Thematic Convergence, or Real Old Testament Stuff...

Rare is the day when we find a smidgen of insight at Vox. Rarer still is the day that the Voxsplainers and Glenn Reynolds are aligned in agreement.

This is that day. Glenn, picking up a theme noted by Sen. Ben Sasse in San Bernardino, explains that the river of BS flowing from Washington has lifted Trump's boat. Well, with better metaphors:

Glenn Reynolds: Liberals have chosen The Donald as their 'Destructor'

Glenn Harlan Reynolds 10:23 a.m. EST December 9, 2015

Weak and ineffectual leadership created the vacuum Trump is filling.

...And Obama’s public statements have seemed weak and mired in PC, even as many Americans grow increasingly worried about Islamic terrorism.  As Josh Kraushaar wrote in National Journal, “Demo­crats are at risk of polit­ic­ally mar­gin­al­iz­ing them­selves on na­tion­al se­cur­ity in the run-up to the 2016 pres­id­en­tial elec­tion, ca­ter­ing to a base that seems dis­con­nec­ted from the grow­ing anxi­ety that the pub­lic feels over the threat from Is­lam­ic ter­ror­ism. ... The signs of a pres­id­ent in deni­al over the threat of ter­ror­ism keep pil­ing up.”

Enter Donald Trump. People who are unhappy with the things Trump is saying need to understand that he’s only getting so much traction because he’s filling a void. If the responsible people would talk about these issues, and take action, Trump wouldn’t take up so much space.

And there’s a lesson for our ruling class there: Calling Trump a fascist is a bit much (fascism, as Tom Wolfe once reported, is forever descending upon the United States, but somehow it always lands on Europe), but movements like fascism and communism get their start because the mechanisms of liberal democracy seem weak and ineffectual and dishonest. If you don’t want Trump — or, perhaps, some post-Trump figure who really is a fascist — to dominate things, you need to stop being weak and ineffectual and dishonest.

That gives a pass to the Republican establishment that can't seem to tell the truth about their immigration aspirations, but yes - out in flyover country the bitter-clingers don't have a lot of confidence in Washington politicians.

And what do we learn from Vox?

Why conspiracy theories flourish on the right

Yeah yeah, more progressive catnip. Amazing how progressive social scientists write studies reviewed by progressive peers and they always come out the same way.

Twitter was helpful in alerting the Voxies to various Dem conspiracies. Movie recommendations included Fahrenheit 911, the Valerie Plame flick and the Dan Rather flick. 911 "Truthers", anti-vaxxers, and many others were noted.

But it was a clickbait headline anyway - the study notes that both parties are subject to this, with shifts depending very much on who is in and who is out:

However, they are careful to acknowledge that there are alternative explanations for the asymmetry that they cannot (yet) rule out. Perhaps conservative conspiracy theories are simply easier to believe. Perhaps they are more salient at the moment (liberal CTs mostly date back to the Bush era). Perhaps the fact that there is a Democratic president in office has made conservatives more prone to CTs, and the effect would be reversed under a Republican president. Perhaps conservatives are just taking their cues from elites, who are more likely to push CTs when a Democrat is in power.

The Republicans also get praise for their more elaborate and well-argued conspiracy theories, or something - anyway, we are offered the reassurance that the Dems are the Stupid(er) Party:

What's more, the conservative base is, relative to the broader electorate, more politically engaged and intense, which means its members are likely to pay more attention and have more knowledge (or at least "knowledge") about political events. By contrast, many of the demographics that make up the unwieldy left coalition are somewhat disengaged, less likely to consume partisan media, donate to candidates, or even vote.

And because we know so much but trust no one...

Low-trust, high-knowledge conservatives are a breeding ground for CTs, and more and more conservatives are low trust and high knowledge.

Are those my ears burning? Yes they are!

Normally I would say "Read it all", but honestly? This was their conclusion:

The research suggests that there is only one way to mitigate or reverse this process: restore some level of trust in the US political system. But conservative elites — who have the ear of their base — have no incentive to do so, and it's not clear that anyone else has ability to do so. Declining trust in institutions is broad and deep in America; it may very well be unstoppable. As long as it continues, conspiracy theories will play a larger and larger role in public life.

That is giving Obama a pass and blaming the Republican elites, although it is not clear who that may be since earlier we learned - brace yourself...

the conservative base tends to scorn all professional politicians, including those in the Republican establishment.

Maybe Rush could stem the Trump tide? His failure to do so isn't "incentives", it's more likely beliefs.

But at least we have a common diagnosis - leadership is faltering.

Let me add - Trump caught fire with immigration, which can be laid at the feet of a cryptic Chamber of Commerce "cheap labor" Republican establishment in an unholy alliance with the Democratic "more votes, screw the unskilled natives" side. But Obama didn't help bring the country together with his novel (and so far blocked) Executive Actions on immigration.

PILING ON: Ross Douthat gets a "Read it all", but here we go:

The Crisis of Republican Authority

After some utterly appropriate Obama-bashing he gets to the main point:

First, many of those voters lived through the George W. Bush presidency, when a Republican president combined an idealistic attempt to spread democracy in the Muslim world by force of arms with a firm repudiation of any suggestion that Islam writ large might be a problem. And they remember that this strategy did not exactly seem to reap the desired results.

Second, those voters know from long experience that whatever leading Republican politicians say about immigration and border security, many of them have similar views to, well, Barack Obama: They favor more immigration and less enforcement, and they privately (or not-so-privately) regard anyone who disagrees as a knuckle-dragging nativist.

This includes, again, the last Republican president — on whose watch, as not a few voters still remember, the most spectacular terrorist attack in American history was carried out by a group of men who were here entirely legally, most of them on visas from a country that’s officially one of our closest allies in the Muslim world.

So then you combine those two issues in a presidential campaign, and your party’s leadership (the new speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, very much included) consists of figures who basically still believe in Bush’s approach to both national security and immigration, and the presidential candidates with the clearest support from the Republican establishment are either Marco Rubio (who sounds Bush-esque on foreign policy and tried to pass a comprehensive immigration bill with Chuck Schumer) or Jeb Bush (I repeat, Jeb Bush) … well, you can understand why at least some Republicans (the less ideologically committed, more disaffected sort, especially) feel like they’re being offered something they’ve seen tried already, and why the party’s promise to improve on Obama’s record seems less authoritative and more like another bill of goods.

Just as a tease, Douthat says we need a new Nixon. Eerie, because the Democrats already have her. Err, him? Her.

Comments

[peter]

Es possibile que yo soy primero?

[narciso]

after 'killing the messenger' last year, and 'truth' this year, you can add 'trumbo' accorded some major awards, a decade of CIA and mercenary
assasins from the Bourne films, (referenced by
that tool Bergdahl) to the A Team films, shirley they can't be serious,

[maryrose]

Narciso
Bergdahl saw himself as a modern day Bourne
Is any prisoner of war ever completely sane after enduring captivity?

[narciso]

e por se move,

[jimmyk]

While fiction, practically every movie involving big business, especially pharmaceuticals, finance, or energy, depicts scheming, conspiratorial white alpha males.

[narciso]

well he wasn't the swiftest knife in the drawer before, and he'll fool the idiots at serial, who
still believe 'the hands up' carp.

[Miss Marple 2]

Kelly just had on a whistleblower who had an investigation going on the mosque that the shooter went to but it was shut down by DHS because they didn't want profiling.

If this doesn't get Jeh Johnson hauled before Congress I give up.

[narciso]

just like the mosque in Norman, Oklahoma,

[narciso]

of course David Roberts formerly of the Soros skydragon fanzine Grist, attacks Mark Steyn who is the magnetic north of practically every issue of note, that is discussed today,

[glasater]

Perhaps the fact that there is a Democratic president in office has made conservatives more prone to CTs

Dear TM,

It is the democrat president in office, not democratic president. There's nothing democratic about 0bama.

[narciso]

it really is a load of bovine excrement, bobby voxes like Yglesias, are part of the Journolist which is the regime grapevine even when they were out of power, they insisted you really could keep your plan and aq was on the run, (they didnt inform us in which direction)

[Miss Marple 2]

Newt on Hannity: Says we are in a different world. He thinks Trump could win the nomination, and then the GOPe will have to decide: Turn him into Goldwater or work together as a team.

He said that he suspects Trump has other options so they had better think this through.

[daddy]

Peter,

Your comment on TM's post 8 threads ago was just excellent.

Narciso,

Your quip 7 threads back to Peter's comment 8 threads back was very illuminating.

Maryrose,

Your link 6 threads back to Narciso's quip 7 threads back, elaborating on Peter's comment 8 threads back, was so very informative!

JimmyK,

Your riposte 5 threads back to Maryrose's link 6 threads back, elaborating on Narciso's quip 7 threads back, re: Peter's comment 8 threads back, was one of your very best:) Ha!

Miss Marple,

Slight disagreement with your comment 4 threads back re: JimmyK's riposte 5 threads back, referring to Maryrose's link 6 threads back, alluding to Narciso's quip 7 threads back, in regard to Peter's comment 8threads back, but no biggie:)

If I left anybody else's comments out I apologize.

Be true to your Blog:)

[Threadkiller]

he’s only getting so much traction because he’s filling a void. If the responsible people would talk about these issues, and take action, Trump wouldn’t take up so much space.

Unresponsible people fill voids?

It is a mystery how he found anyone to support him.

[Miss Marple 2]

daddy,

LOL!

[narciso]

how did you find enough string daddy, to tie all those together,

[narciso]

Duke and Duke, should spend some small sum to actually tackle the issues of immigration, trade and islamism, dealing with the reality, not the narrative,

[daddy]

how did you find enough string daddy, to tie all those together,

Narciso,

I had been saving it up ever since Brad Thor told us 3 threads back we might need some extra rope to hang the GOPe on Arlington street lamps, since there weren't enough available street lamps in DC to complete those executions proper.

[Buckeye]

Latest JEB commercial has him going negative on Trump, Cruz and Rubio. Not going to move the meter much.

[daddy]

Hat tip Narciso

[jimmyk on iPhone]

daddy @10:16, I'm going to have to take your word for it. :)

[Walter Sobchak]

Shoot me. Now. Please!

[daddy]

Miss Marple,

You done good on the Glen Beck transcribing. I can't take him anymore more than a few seconds.

Please, please, please gods of Talk Radio, please give me back Dennis Prager and Dennis Miller. Please.

[narciso]

well his cohosts, Stu and Pat, are easier to take,
he was prescient about the Caliphate and a whole host of other issues, he feels sorry for having brought out,

[Janet]

Look at this disgrace - http://www.frontpagemag.com/point/261087/insallah-obama-chanukah-party-attacks-islamophobia-daniel-greenfield#.VmoefNbweRo.facebook

"Having celebrated the race riots which destroyed a community, she pivoted to Syrian Muslim migrants. Chanukah is a celebration of the Maccabees defeating a Syrian occupation, but Talve may not even know that. Radical clergy tend to be light on the religion and heavy on the social justice.

Instead she rambled on about how the "gates of this nation would stay open for all immigrants and all refugees".

Then, not satisfied with having made a disgrace of the Chanukah ceremony, Susan Talve declared, "I stand here to light these lights to say no the darkness of Islamophobia and Homophobia and Transphobia."

Talve babbled about insuring "justice for Palestinians" and began gleefully chanting, "Ins'Allah, Ins'Allah". Or "Allah Willing".

I don't recall Susan Talve mentioning G-d or a word of Jewish scripture. Indeed she spent more time talking about Muslims than about anything in Judaism. And yet that's typical for Social justice clergy who have no organic ties to Judaism."

[Miss Marple 2]

daddy,

I so much agree! Beck started out good but by the end he was all like "I prophesied this and the American people must think about Hitler!"

You KNOW Megan had him on because she knew he would go after trump.

OUR local talk radio is now in a state of complete disarray. Rush left his long-time channel and now is on a sports station I can only get in my car. The station he left has messed up the morning with following a good host (Tony Katz) with this lame thing called 10 at 10, which is what they think are the ten most important stories of the day. It's like a review since I already know all of it from reading the internet, plus I usually know more.

Then they have a long-time local guy who is getting a bit cranky, then Dana Loesch. Then some local people again and then in the evening the odious CHAD BENSON. I figure he is related to someone.

So in the mornings I listen to Laura Ingraham and then if I am running errands I listen to Rush. Otherwise, Laura is followed by Dave Ramsey, then Hannity (who drives me nuts) and then the excellent Mark Levin.

I loved Dennis Miller's show. I would actually pay for a subscription.

[Jojo]

I just typed Dennis Prager into

http://www.talkstreamlive.com/search.htm

and he's streaming online as I post this

I hardly ever listen to radio on the radio any more.

[Comanche Voter]

Calling the Hildebeest the "New Nixon" is an insult to Nixon. And I was raised by a yellow dog Texas Democrat who taught me that Ol Milhous was the veritable spawn of Satan or worse. But even so there are some Democrats who are worse than Nixon, and Hillary Clinton is one of them.

[Ha ha ha ha ha]

If anyone has 10 hours free and is looking for something to do....

"Hillary Clinton Laughing for 10 hours"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orYcAiFqknU&feature=youtu.be

[narciso]

of course, he's a blithering idiot,

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/221043/

[Jojo]

I haven't listened to Prager much but it sounds like Hugh Hewitt

[Janet]

God bless Dennis Prager. He is one of my favorite people on the planet.

His PragerU videos are wonderful. - https://www.youtube.com/user/PragerUniversity

Short, on point, easy to share.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/12/10/illegal-immigrant-united-arab-emirates-arrested-fl-possession-ammunition/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Swell.

Now tell me again that we should let all these immigrants in from Syria. And this guy was from the Emirates, so it sounds to me like we had better get something like Trump's pause going.

[Captain Hate]

I was thinking that Prager is still on...

[daddy]

Narciso,

Today on the rare morning dog walk, all I had as choices was between Snit on 1080 and some guy from Chicago on 750, Jonathan Brandmeier.

Both were pathetic and unlistenable. What a graveyard my AM dial has become.

Then, after the 1 o"clock hour started, (Hannity) it was so cold out that no matter how hard I pushed the "POWER" button on my cheap Sony Walkman
I couldn't get the darn thing to come back on. That happens sometimes, but I'd shut it off since those guys were terrible. I should have muted it, but I was trying to save battery power. Oh well.

Thankfully I was able to text pictures of the puppy dogs to Jane and we could chat about winter. Today 's walk BTW was on a nearby horse riding trail, and the dogs kept finding fist sized horse "nuggets," frozen hard as diamonds, that I had to yank 'em away from, but that was generally fun as there's really no harm in such puppy chow.

[boatbuilder, Esq., Lord of All He Surveys]

So I suppose that Tomorrow we should expect the MSM to demand that all Dem candidates for any office anywhere, as well as the DNC and all state Dem party organizations, to condemn the Colorado ACLU guy who encouraged the (Dem) citizenry to shoot Trump supporters? That's how we do it these days, right?

[Miss Marple 2]

http://therightscoop.com/dhs-whistleblower-obama-shut-down-investigation-that-could-have-thwarted-san-bernardino-terror-attack/

This is the guy that was on Kelly's show that I spoke about earlier. Complete video at the link.

[Jojo]

He just identified himself and yes it's Hugh Hewitt not Dennis Prager

[narciso]

no room at the inn, apparently,

https://minutemanproject.com/obama-says-middle-east-christians-arent-refugees/

you would be mistaken, boatbuilder,

[Miss Marple 2]

Well, boatbuilder, that seems like a question to be asked to multiple people on Twitter. It will give me something to do tomorrow morning.

[Threadkiller]

One of the comments at that link, MM.

This wasn't done out of incompetence or stupidity. Our government has been infiltrated.

Yep. 

[Miss Marple 2]

Oh, look. They're already planning the looting:

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015/12/leading-us-imam-and-professor-muslims-can-take-property-of-filthy-christians-and-jews-video/

[narciso]

of course, it's the no true scotsman fallacy,

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/12/10/foreign-funded-hard-left-hope-not-hate-releases-counter-jihad-report-slamming-muslim-moderates/

[narciso]

is it conspiracy theory or enemy action:

http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/12/10/fact-check-the-washington-posts-philip-bump-has-a-credibility-problem/

[Janet]

Anyone heard from Extraneus lately?

[boatbuilder, Esq., Lord of All He Surveys]

MM2-I am sort of joking. I don't think that it is a good thing that every time someone who might be construed as having some connection to the right side of the political spectrum says something provocative, poorly thought out, or just plain dumb, everyone above the level of dogcatcher is required to issue a denunciation. But what is sauce for the goose...oh, who am I kidding?

[boatbuilder, Esq., Lord of All He Surveys]

Good night.

[narciso]

clearly they don't find it objectionable, just like with that some lives matter weasel, in the LUN,

[Dave (in MA)]

We have that same radio, daddy.

[Miss Marple 2]

Well, it's time for me to head to bed.

Nytol.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

One alternate explanation left unexplored is that a bunch of scabrous, left wing, collectivist apes are vastly more likely to actually engage in conspiracies.
And so it is only natural for the right wing to entertain more CTs because the Dem party and the MFM nexus is a veritable Frankenstein's monster of stitched together RICO cases.

[daddy]

Question on Article 5 of the Constitution.

As far as I know, no candidate has made any mention of pushing or promoting Mark Levin's proposal, via Article 5, of a Convention Of The States

Article 5: The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

Talk Radio listeners will be aware of this as it's been a subject for a few years now.

In light of our political infighting and massive loss of respect for the President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court, can you think of any candidate getting traction by calling for such a Convention if elected?

I could imagine Trump bringing it up in his bombastic way, and I think he has enough angry supporters that it might catch fire, and it would certainly catch headlines.

I'd actually like to se him bring it up, as it'd force everyone else out there to have to have microphones shoved in their faces and comment on the topic, and I think it'd be appropriate timing, as we are obviously hearing more and more from members of the Left that the Constitution is a washed up old piece of paper that nobody cares about or pays attention to anymore anyway.

I don't think it'd hurt Trump, but I'd like to hear the comments of some of the Candidates who understand the Constitution.

Off with the boys for a short one. brrrrrrr.

[narciso]

apparently he took some tips from clockboy,

http://twitchy.com/2015/12/10/middle-schoolers-homemade-ied-turns-out-to-be-actual-ied-student-faces-charges/

[narciso]

who knows what he's on now,

https://twitter.com/JoseCanseco/status/675119366330019842

[narciso]

this was noted some weeks ago, here,

http://leestranahan.com/keeping-them-honest-watch-cnn-anderson-coopers-benghazi-coverup/

[Janet]

That Lee Stranahan link is good, narciso.

and your 11:29 link too.

Boy...the MFM are just disgusting.

[narciso]

doubleunplusgood, comrade,

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20151207/00161333008/facebook-declares-bbc-article-about-french-political-polls-unsafe.shtml

[narciso]

I was looking at iowahawk's tweet, about the drowning reindeer, don't they realize they can fly?

[Threadkiller]

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/12/why_does_obama_call_isis_isil.html

[S H]

the foundations of liberalism are conspiracy theories. Big Business "controls" stuff. Rich people (1%) own institutions. Corporations hacked democracy. Oh; and we're racists (which is a conspiracy since its hidden) which means democracy can't be trusted either.

Which is why we need liberals and gov... to protect us from these conspiracies!

[Dave (in MA)]

Maybe he's not on anything, he's just suffering aftereffects :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QixQMUu4CKI

[Threadkiller]

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2015/12/10/new-england-police-union-endorses-donald-trump/cZemM3TxWTBpvbsWdF9uNJ/story.html#slide-1

[simply stupid]

Daddy, did you ever think that Rush, Dennis miller and the like are being taken off your station by the crony capitalist media moguls who still think they can control the narrative.

John Bathchelor was taken off before 2008 and I think the change of address for these radio shows is done at the behest of the GOPe

[Mahon]

Q: How is Donald Trump like ISIS?

A: Both are filling vacuums left by Barack Obama.

[Dave (in MA)]

Miller quit doing radio, he wasn't dropped. Limbaugh was dropped in Boston, supposedly for financial reasons, but the guy on in that slot (Jeff Kuhner) is at least as conservative, but local. Limbaugh has reappeared on a lower-powered station. Here, Batchelor was the victim of a format change from talk to juvenile thumping noises, so I tune in on the web, but he's not really much of a conservative.

[daddy]

The many faces of terror suspect Enriquez Marquez, Muslim convert:

Chapter 2:

[peter]

daddy @ 10:16 right back at ya'

[daddy]

Maybe they're just stocking stuffers!

Second Suspicious Cellphone Purchase at Mid-Missouri Walmart

Early Saturday morning two “foreign speaking” men set off alarms after they entered the local Walmart store in Lebanon, Missouri and purchased 60 cellphones. The purchase was made around 4 AM...

The Macon County Sheriff’s office is investigating a second suspicious purchase ...early Wednesday that 100 prepaid cell phones were purchased at two Missouri Walmarts over the weekend

Guess a lot of folks must have been nice, not naughty.

G'nite.

[danoso]

Strange as this is -- this is in no way the weirdest thing to occur in a Walmart at 4 AM.

[For some.]

Two weeks and a wake-up.

[rse]

I know daddy will be looking forward to residents being rallied to submit to 'governmental priorities.'

http://www.routefifty.com/2015/12/what-works-cities-13/124402/?oref=rf-today-nl

Also Denver and Las Vegas are among the 13. San Jose, waco, TX. Bellevue, WA.

[James D]

rse, one good thing about all these organizations starting to become more open about their plans, and listing their leaders on their websites, is that it will be a great help in compiling the list of people to be hung from lampposts.

[Jack is Back! (On Alert!)]

Lebanon, Missouri? The irony doesn't escape me.

rse,

How many of those cities are controlled by the Dems?

[Buckeye]

rse

I was at a conference this week that focused on data analytics.

My favorite line from the conference was. "never forget that the data is guilty until proven innocent".

[James D]

I was just thinking this morning on the bus into work what a shame it is that Scott Walker's campaign fizzled out.

There was someone who could have spoken to the same people Trump is capturing. He could have talked about bringing common sense and sanity back to government, and reclaiming the country from irresponsible, dangerous, hate-illed progressive lunatics - because that's exactly what he did in Wisconsin.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://freebeacon.com/columns/the-party-divides/

This is a thoughtful article. I do think we are in a realignment of the electorate and of the parties.

Some of the hallmarks of the GOP we have known for the last 4o years are disappearing. On trade, for example, the free trade that promised prosperity has turned into a bleeding of jobs and industries to foreign shores. I think it's very difficult now to promote trade agreements when the American working class has seen their good paying jobs disappear.

On foreign policy, people are not willing to back any military action unless it is based on an obvious threat to this country. This is why the "no ground troops" thing got such resonance until ISIS started terror attacks in Europe and here.

Trump's "we don't have victories anymore" is resonating both in trade deals and wars. People feel that trade deals should benefit our country, not China, and if we go to war they want to see a surrender on the equivalent of the signing on the US Missouri.

Personally, I think the parties will become more divided on pro and anti American lines. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see how the democrats are going to be able to say they support this nation, as Obama sucks up to every Muslim ruler and Hilary is stuck with his foreign policy.

[Old Lurker]

But he didn't James.

[Captain Hate]

I still maintain that it is contrary to the spirit of the nation to have this media and polling controlled debate season in which candidates fall by the wayside before a single vote is cast. How many of you feel happy about not having the chance to say yea or nay on Walker?

[pagar a bacon, ham and sausage supporter]

The anti-Christian Obama regime.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/426419/christian-refugees-syria-religious-minorities-united-states-resettlement-policy

[James D]

He at least won some actual victories, OL.

He pushed back against the public employee unions and won. He survived a recall election and everything - both legal and extralegal - the Dems could throw at him. That's more than any of the remaining R candidates can say.

If Obama's Presidency (and now Trump's candidacy) has demonstrated anything, it's that emotion and narrative are more powerful than reality in the eyes of an awful lot of voters. Walker had a powerful narrative he could have sold, and he chose not to, or was convinced not to.

[Miss Marple 2]

Captain Hate,

I agree. It is compounded by the fact that the media and the polls govern the direction of the big money and donors are impatient. Walker didn't get a chance to improve his debate skills and thus was gone before he really got a fair hearing. Same with Perry.

The money thing is a big deal. Truthfully, if Trump hadn't entered the race, Jeb's money strategy would have probably gotten him the nomination.

And the money thing does bother me, as it giver inordinate influence to people like Adelson and Georgette Mosbacher and others whose names I don't know.

Those donors get access and influence far beyond what we imagine, I think. I am in possession of a "Bush Cheney" bottle of wine that was handed out to dnors in the 2004 election cycle. My sister at the time worked for a woman who was a big donor who gave it to her. The bottle was specially commission with "Bush Cheney 2004" impressed into the glass and a special label.

How much do you think it cost the RNC or the Bush campaign to get those bottles made up? And that bottle is only the tip of the iceberg.

[Captain Hate]

What I can't figure out is why some of the biggest crony capitalists, Bill Gates for example, do not protest loudly, and in this case throw large amounts of money at, the horrible output of public schools which makes them look elsewhere for well educated workers. Welp in Gates case an antitrust suit by the Reno Injustice Department, at which double naught attorney Jethro Bodine Stedman was employed iirc, showed him the price of trying to make things better for people (insert snarky Windows comment if you wish) and join the big government team.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/428337/barack-obama-american-demagogue?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=566ad08f04d30159da97b545&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

[henry]

CH, they caught Gates (and Buffet among others) in the "send your money so our experts can fix it" scam which makes the Nigerian "please free my money by sending me yours" scam look pedestrian in scope.

[Captain Hate]

Miss Marple, I have done an almost 180 on all things related to money in politics, trade and immigration in the last seven years. Nothing like economic stagnation somewhere between the horrible situation under Carter and the FDR Depression to change how you regard things.

[James D]

If this is true...

http://dailycaller.com/2015/12/11/whistleblower-feds-shut-down-terror-investigation-that-could-have-prevented-san-bernardino-attack/

[Miss Marple 2]

Captain Hate,

Me, too. Part of why Romney didn't resonate with a lot of people (aside from collapsing in that last debate and Christie's Obama hug) was that he kept talking about entrepreneurial spirit and such.

No that many people run businesses or even want to. As one who is self-employed, I can tell you it's not always fun. For every self-starter who wants to own a business there are probably about 100 who just want a good job, which are scarce as hens' teeth right now.

Also, with the rise of the internet and social media, a lot of the platitudes we have been sold for so long are easily shown to be nothing like what's really going on.

[Miss Marple 2]

JamesD,

That whistleblower was on Megan Kelly's show last night. He seemed pretty credible to me.

He also looked like he was worn out with trying to get some attention to the situation.

[henry]

From our lurker Comey, genius. I now understand why Obama thinks he is accomplishing something closing the gunshow "loophole."

[Jack is Back! (On Alert!)]

jamesD,

Sounds like a job for Gowdy or Chaffetz to investigate including testimony from Jeh Johnson. But all you'll get is crickets.

Today on the Berman-Schnitt show we are told that the DHS, FBI, and all the other alphabet agencies are worried about an attack on the 17th. That is the opening of Star Wars in all the theaters in the country. The ultimate soft-target with a captive audience in a literal chokehold.

Stay alert, look at all exit routes and report every suspicion. Screw the PC police and profile to your hearts content.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BRITAIN_PHONE_HACKING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-12-11-07-59-45

No charges will be filed against Murdoch or anyone else, including Piers Morgan.

[Captain Hate]

Miss Marple, being a whistle blower with a message that isn't popular with the MFM is a lonely pursuit that will be pushed back against. Ask Linda Tripp.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/media-rages-trump-sees-path-to-victory/article/2578087

Byron York has some interesting information about the Iowa race.

[NK]

WTI crude is at $36+, Brent is at $39+, below $40. Midwest USA will be seeing $1.60 regular by late January. Calif and Ct $2.00.

[Miss Marple 2]

Captain Hate,

Absolutely true. I believe the only reason he got air time was because of the San Bernardino attack. There is much more to be concerned about with that mosque, but we wouldn't have heard any of it if it hadn't been for the killings.

[James D]

I wonder how long it'll be before we see that whistleblower up on a stage with Trump?

If I were Trump, I'd have people talking to him right now.

"Wanna know why I say we gotta ban all Muslims from coming into the country? Let's ask my new friend Phil here. Phil worked in Homeland Security. His job was investigating terrorists, trying to keep us safe. Except his bosses told him to stop. And now we got fourteen people dead in California. How about you tell us the story, Phil?"

[Miss Marple 2]

JamesD,

I sure wouldn't bet against that!

[Captain Hate]

Am I the only person who thinks Star Wars is a hot steaming pile dropped by fatassed George Lucas, who is a horribly obvious story teller?

[James D]

Or, really, any of the R candidates could use him.

"I don't want to excluse a whole class of people, and keep out innocent, decent people who just want to come here for a better life, but if President Obama and the Democrats absolutely refuse to take the threat of terrorism seriously, and they refuse to investigate deadly threats to this country, what other choice do we have? I've got with me here Mr. Philip Haney, of the Department of Homeland Security, and he was investigating the terorrists who carried out the terrible attack in San Bernadino, until his investigation was called off by higher-ups at the State Department. Mr. Haney, can yuo tell us more?"

[Captain Hate]

The opportunity to be seen with the whistle blower is open to all the candidates yet we automatically assume it will be Trump. There's a reason for that.