While presidential candidates on both sides
trash and smear each other, the race may be over for Democrats altogether.
Because the U.S. is a nation that traditionally, with a few exceptions, votes on
its economy.
And, although the stock market’s done quite well for some time now, those in
the labor markets, or one’s having seen income raises curtailed or have had
their workday shortened, are quite unhappy with the present outlook for their
financial future. Furthermore, although the recent increases to minimum
wages may have great appeal to those on the lowest rung of the employment
ladder, those higher in the income strata don’t have politicians stumping for
them.
With that background in mind, here’s some confirmation of potential bad news
for Democrats down the line. Paul Handley @yahoo.com, writes today:
“The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday that the global economy faces
wide-ranging threats from weak growth and rising protectionism, warning of
possible "severe" damage should Britain quit the European Union.
“The Fund cut its global forecast for the third straight quarter, saying
economic activity has been "too slow for too long," and called for immediate
action by the world's economic powers to shore up growth.”
More specifically toward this coming November: “Most leading economies saw
their growth projections cut back by 0.2 percentage points. The outlook for the
United States -- hit by the impact of the strong dollar -- was trimmed to 2.4
percent this year, from 2.6 percent in January.” Which doesn’t bode well for any
incumbents, especially those at the highest levels.
As far as specific candidates are concerned, here’s an example of how quickly
political winds can change.
Back on January 24, 2016, Cruz was quoted in a realclearpolitics.com
article via Drudge, talking about the major media, as follows: “CRUZ:
Almost without exception they have a partisan agenda. And we understand - let's
take a substantive issue: police officers. If you have one police officer
somewhere who does something he shouldn't have, the press will breathlessly
report on this terrible, horrible police officer and all the democratic
politicians will jump in and demonize and vilify the cops.
“Let me ask you something? How come the press doesn’t tell stories of
heroism?
“The great news is we don't live anymore in a world of three networks that
have a stranglehold on information. We have got the internet. We have got the
Drudge Report. We have got talk radio. We have got social media. We've got the
ability to go directly around, and directly to the people.
Then just yesterday, James Hohmann @washingtonpost.com, also
via Drudge, wrote:
In a radio interview yesterday, the Texas senator ripped into Drudge as an
arm of Donald Trump’s campaign. “In about the past month, the
Drudge Report has basically become the attack site for the Trump campaign,” he
told conservative host Mike Slater. “So every day they have the latest Trump
attack. They’re directed at me. … Most days they have a six-month-old article
that is some attack on me, and it’s whatever the Trump campaign is pushing that
day will be the banner headline on Drudge.”
“By the way, they no longer cover news,” Cruz added of Drudge. “When we win a
state, suddenly the state doesn’t matter. You know Colorado — there was no red
siren on Drudge when we won all 34 delegates in Colorado.”
What’s truly amazing about Cruz’s change of gears is that, like everyone else
in his business, the facts of the situations involved rarely, if ever, matter at
all. In their world, anyone not backing them unconditionally is out to get them. Even those known to be predominately supportive.
On another recurring favorite topic, Michael E. Kraft, a professor emeritus
of political science and public and environmental affairs at the University of
Wisconsin-Green Bay wants to jail global-warming skeptics.
@providencejournal.com, the
retired professor opined: “Climate change deniers deserve punishment."
“Scientific findings and associated uncertainties should be scrutinized
carefully and debated vigorously within the scientific community and among the
public.
“However, denying the best scientific evidence we have is neither smart nor
safe. It could lead to greater societal harm than if we had taken sensible
action when reliable knowledge was first available.”
In trying to prove his point, Kraft presented an analogy between “climate
science” and tobacco use, to wit: “Dismissal of well-established climate science
has parallels to decades of debate over tobacco use and its effects on health.
Tobacco companies long denied any causal relation between smoking and disease
even when their own studies showed the opposite to be true.”
However, despite the effort expended to persuade his audience about
global-warming's perils, as of mid-morning 1080 reader’s comments had been
posted. A quick random search showed not one of them believing the professor or
what he’d written.
Here are a couple of samples:
Bruce Goodmansen wrote: “Well, professor, this is exactly why you
work on a college campus, for you are just too stupid to work anywhere
else.”
Dave in MA added: “I'm sitting here on Wall Street with my swim
bubble and flippers since Al Gore said downtown Manhattan would be under 12' of
water by now. I've been here since 2001. Waiting . . . waiting . . . not wading.
Not wading at all. It was pure science, or pure something else. He said it would
happen so loudly in that movie he had to be right. Right? Maybe I should follow
the money. Maybe we should look at where Prof. Climate is getting his money,
which is really our money . . . still not wading . . . Wait, is that Al Gore's
G5 flying overhead? Still not wading . . .”
Which leads one to think that, perhaps, if the professor received the same
kind of disbelief from his students in class, that may be why he chose to become an
“emeritus.”
Bringing us to today’s update on Bill Clinton's wife.
Erin Durkin @nydailynews.com writes today: “Mayor de Blasio and
Hillary Clinton appeared on stage together, their comic turn became a tragic
gaffe.
“In a skit at Saturday night’s Inner Circle show, Clinton joined de Blasio as
a surprise guest and ribbed him for delaying his endorsement of her presidential
campaign.
“Their big moment became a big blunder when a tasteless joke — built off the
stereotype that black people are chronically late — fell flat.
“Thanks for the endorsement. Took you long enough,” Clinton deadpanned.
“Sorry, Hillary. I was running on C.P. Time,” de Blasio replied, riffing on
the phrase “colored people time,” meaning always late.
“Hamilton” star Leslie Odom Jr., who is black and plays Aaron Burr in the hit
production, addressed the mayor from the stage.
“That’s not — I don’t like jokes like that, Bill,” Odom said.
“Clinton then stepped in to complete the brief gaggable gag with an assurance
that her belated supporter meant, “‘Cautious Politician Time.’ I’ve been there.”
“All three were in on the sketch at the annual charity show put on by the New
York press corps to roast the mayor.
While the skit itself was inane, childish and not worth discussion, the
New York Daily News hit the ball out of the park with a front page
photo that will likely earn well-deserved major national coverage.
As opposed to the banal skit, the newspaper cover was actually quite amusing. Which goes to support the premise that all good humor has a ring of truth to it.
It also brings up the ongoing question again: Joe Biden, Mayor Bloomberg, Jerry Brown, and Starbuck’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, are you guys reading this?
That’s it for today folks.
Adios
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