Bob Corker Celebrates Democrats Winning Alabama Senate Special Election

A Show After the Show for Ferguson the Play's Final Closing Curtain

Conservative entertainment activist Phelim Mc Aleer held the World Premiere of his  2015 play "Ferguson the Play" in New York City . The drama depicts the shooting of Michael Brown by a greater St. Louis police officer  in 2014 which sparked several days of rioting. This ugly incident which galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement under the ersatz slogan "Hands up, don't shoot."  Mc Aleer wrote the play because he believed that the truth that it was a defensive shooting was not getting out because of media bias buying into a progressive activist agenda.

What made Ferguson the play notable is that playwright McAleer constructed the verbatum theater completely using the released transcript of the Ferguson Grand Jury.  McAleer and director Jerry Dixon worked with a multi-racial cast to put on the controversial courtroom drama  for a short run at the 30th Street Playhouse in Manhattan.

On the closing night, Cedric Benjamin commadeered the stage at the close to voice his displeasure as he thought that the play was unbalanced and biased.





Director Jerry Dixon shut down the rogue actor's rant, but the histrionic polemic spilled out into the street, with actor Benjamin accusing playwright Mc Aleer  of "white arrogance".  




Mc Aleer later praised the director for shutting down the unscripted lecture by a cast member.

It seems ironic that the actor invoked arrogance against the playwright, who raised over  $51,000 in a crowdfunding campaign to mount the production, when the actor could not just say his lines. Mc Aleer deliberately brought Ferguson the play to New York after the cast of Hamilton accosted attendee then Vice President Elect Mike Pence to defy the conceit that conservatives are not welcomed in the New York theater community.

On the first production, which was a stage reading in 2015, nine members of the Los Angeles cast walked off, with one actor claiming that he did not trust Mc Aleer's motives.  At least those thespians were professional enough to disassociate themselves with a theatrical vehicle with which they could not agree.

Ironically, Cedric Benjamin's grand gesture might prove to be counterproductive.  It has drawn more attention to a small production, thrusting it into the news.  Phelim Mc Aleer continues to fund raise over the controversy with an expressed purpose of continuing to perform Ferguson the Play in New York.   Mc Aleer took great consolation that one BLM attendee who attended the play and left shocked and mystified that "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" was a lie.

Pollster George Barna recently sought to understand why evangelical Christians supported Donald Trump, who seemed to contradict many of their mores.  A large part of the answer is that SAGE-cons (Spiritually Aware Governmentally Engaged) conservatives have great distrust in the mainstream (a.ka. lamestream) media because of biased reporting against Trump that they now use alternate media sources to avoid "fake news".  By banding together on core issues like rule of law,  Barna contends that this 11% sliver of of the American electorate voting for Donald Trump was "The Day Christians Change America" (2017).

The strength of SAGE-cons influencing America was shown more than for Election 2016.  The informal boycotts by football fans of the NFL as they tolerate players who Take A Knee during the National Anthem has severely cut into attendance along with television ratings and is influencing advertisers like Papa John's Pizza to pull back.  Such a motivated minority of SAGE-cons may well see Ferguson the Play as a chance to actuate their ideas and counter the "fake news" phenomenon in entertainment as well as cultural conceits.

Hillary Clinton on Her Political Future

Is Obama Advocating Illegals Voting?

In the run up to Election Day, President Barack Obama gave an interview to MITU, a media service aimed at millennial Hispanics.  This softball interview by Gina Rodriguez has generated considerable controversy because many have discerned that Mr. Obama muddied the waters about illegal immigrants voting.



If one watches the entire segment, Snopes purports that Mr. Obama makes some distinctions that only Latino citizens can vote and they ought to do so to represent all in their community. The controversial colloquy reads:

RODRIGUEZ: Many of the millennials, Dreamers, undocumented citizens -- and I call them citizens because they contribute to this country -- are fearful of voting. So if I vote, will immigration know where I live? Will they come for my family and deport us?

OBAMA: Not true. And the reason is, first of all, when you vote, you are a citizen yourself. And there is not a situation where the voting rolls somehow are transferred over and people start investigating, et cetera. The sanctity of the vote is strictly confidential in terms of who you voted for. If you have a family member who maybe is undocumented, then you have an even greater reason to vote.

RODRIGUEZ: This has been a huge fear presented especially during this election.

OBAMA: And the reason that fear is promoted is because they don't want people voting. People are discouraged from voting and part of what is important for Latino citizens is to make your voice heard, because you're not just speaking for yourself. You're speaking for family members, friends, classmates of yours in school...

RODRIGUEZ: Your entire community.

OBAMA: ... who may not have a voice. Who can't legally vote. But they're counting on you to make sure that you have the courage to make your voice heard.

 This would be typical Democrat identity politics.

The problem is that the interviewer led off the segment by declaring that because illegal aliens "contribute to the country", they are undocumented citizens.   Rather than disabuse Ms. Rodriguez of little things like the law, Obama vaguely states that you are a citizen when you are voting and the anonymity of a vote is sacrosant. 

In addition, this generous take on an oleaginous interview on illegals and voting was a blanket statement from President Obama in which he claimed that if you show up at the polls, no one will stop you from voting.  The young reporter deliberately turns to the camera and flashes a smarmy smile. 

Perhaps this would explain why the Department of Justice warned conservative poll watchers that they might face imprisonment for voter intimidation if they interfere with voter access.

For a lawyer, Barack Obama imprecise rhetoric about voting may well have been intended to encourage as many people to the polls as possible and encouraging illegal votes. Some states allow for same day registration. And the Supreme Court has made it difficult to prove identity or citizenship, to echo Hillary Clinton's Benghazi testimony, "At this point, what difference does it make". 

Don King on Donald Trump

In his continued outreach to Black voters, Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump (R-NY) visited a predominantly Black church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  Trump was introduced by boxing entrepreneur and former Celebrity Apprentice contestant Don King.



Don King's positioning as warm up for Trump at a Church was about as egregious as another Celebrity Apprentice alum, Mike Tyson.  King made some controversial soundbites in his introduction.

King certainly generated some attention to Trump's trip to the New Spirit Revival Center but it is uncertain if a star studded event will have a discernible effect on Election 2016. Trump is only polling at 3% among African American voters.  But the Obama electorate garnered heavy support from that constituency.  Mrs. Clinton has to hope that much of that historic support for the first Black President transfers to votes for the first woman President in key swing states like Ohio and Florida.

So Much for a Gracious GOP Under Trump

On Crony Capitalism and Establishment Access

Trump Swears Off Profanity?

In a major campaign announcement from a rally in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump promised to swear off foul language.

That sounds like a satirical piece from The Onion.  Alas, that really happened. Trump has earned loads of earned media during the early primary process by making outrageous and inflammatory outbursts.Trump's military strategy was the equivalent of bombing the fecal matter out of ISIS.  Trump has also whispered the "F" bomb from center stage.

In the eve of the New Hampshire primary, when Trump was critiquing his main opponent Senator Ted Cruz's approach on enhanced interrogation, the Manhattan Mogul gleefully repeated a vile and vulgar shout out from the crowd referring to female genitalia.  This was a quintessential example of Trump employing paralepsis, in which a speaker says something with plausible deniability. Later, Trump justified his crass comments that we were just having fun. Sure.

 But if we are to believe Trump's Baton Rouge Pledge, the GOP front-runner will no longer use foul language.  Some have argued that the quip against Cruz was intended to be short for pussillanimous.  If so, why pretend to chide the shout out not to use the language with a smile?

It is a sad statement of the state of Trump's campaign that a populist politician has to shout it out to the rooftops that he will swear off foul language.  So why the sudden shift?

Much of Trump's appeal to die-hard supporters is that he can't be bought since he claims to be self-financing his campaign (but won't turn down contributions).  That being said, Trump does not hesitate to pander, to questionable effectiveness.

In several early primaries, such as Iowa, South Carolina and five of the SEC primaries, evangelicals make up a substantial proportion of the Republican electorate.  So it's no surprise that politicians hungry for evangelical support would play up faith themes on the hustings.

Well, this was not a believable ploy for Trump, especially with his "Two Corinthians" citation at Liberty University. But this voter bloc should be more than properly quoting Bible verses.  They also tend to be values voters.  And a foul mouthed, avarice animated politician is a hard sell to those seeking to walk the faith.

The Cruz campaign sought to capitalize on this crucible with a clever ad mimicking Trump themes from the mouths of babes.



The spot successfully captured the crassness of Trump with boorish behavior without putting foul words in the childrens' mouths.  But the telling shot was the parents  watching the playroom with a voice over "We wouldn't tolerate this behavior in our children--why would we want them in a President?"  Thus the commercial was more than about illustrating crony capitalism and eminent domain but about values voters, which is a bulleye in South Carolina with a 60% evangelical GOP voter base.

Let's see how long Trump can stifle his crass asides.  As the SEC primaries are on March 1st, I suspect it will be March second (sic) if we are lucky. 

On Chaotic Campaigning and Ceilings

Manhattan Mogul Donald Trump's sober response to coming in second for the 2016 Republican Iowa Caucuses did not last long.  The day after, Trump seized on a sketchy story that the Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)  campaign "cheated" by passing along media reports of Dr. Ben Carson's retreat from the campaign trail.




But then Trump linked it to the Canadian "birther" attack, which ought to tip off Carson supporters on Trump's sincerity. Later, Trump doubled down on social media to demand that the Iowa Caucuses be held over or Cruz's win nullified. So much for being dignified and concentrating on the future.

The Washington Examiner's Philip Klein offered an analysis on the primary campaign.  Metrics indicate that Mr. Trump has a solid core base of core followers which may number up to 25% of the electorate, as long as their dear leader is winning.  The record setting turnout in the Republican Iowa Caucuses did not help the populist pugilist as conventional wisdom held.  Last minute decision makers decidedly turned away from the Trump train.

In order to win the nomination, a candidate eventually must garner a majority of voters (as well as 1,237 delegates in at least six primary wins) to take the nomination.  Data indicates that Trump has a ceiling of support.  The large lump of core supporters may help him in a crowded field, but it will not take him over the top.

Trump has utilized an unconventional primary strategy, eschewing organization and retail politics for celebrity driven campaign events, earned media from outlandish statements and constantly attacking his opponents with insults and paraliptical innuendo. Now that ballots have been cast, the circus show is no longer easily winning eyeballs.  More importantly, it does not seem to be winning converts.

Rush Limbaugh had a blue collar caller who had previously been in the Trump camp for the political incorrect fighter appeal.  But the Trump supporter had been dissuaded by the renewed attacks on Cruz  by Trump over the Carson kerfluffle.  This support may ring essentially hollow as Trump had insinuated that Dr. Carson had the pathology of a child molester in November 2015).  The caller began to question if Trump is fighting for real reasons or if it is part of his show.

This sort of agonizing re-appraisal from Trump-eteers as well has the apparent hard ceiling of Trump support may not bode well for his candidacy in the future.  This is not to say that Trump should immediately be written off.  Trump's lead in New Hampshire is formidable.  In addition, the large lead that Senator Bernie Sanders has in the Granite State's Democrat primary may allow many cross over votes to a competitive race as well as "reverse Operation Chaos" by Democrats voting for their favored foe to defeat in the November General Election.

Winning a primary contest does not necessarily mean that the spotlight will fall on the victor. Ask Ted Cruz after the Iowa Caucuses.  Much of the media has focused on the over-performing Senator Marco Rubio third place finish. But with the tight timeline of primaries and stories emanating from unexpected results may mark the end of domination of the news cycle by realty show like media stunts. Not that such an inconvenient truth will dawn on everyone.  Conservative media pundit Ben Shapiro echoed Donald Trump's true tactic: "I keep whining and whining until I win."

 Time will tell if that continues to work in Election 2016.

Considering When Doles Are Lemons And Not Pineapples

Ex Senator Bob Dole (R-KS)  offered some sharp comments about the surging conservative candidacy of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX).

The 92 year old Dole served four terms in U.S. House (R-KS 6th & 1st) and who had a moderate voting record that bridged the gaps of the Kansas Republican party.  President Gerald Ford named Dole as his choice for his Vice Presidential running mate in 1976. Dole was also was a five term Senator from Kansas who resigned from the body in 1995 for his furtive campaign for President against President Bill Clinton.  Now Dole is a elder statesman surrogate for 2016 Republican Presidential hopeful former Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL). Who can argue with experience like that?

The strategy for the Jeb! Bush campaign is to rely upon endorsements and advertising to achieve victory.  Wheeling out Bob Dole to write fundraising letters and make television appearances seems to epitomize the strategy.   What are they thinking?

Bob Dole has been out of office for twenty years! This may not seem significant to Jeb! as he has been out of elective office for nearly nine years himself, but Dole was the head of the ticket four presidential cycles ago.    When Dole ran for President in 1996 he was 72 years old.  Due to his World War II battle injuries, Dole did not give a vibrant persona on the campaign trail and was savaged by a Saturday Night Live satire of Dole being kicked out of the Real World house.  The years of Viagra commercials and Howard Stern appearances will not make Bob Dole seem fresh. 

Then it is imperative to consider the source of a conservative critique.  Bob Dole was renowned for his moderate voting record.  During the 1976 Presidential campaign, he took the second slot during the Kansas City GOP Presidential Convention to contrast the conservative insurgent, then Governor Ronald Reagan.  Dole was not know as a strong voice for conservatism during his ten year tenure as Senate Majority Leader.  Yet at this late date, Robert Dole is going to be the arbiter for real Republican conservatism.

Dole's charges against Cruz are that he tried to shut down the government.  The legislative branch creates governmental budgets and the Executive Branch.  Cruz gave a flying flip in to use Congressional Power to roll back Obamacare, an issue which gave Republicans a majority in the House after the 2010 elections and ultimately the Senate after the 2014 election.  But it is so much easier in the District of Calamity Cocktail Party to go along and get along and occasionally offer some red meat when back home around election time. 

Per Bob Dole, the second scarlet mark on Senator Cruz was calling Senate Majority Leader(?) Mitch McConnell a liar on the Senate floor.  Oh, the humanity.  A breach in protocol in the world's leading debate society.  The problem is, to put it in Texas twang, it's ain't necessarily so. Kind of like McConnell's word. Cruz recounted the truth about broken promises but avoided the label of liar,

Dole's damning of Cruz's conservatism underscores how out of touch elites are about the sentiments of the grassroot Republicans.  With Trump, Cruz, Carson and Rubio attracting the support of over 50% of the base GOP voters, it is an odd tactic to claim that their outside the beltway dissatisfaction with the status quo are not real conservative Republican sentiments. 

The medium is also the message.  Dole delivered his diatribe against Cruz and Trump on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell show.  It is dubious if ANY conservatives watch that program much less are swayed by the rhetoric. 

Dole's attacks against Cruz may extend from political animus to a concerted strategy.  It has been postulated that Jeb! proponents  will scatter shots against most of the rest of the GOP field save "the brash billionaire  to make it a damoclean choice between Jeb! and "the Donald".

After Dole's Andrea Mitchell hit, one should wonder about when Doles are lemons and not pineapples.  At this stage in the process, Dole would be wise to can it.

Ted Cruz on the Constitution and Faith

Bobby Jindal on Radical Islam

In the wake of the Chattanooga terrorist attack, Republican Presidential candidate Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA) had harsh words for the Obama Administration and their inability to admit that radical Islamists are inflicting violence on America. 

Some jaded political pundits perceive Governor Jindal's statements as being calculated comments to draw attention to his fledgling Presidential campaign or even to make the top ten cut for the Fox News opening debate. These analysis are either ignorant of Governor Jindal's hard hitting January 2015 foreign policy speech in London when he criticized Sharia "no go zones", his commitment to protecting religious liberty for persecuted Christians or his evangelical political appeal. 

These Cocktail Party commentators seemingly prefer that people ruminate on whether Caitlyn (ne Bruce) Jenner should have received the ESPY "Courage" award or wiping the Confederate Flag from the Dukes of Hazzard car because of the Charleston church shooting.  Mainstream media commentators like symbolism and ultimately ineffective action rather than dealing with a prickly socio-political problem which regularly costs lives throughout the globe and continues to come to our shores. 

Donald Trump has made a splash on the campaign circuit with his tough talk on America's illegal immigration morass and has rocked up the polls. While this Trump popularity may not last, it does show that a wide segment of the Republican electorate are tired of mealy mouthed politicos who spout politically correct platitudes while doing nothing to tend to festering wounds to the American body.

Rather than perceive Gov. Jindal's comments as a cynical campaign strategy, it would be wise to appreciate Jindal naming Radical Islam as the enemy as plain talk on real problems which have been ignored during the Obama Administration. Perhaps that is eventually a winning strategy. Nevertheless, it beats robotically recited platitudes, carefully controlled listening tours and a strange Scooby mobile.

Donald Trump on the Silent Majority

Donald Trump took his juggernaut campaign to Phoenix, Arizona.  His venue needed to be changed to the Phoenix Convention Center, which can host 4,000 people.  But so many people were  waiting outside in the 100 degree heat that officials let them into the event.  So there are claims that 15,000 people watched "The Donald" offer his remarks in his sui generis manner about immigration.

Hillary Clinton and Borders

 

Chris Christie on Iran Nuke Deal

George Pataki Comes Out of Social Media to Defend Caitlyn (ne Bruce) Jenner

 What a way for a Republican Presidential candidate like former Governor George Pataki (R-NY)  to attract attention.  Pataki took to social media to indirectly criticize former Governor Mike Huckabee's (R-AR) snarky cultural comment and allying with a celebrity celebrating his/her transgender metamorphosis.

 Somehow, this seems even less likely to score with the Republican base than Senator Rand Paul implying that the GOP was responsible for ISIS. While Huckabee's flippant comment may mock, it does so to bolster a broader theme about defending traditional values, offers a reductio ad absurdum over the California transgender bathroom choice law and shows a sense of humor.  Pataki's comments seem steeped in political correctness, play upon celebutard worship and seem desperate for attention.

If Bruce Jenner wanted to preserve his dignity and be a positive role model, perhaps he should have avoided posing for Playgirl in 1982 or not starred on E! television's Keeping Up with the Kardashians or allowed himself to be exploited by the media as he finalizes his transgendering process.

Civility is a much needed quality in public discourse and unwarranted ad hominem insults ought to be avoided. But it is distressing that a conservative governor like George Pataki would be afraid to allow anyone to voice opinions on behaviors that are contrary to their own druthers.

Rand Paul: ISIS Exists Because of GOP (!)(?)

Republican Presidential hopeful Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) appeared on MSNBC to hawk his book "Taking a Stand: Moving Beyond Partisan Politics to Unite America" (2015) and expand his political base in 2016.   Senator Paul is renowned for his libertarian politics policy but seemed to have mollified his non-interventionist foreign policy tendencies since he announced his candidacy.  Senator Paul appeared to honor his father without embracing the isolationist extremism which characterized the career of his father, former Representative (and quixotic 1988 Libertarian Party and 2012 GOP Presidential candidate)  Ron Paul (R-TX 14th and 22nd).

…

However when Joe Scarborough interviewed Senator Paul on the Morning Joe, Senator Paul posited that the GOP which was the reason that ISIS exists. 

This is a curious conclusion, as the precipitous withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan occurred during the six years of the Obama Administration.  This was on top of Mr. Obama's ever fungible red line on Syrian chemical weapons. 

Senator Paul's inflammatory utterance has several unfortunate implications for winning the GOP nomination.  Firstly, it violates Reagan's 11th Commandment not to criticize your own party when campaigning.  Secondly, Senator Paul embraced the isolationist extremism, which puts him at odds with most party loyalists who will be participating in the nomination process. Thirdly, Paul's foreign policy pronouncement echoes his father, which was on the fringe of the Republican party.  Fourth, Paul's extended Morning Joe interview was an exercise to "get" Republican neocon hawks like Senator John McCain (R-AZ) as well as McCain's minion (and quasi GOP Presidential candidate) Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Furthermore, the cantankerous close contributes to the perception that Senator Rand Paul is thin skinned. 

h/t: KAL 

Dr. Ben Carson on Benghazi

In a wide ranging interview with World Net Daily, Dr. Ben Carson expresses the hope that Americans will save their constitutional Republic by rising  above the distractions and educate themselves so as not to be so easily manipulated. 

 Otherwise, we risk living in a pre-fascist or pre-revolutionary state where warring factions stop communicating with each other. The chaos which ensues when conflict begins leads the masses to beg for authority to take charge, which surrenders our personal liberty. 

 h/t: World Net Daily

Newt Gingrich on Politics

Uncool Yule -- Happy Healthcare

Some might find political parodies about Obamacare, like the Happy Healthcare video by Sexy Danger TV, to be over the top.  But after the Colorado Heath Exchange like "Get Shotskis", anything is believable.

But Organizing for Action, the remnant of President Obama's campaign wing Obama for American reformed as a political action group, is urging Americans to "Get Talking" about Obamacare.   This meme was posted on Barack Obama's Twitter feed-

Really?  Firstly, it is wise to "Get Talking" around the Christmas Tree?   Then consider the  idealized Organizing for Action messenger in the meme.  Will you take a dude wearing flannel jammies (probably with footies) seriously?

After wasting $600 million on a botched Obamacare roll-out and this sort of support, why not a bad Santa too?