Friday, June 28, 2019

Notations On Our World (Special Q-End Edition): On The #DemDebate2020 & Other Thoughts

Changing The Conversation About Our World (Our Mission-Courtesy Financial Times) 
It has been quite a month and Quite a Quarter.   We decided to adopt a new logo to underscore our mission to help change the conversation about our World courtesy of the Financial Times.   

We are gearing up for a new quarter.   Please enjoy the takeaways we compiled on the Democratic Debates: 



We close out with this from Sabato's Crystal Ball on the analysis of the campaign.  We will be going dark in our properties through 4th of July here in the United States.  We wish all in the United States and Happy and Safe 4th of July.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

- 2 Debates, 20 Candidates, 26 Hours

- Center for Politics Wins Emmy for CHARLOTTESVILLE Documentary
2 DEBATES, 20 CANDIDATES, 26 HOURS
And some words, more than one, on all the participants

By Larry J. Sabato and Kyle Kondik
Sabato's Crystal Ball


KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE

-- Do not necessarily assume that this first debate will dramatically reshape the Democratic primary race.
-- The biggest moment from either night was almost certainly Kamala Harris’ attack on Joe Biden.
-- The leftward shift of many Democrats may be heartening to the president as he tries to turn a referendum election into a choice election.

Referendum or choice in 2020?

The opening two debates of what Democrats hope is the 2020 Donald Trump Demolition Derby are in the books. Ultimately, the polls and maybe the upcoming donation totals will tell us whether there were any clear winners, and whether the debate changed anything.
We are now in what feels like a disorienting part of a four-year presidential cycle featuring a presidential incumbent. Even though any president is essentially the center of the American political universe -- particularly Donald Trump, who insists on dominating the day-to-day news -- he is strangely sidelined in the race that will produce his opponent. Other than the State of the Union, the regularly-scheduled big primetime political events of the next year -- the debates, and the caucus and primary results -- will not include him as a major participant, in all likelihood. On one hand, that’s great for the president: He has a clear path to renomination. On the other hand, Trump -- like Barack Obama at this same point in the political calendar eight years ago -- has to share the spotlight with a huge number of competitors.
Then again, the president may enjoy what he’s hearing. Three of the leading candidates -- Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders -- raised their hand when asked if they would abolish private insurance as part of a Medicare-for-all plan. One wonders if that would be a position that’s a bridge too far in a general election: a lesson of the last three decades seems to be that proposing change from the health care status quo is politically problematic. Republicans also will use the concept of providing health care coverage for undocumented people against the eventual Democratic nominee.
The next election may be similar to the last couple of elections featuring incumbent presidents: 2004 and 2012. The incumbents those years, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, wanted the election to be a choice between them or their challengers; the challengers, John Kerry and Mitt Romney, respectively, wanted the election to be a referendum on the incumbent. Bush and Obama found enough cracks in their opponents that they avoided the kind of straight referendum that could have doomed either. Trump is clearly trying to make this election a choice, too; if it’s a referendum on him, he probably won’t win, given his middling approval ratings. It may be that the policies some of the Democrats support give Trump weapons to use as he tries to present the election as a choice.
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves – the candidate who will emerge to be the alternative to Trump remains a mystery. Here’s what we thought of every candidate over the two nights of debates:

THURSDAY NIGHT

Vice President Joe Biden: The former vice president was the quasi-incumbent on stage. Standing right behind him was the outline of Barack Obama, still enormously popular among Democrats. Just as you would expect, Biden invoked Obama to good effect on several occasions, but Biden was forced to own his pre-vice presidential years all by himself. Biden escaped unmentioned and unharmed the first night, but once present, he wasn’t so lucky. Bernie Sanders made sure the audience recalled that Biden voted for the Iraq war and Sanders voted against. Michael Bennet clocked Biden for a compromise with Mitch McConnell that preserved the Bush tax cuts. But it was Kamala Harris who memorably confronted Biden about the vice president’s praise for segregationist senators with whom he had worked in his early Senate career (Biden denied his comments were praise). Harris powerfully reproached Biden for his opposition to school busing to achieve racial balance in the 1970s, noting that she had benefitted from busing. It was another time and place, and older observers (including one of us) recall that plenty of Democrats were damaged or defeated because of their support of busing, which was greatly unpopular among whites and also disliked by many blacks, because it limited extracurricular activities and resulted in many students leaving home very early and returning home after dark. But none of that matters now, and Biden is paying a price. Biden didn’t answer these criticisms well, and some of his staff privately said he hadn’t followed the script they’d devised. Yet while Biden didn’t soar, we doubt he was fatally damaged by any of this. Nonetheless, as frontrunner, Biden can look forward to many more attacks. Whether this sharpens Biden for the campaign against Trump (should he win the nomination) or deconstructs Biden on his way to losing the Democratic nod, we cannot guess.
California Sen. Kamala Harris: As just suggested, Harris was widely viewed as the winner of the second night’s debate since she managed to corner Biden while most of her rivals steered clear of challenging the former vice president. Some critics found her to be too hard-edged, even mean, but that was not a view widely shared among Democratic pols and pundits. Simply put, Harris is a contender. We’ll be surprised if she doesn’t show movement in the next round of polls. Harris’s objective is clear. She needs to shake or split Biden’s strong African-American support so she can scoop it up (presumably, though Cory Booker and others have a different plan for those voters). At the very least, debate watchers in July and beyond are going to pay close attention every time she has the floor.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders: The irascible independent senator came off almost exactly the same as he did in the 2016 debates: Aggressively liberal and on message, and confident in his beliefs. The difference is that the surroundings around him have completely changed: He is no longer the sole alternative to Hillary Clinton, but rather just one of many options for Democratic voters. Elizabeth Warren and Sanders are going to come into conflict sooner rather than later given that they are directly competing for the same liberal bloc of the electorate. From that standpoint, the pair being split in this first round is only delaying what may be inevitable.
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand: Gillibrand tried to inject some issues of importance to herself, and many Democrats, into the overall conversation, such as abortion rights, but it’s hard to see how her underwhelming candidacy will get a jolt from this first debate.
South Bend, IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg: “Mayor Pete” displayed many of the attributes -- such as introspection and intellect -- that won him attention and praise over the past several months and allowed him to surpass many Democratic pols with better resumes. He is often compared to Beto O’Rourke -- his rise probably came at some expense to O’Rourke’s numbers -- and Buttigieg impressed more than O’Rourke did on Wednesday (more on the former Texas Senate candidate below). However, it felt like the action in this debate was elsewhere, and his already very long odds of winning meaningful black support have not been helped by a recent officer-involved shooting in South Bend that he tried to show contrition for during the debate. For all of Buttigieg’s progress, he either needs to attract many more liberals to his side (and he may be blocked in doing so by Warren and Sanders) or many more black voters (where he is blocked by Biden and probably Harris and Booker, among others). So we’re struggling to find a path for him even as he ranks among the better-polling candidates.
Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet: If the eventual Democratic nominee is someone other than a white male, Bennet may very well get a look as a running mate. He displayed both knowledge of the issues and a bit of fire and passion in discussing them; he also mixed it up with Biden to some positive effect, as noted above.
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper: Hickenlooper must be very frustrated because his credentials equal or exceed anybody else’s on stage, except for Joe Biden. He was a successful mayor of a major city, Denver, and then a durable, popular two-term governor of Colorado. Yet he hasn’t found his niche in this presidential race, and so far is a minor figure -- a status very probably unchanged by the debate. Snappy soundbites are not his strength, nor is he inclined to interrupt others -- normally praiseworthy but unhelpful in the dog-eat-dog world of politics.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell: The debate was probably the first time most Americans have laid eyes on him, and the impression was likely favorable. Unlike most of the others, Swalwell is not afraid to lighten up a bit when the opportunity presents itself, and his responses are pointed and often effective. Like Buttigieg and Gabbard, he is young and uses that to his advantage, quoting Joe Biden (quoting John F. Kennedy) about “passing the torch to a new generation of Americans.” Having said all this, the California congressman doesn’t have the money or standing to become one of the top contenders, and his oxygen is being sucked away by fellow Californian Kamala Harris.
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock: The successful vote-getter from Montana spoke to… oh wait, he actually wasn’t there. Instead…
Former tech executive Andrew Yang: A single-issue candidate who seems to have devoted support in at least some corners of the Internet, Yang actually came across as a fairly normal and reasonable person pushing the idea of a universal basic income. That said, Yang also didn’t really stand out compared to the other nonpolitician on the stage…
Author Marianne Williamson: Whatever we write about her will not be as funny as what the late-night shows and The Onioncome up with. We will defer to them.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren: It seemed like she would dominate the debate in the early going, as the moderators routinely went back to her. But then she was largely ignored in the second half, although she closed the night with what we thought was a powerful concluding statement that encapsulated her worldview: government played a powerful role in her life, and can play a powerful role for others. Whether one agrees with her, she has a plan, or plans, to make government do precisely that, and she summed it up in 45 seconds effectively.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker: A couple of months ago, many of us were wondering why Warren’s campaign didn’t seem to be taking off. Now that Warren has emerged as one of the frontrunners, it’s been reasonable to wonder the same thing about Booker, who like Warren is a nationally prominent member of the Senate. Maybe Booker can get going following the first debate, when he got the most speaking time -- though still only about 10 minutes out of two hours.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar: As much as anyone else, Klobuchar needs Biden to fall apart fast so she can try to step into the vacuum his collapse would create among the less liberal voters in the party. That she didn’t even get to share the stage with him may have been bad luck. Her contributions on the debate stage were perfectly fine, but not very memorable.
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro: Generally an inert presence in the campaign so far, Castro ended up getting a surprising amount of time and seemed to make the most of it. The Associated Press’s Alexandra Jaffe noted Thursday morning that Castro parlayed his well-reviewed debate showing into a bunch of additional media appearances. For successful candidates, the debates need to be a springboard to something else. Could it be for Castro? Has he now eclipsed his fellow Texan, O’Rourke, to inherit the money and votes in the Lone Star State?
Former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke: One of us has been arguingthat O’Rourke had a real chance to shine during these crowded debates given his rhetorical talents. natural charisma, and experience debating Ted Cruz. It’s hard to argue that he did, at least in his first appearance. He appeared nervous and intimidated by Castro and de Blasio -- not a presidential image, to be sure.
Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: It is possible that Gabbard was a hidden winner of the evening, given that she ended up being the leading candidate in Google search trends on Wednesday. However, such searches do not necessarily equate support: Williamson, for instance, led on Thursday night. Here’s the thing: If Gabbard has true and growing support, we’ll look for it in the polls. We also thought she got the better of Tim Ryan during their back and forth on American involvement in Afghanistan, and there is undoubtedly a constituency on the left (and the right) for Gabbard’s anti-interventionist stances. Like any other candidate, if she does emerge a bit from the pack, she will face more scrutiny, both on her curious relationship with the Assad regime in Syria and her past anti-LGBTQ stances (both of which were mentioned during Wednesday’s debate).
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan: Speaking of Ryan, we thought he had some decent moments but didn’t quite nail his discussion of the Lordstown, OH GM plant closing (which essentially provides the rationale for his candidacy). Ryan did provide something different on stage -- a candidate making an explicit argument about the Democratic Party’s decline with white voters in small towns and rural areas (a trend that was exacerbated by Trump but also precedes the incumbent’s presidential candidacy) -- but it’s also hard to say Ryan made a lasting impression.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee: Climate change did not get much attention at the first debate. That’s probably not a great thing for the candidate who has premised his campaign around the topic. Remarkably, the only state governor on stage was unable to assert himself to grab his fair share of time because the moderates weren’t going to give it to him. His five minutes of airtime was smaller than any other participant that night.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio: We give de Blasio credit for one thing: The fringe candidates need to make their own time or else they will be ignored. De Blasio butted in whenever he could. That said, he seemed arrogant and pushy and, all in all, he didn’t come across as very appealing, and he made a boneheaded move on Thursday when he used a rallying cry associated with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in Miami, a city whose politics has long been influenced by anti-Castro Cuban exiles. Oops.
Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney: Closing now?
Yes, we are.
OK, more fairly, Delaney had a lot to say from a moderate perspective and has honed his appeal during near constant-campaigning for many months, but he just didn’t seem to fit on this presidential stage. No offense, Rep. Delaney, we don’t fit either, and 99% of our fellow citizens wouldn’t make the cut.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Notations On Our World (Special Edition): As First Night Of the #DemocraticDebate Get Underway....



As we went to press, the first of two Democratic Debates began with an address by the Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez.    

Bloomberg,  the Brennan Center are among the organization's live blogging proceedings right now --President Trump also weighed in as he was on Air Force One flying to the G20 in Japan noting how his Re-Election team would be "Fact Checking" as he also was busy going after Mueller, the Democrats as noted by Susan Glasser: 


The key question was raised by Noah Rothman as the threshold will only be raised especially as a number of candidates were excluded from this first round of debates:  




Monday, June 24, 2019

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): Out & About in Our World....

It is the dawn of a new week here in our properties.   As we picked up this image courtesy of the Team at the Economist of London deliberated the differences with California and Texas, we though this latest from the eloquent Trevor Noah reflects upon quite a World--we won't give away the surprise twists and turns: 



Onward to the new week!!

Friday, June 21, 2019

Notations On Our World (Special Friday Edition): On the Week That Was..



President Trump officially launched his Re-Election bid this week.  Please enjoy the following perspectives on the week that was: 

We close out with this on Sudan as we commend Trevor Noah for his matter-of-fact assessment of the upheaval in Susan: 
 

Boris Johnson (Source:  The Economist) 
#WeShallOvercome as we remember the 70 Million of our brothers and sisters who are refugees as the World remembered refugees on World Refugee Day yesterday.   This is as it looked increasingly likely that Boris Johnson would be the new UK Prime Minister and the Economist of London noted this during a commentary this week: 

The Tory leadership race
The Boris bubble that threatens Britain’s Conservatives 
A worrying number of MPs are backing Boris Johnson mainly because others are


Truly Challenging Times  as we close out with this perspective on the current conflict with Iran as only noted by Trevor Noah:





As we went to press, we picked up reporting from the New York Times on President Trump having approved strikes against Iranian Targets that he decided to pull back at the last minute:  


Our team will continue to monitor as the implications will be profound.....



Thursday, June 20, 2019

Notations On Our World (Special Edition): On #Iran....





We have been following the case of Nazanin Zargari-Ratcliffe as she has been on a hunger strike joined by her husband in front of the Iranian Embassy in London.    We urge Iranian authorities to release Mrs. Ratcliffe immediately so that she and her daughter can leave Iran.  

We have also been following the case of other prisoners along with recent developments including a major declaration by 14 leading writers and activists on a call for the immediate resignation of the Supreme Guide (also referred to as the Supreme Leader in the West).  Three of the signatures had an interview on the Iran-E-Farda Network and our team will have a transcription of it soon.   Iran also shot down a US Drone and President Trump reacted harshly also he noted that he believes it was unintentional.  Our team will continue to assess that as well not withstanding the bellicose rhetoric by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Commanders.

Challenging times...

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Notations On Our World (@POTUS Weekly Edition): As @realDonaldTrump Begins Re-Election...

Donald Trump campaigns in Florida in 2016.

As we went to Press, US President Trump accompanied by Vice President Pence and staff left for Florida to formally launch the 2020 Re-Election bid noting how some 75,000+ people had asked for tickets for the arena in Florida.    This is as the tensions with Iran rise, the Acting Defense Secretary has withdrawn as a candidate for Defense Secretary and has resigned his position with immediate effect.     Our team has also been assessing the latest on the Trump Peace Plan as we saw a note from the US Special Envoy about a potential failure of the Peace Plan they have touted as the "Deal of the Century" as neither Israel or members of the Palestinian Leadership will not be at the workshop in Bahrain.


Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert  (whom we regularly feature here in the perspectives property) reflected upon what President Trump was up to:



We close out with this From Jon Stewart as he rebuked the US Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, after he questioned why Jon Stewart was "bent out of Shape" in an interview on Fox News: 

Monday, June 17, 2019

Notations From The Grid (Weekly Edition): On the Week That Was......



 



The Bahrain Conference spearheaded by the Trump Administration Looms.   This is as the March of Return continues.   Our team captured scenes from the past week as we also caught this: 




Lea Tsemel has been at the forefront of representing Palestinians for over 50 years-It is a very compelling 17 minutes on the true reality of the State of Affairs in Israel and Palestine as we also wanted to present a true sense of the reality of the Global Economic War that continues courtesy of Fortune's Alan Murray:

JUNE 14, 2019

New signs emerged that the trade war is dragging down the global economy. The International Energy Agency this morning cut its projection for energy demand this year by 100,000 barrels to 1.2 million barrels per day, citing the “worsening trade outlook” as a “common theme across all regions.” China reported the slowest growth in factory output since 2002. And more than 500 U.S. companies—including retail giants WalmartTarget and Costco—saidtariffs are hurting American businesses and consumers. A survey of CFOs found nearly half expected a recession by the middle of next year.
All of this ups the ante for a possible meeting between President Trump and President Xi at the G20 summit in Japan June 28-29. Trump has requested a meeting, and White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said yesterday the president has threatened to raise tariffs further if Xi doesn’t agree.
Apple CEO Tim Cook had a private meeting with the president yesterday to discuss trade, among other things. I don’t know what he said, but I’d be willing to bet the CEO advised that public threats won’t help bring the Chinese leader to the table.


Jon Stewart also spoke on the 9/11 Fund that he championed in criticizing the US Senate Majority Leader--this is as the US Senate Majority Leader has only allowed 21 Bills out of 264 Bills passed in the US House of Representatives including suppressing Election Security Legislation as noted by the Washington Examiner: 

Jon Stewart

Comedian Jon Stewart criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Sunday, saying the Republican lawmaker has never dealt with the issue of compensating 9/11 emergency responders compassionately, and has consistently obstructed efforts to ensure the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is adequately supported.
"In terms of getting the 9/11 bills passed, Mitch McConnell has been the white whale on this," Stewart told Fox News Sunday, referring to the elusive whale in Moby Dick. "This has never been dealt with compassionately by Mitch McConnell."

Profound challenging times...
Profound challenging times...

Saturday, June 15, 2019

Notations On Our World (W-End Edition): The Democrats Are on Stage....

Please note the following courtesy of the Democratic National Committee on the upcoming candidates debate: 

Join us.
 

Today NBC announced the official lineups for the first Democratic presidential primary debate.

NIGHT ONE, Wednesday, June 26:
  • Cory Booker
  • Bill de Blasio
  • Julián Castro
  • John Delaney
  • Tulsi Gabbard
  • Jay Inslee
  • Amy Klobuchar
  • Beto O'Rourke
  • Tim Ryan
  • Elizabeth Warren
NIGHT TWO, Thursday, June 27:
  • Michael Bennet
  • Joe Biden
  • Pete Buttigieg
  • Kirsten Gillibrand
  • Kamala Harris
  • John Hickenlooper
  • Bernie Sanders
  • Eric Swalwell
  • Marianne Williamson
  • Andrew Yang
The first debate of this cycle is going to be an exciting event that you won't want to miss out on. So, be sure to mark your calendar now for both nights of the first official debate in the race for the Democratic Party's nomination. You'll hear from this incredible slate of Democratic candidates as they share their vision to get our country back on track.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Notations On Our World (Special Thursday Edition): On @POTUS Watch Weekly On #Mexico, Tarrifs & Other Thoughts (UPDATED)

For this edition of @POTUS Watch, we hereby present a compilation of the late night commentary on President Trump as he also noted that he would take Foreign Government Dirt on Another Campaign and would not necessarily Call the FBI--It would be interesting how the White House would respond to it:

:

(Update:   President Trump's Senior Counselor, Kelly Ann Conoway, was accused of violating the Hatch Act and a recommendation was made to remove her from Federal Service:

Kellyanne Conway is shown.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway violated the Hatch Act on "numerous occasions," the Office of Special Counsel announced Thursday.
A letter was sent to President Trump recommending she be removed from federal service.

Wednesday, June 12, 2019

An Outsider Musical Interlude by Avalon Jazz Band - I love Paris (Cole Porter)

Let’s Make a Deal: Mexico Edition | The Daily Show

President Kennedy's Final Address to the United Nations General Assembly

@realDonaldTrump's Super Secret Agreement With Mexico

Notations From the Grid (Special Edition): Jon Stewart Opening Statement on 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund


We are honored to present this as we pay tribute to Jon Stewart for being at the forefront of his advocacy for the 9/11 First Respondents--We Salute Him.  

Notations On Our World (Special Edition): Samurai Abe Goes to Tehran


 Ã˜§Ã˜³Ã˜ÂªÃ™‚باÙ„ رسÙ…ÛŒ روحانÛŒ از نخست وزیر ژاپÙ† در کاØ® سعدآباد

As we went to press, the Japanese Prime Minister is in Tehran and earlier today Tehran Time received a formal welcome from the Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani:


Here is a sampling of the Iranian Media as The Japanese Prime Minister was due in Tehran depicting him as a Samuari underscoring the significance of the visit:



There is also a sense out of Iran that this is a chance for Iran to emerge from its' international isolation and potentially create some sense of a diplomatic ceasefire as the Iranian Economy continues to suffer and the people continue to suffer.   The question is whether Iranian Leaders will take advantage of it remains to be seen.

Watch this space...




Notations On Our World (Special Mid-Week Edition): Counterpoint Looks at Our World

Please Enjoy

 
Welcome to Counterpoint, where you will find original editorial cartoons from diverse perspectives drawn especially for you.

This week our almighty eight artists engage events from abundant angles. Front and center is the ongoing tussle over abortion rights in conservative states. In Virginia, yet another mass shooting lowers heads and raises questions. Donald Trump never escapes scrutiny and his recent overseas visit supplies our satirists with ample ammunition. Finally, John McCain looms large, once again.


1/8
Great Britain is deeply divided by Brexit. It appears the only person capable of uniting the country is the universally disliked Donald Trump.
Cartoon by Kevin KAL Kallaugher for Counterpoint.
2/8
A recent Georgia law with strict limits on abortion has ignited a boycott from disapproving filmmakers.
Cartoon by Rick McKee for Counterpoint.
3/8
Donald Trump is known to be a habitual TV-watcher with very specific tastes.
Cartoon by Darren Bell for Counterpoint.
4/8
The Supreme Court will likely revisit the decades-old ruling of Roe v Wade in the near future.
Cartoon by Lisa Benson for Counterpoint.
5/8
Hollywood companies and celebrities are protesting the recent surge of state anti-Abortion laws.
Cartoon by Mike Lester for Counterpoint.
6/8
During a recent trip to Japan, any evidence of the nearby navy ship USS John McCain was deliberately hidden from the delicate eyes of President Trump.
Cartoon by Nick Anderson for Counterpoint.
7/8
Virginia Beach was the most recent of a never-ending string of American mass shootings.
Cartoon by Rob Rogers for Counterpoint.
8/8
And some states are seriously considering voting by mobile phone. Wtf? LMAO!
Cartoon by Michael Ramirez for Counterpoint.