Friday roundup
(1) An appeals court is blocking Biden’s student loan program – for now.
(2) In no surprise at all, the World Court declares Israel’s “occupation” illegal:
In a conclusive and unambiguous decision, the International Court of Justice declared in a non-binding ruling Friday that Israel’s 56-year long rule in “the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967” is “illegal,” and that it is obligated to bring its presence in that territory to an end “as rapidly as possible.”
“Non-binding” but excellent for anti-Israel propaganda.
(3) The polls are good for Trump, for what it’s worth.
(4) There’s increased evidence that Trump’s would-be assassin Crooks was an equal-opportunity killer and that Trump was a target of convenience. Crooks wasn’t averse to tracking Biden – and perhaps trying to kill him? Who knows – and we may never know – but my leading theory has been almost from the start that Crooks was mostly in the mold of the Las Vegas mass murderer and of Oswald: someone who felt superior and yet obscure, and wanted to make his mark as a master killer.
(5) Here’s Caroline Glick on Israeli and US parallels. She’s spoken and written of this before. But this is a more recent look in light of the Trump assassination attempt:
Trump’s convention speech
I watched most of it last night, despite the fact that I generally hate speeches. I figured this one would be of special interest.
And it was, especially Trump’s description of his own thought process and experience the day he got shot. He did a good job of being both dramatic and reflective as well as believable. His tone was contemplative, and his tribute to the dead and wounded moving.
The rest of the speech bored me, as most political speeches do. That’s just the way it is for me. It was really long, too; about an hour and a half. But I guess it did the job.
I don’t think most people who hate Trump are going to change their minds. Although there are some who might like this kinder, gentler Trump and will now switch, I think their numbers are low.
Then again, there’s this sort of thing:
ZUCKERBERG: “Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things I've ever seen in my life.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 19, 2024
Taking away the keys to Grandpa Biden’s car
That’s what the current dilemma the Democrats face reminds me of: an elderly relative is fading and yet clings to the independence represented by driving, and relatives realize that person is a danger to himself and others and wish to take the car away. In families this often causes a great deal of conflict before the relatives win. Persuasion often doesn’t work, and the task must be accomplished by selling the car and giving away the keys so that the elderly person has no access anymore.
That latter process is the equivalent of using the 25th Amendment for Joe Biden. I’ve already written about how that might work, but so far they don’t seem inclined to go that route, although as time goes on that might change. Right now they’re doing a kind of public shaming, saying that’s he’s about to quit and having Democrat luminaries [sic] gently coax him in that direction. But Joe isn’t obliging.
The thing that amazes me is how transparent the Democrat’s lies about Joe are. Just a few short weeks ago he was supposedly sharp as a tack and Republican suggestions that he wasn’t were dismissed and reviled as lies. One little debate showed a naked emperor and the polls started being scary for Democrats, and just like that Joe is suddenly rejectable. What’s it all about? Winning.
But Joe has a point. It’s not at all clear that any other Democrat would do much better. The polls are slippery things. Then again, I doubt any other Democrat would do much worse. For example, I can’t think of a single Democrat I know (and I know a great many of them) who won’t be voting for the Democrat nominee, whether it be Biden or a player to be named later. It’s astounding how successful the demonization of Trump and other Republicans has been for so many people.
Open thread 7/19/24
Apparently this is a real thing:
RIP Bob Newhart
Such a funny guy, with his very own deadpan style.
Greatest last episode of all time:
Speeches at the Republican Convention
Peter Navarro delivered quite the barn-burner.
I’ve noticed varied YouTube comments on different postings of the speech. When posted by outlets neutral or friendly to the right, there was a great deal of praise for Navarro. At versions from leftist sites there was a lot of this sort of thing: “He’s a crook!” “The GOP is a party of cons and felons!” Interesting approach – and similar to the “Trump is a convicted felon!” meme – use a kangaroo court and charges for which no one on the left would be prosecuted, convict your opponents, and then criticize them for being felons. It’s so incredibly and transparently dishonest, and yet it seems to resonate with a lot of people on the left.
Another powerful speech was this by a woman whose son was killed in New York and who accused Bragg of inappropriately reducing the charges against the assailants:
There were also the heartbreaking Gold Star parents:
And of course there was J. D. Vance. I don’t much care for political speeches in general, but I see that people seemed to find him natural, energetic, and relatable. I think his rust belt appeal is real and important.
Tonight is Trump’s night.
ADDENDUM: See also this about Vance.
Will Joe give in?
We have the rather odd spectacle of the Republicans rooting for Biden to stay in the race, and Democrats trying to push him out and replace him. Biden himself seems weak and frail at the moment, suffering from COVID – which I think he actually has, because there’s a mini-surge – and being barraged by requests and even demands that he step down.
How firmly can Biden cling to power, and for how long? As I’ve written before, he’s a stubborn old cuss. But as time goes on and the number of Democrat leaders calling – publicly – for his abdication increases, it seems he will probably waver. My sense is that the final result will depend on how many people tell him to pull out, and in what ways they threaten him if he doesn’t. If they make it clear that, if he doesn’t withdraw, they will challenge him at the convention and make it impossible for him to be nominated, then I believe he will see that he has no alternative but to quit before he’s forced out. But will they say that? And can they accomplish it? I have little doubt they would like to do so.
Lastly, of course, is the question of whether a replacement such as Kamala would do better. Polls are fairly useless at this point, although state polls in swing states are most helpful and national polls least helpful. And even though this campaign season may already seem endless, there are still over three months to go, and three months is a long time in politics. Do people really know Kamala Harris, and would more exposure to her over time enhance her appeal or detract from it? That’s just one of so many many unanswered questions. And for that matter, whom would Harris choose as her VP, and would it matter?
And then there’s fraud …
Changing one’s mind about Trump
I’ve noticed that, in the coverage of the Republican Convention, the MSM seems to paint those who have changed their minds about Trump since 2016 as fickle hypocrites. For example, Trump’s current running mate J. D. Vance was basically a NeverTrumper back then, and the media wants us to remember that and distrust him for it.
On the other hand, one of the themes of the convention has been such mind-changing. That was the point of the speech given by Amber Rose, a model I’d never heard of before but who gave an interesting “changer” speech the other day:
The message is clear: do your own research on Trump and you’ll find that much of what you thought you knew – and hated – about the man is a lie.
It’s a clever approach – although because a mind is a difficult thing to change, it probably won’t work with most people. But it’s intriguing, and I can identify because although I was never a NeverTrumper I was extremely Trump-skeptical during the 2016 campaign. Trump won me over pretty quickly by his performance as president, but that’s because I kept an open mind to begin with.
Open thread 7/18/24
Taken the other day on a walk:
Biden’s not having a good week
Now he’s tested positive for COVID.
Biden’s had COVID before and his symptoms are reported to be mild.
Reports are that Iran wants to assassinate Trump
Of course Iran hates Trump and doesn’t want him to win the election. They can’t believe their good luck with Biden as president, and would like it to continue. Therefore:
Iran has for years considered a plan to get back at Trump for his killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020. But the officials said the intelligence has ratcheted up in recent months and officials have become more confident in Tehran’s intentions. They also said there may be more attempts on Trump’s life in the coming weeks.
Both officials were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive intelligence.
CNN previously reported that the U.S. received intelligence about an Iranian plot to assassinate Trump before Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, tried to kill the former president at his rally in Pennsylvania Saturday. The two officials stressed to POLITICO that there was no evidence Saturday’s shooting had a connection to Iran.
Absolutely no connection. Crooks is the last person Iran would choose. But, as in a detective story, there are an awful lot of people who wish Trump dead.