The Patriot Post Digest 11-22-2016

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 11-22-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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Mid-Day Digest

Nov. 22, 2016

IN TODAY’S EDITION

    Trump releases a video laying out his plans immediately upon taking office.
    The president-elect would be wise to nominate a conservative justice sooner rather than later.
    The number of police officers ambushed is at a twenty-year high.
    Patriot Post managing editor Nate Jackson pens an open letter to his liberal cousin.
    And more news, policy and opinion.

THE FOUNDATION

“The ingredients which constitute safety in the republican sense are, first, a due dependence on the people, secondly, a due responsibility.” —Alexander Hamilton (1788.)

TOP RIGHT HOOKS

Trump’s Day One Agenda1

Breaking from past presidents who gave regular press conferences updating the progress of their transition, Donald Trump has maintained a more guarded stance limiting press access. Clearly, Trump, who was quite critical of the press while campaigning, has shown that he will seek to control as much of the message as possible.

In that spirit, Trump released a video yesterday in which he outlined an update on his agenda for his first 100 days in office. In the video, Trump re-iterated his core principle of “putting America first.” He then focused on the executive actions he would initiate on his first day in office, such as withdrawing from TPP and negotiating new deals. He also plans to cancel job-killing restrictions on coal and shale, curb regulations, bolster national security and drain the swamp by implementing a five-year lobbying ban on former administration officials.

What was conspicuously absent from the video was any mention of repealing ObamaCare, building a boarder wall and changing the tax code. On the immigration issue, Trump did note that he would authorize the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of the visa program as a means of protecting the American worker.

Overall, Trump’s focus was positive and action-oriented. He was clearly displaying his business background in targeting many issues that directly deal with the current economic climate in America. However, it was troubling that there was no mention of nominating a Supreme Court justice. For many conservatives, this was the primary justification for voting Trump. While concerning, there is no need for alarm yet as Americans are sure to hear more from Trump in the coming days.

Trump Should Announce SCOTUS Nominee Now2

Donald Trump is in the process of vetting and nominating candidates who will hopefully promote a conservative agenda3. As chance has it, the new president’s task includes picking a successor to the late Justice Antonin Scalia. In fact, selecting Scalia’s replacement is rightly considered by many to be the most important decision Trump will make; it’s one major reason Hillary Clinton was ultimately dethroned. So when should Trump announce the nominee? Unveiling a decision sooner rather than later would provide both the incoming administration and conservative voters numerous benefits.

That’s the case being made by The Wall Street Journal editorial board. “Apart from the national-security and Treasury jobs, the next Justice may be the most important to move on quickly,” the editors contend4. At minimum, a hasty announcement would give the next administration a crucial head start: “While Mr. Trump won’t be inaugurated until Jan. 20, the new Congress convenes in the first week of January. With the continuity from the current to the new Senate, the GOP-led Judiciary Committee could begin vetting Mr. Trump’s nominee as soon as it gets the name. A vote could take place soon after the President-elect is sworn in and can formally submit the nomination.”

Getting the process underway now will help temper the leftist lower courts. The editors continue, “Numerous cases challenging the Obama Administration’s dubious rule-makings are moving through the federal courts, which President Obama has moved sharply left over eight years. The circuit courts of appeal might be inclined to rubber stamp those regulations, which means they would become law in those circuits unless the Supreme Court takes the cases. A 4-4 High Court ruling means the lower-court decision stands. Knowing a new Supreme Court is ready for review could give some lower-court judges pause before they issue rulings likely to be overturned.” Moreover, “An early nomination could also get ahead of the game if Mr. Trump’s choice runs into confirmation trouble.”

But there’s another important reason for Trump to nominate someone soon, and it has to do with the fact many conservatives voted for Trump based on his pledge to nominate a justice whose views are commensurate with those of Scalia’s. As Mark Alexander wrote last week5, “I voted for the presidential candidate who vowed to appoint constitutional constructionists to the Supreme Court — appointments critical to the protection of our Republic and its foundational Rule of Law.” Two good options are Diane Sykes and William “Bill” Pryor6. Over the last week Trump has recruited good leaders to his cabinet. That’s a good start. But Trump also needs to make good on his promise regarding SCOTUS. Choosing an originalist and doing so quickly will show loyalty and bring solace to those who reluctantly took a gamble on him.

Targeting Cops7

Over the weekend four police officers were shot in three different states. One of the officers, Detective Benjamin Marconi, who was shot while he was writing a traffic ticket, did not survive the attack. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus stated at a news conference, “I feel like we were targeted… I think the uniform was the target.” Officer Marconi’s death marks the 20th police officer killed this year in ambush attacks, the highest total in over two decades.

President of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Craig W. Floyd said, “Clearly, our officers are facing horrendous and growing risks while serving and protecting our communities.” Even ultra leftist Attorney General Loretta Lynch stated on Monday that it has been “an especially dangerous year for police officers.”

Law enforcement has always been a dangerous job. Those men and women who willingly put on the uniform and bravely stand in that gap to protect the innocent and law-abiding against the criminal and the lawless deserve our sincerest respect and admiration, not the vitriol fomented against them from groups like Black Lives Matter and the Leftmedia that have done nothing but falsely vilify8 police officers as being solely motivated by racism.

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 11-22-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
________________________________________

Democrat leaders, especially Barack Obama, have done little to combat this false narrative and have even contributed to it, often by legitimizing the complaints of these leftists and racially motivated groups. Is it any wonder police officers fear they are being targeted? Indeed, they are. Remember to thank those brave men and women in our communities who willingly stand up to serve, protect and sacrifice themselves for us. And pray that God would protect them.

Don’t Miss Patriot Humor

Check out Big Babies9.

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Thank you!


Nate Jackson
Managing Editor

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

    Dennis Prager: Feminism Makes Weak Women12
    Thomas Sowell: Backward-Looking ‘Progressives’13
    Scott Powell: 2016: The Year of Revolution14

For more, visit Right Opinion15.

TOP HEADLINES

    Muslim Brotherhood-Tied Group Paid for Keith Ellison’s Visit to Mecca16
    Denver Sheriff Dept. Fined for Not Hiring Illegals17
    Federal ‘Smart Gun’ Standards Set a High Bar18

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report19.

FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSIS
How to Talk to Your Liberal Relatives at Thanksgiving20

By Nate Jackson

As we all enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family, many of us will attempt to avoid political conversations with our liberal relatives. But what if you can’t? Well, we here in our humble shop don’t typically write in first person, but I’m going to break out of that mold today. My own liberal cousin recently asked my perspective on the election. Her questions essentially amounted to a cry, “Is our nation really full of ignorant bigots?” So maybe my letter to her will help provide a template for a civil Thanksgiving dinner discussion about assumptions and perceptions rather than division and accusations.

First of all, I’m glad you asked my perspective on the election and am thankful that you’re at least seeking to understand the other side. I could write a book answering your questions, but I know you’re a busy mom and teacher, so I’ll try to be brief.

I know good people who had good reasons for voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. As for the general electorate, I’m going to make some sweeping generalizations, but they’re important for perspective.

Liberals (and I think I’m being fair to include you) see government as the best and biggest possible force for good. You see injustice in the way women, minorities, gays, the poor, etc. are treated. You want equality. You see people killed left and right with guns, and you want to protect your family and your school kids. And you want to rectify all of that where it’ll make the most difference for everyone — from Washington, DC.

It’s really important for you to realize that conservatives see the same things. We want to solve those problems, not create or defend them. Obviously, however, our solutions are different, and there are some disagreements over what the problem actually is.

We want to protect our right to defend our own families. We want a rising tide to lift all boats — JFK said that about tax cuts — and we want good schools, good jobs, fair pay, equal justice and opportunity (which doesn’t mean equal outcome) for everyone. We just don’t think DC is the place to accomplish that. Our families, churches, local communities and states are better suited because we’re nearer to the problem than some distant bureaucrat or corrupt national politician.

So to the election.

This election was a reaction to the last eight years. During that time in particular, anyone who didn’t support massive growth of government through ObamaCare, financial overhaul, the stimulus, increased minimum wage, same-sex marriage, etc. has been told they’re not just wrong but horrible people.

To be sure, there are some haters who claim to be on the Right — people who troll the internet to say awful things to and about liberals. Heck, they say awful things about other conservatives if they’re not “pure” enough. I’ve been called plenty of ugly things by Trump’s truest believers whenever I’ve written the slightest criticism. And I can only imagine that you, along with many liberals, minorities, women, and others, felt that Trump grossly offended your humanity with some of the horrible things he’s said.

But to Trump voters, it’s the liberals in power — whether in media or elected office — who are smearing regular Americans who just want to be left alone.

For example, this sentiment21 from Slate columnist Jamelle Bouie: “There’s no such thing as a good Trump voter: People voted for a racist who promised racist outcomes. They don’t deserve your empathy.” That column has well over 100,000 shares on Facebook, so it’s not just one dude’s opinion. He evidently struck a chord for liberals.

But 700 counties voted for Obama twice. 209 of them voted for Trump this time. Are they now racist?

Liberal philosopher Noam Chomsky, in apparent seriousness, calls the GOP “the most dangerous organization in world history.”

And of course Hillary labeled Trump supporters22 a “basket of deplorables” who are “irredeemable.”

When was the last time you reacted kindly to someone who completely besmirched your character? Who assumed the absolute worst about you? And not only that, but someone in power who wanted to force you to do things their way?

Reactions can be bad, too, though. “That jerk just cut me off in traffic!” Well yes, but maybe he was just distracted as he rushed to the hospital because his wife is dying. Was it right to cut you off? No, but maybe he needs a little grace. The same can be said of politics.

Trump voters look around and see corruption in government, factories moving to China, illegal immigrants taking their jobs, riots in major cities — and a media complex that blames them for it. You certainly don’t have to agree with those voters to realize that if they see things that way, they’d latch on to the vehicle they think will best rectify those wrongs.

[nChrist]

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The Patriot Post Digest 11-22-2016
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
________________________________________

You asked specifically about the margin of white evangelicals voting for Trump. First, I’d say that the term “evangelical” is so broad as to be mostly meaningless. There are seemingly countless denominations that don’t even agree on what it means to be a Christian, much less about political agendas. That said, certainly some evangelicals were really for Trump, which may be perplexing given his glaring character flaws. But I suspect most are like the believers I fellowship with every Sunday morning: They were against a woman who supports abortion without restriction, funded by taxpayers; who is no friend of religious liberty; and who would nominate Supreme Court justices who agree with these positions. This election perhaps more than any I’ve ever read about was a “lesser of two evils” election, and Christians chose according to their perceptions of that “evil.”

Next, you asked about Trump’s incoming chief strategist, Steve Bannon. Here, I’m going to quote The Wall Street Journal23: “We’ve never met Mr. Bannon, and we don’t presume to know his character, but maybe one lesson of 2016 is that deciding that Americans who disagree with you are bigots is a losing strategy. Politics would be healthier if accusations of racism in the country that twice elected the first black President were reserved for more serious use.”

Really, that sums up my answer to your overarching question: What happened? I believe Trump voters simply tired of being told how awful they are, and many of them didn’t bother to share that with pollsters in advance. They just voted.

Finally, I really appreciate you asking these questions. Obviously, you’re interested in hearing what I have to say, and responding to you has helped me consider things from your point of view. I suppose remembering that perceptions influence our thinking at least as much as facts will help when considering that people don’t see things the same way.

I’m certainly not trying to convert you to conservatism with one simple letter — though you’d be welcome into the fold — nor do I expect you’ll even agree with my framing. But I do hope I’ve shown that a handful of hateful people on both sides of the political aisle don’t define the vast and overwhelming majority of Americans.

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

    Trump Transition Well Underway, Despite Enemies' Wishes24 — Leftists attack his picks, his settlement and the Electoral College.
    Democrats' ‘Nuclear Option’ Backfires25 — A three-year-old rules change is suddenly coming back to bite.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Dennis Prager: “No decent man or woman opposes the concept of equality of the sexes. But people who do not call themselves feminists have a problem with the feminist notion of equality: Most feminists have conflated equality and sameness. And that’s a huge mistake; the sexes are equal, but they are different. … In America today (as opposed to, let us say, Saudi Arabia, where it does take strength to be a feminist), the more stridently a woman identifies as a feminist, the less strong she is. Feminism has created what is undoubtedly the weakest generation of women in American history. My grandmother, who never heard the word ‘feminist’ and never graduated high school, was incomparably stronger than almost any college-educated feminist I have ever encountered, or the many I have listened to and read. My grandmother (and I suspect yours) would never have felt the need to retreat to a ‘safe space’ when encountering an idea with which she differed. … You want to know what women are strong? Here’s an example: any young woman who announced in a college class that as much as she may want a career, she is more interested in finding a good man to marry. In other words, any young woman who announced that she isn’t a feminist.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “Truth and news are not the same thing.” —Katharine Graham (1917-2001)

For the record: “Ironically, people on the left who are preoccupied with the presumably unhappy childhoods of murderers, which they can do nothing about, seldom show similar concern about the present and future unhappy childhoods of the orphans of people who have been murdered.” —Thomas Sowell

Upright: “Trump is a business guy, and I think he’s going to tilt towards finding a way to use fiscal policy … to move the economy forward. … Let’s give him a shot. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt; see if we can find common ground. I think that’s what’s best for African-Americans.” —BET founder and Democrat operative Bob Johnson

Red alert: “Pulling the fire alarm right now is what I’m doing in the Democratic Party. I believe we’re in denial of what’s happened, I’m pulling the fire alarm because the house is burning down, and we better get our act together or we’re going to cease being a national party. We’re going to be a regional party that fails to get into the majority and fails to do things on behalf of those working class people [who] were the backbone of the Democratic Party for so long.” —Rep. Tim Ryan, who is vying to replace Nancy Pelosi as House minority leader

Non Compos Mentis: “I am extremely proud of the fact that over eight years we have not had the kinds of scandals that have plagued other administrations.” —Barack Obama

Foreign policy disaster: “I am not optimistic about the short-term prospects in Syria. Once Russia and Iran made a decision to back Assad in a brutal air campaign and essentially a pacification of Aleppo, regardless of the potential for civilian casualties, children being killed or wounded, schools or hospitals being destroyed, then it was very hard to see a way in which even a trained and committed moderate opposition could hold its ground for long periods of time.” —Barack Obama (Amazing how his optimism changes as soon as he’s leaving office…)

And last… “The left freaking out and overreacting about Trump is normalizing him because that’s what they’d do about any Republican.” —Frank Fleming

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis!
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families.