Take me to another place, take me to another land......

Currently embarking on our annual end-of-July vacation, so I'm taking a break from the blog until next week. 

Talk to y'all then. 

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As expected......

In my blog post promoting Sunday's radio show, I suggested that President Joe Biden would announce he would not seek reelection during the broadcast. Sure enough, shortly after I went on air, the official word came down. 

My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024

While Biden has endorsed VP Harris to be the 2024 presidential candidate, major Democrat power brokers (including Barack Obama) have refused to do so, essentially leaving the matter to the delegates at next month's Democratic National Convention. And while the assumption is Harris will be anointed the nominee, we can't rule anything out. 

Regardless, the Republicans have a golden opportunity to define Harris over the next few weeks since since she doesn't have access to the Biden war chest due to her not being the official candidate. As such, she is unable to run competing ads. Meanwhile, Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have been awash in fundraising cash over the past couple of months after Trump's conviction in the sham "hush money" trial in NYC as well as the aftermath of last weekend's assassination attempt of the former POTUS. 

Within minutes of Biden's announcement, MAGA, Inc. was ready with their first strike. 

Kamala was IN on it. Trump campaign already on top of it. pic.twitter.com/4ovqKfxrww

— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) July 21, 2024

Between her disastrous 2020 run for POTUS as well as her tenure as Vice President, there have been multiple news stories of Harris performing a "reboot" due to multiple mass exoduses of staff in each capacity. This is her last chance to prove to the American people that can she can hang. But if Trump and the Republicans can sow seeds of doubt in Harris's ability to be an effective leader, that could well lead to an "open convention" at the DNC next month. And if we know anything about modern political history, any party engaging in an open convention results in their candidate losing in the general election. 

With all that said, now is not the time for Republicans to get cocky. 

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Box Score of the Week

Los Angeles Dodgers at Colorado Rockies - June 30, 1996.

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MLB.com dubbed this the "wildest game in MLB history."

The game featured 11 pitchers, and all 11 of them allowed at least one run -- no one made it through unscathed. Five of them suffered a blown save, to this day still tied for the most ever. Fourteen of the 18 half-innings saw a run cross the plate. The visitors hit six home runs, including three on back-to-back-to-back pitches in the second inning, had a lead with two outs in the ninth inning -- and still lost.

There were seven lead changes and 38 hits, including 10 homers. The home team’s second baseman stole six bases, tied for the most ever, including when he stole second, third, and home in the third inning. The "winning" pitcher, such as he was – perhaps "surviving’ pitcher is more appropriate -- turned a two-run lead into a one-run deficit in his lone inning. At four hours and 20 minutes long, it was, at the time, the longest nine-inning game in National League history.

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 7/21/2024

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You will never understand it, 'cause it happens too fast.....

I have a feeling there may be breaking news about a certain octogenarian POTUS during today's edition of my radio show The Closer. If not, we still have plenty to pack in from 1:00 until 3:00 PM Central Time. 

Yeah, it's another guest-a-palooza on today's broadcast: 

1:00 - Former U.S. Secret Service agent Mike Olson will weigh in the USSS response to the assassination attempt of Donald Trump as well as what FBI investigation have revealed thus far about the agency. 

1:30 - Republican candidate in MN House District 25A (northern Rochester, Oronoco) Ken Navitsky will be on to discuss his candidacy. 

2:15 - I.T. guru D. Greg Scott will react to the myriad technology incidents over the past few weeks, especially the Crowdstrike outage that occurred Friday. 

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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A contrast in leadership

If you choose to indulge in any recaps of this past week's Republican National Convention, this portion is definitely worth your time: 

Those are family members of some of the 13 service members killed in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Biden administration's botched withdrawal in August 2021. 

As Noah Rothman of National Review points out, it drew a clear distinction between the leadership styles of Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. 

The most powerful moment of the RNC...opened with a masterfully produced video package featuring some of the 13 service members who lost their lives in the attack on Kabul Airport’s Abbey Gate and their survivors. It continued when those survivors took the stage. Wracked with grief, they mourned Biden’s lackadaisical execution of the withdrawal operation and his callous attempts to ignore the fallout.

The display was so powerful because, unlike much of the programming at the RNC ..., the emotion on display was not anger. There was no bombast or table-pounding. It was bereft of the apocalyptic hyperbole that opens the wallets of small-dollar donors. The sentiments expressed were sadness, bitterness over the president’s conspicuous refusal to name and honor the fallen, and disappointment in a country to which they gave so much but had failed to reciprocate. It was the quietest moment of an otherwise boisterous convention. That reserve spoke louder than any activist or politician ever could.

These families have previously shared stories about how Biden preferred to invoke the death of his son Beau (whom on multiple occasions has falsely claimed was killed in combat) as opposed to extending sympathy to families experiencing a devastating loss due largely to the fecklessness of the POTUS himself. Say, remember how in 2020 when Biden et al were talking about empathy, compassion, etc. being "on the ballot?" 

And as if this past week couldn't have been worse for Dems, even leftist CNN commentator Van Jones further emphasized the differences between Biden and Trump at this point. 

 

VAN JONES: “A bullet couldn't stop Trump. A virus just stopped Biden.”

“The Democrats are coming apart. The Republicans are coming together.” pic.twitter.com/QDfCXaIVty

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 18, 2024

With the Dems' full court press on attempting to force Biden to drop his reelection bid (so coups are a good thing now, progs?), Republicans have a solid month before the Democrat National Convention to capitalize on this newfound unity. Ah, but as we've learned in the Trump era of the GOP, there's plenty of precedence for the party to screw up a good thing. However, there's no question they're in prime position for any number of scenarios on the Dem presidential ticket. 

• If Biden remains in the race, it's clear he's no longer up to finishing his current term, much less serving another four years. 
• If the Democrats' coup is successful, the GOP should hammer home the point that not only have Dems engaged in alleged behavior they've spent 3-1/2 years abhorring but they were also complicit in covering up Biden's frailties. 
• If Biden's replacement is anybody but VP Kamala Harris, not only will the new candidate be woefully underfunded (only Harris would be eligible to have access to the Biden war chest), but usurping Harris will alienate the Congressional Black Caucus who agreed to back Biden in the 2020 Dem primary on the condition his running mate be a woman of color. 

Just prior to Trump's nomination acceptance speech, an MSNBC producer tweeted this: 

This is first time a major U.S. party will nominate a convicted felon to be their presidential candidate.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 19, 2024

In just over a month, we may have another first: a major U.S. party nominating a dementia-addled octogenarian to be their presidential candidate. 

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Do they even hear themselves?

On Wednesday evening, prog MSNBC commentator (kinda redundant, no?) Joy Reid desperately tried to convince viewers (and perhaps herself) that President Joe Biden's most recent bout with COVID is on par with Donald Trump being grazed by a bullet. 

Reid whines that Trump surviving an assassination attempt is viewed "as a sign of strength." She suggests Biden recovering from COVID should be celebrated the same way: "If he does fine...and is able to do rallies, isn't that exactly the same?"
"It should," Jen Psaki says. pic.twitter.com/P6CS47Q2PX

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 17, 2024

Oh, what the heck. Let's go ahead and generate the respective scenarios. 

Yup. Totally apt comparison. 

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So.....we've moved on?

We're not even a week removed from the assassination attempt on the life of Donald Trump, yet I feel as though a good number of folks have put it in the rearview mirror. 

In the Tuesday edition of his newsletter Morning Take, Blois Olson conveyed what I've been feeling. 

In the minute-by-minute media cycle and the quick snippet news delivery of social media, the gravity of Saturday’s assassination attempt seems to be lost. From the Republican convention and the naming of JD Vance, a Teamster’s speech and fmr. President Trump’s appearance to the shift in coverage and critiques by Democrats of it all – it doesn’t seem that America paused to consider how close the country was to absolute chaos and tragedy. Yes, the assassination of a political leader is a tragedy no matter what your partisan leanings.

It’s not surprising in a quicker, shorter and more shallow way we move through daily life – that a “what’s next” feeling isn’t the attitude. Afterall the disinterest of many Americans in our current political dynamic, why not just turn the channel, and move on. That said, while investigation takes time (weeks) - conspiracy theories and snarky posts take only seconds. Reflecting to understand the moment and the weight of our times could serve the hyper-partisans well. It could also serve the media well. The stakes of the election, and a few inches that nearly changed our country forever – deserves more than a 24-hour news cycle.

I guess we're kinda taking our cues from Trump himself given he chose to not alter the Republican National Convention schedule one iota despite his coming within literally centimeters of no longer being with us. He seems to have the type of personality of not wanting to dwell on such weighty issues, hence he buries himself in his work (or in this case, his campaign for presidency). He also appears to possess a dogged determination of achieving his very ambitious goals (whether it's accumulating tremendous wealth or winning a presidential election). There's certainly nothing wrong with being the proverbial Energizer bunny, but it isn't the most healthy way to deal with personal trauma. I'm guessing such denials played a significant role in the demise of each of his first two marriages. 

Aside from all that, I'm concerned that American citizens have become so desensitized to all the chaos that has been occurring nonstop for nearly a decade that we perseverate on an assassination attempt of a presidential candidate for little more than 48 hours. After that, too many folks are ready to consign such a  gargantuan story line to history, almost like a footnote. But, again, had Trump not turned his head ever so slightly as the bullet was on its trajectory, he would've been killed instantly. It's not hyperbole to suggest that a full fledged civil war would have broken out. And yet, because of that subtle head shift, we're already back to the nonstop lunacy and finger pointing that has seemingly become the new normal in American politics. 

Once again, any restoration to normalcy is going to require an intervention that transcends politics. 

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A kinder, gentler Trump?

Within an hour after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump on Saturday, I sped down to the Patriot bunker for a special live edition of the Northern Alliance Radio Network. While I was on air, Trump posted a statement on his "Truth Social" app which I read on air. 

Upon reading that, I remarked how the sentiments expressed were so unlike Trump in that his tone was dignified and judicious. 

Then on Sunday morning, a little more than 12 hours after the attempt on his life, Trump made these comments. 

Again, I was struck by his graciousness. 

There have been numerous occasions in the past where ardent Trump supporters have suggested certain landmarks in his life (i.e., assuming the Oval Office for the first time, a high profile summit meeting, catching a severe case of COVID-19, etc.) would have such a profound effect on him that it would change him for the better. And when such viewpoints were conveyed, I often found myself literally rolling my eyes. A wealthy man in his 70s is about as ironclad stuck in their ways as any living, breathing organism can be. But when one escapes death by a matter of a few centimeters?!?!? Yeah, I'll be honest. This is the first time I've given pause at the notion that Trump can evolve for the better. 

Conservative commentator Steve Deace indicated that this is a grand opportunity for Trump to make an impact in a capacity far greater than the political arena. 

I sincerely hope and pray that Trump uses this moment as the impetus to fully turn his life over to God as Reagan did 43 years ago when he was almost assassinated. What a testimony that would be, and right at the time not just us but the whole world needs America to have a leader like that. That would be a true Romans 8:28 moment. Many years ago I was nearly killed in a car accident. I wasn't a believer, I flunked out of college, and was working at a temp agency. And even at 22 (let alone 78 like Trump is) that prompted me to radically re-asses where my life was at, and God used that to be the first step towards moving me where I am now. Trump's statement (Sunday) morning was one of the best he's ever released. Truly inspiring and presidential.

I sincerely hope and pray God also uses this moment to get all of His people in this country to truly know what time it is. If Trump doesn't turn his head there and that shot lands centimeters differently, we are seeing things and discussing things ever since that make pretty much of all our current (and very important) differences among us quite trivial at that point. Furthermore, if Trump had brought family up there on-stage with him or other VIPs as he often does, it could've been them instead or in addition to. This wasn't just a shot across Trump's bow but all of our bows. The darkness is growing evermore. Grandmothers in Tennessee await prison sentences for prayerful protest of barbarism. Patriots who committed no violent acts on J6th still rotting away in DC gulags, or they're out but now outcasts in their own country. The attempted character assassination of Kavanaugh. The attempted actual assassination of the Family Research Council and GOP lawmakers playing softball. The "other" rhetoric the Spirit of the Age has injected into the water table and the soul of the Democrat Party is -- as Obama's former pastor once said -- "coming home to roost." As I've been saying the last couple of years, we are running out of time to peaceably but aggressively use the political process to meaningfully push back on this darkness. I don't know how many more warning shots it will take, or how many more we have left. But pray now is the time to overcome fear of our woke wives, or our own cowardice, or losing a job we hate and become citizens who refuse to lose the country we love while we still have that chance. It won't last forever.

I have seen on social media several posts from citizens who claimed to be on the fence that Trump's resolve and poise literally two minutes after he was grazed by a bullet was the deciding factor in supporting him over President Joe Biden this election. While I concede that Biden has handled this incident with the dignity & grace that is expected of America's top executive, the fact is he doesn't have the stamina to complete his current term, much less endure another four years. That has become more obvious to more Americans over the past few weeks. 

Yeah, there's just something about a guy who cheats death and then about 60 seconds later pumps his fist in the air as if to say "You're going to have to literally kill me in order for me to go away!!!" 

That type of courage combined with a more measured tone is going to swing independent voters back to Trump in such significant numbers that a sleepy Biden just won't be able to overcome it. The only question is will it last? Given the Republican National Convention kicks off this week in Milwaukee (with Trump accepting the GOP nomination on Thursday), we'll learn the answer by week's end. 

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Box Score of the Week

Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox - June 18, 1953.

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In Boston's 17-run outburst in the 7th inning, left fielder Gene Stephens collected three hits in that frame alone, thus becoming the first modern day player to accomplish such a feat. 

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