Thursday, October 31, 2024

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. 




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


 



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. 





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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Monday, October 28, 2024

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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Sunday, October 27, 2024

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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Thursday, October 24, 2024

"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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Tuesday, October 22, 2024

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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Monday, October 21, 2024

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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Sunday, October 20, 2024

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.....


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

Thursday, October 17, 2024

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. 


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

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

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: 







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. 





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. 


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

Monday, October 14, 2024

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


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


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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Sunday, October 13, 2024

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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Thursday, October 10, 2024

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."




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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Wednesday, October 09, 2024

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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Monday, October 07, 2024

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


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


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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Sunday, October 06, 2024

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.....


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

Saturday, October 05, 2024

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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Wednesday, October 02, 2024

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: 




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: 





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. 


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