to modern man.  Sounds counterintuitive, you say?  Well, I explain what I mean on this week's Newsmaker Show with me and Brian O'Neil.  Historically speaking, we also dissect the impact of the formation (and subsequent partial dissolution) of the European Union.

In addition to hard-hitting, brain-busting historical commentary, Brian and I also discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and the potential for its escalation, the rise of Nikki Haley and how it may not signify much of anything, the (sorry) state of the union movement, the dangers posed by A.I. in terms of misinformation and mass unemployment, the quixotic presidential campaign of Dean Phillips, and the decline and fall of Mike Pence.  

 

Have you ever heard of a radio personality who could do justice to so many complex topics in so short a span of time???  I sure haven't.  Brian and I set world records...on a record-setting scale!!!

https://wlea.net/newsmaker-november-1-2023-dr-nick-waddy/

 

***

 

In other news, Congress may soon vote on whether to expel George Santos from the House of Representatives.  Santos has admitted to lying about his background, and he is charged with numerous felony crimes, but he has yet to undergo a trial or be convicted of any of them.  A small number of Republicans seem to want to eject Santos from the chamber because he has become an embarrassment to the GOP, but Speaker Mike Johnson says "Hold on, there!"  He argues that Congress should let a jury of Santos' peers weigh in first.  I agree wholeheartedly with Johnson, especially in an age when criminal charges and legal jeopardy can be manufactured on a whim by Democrats and their creatures in the "justice" system.

 

https://www.newsmax.com/politics/george-santos-expel-house-republicans/2023/11/01/id/1140592/ 

Finally, it's not a story that you'll see many headlines about, but it's undoubtedly the biggest threat that America, Inc. faces: higher borrowing costs, which potentially could cause us to default on our national debt, and could thus render our whole fiscal strategy ("throw money in all directions until our problems disappear") utterly infeasible.  In layman's terms, we'd be talking about a long and deep depression, in all likelihood.  We're not there yet, but current borrowing costs for the U.S. federal government indicate that bond purchasers are getting distinctly wary.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67262339