The NARN Closer's playlist - 11/3/2024

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Don't use your gender to drive a stake right through my soul.....

Two. More. Days. 

It feels as though we've been talking about the 2024 election cycle for two solid years, so we're about ready to "land the plane." Yes, I'll be on the air live today for the usual broadcast of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I'll talk with two different Republican candidates for MN House. At 1:00, Sue Ek will join us via phone to tout her candidacy in House District 14B (northern St. Cloud). Then at 1:15, Rep. Elliott Engen will be on to discuss his reelection bid HD 36A (Lino Lakes, Centerville, Circle Pines, North Oaks, northern White Bear Township). 

In the 2:00 hour, I will come to bury the mainstream media, not to praise it. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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They *still* think you're stupid

Given the media wasn't able to effectively cover for President Joe Biden referring to Donald Trump supporters as "garbage," they have to fabricate a story to ensure Trump is seen as the blood-thirsty fascist they claim him to be. 

WATCH: Donald Trump suggests @Liz_Cheney should be fired upon

It's an escalation of his violent rhetoric

My open of today's @CNNThisMorning

Cheney just responded to Trump -- shown below https://t.co/85RJ5VGZG3 pic.twitter.com/oxV0taVsEk

— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) November 1, 2024

Prog journos like this Hunt gal know full well this is a complete mischaracterization, but it's a necessary evil to perpetuate the narrative. 

If there's one area where Trump has been consistent over the years, it's his disdain for sending American soldiers into war (heck, he was a civilian in 2008 when he said George W. Bush should've been impeached for "getting us into the (Iraq) war with lies."). So anyone with half a brain can surmise that Trump was saying it's easy to vote on sending Americans to combat zones when the people authorizing such actions never have theirs or their kids' lives ever being in danger. We can debate whether that's a logical argument, but it's what he's conveying nonetheless. And how convenient that the clip was cut before Trump's statement regarding his assertion that Cheney "always wanted to go to war with people." But that would have provided actual clarity, so we can't have that. 

It's not exactly a new development that the mainstream media is utterly corrupt, and this quote from an "anonymous TV exec" shows the continued lack of introspection. 

Anonymous TV exec: "If half the country has decided that Trump is qualified to be president, that means they're not reading any of this media, and we’ve lost this audience completely. A Trump victory means mainstream media is dead in its current form." https://t.co/zWiIqKYx1b

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 30, 2024

Making this quote public may only fortify Trump's chances of victory next week. One could argue it's an in-kind contribution.

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They think you're stupid

For at least four decades now, the vast majority of American media members have clearly chosen a political side. So it should come as zero surprise that they're attempting to clean up (instead of, y'know, reporting facts) after the latest faux pas from the walking cadaver in the White House. 

President Biden tonight, on Zoom with Latinos, denounced attacks on Puerto Rico

In somewhat rambling remarks, Biden said the “only garbage” he saw was intolerance of Trump supporters who believed that

A WH spox said POTUS was talking about hatred of comedian who made the joke

— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) October 30, 2024

This was in response to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's remarks at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally this past Sunday. 

 

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe responds to backlash after calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”

“These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his “busy schedule” to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it… pic.twitter.com/s0CTOInDkQ

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) October 27, 2024

First off, Hinchcliffe is a professional roaster, so that context is important. Also, this wasn't aimed so much at Puerto Ricans as it was the actual island which has been overrun by mounting trash. While I'm not certain it's the wisest course of action to have an edgy comedian speak at a presidential rally nine days before an election, Hinchcliffe's remarks are hardly commentary on specific policy. 

With all that in mind, I'll let you be the judge on if Biden was referring to a comedian's intolerance or Trump supporters themselves. 

WATCH: President Joe Biden: "The only garbage I see floating out there is [Trump] supporters." pic.twitter.com/9teSUOytqC

— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) October 30, 2024

Look, it's possible a feeble 82-year old man was attempting to convey that the only garbage he saw was "intolerance" but it came across badly since he no longer possesses the capacity to make coherent remarks. But if that's the case here, then that opens up a whole new can of worms. Specifically, how this confirms the media and White House comms team were gaslighting the American public when spinning yarns of Biden running circles around staff young enough to be his grandchildren. Either way, the only explanations for Biden's comments are 1) incoherent ramblings of a mentally degraded ol' fella or 2) a sitting POTUS calling half the country "garbage."

Conservative commentator Erick Erickson noticed something in another laughable attempt at cleaning up aisle 46.

 

After the fact, the White House went into damage control and released a transcript where they added an apostrophe to “supporters,” turning it into “supporter’s,” but it makes no sense in context. Because here is the full context:

 

So it was a single supporter’s garbage or “his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable?”

I realize we are at the point where progressives think a single person can be a “they,” but now a single supporter has garbage? No, the only way this makes any sense at all is without the apostrophe that someone added after the fact for damage control, i.e., (1) “the only garbage I see is his supporters” and (2) “his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable and un-American.”

It boggles the mind to think Biden believes otherwise, considering his whole party already believes anyone who attends a Trump rally is a Nazi. Again, you can hear Joe Biden in your own words talk about Trump’s supporters as garbage and then pivoting to talk about Trump himself.

The media (specifically the WaPo) are willing to parse prog remarks in the motif of Bill Clinton's "it depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is," yet willfully ignore full context of Trump referring to a Biden election as a proverbial bloodbath for the American automobile industry, instead suggesting Trump meant literal blood being spilled if he loses. 

That the media is so unwilling to engage in even a scintilla of introspection as to why trust in their profession has degraded is a far greater threat to democracy than Trump himself. 

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Box Score of the Week (Final one of 2024)

It's World Series time!

In honor of the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees meeting for the 12th time in the Fall Classic, let's go back to 1947 for Game 1 of the then Brooklyn Dodgers taking on the Yanks. 

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With the Dodgers' Jackie Robinson having broke baseball's color barrier earlier that year, this was the first ever integrated World Series. Also, it was the first Fall Classic to appear on broadcast television, albeit limited to a handful of markets in the New York state area. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 10/27/2024

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Now we'll try to stay blind to the hope and fear outside.....

Welp....we're down to single digit number of days until Election Day, so we're looking to finish strong the next couple of weekends. My 2-hour radio show The Closer gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time today. 

It's certainly no secret that we need to flip the Minnesota House of Representatives to a GOP majority, so that means more Republican House candidates today. 

1:30 - Doug Willetts, House District 52B (northeastern Eagan, Mendota Heights).

2:00 - Angeline Anderson, HD 56B (Rosemount, southeastern Eagan, southeastern Apple Valley). 

2:30 - John Bristol, HD 37B (eastern Maple Grove). 

Also, I'll weigh in on the latest in the presidential race. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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"The Hill" opinion writer ponders: Say, maybe that doddering old fool wasn't so bad after all

How dire things must be for Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris when less than two weeks from Election Day someone writes this.

No matter who wins, we have to ask: Would President Biden have been a better candidate and choice despite suffering from the effects of age and 81 years? Further, suppose that the disastrous June 27 debate with Trump had not taken place, or that Biden had been firing on all cylinders that night. Would Biden have been forced to withdraw? And whether Harris loses or wins, some will ask whether Biden might still have been a better candidate.

First off, there was no official reason given for Biden's departure. Had Harris, Tim Walz or any other prominent elected Dem suggested that the President's feeble mindedness and/or physical degradation resulted in his withdrawal from the race a mere 3-1/2 months before Election Day, it would've been a p.r. disaster. Specifically, they would've had to answer for why they downplayed (or flat out denied) Biden's frailties. 

Quite simply, Biden was "forced to withdraw" due to the fact that he was losing to Trump. That's it. And because he couldn't even adequately perform his job outside a window of 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM, it would've left little to no ability to navigate the grind of a reelection campaign. Leftists knew this of course, but they and their media lapdogs chose to gaslight the American people by saying he was as sharp as ever. 

Another reason the author theorizes Biden might've been a superior campaigner to Harris? Why, that dignified lady just isn't savaging Trump enough. 

For some reason, the Harris campaign has downplayed (Trump's criminal) conviction and his three other pending cases, as well as Trump’s major character flaws.

You mean Harris suggesting that Trump would be Hitler-like in that he'd demand the military be loyal to him as opposed to the Constitution???? I mean, someone allegedly possessing a fascist nature seems like a significant character flaw to me. Or maybe, juuuuuuust maybe Harris knows her far left bona fides aren't a general election winner, so her default campaign message is basically "at least I'm not evil like TRUMP!!!!!" But if the "tRuMp Is LiTeRaLlY hItLeR" didn't stick in 2016 (especially since he served a full term as President without his exterminating his detractors), it ain't gonna fly this cycle. 

Harris's inept campaign serves as a reminder of why she had to withdraw from the 2020 race as well as why some leftist outlets suggested barely more than a year ago that Biden drop the most unpopular VP in history from the ticket. She is so awful that some are now pining for the days of a walking cadaver campaigning via Zoom. And yet, Trump himself is so deeply flawed that this race is somehow still a tossup. 

I'm beyond ready for this campaign to be over. 

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History rhyming?

As we're two weeks out from Election Day, I continue to be fixated on the Minnesota House races. Bottom line is if the Republicans don't seize control of that chamber (they need a net gain of 4 seats this election), it'll be another two years of unshackled DFL power from which my beloved state may never recover. 

I expressed a variation of this take recently on the radio show when a friend of mine texted me during the broadcast. He reminded me the MN Senate is technically up for grabs. Indeed, while the entire Senate is not up this cycle, there is a special election taking place in Senate District 45. Given that this is a DFL held seat and the Dems hold a mere 34-33 majority in the Senate, the Republicans would gain control of that chamber if GOP candidate Kathleen Fowke prevails. 

When I thought more about the dynamics of the 2024 MN legislative races, I couldn't help but recall the 2016 cycle and how it nearly parallels this year. 

In 2016, incumbent DFL Senator Terri Bonoff (Minnetonka area) did not seek reelection in order to run as the Democrat in Minnesota's Third Congressional District. This year, incumbent Sen. Kelly Morrison (Minnetonka area) resigned her position in the aforementioned SD 45 in order to run as the Democrat in Minnesota's Third Congressional District. 

In 2016, Republican candidate Paul Anderson prevailed in Bonoff's district by a mere 195 votes (a 0.39% margin of victory), giving the GOP a net gain of six seats in the Senate to give them a....you guessed it.....34-33 majority. It will definitely be a significant upset if Fowke emerges victorious in what is basically the same district Anderson won in '16. But the similarities to what happened 8 years ago will be undeniable if that occurs. 

Here's hoping! 

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Box Score of the Week (POSTSEASON EDITION)

Game 6 of the 1986 National League Championship Series - New York Mets at Houston Astros.

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At 16 innings, this was the longest game in LCS history. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 10/20/2024

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Those diamond dreams, they can't disguise the truth.....

The calendar says mid October, but the Twin Cities weather screams June. Regardless, I'll be in the Patriot bunker for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour festivities get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

By now you've sensed a theme on my show the past few months where I've hosted myriad political candidates looking to restore sanity to MN state government. As such, there will be three more Republican candidates for the MN House joining the broadcast today. 

1:00 - Alex Moe, House District 32B (eastern Blaine, Lexington). 

1:30 - Ken Navitsky, HD 25A (northern Rochester, Oronoco). 

2:00 - Aaron Paul, HD 54A (Shakopee). 

In the non guest segments, I'll definitely weigh in on Kamala Harris's one-on-one interview with Fox News Channel's Bret Baier. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Far from over

In all seriousness, I applaud Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris for sitting down with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday evening for a one-on-one interview. Granted, it's pretty late in the game to be doing so given we're less than three weeks from Election Day, but it's obvious Harris's struggling campaign needed a jolt. 

The fact Harris herself is a vapid, demagogic leftist should disqualify her from being a serious presidential candidate (heck, she was drummed out of the 2020 Democrat primary before the Iowa caucuses because she preferred to appeal to uber online lefties). However, if she has legitimately moderated her far left positions from 2020 and thus could coherently explain why, there are enough undecided voters (and perhaps Republicans disaffected by the MAGA movement) who could potentially be had. And in a race that is as close as this 2024 POTUS contest, there's a chance she can make up ground. 

But as Erick Erickson points out, she likely failed to meet those objectives. 

(Harris) does not really understand her target audience, i.e., Republican voters who do not like Trump but are not warmed up to her. That is why the interview did not work. She needed to reassure those voters, and she missed that opportunity.

Now, after the fact, we know her handlers tried to cut the interview short, and she showed up late. They clearly had second thoughts about the interview but could not cancel it after ridiculing Trump for canceling on CNBC.

The reality is that the campaign and Harris personally have terribly prepared for tough interviews. She had CBS News edit her answers, but Baier was not willing to do that. Harris, outside of bubble wrap, breaks.

Again, it is crucial to understand why she broke down here. It was not because you, who are a diehard supporter of Donald Trump, hated her answers. It was because she could not offer reassurances to Republican voters who hate Trump but are unsure about her.

This could also serve as a warning to Minnesota Republicans looking to seize the majority in the MN House. There are plenty of independent voters and perhaps a handful of moderate Dems who were abhorred by the radical legislation to come out of the previous two Minnesota legislative sessions. As such, GOP candidates competing in first ring suburban districts represented by DFL reps need to understand that running to the fringe of the right wing may not be a winning strategy. 

So for those Republicans who were jumping around like poo flinging monkeys over what you perceived was a poor performance by a trailing Harris, I express the sentiments of Han Solo when Luke Skywalker expressed overexuberance upon taking out a couple of enemy ships: 

As with any Republican in a good position to win, never underestimate their ability to screw up a good thing. 

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Quick Hits: Volume CCCLVIII

 - For all the talk about national political races (i.e. President and Congress), I will be paying rapt attention to the battle for the Minnesota House. With the DFL holding a 70-64 majority, the GOP has to gain a net four seats to wrest control. Unless the GOP pulls off a minor miracle and wins in the Senate District 45 special election, the House would be the only backstop against two more legislative sessions of unshackled Democrat control. And if Kamala Harris wins the presidency? Gov. Tim Walz goes to D.C. as Veep, leaving us with a.....{gulp}....a Gov. Peggy Flanagan. That alone should incentivize Minnesota voters to opt for divided government. 

So do the MN Republicans have what it takes to pull this off? I have no idea, but I do get a sense that the DFL believes their House majority is in peril given their pet issue in key swing districts is abortion, abortion, abortion......an issue which was settled even before the DFL's extreme law passed in 2023. 

I'll definitely have my obligatory election predictions come early November.

- Imagine reading these two statements just a year ago: 

The NFC North is now the first division since realignment in 2002 with all four teams each having at least four wins through six weeks.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 14, 2024

NFL team leaders in point differential:

◽️ Vikings (+63)
◽️ Lions (+60)
◽️ Bears (+47)
◽️ Packers (+41)

Every team in the NFC North has a better point differential than the rest of the NFL 🤯 pic.twitter.com/2nbmrvliNj

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 14, 2024

And this Sunday my Vikings host the Detroit Lions in what is legitimately the marquee matchup for week 7. 

I've been a Vikings fan for almost 50 years, so I've seen literally dozens of contests between these North (and up until 2002 - NFC Central) rivals. I'm confident in saying this is the first time in a half century where both teams are simultaneously legit contenders for the NFC crown.

Game on!

-  As a fan of actress Lea Thompson (specifically her stellar role as Marty McFly's mom in the Back to the Future trilogy), this particular tweet she posted was horribly disappointing but, given the industry she's a part of, not surprising. 

Please please white women. Don’t do this again. Remember our grandmothers couldn’t vote. We couldn’t own land. Get a credit card. Birth control. We have already lost rights. It will not stop. #VoteBlue2024ProtectWomensRights https://t.co/PpIM0rZS6F

— Lea Thompson (@LeaKThompson) October 13, 2024

This is in response to a report on how Dem POTUS candidate Kamala Harris is not polling nearly as well with white women as her predecessors. 

Let's be honest: leftists like Ms. Thompson do not believe even a shred of the hyperbole they spew about "losing rights." Heck, I'd suggest that Lea is so full of it that she wouldn't even bet her Howard the Duck residuals that women would "lose rights" in a second Trump term. 

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Box Score of the Week (POSTSEASON EDITION)

In the immortal words of Yogi Berra: It's like deja vu all over again. 

Like last week, we're featuring a game from the 1973 National League Championship Series pitting the Cincinnati Reds against the New York Mets. Coincidentally, the Mets manager that season was Berra himself!

Anyhow, let's check out the decisive Game 5 of the '73 NLCS. 

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In winning the 1973 N.L. pennant, the Mets became the first team in MLB history to reach the World Series after being 11 or more games under .500 during the regular season. 

Interestingly, the 2024 Mets were 11 games under .500 on June 2, yet are currently 1-1 in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 10/13/2024

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Same old sad-eyed news man on my same old TV set......

Fall is in the air and we're a mere 23 days out from Election Day, so a ton to get to in today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour extravaganza will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

On today's guest-a-palooza: 

1:00 - Rita Hillmann Olson, Republican candidate for MN House District 58A (Northfield, New Prague, Lonsdale).

1:30 - Wendi Russo, Republican candidate for MN House District 49B (Eden Prairie).

2:00 - Patty Bradway Republican candidate for MN House District 36B (White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights).

2:30 - Eric Hovde, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate out of Wisconsin. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Whoa!

When the Minnesota Twins' once promising 2024 season collapsed like Tim Walz's national credibility, the morale of the fan base was approaching apathy not seen since 1993 to 2000 when the team endured eight consecutive losing seasons. 

Given there's stiff competition for the Twin Cities sports dollar with the Vikings as the perpetual #1 in this town as well as a championship caliber Timberwolves team, the Twins were is serious danger of becoming persona non grata if they entered the offseason signaling they'd be going with the status quo. Sorry, but firing assistant coaches isn't going to motivate an already dwindling fan base to return to Target Field. 

Admittedly, the organization made a step in the right direction earlier this week when they announced an online streaming option to view Twins games. This move ensured fans would no longer have to endure blackouts of games. This is especially crucial when you consider that while the Twins were in the midst of a 12-game win streak on May 1, they suddenly were no longer available to Comcast/Xfinity cable subscribers. So despite the fact the Twins had one of the best stretches of play from late April to mid August, very few fans were plugged in. 

So is a new and more convenient viewing option a cure all for a frustrated (and, in some cases, downright pissed off) fan base? Of course not. And short of going on an offseason spending spree to augment the roster (something which has been said, off the record of course, will not happen), what is the only other scenario which could placate fans? The overwhelming response is for the ownership group comprised of the Pohlad family to sell the team. And while I agreed that would be a good thing, I never got a sense if/when that would ever happen. 

Then I saw this via Twitter  "X."

The Pohlad family’s statement on today’s news: pic.twitter.com/bHyTEAkLsL

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 10, 2024

I don't believe it's hyperbolic to say that the immediate reaction of Twins fans (myself included) was ecstasy on par with the team signing Aaron Judge as a free agent. The difference being that this won't necessarily translate to additional season ticket sales (or even full retention) like a major on-field acquisition. But since the team still has a solid core of players on the MLB roster in addition to a top 5 prospect pool, the future suddenly doesn't look at all hopeless. 

The question now is how quickly can the team be sold? While it's en vogue to own an NFL or NBA franchise, MLB's business model (unless you're in NYC or L.A.) doesn't exactly whet the appetite of wealthy business people who look for ways to enhance their fortunes. In an ideal world, the new Twins owner would be someone who actually has a passion for baseball which the Pohlads clearly did not. As such, this would be a forward thinking person who would be OK to take an operating loss for the first few seasons knowing that the team has a promising on-field future. And if that success comes to fruition, this will entice fans to come to back to the ballpark in addition to ponying up for a TwinsTV subscription, thus generating significantly higher revenues. 

I honestly have no insight as to whom would even have tacit interest in buying the Twins, but there's one scenario which has me curious. The sale of the Timberwolves is slated for arbitration after current owner Glen Taylor took the transaction off the table when he contended that prospective buyers Marc Lore et al didn't meet certain requirements. While Lore's group may prevail, any sale would still have to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors. Let's say the sale is *not* approved for whatever reason. Any chance Lore and business partner Alex Rodriguez (who just happens to be a former MLB superstar) swoop in and make a bid for the Twins???? Something to keep an eye on. 

At the end of the day, this is a positive development. Let's all hope for a drama-free process.

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Eternal vigilance

Sadly, we're long past the mantra of "I may disagree with what you say but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." Today, particularly on the left side of the political spectrum, mere tolerance is no longer acceptable. What progs demands is full acquiescence. 

A certain cake shop owner in Colorado knows this all too well. 

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit brought by an attorney who’s been harassing cake artist Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, for more than 12 years.

Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys have been defending Phillips since 2012, when he was first sued for declining to create a custom cake celebrating a same-sex wedding because it violated his religious beliefs. Around that same time, the attorney who filed the most recent lawsuit against Phillips first contacted him, calling him a hypocrite and bigot. For more than 12 years now, Phillips has been relentlessly pursued and mocked by government officials and activists who disagree with his views.

“Enough is enough. Jack has been dragged through courts for over a decade. It’s time to leave him alone,” said ADF Senior Counsel Jake Warner. “Free speech is for everyone. As the U.S. Supreme Court held in 303 Creative, the government cannot force artists to express messages they don’t believe. In this case, an attorney demanded that Jack create a custom cake that would celebrate and symbolize a transition from male to female. Because that cake admittedly expresses a message, and because Jack cannot express that message for anyone, the government cannot punish Jack for declining to express it. The First Amendment protects that decision.”

Keep this in mind as the current Democrat presidential ticket keeps telling us that they're running on a platform of "freedom." 

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Box Score of the Week (POSTSEASON EDITION)

It's officially the MLB postseason!

Let's check out Game 3 of the 1973 National League Championship Series - Cincinnati Reds at New York Mets. 

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With hit king Pete Rose having passed away just last week, I thought I would feature a memorable postseason game of his. 

In the top of the 5th inning, the Reds' Joe Morgan hit into a seemingly routine 3-6-3 double play. However, lead runner Rose slid in to second base with a hard slide to which Mets' shortstop Bud Harrelson (who also passed in 2024) took exception. The two exchanged punches, resulting in benches clearing. Neither Rose nor Harrelson were ejected. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 10/6/2024

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But you hid behind your poison pen and his pride......

We're officially 30 days away from Election Day, so no slowing down the political talk. Today's edition of my 2-hour radio show The Closer gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

Yet another guest-a-palooza.

1:00 - Paul Wikstrom, Republican candidate for Minnesota House District 40B. 

1:30 - Bob Sullentrop, Republican candidate for Minnesota House District 62B.

2:30 - David Harris, who will be part of Clean Comedy Night at Celebration Church in Lakeville next month. 

In the non-guest segments, I will obviously weigh in on the Vice Presidential debate. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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Tom Ryther: 1937-2024

Just hearing that longtime Twin Cities sportscaster Tom Ryther passed away Friday at the age of 87.

Tom was part of the soundtrack of my youth, whether it was his sports reporting for KSTP or KARE, hosting Bowling For Dollars, being part of the 93 X morning show in the late '80s, etc.

It was great spending time with him 5 years ago when he appeared on a broadcast to tout his memoir "The Hummelsheim Kid." We even stayed in touch after that, getting together for lunch on a couple of occasions. I basically ate while he shared anecdotes about legendary Minnesota sports figures. 

Condolences to Tom's loved ones.

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Veep debate

If there's one lasting image which encapsulates Tuesday evening's Vice Presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), it would be this: 

JD Vance hitting the Jim Halpert on Walz… pic.twitter.com/CsUAOF23Hb

— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) October 2, 2024

I have to admit that it was gratifying for America at large to get a glimpse of what we Minnesotans (at least those of us who acknowledge reality) have known for some time: Walz is major dork. Also, the fact the Minnesota media rarely (if ever) pressed Walz on his questionable background or insane policy proposals played a major role in his being ill-prepared for this debate. 

Jim Geraghty at National Review noticed this, too. 

(Tuesday) night, Walz’s inexperience with tough races and tough questions showed. Once the Bubble Wrap came off, he was supposed to demonstrate toughness, a steely spine, a righteous anger over Republicans’ outrages, and the strong will of a man who’s ready to be commander in chief. Instead, Walz looked and sounded like he was made of Nerf.

The Minnesota governor looked like a guy who had no expectation of being on a nationally televised debate stage three months ago, and who realized early in the night that the moment was too big for him. His default facial expression is one of worry; he does not have a commanding presence. He looked down to take notes so often, someone on social media asked if he was working on a crossword puzzle.

Typically debates are a pointless exercise simply because each side will declare their candidate won. But Vance so dominated this affair that for any credible Dems to suggest Walz did well would be utterly delusional. In fact, you know Vance prevailed when prominent leftists downplay what occurred. 

This spin from the senior advisor to President Barack Obama is Exhibit A: 

Here's the thing:
VPs don't make policy. Presidents do.
Who talks about the Pence years?!?

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) October 2, 2024

While that may be a valid point, the fact of the matter is the current presidential team has consistently been referred to as the Biden-Harris administration for more than 3-1/2 years. The current VP was touted as having a key role in overseeing the southern U.S. border as well as actively decrying voter reform legislation in certain states. I get why progs wanna hide that fact given Kamala Harris's abysmal failure in both areas, but the fact is Veeps are more prominent in this current political climate. Specifically, you have Donald Trump living under the threat of assassination on an almost daily basis, including actually being struck by a bullet in mid-July. Given what the American people witnessed Tuesday evening, Vance likely wouldn't be overwhelmed were he to be elevated to POTUS in the event something happened to Trump. 

Like VP Mike Pence in 2020, Vance is much more dignified and coherent messenger for the MAGA movement than Trump himself. As such, if anyone had ever looked back at Vance's previous performances on a debate stage (specifically in 2022 against his Ohio Senate opponent Tim Ryan), Tuesday's performance shouldn't have come as a huge shock. That's why the left's caricatures of Vance were so stupefying. If they underestimated his ability to do what he did to Walz, they clearly weren't engaging in even basic opposition research. 

So with there being no more debates (we think?) among the candidates, it's now crunch time. What can we expect over the next five weeks that could possibly sway this election one way or the other? I have no idea, but given what we've endured in just that past few months alone likely means there isn't a whole lot more that can shock us from here on out. 

---------------------------------------------------

Box Score of the Week

Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians - September 28, 1984.

------------------------------------------

With four games remaining in the 1984 season, the Twins were 1-1/2 games behind the American League West Division leading Kansas City Royals. If the Twins could, at minimum, take 3 of 4 from the pitiful Indians in that final series of the year, they'd win the West if the Royals got swept in Oakland. But if the Twins took all four games, the A's would only have to take 2 of 3 against KC. 

On Thursday night, the Twins kicked away a 3-0 eighth inning lead, culminated by light hitting catcher Jamie Quirk (in literally his first and only at bat for Cleveland that year) hitting a walk off homer in the 9th for a 4-3 Indians win.

Now to this week's featured game, which occurred the following night. 

It appeared the Twins would live to fight another day as they were up 10-0 in the third inning with ace starter Frank Viola on the mound. With the score 10-2 in the bottom of the 6th, the Tribe started to chip away with 3 more runs to make it 10-5. With two outs and runners at 2nd and 3rd, relief pitcher Rick Lysander induced Julio Franco to hit a ground ball to third baseman Gary Gaetti. However, the normally sure fielding Gaetti booted the ball, allowing another run to score to make it 10-6. The Indians would tack on three more unearned runs to get within 10-9. 

From there, a complete unraveling felt inevitable. Sure enough, Cleveland's Joe Carter hit a game-tying solo homer in the 8th.  To cap off a miserable 24 hours, Brett Butler hit a bases loaded single in the 9th for an 11-10 Indians win. The Royals would defeat Oakland a few hours later to officially end the Twins' unexpected '84 postseason contention. 

Before the 2024 season, my belief was that final weekend in 1984 was the Twins' most gut-wrenching (and in some ways inexplicable) collapse, capped off by kicking away a 10-0 lead against a lousy opponent. I now consider that meltdown #2 in Twins history. 

--------------------------------------------------

The NARN Closer's playlist - 9/29/2024

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I can't win your losing fight all the time....

With a mere 37 days until Election Day, there's a lot to get to on my radio show The Closer. Today's 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I'll discuss the latest in presidential politics, including yet another example why Kamala Harris rarely does one-on-one interviews. 

At 1:30, Republican candidate for MN House Wayne Johnson will join the broadcast to discuss his candidacy in HD 41A (Lake Elmo, Afton, northern Cottage Grove). 

Then for the 2:00 hour, ISD 624 (White Bear Lake) school board candidates Scott Smith, Tim Klecker and Dan Skaar will join the broadcast to tout their respective candidacies. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Collapse completed

On August 17, the Minnesota Twins had a 70-53 record and were a scant two games behind the first place Cleveland Indians Guardians in the American League Central Division. At the very least, they were still in an advantageous position for a playoff berth as they were the second of three teams in the wildcard race with a seemingly ironclad 5-game lead. Their playoff odds at that point were well north of 90%.

With all those details at our disposal, it's not hyperbolic to say that the Twins being officially eliminated from postseason contention on Friday evening is the most stunning in-season collapse in the club's 64-year history. As someone who's been a Twins rube for nearly a half century, it's certainly tops in my time as a fan. Since that August 17 date, the Twins have compiled an awful record of 12-25 which, when extrapolated over 162 games, is a 53-109 pace. 

Fittingly, the final nail in the proverbial coffin for this season happened on the first night of Fan Appreciation Weekend. You see, it's been the fans who have bore the brunt of this pathetic display. Despite a resurrection of enthusiasm last October that hadn't been seen since Target Field's inaugural season of 2010, the Twins brass announced shortly after the club's 2023 postseason run that payroll would be slashed by about $30 million. And then when the team started to get hot at the end of April after a lousy start to the 2024 season, Bally's Sports North pulled the plug on airing Twins games due to a dispute with its regional carrier. With no TV or online streaming options, fans were essentially blacked out of what was the team's best stretch of baseball where, after a 7-13 start, they went on an incredible 63-40 run. Perhaps the final insult was the front office not seriously augmenting a playoff contending club at the July 31 trade deadline. The only player the Twins attained (mediocre middle reliever Trevor Richards from Toronto) was released less than a month after being acquired.

There was a glimmer of hope in the final homestand as the Twins would be taking on a putrid Miami Marlins club and a Baltimore Orioles team whose playoff position (#1 A.L. wildcard) was locked in. If the Twins went, say, 5-1 in addition to a little help from the Kansas City Royals' opponents, they could still sneak in to the postseason. So how did the Twins respond? Why, by losing 2 of 3 to the 100-loss Marlins and then getting blown out Friday evening by Baltimore to put their playoff odds at a Blutarski-esque 0.0. For all the goodwill the Twins had built up almost a year ago with their first playoff win in 19 years and series victory in 21 seasons, they have thoroughly undone it all and then some.

So how does the franchise approach this offseason? I guess firing manager Rocco Baldelli would get peoples' attention. But what I'm hoping to hear is owner Joe Pohlad or President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey acknowledging that their strategy going into (and throughout) 2024 didn't work, so it's time to "recalibrate." And then they'll need to offer insights as to what that will entail. 

With the Twins having a top 5 (and in some rankings they're slated at #2) farm system, the future isn't at all lost. While that may placate baseball lifers like myself, it's not gonna do much for appealing to a new generation of fans. 

Since the status quo is not an option, this is easily the most crucial offseason Falvey & Co. will endure. 

---------------------------------------

Foreign meddling in elections for we, not for ye

"WTF, WE LOVE FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN OUR ELECTIONS NOW!!" 

Progressives, basically. 

After more than two years of squealing like stuck pigs that Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016 due to Russia meddling in our elections (along with the unadulterated bullsh*t claims that Trump himself was a Russian asset), progs are pulling out all the stops to ensure Trump doesn't return to the White House. And one tactic they've employed recently? It's one which they've spent nearly a decade decrying. 

Erick Erickson breaks it down. 

(Dems and the media) are all strangely silent over the latest foreign interference in our elections.

That would be President Zelenskyy of Ukraine, on the American taxpayer’s dime, going to — surprise, surprise — highly contested Pennsylvania to thank munitions manufacturing employees.

In an interview, he also attacked Republican Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance as “too radical.”

Look, I'm not totally opposed to providing assistance to Ukraine in defense of their country against the Russian offensive. However, I concede it's lunacy to a offer a proverbial blank check to this effort when the U.S. is already on the brink of financial ruin. So with that said, it's utterly reckless of President Zelenskyy to make such a characterization of a man who could well be Vice President of the United States in less than four months and thus have influence over foreign policy decisions. 

Back to Erickson. 

It was political, policy, and presidential malpractice for (President Joe) Biden to let Zelenskyy go down that road. Biden has compromised support for Ukraine by tying it directly to a partisan presidential election.

And notice just how approving so much of the press corps and Democrats are who regularly wail about election interference in the United States. They seem to be just fine with it if it helps Democrats.

So please do not be surprised when more Republicans turn against Ukraine and fewer care about the very real issue of electoral interference by foreign governments. It looks like the Democrats and much of the press really don’t care so long as it helps the left or, at least, hurts Donald Trump.

This was disgusting and deep down many of you who deny it actually know it was. Bad precedents just keep being set.

The one irreversible precedent that has been set? There no longer seems to be a single core principle which unites that vast majority of Americans. 

-----------------------------------------

Box Score of the Week

Oakland Athletics at Milwaukee Brewers - September 23, 1988.

----------------------------------------

Before mega star Shohei Ohtani became the inaugural member of the 50-50 club (50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season), someone had to be the first to attain 40-40. That would be Oakland's Jose Canseco, who in this game stole his 40th base of the 1988 season to go along with the 40 home runs he had coming into this game. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 9/22/2024

----------------------

Things are good, or so I hear.....

It's 44 days until Election Day, but early voting has already started! So for the next six weeks, expect a lot of guest intensive shows on my radio program The Closer. Today's 2-hour festivities get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

Today's guest-a-palooza: 

1:00 - Mike Olson, former Secret Service agent to discuss the latest assassination attempt on Donald Trump, as well as what we've learn from the first attempt. 

2:00 - Stacy Bettison, GOP candidate in MN House District 49A (southern Minnetonka, northern Eden Prairie).

2:30 - Dwight Dorau, GOP candidate in MN House District 47B (eastern Woodbury). 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

House of cards

On August 17, the Minnesota Twins reached their high water mark of the 2024 MLB season when they moved to 17 games over .500 (70-53) with a win over the Texas Rangers. They were firmly ensconced in the playoff picture, sitting as the second team for the three wildcard spots in the American League. But there was still a solid chance they could catapult to the top of the A.L. Central as they were a mere two games behind the first place Cleveland Guardians. 

While things looked promising on the surface, it felt as though the season could go off the proverbial rails at any point. If we were to rank the Twins' top 5 players in terms of guys they could ill afford to be without for an extended period, shortstop Carlos Correa, starting pitcher Joe Ryan and center fielder Byron Buxton would be in that mix. Yet as of that August 17 date, all three were on the injured list with no definite timetable for a return. 

As we fast forwarded to Thursday evening, we have witnessed over the past 30 games one of the more stunning falls from grace I have seen in the near half century I've been a Twins fan. In thirty games since that mid-August peak the Twins have gone 10-20, sliding from a comfortable playoff position to now being tied for the third and final wildcard spot with the Detroit Tigers. How has this happened? Well, when 60% of your starting rotation is comprised of rookies which results in relying heavily on an already overworked bullpen, you have hurlers running on fumes or low leverage pitchers being put in high pressure situations. Add to that a suddenly feeble offense due to being without arguably its two most productive hitters, it's as if someone turned on a ceiling fan near a house of cards. While Correa and Buxton finally returned to the everyday lineup this past week, they're at best 60% of what they can normally bring to the table. 

So am I saying that the Twins will miss the postseason due to this freefall? I'll admit that I'm not overly optimistic of them surviving, but there is a realistic path forward. Of the nine games remaining (3 at Boston, 3 at home vs. Miami and 3 at home vs. Baltimore), the Twins can realistically go 7-2. That would put them at 87-75 for the season, which means Detroit has to finish 8-1 over its final nine games in order to usurp the Twins. 

Let's break it down by series:

• Even though the Red Sox are only four games out of the wildcard with 9 to play, they'd have to leapfrog three teams to get there. That seems insurmountable. Also, the Sox are a mediocre 35-40 at home, so the Twins taking two of three in their series starting Friday evening is certainly feasible.
• After a much needed off day on Monday, the Twins on Tuesday will begin a three-game series at Target Field against a Miami Marlins team that will likely exceed 100 losses this season. While a series sweep is easier said than done, it should be the expectation here. 
• Finally, the Twins wrap up their season against a very good Baltimore Orioles club. The Twins, dating back to July 2023, have lost seven consecutive games to the O's. However, by the time the final regular season series of the year kicks off a week from now, the New York Yankees may well have clinched the A.L. East division since they host Baltimore for three games just prior to the O's-Twins matchup. If indeed the Yanks deliver the knockout blow, the Orioles likely will have the top wildcard spot clinched, thus meaning they'd be inclined to rest a lot of their regulars in that final series. As such, the Twins taking 2 of 3 against Baltimore is a distinct possibility, especially since Minnesota's top two starting pitchers in Pablo Lopez and Bailey Ober are slated to pitch that weekend. 

So if the Tigers, who have been playing out of their minds the past 5+ weeks (25-10 over their past 35 games), do indeed finish the season 8-1 or even 9-0, you just gotta tip your cap to 'em for stepping up and taking that final playoff spot. However, the Twins' front office brass will still have a lot to answer for this offseason if the club completes this epic collapse. 

----------------------------------------

Lying in order to preserve infanticide

Leftist ghouls (including the Democrat nominee for President) are politicizing the death of Georgia woman Amber Thurmon to justify their radical stance on abortion. 

Erick Erickson, conservative commentator and Georgia resident, explains. 

ProPublica, the deeply progressive news outlet that has disseminated false information about conservative Supreme Court justices, is reporting that a woman in Georgia died as a result of not being able to receive a legal abortion in the state.

Amber Thurmon suffered from sepsis in an Atlanta hospital after experiencing a rare side effect from an abortion pill. Without additional information, ProPublica extrapolated from publicly available details about the case that Thurmon died in a Georgia hospital because doctors refused to perform a procedure that is currently illegal in the state thanks to the fetal heartbeat law.

We now know that's not what happened, but no matter. When proggies glom on to a narrative which assists in forwarding their culture of death, no amount of facts are going to slow it down. 

Nevertheless, pro life advocate Kristan Hawkins lays it all out. 

My response to the death of the Georgia mother & her twins after reportedly taking Chemical Abortion Pills.

This will be in the news a lot leading up to the election, so be sure to save this post for later. pic.twitter.com/WdV5jGRZoS

— Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) September 18, 2024

Both Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance have been on record saying they support exceptions to abortion bans when it comes to the life of the mother. Again, that's not really relevant here since Ms. Thurmon's babies died as a result of the abortion pill. But even if this played out as Kamala Harris has said (i.e. the woman dying due to Georgia's law prohibiting abortion after six weeks), Trump himself is not the least bit culpable as he never signed any such legislation while President. Once again, progs are just hoping here that voters are too stupid to draw the distinction. 

-------------------------------------------------------

Not sustainable

I'll say what I said in mid-July: I'm not overly shocked that this happened. 

Former President Donald Trump was safe after the Secret Service fired at a gun-toting man outside Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, Sunday, sources told Fox News.

Authorities are treating the case as a potential assassination attempt, and arrested a man sources identified as Ryan Wesley Routh. Routh was allegedly armed with a rifle when agents fired at him.

"This does not appear to be some random guy with an AK-47 walking outside Trump's club," the official added.

Authorities said Routh, who had a GoPro camera and two backpacks, shoved the muzzle of his rifle through a chain-link fence and may have been aiming at the president when agents fired at him.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson confirmed that the Secret Service opened fire after they saw the suspect raising the weapon. The suspect fled in a black Nissan, but was quickly apprehended, authorities said.

In less than a week after the first assassination attempt on Trump, the subject was pretty much dropped by leftist media outlets. Heck, it wasn't even mentioned during last week's presidential debate. The reason, of course, is obvious. Progs are concerned such an event would humanize Trump, thus the possibility of making him more electable. I'll be curious to see how long it takes for the media to move on from this particular incident. 

Details are still emerging, but early indications are the shooter was mentally disturbed (gee, ya think?!?!) and that he has a history of donating to Democrat politicians. 

If you wanna know why gun-grabbers are so focused on guns in the aftermath of spree killings/assassination attempts as opposed to acknowledging a serious mental health epidemic in America, it's because they might have to ponder how their fervent anti-Trump rhetoric is resulting in mentally disturbed people taking drastic action. Look, I get it. From a legal standpoint, the shooter and the shooter alone is the only person culpable here. However, if progs are going to continue this drumbeat of "speech is violence" while simultaneously referring to Trump as the biggest threat our republic has ever faced, then they need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. But they won't because gaslighting and slander are the only surefire tactics they have to win elections. 

The people who shout about "stochastic terrorism" every time someone says something they dislike in public are curiously quiet this morning. It's almost as if that whole claim is a cynical, unidirectional attempt to shut up their opponents.

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) September 16, 2024

It's no longer hyperbolic to suggest there should be serious concern whether or not Trump will even make it to Election Day. 

----------------------------------------

Box Score of the Week

Atlanta Braves at New York Mets - September 21, 2001.

-----------------------------------------

Mets slugger Mike Piazza hits a big home run in this the first MLB game on New York soil since the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. 

It certainly didn't erase the images of those horrific events but it was a welcome reprieve for an evening. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 9/15/2024

--------------------------------------

I can't remember what was said or what you threw at me.....

The calendar says it's September, but the weather feels like June or July. Regardless, my 2-hour radio show The Closer will be airing in its normal 1-3 PM Central Time slot. 

At 1:30, Republican candidate for MN House Cal Warwas will join us via phone to discuss his candidacy in House District 7B (Virginia, Chisholm, Eveleth, Mountain Iron, Biwabik).

In the non-guest segments, I'll discuss the fallout from last week's presidential debate (and first between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris), the TSwift endorsement of Harris and my thoughts on the Daily Wire film Am I Racist? 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Review: Am I Racist?

On Thursday evening, my wife & I and some dear friends partook in the film Am I Racist?, a project from the folks at Daily Wire. 

DW's Matt Walsh was the central figure of this film, which explored the practice of racially oppressed people looking to not only eradicate racism (a noble undertaking to be sure) but also encourage white people to apologize for their whiteness (which is downright deranged). For the majority of the movie, Walsh sported a man bun and grey sport coat in an effort to be undercover as a certified expert in D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).  He then proceeded to caricature someone who claims such expertise. This was often met with hilarious results, specifically people not batting an eye when signing a fake petition requesting to change the name of the Washington Monument to "The George Floyd Memorial." There was also a shocking moment where white folks sitting through an anti-racist workshop were willing to literally flagellate themselves with a whip. 

One thing I was struck by was the individuals who moderated the various anti-racism classes/seminars charged unconscionable sums of money for the privilege of telling white people that their mere existence has been a plague on society. The movie also disclosed the amount of money each "instructor" (all of whom detailed their journey of lifelong oppression) pulled in for a specific gathering. Let's just say that perpetual victimhood appears to be a lucrative endeavor these days. 

Perhaps the key moment of the film was when Walsh sat down with White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo. I'm not going to give too much away, but if you think someone like Ms. DiAngelo is extreme in her regrets over whiteness, Walsh somehow baited her into taking it to another level. 

In the end, the inimitable Thomas Sowell was vindicated when he said “Racism is not dead, but it is on life support – kept alive by politicians, race hustlers and people who get a sense of superiority by denouncing others as ‘racists'.”

A sense of superiority as well as dollar dollar bills y'all.

Yes, I highly recommend this film. 

--------------------------------------------

Quick Hits: Volume CCCLVII

 - The first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump took place Tuesday evening. And as per usual, most partisans believed their side prevailed. 

For those who are intellectually honest, the takeaways would be that Harris was allowed to lie with impunity by the lefty-biased moderators while Trump blathered on in his typical undisciplined manner. This election has basically been Trump's to lose, and he seems hellbent on losing. 

There may not have been a definitive winner this debate, but there was one sure loser - the United States of America. 

- Prior to the Miami Dolphins hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, their star WR Tyreek Hill was detained by police near the stadium after being deemed "non cooperative" with the officers during a traffic stop. 

The bodycam footage was released Tuesday. 

The first I learned of this incident was when a video clip circulated online of Hill lying face down with officers standing over him. While that evoked some bad memories of a certain infamous 2020 police incident in my home area of Minneapolis, I was willing to reserve judgement until we got the entire context of what led up to this. 

After viewing the bodycam footage, I'll just say this. Unless a driver being pulled over is violating some sort of obscure law which prohibits keeping the drivers' side window rolled up, the cops unnecessarily escalated this situation. Hill basically pled guilty to the moving violation by telling the officer to go ahead and give him a ticket so he could move on with his day. Why the insistence he keep his window rolled down? 

In the end, it was Hill himself who was looking to move past this incident while also focusing how situations like this don't have to occur. 

- It's the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. 

As has become custom, I like to pay homage to Minnesota native Thomas Burnett, Jr. on this anniversary of said attacks.

July 2017 - At the Flight 93 National Memorial near the site of the crash

Tom was one of 40 passengers and crew members on United flight 93 on 9/11. This particular flight was noteworthy in that the passengers, knowing what had happened to the World Trade Center earlier that morning, decided to thwart further carnage by overtaking the hijackers in the cockpit.

The flight ended up crashing in an abandoned field in rural Pennsylvania, approximately 20 minutes flight time from its intended target of the Capitol building in Washington DC.

Has America had its problems since then? No question. In fact, I'd say the divisiveness is worse than pre-9/11. But do I believe we are still, as Michael Medved, proclaims, the greatest nation on God's green earth? Without a doubt. 

May we never forget the bravery and heroism that occurred that day in the face of a horrific tragedy. 

----------------------------------------------

Box Score of the Week

St. Louis Browns at Detroit Tigers - July 4, 1912.

----------------------------------------

Tigers pitcher George Mullin, on his 32nd birthday, became the first (and still only) MLB pitcher to toss a no-hitter on their birthday. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 9/8/2024

---------------------------------------

The waves keep on crashing on me for some reason......

It's the first Sunday of the 2024 NFL season, so I understand if the live listening audience may be thinner. Nevertheless, I'll be in the Patriot bunker for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour festivities get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

At 1:30, Republican candidate for MN House Wayne Johnson will join the broadcast to discuss his candidacy in HD 41A (Lake Elmo, Afton, northern Cottage Grove). 

Then at 2:00, Archway Defense founder (and firearms expert) Peter Johnson will join us via phone to weigh in on the Apalachee High School shooting, fending for ourselves due to a porous southern U.S. border, etc. 

In the non-guest segments, I'll discuss a new way forward for the MNGOP, the latest in presidential politics, etc. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucky or just? Or both?

In less than two weeks, the sentencing of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump was going to be handed down in the sham "hush money"conviction out of NYC. Trump has pushed for that ruling to occur after Election Day, stating that doing so beforehand constitutes "election interference." 

The presiding judge concurred. 

Judge Juan Merchan ruled Friday that Trump’s sentencing will take place on November 26, three weeks after election day, ensuring that Trump will not be sentenced in any of his criminal cases leading up to the election.

In a letter to the prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys informing them of his decision to delay the sentencing hearing, Merchan argued that a post-election sentencing would eliminate any appearance of political bias.

“The Court is a fair, impartial, and apolitical institution. Adjourning decision on the motion and sentencing, if such is required, should dispel any suggestion that the Court will have issued any decision or imposed sentence either to gave an advantage to, or create a disadvantage for, any political party and/or any candidate for any office,” Merchan wrote.

Naturally, many prog institutions (specifically The New York Times) suggested such a ruling puts Trump "above the law." But as legal expert Andrew McCarthy at NRO pointed out, it's actually the legally prudent thing to do. 

The principal basis for Trump’s postponement motion is not that, if it is not granted, the sentencing would be a form of election interference. I happen to believe that would be true since there is no rule-of-law justification for sentencing Trump prior to the election — the schedule has been set by a deeply conflicted, partisan Democratic judge under circumstances in which Democrats want Trump labeled “a convicted felon facing a prison sentence” in the run up to the November election.

Nevertheless, Trump has a valid postponement motion because of the rule of law.

In one of Trump’s federal cases, the Supreme Court ruled on July 1 — a month after Trump’s state trial — that presidential immunity from criminal prosecution includes a derivative right to have evidence of official presidential acts excluded. Over Trump’s objection at trial, Bragg’s prosecutors offered such evidence, Merchan admitted it — despite being on notice that the Supreme Court was considering this very issue — and the prosecutors argued in summation that this evidence was “devastating” against Trump (making it difficult for Bragg to now claim its admission was mere harmless error).

In the criminal law, most issues cannot be appealed until all proceedings in the trial court, including sentencing, are concluded — e.g. Merchan’s disqualifying bias, his admission of blatantly inadmissible evidence of a key witness’s guilty plea to federal election crimes, his admission of a porn star’s gratuitous and unfairly prejudicial testimony that Trump may have forced himself on her, his refusal to allow Trump to call a key defense witness, and his failure to instruct the jury properly on the charged offenses or even require a unanimous verdict on a key charge, to cite just a few reversible errors in the record.

In addition to likely enduring some PTSD from his almost being assassinated two months ago, Trump was most assuredly overwhelmed emotionally at the prospects of being sentenced to jail. With that officially put off until after election, he needs to focus solely on the final 60 days of this campaign. When Trump is talking issues, he's pretty solid. And given the abject failure that has been the Biden-Harris administration, it shouldn't be all that difficult to tie VP Kamala Harris to a struggling economy, bumbling foreign policy and a swiss cheese southern U.S. border, all issues which voters strongly favor Trump. 

Sure, Trump has been somewhat lucky this cycle in that he survived an attempt on his life as well as having the classified documents case against him tossed out. And now the delay in the "hush money" trial, which any rational thinking person should ascertain is fair and just. Time will tell if Trump can take advantage of all this good fortune.

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