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MAY 2,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

HILLARY'S 44TH VERSION OF WHY SHE LOST – FROM NEWSMAX:   Labeling herself as a "capitalist" likely hurt her with Democratic voters during the 2016 primaries, Hillary Clinton said Wednesday.  At a Shared Value Leadership Summit in New York City, the former Democratic presidential nominee was asked if the declaration damaged her with Democrats, 43 percent of whom identify as socialists, according to Fortune.  "Probably," she replied.  "It's hard to know, but I mean if you're in the Iowa caucuses and 41 percent of Democrats are socialists or self-described socialists, and I'm asked 'Are you a capitalist?' and I say, 'Yes, but with appropriate regulation and appropriate accountability,' you know, that probably gets lost in the 'Oh my gosh, she's a capitalist!'" Clinton said, per The Daily Beast.  What a comment on the Democratic Party, but I think it's accurate.

THIS GUY IS A MENACE TO CIVILIZATION – FROM JUDICIAL WATCH:   An open borders group that has benefited from U.S. taxpayer dollars and is funded by leftwing billionaire George Soros launched a smartphone application to help illegal immigrants avoid federal authorities. The app, Notifica (Notify), is described in a Laredo, Texas news article as a tool to protect immigrants living in the U.S. illegally by utilizing high tech and online social communications. With the click of a button, illegal aliens can alert family, friends and attorneys of encounters with federal authorities. “Immigration agents knocking at the door?” the news story asks. “Now, there’s an app for that, too.”   Why does a whackjob like George Soros have all that money?  A more reasonable version of Soros would have made much better use of it.

ARE THEY FINALLY LEARNING? – FROM BREITBART:  MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews conceded that President Donald Trump and his economic nationalism is “wearing surprisingly well” with voters and stressed that Trump will be extremely difficult for Democrats to beat in 2020.  When asked about the so-called Trump Show in a Politico interview published on Tuesday, Matthews cited Trump’s stable approval and improving ratings and said it is “wearing surprisingly well” with voters because they like Trump’s anti-establishment “attitude” and “don’t mind him being wrong on the facts.”   They like the jobs and the extra money in the pocket as well, Chris.  And they like a president who likes them.  The last one had a problem with that.

May 2, 2018       Permalink

REDEMPTION FOR THE YOUNG? – AT 5:12 P.M. ET:  Could it be true?  Is there maturity among the millennials?  From IBD: 

A new poll shows that the millennial generation has suddenly soured on Democrats just before the Blue Wave was supposed to crash over Republicans in Congress. There's a good reason for their change of heart.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of 16,000 millennials found that support for Democrats among this generation dropped to 46% — a nine-point plunge from 55% just two years ago. Just 39% of white millennials now say they favor Democrats. It also found that more millennials say the GOP is a better steward of the economy.

Given the millennial generation is 71 million strong and about as big as the baby boom generation, this is potentially catastrophic news for Democrats.

It wasn't that long ago, after all, that experts told us how Republicans faced the political wilderness because they had lost this generation thanks to their conservative positions on things like health care, taxes, regulations and gun rights.

Here's how the L.A. Times put it almost exactly two years ago: "Republicans long have worried about how to survive as conservative GOP voters die off and are replaced by more liberal younger Americans. A new national poll of millennial voters suggests that the 2016 presidential race has only hastened the shift they have feared."

But a funny thing happened over the past two years. The millennial generation started growing up.

They are getting married, buying homes and starting families in increasing numbers. And as a result, they're starting to realize that the liberalism they espoused as youths comes at too high a price in adulthood.

According to the census data, the median age at which women are getting married is now 27.4, and for men it's 29.5. Given that the age range for millennials is roughly 18 to 38, that's right in the middle of this generation.

Marriage alone can make a big difference in terms of political views. The IBD/TIPP poll, for example, has consistently found that married women are far more conservative on most issues than single women.

COMMENT:  I hope this is true.  And there are some signs – some – that the generation following the millennials is more conservative, especially on some social issues, like abortion.

Also, if President Trump establishes a good record, and he's getting there, and young people benefit, it can put a dent into liberal strength in the young generation.

Be optimistic.  Occasionally it's justified.

May 2, 2018       Permalink 

A SIGNIFICANT MOVE – AT 1:34 P.M. ET:  Sometimes a small story is actually a very big story, and a sign of the times.  From Bloomberg:

New York is losing more than a thousand financial-industry jobs -- and Manhattan’s loss is Music City’s gain.

AllianceBernstein Holding LP is moving its corporate headquarters and about 1,050 jobs to Nashville, Tennessee, the company said in a filing Wednesday, concluding a months-long search that evaluated cities on attributes including housing, cost of living, education and weather.

While some of the firm’s traditional Wall Street functions -- including portfolio management, sell-side research and trading, and private wealth management -- will stay in New York, workers from finance, legal, sales and marketing teams, among other functions, will start relocating this year. AllianceBernstein Chief Executive Officer Seth Bernstein will join them in Nashville in 2020, according to an internal memo.

“I see Nashville as a game-changer for AB in terms of our ability to source, develop and retain talent, provide a high quality of life for our employees, increase our competitive edge in an increasingly challenging marketplace,” Bernstein said in the memo.

Jonathan Freedman, a spokesman for the asset manager, declined to give additional details about the move, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal late Tuesday.

Even as JPMorgan Chase & Co. plans a new headquarters on Park Avenue, some big banks and money managers are shifting resources by hundreds or thousands of miles to cheaper U.S. cities. In recent years, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has built up operations in Salt Lake City, while Deutsche Bank AG has expanded in Jacksonville, Florida. Pacific Investment Management Co. just chose Austin, Texas, for a new office as the asset manager seeks to recruit tech workers and broaden marketing in the U.S.

COMMENT:  The old saying is that people vote with their feet.  New York is a high-tax, high-cost state, with educational systems that, in too many cases, are declining.  It's also a very liberal state, and New York an ultra-liberal city, with all that implies about quality of life.

The same thing is happening in San Francisco.  Even members of the local liberal gentry, still proudly wearing their McGovern buttons on their Mao jackets, are getting tired of the vast cost of living, combined with the depravity in the streets. 

One element in all this is the change brought by the Trump tax-reform bill.  Taxpayers have had the right to deduct their state and local taxes on their federal tax return, but the amount was capped by the recent legislation, making the benefit far less valuable for people in high-tax states.  Some are leaving for lower-cost locations.

Look for states in the Midwest and South to gain.

May 2,  2018     Permalink

COMES THE FLOOD – AT 12:58 P.M. ET:  Another legal change at the White House, but one with possible significance.  From WaPo: 

White House lawyer Ty Cobb, who served as the administration’s point person in dealing with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, is stepping down and is expected to be replaced by veteran white-collar defense attorney Emmet Flood, according to senior administration officials.

Flood, currently a partner at Williams & Connolly, was quietly interviewed by President Trump in March. He served as special counsel in the George W. Bush administration and represented President Clinton during House proceedings to impeach him.

The news of Cobb’s departure was first reported by the New York Times.

In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Cobb was retiring without offering a reason.

“For several weeks Ty Cobb has been discussing his retirement and last week he let Chief of Staff Kelly know he would retire at the end of this month,” she said.

Cobb’s departure is the latest shake-up of Trump’s legal team and comes as his attorneys face increasing pressure to determine whether the president should agree to sit down for an interview with Mueller.

COMMENT:  Flood seems like just the right man for the job.  The White House realizes that the Dems are serious about impeachment.  The leftist base of the party, with the Congressional Black Caucus, want Trump impeached, whether there's evidence or not.  At least Flood has experience in that realm, and has served both Democratic and Republican administrations.

May 2,  2018     Permalink

MAY 1,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET: 

A GOOD STAND – FROM THE HILL:  The Hill said Tuesday it is pulling out of future White House Correspondents' dinners without “major reforms” to the event following the controversy that erupted over comedian Michelle Wolf’s performance at this year’s dinner on Saturday.  “The Hill, which has participated in the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner for many years, does not plan at this time to participate in the event moving forward,” James Finkelstein, The Hill’s chairman, wrote in a letter dated Tuesday to Steven Thomma, executive director of the White House Correspondents’ Association.   “In short, there's simply no reason for us to participate in something that casts our profession in a poor light. Major changes are needed to the annual event,” the letter states.  That is a good statement, but let's see if the adolescents in the association can be brought under some kind of control.  This is a parenting issue.

CONDI ON BOARD – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:  Leaving the Iran nuclear agreement isn't that big of a deal, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.  "The allies love this deal, and I certainly hope that in their meeting with President Trump that [French President Emmanuel] Macron and [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel talk about ways to improve the deal if we're going to stay in it," Rice said on Fox News.  "But if we get out of this deal, it's going to be just fine," she said. "The Iranians, I think, will try and stay in because they do want that investment eventually to start flowing."  Rice added that she would not have signed the Iran deal, and that while there is an argument to be made for staying in it to maintain U.S. alliances, there's no real argument to stay.  "I would probably have stayed in for alliance management purposes, but I have no argument," she said. "If the president decides to pull out of the deal, I have no argument with that."  Her reply surprised journalists, who thought she would take the standard diplomatic line.  She should be commended for her common sense and independence.

THE CAMPUS CLIMATE – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:  Washington University in St. Louis is allegedly selling stuffed dolls of the controversial Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara at its on-campus bookstore.  Red Alert Politics obtained a picture of the doll, apparently resting on a bookshelf in the campus store, according to a student who wished to remain anonymous.  “Selling a Che Guevara doll in our bookstore truly isn't that shocking considering the lack of intellectual and political philosophies that are ‘tolerable’ for our campus, sad as it is to say,” the student told Red Alert Politics, adding that the incident is indicative of the campus culture as a whole.  “Professors are not only quick to make personal statements regarding their individual political orientation but they also openly express disdain for anyone who voted for Trump,” the student commented. “I have, for this very reason, remained a ‘closet conservative’ for over six years at my university so as to fly under the radar and ‘escape’ with my second diploma.”  A story repeated on campus after campus.  The so-called guardians of the First Amendment in the press corps are remarkably silent and indifferent.

May 1, 2018       Permalink

HAPPY MAY DAY? – AT 4:04 P.M. ET:  Yeah, workers of the world unite, and all that stuff.  Today is the day when leftists, with the intellectual maturity of 12-year-olds, go around breaking things in the name of good.  From Daily Mail:

Protest marches have been held around the world to mark International Workers' Day, and while some remained peaceful parades, others escalated into violent clashes and destruction. 

Riot police in Paris arrested more than 200 anti-capitalist demonstrators today as they went on the rampage to mark May Day. 

Water cannon and tear gas were used against the protestors, many of whom were anarchists belonging to the Black Bloc movement.

‘They have mainly targeted places of business, including branches of McDonalds and banks,’ said a Paris police spokesman.

Everyone knows that McDonalds is a threat to civilization.

‘More than 200 people were arrested by late afternoon, and isolated incidents of violence are on going.’

Worst hit was a McDonalds and Renault garage close to the Austerlitz railway station in the east of the city.

Cars and wheelie bins were also torched, while officers had rocks and other projectiles thrown at them. 

Social media posts had announced a ‘Revolutionary Day’ to coincide with similar demonstrations across Europe, and other parts of the word.

The police spokesman said some 1,500 hooded and masked anarchists had turned up on the sidelines of trade union marches.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said ‘the violence was completely unacceptable’, adding that ‘everything was being done to arrest’ those responsible.

Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said there was particular anger at the protesters covering up their faces.

He said: ‘When you have sincere convictions, you demonstrate with your face unmasked. Those who wear hoods are the enemies of democracy.’

COMMENT:  Very well said.  Hoods are symbols of hate and oppression.  But I'm sure a good time was had by most.

May 1, 2018       Permalink

SOMETHING ELSE TO BRIGHTEN THE DAY –AT 1:06 P.M. ET:  When you get beyond the headlines of this week, there are the continuing stories that present a more vivid picture of where we're going.  Our educational system is a disgrace.  From CNS: 

(CNSNews.com) - Sixty-five percent of the eighth graders in American public schools in 2017 were not proficient in reading and 67 percent were not proficient in mathematics, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress test results released by the U.S. Department of Education.

The results are far worse for students enrolled in some urban districts.

Among the 27 large urban districts for which the Department of Education published 2017 NAEP test scores, the Detroit public schools had the lowest percentage of students who scored proficient or better in math and the lowest percentage who scored proficient or better in reading.

Only 5 percent of Detroit public-school eighth graders were proficient or better in math. Only 7 percent were proficient or better in reading.

In the Cleveland public schools, only 11 percent of eight graders were proficient or better in math and only 10 percent were proficient or better in reading.

In the Baltimore public schools, only 11 percent were proficient or better in math and only 13 percent were proficient or better in reading.

In the Fresno public schools, only 11 percent were proficient or better in math and only 14 percent were proficient or better in reading.

COMMENT:  This is a disaster.  And what is the answer?  Well, you know.  Just spend more money.  Put it into the hands of the very people who've created this massive failure.  Why, they know the "community."  They know what it needs.

If you believe that stuff, there's a bridge in Brooklyn that I will not only sell you, I'll deliver it to your house in the form of an IKEA kit.

We spend vast amounts on education.  We get so little for it.  And that's before we begin to examine the scandals in our universities.

Oh, the Democratic Party now wants to push reparations for slavery.  I'm sure the money will be very well spent. 

May 1, 2018       Permalink

WHERE THE PRESIDENT STANDS – AT 11:38 A.M. ET:  President Trump retains his position in the Rasmussen daily tracker, despite the continuing onslaught from the press and the abuse from the White House Correspondents Association dinner.  From Rasmussen:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty percent (50%) disapprove. 

The latest figures include 34% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 40% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -6. (see trends).

COMMENT:  Other polls place the president lower, but Rasmussen tracks likely voters, rather than registered voters or people who just answer the phone.  It was one of the most accurate polls in predicting the 2016 presidential election result.

It's clear that, at least for now, the president's approval is stabilizing.  He has been as high as 51% in Rasmussen in recent weeks, and as low as 47%.  That isn't bad.  By some measures, he's equal to or ahead of where Obama was at this point in his presidency.

A major breakthrough with North Korea will be helpful to the president, but by how much remains to be seen.  There is an old assumption in presidential politics that the economy, rather than foreign policy, is the main factor in how people vote. 

And then there is the Mueller investigation.  I wouldn't be shocked if Mueller comes out with something right before the election.  Special counsels have done that in the past. 

The president's party usually loses in the first midterm Congressional contest following the presidential election.  Republicans, who work hard and creatively to lose elections, are expecting losses.   They're not terribly aggressive.  Here in New York Republicans only campaign on weekends if the weather isn't good enough for golf.  If Trump can inject the party with a true fighting spirit, losses might be cut dramatically, and there might even be pleasant surprises.  Trump knows that if the nutty Dems take the House, they will almost certainly try to impeach him. 

May 1,  2018     Permalink