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SEPTEMBER 13,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

NO CLASS, NO TASTE – FROM DAILY MAIL:   Democrat Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez made an appearance at the Met Gala wearing a white gown with bright red letters spelling 'TAX THE RICH.' 
The congresswoman was photographed in the red carpet of the socialite event in New York City, where tickets are up to $35,000 and tables are $250,000.   AOC wore an off-the-shoulder custom dress, red heels and a bag that also read 'TAX THE reach', designed by creative director Aurora James, ELLE reported.
Brothers Vellies, James's luxury brand, is often worn by celebrities such as Beyoncé, Meghan Markle, Zendaya, Rihanna and Lady Gaga, according to the brand's website.   It is AOC'S first time attending the gala, but her political message has already drawn controversy during this year's 'In America: A Lexicon of Fashion' exhibit.   James and Ocasio-Cortez said they were inspired by their experiences as working women of color to make the political statement at the Met gala.  AOC has been very vocal in the past about her stance on taxing millionaires. In 2019 she advocated to raising taxes of to 70percent for the wealthy in order to fund measures against climate change.  'As a working class woman, [I] wanted to enjoy the event but also 'break the fourth wall' and challenge the industry, Ocasio-Cortez told Vogue.   Reactions from social media users on Twitter have ranged from poking fun at AOC's political stunt while assisting the lavish event, to siding with her premise.  Just get a wink at those photos. Yeah, just another working-class woman of color.  The phoniness  and hypocrisy just flow.  Also, I don't like the dress.  Do you?

September 13, 2021       Permalink

CALIFORNIA, THERE IT GOES – OVERNIGHT:  Californians are about to go to the polls to decide whether to recall Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.  It would be great if it happened, considering the horrible condition California is in, but we must be realistic.  All the polls heavily favor Newsom's being retained as governor, and the Dems are sounding very optimistic.  From Fox: 

Gov. Gavin Newsom's team seems to be striking a confident tone just a day before Tuesday's California recall election, and said that there's no "scenario where we lose."

"I don’t see a scenario where we’re not talking about a victory for the governor and a complete rejection of this appalling partisan power grab," said Newsom strategist Sean Clegg. "I think what we’re seeing in our projections in the early vote is we’re performing so well we might reach a point where there’s not enough Republican vote left on the table for them to overtake us. We’ll let you know when we reach that." 

Newsom, who was overwhelmingly elected governor in 2018 in California, is facing a recall sparked last year mainly over accusations that he mishandled his state’s response to the coronavirus.

Republicans see the recall election as their best chance to topple a politician who has never lost an election during his years as San Francisco mayor, California lieutenant governor, and now governor – and their first chance to win a statewide contest since the 2006 gubernatorial reelection victory by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On Monday night, President Biden urged Californians to keep Newsom as their governor during a rally in Long Beach.

"The eyes of the nation are on California because the decision you’re going to make isn’t just going to have a huge impact on California, it’s going to reverberate around the nation, and quite frankly — not a joke — around the world," Biden said. 

The president also contended that a "Trump clone" could replace Newsom, which was an apparent reference to conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, the Republican frontrunner.

"All of you know that last year I got to run against the real Donald Trump," Biden said. "Well, this year the leading Republican running for governor is a closest thing to a Trump clone that I've ever seen in your state."

"You either keep Gavin Newsom as your governor or you’ll get Donald Trump," he added. "It’s not a joke. A Republican governor blocking progress on COVID-19 who is also anti-woman, anti-worker, a climate denier, who doesn’t believe in choice. The choice should be absolutely clear."

The recall push was launched in June 2020 due to frustrations by many Californians over the governor’s restrictive response to the coronavirus. On Monday, Biden defended Newsom's handling of the virus, arguing that voting no would protect California from "Trump Republicans trying to block us from beating this pandemic."

"We don't need politics in this battle against Covid," he added. "We need science. We need courage. We need leadership. We need Gavin Newsom."

COMMENT:  As I've written here many times, the only thing that counts in an election is winning.  It's not like the Olympics.  There's no silver medal.

But, despite the overwhelming odds against us in this recall – California is one of the bluest states in the Union – there can still be benefits to the exercise.   Some people with good political connections in California tell me to get ready for a voter surprise.  These sources say that the Latino vote is turning against Newsom and that, if that vote turns out in large numbers, the race could be much closer than it now appears.  Also, we'll want to look at other communities the Dems think are in the bag.  California has a large Asian-American community, and Asian Americans have shown increasing frustration at being ignored by the Democratic Party.   So the vote may give us a pretty good picture of the California electorate, as of today.  Very useful as we move into 2022.

September 13,  2021     Permalink

SEPTEMBER 12,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

AN UNHAPPY NATION – FROM MARKETWATCH:   Concerns about the economy, the pandemic and personal safety are weighing heavily on Americans.  Almost seven in 10 Americans (69%) say things are going “pretty badly” or “very badly” in the U.S., according to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS released on Friday, which is up from the 60% who felt that way in March. (This is still lower than the pandemic-era high of 77% just before President Joe Biden took office in January.)   And 74% say that they are at least somewhat angry about the way things are going in the country, with the coronavirus and the economy cited by most respondents as the most important issues facing the nation.  This is even more pessimistic than the RealClearPolitics average of polls measuring the direction of the country, where 61% say America is on the wrong track.  The CNN poll was conducted from Aug. 3 through Sept. 7 — as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan and U.S. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations spiked — among a random national sample of 2,119 adults who were originally contacted by mail, and then questioned by phone or over email. The responses suggest a growing pessimism about the future as the pandemic has continued to take its toll on American lives and livelihoods. Some 62% of respondents say that economic conditions in the U.S. are “poor,” which is up from about 45% in April, and almost as high as the pandemic-era high of 65% in May 2020.   The key item here is belief that economic conditions are poor.  If the upcoming midterm elections follow the usual patterns, the economy will drive the narrative...unless we're faced with some catastrophic international crisis.  If voters think the economy is failing, the Democrats will be calling the moving companies. 

September 12, 2021       Permalink

TRUMP SPEAKS AGAIN – AT 10:05 P.M. ET:  The former president, moved no doubt by the reaction of crowds and the American debacle in Afghanistan, is growing increasingly assertive.  His visits to police and fire stations in New York on Saturday were perfect imagery.  And the polls, for what they're worth this early in the 2024 presidential game, are with him. 

He is presenting Americans with a contrast between him and President Biden.  That is some contrast.  From Fox: 

Former President Donald Trump blasted the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan and speculated that China and Russia could already be reverse-engineering U.S. military equipment left behind.

Speaking with host Sharyl Attkisson during an interview that aired Sunday on "Full Measure," Trump excoriated the withdrawal as "incompetent" and warned it will likely endanger the United States and benefit its enemies.

Trump also expressed doubt regarding whether the war in Afghanistan is over, noting how many unvetted Afghan refugees are being resettled in the United States and around the world.

"I don't know because you have people going all over the world and being dropped all over the world right now, and nobody knows who the hell they are, Sharyl," Trump said. "These aren't the interpreters that we took. These were people that rushed into the planes, and they were so interested in trying to make it sound like 'Oh, they're doing a good job.' These people, many of these people are going to be terrorists. Okay? They're going to be terrorists. They were very powerful. They were very energetic in getting onto the aircraft."

Trump went on to suggest the nation's adversaries are already taking advantage of the stockpile of weapons, armored vehicles, and aircraft that left U.S. forces left behind.

"Now I'm saying, ‘How can they take this equipment?’ And I guarantee that China and Russia already have our Apache helicopters and they're taking them apart to find out exactly how they're made. They're the best in the world by far. And they're taking them apart so they can make the exact same equipment. They're very good at that. It's a disgrace."

The U.S. offered approximately $83 billion worth of training and equipment to Afghan security forces since 2001.

COMMENT:  Increasingly, Trump is sounding like a 2024 candidate, but it would be foolish for him to announce actual intentions this early.  Then all the incoming political fire would be directed at him.  Also, he's smart enough to know that circumstances could change, and his health could change.   He doesn't want to be known as the man who brought down his party.  Further, Trump will wait until after the 2022 midterms to assess his position.  If Republicans take both houses of Congress, especially if they do it by wide margins, I don't think he'll be able to restrain his enthusiasm.

September 12, 2021       Permalink