The NARN Closer's playlist - 12/22/2024

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Make the yuletide gay......

It's my last broadcast before Christmas! And since the Vikings don't start until 3:05 PM, I hope you can tune in live today's edition of 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 some Minnesota news, specifically Gov. Tim Walz and Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan apparently being on the outs. Also, a Friday legal ruling may give Republicans a temporary majority in the Minnesota House. 

Then in the second hour I will talk about (what else?) Christmas!

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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Lordy, Lordy, look who's (not in) 40 (B)!

Minnesota House District 40B is comprised of northern Roseville and eastern Shoreview. Given those are first ring suburban areas, they trend solidly blue every election cycle (or least they have in the Donald J. Trump era of the Republican party). And sure enough in the 2024 election cycle, DFLer Curtis Johnson easily defeated his GOP opponent (and two-time NARN guest) Paul Wikstrom by 30+ points. 

But with a few weeks remaining in the 2024 campaign, Wikstrom came out with a hard-hitting ad which alleged Johnson didn't even live in the district which he was vying to represent in the MN House. 

After Johnson's election in 40B, a lawsuit was filed accusing him of not residing in the district. In what was the ultimate Friday afternoon news dump, the ruling was announced. 

Minnesota House Republicans may have a temporary majority when the Legislature convenes this January after a judge ruled Friday that a Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate did not live in the district he was elected to represent.

Curtis Johnson, a DFLer who defeated his Republican opponent in House District 40B by 30 points in the November election, did not establish residence at his 450-foot Roseville studio apartment, making him ineligible to take office in January, Ramsey County District Judge Leonardo Castro ruled.

Rumors that Johnson continued to live at his house outside the district in Little Canada swirled in political circles months before the election, but it was an investigation and post-election lawsuit filed by Republican candidate Paul Wikstom that resulted in Johnson’s disqualification. Wikstrom, of Shoreview, sought to nullify the results of the Nov. 5 election before the start of the 2025 legislative session and asked for a special election.

Minnesota’s state Constitution requires legislative candidates to live in their district for six months before an election.

“Obtaining a lease and changing your voter registration does not satisfy this requirement; meaningful physical presence is required to show genuine intent to reside in the district,” Castro wrote in his ruling. “The people of 40B deserve no less.”

So now what? Well according to Minnesota law "the governor shall issue 22 days after the first day of the legislative session a writ calling for a special election." Since the MN Legislature convenes on January 14, that would put a special election date in early February. So a GOP majority would last all of about a month since it's likely a new DFL candidate prevails in what is a solid blue district. 

Instead of acknowledging the merits of the case, Dem leaders engaged in their go-to retort of "REPUBLICANS POUNCE!" Since DFLers didn't want alleged burglar Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) gone until after the conclusion of the 2024 session (they needed her vote in the razor thin 34-33 Dem majority), they once again show they don't much care about legalese when a legislative majority is at stake. 

In a statement responding to the decision, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said she believed the court made a mistake in not dismissing the case and echoed Johnson’s attorneys claims that a residency issue must be resolved before an election.

“We will appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court, and expect the Supreme Court will dismiss the case,” she said. “The Republicans are seeking to do in court what they were unable to do at the ballot box. Curtis Johnson won District 40B by 7,503 votes, and no court should lightly overturn the will of the voters.”

Just classic prog logic. It's not the undeniable bad (or flat out illegal) behavior of their members that's the problem as much as it is Republicans' reaction to it. I guess they'll just have to cope and seethe with this one. 

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Trouble in paradise

When people are having tremendous success in any vocation, it's easy to get along and be unified. But the true character of those same individuals is typically revealed when adversity hits. 

Along those lines, reports of a rift between Minnesota's top figures in the state's Executive Branch shouldn't be all that surprising. 

Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan haven’t been seen together publicly in seven weeks and the two aren’t communicating or meeting privately, a rift that coincided with his return from the national campaign, according to multiple sources close to the governor’s office.

The first public indication that something was amiss came just three days after the election. That afternoon, Walz gave his homecoming speech to staff, commissioners and invited DFL guests at Eagan High School. Flanagan wasn’t there and sources with knowledge of the situation said she wasn’t invited.

Instead, First Lady Gwen Walz introduced the governor with a short speech, a task that routinely fell to Flanagan for official government events. Then in his remarks, Walz thanked his wife, family and staff. He did not mention Flanagan by name or title, even though she had spent weeks enthusiastically campaigning for the national ticket led by Vice President Kamala Harris and helped run the state while he was gone.

I kinda had a feeling something like this was gonna happen. Well, nothing on the Walz-Flanagan relationship per se, but rather how the thin-skinned Walz can get rather snippy if things don't go his way. The fact he and his party no longer have cart blanche to do whatever they desire in Minnesota means the fawning and adulation from national progs goes away. Add to that the fact that over the final weeks of the presidential campaign that many Dems started to question Harris's pick of Walz as her running mate, he suddenly has gone from the dorky guy at the cool kids' table to just a regular ol' weirdo. 

In the end, Walz not going to D.C. as the new Vice President likely upset the applecart of a lot of far left Minnesota progs. Specifically, they were psyched to run a victory lap over prevailing in an area they cherish: Intersectionality. 

To some in DFL circles, the bonus of a Harris-Walz victory would have been the ascension of Flanagan as Minnesota’s first female governor joined by Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, as the first Black lieutenant governor. Flanagan also would have been the nation’s first female Native American governor.

At this point, can we even rule out the possibility of Flanagan challenging Walz in a DFL primary should he decide to seek a third term? As a radio talk show host, I say inject this storyline directly into my veins. 

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Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXI

 - Hey, did ya hear? Donald Trump was elected President Tuesday! No, I'm talking about November 5. I'm referring to today when each state's electors cast their votes. 

all of the electors are officially counted. final tally is 312-226, no faithless electors this year! pic.twitter.com/EjCu2sGR8e

— Central Valley Politics (@CV__Politics) December 18, 2024

Maybe I'm in a bubble, but doesn't it feel as though progs became so demoralized after 11/5 that they're barely putting up a mild squawk over Trump returning to the White House? I mean, I was half expecting a collection of smug, vapid celebs re-upping their 2016 plea for GOP electors to not vote for Trump. 

 

While the various talking heads at MSNBC and CNN clutched their collective pearls during Trump's first term, they certainly didn't object to the ratings boon that came with frothing leftists tuning in to have their Trump Derangement Syndrome justified. However, those networks are in for a rude awakening this time around given that their viewers realize they were being given a false sense of security ahead of this past election. Progs are most definitely going to take their seething elsewhere. 

- A mea culpa nearly 20 years in the making.

If you really wanna be enraged, watch the ESPN 30 for 30 special Fantastic Lies. Sure, Ms. Mangum deserves the scorn heaped upon her for her false accusations, but corrupt D.A. Mike Nifong is the epitome of one of my favorite lawyer jokes. What's the difference between a lawyer and a catfish? One's a bottom-feeding scum sucker and the other's a fish. 

Anyhow, Ms. Mangum's apology comes on the heels of her converting to Christianity while in jail for second degree murder. As such, I genuinely hope she finds the peace she obviously didn't possess on the outside. 

- This news is both unsurprising as well as somewhat jarring. 

🚨 🚨 🚨

The #Falcons are making a major change, as Michael Penix Jr is expected to take over at QB, with Kirk Cousins going the bench.

Atlanta is still in the thick of the playoff hunt, and Cousins has struggled mightily. Now, Penix takes over. pic.twitter.com/xTPLBovmOd

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 18, 2024

The move is unsurprising in that Cousins has been struggling mightily, having thrown only 1 touchdown and 9 interceptions in his past five starts (the Falcons have gone 1-4 in that time frame). But it's jarring in the sense that Atlanta signed Cousins to a 4-year, $180 million dollar contract (with $100 million guaranteed). But not even a year into that deal, the Falcons are seemingly ready to bail on Cousins and the huge financial commitment they made this past spring (I said at the time that given the enormous price tag that I was glad my Vikings were willing to let him walk). 

In the end, it's hard to feel too bad for Cousins. He earned about $185 million in his six seasons in Minnesota and will rake in $100 million, minimum, from Atlanta even if he never plays another down in the NFL. While he has no chance of ever being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he's a first ballot HOF'er if there's ever such an honor for most successful contract negotiator. 

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I'm out, but the NARN rolls on

I'm once again traveling for my day job, so I'll be away from my Sunday broadcast today. My pal Andrew Richter of Community Solutions-MN will be filling in for me in the usual 1-3 PM Central Time slot. 

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.

Until then.....

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Sack exchange

When NFL fans think of Brett Favre serving up a "self-sack," they might think of alleged racy text messages he sent while a member of the New York Jets in 2008.

But for football purists, a Favre "self-sack" conjures up memories of the 2001 regular season finale when Favre's Green Bay Packers took on the New York Giants. In that contest, Giants' defender Michael Strahan needed only one quarterback sack to get to 22.5 on the season, eclipsing the nearly two-decade old single season record of 22 set by the New York Jets' Mark Gastineau in 1984.

Strahan did indeed usurp Gastineau on this play with just under three minutes remaining in the game:

In the aftermath of that game, many (including Gastineau, who was present at Giants Stadium that day) ascertained that Favre did indeed give himself up in order for Strahan to get the record. While Gastineau graciously congratulated Strahan afterward, he later revealed that he's never stopped believing that Strahan's record is forever tainted. 

In 2023, Gastineau had an opportunity to confront Favre to let him know he's *still* not over it. 

Given that Gastineau-Favre exchange was first seen by the general public just this week, there's been a lot of reaction to that uncomfortable encounter. As such, Favre himself chose to address the matter. 

I want to clear the air on the footage released showing a small dustup between myself and Mark Gastineau, the former New York Jet.

Back in 2002, when Michael Strahan sacked me at the end of a game that we had wrapped up, I was in no way trying to hurt Mark Gastineau.

I was trying to close out a game and squeeze the last bit of fun out of a hard-fought game.

I booted out of a run thinking it would be wide open, saw Strahan standing there and ducked down.

The game was over.

There was no need for me to do anything spectacular.

It probably wasn’t Michael’s best sack or tackle for loss.

In a different game or situation, I would have made a bigger effort to avoid the sack or TFL.

But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau. Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan. I didn’t think it through. That wasn’t my forte at the time.

I just wanted to have fun and compete. In retrospect, I understand how Gastineau feels. We played a brutal game. Gastineau played during an era where guys didn’t make generational wealth.

I see now how being the Sack King would elevate his value at card shows, strengthen his case for the Hall of Fame, increase his demand as a public speaker.

I had no way of knowing that then. I realize now the potential financial implications because football is far more business-oriented than when me or Mark played.

There was no malice on my part.

Mark was a great player.

My understanding is he’s a great guy and a fun teammate, a guy who played with the kind of joy and passion I tried to mimic. I understand his frustration, but I’m not his enemy.

A while back, he saw me at a card show and got his frustration off his chest.

It’s not the kind of moment that should be filmed and released. It was a private moment of frustration between two old football warriors.

I have a great deal of respect for Mark.

I hope one day he joins me in the Hall of Fame.

He earned it. Look at his numbers.

He eclipsed 20 sacks twice and had 19 in another year!

Mark definitely left an indelible mark on the game.

I hope this controversy brings attention to just how great Mark Gastineau was.

He belongs in Canton.

I remember watching that Packers-Giants tilt given the magnitude of the record at stake. Favre and Strahan were the ultimate competitors, so I figured Strahan was going to have to work doubly hard to get just one sack that day. And sure enough, Favre successfully dodged Strahan's many attempts to get a sack, including getting hit many times just as he released the ball. So I was quite taken aback when it appeared Favre "took a dive" late in the game. Also, the play call made no sense since the Packers were up two scores (34-25) with under three minutes remaining and the Giants having all three timeouts plus the two-minute warning. Why would Favre risk throwing an incompletion to stop the clock and spare the opponent from burning their timeouts? Quite simply, he appeared to have other motives. 

With the ESPN 30 for 30 special New York Sack Exchange debuting this Friday, it explores the 1980s era of Jets football and how prolific they were in getting to the quarterback. Of the clips I've seen thus far, Gastineau seems to believe that he'd be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame were he still in possession of that single season record. That seems to be a bit of a stretch since there a many HOF eligible defensive players who have more (unofficial) career sacks than Gastineau but have yet to receive their calls.

From a human standpoint, I'm hoping Gastineau can find some peace, especially since he himself is dealing with some obvious physical maladies due to his decade long NFL career. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 12/8/2024

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Never give yourself no time, got too many bills to pay......

A lot to get to on today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

I'll weigh in on President Joe Biden going back on his word in accepting whatever legal judgment was levied against son Hunter by giving him a full pardon. Also, prominent leftists still have learned no lessons from this past election cycle. And finally, is Pete Hegseth's nomination for Secretary of Defense in peril? 

At 1:30, Rep. Harry Niska (R-Ramsey) will join the broadcast to discuss sobering numbers in the state of Minnesota's recently released budget forecast. 

Then at 2:00, political commentator Jon Gabriel will check in to promote his new novel Sink the Rising Sun. We'll also try to coax Jon into talking some politics. 

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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Hegseth getting Kavanaugh'd?

With Pete Hegseth being tapped as President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense, it was inevitable the proverbial long knives would come out. And while we shouldn't object to heavy scrutiny of someone's background given they're being considered for such a vital position in our government, we should all be outraged over bad faith framing of said scrutiny. 

This was the headline of a New York Times piece:

 

Pete Hegseth’s mother accused her son of mistreating women for years. 

If you only went by the headline, you'd ascertain this was a recent development and that Hegseth is so toxic that his own mother is willing to throw him under the bus. 

As we delve further into this piece, this accusation was levied in an email Penny Hegseth sent to her son back in 2018.

“I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.”

But you have to get to the fourth and fifth paragraphs to realize that Mrs. Hegseth doesn't still carry that anger she conveyed in that 6-year old email.

(I)n a phone interview with The New York Times on Friday, (Mrs. Hegseth) said that she had sent her son an immediate follow-up email at the time apologizing for what she had written. She said she had fired off the original email “in anger, with emotion” at a time when he and his wife were going through a very difficult divorce.

In the interview, she defended her son and disavowed the sentiments she had expressed in the initial email about his character and treatment of women. “It is not true. It has never been true,” she said. She added: “I know my son. He is a good father, husband.” She said that publishing the contents of the first email was “disgusting.”

The timing of this is important. The email was written about a year after the occasion of Pete and girlfriend Jenny having a daughter together (Pete was still married to wife #2 when Jenny became pregnant). But the couple had yet to marry since Pete was either going through or had just finalized acrimonious divorce proceedings. He and Jenny finally married in 2019 and have been together ever since. So despite his obvious moral failings with his first two wives in addition to the well documented hookup in Monterey, California while Jenny was home with a 2-month old, is it possible Pete has turned over a new leaf? His mother seems to think so, which is important context for this story. But that wouldn't have made for a good clickbait-y headline I guess. 

In the end, Pete will have to answer for these indiscretions. But once he provides retorts, can there possibly be any inquiries for how he'd head up a department that has failed audits for several years running now? 

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Expendable

Once the media realized their gaslighting campaign of propping up President Joe Biden as a viable candidate for reelection failed miserably (thus he succumbed to pressure to end his 2024 campaign in July), the long knives slowly but surely started to come out. Specifically, Biden's fecklessness enticed many voters to pine for the days of President Donald Trump's administration. 

NBC's Chuck Todd, in the aftermath of Biden pardoning his son Hunter over gun charges, tax evasion, etc., laid out what many of his media cohorts know but don't have the fortitude to say.

I talk to @chucktodd every Monday for my newsletter.

It's always a good conversation.

But, I thought Chuck NAILED it today on why the Hunter Biden trial really mattered when thinking about the Biden presidency and the pardon.

Watch the whole thing at the link in my bio. pic.twitter.com/FzBUBKM1cI

— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) December 3, 2024

The thing is, this is who Biden has always been in his nearly 50 years in Washington D.C. (36 years as a U.S. Senator, eight as V.P. and four as POTUS), yet the media insisted in his 2020 presidential campaign that his candidacy offered a viable alternative to the corruption, incompetence and crass behavior of then President Trump. But now that Biden's disastrous presidency has resulted in Dems getting crushed this past election cycle, the media et al are suddenly willing to call out Biden for the power hungry elitist he's been for decades. So while I applaud Todd for his candor here, it would have been a lot more courageous had he conveyed such insights 4-5 years ago. Ironically, more scrutiny of Biden's background/record may have led to the reelection of Trump in 2020, but the lack of media integrity subsequent to that election played a role in Trump rising to power again in '24.

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Utterly predictable

If I were a betting man, I woulda gone with January 19th, 2025 for this to occur. 

Yes, despite multiple assurances from his administration (which we knew were lies anyways), President Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter. 

Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently.

The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the court room – with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.

No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son – and that is wrong. There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.

For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded. Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.

If President Biden really believes all of this, then he needs to pardon Donald Trump over his 34 felony convictions handed down six months ago. I mean, can anyone make a coherent argument that Trump wasn't "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted" and that these charges were in no way brought about by his "political opponents?" Sure, the sentencing of Trump in the hush money convictions is postponed indefinitely while he serves his 4-year term as POTUS, but there's still a nonzero change he could be saddled with jail time come 2029. But Biden pardoning him would ensure that never happens. 

This part of the statement is the proverbial chef's kiss - "I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice." Like manipulating legal statute to turn misdemeanors into felonies, which could lead to jail time, all to prevent someone from running for President again? 

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On today's NARN.....

I am traveling for my day job, but there will be a special edition of my radio show The Closer today from 1:00 PM until 3:00 Central Time. 

Abshir Omar, who was one of a handful of Minneapolis Somalis who left the Democrats to support Donald Trump last month, will be guest hosting today. Sadly, Abshir's nephew was murdered Thanksgiving Day, further validating his decision to split with leftists over their fecklessness concerning violent crime in Minneapolis. Nevertheless, Abshir has chosen to fulfill his commitment to guest-hosting today's show. 

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.
Until then.....

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Thankful

I begin my daily prayers with the same sentiment every time - "Heavenly Father, thank you for this day You have made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." So now that we're approaching the Thanksgiving holiday, it's not difficult for me to express gratitude since I'm in the mode of doing so daily. 

Something I've been conveying a lot lately in our weekly "Connect Group" is how I've been reflecting on things I prayed for consistently 10 and 20 years ago, and how so many of those prayers have since been answered. So whenever I catch myself expressing dismay over anything these days, I do a "self-check" by reminding myself that I have so much of what I've been praying for. As such, it immediately triggers a spirit of thankfulness while also serving as a reminder of God's precious promises. Sure, there are still going to be seasons where there are struggles. But my go-to scripture for decades now has been 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which says "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." It may seem counter-intuitive to give thanks in a circumstance involving, say, a death of a loved one or a financial crisis. But notice it doesn't say to be thankful for those things, but rather in those circumstances. Because in every circumstance, God is faithful and thus will never leave us nor forsake us.

For my money, that's the ultimate reason to give thanks......and not just during the holiday season. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 11/24/2024

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Well, it rolls like a train that's a-comin' on down the track.........

 It's the final Sunday of November, and we'll be live on the air for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. Today's 2-hour broadcast will get started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the 1:00 hour, I'll discuss the withdrawal of Matt Gaetz for U.S. Attorney General and how President-elect Trump dodged a bullet. Also, the Dems' attempts to steal the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate election rightly failed. 

The in the 2:00 hour, I'll weigh in on political issues which have a Minnesota angle. 

At 2:30, Ralph Drollinger of Capitol Ministries will be on to promote his weekend radio broadcast which can be heard on The Patriot. 

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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There's an "AG" in Gaetz, but only in his last name

I can't say I'm devastated about this. 

Even if Gaetz got all the way to confirmation hearings before the Senate, there was virtually no chance of 50 out of 53 Republican Senators voting yes (with VP J.D. Vance breaking the tie). Truth be told, the Gaetz pick itself was a bucket of cold water thrown on the good vibes of President-elect Trump's solid early cabinet/leadership staff picks. 

With the GOP having the legislative trifecta in D.C. for at least two years, this nomination just seemed like Trump (intentionally or not) setting the stage for contentiousness with Senators whom he definitely needs in order to implement an impactful agenda. Thankfully we've avoided the prospects of Trump openly calling out Senators of his own party once they inevitably started to signal that Gaetz's confirmation was in peril. And this also shuts down the fantasy talk of Trump installing Gaetz as a recess appointment. 

Trump isn't even President yet, but this whole saga had the potential to be one of his classic (and utterly avoidable) dumpster fires. It's nice to have this reprieve, though I suspect it'll be temporary. 

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Quick Hits: Volume CCCLX

 - Since the riots at the U.S. Capitol on 1/6/2021, not a day has gone by where at least a few Dems and fervent anti-Trumpers haven't shrieked about how Republicans will never again accept election results if they lose. 

But when three-term Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) looks to have lost re-election this cycle to Republican challenger Dave McCormick, yet refuses to concede? Suddenly those concerns of "election denial" have disappeared faster than set of rims in the parking lot of a hip hop concert. 

In at least four counties — Bucks, Philadelphia, Centre and Montgomery — local election officials are acting in open defiance of a ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that arrived weeks before the election. The court found that mail ballots that are missing the date on the outer envelope, or have the wrong date, cannot be counted for this election.

The Bucks County election commission felt differently.

“It is a pretty stupid thing to not count someone’s vote simply because they didn’t date an envelope for a ballot,” said Robert Harvie Jr., the chairman of the board and a Democrat, during a meeting on Tuesday where the board voted 2-1 to count 405 ballots with date errors on the envelope. He added that election officials know when ballots were printed for voters, making the outer envelope date requirement meaningless.

“The law needs to be changed,” Mr. Harvie said.

Undermining democracy for we, not for ye. 

Also, one official in particular determined that if the law needs to ne changed, just go ahead and ignore what's currently on the books. 

 

Bucks County commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia infamously contended, “I think we all know that precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country, and people violate laws any time they want.”

As a reminder, the woman who declared “people violate laws any time they want” serves on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. I guess she was brought on for her expertise in how criminals justify their lawbreaking.

Any prog from here forward who cites January 6 as a direct attack on our democracy but willingly ignores what's occurring in the Keystone state should be mercilessly mocked and ridiculed. 

- Sure, Kamala Harris losing the 2024 presidential election was a good thing for America. But we conservatives oughta be thanking her for more than merely being a terrible candidate so as to spare us from her occupying the Oval Office the next four years. 

 

Gallup finds that support for a handgun ban is once again near its record low, with just 20% backing a handgun ban.

Kamala's phony pandering probably shoved the Overton window in our direction a little bit. Thanks Kamala! pic.twitter.com/ihMMdp8mkk

— Kostas Moros (@MorosKostas) November 19, 2024

Thank you for your 2A advocacy, Madame Vice President!

- Say, remember how for the past four years many Democrat U.S. Senators advocated getting rid of the legislative filibuster so as to implement a vast array of radical far left policy? Anyone with half a brain knew then that it wasn't exactly a principled stance, rather an attempted power grab. Soon-to-be Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pretty much confirmed that after the latest election cycle. 

 

“To my Republican colleagues, I offer a word of caution in good faith: Take care not to misread the will of the people, and do not abandon the need for bipartisanship. After winning an election, the temptation may be to go to the extreme. We’ve seen that happen over the decades, and it has consistently backfired on the party in power. So, instead of going to the extremes, I remind my colleagues that this body is most effective when it’s bipartisan. If we want the next four years in the Senate to be as productive as the last four, the only way that will happen is through bipartisan cooperation.”

Translation: Sorry for all that sabre rattling on that filibuster thingy. We didn't really mean it. Pinky swear.

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 11/17/2024

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In a world of pain I have no peer.......

I'll be back live in the Patriot bunker for today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour blitz gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

Despite the 2024 election cycle being pretty much behind us, some people wanna re-litigate what happened in 2020. Also, where do Georgia's elected Republicans go for their apology over the misinformation regarding their voter reform bill from 2021?

At 1:30, political wonk Matt Mackowiak will join the broadcast to weigh in on President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks thus far. 

Then at 2:00, GOP communications consultant Preya Samsundar will stop by to discuss how the MNGOP can learn from previous mistakes to make inroads on winning statewide. 

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 new U.S. Senate Majority Leader

At the 2006 Minnesota State Fair, my wife and I volunteered at the Mark Kennedy for U.S. Senate booth. With Sen. Mark Dayton not seeking reelection, this Senate seat would be an open contest. We figured a multi term Congressman like Kennedy was in a good position to defeat a glorified ambulance chaser like Amy Klobuchar, who was taking her first crack at national political office (oh how naïve we were). 

There was also extra incentive for Jennifer and I to volunteer this day as the junior U.S. Senator out of South Dakota was going to be in town campaigning on Kennedy's behalf. We were especially thrilled to meet this young Senator since he was a mere 21 months removed from ousting chief George W. Bush antagonist Tom Daschle. 

 

As of this past Wednesday, that South Dakota Senator (now the state's senior Senator in his fourth term) is the Senate Majority Leader!

Honored to serve as the next U.S. Senate majority leader. pic.twitter.com/zq9XLrPDUr

— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) November 13, 2024

Congratulations, Sen. Thune!

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Eat multiple crows

If you would have asked me back in August how I thought my Minnesota Vikings would fare this season, I was in the camp of at least 7 wins (not exactly a high bar given they won 7 games in 2023 while starting four different quarterbacks), with a ceiling of 10 victories. 

While I felt good that the offense was stacked (and thus even a pedestrian QB like Sam Darnold could succeed), I wasn't sure how the defense would fare. But with Brian Flores still the D-coordinator, the team would at least be competitive while they transition to their franchise QB JJ McCarthy starting in 2025. As such, their Super Bowl window should be open in 2026. 

While I was fine if the Vikes had a relatively down year in '24, I found myself rooting like heck for them to reach that 7-win threshold when this blowhard hit his social media community with this take last May: 

A couple of months later, his trolling of my Vikings continued: 

Self-anointed expert guy apparently forgot the Vikings have on their roster a generationally talented WR in Justin Jefferson, a solid #2 in Jordan Addison (who was terrific as the top target in 2023 when Jefferson missed several games due to injury) and a top 5 TE in TJ Hockenson. Add to that free agent RB Aaron Jones and I would argue the Vikes have at least the third best complement of weapons in the NFC North, maybe even second behind the Detroit Lions. When called out on his ignorance, "TroyNFL" hit back with how McCarthy isn't ready to lead such a dynamic offense. It was then I knew he was talking out of his a** since McCarthy (even before his injury) was not slated to begin the season as a starter. 

I know what you're probably thinking. Why do I care what some random bozo on the internet believes? And while I'm one to merely roll my eyes at smack talkers, I get irritated by guys who talk sh*t while also exhibiting unearned arrogance. So when "Troy" was asking in that first video "Where the hell are these seven wins gonna come from?," I was positively giddy (and perhaps a little smug) this past Sunday that I could reply to that video with "FOUND THE 7 WINS!!!!!"

And perhaps the most gratifying? One of those wins were over his personal favorite club - the San Francisco 49ers!

I still maintain that Vikings' ceiling this season is 10 wins and maybe a single playoff victory, but I can definitely say the season will not be a lost cause for me personally. 

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The kind of stand-up act you give......

 ....when you know that you're "un-cancelable."

Or, in the case of comedian Bill Burr, you no longer give a squat. 

If you watch the video closely, there is a woman among the band located behind Burr. I can't tell if she was highly offended or attempting to stifle laughter. 

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

Quick Hits: Volume CCCLIX

 - Say, remember when the walking cadaver in the White House claimed Georgia's 2021 voter reform bill would suppress the black vote? 'Cause I 'member.

"This makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle. This is gigantic, what they're trying to do."

— President Biden on Republican-led state efforts to roll back voting rights pic.twitter.com/12JT5PDZyy

— The Recount (@therecount) March 25, 2021

After yet another election cycle where Georgia saw all-time records in early voting and overall turnout, Jeff Jacoby at The Boston Globe is wondering where Georgia's elected Republicans go for their apology. 

 

It may be too much to expect the president to retract anything he has said about Trump specifically. But if he sincerely wishes to cool the overheated atmosphere of the past few years, he might start by publicly taking back his slanders about Georgia’s election law. Nearly four years of data have now proven conclusively that there was no attempt to prevent Georgians from voting. The “Jim Crow” line of attack was sheer racial demagoguery with no basis in fact.

Biden ought to say so and apologize for his role in promoting such an ugly libel. Not just because it would be the right thing to do but because it would set an example of how a mature and moral leader can make amends for contributing to the rancor and meanness of our civil discourse. Such a demonstration of contrition by the outgoing president might give the incoming president something to think about and — who knows? — perhaps even emulate.

To be fair, I'm not 100% convinced that Biden didn't merely spout was being shown on a teleprompter. I mean, if Pinocchio conveyed something so nasty, would it be he or Geppetto who should relay the apology? 

- With Minnesota voters thankfully ending the DFL trifecta in state government this election cycle, there's a way forward to actually secure majorities in the Minnesota Legislature. And dare I say there's groundwork established for winning state wide?

Just prior to Election Day, State Rep. (and conservative powerhouse) Walter Hudson gave his perspective at Hot Gas Air. 

(The) radical agenda (implemented in 2023 & 2024) is the result of eligible conservative voters who stayed home in 2022, voters whose values align with the Republican platform. Contrary to the familiar media narrative, those voters include a growing number of minorities. If Minnesota Republicans and allied organizations can organize and engage these voters, Minnesota could shift from blue to red. We’ve already seen this realignment since 2016, when Trump came within 2% of winning the state, and the traditionally Democratic Iron Range flipped to red. This year, we’re on track to secure rural Minnesota and make inroads in urban areas. In fact, just a few percentage points’ shift in key counties could be enough to tip future elections.

In conversations with community members in the Twin Cities and North Minneapolis, I constantly hear stories of political fatigue. Minneapolis and St. Paul, under decades of Democratic leadership, have promised “change” and “progress,” but many residents feel nothing improves in their neighborhoods. I’ve often heard Black residents say they don’t vote because it doesn’t seem to matter: “Nothing ever changes in the neighborhood.”

Let's face it: it's highly unlikely a MN GOP candidate will ever win an election in an urban Senate or House District. But if they start attaining upper 30s, maybe even 40% of the vote in a given race? That would go a long way to breaking the nearly 20-year losing streak in statewide elections. 

Thankfully, many activists are learning that bolstering that kind support will require more than candidates being airdropped into those districts mere weeks before an election.  

- I've seen many instances of this particular graph being circulated on social media since the morning after Election Day. 

People on both sides of the aisle were citing Kamala Harris' 15 million less votes than Joe Biden as proof some shenanigans were afoot. Some (not all, but some) Harris supporters claimed that her 2024 votes were being hidden or destroyed while some Trump supporters suggested this validated their assertions that millions of extra votes were fraudulently cast in 2020.

Of course, both groups are full of crap. 

The fact of the matter is this chart represents a snapshot of votes counted in less than 24 hours after polls closed on Tuesday, November 5. It typically takes at least a week (sometimes longer) for all ballots to be tabulated. Also, who's the buffoon who designed that bar graph? They started the y-axis at 50 million (instead of the standard 0) to make the 15 million vote discrepancy appear even more daunting. 

In the end, 158.4 million votes were cast in 2020. When it's all said and done, 2024 turnout is expected to come in at 156.2. That's still fewer raw votes overall, but ain't FIFTEEN MILLION less. 

Here is a schematically accurate bar graph to show how the '24 POTUS race will ultimately shake out:

 

In short, stop being an idiot. 

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 11/10/2024

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They wanna come up real quick before they start to clown......

No mystery what we're gonna talk about today. 

With the 2024 election cycle finally behind us, I'll recap why Trump and Republicans were able to seize power in Washington, D.C. Also, if the five days since Election Day is any indication, progs have learned exactly zero lessons as to why their lunacy was rejected at the ballot box. 

I'll also weigh in on the Minnesota political landscape and what failed VP candidate Tim Walz will face now that he has to get back to his job as the state's governor. 

You can listen 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.

Until then.....

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Welcome back, Gov. Walz

At least we were spared from having to witness a U.S. Vice President doing this over the next four years: 

With Democrat VP candidate Tim Walz now having to come home to Minnesota to reassume his current job as the state's governor, the dynamic will be a little different than the previous two legislative sessions. 

As I write this, Minnesota Republicans have flipped three DFL-held MN House seats to forge a 67-67 tie in that legislative body. With two DFL seats (14B in St Cloud and 54A in Shakopee) subject to a recount (incumbents have miniscule leads in both), there's a nonzero chance the GOP could seize the majority when it's all said and done. But for this exercise, let's assume the membership remains deadlocked. If House Republicans stay unified, it's possible the only substantive legislation to get through this next biennium would be the 2025 state budget. This means the DFL would actually have to (GASP!) garner GOP input if any bills are to make it to the governor's desk. For my money, gridlock is far preferable to the buffet of lunacy that sailed through the 2023 and 2024 sessions. 

With Walz still smarting from being part of a losing presidential ticket, thus having to return to Minnesota with his tail tucked between his legs, how will he handle national leftists (and many media members) no longer fawning over him now that access to the "buffet" has been blocked? I've heard from many legislators how thin-skinned the guy is in addition to his being a bad faith negotiator. Granted, those traits weren't as apparent the past two years since DFLers gave the wave off to any GOP input. But since Walz no longer has the luxury of turning his back on the right these next two legislative sessions, my guess is he'll be downright pissy over the next couple of years. And if he intends on seeking a third term for governor, how is he going to navigate his reelection message if he's shown to not being able to work well with others? 

One final thought: what happens if Sen. Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) is ultimately forced to step away due to issues surrounding her alleged felony burglary? With the Dems holding a scant 34-33 majority in the MN Senate, that would leave both chambers deadlocked. It would be quite entertaining to hear which party comes up with the more creative way to label their political opposites as "obstructionists."

While I always lament the beginning of a Minnesota legislative session, I gotta confess that I'm pretty intrigued by the 2025 gathering. Popcorn's poppin'. 

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Wow. Just....wow

 

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The Chronicles of NARN: Election 2024

Mitch Berg, Jack Tomczak and I will be broadcasting live from MN GOP Headquarters in Bloomington this evening, starting at 8:00 Central Time. 

We'll pore over incoming results as well as give our perspective on what's at stake.  

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.

Until then.....

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Election 2024: Prediction time

Based on little more than gut instinct, here's how I see this cycle shaking out.

MN House: The DFL holds a 70-64 majority, meaning the Republicans need a net gain of four seats. I've talked to about two dozen GOP candidates this cycle and a significant number of them told me that voters are most concerned about economic issues, which overwhelmingly favors Republicans this cycle. 

If I could have only one of two outcomes of Donald Trump being elected President or the GOP taking the majority in the MN House, I wouldn't hesitate in going with the latter. 

Perhaps this is wishful thinking, but I say Republicans take back the House with a 5-8 seat gain. 

MN Senate: While the entire Senate is not up for election, there is one DFL-held seat (Senate District 45) that is in play. Incumbent Sen. Kelly Morrison (DFL-Deephaven) resigned her seat to run for Congress in Minnesota CD3. 

GOP candidate Kathleen Fowke is putting in the work necessary to flip this seat and thus ensure at least one legislative chamber be a backstop against a far left agenda. And if this was an off-year "special election," the race might be more of a wildcard. Unfortunately, normal election turnout signals that a solid DFL seat remains in that column. 

I'm ripe for a surprise, but I believe that DFL candidate Ann Johnson Stewart emerges with close to a double digit victory. 

U.S. House delegation from Minnesota: Republican incumbents Brad Finstad, Tom Emmer, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber will win their reelection bids in Minnesota's First, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Congressional Districts, respectively. 

Dem incumbents Betty McCollum (CD4) and Ilhan Omar (CD5) will also prevail. 

With Democrat incumbent Dean Phillips not seeking reelection in CD3, Dem candidate Kelly Morrison will likely defeat Republican challenger Tad Jude in what has become (unfortunately) a solid blue district. 

The only "toss up" among the 8 Congressional Districts is the Second, where Democrat Congresswoman Angie Craig is receiving a serious challenge from GOP candidate Joe Teirab. Rep. Craig has won three elections in CD2, but none by more than 5.5%. While she's played up the "moderate Dem" label throughout her career, Craig was more than willing to accept assistance on her campaign from local candidates who are down with "defunding the police." Rather curious given she was endorsed by the MN Police and Peace Officers Association. You know that the DNC is worried about this seat when House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries came to town to help out. Not really sure how a radical leftist like Jeffries is supposed to be an asset to self proclaimed moderate like Craig, but whatever. 

Of all the candidates Craig has faced, Teirab has appeared to be the most organized and well funded challenger, even more so that Jason Lewis. I don't know what more he could've done to seize this race. 

With all that said, I see Craig surviving, albeit barely. Call it a 2-3% margin of victory. 

U.S. Senate race in MN: Three-term incumbent Sen. Amy Klobuchar has never garnered less than 58% of the vote in a U.S. Senate race nor has she ever won by less than 20%. Both streaks might be in jeopardy here against Republican Royce White, but she will still win comfortably.

U.S. House: Right now the Republicans hold a razor thin majority at 220-212 (3 seats are currently vacant). The GOP has 201 seats considered "Leans GOP" or better. If they capture all those plus the 17 Republican seats considered "toss ups," that puts them right at 218, the minimum needed for a majority. 

Based on nothing but guesswork, I say Republicans wind up with 220-225 seats to maintain a slim majority. 

U.S. Senate: The only prediction I'm confident in is the Republicans will take control of the Senate. With Dems clinging to a 51-49 majority, Republicans need to flip two Dem held seats. Right out of the gate, the GOP should easily take West Virginia (Gov. Jim Justice will prevail, taking over for retiring Dem Joe Manchin) and Montana (Jon Tester will be denied a fourth term by Tim Sheehy). 

Given there are no Republican held seats in legitimate danger of flipping, this would be a great opportunity to run up the score. Other vulnerable incumbent Democrats include Tammy Baldwin (WI), Bob Casey, Jr. (PA) and Sherrod Brown (OH). With Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) not seeking reelection, Michigan is also in play for Republicans. Of those states, it would seem Ohio is the best opportunity to flip given Donald Trump will win that state comfortably. As such, GOP candidate Bernie Moreno will be the beneficiary of Trump's coattails. 

Within the past week, Arizona's open Senate seat has suddenly moved to the toss-up category as the state's citizens are finding out Democrat Ruben Gallego is a leftist in the motif of "The Squad." Unfortunately, GOP candidate Kari Lake alienated a lot of Republican voters with her disdain towards the late Sen. John McCain who, whatever you think of him, was borderline revered by many Arizonans. I guess it's no wonder Independents comprise the largest voting bloc in the state given the best the GOP could do for this race was nominate a failed 2022 gubernatorial candidate. 

By all rights, Nevada Republican Sam Brown should be doing much better in his race against Sen. Jacky Rosen. While it's technically a "toss up," I don't recall him being any closer than 4 points. 

In the end, I believe Republicans will wind up with a minimum of 52 seats, with a realistic potential to reach 55.

President of the United States: If Donald Trump wins all the states he won in 2020, that gives him a baseline of 235 Electoral Votes. From there, I believe he has the easier path to 270. Of course, I said in 2016 that Hillary Clinton had the more realistic path to victory, so.....

In addition to the 235 EVs securely in the Trump column, I believe he wins Georgia (16 EVs) and Arizona (11) to put him at 262. If he gets there, then he only needs to win one of the three "blue wall" states of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. Kamala Harris needs all three to prevail, which is absolutely not beyond the realm of possibility. 

With Trump at 262, I say he'll also take Nevada as well as the one electoral vote in Nebraska which he lost in '20 but won in '16 (Nebraska allocates their EVs by Congressional District). 

If that's all Trump gets, here's what the map looks like: 

 

Yep. I'm chickening out by not predicting an outright winner. 

I am honestly prepared for every scenario with the exception of a Harris blowout. And given we've been living in "unprecedented times" for what seems like a decade now, I actually wanna see the 12th Amendment put into play here. 

As always......happy voting. 

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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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