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SEPTEMBER 7,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:52 P.M. ET: 

DID SOMEONE SAY WALL? – FROM FOX:   In what could be a "told you so" moment for Donald Trump, the U.K. on Tuesday announced plans to build a "big new wall" at a border port in France to prevent migrants in nearby camps from sneaking aboard vehicles heading to Britain.  Robert Goodwill, minister of state for immigration, announced the plan for a wall in Calais, France, at a Home Affairs Committee hearing Tuesday, saying it would be in addition to an already existing fence.  “We’re going to start building this big new wall very soon,” Goodwill said. “We’ve done the fence, now we’re doing a wall.”  Maybe they could get Trump's company to build it.  Discounts available.

A TWO-POINT RACE – FROM REALCLEARPOLITICS:  The RealClearPolitics poll of polls, the averaging of all major polls, now shows Hillary Clinton ahead by only 2.1 points.  Essentially, given the margin of error, that's a dead heat.  But now that the formal campaign has begun, and with the first debate only two and a half weeks away, anything can happen.  Both candidates are disliked, neither has run stellar campaigns thus far, and one slip can change the dynamics.  Also, we note again that the RCP figures reflect national polling.  On election day we vote by state, and it's almost universally believed that Trump has a tougher road to victory in the states than does Clinton.  A great deal, perhaps everything, will depend on the debates.

OH DEAR, ANOTHER NAUGHTY BIT – FROM TRUE PUNDIT:   Hillary Clinton was sporting a mini earbud wired to receive stealth communications from her campaign handlers during Wednesday’s Presidential Forum carried live on NBC from New York City, True Pundit has learned.  While Clinton was fielding questions from NBC’s Matt Lauer and the public Wednesday night on live television, a quiet buzz started circulating in New York law enforcement circles about Hillary’s left ear. NYPD sources involved with the NBC forum’s security detail confirm Clinton was wearing an "inductive earpiece," the same technology employed by almost all lead Broadway actors to receive forgotten lines and stealth off-stage cues from directors. The flesh-colored earbud is easily concealed. There are no wires running directly to the ear like you see with the units employed by Secret Service protection detail personnel.  The skin-tone piece Clinton was wearing, however, was somewhat different from the standard issued stealth earpiece and is much different in appearance from a hearing aid. This unit is considered a “micro” earbud which contains all the technology but is a fraction of the size with a very high price tag.  We cannot confirm this independently.  If true, I think Trump can make a very big deal out of the incident.  It is cheating, and plays to Hillary's image among the majority of Americans as not honest or trustworthy. 

September 7,  2016     Permalink

REALITY ABOUT CRIME, FOR A CHANGE – AT 10:53 A.M. ET:   The police chief of the nation's capital is leaving, and giving us an earful about the criminal justice system.  And, no, she isn't politically correct.  From Powerline: 

Cathy Lanier is leaving her job as police chief of Washington, D.C. to become the NFL’s head of security. She is well-regarded in the District and her tenure as chief is considered successful. Were it otherwise, the NFL would not be entrusting her with its top security post.

On her way out, Lanier had some harsh things to say about criminal justice in D.C. “The criminal justice system in this city is broken,” Lanier told the Washington Post. Indeed, “it is beyond broken.”

Often, it’s the left that calls the criminal justice system “broken.” But Lanier was not offering a leftist critique. Instead, she found the system broken primarily because it allows repeat violent offenders back on the street time after time.

Lanier cited the case of an 18 year-old man who last week was on home detention when his GPS tracking device became inoperable. The man then went on a crime rampage that started in Maryland and ended in the District. His crimes included a robbery, a shooting, and a car theft that resulted in a crash that left a bystander critically injured.

According to Lanier, this sort of thing is “happening over and over and over again.” She added:

Where the hell is the outrage? . . . People are being victimized who shouldn’t be. You can’t police the city if the rest of the justice system is not accountable.

COMMENT:  Read the whole piece.  It's a breath of fresh air.  The fact is that one city – New York – reduced its murder rate by 80% under Rudy Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg.  You don't hear much about that on CNN because it would mean giving credit to Giuliani, a Republican.  But the fact is that crime can be reduced if it's taken seriously, if the best methods are used to fight it, and if there are results. 

It can also be reduced if brave mayors like Giuliani go about it without first getting the permission of local ethnic leaders, who will never give that permission.  Giuliani was the Churchill of American mayors.  And, like Churchill, he was despised by all the right people.

September 7, 2016       Permalink

TRUMP ROMPS WITH MILITARY –  AT 10:30 A.M. ET:  There are groups giving Donald Trump major support, including independents, married women, and those who are in, or who have served, in the military.  From NBC News: 

Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton by 19 points — 55 percent to 36 percent — among voters who are currently serving or have previously served in the U.S. military, according to the latest NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll.

The poll was conducted online from August 29 through September 4 among 32,226 registered voters, including 3,358 who have previously served or are currently serving in the U.S. military.

Despite several controversial statements regarding war veteran Sen. John McCain and Trump's criticism of the Khan family, the GOP nominee has worked hard to secure the support of veterans and U.S. military members. On Tuesday morning, a group of 88 retired generals and admirals signed a letter backing Trump to reverse the "hollowing out" of the U.S. military.

COMMENT:  The Trump campaign hopes that its candidate's foolish statements are behind him.  He must convince the voters that he can be commander-in-chief, and that Hillary Clinton cannot be.  Clinton's record is less than stellar, starting with her handling of Benghazi. 

I think some of Hillary's problems with the military stem from her having worked for Obama, who will never be known as "Mr. National Defense."  This country is showing its weakness, and Clinton, having been secretary of state, must take her share of the blame.

September 7, 2016       Permalink

CONFIDENCE IN TRUMP GROWS ON THE HILL – AT 9:37 A.M. ET:  Trump is still not loved within the Republican Party, but confidence in his political skills is growing.  From Daily Caller: 

WASHINGTON — South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said he is pleased Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is holding up against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

“Trump is getting better,” Graham told reporters Tuesday pointing to the recent polling. “You can see a more disciplined message. If he can hold it together for another 8 weeks.”

Graham, who ran against Trump in the primary and doubted that the New York billionaire could beat Clinton, appeared impressed that Trump could withstand the amount of political attacks he had taken so far.

“He’s had massive political body blows that would knock anybody else out. If he can cross the lines in the eyes of the public and be ready for the job, then I think you’re gonna have one hell of a race,” Graham added.

Graham and other Republicans in Washington have something to be optimistic about. A number of recent polls show the race between Trump and Clinton narrowing, a development happening as a result of some unsure Republicans who finally decided to support Trump. A new CNN/ORC poll, for example, shows Trump with 83 percent support of Republican registered voters. This is up five points since late July. TheCNN/ORC poll shows Trump leading Clinton by 2 points among likely voters. Clinton previously led Trump by three points in the same poll.

COMMENT:  It appears that Trump is being more professionally managed.  He's getting good advice and taking it.

The next two weeks are critical.  If Trump can maintain his momentum, he will go into the first debate on September 26th with great self-confidence, and it will show in his performance.

But there are no guarantees.  You may be sure that the Clinton campaign and the Clinton media are planning a vicious series of attacks on Trump.  In the past he's taken the bait and reduced himself.  Can't do that anymore.  Stick to the script.  As they said to our airborne troops on D-Day:  "Join up.  Move toward your objective."

September 7,  2016     Permalink

SEPTEMBER 6,  2016

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

AN ANNIVERSARY – FROM THE MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL:   Today is the 100th anniversary of one of Memphis's far-reaching contributions to the nation: The modern grocery store.  The aggressive salesman of wholesale groceries, Clarence Saunders, opened his first Piggly Wiggly at 79 Jefferson on Sept. 6, 1916, with great fanfare.  Until then, shoppers walked to a front counter, told the clerk what they wanted, and the clerk went to the back to fetch the food items.  Saunders created the more efficient way of giving the shoppers a basket and letting them serve themselves as they walked along shelves full of food products before leaving through a check-out counter.  I will think of Mr. Saunders with great reverence tomorrow as I visit my local Stop and Shop, having run out of ice cream.  Breyer's chocolate chip is on sale.

ENOUGH, ENOUGH! – FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE:   George Washington, the guy on the quarter, could soon be facing the ax in San Francisco as surely as his fabled cherry tree.  The president of the San Francisco school board thinks it’s time to consider renaming schools that bear the names of slave owners — including Washington and his friends and fellow presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe.
Board President Matt Haney said Tuesday he will introduce a resolution before the board this month to clarify the rules for renaming San Francisco schools with an eye to encouraging the communities at Washington High School, along with Jefferson and Monroe elementary schools, to consider whether they want to make a change...“We need to have a conversation about this,” Haney said. “Especially at George Washington High School. We have school names in San Francisco that are not relevant or meaningful or inspire pride.”  Yes, Haney said, the name Washington — also shared by a state, the U.S. capital and a likeness on a dollar bill — might very well be such a name.  Haney sounds like the kind of idiot they get in San Francisco government.  You know, one of these days an honest reporter will take a look at some of the new, politically correct names on public buildings...and examine the lives behind those names.  I'm sure that reporter will find plenty of distressing details.

A BALTIMORE WEEKEND – FROM THE BALTIMORE SUN:   Violence in Baltimore came in bunches over the Labor Day weekend, with four triple-shootings breaking out in the city.  Twenty-two people were shot from Friday afternoon through Monday night, police said. At least three were killed, and four more were in critical condition Monday.  The victims included a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old. Police said a gunman left a dice game disgruntled on Saturday and opened fire indiscriminately on a crowd in Latrobe Homes.  The oldest victim was a 62-year-old woman, who sought refuge in a Wilkens Avenue pizza shop after a shooting claimed the life of a 29-year-old man.  T.J. Smith, the chief spokesman for the Police Department, said police needed the community's help to identify the shooters and take them off the streets.  He focused on the alleged dice game shooter.  I wonder if the Black Lives Matter crowd will find, in Baltimore, any lives that matter.

September 6, 2016        Permalink

CLINTON'S HEALTH – QUOTE OF THE DAY – AT 10:52 A.M. ET:  Correctly or not, it's becoming an issue.  It can't be avoided.   Hillary's coughing fits, her medical history,  and now the fact that she blames the concussion she suffered in 2012 for not "recalling" certain aspects of her e-mail operation, combine to make her health a subject for major discussion.

The Democrats dismiss all this as a conspiracy theory.  It isn't.  Presidential health has been a news subject for generations, most dramatically when Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke while president, with his wife withholding the truth from the public.

Wes Pruden, in the Washington Times, argues that the discussion must go forward: 

Internet websites abound with demands that Donald Trump release his tax returns to tell all about his finances, and that would be a good thing, too. No less important, and indeed perhaps more important, are legitimate and respectful questions about Hillary’s health. Presidents have concealed health problems in the past, from the wife of Woodrow Wilson shutting him off from the world for months to run the country herself, to John F. Kennedy’s debilitating struggle with Addison’s disease.

Her doctor says Hillary’s in good health, and if so that’s good news. We should all send her the traditional Chinese wish (slightly amended) for long life and many (grand)children. But in return the American voter is entitled to a detailed report of a thorough and independent physical examination of both candidates. If such a requirement is good enough for a truck driver, it’s good enough for a candidate for president of the United States. There’s no apology for asking for it.

COMMENT:  Excellent idea – a physical examination of presidential candidates conducted by an independent panel of doctors, and a full release of the candidate's medical records.

I doubt if it will happen this time around.  We have only two months to go, and Hillary can stall for time.  Donald Trump has already agreed to release all his medical records, but I don't know if that's contingent on Hillary releasing hers. 

September 6, 2016       Permalink

MAJOR CHANGE AT FOX – GRETA LEAVING – AT 9:50 A.M. ET:  This was announced minutes ago.  From Business Insider: 

Greta Van Susteren will depart Fox News after 14 years with the network, Fox News announced Tuesday morning. Brit Hume will take over as the new host of "On the Record."

“We are grateful for Greta's many contributions over the years and wish her continued success," Fox News co-presidents Jack Abernethy and Bill Shine said in a statement.

Abernethy and Shine added: "As one of the best political analysts in the industry, Brit is the ideal choice to host a nightly political program while the most dynamic and captivating election in recent history unfolds. Having Brit at the helm of this show will enable FOX News to continue on track to have its highest-rated year ever as the network dominates the cable news landscape."

COMMENT:  Fox remains the leading cable news network, while CNN falters badly in the ratings.  I'm not shocked by Greta's departure, but I am shocked that the change will occur so abruptly, without, apparently, an on-the-air goodbye.  Don't know yet whether she resigned or was eased out.  There's clearly more to this story than what we've learned so far.

At the same time, I'm glad to see Brit Hume back full-time.  His is a voice of political authority, and I look forward to watching.

Also, NPR and other sources are reporting that Fox has settled the sexual harassment suit against the network by Gretchen Carlson for $20 million, and will offer an apology.

Fox revolutionized TV news by adding a conservative perspective to the routine leftism of most other outlets.  What happens at Fox is important.

September 6, 2016       Permalink

POLLING LATEST – TRUMP UP BY TWO – AT 9:14 A.M. ET:  The formal presidential campaign starts today, and Hillary Clinton cannot be amused by a new CNN/ORC poll out this morning.  From The Hill: 

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tops a new national poll that shows a tight race two months before the election.

Trump leads Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by 2 points among likely voters, 45 to 43 percent, well within the margin of error in the CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday morning.

Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson takes 7 percent while Green Party nominee Jill Stein has 2 percent.

Clinton had an 8-point lead in the same poll in early August.

The new poll of 1,001 adults, conducted between Sept. 1-4, has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

Clinton leads Trump by 4 points, 46.1 to 42.1 percent, in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls.

COMMENT:  This is another poll that confirms a clear trend toward Trump.  There is no guarantee this trend will continue.  Trump must capitalize on his momentum by avoiding the outbursts and off-message arguments that severely damaged his campaign only a month ago.

Polling will intensify, and it's important that we look at the election state by state.  National polls are interesting, but we will be voting by state on election day.  Only electoral votes will actually count.

September 6,  2016     Permalink