Saturday, July 23, 2016

op ed review 7/24



THIS WEEK’S NEWS
Trump claims the prize
Pence: "We Cannot Have Four More Years Of Apologizing To Our Enemies And Abandoning Our Friends"

TV Networks on Trump: A ‘Dark Speech’ From a ‘Vengeful’ ‘Demagogue’
But wait:  A snap poll by CNN / ORC taken the night of the speech found that 57 per cent of Americans were ´very positive´ about the speech.
Media disappointment on protests: "We were promised a riot. In Cleveland, we got a block party instead."
RNC Protests:  Anti-Trump Organizers Ask: Where Is Everyone? Low turnout and very few arrests come as a surprise.
LA Times asks readers to imagine a military coup against a future President Donald Trump — and argues why one would be necessary.

Poll: Clinton and Trump Now Tied
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a dead heat in the battleground state of Ohio, according to a new poll released Thursday.
Philadelphia’s police union is blasting Hillary Clinton for inviting relatives of victims of police shootings to speak at the Democratic National Convention next week, but failing to include relatives of slain police officers.
Black Lives Matter officials blast presidential nominee Donald Trump as a “terrorist” for talking about law and order.
Law and order´ becomes a major theme of GOP convention
A police cruiser in Florida was set on fire and a note referencing the Black Lives Matter movement was found nearby.
Obama: Police Can 'Make the Job of Being a Cop a Lot Safer' by Admitting Their Failures (i.e. their racism)

Despite a series of crimes committed by illegal immigrants and public polls showing anger at three years of juvenile Latin Americans crossing the border, deportations have dropped to a 10-year low and under President Obama, the eviction of those convicted of crime has plummeted 60 percent, according to new immigration statistics.
President Obama will give his Mexican counterpart a platform to criticize Mr. Trump’s plans to build a border wall and restrict immigration.

“Five charged over France truck attack; Mohamed planned for year...”
Refugee screaming 'Allahu akbar' attacks German train passengers with axe, 18 injured.
Baton Rouge Shooter Gavin Eugene Long Was Nation Of Islam Member, Railed Against ‘Crackers’ On YouTube Channel
The Obama Justice Department is taking a Pennsylvania town to court over a municipal board’s denial of a zoning application for a mosque.

The official 2016 platform of the Republican Party asserts that since the Constitution gives the federal government “no role in education,” it should not join with “centralizing forces” that have attempted to reform education and have subsequently done “immense damage.” The platform affirms the primary role of parents as educators in a child’s life, and supports a constitutional amendment to protect the right of parents to direct their children’s education from the overreach of federal and state governments and from potential international intruders such as the United Nations.
Former presidential hopeful Dr. Ben Carson rallied fellow Floridians behind Donald Trump. "We cannot just sit around and complain, every single one of us has a sphere of influence," Carson said at a breakfast for delegates of the Sunshine State. "We must be brave once again for this country."

Pessimism about race relations in America is higher than it has been in nearly a generation, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll

Fewer than half of those nabbed at the border are from Mexico.  In the first six months of the year, 264,165 people were apprehended somewhere along the Southwest border, and 49.6 percent of them were from Mexico, according to data from the U.S. Border Patrol
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COLUMN OF THE WEEK
Michael Goodwin, New York Post

Donald Trump needed to give the speech of his life. He did that, and much more. He laid out an inspiring American Manifesto for our troubled times. And he did it his way.

Not surprisingly, from start to finish, it is muscular and bold, leavened only by appeals to racial harmony and pledges of compassion for all. It offers a prominent nod to Bernie Sanders’ supporters in a bid to get some to jump the Democratic ship.

Most important, it keeps faith with his campaign themes of putting forgotten Americans first. In contrasting his view with his opponent’s, the Republican nominee put it this way: “Americanism, not globalism, will be our credo.” And “I am your voice.” And then this: “There can be no prosperity without law and order.”

On paper, the speech is powerful, and it was delivered with all the might Trump could muster. Passionate and occasionally strident, then mellow and playful, he revealed a full Trump Doctrine that weaves together what has often seemed random threads and instincts into a more coherent vision.

He would unleash America’s energy production, use trade deals to help blue-collar workers and fix the broken immigration system so that cheap labor doesn’t undercut wages and overwhelm our social safety net. He would ensure public safety, rebuild the military and destroy global terrorism. And he forcefully and repeatedly cemented the image of the GOP as the pro-police party, a strong contrast with Democrats, who are recklessly becoming the anti-police party.

Trump laid out such a huge undertaking, sweeping in its goals and potential impacts, that achieving even half of it would lead to an economic revival and end the nation’s crisis of confidence. If he focused on just what he outlined last night, and he should, Trump would be a very busy man every minute for the next four years.

In that context, he addressed the inevitable sense that little change can come in a nation so polarized and gridlocked by reminding the raucous convention that he wasn’t even supposed to be standing before them. And in a line that captured his remarkable attack on the political status quo, he said, “The politicians have talked about this for years, but I’m going to do it.”

There is, at this point, no reason to believe he doesn’t mean every word of it. Whatever his past habits and lifestyle, whatever caricature he has been reduced to, the seriousness of his purpose is no longer in doubt. He is a man on a mission.

As befits an acceptance speech, the promises flowed like water, yet the important things stand out. This one, from his prepared remarks, was especially powerful: “On January 20th of 2017, the day after I take the oath of office, Americans will finally wake up in a country where the laws of the United States are enforced.”

He was blistering on Hillary Clinton, saying her legacy as secretary of state was “death, destruction, terrorism and weakness.” Nor did he spare President Obama, accusing him of using “the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color” and saying he “has made America a more dangerous environment for everyone.” Trump then added: “This administration has failed America’s inner cities. It’s failed them on education. It’s failed them on jobs. It’s failed them on crime. It’s failed them at every level.”
The stirring speech saved what had been a mediocre convention, with sloppy mistakes leading to distracting controversies and fueling fears that Trump and his team still are not ready for prime time. Delegates were not so much divided as dispirited over the prospect that the party would once again lose a very winnable race.

Especially with the well-oiled and well-funded Clinton machine revving up its engines with attack ads and with her message amplified by the left-wing media echo chamber, Trumpsters suddenly faced an enthusiasm gap. Rows of empty seats in the Quicken Loans Arena seemed symbolic of sagging hopes.

A turning point might have come Wednesday night, during the booing of rival Ted Cruz for refusing to endorse Trump. What started with restlessness from the New York delegation quickly spread, and by the time he slinked off the stage, Cruz suffered a stunning and unanimous rebuke. That rare moment of genuine unity, followed by Mike Pence’s workmanlike acceptance speech as the VP nominee, set the stage for the finale. Indeed, no matter what had come before, it was always going to be up to Trump himself. He’s the nominee and the whole venture rises or falls on his performance. It now rises. He delivered a stemwinder for the ages.

If he wins, and can deliver on his vision, remember this speech. Like Ronald Reagan’s in 1976, Trump’s 2016 address could mark the start of a desperately needed American revival. As he said near the end, “America is back.”  Imagine that — and pray he is right.


Another good one:  “Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt person ever to get this close to becoming president of the United States. Aaron Burr was corrupt, but his treason didn’t occur until after his presidential possibilities had dried up. Ulysses Grant was a great man whose administration was riddled with corruption, but he wasn't personally involved. Warren Harding wasn't a great man, but he wasn't party to the corruption in his administration either. Hillary Clinton stands alone.”
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COLUMNS AND SPEECHES
 “Like it or not, Trump can square the ridiculous circle of a raucous billionaire as man of the people far better than Hillary can handle the contradictions of a Wall Street–created crony multimillionaire pandering to the Sanders socialists……..in a few key states Trump may win 25 to 28 percent of the Latino vote and perhaps 10 percent of the black vote, while Clinton might not capture even 35 percent of the so-called white vote……..for a variety of reasons, an unlikely Donald Trump has become a liberal’s worst nightmare, not so much for what he says or represents, but because he still could win — and win in a way, along with the Congress and the prospect of a new Supreme Court, that we have not witnessed in 80 years.”
                         -Victor Davis Hansen

“For his part, Donald Trump delivered (yelled, really) what was, arguably, the broadest and most populist speech by any presidential candidate in the history of our Republic. The MSM talkingheads described Trump's remarks as "dark." Well, he shined a bright light on the fact that our nation is in a very dark place right now.”
                   -Mark Alexander

"I build companies and I support people who are building new things, from social networks to rocket ships. I'm not a politician. But neither is Donald Trump. He is a builder, and it's time to rebuild America. ... Americans get paid less today than 10 years ago. But healthcare and college tuition cost more every year. Meanwhile Wall Street bankers inflate bubbles in everything from government bonds to Hillary Clinton's speaking fees. Our economy is broken. If you're watching me right now, you understand this better than any politician in Washington. And you know this isn't the dream we looked forward to. ... When Donald Trump asks us to Make America Great Again, he's not suggesting a return to the past. He's running to lead us back to that bright future."
                   -Peter Thiel, Silicon Valley entrepreneur

"To some people — and some presidents — America is just another country. To Republicans, America is the greatest nation on earth. We don't apologize for America. We celebrate America. At every level, Republicans stand for aspiration and achievement. We stand for peace and prosperity. We stand for freedom and fairness. These values have inspired people the world over, ever since we won our freedom over two centuries ago. ... If Hillary Clinton is given the chance, she'll stack the Supreme Court with activist left-wing judges who will treat the Constitution like a doormat. You can kiss your gun rights goodbye if she ever finds her way into the White House. In foreign policy, a Clinton presidency means forgetting our friends and enabling our enemies. ... You all know [Donald Trump has] brought millions of new voters into our Party because he's listening to Americans who are anxious about a country which has lost its way."
               -RNC Chair Reince Priebus

"[T]he dark portrait of America in Trump's speech was an argument: an argument that the state of the country has gone terribly wrong, and that the status quo must change. It is simple and largely accurate; soon we'll see if the public agrees Trump is the man who can change the country for the better."
               -Jim Geraghty
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ISLAM
Unprecedented Crackdown in Turkey: All University Deans fired; 21,000 Private School Teachers suspended.

Mother, daughters stabbed in French resort 'for being scantily dressed'...suspect Moroccan…. “religious motive not in doubt.”
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FILM
Go see movie,  released 7/22:  “Hillary’s America:  The Secret History of the Democratic Party”, by the producer of Schindler’s List and Juraissic Park
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LEFTIST WATCH
Commie protestor in Cleveland lights himself on fire trying to burn American flag.

Ben Carson veered off prepared remarks at the RNC stage to link Democrat Hillary Clinton to liberal radical Saul Alinsky and link Alinsky to the devil. First, Carson noted that Alinsky was one of Clinton´s heroes. Carson then pointed out that in Alinsky´s 1971 book ´Rules for Radicals,´ the writer acknowledged Lucifer on the tome´s dedication page, calling the devil the original radical.

Case Western Reserve University is providing a “safe space” for students who are upset about this week’s Republican National Convention.
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ARTICLES
VDH:  Ten Reasons Why Trump Could Win

This in the liberal Washington Post: “The continuing political decline of Hillary Clinton”

The reality is that in the 2016 election it now takes more than a majority for a Republican to win. Romney, for example, won about two thirds of all precincts nationwide and probably got in the range of 55% of the verifiable vote, but lost the election to nearly unanimous Obama support from nearly 100% turnout of potentially eligible voters in inner city precincts in key states like Ohio, where the certainty of being accused of racism for even thinking you couldn't get that level of turnout for a week of free pizza and beer prevented any form of verification.
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WISE WORDS
"'Trust me' government asks that we concentrate our hopes and dreams on one man; that we trust him to do what's best for us. My view of government places trust not in one person or one party, but in those values that transcend persons and parties. The trust is where it belongs — in the people. The responsibility to live up to that trust is where it belongs, in their elected leaders."
                -Ronald Reagan