Analytics

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Miscellany: 1/06/16

Quote of the Day
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Albert Einstein

 Tweet of the Day
Image of the Day

Hint: how does one kill a preborn baby?

If Only Obama Understood His Teleprompter...



To Be a Catholic Man



Political Potpourri

The latest NH poll shows Trump with a 2-1 lead over Rubio at 29, with Kasich, Christie, Cruz, and Bush all at about 10% in a fight for the bronze. The Outsiders are now down below 40% of the vote.

Trump is finally putting money into ads, although it's too early to judge their significance; the ads don't seem to broaden his appeal over and beyond his populist base. There have been pundits suggesting that Trump is conceding Iowa to focus on NH. His campaign insists it has a get-out-the-vote organization on the ground, but unlike most politicians, his support is more personality than issues-based, associated with activist appeal; his support is primarily based on youth and blue-collar voters, which have not traditionally turned out. It's not clear how the polls reflect traditional turnout patterns.

It seems as though Rubio is picking up some support, although it's going to take more than one poll to confirm a bounce. As I mentioned in a prior post, it does seem that there are rumors that Rubio may be picking up anti-Trump/Cruz coalition support. From a strategic standpoint, it's difficult to see more than one governor surviving past NH without a second or better showing in Iowa or NH. I see Trump, Cruz and Rubio surviving past NH. I think Rand Paul may stay in longer, in part because I see him picking up better-than-expected results, especially in caucus states, and I think he is motivated to represent the pro-liberty perspective. Carson's campaign is in trouble with notably high staff defections, and it's increasingly likely he won't place in either of the first 2 states. Barring something unlikely, like a Trump campaign meltdown, I don't see him picking up ground on the rising Insiders like Cruz and Rubio. I do expect Cruz and/or Rubio to pick up support with a good showing in IA and/or NH. What is not clear is what happens if Trump doesn't win the first 2 states.  I think it'll depend on the Cruz-Rubio outcome. If Insider votes are evenly divided, Trump may be able to edge out a 3-way split in subsequent states. Otherwise, I expect a coalition behind the emerging anti-Trump candidate, most likely Rubio.

I haven't discussed Election Betting Odds, which I came across in a Stossel post. The betting comes from a UK-based website. As I write, Rubio leads the GOP race with about a 33% chance, Cruz has a 25% chance, and Trump is almost 24%. (Bush is the only other in double-digits.) Clinton has a 90% shot at the Dem nod and a 55% shot at winning the general election with Rubio at 14%.

The next GOP debate will be a week from tomorrow. Traditionally this is the time period during which early voters start serious consideration of casting their ballots.

Facebook Corner

(Reason). "I get why Donald Trump is appealing. I get the notion of 'I’m my own guy, I make my own decisions.' I made that same pitch in 2012. I don’t think I said anything as stupid. He's going to build a wall along the border with Mexico. Muslims are going to be barred from entering the country! He's going to kill the families of terrorists! That is just whacked—just nuts. Holy cow! It’s crazy!" -- Gary Johnson
1. There is already a border with Mexico. I'd like to know how that is "whacked"
2. Muslims have been barred from entering the country since 1922. The law just hasn't been upheld.
3. Chances are, the families of terrorists are also terrorists. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. 

 I have to wonder how people as naive as Gary were even elected into political office.

ISLAM WAS BANNED FROM THE USA IN 1952 but Obama doesn’t want you to know that, nor does he respect or uphold US law.

 The Immigration and Nationality Act passed June 27, 1952 revised the laws relating to immigration, naturalization and nationality for the United States. 

 That Act, which became Public Law 414, established both the law and the intent of Congress regarding the immigration of aliens to the US and remains in effect today.

 Among the many issues it covers, one in particular found in Chapter 2, Section 212, is the prohibition of entry in to the US if the alien belongs to an organization seeking to overthrow the government of the United States by force, violence or by other unconstitutional means.” 

 This, by its very definition, rules out Islamic immigration to the United States but this law is being ignored by the White House.

 Islamic immigration to the United States would be prohibited under this law because the Koran, Sharia Law and the Hadith all require complete submission to Islam which is antithethical to the United States government, the Constitution and to the Republic. 

 All Muslims who attest that the Koran is their life’s guiding principal subscribe to submission to Islam and its form of government. 

 Now the politically correct crowd would say that Islamists cannot be prohibited from entering the United States because Islam is a ‘religion.’

 Whether it is a ‘religion’ is immaterial because the law states that aliens who are affiliated with any organization that advocates the overthrow of our government are prohibited.
A retard Trump cultist. First of all, the Constitution prohibits federal, state and local governments from inhibiting the freedom of religion. This also applies to immigration, period. Arguing that some radical splinter groups of a faith comprising 23% of the world's population represent the overwhelming peaceful majority goes beyond stupidity. You cannot smear an entire faith because of the actions of a few. 

 Second, the troll ignores the context of Johnson's statement about "whacked"; he was particularly singling out Trump's morally bankrupt suggestion that we should target innocent family members of known terrorists; this is also illegal and unconstitutional. The US, among other things, is a party to the Geneva Convention and various restrictions in the rules of war. Trump, the populist idiot, has also called for deporting over 11 million unauthorized aliens, just 3 years after he blamed Romney's loss on the "cruel, heartless" policy of self-deportation. The proposed wall is idiotic for a number of reasons--financial, logistical and others; it attempts to deal with symptoms rather than causes of unauthorized entry, namely the lack of accommodative paths to legalized entry. Note that there were no quotas on immigration from the Americas until the 1964 immigration act. That also did away with the highly successful Bracero program which had cut immigration arrests by up to 95%. At the time the Bracero program was under attack, experts warned of a black market for migrant labor. What we need to do is to legalize migrations instead of luring organized crime into lucrative smuggling purposes. Never mind the fact that migration is a basic human freedom, and the past century of corrupt special-interest labor protectionist restrictions on immigration violated our historical roots of liberalized immigration, which helped make the US the world's largest economy by the end of the nineteenth century.

(Adam Smith Institute). It's time to stand up to the criminalisation of free speech.
Our government doesn't work. Our country is broken by corrupt politicians. Give Trump a try‼️
Bill Clinton lied as president to the entire world... Obama lies about everything... Hillary lies also about everything. I'm giving Donald Trump a businessman a chance...he knows how this lying, corrupt government works. With $18 trillion in debt we need someone like him‼️
Arguing that a self-serving, unprincipled crony capitalist economic nationalist like Trump deserves a try is like arguing a fox can do a better job protecting the henhouse. He doesn't understand economics and his policies would exacerbate a sluggish global economy. Trump is not a classical liberal but a Statist; he is corrupted by power. My preference is for Rand Paul. If Trump is nominated, I will vote independently, probably for the Libertarian Party candidate.

Love Prevails Over Cancer







Political Humor



Political Cartoon
Courtesy of Jerry Holbert via Townhall
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Vocalists

 Aretha Franklin, "Another Night"

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