Here are my observations on items in the news.
ABOUT THOSE RECENT ELECTIONS – Even though Democrats are crowing about their gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia, claiming it’s a repudiation of Trump administration policies, it’s all for show and they know it. Hillary Clinton won both states during the last election – by 14 percentage points in New Jersey and 4.5 percent in Virginia.
Virginia residents represent the second highest number of federal employees (136,377), mostly from Alexandria, Arlington and Fairfax counties, who are unhappy with the president’s goals of smaller government and draining the swamp. You may recall that Hillary took 90 percent of neighboring Washington DC votes in 2016.
In Virginia, Democrat Ralph Northam replaces Democrat Terry McAuliffe and in New Jersey Democrat Phil Murphy replaces Republican Chris Christie, who was term limited. Republicans still hold governorships in 34 states.
With that background, it was reasonable to expect the Democrat Party to be somewhat emboldened with those expected wins. Even so, as Mollie Hemingway of The Federalist cautions, “(Republican) members of Congress are delusional if they think they can keep their jobs without passing tax reform, repealing ObamaCare, and some other dramatic achievement.”
As expected, CNN’s graphic said, “Key wins by Democrats may portend an ominous future for President Trump and his party.” At least they chose to use “may.”
“Voters delivered a forceful rebuke of President Trump and his party,” said the New York Times.
The Washington Post wrote, “Republicans seek new path after failure of Gillespie’s ‘Trumpism without Trump.’” To that, Ann Althouse asked, “How do they know what Republicans are seeking based on one Republican losing a race in a blue state?”
Indeed.
NAACP OFFENDED BY NATIONAL ANTHEM – It started with former 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick and spread throughout the rosters of overindulged NFL teams. Disrespect for the flag and our national anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner has been our national anthem since 1931, and singing it before sporting events has become a tradition, and now California’s NAACP chapter wants a new anthem.
They claim it is “a racist song that has caused so much controversy.” Really? It’s the first I have heard about it. In fact, their objection is to words in the third stanza. I guess I knew there were more stanzas, but I certainly wasn’t aware of the words, “No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flights, or the gloom of the grave,” within that stanza.
Since we usually only sing the first stanza, how can people of color be offended?
Do you think black rap “artists” would stop using foul language because I am offended?
SPEAKING OF OFFENDED – Free speech has been thwarted at another college campus last night. Conservative talk show host Dennis Prager faced an effort by offended students, administrators and campus organizations to mobilize and shut down the event at the University of Wyoming. Leading the effort was the student government’s – are you ready for this? – director of diversity. Prager was scheduled to speak on the topic, “Why Socialism Makes People Selfish.”
Calling Prager’s past comments “bigoted,” “horrific,” and “disgusting,” he has been referred to as “a polarizing conservative with a history of controversial statements and positions,” and a “conservative firebrand.”
As an occasional listener to his radio show and frequent viewer of guest presenters on his Prager U online site, I view Prager as someone with common sense views.
Prager always looks forward to answering every question and challenge students wish to pose, and promises that most students will wonder why anyone at their university would call him a bigot and a hater.
