BloggeRhythms

On a very slow news day, a sampling of articles distinctly illustrates the huge differences found in perception between the ideologies of the political left and right.      

In an excerpt from an Oprah Winfrey show to be broadcast today on “CBS This Morning,” Michelle Obama, implied that many Americans no longer have the “hope” they once had as Trump transitions into the White House. 

The first lady told Oprah: “We feel the difference now. See, now, we’re feeling what not having hope feels like, you know.” 

At the same time that the first lady was bemoaning the misery felt by the public, and their loss of hope for tomorrow, Tanya Agrawal was reporting @reuters.com that “U.S. stocks opened higher on Friday, with the three major indexes on track to post weekly gains and the Dow within spitting distance of 20,000, a level it has never breached.” 

Coming within 50 points of hitting the historic mark yesterday the Dow’s on track for its sixth weekly gain. That comes a day after the Fed raised interest rates for the second time in nearly a decade, which obviously has been absorbed and ignored by upbeat investors. 

Furthermore, the Fed is now projecting three rate hikes next year instead of the two foreseen in September, with the brighter economic outlook being “partly as a result of the expected economic benefits under President-elect Donald Trump.” 

In a similar situation, this one involving the military, Sam LaGrone and Megan Eckstein write @news.usni.org, about a public spat over the direction of the Navy’s shipbuilding program.   

It seems that Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Defense Secretary Ash Carter disagree about the Trump administration’s stated goal of building a 350-ship Navy.

Secretary Mabus’s issuing of a release, almost two months ahead of the full budget release to Congress, “is thought to be a move from Mabus to cement his shipbuilding legacy over Carter’s objections. It could also support the incoming Trump administration that has called for a battle force total of more than 350 ships.” 

In the memo, Mabus wrote: “My budget submission will be the bridge to future budgets that reflects a new Force Structure Assessment and builds the Navy and Marine Corps the nation needs to. If you ultimately decide to submit a budget that takes away the ability of the Navy and Marine Corps to do their job, it will not have my support, and I will make my objections widely known.” A clear indication of his displeasure with the current administration’s budget policies, and an endorsement of Trump.   

Which means that while the nation may be taking a turn for the worse as far as the first lady’s concerned, the reactions of both, everyday citizens and military leadership are indicating something else entirely. And that’s strongly reflected by stock markets going straight up as military leadership now anticipates maintaining American influence, assuring allies and partners and protecting critical pathways of trade and commerce.

And if that’s not enough to illustrate the growing appreciation of the nation’s citizenry regarding Trump’s presidential victory, another current happening most likely will.

Tyler Durden reports @zerohedge.com that a just released note from New York Times executives Arthur Sulzberger and Mark Thompson, says the "alt-left" newspaper will vacate at least eight floors in its iconic building.

This will allow the paper to "generate significant rental income" because it's "frankly, too expensive to occupy this many floors when we don’t truly need them." 

The remaining staff will be consolidated on remaining, redesigned floors in a "more dynamic, modern and open workplace, one that is better suited to the moment." 

The staff’s not alone in their suffering though because, the publisher and CEO will lose their corner offices, which they call a "vestige from a different era" and will "introduce more team rooms and common spaces." 

A reader, Perimetr Life of Illusion tried to offer some help by suggesting: “Russian hackers are interested in vacant space, too.” 

So, all in all, it’s quite possible that the first lady’s correct in her sensing that “We feel the difference now. See, now, we’re feeling what not having hope feels like, you know.” 

However, considering the majority of conflicting public opinion, coupled with the mainstream media’s huge audience shrinkage, it doesn’t seem that very many people are paying any attention to her at all any more.  

That's it for today folks. 

Adios