How Can Presidential Candidates Be So Silly?

George Will:

Many Democrats striving to replace Donald Trump are, while execrating him, paying him the sincerest form of flattery: imitation.

"If California senator Kamala Harris is elected president in 2020 and reelected in 2024, by the time she leaves office 114 months from now she might have a coherent answer to the question of whether Americans should be forbidden to have what 217 million of them currently have: private health insurance. Her 22 weeks of contradictory statements, and her Trumpian meretriciousness*  about her contradictions, reveal a frivolity about upending health care’s complex 18 percent of America’s economy. And her bumblings illustrate how many of the Democratic presidential aspirants, snug in their intellectual silos, have lost — if they ever had — an aptitude for talking like, and to, normal Americans.

"Seven days after announcing her candidacy in January, Harris, appearing on CNN, endorsed “Medicare for All” and was asked: So, people “who like their [private] insurance, they don’t get to keep it?” She answered: “The idea is that everyone gets access to medical care, and you don’t have to go through the process of going through an insurance company, having them give you approval, going through the paperwork, all of the delay that may require. . . . Let’s eliminate all of that.” More government, less paperwork. Really.

"She subsequently, as the New York Times — not an unsympathetic auditor of her campaign — says, “waffled” regarding private insurance. But at the second Miami debate she raised her hand (“just as quickly as Mr. Sanders,” the Times reported) when a moderator asked: “Many people watching at home have health insurance through their employer. Who here would abolish their private insurance in favor of a government-run plan?” Harris also raised her hand just as quickly as Senator Elizabeth Warren had done the night before, who exclaimed, “I’m with Bernie.” Senator Bernie Sanders is the purest advocate of a government-only health care system." . . .

*In my eighty years of life, nobody but George Will has been seen to use this word. George is showing off again.

Democratic Candidates Aren’t on a Winning Track

Victor Davis Hanson

"Nearly all of them are running so hard to the left that the successful nominee will never be able to appear moderate."

"Presidential candidates from both parties usually sound hard-core in the primaries to appeal to their progressive or conservative bases. But for the general election, the nominees move to the center to pick off swing voters and centrist independents.
"Voters put up with the scripted tactic as long as a candidate had not gone too extreme in the primaries and endorsed positions too far out of the mainstream.
"A good example of this successful ploy was Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. In the primary against Hillary Clinton, Obama ran to her left. But he was still careful not to get caught on the record going too far left. That way, he was still able to tack to the center against John McCain in the general election.
"As a general election candidate, Obama rejected the idea of gay marriage. He blasted illegal immigration. He railed against deficit spending. And he went so far as to label then-President George W. Bush as “unpatriotic” for taking out “a credit card from the bank of China in the name of our children, driving up our national debt.”
"The result was that Obama was elected. After taking office, in cynical fashion he endorsed gay marriage, ran up far more red ink than did Bush, offered blanket amnesties, and relaxed immigration enforcement." . . .

NRO contributor VICTOR DAVIS HANSON is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the author, most recently, of The Case for Trump. @vdhanson

Hey CNN: The Latest Economic Numbers Are Pure Fire … Is That News?

http://www.terrellaftermath.com/

Clash Daily  . . . "And what other economic news can we report?

"Here’s how ‘Investopedia’ is describing it:

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this chart is how bullish every sector has been during June and early July. The stock market is gaining bullish momentum. This tells me that – unless we see some surprisingly negative news during the upcoming earnings season – the uptrend on Wall Street is going to continue during Q3.

Both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average came into the Independence Day holiday at their highest levels ever. The S&P 500 is currently sitting at 2,995.82, and the Dow is sitting at 26,966.

"But of course — the Democrats are fighting over who can hit the brakes on the very policies that unleashed the roaring engine of the US Economy in the first place — cutting taxes and red tape and getting big government the hell out of the way of those who actually produce the wealth in this great nation.

"So… are we to believe then, that this robust economy we are all looking at is a PROBLEM that needs to be solved?

"The party that swung so far left they’re leaving Obama behind may not have a ‘magic wand’ to breathe LIFE into an economy…

"… but they’ve more than proven they know where the brake pedal is." . . .

Trump Congratulates U.S. Women’s Soccer Team on Winning the World Cup

Conservative Media  "President Trump congratulated the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team for winning the 2019 World Cup against the Netherlands in a tweet on Sunday, despite a dispute with one of its co-captains, Megan Rapinoe.
“ 'Congratulations to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team on winning the World Cup! Great and exciting play. America is proud of you all!” he tweeted:

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Congratulations to the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team on winning the World Cup! Great and exciting play. America is proud of you all!

witter Ads info and privacy

"First lady Melania Trump also congratulated the team, saying, "Congratulations to 2019 Women’s World Cup Champions”:

"One of its star players and co-captain, Megan Rapinoe, stoked controversy last month for saying she would not go to the “f-cking White House” if the team won the World Cup and the president invited them. She has also refused to sing the national anthem before games.
"Trump responded to her comment by tweeting to her, “I am a big fan of the American Team, and Women’s Soccer, but Megan should WIN first before she TALKS! Finish the job! We haven’t yet invited Megan or the team, but I am now inviting the TEAM, win or lose.' ” . . .

How far would your friends go to remain a Democrat?

Barbara Leber and Carol Greenwald  "Many of our friends emphatically state their loyalty to the Democratic Party. They have always been a Democrat. It is their political home. They feel good and right-minded with Democrats. They agree with most of their positions, especially on domestic issues important to them.

"They will go very far to stay with the Democrats, but are they willing to go this far? Ask yourself: would you willing to go this far?" .  .  .

. . . "Bear False Witness. Democrats do that when they label President Trump as an anti-Semite and enabler of anti-Semitism, even though he has expressed his determination not to tolerate anti-Semitism: “We will fight with all of our strength and everything that we have in our bodies to defeat anti-Semitism, to end the attacks on the Jewish people, and to conquer all forms of persecution, intolerance, and hate.” (Trump: National Day of Prayer Service, 5/2/19)?

"Distort what Trump said at Charlottesville as the proof that he is an anti-Semite, even though the full quote makes clear that Trump excepted neo-Nazis “who are very bad guys,” and he was speaking about good people on both sides of the debate over removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee.

"Go Along with the outlandish view that Trump is somehow responsible for the rise in anti-Semitism world-wide, even though it is denial to believe that anti-Semitism ever disappeared and delusional to hold one man, who just happens to be the leader of the opposing party, responsible for its resurgence in France and Syria and Sweden, Germany, Malaysia…"

. . . 

Barbara Leber and Carol Greenwald are on the board of JewsChooseTrump.org

The Republican platform language—touted by presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and others as the most pro-Israel “of all time”—clearly diverges from its Democratic counterpart.

Kamala Harris may live to regret exposing her ruthlessness with bogus busing attack on Biden

Thomas Lifson  "Kamala Harris is scary in her pathological ambition, moral flexibility, comfort with deception, and sheer ruthlessness.  She may have erred in prematurely exposing those traits in the very first round of Democrat presidential debates, allowing her competitors to recognize the threat she poses to all of them and to formulate appropriate countermeasures."  . . .

"The Democrats' presidential field can be likened to 20-some scorpions in a bottle.  Kamala was the first among them to sting, attacking Joe Biden for a purported flaw that even his worst enemies concede is bogus: racism. By starting her attack with the classic "I do not believe you are a racist..." trick, she placed "racism" squarely in focus as the topic of her words that followed.  She then began offering the obviously well planned rhetoric about school busing — obvious because her campaign had already prepared merchandise with the little girl picture of her — that placed Biden in league with arch-segregationist senators, whose membership in the Democratic Party went unnoted." . . .

As the group she declared support for would chant, "What do we want? DEAD COPS! When do we want 'em? NOW!"

Fake News: Kamala Harris Is An American Black & She Was In 2nd Integrated Class Of Her School

Lead Stories  via Hollywood Conservatives for Trump

" 'Kamala Harris's family didn't suffer American segregation," Alexander said, saying she "spent most of her formative years in Canada in an Indian household."

" 'I'm calling her out because she stole debate time claiming that her family suffered Jim Crow and civil rights discrimination in America, when that's not the case," Alexander said in his video.

"Harris did not specifically claim "Jim Crow" suffering by her ancestors, but she did make a personal claim of discrimination as a child.

" 'As the only black person on this stage, I would like to speak on the issue of race," Harris said in what many saw as her break-out moment in the debate. She then recalled a story about neighbors who wouldn't let their children play with Harris and her sister "because we were black." She then questioned Biden's record on race, specifically his cooperation with southern senators to "oppose busing" in the 1970s. "There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public school, and she was bused to school every day. That little girl was me."

"Watch this debate moment below:" . . .

Kamala Harris Praises ‘Incredible’ Black Lives Matter But Feeling Isn’t Mutual

Disney Introduces Its First 'Boy Princess' on Show That Also Featured First Gay Kisses

Christian Post

"The Disney XD channel has introduced the company's first male princess on the same show that previously drew controversy for featuring the first same-sex kisses.
"EW.com reported that a recent episode of "Star vs. The Forces of Evil" featured the character of Marco Diaz disguising himself as a princess named Turdina, in what LGBT-friendly outlets called a bold statement.
" 'Marco is about to reveal his truth to the students when Ms. Heinous storms in and outs him herself, pulling down his shirt to reveal a strand of chest hair. But the other princesses stand by Marco's side," EW.com detailed.
" 'That doesn't prove anything. Princesses can be hairy," one princess shouts.
" 'Why does it matter if he's a boy? Nothing he said was wrong," another exclaims.
"Others state "Turdina is a state of mind" and "He can be a princess if he wants to!"
"Huffington Post's Queer Voices section called it a "beautiful moment and one that could be incredibly influential for kids who are soaking up social cues about what it means to be a boy or a girl ― or any gender in between ― and what supposedly is or isn't possible because of how they identify.' " . . .

Disney has its first gay kiss

Man Who Harassed Trump Supporters at Restaurant is Former DNC Operative

News Punch  . . . "Hill Country BBQ restaurant in Washington DC had to kick out Helmstetter after he approached and harassed a couple of Trump supporters enjoying their 4th of July meal.
"Thegatewaypundit.com reports: And surprise, surprise, the bigoted Trump-hater, who describes himself as a “progressive communicator” actually believes he’s the victim.
"Imagine being this insufferable.

“ 'Spotted two separate tables of people wearing MAGA gear at @HillCountryWDC. Disgusting. Hill Country clean up your act. I have been patronizing you for 10*•+ years starting in NY. Don’t serve Nazis,” TJ Helmstetter, a Magaphobe said on Twitter Thursday."Hill Country BBQ wasn’t having it and tossed the hater out for harassing the customer in the MAGA gear.

“ 'Just got thrown out of Hill Country DC for standing up to a Nazi. Don’t go there ever again. They support Trump and Nazis,” Helmstetter said.

"It’s his favorite restaurant so he felt like he had the right to harass fellow American citizens.

“ 'wears MAGA hat at my favorite restaurant. I say “hey are you from dc?” He says “no.” I say “we don’t tolerate racism in this city.” His girlfriend then physically jabs fingers into my chest and starts threatening me. Management tells me to leave, not woman who assaulted me,” he said." . . .

I love the idea of this theory: U.S. Navy Suckers Iran into Shooting Down Surplus Drone: Scores Big Intelligence Coup

Free Range International

. . . "I’m not sure, but here is a theory. That platform was sent to be sacrificed in an effort to fine tune our intelligence of Iranian anti air order of battle. The drone was headed for demobilization anyway; what is the downside to using it for a baited ambush?

"The Iranians shot down a drone for which the United States had no further use. The Iranians contend that we flew the drone into their airspace; we say we didn’t. I say what would you do with the most sophisticated, disposable drone in history? One that is designed to run well below the normal Global Hawk mission profile I might add. One that is so damn big it looks like a jet on radar. What would you do with an asset like that?

"I’d run that asset right into the teeth of the Iranian air defense system and record exactly what they do,  how long it takes for them to scramble, and how quickly they acquire and shoot me down.  Let me explain how valuable that intelligence is. Suppose you had very high confidence in your ability to launch a cyber-attack another countries missile control system and take them all out. Very high confidence would be what? 80 -90%? How could you get your confidence level up to almost 100%? Run a drone at the air defense system to watch how it responds.

"We then stage a raid saying we will not tolerate any state shooting down our drones. At the last second the President decides to turn the planes around, he doesn’t want to spill blood over a drone. He says any further provocations will be dealt with harshly and is immediately criticized for his indecision. How much intelligence did that feint of a raid generate?" . . .

"No Bernie, the Police and Fire Departments Are Not Socialism"; A Primer on Socialism VS. A Free Society

The Epoch Times

"In their incessant propaganda war to move the United States leftwards, leftists often claim that this country already is partly socialist. And they are partially correct. But in their urgency to fool us all, they often stretch their argument to include many institutions that are decidedly not socialist.
"In the war of ideas, it’s important that those of us who love liberty and oppose socialism actually understand the difference.
"Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who knows socialism better than anyone, often plays this deceptive game. As he recently said: “When you go to your public library, when you call your fire department or the police department, what do you think you’re calling? These are socialist institutions.”
"Yes, no, no, Bernie. I’ll concede your point about public libraries, but the police and fire departments are most definitely not socialist institutions.
"Why is a public library socialist, but police and fire departments aren’t?
"Socialism is about redistribution of wealth. People pay taxes and the government then gives it to others, whether they have contributed toward the cost of the service or not. That’s a library, a public school, food stamps, or any form of “universal basic income.” These are often termed “transfer payments.” The government takes money from individuals and corporations and gives it those it wants to support—or get votes from. This is, of course, completely immoral and antithetical to the principles of a free and just society." . . .

The Amazing Deflatable Buttigieg

. . . Buttigieg's articulation and folksy mien demarcates him from the Xeroxed personalities of his faux outraged rivals.  He nicely fills the niche of the Leftist Christian who blames all of America’s ills on other Christians who don’t fill the cobwebbed pews of his finger-to-the-wind branch of Whateverist Christianity.  . . .

American Thinker . . . "In his charming hometown of South Bend, Indiana, a white police officer shot a black car burglar Eric Logan who, ignoring the officer’s verbal instructions to halt, came at him with a knife.  In a move he now certainly regrets, Buttigieg took a break from his presidential campaign to return to South Bend to chaperone a grotesque orgy of racist invective, during which was made evident that his constituents have determined the officer’s guilt solely based on his skin color (as well as Logan’s innocence, for the same reason).  There was zero interest in factual evidence, and even less in the presumption of innocence.  Not one to get hung up on such trivialities, Buttigieg made clear from his more passionate ripostes that his sole interest was placating the mob.  Everyone, it’s all my fault.  I might as well have pulled the trigger myself.  I’ll try to do better.  I’m calling in everyone from DOJ to Scotland Yard to come investigate.  The Stasi?  Yeah, I can call them too.  Your wish is my command, but please just stop yelling at me.  (I paraphrase, but that was basically the gist).  From the opening gambit he allowed the inmates to run the asylum, and with every panicked concession he gave, the circling sharks simply grew more frenzied at the scent of blood."... 

 A black infant takes a bullet, and the city collectively shrugs.  No protests.  No town halls.  But a black criminal is shot by a cop acting in self-defense, and we’re suddenly one city hall coverup away from genocide.

. . . "It must have grated his soul to sit through that town hall and pander to those raucous dullards.  Or maybe he longed for the days in Afghanistan when illiterate Pashtun goatherds offered comparatively more insightful conversation.  But regardless, he should know better, both intellectually and ethically.  Mob politics are a threat to all our civil liberties.  The Little Sisters of the Poor are not.  If Buttigieg didn’t sense the ambush he was walking into and have the courage to speak truth to it, he has neither the ability nor the right to be president of the United States.' "