Donny Deutsch: Label Half of American Voters as Nazis

On De Niro's Tony Derangement

On Roseanne and The Great Revolt

Coastal Elites are still trying to reconcile in their minds how Donald John Trump became the 45th President of the United States.  They were convicted that First Lady Senator Obama Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would break the glass ceiling and be ushered into the Oval Office.  After all, she was pitted against a boorish Manhattan mogul who was a political novice and was alienated from key segments of his current political party. 

That unshakable arrogance makes the HBO excerpts  of Obama Administration point player Ben Rhodes on Election Night 2016 all the more delightful to those who chant "Drain the Swamp". In the aftermath of the election upset, Democrats pushed a Russian collusion conceit which managed to have a Special Counsel named but who garnered up scant evidence of a Russian nexus to Trump's campaign.

The mainstream media which became progressive provocateurs broadcast a bevy of anti-Trump material, gorgonizing anyone who supported President Trump as being a racist, sexist homophobic xenophobe instead of investigating how Mr. Trump was able to break the supposed Blue Wall for Democrats in the Upper Midwest. 

Salena Zito and Brad Todd's recent bestseller "The Great Revolt" (2018) examined seven groups of unlikely voters for a populist titularly Republican candidate.  Many of those groups, like "Red Blooded and Blue Collar", "Rough Rebounders" and "Perotistas" were either born and bred Democrats or previously unreliable voters.  During the promotional campaign for "The Great Revolt", Ms. Zito pointed to the resurgence of the Roseanne Show to illustrate how "The Forgotten Man" was gaining prominence in the body politic despite the barrage of anti-Trump sentiment on the airways.

When the Rosanne show was revived as a mid season replacement, it garnered 22 million viewers, in part because it portrayed Trump supporters as having reasons for their sentiments rather than a knee jerk condemnation of their politically incorrect heresy. 

Recently, Rosanne Barr tweeted a crude crack against Obama confidant Valerie Jarrett.  Despite Roseanne Barr offering a quick social media apology, the Roseanne Show was cancelled by by ABC Entertainment and the eleven seasons of reruns were pulled off Hulu and TVLand.  

Some Trump supporters saw nothing wrong with the controversial comparison, noting that Rosanne Barr has a history of making questionable quips. Conservatives have pointed out the numerous cases of hypocrisy that progressives say untoward things against their enemies and there are no consequences.  

MSNBC's Chris Hayes may have unwittingly revealed the progressive playbook by too overtly suggesting that Roseanne reflected the reputation of Trump voters as being racist, sexist, homophobic xenophobes.  But it was Todd Starnes who noted that ABC can't stomach Trump supporters. 

It is dubious that ABC will suffer from an acute boycott by incensed Rosanne viewers.  But their parent company Disney's stock sunk  2.3% on the news of the cancellation.  It may well be that the Rosanne Show is picked up by another outlet, as Fox Television is bringing back  back the ratings winning Tim Allen comedy  "Last Man Standing" which appeals to a conservative audience.  


There are other indications that the steamrolling of "Fly Over Country" values does not always work.  Despite the onslaught of publicity for Black Lives Matter and the Take The Knee campaigns, the NFL instituted a new policy that prohibits player protests on the field during the National Anthem.  Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones claims that Donald Trump told him "You can't win... this one lifts me" on the Take the Knee controversy.  That leads you to believe that Trump's popularity triumphs, rather than understanding that patriotic, non-politically correct American values are the crux of the ratings decline. 

Democrats and elites have positioned themselves to be progressive polemicists, thinking that their political prescriptions are inevitable in its ascent. Seeing the collapse in CNN's ratings and the incredible erosion of Democrat favorability in generic congressional polling ought to shake them of their smugness. 

Mika Brzezinski on Talking About Gun Control Immediately After the Florida School Shooting

Less than a day after the Parkland Florida School Massacre, in which at least 17 people were killed, MSNBC Anchor Mika Brezinski was insistent about having constructive talk about solutions.  Considering the midtown Manhattan mores of the mainstream media, this mean venting about gun control. Brzezinski threatened to unbook any guests on the Morning Joe who wanted to defer this constructive talk to either wait for confirmed details or out of respect for the victims' families. 

It is natural as members of the media cover this travesty live, they will opine supposed "answers" to make sense of the mire.On Fox News, conservative Sean Hannity got on his hobby horse for his entire hour in prime time to push for all schools to hire armed veterans for school security. For cash strapped districts, a guest suggested having federalized security, like the TSA.  The morning after the Parkland School Shooting, Salem Radio's centrist Republican Hugh Hewitt wondered why there was not a "No Buy List" for mentally troubled individuals. While that touches on the mental health aspect, it raises issues about an over expansive no-buy list, as Obamacare barred many Veterans diagnosed with PTSD from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

Although there are many indications that the shooter had a troubled teen with many mental illness markers, inevitably the knee jerk reaction for this so called "constructive talk"  will be a gun grab or advocating measures like a better background check (which have already been instituted).

Just as reality shows are somewhat scripted, Morning Joe is positioned to proffer reliable perspectives. Mika's booking benchmark shows how progressive will not let a good crisis to go to waste to grab guns.

Why Was Mika Miffed About a Wolff In Sheep's Clothing?

MSNBC's The Morning Joe has been a television
"church" haven for The Resistance against the presidency of Donald Trump.  The show had been previously pleased to promote the political expose book "Fire and Fury" by Michael Wolff.  But the gossip monger may have cried Wolff (sic) one too many times.

When the topic turned to UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who Wolff intimated spend lots of one-on-one time with President Trump, Michael Wolff denied accusing her of having an affair with the President. Mika was miffed at this subterfuge and quickly ended his segment, despite the author being on set.

Inquiring minds might wonder what motivated Mika to take this stand:

• Was it because they don't take B.S. on the Morning Joe.  Hardly.  Michael Wolff's prologue admitted that Fire and Fury was full of half truths, and the reader was to decide. So they have accepted a Wolff in sheep's clothing as long as it helps the MSNBC-DNC party line.

• Was it because Brzezinski stood up for the sisterhood?  Well, she has a spotty record on that accord. Mika slut shamed ex Senator Al Franken's accusor Leean Tweeden in a bid for the progressive to keep his position. 

• Maybe Mika was motivated to mitigate the devastating parody of her and lover boy Joe from Saturday Night Live. 

Does Fire and Fury Signify Nothing?

Author Michael Wolff bragged to BBC Radio that  his book "Fire and Fury" will help the public to see that Trump is the Emperor who has no clothes and that realization will end his presidency.  While that is great copy designed to stoke book sales, it does not jibe with reality.

Speaking of reality, consider "Fire and Fury"'s prologue, which admits that Wolff included contradicting narratives and many may be boldly untrue.  Including, it would seem, Wolff's supposed "interviews" with President Trump.  When a prologue basically states that he is just printing lies "in a Trumpian fashion" with no editorial discretion nor effort to ferret out the truth, it makes the narrative quite dubious.

Wolff has intimated that he has some of the interviews on tape.  If so, release them as the publisher Henry Holt takes two weeks to rush print a second edition.  Ex Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon had profane prognostications about Russiagate and scathing assessments of the First Family.  This sounds plausible considering the persona of "Sloppy Steve",and Bannon never really denied the quotes. It would be interesting, however, to hear his state of sobriety as well as put his charges on a time line.  Civic minded journalists anxious to impeach might want to facilitate testimony for Special Counsel Mueller.

Wolff thinks that books flying off the shelves at tony District of Calamity bookstores is a bellweather for the end of the Trump presidency.  But away from the talking heads circuit on the Eastern seaboard, it is unlikely that "Fire and Fury" is electrifying the public or changing minds.

On the one hand, those suffering from progressive Trump Derangement Syndrome will eat up the Wolff accusations, and other politicos will presumably buy books which soon after will be repurposed as door stops.  But they are willing to buy anything which comports with their confirmation bias.  

For example, a Twitter wag circulated a post about President Trump demanding "The Gorilla Channel" be available for watching in the residence on his first night at the White House.  



Even after it was disclosed that many Trump haters had been taken for a joke posting, MSNBC's Joy Reid insisted that it still rang true.  





And there was also the Los Angeles Times Op/Ed columnist who contended: "Why we believe Michael Wolff? Because, for now, it is too good not to". 

On the other hand, Trump's so called Basket of Deplorables will brush off any accusations against the 45th President.   And many Republicans who were not keen on Trump will see the liberal media campaign against him and have a "rally around the flag" effect.

It would seem that the major effect of the "Fire and Fury" rollout is the self-immolation of Steve Bannon.  At the 2017 Values Voters Summit, Bannon re-emerged after his ouster from the West Wing of the White House with a strategy of declaring war against the GOP Establishment.  That would be in alignment with the Trump "Drain the Swamp" rallying cry.  

[L] Steve Bannon [R] Judge Roy Moore

To that end, Bannon championed failed Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. But Bannon's caustic comments in "Fire and Fury" towards his boss and the Trump operation at the campaign and in the White House exemplifies his "burn the whole system down" reputation, thus alienating him from Trump devotees.  Now Bannon is without obvious political allies and he may well lose his bully stick platform with Breitbart News. 

Even some scrupulous left-of-center friends wonder why Wolff's tome has drawn so much attention, considering his sloppy journalism.  It seems like the most plausible answer is that "Fire and Fury" is another means to feed the beast to stoke hatred against Trump. 

In order for "The Resistance" to prosper, it needs to maintain the Orwellian "Two Minute Hate" that inspired a half million women gather on the National Mall on January 21st 2017 to protest President Trump's inauguration as 45th U.S. President wearing "pussy hats". 

Women [Who Hate Trump] March, January 21, 2017, Washington, DC

But when that failed to engender follow-up identity politics mass protests, the emphasis shifted to Russiagate.  But after a yearlong barrage of "Russia, Russia, Russia" negative news against Trump, it seems that Hillary! 2016 campaign and Democrat operatives were the ones colluding with the Russian Federation.  The emphasis on sexual harassment did not turn towards Trump but instead implicated many liberal media and entertainment figures.  So now, it seems that the modus operandi is highlighting Trump Administrative infighting, cementing the man-child meme of the Commander in Chief and perpetuating the myth that Trump's end is near. 

"Fire and Fury" may not signify nothing, but the implosion of Steve Bannon might not have been the outcome which the Trump-hating industry would desire in the long run.

Steve Bannon's Fire and Fury Against Trump

UPDATE 01/07/2018 2018 12:00 
After the media firestorm over his quotes about President Trump in "Fire and Fury" now Steve Bannon tells Axios hat he regrets comments to Michael Wolf and that he fully supports the President and his agenda. Too little, too late, too dubious.

NFL Players Pissed Off at Trump

Fox Sports sideline reporter Pam Oliver predicted on MSNBC that NFL players will continue to Take the Knee throughout the regular season.  Oliver opined the protest is about President Trump, while others have pushed a Black Lives Matter motivation or even an anti-American animus.

Former President Clinton spokesman Joel Lockhart, reportedly advised the NFL to shift the symbolic protest to locking arms to show unity during the National Anthem.  Unfortunately, not all players adhered to this crisis management suggestion.  In addition, the lock step pose still did not allay the ire of many patriotic NFL fans. 

It is unclear what sort of behavior that League officials will tolerate.  In the past, the NFL has threatened New York team players  from donning decals  to show solidarity with 9/11 victims.  More recently, the NFL denied the Dallas Cowboys  permission to wear a "5" on their helmets  to remember the fallen law enforcement officers from a shooting.  Yet antics like Odell Beckham Jr. seems to be tolerated.

A better question is what NFL fans will tolerate.  Television ratings are markedly down. Long time fans are publicly burning licensed merchandise and even tickets. 

Crossing Ghostbusters and Dirty Harry on the 38th Parallel

During an interview with Hugh Hewitt on MSNBC, former Southern Command and Supreme Allied Commander in Europe former Admiral James Stavridis used a couple of pop cultural references to illustrate the conundrum vis-a-vis North Korea.




Admiral Stavridis likened the existential threats of the miniaturization of nuclear warheads and ICBMs which can reach the continental United States to the danger of crossing the streams in Ghostbusters (1983). 



To illustrate the advancing threat, Stavridis analogized the North Korea situation to the punch line from Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry (1971):  "Do you feel lucky punk? " 

Richard Blumenthal on Weiner Leaks

Democrats Said to Be Up and Cummings (sic)

MSNBC's Donnie Deutsch asked Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD 7th) who were the rising stars of the Democrat Party.  The Baltimore Democrat gave an eyebrow raising list:

It was curious that two of the up and Cummings (sic) stars of the Democrat Party in the District of Calamity had haunted the halls of Congress for years.  It seems strange to consider Rep. Barbara Lee (D-13th) as a rising star, considering her 22 years in Congress.  She was infamous for voting against going to war after the terror attacks of 2001. But maybe just missing being voted Vice Chair of the DNC gave her that stature in Cumming's mind.

There is some merit in citing Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA 28th) as a rising star.  His stature as the Ranking Member on the House Intelligence Committee gives him a place of prominence when making television hits, particularly regarding Benghazi and accusations of Russia electoral interference.  But this is Schiff's 8th term, so he's hardly a rising star.

Then there is Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA).  Had Hillary Clinton won the 2016 election, Kaine would have been Vice President, and spoken of in reverential tones like the predecessor former Vice President Joe Biden.  But that fate was not to be. Kaine distinguished himself as being a disagreeable debater during his match up against his counterpart, then Governor (now Vice President) Mike Pence (R-IN). This compensated for Kaine's charisma deficit during most of the 2016 General Election campaign.  After the electoral defeat, Kaine declined to take a position of prominence amongst DC Democrats, yet Cummings cites him as a up and coming Democrat star.



All three of these Up and Cummings stars seemed to have thrown their lot in with the progressive wing of the Democrat party.  In the past, Kaine had been known for some moderate as well as liberal positions, but the inclination for being a squish seems to have past. Of course, Blue Dog Democrats are dead in the eyes of most Democrat loyalists. If Democrats were keen on a fresher face in DC, they could turn to Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH 13), a blue collar Democrat from Youngstown/Akron who made a quixotic bid to unseat Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 12th) from being House Minority Leader.  Between Ryan's willingness to consider working with the GOP on some bills where there is mutual agreement and payback for challenging the leader (and losing), it is no surprise that Ryan of Ohio was not mentioned.

It is telling that DC Democrats only looked among themselves for rising stars, instead of looking of not looking between the beltways.  But considering how many seats Democrats have lost since President Barack Obama, there may not be many success stories to which to point.

DC Republicans may be in trouble with voters unless they can achieve some successes with health care, taxes, and immigration issues.  But if the Up and Cummings pols  are really the bench for DC Democrats, I weep for their future.

Lefty Pundit Launches Verbal Crude Missile at CNN's Fareed Zakaria After Syria Strike

In seeking to shape the battlefield of public opinion after the Trump Administration's limited Tomahawk attack against a Syrian government airbase which delivered a chemical attack against civilians, lefty pundit Jeremy Scahill let loose some verbal crude missiles of his own.

While one can understand chaffing against the poetic plaudits by MSNBC's Brian Williams quoting Leonard Cohen, the all out attack on CNN's Fareed Zakaria was striking with both its vulgarity and ferocity. 

Telling Cultural Citations In Coverage of the Syria Strikes

While covering the American Tomahawk air strikes on Syrian air bases, MSNBC's Brian Williams made a telling cultural citation.  Williams fused his reportage with a literary allusion from recently deceased poet/songwriter Leonard Cohen. 

Williams keyed off of the fragment "I am guided by the beauty of our weapons."  But the lyric was lifted from the 1988 song "First We Take Manhattan", which was a sui generis take on terrorism.




Leonard Cohen said of the song "First We Take Manhattan":

I think it means exactly what it says. It is a terrorist song. I think it's a response to terrorism. There's something about terrorism that I've always admired. The fact that there are no alibis or no compromises. That position is always very attractive. I don't like it when it's manifested on the physical plane – I don't really enjoy the terrorist activities – but Psychic Terrorism. I remember there was a great poem by Irving Layton that I once read, I'll give you a paraphrase of it. It was 'well, you guys blow up an occasional airline and kill a few children here and there', he says. 'But our terrorists, Jesus, Freud, Marx, Einstein. The whole world is still quaking.

Notwithstanding the uncomfortable admiration for the beauty of weapons of violence being used, it hardly seems apropos other than to appeal to those living "in the city".  In addition, it is dubious that knowing the full context of the quote that Leonard Cohen would play well in Peoria. Which would explain the twitter-storm over William's bon mot.

Maybe the disgraced ex NBC anchor could sound more convincing selling Conflate-Gate material.

Rand Paul Reacts to John McCain's Belligerent Bile

John McCain on Diplomacy with North Korea

Mika on the Media's Metier

Obama's 11th Hour Uninspired Endorsement of Voting for Hillary

Two days before Election Day, President Barack Obama went on television to support former First Lady/Senator/Secretary of State  Hillary Clinton (D-NY). The President has been on the hustings during the latter stage of Election 2016 to support the Democrat Presidential nominee as a means of preserving his legacy.

Mr. Obama chose to appear on MSNBC's PoliticalNation with Al Sharpton. Comcast downgraded Sharpton's appearance on MSNBC from a weekday early evening anchor program  to a Sunday at 8 am show.  While PolticalNation gets little to no discernible ratings in the news world, it is a good bet that "urban oriented media" will share snippets on the eve of Election Day.



  One of the challenges that Hillary World has is that it can not depend upon the historically high levels of voter participation from African-Americans that Mr. Obama received in 2008 and 2012. Obama's high profile on the campaign is targeted at Black audiences to convince them to vote for Hillary and preserve his legacy.

But Mr. Obama's 11th hour appeal sounds slightly less uninspiring that President Dwight Eisenhower's quip about what ideas his former running mate Vice President Richard Nixon gave him in office "Give me a week and I'll think about it."  Lucky that President Obama did not feel compelled to cite Mrs. Clinton's accomplishments. 

Josh-ing Earnestly (sic): "We're in a War of Narratives"

White House spokesman Josh Earnest appeared on MSNBC's "The Morning Joe" to mollify public concerns over the weekend after an IED bomb exploded in Manhattan on a marathon route, attempted bombs in New Jersey and eight people being stabbed by a Somali shouting "Allahu Akbar" in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Earnest insisted that the Obama Administration is engaged in a "War of Narratives", touting the inroads he believes it has made on social media. 





The two salient questions are against whom are Obama allies are engaged in a War of Narratives?  In addition, will this go any better than LBJ's War on Poverty?

General Colin Powell on Hillary's Mafia

More Hints of Democrat Skiddishness About Hillary's Health

After Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (D-NY) had her medical episode at the 9/11 memorial, MSNBC's David Shuster posted on Twitter scuttlebutt that the DNC would be considering options if their nominee had to be replaced.  

This report was not a one-off.  NPR's political commentator Cokie Roberts also considered the skiddishness that some Democrats have at the Hillary's Health issue.

Roberts emphasized that the manner in which a national nominee could be replaced was by an emergency vote called by the chairman of the Democrat National Committee and won by a majority vote of those present.  

Perhaps the resignation of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz as DNC Chair and her temporary replacement by Donna Brazile will make a difference if push comes to shove.