Snippets 11/8/17
>Although CNN and the NYT are crowing about Democrats taking the Governorships of New Jersey and Virginia, the results of neither race should have been a big surprise to them. Hillary carried both states in November. The surprise would have been if the Democrats lost. Sorry guys, nothing here to write home about. And, keep in mind, that Republicans did win a VERY important Congressional race: John Curtis defeated liberal Democrat Kathie Allen in Utah’s 3rd district, protecting the all important Republican majority in the House.
>Although NYC mayor Bill DeBlasio can NOT keep his mouth shut about his so-called “mandate”, it should be noted that only 22% of NYC’s REGISTERED VOTERS even bothered to show up. That’s SOME mandate, isn’t it?
>Weaponized automobile attacks have become so common in Europe that many Americans tend to view the phenomenon as a “European problem”. So, after the recent vehicle attack on the Hudson River bike path last week, I asked a number of people if this was the first such attack in America. Many said yes. They were, however, wrong. There have been 2 previous vehicle attacks on American soil. On Nov 28, 2016 Abdul Razak Ali Artan, delliberately drove his car into a crowd of pedestrians at Ohio State University, causing enough serious injury to send 11 victims to the hospital. (And, after he was stopped, Artan got out of the vehicle and added to the carnage by then stabbing people as well). And, on August 31, 2008, motorist Omeed Aziz Popal struck 18 pedestrians in San Francisco, killing one and sending 17 others to the hospital. How quickly we forget!
>In the newly released JFK assasination files, a memo from then CIA director John McCone confirms that Lee Harvey Oswald WORKED FOR THE CIA. Many commentators have long suspected that this was the case. Exactly HOW DEEPLY and in what way that agency was involved in the assassination remains open to debate. For an in depth look at the rogue organization that became a law unto itself, persisting, to some extent, even today, see Dick Morris’s excellent new book, Rogue Spooks. It’s an eye opener.
>Unemployment is now at a SEVENTEEN YEAR LOW. Even though tax and health care reform remain works in progress, Donald Trump’s numerous executive actions rolling back crippling Obama regulations have been enough to spur growth. The lack of rising salaries remains a weak spot, but these will rise, of necessity, when unemployed worker pool gets low enough.
>And, finally, the National Anthem protests have disgusted so many Americans that NFL viewership is dramatically down. According to Forbes, when same team appearances are compared to previous years, the NFL has lost FOUR MILLION viewers (20%). Some commentators such as Derek Thompson of the Atlantic claim that it’s due to network scheduling rather that the protests. I don’t believe him, however, as viewership is down in EVERY broadcast “window”. Others claim the drop is “no big deal.” I don’t believe that either, as the drop is so bad, it’s causing a major decline in game time revenue for Papa John’s Pizza! When demand for pizza declines, you KNOW it’s SERIOUS.