Patterico's Pontifications

12/30/2023

Year-end Open Thread

Filed under: General — JVW @ 11:13 am



[guest post by JVW]

Might as well do it this way.

Item One: Keep It in Your Pants, Pal
I, as many of you know, have been assigned by the newsdesk at Patterico’s Pontifications to provide unstinting coverage of women’s soccer, the fiendishly stupid bullet train, My Little Aloha Sweetie, and, of course, sex deviants. So I found this story to be right up my alley (wait, not the idiom I ought to be using):

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor Joe Gow, who was axed over the adult videos he created with his wife, said he was shocked that board members weren’t a “little more understanding” — but maintained that he had no regrets about filming the content.

Gow, 63 — who was fired from his long-term position by the Board of Regents on Wednesday — has argued that he shouldn’t have been given the pink slip because his videos should be protected by the First Amendment.

“I did not expect that we’d end up where we are now,” Gow told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the aftermath.

“I thought the board, given their staunch support of free speech, would be a little more understanding. But clearly, that’s not the case.”

When I reported on the candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates who made sex videos with her husband for a paid audience, some of the comments were along the lines of “Hey, consenting adults, and all that.” I get that attitude, and I want my inner libertarian to be cool with what a couple chooses to do behind closed doors. But when they then open up those doors and invite us to peek in, my inner conservative reserves the right to call them perverts. Joe Gow had previously been criticized by the UW board for having invited porn actress Nina Hartley to lecture on campus and paying her an honorarium, so rather than being some sort of First Amendment crusader I’m sort of thinking that Mr. Gow is simply a pornography addict.

Item Two: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
This probably won’t end well:

The national governing body for amateur/Olympic-style boxing recently codified a rule permitting male participation in the women’s division in its 2024 rulebook.

USA Boxing added a ‘Transgender Policy,” written in August 2022, into its 2024 rulebook, declaring that male boxers who transition to female are eligible to compete in the female category under certain conditions. To qualify for the female division, a man must declare his gender identity as female, have undergone gender reassignment surgery, have done hormone testing for a minimum of four years after such procedures, and have met testosterone limits set by USA Boxing.

“The athlete’s total testosterone level in serum must remain below 5 nmol/L throughout the period of desired eligibility to compete in the female category,” the 2022 rule said. Male boxers must demonstrate a total testosterone level in serum that is below 5 nmol/L for at least 48 months before first competition.

Minor boxers under the age of 18 must compete in the category aligned with their biological sex, but adult boxers can switch to the category of their preferred gender if they meet the requirements.

Raise your hand if you expected boxing to be a woke sport. I appreciate that they are now requiring four-years of hormone testing after gender reassignment (previous athletic policies required as brief a duration as one year). But according to this conversion app, a level of 5 nmol/L is equivalent to 144 ng/dL, which is roughly six times the testosterone level of the average woman under age 50 even if it is also apparently the same limit that the International Association of Athletics Federation adopted five years ago.

Parents, would you want your daughter in the ring with a competitor who just barely met these requirements?

Item Three: How Can Claudine Gay Possibly Survive?
It simply has to be that the walls are closing in on Claudine Gay. It is inarguable that she has, on several occasions, failed to properly cite sources in academic articles and papers that she has written. It is inarguable that Harvard has bent over backwards trying to find flimsy rationale why this is not a dismissible offense, and has run a slipshod investigation into her acts of plagiarism. It is furthermore inarguable that Harvard students are held to a far more rigorous definition of academic misconduct than their president is, and this is an ongoing problem in West Cambridge. We are reminded that Claudine Gay failed to support fellow black colleagues when the baying woke mobs came for them, so she should not expect her race and gender to bail her out of this predicament.

It’s actually quite sad that Ms. Gay lacks the dignity to simply step down and spare Harvard this ordeal, but the higher education establishment has spent the last half-century choosing political posturing over maintaining principles and standards, so I guess the reckoning is long overdue. Veritas my ass, Harvard.

I’m going to wrap it up here, gang. Happy New Year. I may try to sneak in one more post tomorrow that is already a few weeks overdue.

– JVW

175 Responses to “Year-end Open Thread”

  1. In a sane world, Claudine Gay would have trouble reclaiming her academic appointment once she leaves the president’s office (there’s no way she can remain there, right?), but there’s no way that Harvard kicks a black woman out of the administration building and off of the faculty too. And part of the deal for her stepping down will likely be that she continues receiving the same pay as a professor that she received as president. So it goes.

    JVW (8f7529) — 12/30/2023 @ 11:16 am

  2. If you think about college level academia as being a guild (similar to medicine or law), the behavior of Harvard seems not only expected, but widely accepted.

    John Boddie (dcf99c) — 12/30/2023 @ 2:15 pm

  3. Excellent point, John Boddie.

    JVW (0a9aec) — 12/30/2023 @ 2:52 pm

  4. Re Item 1:

    [A.] Generally speaking, the First Amendment protects a government employee from being fired or otherwise disciplined based on his speech if

    1. the speech is on a matter of public concern, Connick v. Myers (1983), and

    2. the speech is not said by the employee as part of the employee’s job duties, Garcetti v. Ceballos (2006), and

    3. the damage caused by the speech to the efficiency of the government agency’s operation does not outweigh the value of the speech to the employee and the public (the so-called Pickering balance), Bd. of Ed. v. Pickering (1968). (italics in original).

    In City of San Diego v. Roe (2004), the court held that a police officer’s distribution of porn that depicted himself was constitutionally unprotected, because it wasn’t “speech … on a matter of public concern.” Non-public-concern speech may well be protected by the First Amendment from criminal punishment or civil liability. But to be protected against government employment action, speech must be on a matter of public concern, and porn generally doesn’t qualify.
    ………….
    [B.] But beyond this, the Chancellor (though not his wife) isn’t just any old employee; he is a high-level government appointee, entrusted with a prominent leadership role. He therefore can, I think, be fired even for speech on matters of public concern, if the Board disapproves of it.
    …………
    [C.] To be sure, many universities also provide broader protection as a matter of contract, or of civil service rules. Faculty tenure contracts, for instance, might impose greater limits on faculty firing than the First Amendment does. ……….

    But I suspect that, just as First Amendment law tends to offer less protection to high-level government officials, so university chancellor contracts likewise give the Board of Regents broader authority over chancellors than they have over faculty………..

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42) — 12/30/2023 @ 3:55 pm

  5. Rip Murdock (2b4e42) — 12/30/2023 @ 3:55 pm

    Related:

    ………..
    …………(S)tate statutes and local ordinances that protect speech by employees, including private employees, generally limit themselves to “political activity.” Whether that’s defined broadly or narrowly, it’s unlikely to cover making of garden-variety porn. ……….

    But four states, by my count, might protect employees who make porn off-duty from employer retaliation. Colorado law provides,
    ……………..
    North Dakota similar provides,
    ……………..
    New York law similarly provides,
    …………….
    Montana is the one state that generally bars employers from firing people without good cause:
    …………….
    Finally, note that, if a state law does bar firing employees for certain kinds of activity, employment contracts can’t trump those statutory rights……….
    #########

    Rip Murdock (edc33f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:04 pm

  6. I’m going to have a hard time with a “Happy New Year” that includes Donald Trump. He really is a pustule on humanity.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:33 pm

  7. Joe Gow had previously been criticized by the UW board for having invited porn actress Nina Hartley to lecture on campus and paying her an honorarium

    This I see as a valid educational endeavor. Students should be exposed to the widest ranging thought form all walks of life. Is it offbeat? Sure. But that adds points in my book. In fact, a whole colloquium of out-of-the-mainstream presentations would be a fine addition to any liberal arts college, so long as there was some balance.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:41 pm

  8. I’m not favoring any women’s boxing. But how will this affect assault laws? Can a transwoman assault a real woman and not be treated as a man hitting a woman?

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:44 pm

  9. Claudine Gay is now holding the entire Harvard Corporation hostage. Having passed the point of no return, to get rid of her they must also get rid of themselves.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:46 pm

  10. Some of these employment questions bring up larger ones, such as how public employee contracts are negotiated. There is huge room for reform there.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:49 pm

  11. Claudine Gay is also being protected by Stanford. There was some forum in 2002 (a yearly forum) on statistics in political research and Claudime Gay’s 2001 paper was among those criticized as using a faulty methodology, (the famous ecological fallacy it appears) but the report that contains that is missing – unlike every other one from 1984 through 2021,

    https://nypost.com/2023/12/26/news/claudine-gay-wouldnt-share-data-in-2001-paper-when-questioned

    In 2002, Michael C. Herron, the Remsen 1943 professor of quantitative social science at Dartmouth, and Kenneth W. Shotts, the David S. and Ann M. Barlow professor of political economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business, claimed to debunk the very foundation of Gay’s research.

    At a conference of the Society for Political Methodology (PolMeth) that year, Herron and Shotts presented their research, finding inconsistencies in Gay’s paper where she concluded that the election of black Americans to Congress negatively affects white political involvement and rarely increases political engagement among black people..

    The New York Post article links to this:

    https://www.dossier.today/p/these-scholars-asked-claudine-gay

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:04 pm

  12. Can a transwoman assault a real woman and not be treated as a man hitting a woman?

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:44 pm

    Are the penalties for assault different for men who commit assault versus women who commit assault? Does the gender of the victim matter in sentencing?

    Rip Murdock (edc33f) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:20 pm

  13. This I see as a valid educational endeavor. Students should be exposed to the widest ranging thought form all walks of life.

    But I think this requires that we consider carefully whether Nina Hartley has anything interesting to say. I don’t know if I have ever divulged this on the blog, but I know people who are involved in the adult industry. Believe me when I tell you that their shop talk is rather boring and trite, at least to my ears. I have my doubts as to whether or not Nina Hartley has $5,000 (her reported honorarium) worth of keen insight or trenchant analysis to offer.

    JVW (3bc431) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:26 pm

  14. Are the penalties for assault different for men who commit assault versus women who commit assault?

    Interesting question. Would a woman standing 6’0 tall and weighing 200 lbs. who punched a woman standing 5’3 and weighing 120 lbs. be punished the same as a man of equivalent size punching the same woman?

    JVW (0895e5) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:30 pm

  15. According to the California Penal Code, “assault” is “an unlawful attempt, coupled with a present ability, to commit a violent injury on the person of another” while “battery” is “to use willful and unlawful force on another person.“

    There doesn’t appear to be any gender or weight distinctions, but I’m sure Patterico knows the details.

    Rip Murdock (2b4e42) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:45 pm

  16. Claudine Gay is also being protected by Stanford. There was some forum in 2002 (a yearly forum) on statistics in political research and Claudime Gay’s 2001 paper was among those criticized as using a faulty methodology, (the famous ecological fallacy it appears) but the report that contains that is missing – unlike every other one from 1984 through 2021,

    I was reading about that yesterday. It sounds like this is more a case of shoddy research and a desire to reach a pre-determined conclusion, which has sadly become pretty common in social sciences research these days. It doesn’t seem to fall under the definition of actual research misconduct such as fabricating data or stealing from other sources, though it definitely should. We would speculate that Ms. Gay’s refusal to share her data might indicate that some of it was concocted, but I’m willing to believe it’s just as likely that her research is second-rate and sharing her data would make that clear. The social sciences in higher education these days are largely a colossal joke.

    JVW (1bc831) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:46 pm

  17. Joe Gow had previously been criticized by the UW board for having invited porn actress Nina Hartley to lecture on campus and paying her an honorarium

    This I see as a valid educational endeavor.

    Not me. I am of the “Most of all, you’ve got it to hide it from the kids” persuasion. Some things, and some people, should remain in the gutter and in the shadows and not be allowed to show themselves in the bright light of day.

    nk (7e81e8) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:47 pm

  18. There doesn’t appear to be any gender or weight distinctions, but I’m sure Patterico knows the details.

    What’s interesting then is it doesn’t leave much discretion to differentiate between slapping somebody across the cheek and punching them square in the jaw. But I guess the judge takes the severity of the blow into account when passing sentence.

    JVW (0b0cf3) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:48 pm

  19. Are the penalties for assault different for men who commit assault versus women who commit assault? Does the gender of the victim matter in sentencing?

    No and yes.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:53 pm

  20. I have my doubts as to whether or not Nina Hartley has $5,000 (her reported honorarium) worth of keen insight or trenchant analysis to offer.

    How much did NBC pay Chelsea Clinton again? $600K?

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:56 pm

  21. If a woman hits a man in public, she will probably keep her professional gig. If a man hits a woman in public he will never work again. How does a transwoman affect these scenarios?

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:58 pm

  22. Some things, and some people, should remain in the gutter and in the shadows and not be allowed to show themselves in the bright light of day.

    Well, I would have said that about young-earth creationists, but I very much appreciated getting that viewpoint in college. Especially the Q&A afterward.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 6:00 pm

  23. Item 2 Should women be banned from competing with men? Hailie deegan has won 3 nascar races against men and chloe chambers has won 8 races against men this year alone and katie hettinger has won 2 and was leading the championship until she got dq for not being respectful enough to men. Doriane pin has won races aginst men including a formula race. So I am against banning.

    asset (ff53b6) — 12/30/2023 @ 6:01 pm

  24. In cave man days, they refused to display paintings of Jill Stein in the “Barely Legal” section of the cave paintings. (Check it out for yourselves, you will not find a single one of her.) Which I find kind of borderline, to be honest, after all it was in a cave, not like right out on a NASCAR billboard.

    nk (7e81e8) — 12/30/2023 @ 6:11 pm

  25. My position on the trans culture war has always been that if there’s one area where the answer’s clear, it’s that biological males shouldn’t be allowed in female sports just because they throw on some eyeliner and call themselves women. But I suppose I unthinkingly assumed they were actually men with their junk intact, just looking to scam their way into easy competition. If these dudes are really cutting off their peckers, that’s a level of commitment to the bit I can’t question. If they’re willing to do that plus wait through four years of hormone testing, I doubt they’re doing it for an easy trophy.

    And sure, the regulation hormone limits may be six times that of an average woman’s, but the women they’ll be fighting are anything but average. Have you seen a female boxer lately? From the looks of their musculoskeletal and facial structure, I’m betting some of them have more androgens in their blood than I do. (And women MMA fighters? Forget about it.) If a dude is willing to cut off his testosterone factory and get in the ring with those killers, I say good luck to him.

    lurker (cd7cd4) — 12/30/2023 @ 6:41 pm

  26. Re: Joe Gow, just like the people who go to nude beaches being people you would never wish to see nude, I suspect the same is true of amateur porn being people you would absolutely never wish to see engaged in sexual activity.

    Soronel Haetir (5dff4c) — 12/30/2023 @ 7:00 pm

  27. When I think of professional left-wing activists and liberal busybodies, an image of Jill Stein crosses my brain. Funny stuff, nk.

    DeSantis had a run last year when he was getting closer to Trump and, through a series of political missteps and silence after Trump’s attacks, is now a distant 2nd and getting close to 3rd.
    Today, after a modest surge in polling, Nikki steps in it for not giving a one-word answer to a question, and she’s continuing to pander and acquiesce by now saying she would pardon Trump for his federal crimes, as unlikely as that scenario will happen. This is making it all the easier for yet another protest vote in 2024.

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 12/31/2023 @ 8:29 am

  28. Speaking of caveman, my view is that the genitals you had at birth determine which gender you athletically compete with. It may feel unfair to transgenders, but it’s more unfair to actual women born with actual vaginas.

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 12/31/2023 @ 8:37 am

  29. So we are calling that an honorarium now?

    steveg (c886ce) — 12/31/2023 @ 10:24 am

  30. JVW (1bc831) — 12/30/2023 @ 5:46 pm

    It sounds like this is more a case of shoddy research and a desire to reach a pre-determined conclusion,

    It is possible that
    she didn’t realize at first that the statistical reasoning was faulty because so many other people were doing the same thing.

    which has sadly become pretty common in social sciences research these days. It doesn’t seem to fall under the definition of actual research misconduct such as fabricating data or stealing from other sources, though it definitely should. We would speculate that Ms. Gay’s refusal to share her data might indicate that some of it was concocted, but I’m willing to believe it’s just as likely that her research is second-rate and sharing her data would make that clear. ,

    A more close look at the details might establish that her conclusion was flat out wrong, and not just that the paper was worthless.

    https://www.scribbr.com/fallacies/ecological-fallacy

    The root cause of ecological fallacies is the misinterpretation of statistical information. Researchers gather statistical data with the aim to generalize from the sample to the population, i.e., from the individual to the population, and not the other way around. When we collect group-level data, it’s a process similar to writing up a summary– certain details of information will be lost or hidden.

    For example, in the previous study on prostate cancer, researchers found that there is a correlation between high sugar, meat consumption, and mortality from prostate cancer. Does this mean that we conclude that overindulging in sugar and steaks causes prostate cancer death? Can we use the results as dietary recommendations? The answer is no. While the study does provide insights into risk factors for prostate cancer, it does not establish causality. The data from this study is aggregated:what may apply on a population basis may not necessarily be observed on an individual basis.

    Overall, a correlation tends to be larger when an association is assessed at the group level than when it is assessed at the individual level. As a result, when studies like these are analyzed at the individual level, the relationship often disappears.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 12/31/2023 @ 11:24 am

  31. This is the field (the South in the hundred years after the Civil War) that caused the coinage of the term “”ecological fallacy.”

    In the 1940s papers were written showing a correlation between counties with a higher black population and illiteracy. The conclusion was that it was more blacks who were illiterate that caused the difference.

    Around 1950 or 1953 someone published a paper about the “ecological fallacy” There was more illiteracy among whites who were living (grew up) in more black counties.

    Claudine Gay had written a paper about the percentage of whites voting and black elected officials. The critics wanted to look at her data at a more granular level. She declined to open herself up to possible refutation, and then to have the need to retract the paper.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 12/31/2023 @ 11:39 am

  32. From the New York Post article:

    debunk the very foundation of Gay’s research.

    At a conference of the Society for Political Methodology (PolMeth) that year, Herron and Shotts presented their research, finding inconsistencies in Gay’s paper where she concluded that the election of black Americans to Congress negatively affects white political involvement and rarely increases political engagement among black people.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 12/31/2023 @ 11:47 am

  33. That statenebt might actually be true, but there was problem with heproof, or it was an overgeneralization.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 12/31/2023 @ 11:49 am

  34. 34 Michigan gop in dissaray calling for party chair to resign foe incompetence. She calls her critiques RINOS!

    asset (d22a1f) — 12/31/2023 @ 2:14 pm

  35. When disarray meets high quality competence, disarray tends to resolve quickly.

    steveg (09ac60) — 12/31/2023 @ 3:57 pm

  36. Happy new year every one. Especially nk.

    asset (b564c1) — 12/31/2023 @ 11:14 pm

  37. 2024: Not only is Guy Lombardo long retired and dead, so is Dick Clark.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/1/2024 @ 11:17 am

  38. Happy New Year!

    Nic (896fdf) — 1/1/2024 @ 12:09 pm

  39. The pro-Hamas demonstrators in New York City did not converge upon Times Square last night, as some people had feared they might try to – they knew it was impossible. Instead, they went to Central Park.

    Today, they were maybe planning to go to JFK Airport.r

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/1/2024 @ 12:33 pm

  40. Israel supreme court says law passed by likud to keep the bottle deposit crook out of jail is unconstitutional. Bye bye bibi! Slam time in your future as you will no longer be allowed to pack Israel courts with your corrupt stooges.

    asset (516d9d) — 1/1/2024 @ 1:33 pm

  41. \\what the Israeli Supreme Court basically said, by a vote of 8-7, is that it is impossible to amend its “constitution/” They cannot get rid of the “unreasonable” standard for overturning laws.

    Sammy Finkelman (b434ee) — 1/1/2024 @ 2:38 pm

  42. Happy New Year!

    Jim Miller (a4e134) — 1/1/2024 @ 3:48 pm

  43. I see Iran is sending a naval ship into the Red Sea in an effort to be helpful as Biden is struggling to keep the Red Sea coalition participation to more than just UK and US.
    Best place to run your container ship through the gauntlet might be to shoulder up to the starboard side of a Russian oil tanker headed from the Black Sea to China as those pass through unbothered.
    Ukraine window to win closed or closing. The weapons that were needed to run combined arms counter attacks were not made available in a timely fashion, the weapons that were made available had restrictions on them that protected Russian logistics and airpower.
    Taiwan should not be trusting us to save them from China and South Korea should take notes.
    Venezuela threatening Guyana didn’t happen out of nowhere.

    I think we have to assume that the Hamas attack on Israel had collaboration between Iran, Putin and Hamas with a “knock yourselves out, we’ll enjoy the show” OK from China

    Massive disarray aimed at an incompetent executive who is incapable of executing anything substantial. The Democrats were proud to run “any sentient being that was not Trump” People of all stripes are still proud to have voted for him. We ran a populist experiment with Trump and followed it up with Biden. We need to insist on better in 2024 or we are hosed for the next decade at least.

    steveg (b6dfd8) — 1/1/2024 @ 8:33 pm

  44. Israel’s Supreme Court made a decision that, in normal times, would have got them impeached. They have put the court above the Legislature, claiming they are the ultimate authority in Israel and any rewrite of the Basic Law that changes that is invalid.

    They are piggybacking on the Hamas attack and Likud’s resulting weakness. Shameful, but it’s how politics are played there.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/1/2024 @ 9:55 pm

  45. @41 5-4 decision in 2000 made bush president.

    asset (c9bc4f) — 1/1/2024 @ 10:01 pm

  46. @44 You defending the bottle deposit crook?

    asset (c9bc4f) — 1/1/2024 @ 10:03 pm

  47. steveg (b6dfd8) — 1/1/2024 @ 8:33 pm

    That single (55 year old) Iranian frigate in the Red Sea better be careful, since the USS Eisenhower Carrier Battle Group is there too.

    Rip Murdock (0ba5f5) — 1/1/2024 @ 10:19 pm

  48. BTW, I tried to watch the Rose Bowl, but got fed up when bits of football kept interrupting long stretches of commercials. It’s odd that pro football has fewer commercials even though they pay the players.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/1/2024 @ 10:27 pm

  49. @44 You defending the bottle deposit crook?

    No, I’m defending the idea that legislatures make laws, not courts. I know you and the left are all “oh, it hurts the other side, so it’s OK” but “getting over” is not actually a principled position.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/1/2024 @ 10:30 pm

  50. 5-4 decision in 2000 made bush president.

    That and Gore’s transparent attempt to only recount areas that might help him.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/1/2024 @ 10:30 pm

  51. New laws in California.

    https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-01/new-california-laws-could-affect-you-at-home-at-work-at-school-and-on-the-road

    I can’t even.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/1/2024 @ 11:14 pm

  52. @50 Corporate democrats to clever by half again. When news media recounted whole state later gore got more votes. I voted Nader in 2000. Biden’s DNC stooges shutting down primaries to quell opposition will hurt them more then 2020 as green party is getting on ballot in az, pa, wi. and mich. One more time vote for what ever crap that we (DNC) throw against the wall that sticks. Don’t you dare vote third party or else! Or else what? AOC wins in 2028? Horror for democrat establishment and donors great for progressive and minority. 2016 whites 71% of total vote. Should have been 70% ;but clinton sucked. 2020 68% of vote 2024 65% of vote 2028 63% of vote 2032 60% of vote. Demographics is AOC’s friend with latinx 25% of vote. AOC is evry young latinx’s role model.

    asset (c9bc4f) — 1/2/2024 @ 2:22 am

  53. There have been 18 completed 4-year Presidential terms since 1948. Dems for 8, GOP for 10.
    6 Dem terms ended with lower unemployment than they began. 1 ended higher, and 1 stayed the same.
    8 GOP terms ended with higher unemployment. 2 ended with lower.

    It is really a task for Claudine Gay, but I would venture that the Democrats use their four ad eight years to pad the payrolls with pork and patronage (see “Stimulus”, “Inflation Reduction”), while the Republicans use theirs to lower the tax rates of millionaires making it necessary to wean some people off the pork and patronage.

    nk (3dfa2d) — 1/2/2024 @ 4:55 am

  54. The Boys in the Superdome are going to the Astrodome. Bow Down to Washington!

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:00 am

  55. One more celebratory tweet, with Rome Odunze leading the Husky band.
    Some good friends of ours were there with their senior daughter who is in the band. Lifetime good memories.

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:34 am

  56. @6

    I’m going to have a hard time with a “Happy New Year” that includes Donald Trump. He really is a pustule on humanity.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 12/30/2023 @ 4:33 pm

    I’m going to have a hard time with a “Happy New Year” that includes any Democrats running the show. They really are a pustule on humanity.

    😉

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/2/2024 @ 7:33 am

  57. @25

    My position on the trans culture war has always been that if there’s one area where the answer’s clear, it’s that biological males shouldn’t be allowed in female sports just because they throw on some eyeliner and call themselves women. But I suppose I unthinkingly assumed they were actually men with their junk intact, just looking to scam their way into easy competition. If these dudes are really cutting off their peckers, that’s a level of commitment to the bit I can’t question. If they’re willing to do that plus wait through four years of hormone testing, I doubt they’re doing it for an easy trophy.

    And sure, the regulation hormone limits may be six times that of an average woman’s, but the women they’ll be fighting are anything but average. Have you seen a female boxer lately? From the looks of their musculoskeletal and facial structure, I’m betting some of them have more androgens in their blood than I do. (And women MMA fighters? Forget about it.) If a dude is willing to cut off his testosterone factory and get in the ring with those killers, I say good luck to him.

    lurker (cd7cd4) — 12/30/2023 @ 6:41 pm

    No.

    Even if the trans individual takes all the hormone treatments and goes through full gender mutilation surgery, still doesn’t makes the trans individual biologically opposite to their birth sex.

    You cannot fully flip your sex.

    So, in this scenario, a transwomen fighting a biological female is asinine, as the transwomen will ALWAYS have biological advantages over a female fighter.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/2/2024 @ 7:38 am

  58. asset:

    #52 You are wrong about Florida. A recount of the entire state would have confirmed Bush’s win, based on the standards that would have been used.

    https://www.cnn.com/2015/10/31/politics/bush-gore-2000-election-results-studies/index.html

    I tire of lefties complaining that the Supreme Court handed the election to Bush. This kind of historical revisionism is just more of the post-truth atmosphere that makes charlatans like Trump seem acceptable.

    Appalled (1c5e69) — 1/2/2024 @ 8:00 am

  59. I voted for Ross Perot in 1992, along with 19% of the voters. Clinton won with 42% of the vote and would probably have lost if Perot had not run.

    But I don’t regret my vote as it was a pretty clear message: “Balance the *&^%ing budget.” THe 1994 midterms made that even clearer. Clinton and Gingrich balanced the budget, at least for a moment, until W and Hastert blew it up again.

    This election is another moment where the people may have the opportunity to take both parties to the woodshed. A Trump-Biden election would be a ruling party failure and I’d hope for a way to make that clear to them.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 8:44 am

  60. I tire of lefties complaining that the Supreme Court handed the election to Bush.

    Their ruling was this: “We’ve had recounts and yet there is no change. Further (partial) recounts to gain an edge aren’t going to fly. Time is now up.”

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 8:47 am

  61. One in a series of why we need the Electoral College:

    In 2024, Trump may not appear on some state ballots. If the popular vote decided the election, this would be a problem. One of the reasons why the 1960 popular vote was so close was that Kennedy was not on several state ballots in the Solid South.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 8:51 am

  62. #61 — My worst nightmare, however, is Trump winning in 2024 through the electoral college but losing the majority of votes. (This assumes that states have not succesfully excluded him from the ballot.)

    I don’t think the electoral college survives that.

    Appalled (1c5e69) — 1/2/2024 @ 9:20 am

  63. Like John Brown told Robert E. Lee at Harpers Ferry, Crazy Horse was every young Native Americanx’s role model, and if not for Roe Deer v. Water Moccasin and Planned Papoosemaking he would have had as many as 4,000 warriors at Little Bighorn instead of fewer than 2,000. And then the Lakota Secretary of Tribe disqualified him from the ballot for Chief for insurrection against the United States.

    nk (072ba3) — 1/2/2024 @ 9:21 am

  64. #61 — My worst nightmare, however, is Trump winning in 2024 through the electoral college but losing the majority of votes. (This assumes that states have not succesfully excluded him from the ballot.)

    I don’t think the electoral college survives that.

    Appalled (1c5e69) — 1/2/2024 @ 9:20 am

    That’s how Trump won in 2016. I doubt there are the votes (under any circumstances) in Congress or among the states for a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College. Politicians will b!tch and moan about the unfairness of it all, but that’s the system we have.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 9:45 am

  65. The State of Republican Presidential Primary Race-1/2/24

    National

    Donald Trump-61%; +50 over Haley/DeSantis; +16 points since 1/3/23

    Iowa (13 days until the caucuses)

    Trump-50%; +32 over DeSantis; +34 over Haley

    New Hampshire (21 days until primary)

    Trump-44%; +18 over Haley; +33 over Christie; +36 over DeSantis

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:00 am

  66. Harvard President Claudine Gray to resign this afternoon.

    Dana (932d71) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:27 am

  67. The Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — is expected to announce the resignation to Harvard affiliates in an email later today. Gay is also expected to make a statement about the decision.

    Dana (932d71) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:28 am

  68. Rip,

    A second Trump term will radicalize the Democrats and likely create a situation whre some constitutional amendments get pushed through. Unless you don’t think Trump is going to try his scorched earth revenge plan (with bonus authoritarian stunts) and create the reaction the MAGA-ites somehow thnk they will escape.

    Look, I doubt Trump is going to win the general, which keeps things pretty much the same. I almost quetion whether Trump will be allowed to take the job, should he win in the electoral college, but lose the popular vote. I think keeping him out by some formulated out of the ether legalism is could happen.

    Appalled (1c5e69) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:58 am

  69. Breaking: Claudine Gay to announce her resignation as president of Harvard University later today, according to the Harvard Crimson.

    It was just getting interesting,

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/2/2024 @ 11:12 am

  70. Dana (932d71) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:28 am

    Gay is also expected to make a statement about the decision.

    It goes without saying that this will be modeled on other resignation letters.

    I think most of it will be written by a law firm, rather than Claudine Gay herself or an AI service like CHAT GPT or Google Bard.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/2/2024 @ 11:26 am

  71. The Harvard Corporation attempts to blame much of the furor on racists and such:

    While President Gay has acknowledged missteps and has taken responsibility for them, it is also true that she has shown remarkable resilience in the face of deeply personal and sustained attacks. While some of this has played out in the public domain, much of it has taken the form of repugnant and in some cases racist vitriol directed at her through disgraceful emails and phone calls. We condemn such attacks in the strongest possible terms.

    “Much of” the opposition was racist. The wagons are still circled.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 12:24 pm

  72. Link

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 12:25 pm

  73. I almost question whether Trump will be allowed to take the job, should he win in the electoral college, but lose the popular vote.

    It would be burning the constitution in order to save it. It would make J6 look like a bake sale, with actual insurrections, possible secessions and armed MAGA (and anti-MAGA) groups cleansing their neighborhoods of bad people.

    I, for one, do not favor a civil war.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 12:27 pm

  74. @68

    Rip,

    A second Trump term will radicalize the Democrats and likely create a situation whre some constitutional amendments get pushed through. Unless you don’t think Trump is going to try his scorched earth revenge plan (with bonus authoritarian stunts) and create the reaction the MAGA-ites somehow thnk they will escape.

    Look, I doubt Trump is going to win the general, which keeps things pretty much the same. I almost quetion whether Trump will be allowed to take the job, should he win in the electoral college, but lose the popular vote. I think keeping him out by some formulated out of the ether legalism is could happen.

    Appalled (1c5e69) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:58 am

    The issue folks have with the Electoral Count is based on lack of education as to WHY the EC was chosen for our system.

    There has NEVER been a “popular vote” for the Presidency and those complaining about it is “blaming the game” rather than “understanding the game”.

    Even if, Trump has a 2nd term, (which I’m very dubious he’d win), there won’t be enough electoral groundswell to change the Constitution, as we’re so divided.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/2/2024 @ 12:30 pm

  75. And, given some deep Blue states will keep Trump off the ballot, the popular vote won’t really have meaning.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 12:49 pm

  76. Even if, Trump has a 2nd term, (which I’m very dubious he’d win), there won’t be enough electoral groundswell to change the Constitution, as we’re so divided.

    Alternatively, there is the idea that Trump wins walking away after some incredibly stupid elitist b;under trying to block him from the ballot nationally, or some colossal cockup in the Administration (e.g. betraying Ukraine), that there is a goundswell, but in Trump’s favor.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 12:53 pm

  77. @76

    Alternatively, there is the idea that Trump wins walking away after some incredibly stupid elitist b;under trying to block him from the ballot nationally, or some colossal cockup in the Administration (e.g. betraying Ukraine), that there is a goundswell, but in Trump’s favor.

    I get that there’s some not-so-insignificant Trump supports due to what many views his legal issues as a political stunt. But, my sense is that such support is near miniscule.

    If it’s going to be Biden vs Trump part II, the only way Trump wins, imo, is if people blame the Biden administration for the current malaise.

    I’m not sure we’ve hit that threshold yet, as I think the polls are mainly driven by those whom are motived to respond to polls. In my 47 years on this planet, I’ve never had, nor known anyone who answered pollsters.

    Hence why I think polls is more subjective, more of an “art”…than a science industry.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:05 pm

  78. Stephen Greene‘s niece Naomi (19) was murdered last night by her boyfriend. The family was very close.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:09 pm

  79. I find the whole situation with Claudine Gay at Harvard very sad. Clearly she could not continue in a leadership position, as I wrote in the post, but I take no joy in seeing someone laid low in such an embarrassingly public way. A blunt assessment of this situation, however, seems to point to the undeniable fact that she was a diversity hire made by a cynical board who felt virtue signaling to the grievance-based crowd was more important than finding the best-suited leader for our nation’s oldest university.

    Harvard is at a crossroads now. What they ought to do is take stock of the path they have been following the last 15-20 years, determine that they have taken the whole concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion much farther than it was ever meant to go, and consciously begin the process of deemphasizing DEI issues. They don’t have to be ostentatious about this, but they can begin by instituting a few key reforms: (1) freeze the number of DEI officers and staff employed by the university, and gradually start to scale the numbers back by not replacing those who leave the university; (2) put an end to requiring faculty hires to provide DEI statements during the application process; (3) carefully begin pulling the institutional plug on alternative race-based graduation ceremonies and other non-inclusive campus events; (4) gently let students come to realize that Harvard will no longer honor specious requests for special treatment based upon nebulous claims of preposterous student fears, and will instead begin referring students to psychological counseling services.

    Of course Harvard is probably far more likely to follow a different path, where they make up for the replacement of an ousted black president with a weak progressive white president by doubling (tripling?) down on feeding the grievance industry. But that’s their choice to make. I hope all of those alumni who rose up and started talking about withholding donations will pay close attention to what Harvard does next.

    JVW (cdb5b8) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:25 pm

  80. Rip,

    A second Trump term will radicalize the Democrats and likely create a situation whre some constitutional amendments get pushed through. Unless you don’t think Trump is going to try his scorched earth revenge plan (with bonus authoritarian stunts) and create the reaction the MAGA-ites somehow thnk they will escape….. I almost quetion whether Trump will be allowed to take the job, should he win in the electoral college, but lose the popular vote. …..

    Appalled (1c5e69) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:58 am

    Given the difficulty in the constitutional amendment process, (2/3 vote each by the Senate and House, followed by 3/4 of the states) it is highly unlikely that any amendments will be ratified at any time in the near future. Democrats have no leverage to force Republicans in the House to pass any constitutional amendments. Any amendment that would threaten the Electoral College, for example, is doomed to failure since Republican candidates have benefited most from it in recent political history. In addition, small states would lose their leverage in close elections as most candidates would only campaign in large population states.

    So what if Trump loses the popular vote but wins in the Electoral College. It’s happened five times in the past (John Quincey Adams (1824), Rutherford B. Hayes (1876), Benjamin Harrison (1888), George W. Bush (2000), and Donald Trump (2016)

    And, given some deep Blue states will keep Trump off the ballot, the popular vote won’t really have meaning.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 12:49 pm

    That assumes the SC will allow the states to do so. If California won’t bar Trump from its Republican primary election without a fight, I think in the end that won’t happen.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:26 pm

  81. Yeah, getting 13 states to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment or an Amendment declaring a right to housing or health care seems pretty far-fetched to me. Of course once Democrats grant statehood to Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Austin (TX), Disneyworld, Vanderbilt University, three or four wards in New Orleans, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and — hell, why not? — the British Virgin Islands, why then it’s anybody’s game.

    JVW (582ef7) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:33 pm

  82. That assumes the SC will allow the states to do so.

    The SC has allowed it in the past. As recently as 1948 (Alabama) and notably in 1860.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:36 pm

  83. @81: Piker. You forget Mexico and its 40 states.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:37 pm

  84. You have to think that Claudine Gay regrets that ubiquitous photo.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:39 pm

  85. That assumes the SC will allow the states to do so.

    The Electoral College structure allows states to do all kinds of silly things with presidential elections. And they are all firewalled at the border.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:41 pm

  86. The SC has allowed it in the past. As recently as 1948 (Alabama) and notably in 1860.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:36 pm

    Harry S Truman was not as litigious as Donald Trump. I doubt any state will be allowed to ban a candidate that is otherwise qualified.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:44 pm

  87. Man breaks into Colorado Supreme Court overnight and opens fire, police say

    Surprisingly, it likely had nothing to do with any recent Court decisions.

    The break-in was preceded by a two-vehicle crash at 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street in Denver, near the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, which houses the state supreme court.

    A person involved in that crash “reportedly pointed a handgun at the other driver,” the release said. That individual then shot out a window on the east side of the judicial center and entered the building.

    The individual encountered an unarmed security guard, held the guard at gunpoint and took the guard’s keys before going to other parts of the building, including the seventh floor, where he fired more shots, the release said.

    The suspect called 911 at 3 a.m. and surrendered to police, the release said. The release did not specify the nature of the charges on which the suspect is being held.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:44 pm

  88. Link

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:44 pm

  89. Especially if any states that ban Trump constitute a significant percentage of popular or electoral votes.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:45 pm

  90. And then there were two:

    Ohio GOP Rep. Bill Johnson will resign from Congress on Jan. 21 to become the new head of Youngstown State University, a move that will further shrink the tight House GOP majority.

    Johnson’s departure, coming on the heels of the resignation of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and the expulsion of Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), means Republicans will control just 219 seats. Once he leaves, the GOP can only lose two members of their conference for a vote to pass.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 1:59 pm

  91. #80 —

    In all seriousness, the period after a second Trump term is going to be very different than what we see now. Yes, it’s hard to amend the Consitution. Don’t imagine it won’t be replaced if it becomes the instrument of installing an authoritarian who chucks out the Consitution for his purposes. You are having the same imagination failure that I believe many Republicans have.

    As for my “nightmare” — Trump “winning” with a minority of the popular vote. I think that comes with the Supreme Court overturning the Colorado/Maine gambit, not approving it. Trump actually getting kicked off a gneral election ballot is likely to cause a preference cascade that gets Trump clobbered in all the purple states.

    It’s my theory that Trump has the Hillary Clinton inevitability aura right now. If he gets any chinks in that (like he has a health event in public, like he gets rules off the ballot in a number of states, like he goes to jail for months rather than a day or two)…

    Appalled (1c5e69) — 1/2/2024 @ 2:09 pm

  92. Any legal eagles wanna take a stab at this lawsplainer?
    https://thefederalist.com/2024/01/02/why-scotus-will-likely-smack-down-two-of-jack-smiths-get-trump-charges-as-non-crimes/
    …
    Nowhere in the indictment returned against Fischer is there an allegation that he somehow impaired evidence relevant to an official proceeding. So if the Supreme Court follows the reasoning of Begay, as a matter of law, then Fischer did not violate § 1512(c), and that charge against him should be dismissed. Likewise, the § 1512(c) charge against Trump, which also did not allege an impairment of evidence, would fail, as would the second count alleging Trump conspired to violate that statute.
    …

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/2/2024 @ 2:31 pm

  93. In all seriousness, the period after a second Trump term is going to be very different than what we see now. Yes, it’s hard to amend the Consitution. Don’t imagine it won’t be replaced if it becomes the instrument of installing an authoritarian who chucks out the Consitution for his purposes. You are having the same imagination failure that I believe many Republicans have.

    I’m not letting my imagination run wild like some posters here.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 3:36 pm

  94. If it’s going to be Biden vs Trump part II, the only way Trump wins, imo, is if people blame the Biden administration for the current malaise.

    What malaise? By the time the election rolls around, the DOW will be a 50,000, unemployment at 3%, inflation at 2%, the minimum wage at $20 and gas prices at $2/gallon ($4/gallon in CA) and the Chinese begging for Apple to come back.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 3:53 pm

  95. Especially if any states that ban Trump constitute a significant percentage of popular or electoral votes.

    States that ban Trump were never going to give him electoral votes, but California gave Trump as many popular votes as Texas.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 3:54 pm

  96. Nowhere in the indictment returned against Fischer is there an allegation that he somehow impaired evidence relevant to an official proceeding.

    Well, the leadership of Congress considered the box containing the Electoral votes – actually the Electoral vote certificates, which could have been replaced after a few days – in danger, and they were evacuated.

    https://19thnews.org/2021/01/the-women-who-saved-the-boxes-of-electoral-college-votes-during-a-riot-in-the-capitol

    A Senate aide directed staff to protect the three mahogany boxes containing the certified electoral college votes while rioters stormed the Capitol Wednesday afternoon.

    I know, this sounds like something out of – I don’t know what movie.

    Of course, it is unlikely that anyone thought so far ahead as to what they were doing as to try to seize the Electoral votes. The Senate staff was far ahead of them.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/2/2024 @ 3:58 pm

  97. Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 3:54 pm

    States that ban Trump were never going to give him electoral votes, but California gave Trump as many popular votes as Texas.

    Of course, the Republican Party would run a substitute candidate on the ballot, (and whether the Electors, if elected, could end in the end vote for Donald Trump could be a matter of litigation later – certainly in the state of Maine, where Trump got one Electoral vote both in 2016 and 2020) or some third party candidate would get more attention, and maybe take some Electoral votes from Biden, and Joe Biden would get fewer popular votes, and a lower percentage, than he would with Trump on the ballot.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/2/2024 @ 4:04 pm

  98. 88. It is the state Democratic Party (with an automatic ballot position)that names the candidate hat they will put on the ballot.

    That is not state banning a candidate, although it could. But probably would need to pass a law. It cannot adjudicate a federal disqualification that is disputed by the candidate or by the party under whose banner he runs.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/2/2024 @ 4:09 pm

  99. Washington Post/University of Maryland Poll 1/2/24

    ………
    Republicans are showing increased loyalty to the former president as he campaigns for reelection and fights criminal charges over his attempt to stay in power after losing in 2020. They are now less likely to believe that Jan. 6 participants were “mostly violent,” less likely to believe Trump bears responsibility for the attack and are slightly less likely to view Joe Biden’s election as legitimate than they were in a December 2021 Post-UMD survey.

    In follow-up interviews, some said their views have changed because they now believe the riot was instigated by law enforcement to suppress political dissent……
    ……….
    When The Post and UMD asked in December 2021 whether Biden was legitimately elected, 69 percent of Americans said he was. Now, that’s down to 62 percent. Slightly fewer Republicans today (31 percent) say Biden’s election was legitimate compared with 2021 (39 percent). More than one-third of Americans, or 36 percent, do not accept Biden’s victory as legitimate.
    ………
    More than 7 in 10 Republicans say too much is being made of the attack and that it is “time to move on.” Fewer than 2 in 10 (18 percent) of Republicans say that Jan. 6 protesters were “mostly violent,” dipping from 26 percent in 2021. Currently, 77 percent of Democrats and 54 percent of independents say the protesters were mostly violent, little changed from 2021.
    ……….
    A 56 percent majority of Americans say Trump is probably guilty of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results through false claims of voter fraud, including 40 percent who believe he is “definitely guilty.” Republicans are less united than Democrats. Nearly 9 in 10 Democrats believe Trump is guilty, while nearly 7 in 10 Republicans think he is innocent. Among independents, nearly twice as many think Trump is guilty as think he is innocent.
    ……….
    Even though most Americans believe Trump is guilty, the poll finds that fewer than half, 46 percent, say his actions related to Jan. 6 should disqualify him from the presidency ……. An additional 17 percent say Trump’s actions cast doubt on his fitness to serve, while 33 percent say they are not relevant.
    ………..

    Toplines and cross tabs.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 4:12 pm

  100. The real legal reason why Mr. President Trump cannot be elected, make that reelected, in 2024 is not the 14th Amendment. It is is the 22nd Amendment:

    No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

    Mr. President Trump himself has confessed that he was reelected to the office of President in 2020. “By a landslide” in his own words.

    It does not matter that he subsequently did not act as President because the Presidency was hijacked from him by Joe Biden.

    Note the language of the Amendment. The first clause says “elected”, and the following clauses go on to describe “acted as President”. “Elected” is enough to disqualify him.

    But, I’m sad to say, that it does not end there. If hijacking the Presidency for four years is not “insurrection” under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, I don’t know what is.

    Let’s face it, comrades. Neither of the leading candidates of the two major parties are Constitutionally qualified to be elected President. Is very sad.

    nk (072ba3) — 1/2/2024 @ 5:06 pm

  101. @94

    What malaise? By the time the election rolls around, the DOW will be a 50,000, unemployment at 3%, inflation at 2%, the minimum wage at $20 and gas prices at $2/gallon ($4/gallon in CA) and the Chinese begging for Apple to come back.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 3:53 pm

    What malaise? Inflation, home prices and rent is hitting hard… and still.

    I don’t think voters is going to “forget” that.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/2/2024 @ 5:30 pm

  102. @100 nk (072ba3) — 1/2/2024 @ 5:06 pm
    Heh… I’ve made that same argument.

    However, in the real world, Trump was never sworn in as POTUS for 2nd term. ERGO, this is all just pissing in the wind unfortunately.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/2/2024 @ 5:32 pm

  103. The only state that could conceivably transfer electoral votes to the non-winner in the state is Wisconsin, although the lower house is only 65-35, so overriding the governor’s veto would be hard. In a situation where Trump was kept off the WI ballot, it might happen (the Republicans have 2/3rds of the upper house). This is assuming that party candidates win their expected states.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:01 pm

  104. It cannot adjudicate a federal disqualification that is disputed by the candidate or by the party under whose banner he runs.

    Why? A lot of odd things can happen in a courtroom and the presidential election is not run by the federal government.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:02 pm

  105. @57 Men should not be allowed in female sports. Should females be banned from male sports and their wins DQ and taken away?

    asset (872ba3) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:03 pm

  106. Falling In Line:

    ………
    ………(Trump) won five endorsements from Republican senators during December alone, after snagging just three of them over the preceding four months. So far, Trump’s secured 18 endorsements from the Senate GOP, a group that ranges from establishment-minded Republicans to confrontational conservatives who will be vocal allies if he wins another term.
    ……….
    His recent converts include freshman Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), who initially said her RNC job precluded an endorsement before endorsing Trump in December, as well as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who led a challenge to Trump’s 2020 defeat by President Joe Biden.

    Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the second senator to endorse Trump in his 2024 bid, said the growing tide of pro-Trump senators signals that the former president’s path to the nomination is now “more clear” than ever in the days before Republicans cast their first ballots.
    ……….
    Many of Trump’s recent endorsers, like Sens. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Rick Scott of Florida and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, are up for reelection in 2024 in red states where a primary is their biggest electoral threat. ……..
    ……….
    Trump took a different approach to Hawley and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), warning them recently to “be very careful” in their 2024 reelection campaigns. Hawley endorsed Trump shortly after that comment, though he’d already privately assured Trump of his support. …….
    ……….
    “I expect he’s going to be the nominee and receive the enthusiastic support of a great, great majority of senators,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the conference’s No. 3 leader.
    ……….
    “That strength among Republican primary voters has always been there,” said Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana, a Trump supporter who is running for governor. “A lot of this is [senators] seeing what folks are telling them back home.”
    ##########

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:07 pm

  107. What malaise? Inflation, home prices and rent is hitting hard… and still.

    At this point in 1984:

    Prime rate: 11% (and going up)
    Inflation 3.8%
    Unemployment: 8.3%

    Yet Reagan won a 49-state landslide

    Biden’s numbers are wildly better.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:08 pm

  108. Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:08 pm

    Your point? Reagan ran against the VP of the administration that caused those numbers.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:13 pm

  109. That a handful of conservative “knuckle-draggers” easily found a pattern of Ms. Gay’s plagiarism, says way more about Harvard’s so-called leadership than it does about their departed president.
    There is a massive blindspot with these so-called elites. If a left-wing person checks all their DEI boxes, it’s all good, even if Jews are physically imperiled and intimidated, and even if militant Islamist terrorist attacks are not condemned.

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:14 pm

  110. Mondale was doomed from the start, especially after promising to raise taxes in his acceptance speech. LOL!

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:16 pm

  111. @107 It did not come out at the time that reagan, casey, connally et. al. were committing treason with Iran and trading hostages for arms. Later funding the contras by selling dope to inner city minorities. (gary webb dark alliance who after the book came out shot himself in the head 4 times in an apparent suicide officials said) Freeway johnny the largest drug dealer at his trial asked how he could be prosecuted since he was selling CIA dope! We are business partners. Prosecution said reagan and bush are no longer in power so we are no longer business partners. Bill casey’s secret way to fund the contras. Maybe if Nancy just told casey just say NO to drug dealing.

    asset (872ba3) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:13 pm

  112. Down to two stooge majority in congress. Rethug congresscriter bill johnson resigns from congress. Biden wimps out again as rethug court bans biden administration from helping pregnant women who’s lives are in danger with their pregnancy.

    asset (872ba3) — 1/2/2024 @ 10:18 pm

  113. If a left-wing person checks all their DEI boxes, it’s all good

    Even now they are blaming “racists” for the attacks on her.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 11:10 pm

  114. Thanks to demographics the future belongs to DEI. Biden better win or the left will finish what began in 2016 to the corporate democrats. The economy is doing great for the wealthy and corporations. Clinton in 2016 was told that too! The deep south states don’t even have a minimum wage that the conservatives say is great for workers. Yet I don’t see people flocking to live in skunk creek mississippi where like mexico you have to boil the water.

    asset (872ba3) — 1/3/2024 @ 12:14 am

  115. If a left-wing person checks all their DEI boxes, it’s all good

    Even now they are blaming “racists” for the attacks on her.

    We saw it a lot with Obama. When a person’s determinative qualification for their job is their race, then any criticism of the way they do it is ipso facto racist.

    And maybe it’s only because the liberals I associate with are intelligent and well-educated, but it’s not the case with Pete Buttigieg. They happily admit that he’s there only because he’s gay and wouldn’t know the difference between a Blue Train and Saturday night in the bathroom of the S&M Leather Bar, and do not consider saying so “homophobic”. It’s just a fact.

    nk (8ad6e3) — 1/3/2024 @ 5:05 am

  116. The Paper of Record noted that two Hamas leaders had their careers cut short yesterday.

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 1/3/2024 @ 6:21 am

  117. @107

    What malaise? Inflation, home prices and rent is hitting hard… and still.

    At this point in 1984:

    Prime rate: 11% (and going up)
    Inflation 3.8%
    Unemployment: 8.3%

    Yet Reagan won a 49-state landslide

    Biden’s numbers are wildly better.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:08 pm

    As someone who lived in the same period, its pretty damn close to how “it feels”.

    If the Biden Administration/Democrats don’t do much to change the dynamic here, we could be looking at the same “landslide” if the GOP nominates a non-Trump.

    If it’s Trump? Russian roulette has better odds…

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 6:38 am

  118. Good.
    https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/03/politics/house-homeland-security-committee-impeachment-mayorkas/index.html

    The committee spokesperson told CNN the hearing will begin next week. “The Committee will ensure that the public is aware of the scope of Secretary Mayorkas’ egregious misconduct and refusal to enforce the law, but also that this process is completed promptly and accountability is achieved swiftly—as the American people have demanded,” the statement said.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 7:58 am

  119. Thanks to demographics the future belongs to DEI

    There’s a song.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 8:46 am

  120. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:07 pm

    Falling in Line, Part II:

    House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, giving him the endorsement of the top four House Republicans going into the Iowa caucus later this month.
    ……….
    With Emmer’s endorsement, Trump has now been endorsed by the top four Republicans in the House. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) endorsed Trump on Tuesday, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) endorsed Trump earlier in the primary.
    ……….
    Emmer’s endorsement of Trump, along with the other members of House leadership, follow the trend of senior Republicans falling in line behind the former president as it becomes clear that he is likely going to be the party’s nominee to face Biden in the general election.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 8:48 am

  121. If the Biden Administration/Democrats don’t do much to change the dynamic here

    It’s been changing a lot in the last few months. It will take some time for it to sink in, and they have to maintain their momentum, but I’d not bet against Biden based on the economy. Against Trump, Biden wins in a walk — Trump thrives on anger and better times = less anger.

    Against Haley? The age difference alone will help her. If she can continue to demonstrate competence, even in the face of an MSM ready to pounce on any misstep, Biden could lose bigly. If Trump is not the nominee, it remains to be seen how this affects congressional races.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 8:53 am

  122. Like the ancient Daini text The Bepopshaboomramaramagidva says, thanks to the antagonistic pleiotropy of mitochondria, the future belongs to the young. Whether they grow out of DEI will depend on those who can spell it.

    nk (bbc2a9) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:06 am

  123. Republicans who are tired of endorsing Trump are tired of winning their primaries.

    nk (bbc2a9) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:08 am

  124. Against Trump, Biden wins in a walk — Trump thrives on anger and better times = less anger.

    Against Haley? The age difference alone will help her. If she can continue to demonstrate competence, even in the face of an MSM ready to pounce on any misstep, Biden could lose bigly. If Trump is not the nominee, it remains to be seen how this affects congressional races.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 8:53 am

    If If If…….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:19 am

  125. The race for second place continues:

    Former President Donald Trump will participate in a Fox News town hall next week, the network announced Tuesday, skipping CNN’s GOP primary debate scheduled for the same time.
    ……….
    Only Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley qualified for the Iowa debate, CNN announced Tuesday after the 12 p.m. qualification deadline passed. DeSantis and Haley have both committed to participating.
    ……….
    The former president is also expected to skip CNN’s debate in New Hampshire later this month, a campaign advisor told reporters last month. Trump, who currently holds a runaway lead in the polls, told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt he would debate another Republican candidate “if it’s very close.”

    “I would debate that Republican, yeah. But it’s not close,” he said.
    ###########

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:27 am

  126. If If If…….

    If Trump the Democrats get the presidency and large majorities in both houses. Not a fun speculation.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:28 am

  127. More on the race for second place:

    ………..
    Two weeks before the Iowa caucuses, the airwaves here are filled with ads from allies of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley attacking DeSantis and vice versa. Indeed, after DeSantis exited the bar, a commercial calling Haley “Tricky Nikki” aired, paid for by a super PAC supporting the Florida governor, a representation of how the pair are mercilessly going after each other as the race intensifies.

    But not once during the Citrus Bowl broadcast did an ad air targeting the front-runner in the race, Donald Trump – a recurring theme of the ad wars this presidential cycle. The former president is rarely the subject of the millions of dollars being spent to sway Republicans, nor is he lately the focal point of his rivals on the campaign trail.
    ……….
    The rest of the field continues to make the calculation that it is better to defend the former president in the face of the escalating challenges to his candidacy than risk upsetting Republicans who are considering – but not committed to – moving on to a new candidate. Both DeSantis, Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy defended Trump after Maine’s Democratic secretary of state removed him from the ballot there last week. In recent days, they have also made clear that they would pardon Trump – who faces four criminal indictments – if elected to the White House.
    ……….
    The messaging from DeSantis’ campaign in the closing stretch before the caucuses illustrates the challenge he faces as he attempts to overtake Trump without alienating his supporters. Rather than criticizing the former president and seizing on his extensive legal exposure, DeSantis continues to defend his top rival, attacking the “weaponized government” in the new ad.

    “All they’ve done is eat into each other’s momentum and Trump is unscathed,” said Jeff Angelo, a conservative radio host in Iowa who has interviewed most of the GOP field on his popular show. “They have spent almost all of their time throwing punches at each other, and they’re touching Trump with a feather. It’s the exact same problem as 2016.”

    Examples of this disparate treatment were abundant in the closing days of December.
    ………..
    The uncomfortable reality of this predicament is a more immediate challenge to DeSantis, who has staked his candidacy on a strong showing in Iowa……
    ………..
    No candidate leading a Des Moines Register poll by double digits in the month before the caucus has gone on to lose. Trump led the field by more than 30 points in the newspaper’s December poll.
    ………..
    As (Dave Peterson, a political science professor at Iowa State University) put it: “What would convince someone who has supported Trump until now to change their mind?”
    ###########

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:37 am

  128. If Trump the Democrats get the presidency and large majorities in both houses. Not a fun speculation.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:28 am

    I doubt either the Senate (where the Democrats (and three independents) are defending 24 seats) and the House (where 23 Democrats have retired (so far) v. 12 Republicans) will have large Democratic majorities, if at all.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:45 am

  129. The House Republican count does not include Reps. Kevin McCarthy or Bill Johnson, so the total should be 14; but they both represented safe Republican districts.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:52 am

  130. Rip,

    OK, so you are thinking if Trump is elected, no big? Or you just figure when Trump wins the nomination, Biden wins the general, so no big.

    Appalled (77975c) — 1/3/2024 @ 11:20 am

  131. Rip,

    OK, so you are thinking if Trump is elected, no big? Or you just figure when Trump wins the nomination, Biden wins the general, so no big.

    Appalled (77975c) — 1/3/2024 @ 11:20 am

    I have no opinion at this time regarding the general election; we don’t know who the candidates are yet and a lot can happen during the next 307 days. For all we know neither Trump or Biden will be available to serve. As others here have said, the polling the general election is so far ahead of the event as to be meaningless.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 11:27 am

  132. #131 — I think you have been pretty clear Trump will be the GOP candidate and I doubt you’ve changed your opinion. You mock people who hope otherwise.

    As for Biden not being the nominee…he’s too old, but, still, *snort*

    Appalled (77975c) — 1/3/2024 @ 11:36 am

  133. #131 — I think you have been pretty clear Trump will be the GOP candidate and I doubt you’ve changed your opinion. You mock people who hope otherwise.

    As for Biden not being the nominee…he’s too old, but, still, *snort*

    Appalled (77975c) — 1/3/2024 @ 11:36 am

    I have never said I favor Trump, I just expect him to win the nomination based on current polling. However, as others continue to point out to me, the polls do not take into account the impact of Trump’s trials, or the the (long shot) possibility that the Republican convention might not nominate Trump if he is convicted.

    I don’t expect Biden to be the Democratic nominee after his impeachment.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 11:47 am

  134. Sad!

    ………..
    Prosecutors allege in the superseding indictment that (Sen. Robert) Menendez’s bribery and extortion scheme continued into 2023, a year longer than initially alleged. The new indictment, made public Tuesday, amends and replaces the original indictment, listing the formal charges against a defendant.

    Among the new allegations, according to the indictment, is that Menendez accepted payments from one of his co-conspirators, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes, in exchange for using his influence to help Daibes obtain millions of dollars from an investment fund tied to Qatar. The senator, prosecutors allege, additionally took steps to help Qatar.
    ……….
    The latest indictment alleges Menendez introduced Daibes, who was seeking an investment, to a member of the Qatari royal family and principal of the Qatari Investment Company. While the Qatari investment fund was weighing an investment, Menendez made multiple public statements supporting the government of Qatar, according to the indictment.
    ……….
    ……….(A)fter attending a private event hosted by the Qatari government in Manhattan, Daibes texted Menendez photographs of luxury watches valued as much as $23,990, asking, “How about one of these?” Two days later, Menendez texted Daibes a link to a website tracking a Senate resolution supporting Qatar.
    ……….
    In May 2022, at the senator’s request, the Qatari official provided tickets to the 2022 Formula One Grand Prix to a close relative of Nadine Menendez.
    ……….
    Prosecutors say Menendez did not note on his financial disclosure forms the gifts from Qatar and Daibes, including the gold bars and race tickets.
    ##########

    Coincidental:

    ……….
    Two longtime Republican political consultants who backed Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign admitted in court filings Tuesday to deceiving the Justice Department about their lobbying activities on behalf of the small but wealthy Arab nation.

    Barry Bennett and Doug Watts acknowledged they accepted funds from the Qatari government in exchange for promoting efforts to influence U.S. policy in the Middle East and engaged in a scheme to mislead investigators about those dealings.
    ………..
    There was no clear connection between the Menendez indictment and the Bennett and Watts cases, but the simultaneous unveiling of the charges hints at the extent to which the oil-rich country may have harnessed political allies in both parties to advocate for its interests in Washington.

    Prosecutors indicated that Bennett and Watts have entered into “deferred prosecution” agreements that will allow the charges to be dismissed after a year if the men comply with the terms of the deals. The two men face charges for scheming to conceal work for a foreign government and making false statements about their work.

    As part of the agreements, Bennett will pay a $100,000 fine, and Watts will pay $25,000. Both also agreed to abstain for a year from engaging in any lobbying or public relations work covered by the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
    ………..
    Prosecutors contend that Bennett and Watts set up an organization called “Yemen Crisis Watch” at Qatar’s behest to call attention to allegations of the Saudi Arabian government’s brutality in a military conflict with the Houthi militant group in Yemen.
    ………..
    The two men organized briefings about related issues on Capitol Hill and helped organize the placement of at least two op-eds in the Washington Examiner.

    ……….Under the terms of the deal, the men and their agents may not make any statements disputing or undercutting the facts laid out by prosecutors.
    ……….

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 12:02 pm

  135. @133

    I don’t expect Biden to be the Democratic nominee after his impeachment.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 11:47 am

    You really expect the GOP, with 2 seat majority, to be able to impeach Biden?

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 12:40 pm

  136. whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 12:40 pm`

    You really expect the GOP, with 2 seat majority, to be able to impeach Biden?

    That’s a good point, but what Republican would vote against it?

    Impeachment won’t stop Joe Biden from being the nominee, but it going viral that Joe Biden lied about firing the prosecutor might. All the Republicans need to do is 1) realize that and 2) Subpoena George Kent.

    But Biden wants Trump to be his opponent and Trump wants Biden.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:14 pm

  137. You really expect the GOP, with 2 seat majority, to be able to impeach Biden?

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 12:40 pm

    After all of their “revelations” about how the President is the mastermind of the Biden Crime Family(tm), it is almost a political imperative they try. A December Marist poll showed 78% of Republicans approved of the impeachment “inquiry.” I’m sure a lot of the Republican base will be disappointed if the House doesn’t follow through, certainly the MAGA base (and its leader) will be.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:16 pm

  138. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:37 am

    As (Dave Peterson, a political science professor at Iowa State University) put it: “What would convince someone who has supported Trump until now to change their mind?”

    he has to come out in favor of illegal immigration or support Iran.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:16 pm

  139. @138

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 9:37 am

    As (Dave Peterson, a political science professor at Iowa State University) put it: “What would convince someone who has supported Trump until now to change their mind?”

    he has to come out in favor of illegal immigration or support Iran.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:16 pm

    The correct answer, imo, is for Democrats to provide better candidates.

    Pigs will fly.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:19 pm

  140. The correct answer, imo, is for Democrats to provide better candidates.

    Pigs will fly.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:19 pm

    ——————————-
    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:16 pm

    ? Why would Republicans vote for a Democrat instead of another Republican? Why would it be the Democrat’s responsibility to provide better candidates?

    Truth be told, I assumed the question was sarcasm.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:23 pm

  141. As (Dave Peterson, a political science professor at Iowa State University) put it: “What would convince someone who has supported Trump until now to change their mind?”

    The correct answer to the question is “nothing.”

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:24 pm

  142. The Paper of Record ran a front page article against Harvard a week ago calling the Board secretive.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/24/us/harvard-corporation-claudine-gay.html

    The secretive, powerful group that runs Harvard, known as the Harvard Corporation, has projected unity amid the unyielding turmoil around Dr. Gay. The board’s Dec. 12 announcement to stand by Dr. Gay, who is also a member, was followed by silence, even in the wake of rising demands for her removal by powerful donors, alumni and media figures.

    I wondered what turned the New York Times editors so against Harvard, and I think maybe it was their attempt to invoke libel law against the New York Post before the New Yorkk Post ran its first article about plagiarism (when they asked Harvard for comment)

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:25 pm

  143. 112. Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:16 pm

    Mondale was doomed from the start, especially after promising to raise taxes in his acceptance speech. LOL!

    It wasn’t that he said he would raise taxes. It was that he said Reagan would too. And I think he came out in favor of homework.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:27 pm

  144. @140

    ? Why would Republicans vote for a Democrat instead of another Republican? Why would it be the Democrat’s responsibility to provide better candidates?

    Truth be told, I assumed the question was sarcasm.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:23 pm

    The question is “What would convince someone who has supported Trump until now to change their mind?”.

    I presume the context is that Trump’s the nominee.

    In the general, if you’re a nominally a Republican voter who struggles getting out of the house to vote for Trump. A decent Democrat could wrangle such voters to their side.

    Where are those decent Democrats? Hence my “pigs will fly” blurb.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:31 pm

  145. An important January 6 plotter maybe:

    https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2021/09/23/jan-6-video-suggests-russia-insider-entered-capitol

    Russia Insider founder Charles Bausman breached the walls of the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, according to research conducted by a Europe-based open-source intelligence (OSINT) group into video captured during the insurrection.

    The findings by the OSINT group build on Hatewatch reporting showing that Bausman traveled to Washington, D.C., on the day of the insurrection, then disappeared from his home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and reemerged in Moscow…

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:32 pm

  146. The question is “What would convince someone who has supported Trump until now to change their mind?”.

    I presume the context is that Trump’s the nominee.

    Since the article was discussing the Iowa caucus, and the professor is from Iowa State, that was the context.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:39 pm

  147. SF: It [a state court] cannot adjudicate a federal disqualification that is disputed by the candidate or by the party under whose banner he runs.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:02 pm

    Why? A lot of odd things can happen in a courtroom and the presidential election is not run by the federal government.

    It is not the proper venue.

    I think the Supreme Court should declare that a state highest court is the highest authoty on state law, but in ruling Trump disqualified the Supreme Court of Colorado adjudicated a federal question and it should kick it back to the Colorado Supreme Court saying that the court should rule on whether Colorado law empowered someone to give their opinion on whether a candidate was disqualified by federal law, or whether it required them to so hold in order to remove him. If an opinion the state could disallow him from appearing on the ballot, but not if it pretended to actually determine it.

    And I might point out that the 14th amendment does not disqualify anyone fromrunning for office – it only disqualified him from holding it. And it is not an absolute disqualification – it can be waived by a 2.3 majority of both houses.

    Expect Democrats to attempt to refuse to seat Trump if he is elected. They might make the mistake if refusing to accept the Electoral votes – but it is not the Electors who are disqualified. And expect them to frantically look for some grounds to refuse to seat his vice president

    If Trump’s vice president were seated but not Trump himself, Trump might run the government from a back office. Except for what the VP might not go along with.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:45 pm

  148. Haley needs to get independents to participate in the Iowa caucus. But she’s not doing so, buying the argument that historically independents do not participate in the caucuses. (they can by joining a party that night)

    Note: this year, although there will be a Democratic caucus, they will not make any decisions on delegates on January 15, but just conduct party business.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:49 pm

  149. 107. asset (872ba3) — 1/2/2024 @ 6:03 pm

    @57 Men should not be allowed in female sports. Should females be banned from male sports and their wins DQ and taken away?

    Men do better than women in most sports (except for some swimming and gymnastics) so it’s a non-issue.

    Sammy Finkelman (1d215a) — 1/3/2024 @ 1:56 pm

  150. Haley needs to get independents to participate in the Iowa caucus. But she’s not doing so

    The Iowa Caucus is closed to non-Republicans.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 2:29 pm

  151. Per Speaker Johnson, CBP does not want additional funding or personnel.

    Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/3/2024 @ 3:44 pm

  152. Haley needs to get independents to participate in the Iowa caucus. But she’s not doing so

    I have never understood why Republicans want outsiders to chose their candidates.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 3:54 pm

  153. No offense meant, but do you guys even vote? Independents, cross-overs in party primaries and caucuses?

    Even if you don’t vote, don’t you at least read? And if you do read, what do you get out of MAGA “primarying out” candidates who don’t kiss Trump’s ring?

    nk (bbc2a9) — 1/3/2024 @ 4:05 pm

  154. No offense meant, but do you guys even vote? Independents, cross-overs in party primaries and caucuses?

    I just think that Republican and Democrat voters should stay in their own lanes when it comes to selecting persons to represent them in elections, without interference from the others. Independents have made their choice to stay away from partisan politics, so partisan primaries shouldn’t include them. Let them vote in the general.

    Rip Murdock (d2a2a8) — 1/3/2024 @ 6:05 pm

  155. Three-Year Letterman has a great breakdown of the tackle made by the defendant in a Clark County courthouse, but it doesn’t count as a sack because he was offsides.

    Paul Montagu (d52d7d) — 1/3/2024 @ 6:36 pm

  156. Lol

    SamG (4e6c22) — 1/3/2024 @ 7:02 pm

  157. Why their are no dumb coyotes or palestinan hamas leaders. Hunters kill the dumb coyotes and Israel kills the dumb hamas leaders. Leaving only the smart ones. Culling the heard for 70 years.

    asset (0fa8de) — 1/3/2024 @ 8:11 pm

  158. @154 I vote in the democratic party primary when the party lets me.

    asset (0fa8de) — 1/3/2024 @ 8:12 pm

  159. @149 tell that to the upset men Hailie Deegan, Chloe Chambers, Danica Patrick, Doriane Pin and many others passed for the win who tried to wreck them. See mike wallace deliberately wrecking Shawna Robinson in the atlanta xfinity race saying no woman will ever pass me!

    asset (0fa8de) — 1/3/2024 @ 8:18 pm

  160. Amicus brief in Trump immunity appeal asks “Why doesn’t Midland Asphalt kick this back for trial”

    Enter the American Oversight brief, written by lawyers with the Washington-based firm Arnold & Porter. The brief relies on a unanimous 1989 Supreme Court opinion, Midland Asphalt Corp. vs. United States, written by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. The defendant in the criminal case, Midland Asphalt, had moved unsuccessfully for a dismissal of the charges based on the prosecution’s alleged violation of grand jury rules.

    The Supreme Court held that neither it nor the circuit court had the power to hear the case on “interlocutory appeal,” or before trial. As with the vast majority of issues that may arise at trial, the court ruled, this one could be considered only after a conviction.

    The court emphasized that in criminal cases, the compelling interest in prompt trials demands that courts apply the interlocutory appeal doctrine “with utmost strictness.” Federal courts have jurisdiction over such appeals, the justices found, only if they are brought under a constitutional or statutory provision that expressly gives the defendant a right not to go to trial.

    Since the Midland Asphalt opinion, the court has identified only three categories of motions that may be considered before trial in criminal cases: motions to reduce bail and those concerning the double jeopardy clause in the Constitution’s 5th Amendment, and the speech or debate clause, which protects legislators from being “questioned” — that is, tried — at all.

    Any of you lawyers want to comment?

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 10:07 pm

  161. I have never understood why Republicans want outsiders to chose their candidates.

    I submit the House Freedom Caucus as Exhibit One.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 10:08 pm

  162. That’s a good point, but what Republican would vote against it?

    Maybe someone in a D+3 district.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 10:09 pm

  163. I doubt either the Senate (where the Democrats (and three independents) are defending 24 seats) and the House (where 23 Democrats have retired (so far) v. 12 Republicans) will have large Democratic majorities, if at all.

    House seats are gerrymandered. Pretty much fungible.

    You may have a point about the Senate, but the same arithmetic would have had the GOP winning 3 or 4 seats in 2022, and they didn’t because they ran crappy candidates. Why should this be any different? Is MAGA somehow weaker in the primaries?

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 10:13 pm

  164. All the Republicans need to do is 1) realize that and 2) Subpoena George Kent.

    The Senate runs the trial, and that’s Schumer.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 10:14 pm

  165. California Assembly shut down by protest calling for Israeli cease-fire

    On the day California lawmakers returned to Sacramento for the new year, hundreds of protesters convened at the state Capitol on Wednesday and shut down the Assembly with calls for Israel to stop its war against Hamas.

    Legislators filed out of the Assembly chamber as at least 250 demonstrators chanted, “Cease fire now.” Filling the Capitol rotunda, protesters unfurled a banner stating “No U.S. Funding for Israel’s Genocide in Palestine” and made paper flowers representing more than 22,000 Palestinians killed in the war that began after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking 240 others hostage.

    “We hear them, we support them, however we have to make sure that the legislative business is done for the entire state of California,” Assemblyman Mike Gipson (D-Carson) said as the demonstrators’ chants echoed throughout the halls.

    “This just stopped what we needed to do,” he said.

    No arrests were made.

    Kevin M (ed969f) — 1/3/2024 @ 10:17 pm

  166. What do the British bettors think of the Loser’s chances? That he is the current favorite, but that his chances of winning are now just under 40 percent.

    Which, of course, means the bettors, collectively, believe that the Loser has about a 60 percent chance of losing.

    (Reminder: This early in campaigns, betting markets are better predictors than polls.)

    Jim Miller (9db05a) — 1/4/2024 @ 6:22 am

  167. Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/3/2024 @ 3:44 pm

    Per Speaker Johnson, CBP does not want additional funding or personnel.

    Per HR2, if that’s done at their request, they want additional pay for existing employees.

    And they don’t want a working system. That could eliminate discretion at the bottom level, which if course means opportunities to take bribes.

    Sammy Finkelman (c2c77e) — 1/4/2024 @ 7:25 am

  168. When it comes to fentanyl only 0.02% of ppl crossing illegally have been found to possess fentanyl.

    Almost all foreign fentanyl is brought by US citizens through ports of entry; 88% of fentanyl trafficking convictions in 2022 were US citizens

    Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/4/2024 @ 12:11 pm

  169. @168

    When it comes to fentanyl only 0.02% of ppl crossing illegally have been found to possess fentanyl.

    Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/4/2024 @ 12:11 pm

    The operative word “found” is doing heavy lifting.

    It’s the ge- aways that is a major concerns, as the Cartels sends a large migrant crowd at a specific place to overwhelm our border officials, so that the contraband-carrying illegals, on behalf of the cartels, simply waltz into the US unmolested.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/4/2024 @ 12:33 pm

  170. And yet the GOP continues to reject additional funding and changes to immigration laws to combat the issue.

    If it’s really a crisis then they should act like it. Instead of doing their jobs and working with POTUS and the Senate, they grandstand for photo ops.

    Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/4/2024 @ 12:46 pm

  171. @170 Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/4/2024 @ 12:46 pm
    GOP shares some of the blame, namely they won’t offer anything to Democrats for their support.

    However, the Biden Administration’s border policy is a choice.

    I place the current border issues totally on Democrats.

    Because at the end of the day, its really update to the Biden Administration to defend the border.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/4/2024 @ 12:58 pm

  172. It’s not a choice: it’s following the law as it exists.

    Biden has requested the funds for more enforcement.
    Senate Dems are proposing changes to immigration laws around asylum.

    And the GOP refuses – ’cause they’d rather have a crisis. That’s why no solutions are being proposed from their side, and why every time an immigration bill comes up the GOP ends up killing it. It happened in 2013, it’s happening again in 2023/2024.

    Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/4/2024 @ 1:06 pm

  173. @172

    It’s not a choice: it’s following the law as it exists.

    No.

    Democrats and the Biden administration has allowed a system of illegal immigration policy such that, you only need to claim asylum, then you can stay.

    That is what they’re encouraging.

    That is what the numerous NGOs receiving massive fundings by Democrats are encourage.

    There is no “enforcing the law”.

    Because if there are any enforcement, then the bulk of the illegal immigrants would immediate be deported.

    The way things are NOW is absolutely a “choice”.

    This chaos is absolute DESIRED by Democrats.

    whembly (5f7596) — 1/4/2024 @ 1:36 pm

  174. AOC needs these potential voters who’s babies are already american citizens when she runs for president. In my state over 100 latinx turn voting age every day turning az from red to blue. If you ad dreamers its over 140 a day.

    asset (be178e) — 1/4/2024 @ 1:48 pm

  175. @173: that’s the law around asylum claims, not a policy from the administration.

    8 U.S. Code § 1158 – Asylum
    (a)Authority to apply for asylum
    (1)In general
    Any alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States (whether or not at a designated port of arrival and including an alien who is brought to the United States after having been interdicted in international or United States waters), irrespective of such alien’s status, may apply for asylum in accordance with this section or, where applicable, section 1225(b) of this title.

    So they are in fact legal immigrants until found otherwise – which requires resources to process the asylum claims and determine eligibility/ineligibility.

    And any changes to these laws requires that the GOP actually work on the issue – which they refuse to do.

    Sam G (8d2ed1) — 1/4/2024 @ 1:57 pm


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