In-N-Out Boycott

The stupidest thing ever.

At LAT, "Democratic leader's call for In-N-Out Burger boycott meets its own resistance."

And on Twitter:

In-N-Out Burger responds to #BoycottInNOut. The Executive VP says In-N-Out donated to both political parties not just the California Republican Party. Here’s the official statement. @KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/r3eejM5B8N

— Mary Lee (@MaryKPIX) August 30, 2018

Boycott of #California's iconic burger is another colossal #Democrat fail.#InNOutBurger #InNout #BoycottInNOut #MAGA #Burger pic.twitter.com/ttG5zRSzCN

— Deborah Pauly (@YnotDebPauly) September 1, 2018

Abolish ICE.
Coddle Antifa.
Defend MS-13.
Demonize cops.
Ban Straws.
Boycott In-N-Out.#WinningDemocratPartyPlatform !

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) August 30, 2018

Accusations of Emotional Abuse Against Keith Ellison

I just can't stand that guy, and I seriously hope the allegations derail his political career.

He's a jihadist. He's vile.

At NYT, "A Broken Relationship and Accusations of Emotional Abuse: The Case of Keith Ellison":

Karen Monahan's allegations against Representative Keith Ellison are turning into a test among many liberals for where to draw the line between a messy relationship and an emotionally abusive one https://t.co/lKYJUGkYJb

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 30, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS — When Keith Ellison became the first Muslim elected to Congress in 2006, it made him an instant national star: a charismatic young black leader who was now a symbol of the Democratic Party’s commitment to diversity and equal rights.

Back home in Minneapolis, Mr. Ellison was revered in a close-knit circle of progressive activists. He began a romantic relationship with one of them, an environmental organizer named Karen Monahan, who later moved in with him in 2015.

Ms. Monahan posted happy photos on social media of the two of them hiking, traveling and even attending a party at the White House with President Barack Obama and the first lady.

Behind the scenes, though, their relationship was rocky. Ms. Monahan often accused Mr. Ellison of cheating on her, leading to blowout arguments, according to more than a dozen people who knew the couple.

Now, as Mr. Ellison runs for attorney general in Minnesota, Ms. Monahan has accused her former boyfriend of emotional abuse and says he once shouted profanities at her, while trying to drag her off a bed.

Mr. Ellison denies abusing Ms. Monahan and said in a statement after the allegations emerged that he cares “deeply for her well-being.” Democratic Party leaders in Minnesota have asked a lawyer to look into Ms. Monahan’s allegations, but continue to support Mr. Ellison’s bid to become attorney general.

RTWT.

Gregg Jarrett, The Russia Hoax

This is well done.

 At Amazon, Gregg Jarrett, The Russia Hoax: The Illicit Scheme to Clear Hillary Clinton and Frame Donald Trump.

Grifters and Candace Owens

This is great.

From Melissa Mackenzie, at the American Spectator:

My thoughts on @RealCandaceO 's activism: https://t.co/25A1wJAOPQ

— Melissa Mackenzie 🌐 (@MelissaTweets) August 28, 2018

'And I don't want the world to see me...'

My fall semester started yesterday, and I should be posting some drive-time music entries in the weeks to come.

Meanwhile, I heard the Goo Goo Dolls sometime over the summer, and I've had this song on my mind. When I looked it up I found this amazing live performance from July 4th, 2004, in Buffalo, New York. As noted at the Wikipedia page, "Over 60,000 fans attended the performance, braving a torrential downpour. The rain cleared in time for the Goo Goo Dolls to start the show, but during their performance of "January Friend", the rain began pouring down again, harder than before. The band played on, finishing the set, despite being pulled off stage briefly for a safety precaution and skipping three songs* that were on the original set list."

Pretty amazing:

Shop Amazon

Here's my generic Amazon link.

I'll post more specialized deals later.

Meanwhile, see Margaret Walker, Jubilee (50th Anniversary Edition).

'It does not behoove us to celebrate defeat and losers are not generally regarded as heroes in politics. John McCain was a loser, and the particular way he went about losing deserves to be studied as an example of what not to do in politics...'

John McCain was Robert Stacy McCain's very distant cousin, and those who've been reading the Other McCain for years probably remember some of the latter's musings on the "crazy" Arizona senator from time to time.

But with his passing it behooves us to take a a fresh and critical look at the "Maverick's" political legacy. Why, for example, is the grief and outpouring so profound among leftists, who during the campaign in 2008 demonized Senator McCain as a racist warmonger?

Well, check the long and compelling entry at the Other McCain, "Every Liberal’s Favorite Republican, and the Problem With ‘Bipartisan Reform’."

All that is necessary for any Republican to win praise from the liberal media is for him to endorse their negative opinion of the GOP, and this is how John McCain became every liberal’s favorite Republican.

This is not how winners play the game. Nor can the kind of “bipartisan reform” agenda with which John McCain made his name synonymous ever do anything to help elect Republicans. There are three basic problems with “bipartisan reform,” first, that GOP officials who support such efforts are always doing so to curry favor with the liberal media; second, that these “reform” schemes always have the political effect of alienating the Republican Party’s conservative grassroots; and third, that Democrats will never support any “reform” unless they believe it will help them win elections (and thus obtain greater power) in the future...

RTWT.

Purge the Cruise-Ship 'Conservatives'

This is great, from Kurt Schlichter, "It’s Time for a Conservative Purge."

And buy his new book, out on October 2nd, at Amazon, Militant Normals: How Regular Americans Are Rebelling Against the Elite to Reclaim Our Democracy.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."

And at Theo's, "Cartoon Roundup..."

#FridayFeeling #BenGarrison #cartoon #FakeNewsMedia Missing the Target-The #DeepState propaganda machine— formerly known as the ‘Mainstream Media,’ continues to throw darts of hysteria at the President in the hopes that one of them will hit the target. https://t.co/0NFYfoghQ1 pic.twitter.com/wt8Euqir0r

— GrrrGraphics Cartoons (@GrrrGraphics) August 24, 2018

Dakota Fanning Photographed

At Drunken Stepfather, "Dakota Fanning of the Day."

Happy Birthday Claudia Schiffer!

The superstar supermodel turned 48 yesterday.

At RealClearLife, "Celebrate Timeless Supermodel Claudia Schiffer, Who Turns 48 This Weekend."

Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington in 1994 for Versace pic.twitter.com/tFPMzr4ZlO

— History Lovers Club (@historylvrsclub) August 24, 2018

Vogue rounds up Claudia Schiffer's best runway moments from the 1990s. https://t.co/QjMTg2wIOm

— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) August 22, 2018

Happy birthday to timeless, gorgeous supermodel Claudia Schiffer, who is 48 today. https://t.co/znYFt5iqha

— Maxim (@MaximMag) August 25, 2018

John McCain, Faith of My Fathers

At Amazon, John McCain, Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir.

John McCain, The Restless Wave

At Amazon, John McCain, The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations.

John McCain, 'Maverick' War Hero, Senator, and Presidential Candidate, Dies at 81

By now you've heard the sad news.

I never met John McCain, but during the 2008 presidential campaign, he was my personal hero. My longtime blog readers will know why. "American Power" was among the very first of conservative blogw to come out in support of McCain's bid for the GOP nomination in 2007. That's when I basically went into full-time politics blog mode, and when McCain won the nomination I felt a sense of euphoria and accomplishment. I hope in some small way that I contributed to his success. That, of course, can't be said of the general election campaign in 2008. When the Kenyan interloper won the election I was in a funk not unlike the one that afflicted leftists after Shrillary's loss in 2016. I know the feeling.

In any case, at the New York Times, via Memorandum, "John McCain, War Hero, Senator, Presidential Contender, Dies at 81," and "John McCain to Lie in State at Capitols in Washington and Arizona."

And do read Mark Barabak's excellent obituary, at the Los Angeles Times:

He was described (and described himself) as a charmer, a wise guy, an underachiever, a warrior, a hero, a coward, a straight-talker, a shape-shifter and, perhaps more than any label, a maverick. John McCain dead at age 81. https://t.co/GEnDLAB80F

— Mark Z. Barabak (@markzbarabak) August 26, 2018

I’ve covered a lot of campaigns, but some of my best memories go back to 2000 and John McCain’s first run for president. Riding on the Straight Talk Express was unlike anything I’ve experienced, before or since…1/

— Mark Z. Barabak (@markzbarabak) August 24, 2018

Mecum's 2018 Dodge SRT Demon Offering

This is fantastic!

A hammer price of $240,000 takes home the 2018 @Dodge SRT Demon Offering!

Both cars had under 80 miles with the dealer plastic still intact. Click the link for all the details: https://t.co/T7OyhBndse#MecumMonterey #Monterey #CarWeek #Mecum #ThatsMyDodge #WhereTheCarsAre pic.twitter.com/pue0PXWsMo

— Mecum Auctions (@mecum) August 24, 2018

'Lady Justice does not wear a blindfold over only one eye...'

From the inimitable Kim Strassel, at WSJ, "When Justice Is Partial" (and here):

"Prosecutors can claim all they want that they are applying the law equally, but if they only apply it to half the suspects, justice is not served. . . .Lady Justice does not wear a blindfold over only one eye."
https://t.co/UNrzX1Avi5 via @WSJOpinion

— Kimberley Strassel (@KimStrassel) August 24, 2018

The country has watched the FBI treat one presidential campaign with kid gloves, the other with informants, warrants and eavesdropping. They’ve seen the Justice Department resist all efforts at accountability, even as it fails to hold its own accountable. And don’t get them started on the one-sided media.

And they are now witnessing unequal treatment in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. Yes, the former FBI director deserves credit for smoking out the Russian trolls who interfered in 2016. And one can argue he is obliged to pursue any evidence of criminal acts, even those unrelated to Russia. But what cannot be justified is the one-sided nature of his probe.

Consider Mr. Cohen, the former Trump lawyer who this week pleaded guilty to eight felony charges. Six related to his personal business dealings; the other two involved campaign-finance violations arising from payments to women claiming affairs with Donald Trump. The criminal prosecution of campaign-finance offenses is exceptionally rare (most charges are civil), but let’s take Mr. Khuzami’s word for it when he says Mr. Cohen’s crimes are “particularly significant” because he’s a lawyer who should know better, and also because the payments were for the purpose of “influencing an election” and undermining its “integrity.”

If there is only “one set of rules,” where is Mr. Mueller’s referral of a case against Hillary for America? Federal law requires campaigns to disclose the recipient and purpose of any payments. The Clinton campaign paid Fusion GPS to compile a dossier against Mr. Trump, a document that became the basis of the Russia narrative Mr. Mueller now investigates. But the campaign funneled the money to law firm Perkins Coie, which in turn paid Fusion. The campaign falsely described the money as payment for “legal services.” The Democratic National Committee did the same. A Perkins Coie spokesperson has claimed that neither the Clinton campaign nor the DNC was aware that Fusion GPS had been hired to conduct the research, and maybe so. But a lot of lawyers here seemed to have been ignoring a clear statute, presumably with the intent of influencing an election.

Prosecutions under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) are also exceptionally rare, though Mr. Mueller is getting media kudos for hammering the likes of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates for failing to register as lobbyists for foreign entities. The law is the law.

But under this standard, where are the charges against the principals of Fusion GPS, who Sen. Chuck Grassley has said look to have been lobbying on behalf of powerful Russians against a U.S. sanctions law, with its payment again funneled through a law firm? This was a sideline to its dossier work, but Mr. Mueller usually has no issue with sideline charges.

Or what about an evenhanded look at dossier author Christopher Steele?

Keep reading.

Theodore Draper, A Struggle for Power

At Amazon, Theodore Draper, A Struggle for Power: The American Revolution.

Woody Holton, Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution

At Amazon, Woody Holton, Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution.

Jack Rakove, Original Meanings

Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings: Politics and Ideas in the Making of the Constitution.

What Happened to the Liberal Arts?

Heather Mac Donald's new book is out on September 4th, at Amazon, The Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine Our Culture.

And see the roundup on Ms. Mac Donald at AoSHQ, "Late Summer Saturday Open Thread August 25."

And at Prager University:

Rep. Duncan Hunter Blames Wife (VIDEO)

That's pretty scuzzy. (*Shrugs.*)

At the San Diego Union Tribune, "Rep. Duncan Hunter points to his wife and 'whatever she did' in campaign finance scandal":

Duncan Hunter and his wife Margaret entered — and exited — the federal courthouse separately on Thursday.

Rep. Hunter, the Republican congressman from Alpine, rushed to his black suburban as crowds chanted, “Shame. Shame. Shame.”

Margaret left through a different exit. She had her head down. Onlookers said the 43-year-old mother of three looked as if she was about to cry.

A 60-count indictment, filed in federal court in San Diego, accuses the couple of illegally using a quarter of a million dollars in campaign money to fund their lavish lifestyles and filing false campaign finance records with the Federal Election Commission to cover it up.

They pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, falsification of records and aiding and abetting in the prohibited use of campaign contributions.

Congressman Hunter, 41, is well-known in California and on Capitol Hill. His grandfather, Robert Hunter, was a veteran who hosted a popular TV broadcast in Washington D.C. with Republican members of Congress who wanted to give weekly reports on their districts. After moving back to California in the mid-1950s, he developed the Jurupa Hills Country Club and Golf Course, and many surrounding communities in western Riverside, according to news reports.

Hunter’s father, Duncan L. Hunter, held the same congressional seat as his son for 28 years and had a short-lived bid for president in 2008.

By the time the youngest Hunter entered the race for what was then the 52nd District, he had the name recognition of three generations and ties to a massive support network from his father’s previous campaigns...

More.

Previously: "California's 50th District Now Competitive After Duncan Hunter Indictment?"

Ashley Greene in Black Tank Top

At Taxi Driver, "Ashley Greene Braless in See Through Black Tank Top."

Hat Tip: Popoholic: "Daily Addictions – Weekend Edition."

BONUS: at Hollywood Tuna, "Jessica Simpson is Still the Queen."

Patrick Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed

At Amazon, Patrick J. Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed.

Can Democrats Reclaim Patriotism?

No. Next question?

But see the New York Times, FWIW, "Reclaiming Patriotism for the Left":

When the American left abandons any vision of social patriotism because of the racist ugliness it has come to symbolize, it concedes the American story to the voices of exclusion and avarice https://t.co/5woMt6u0t4

— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) August 21, 2018

"I sometimes get pushback on my flag display and I tire of pointing out that the rightwing does not own the flag - it belongs to all of us - and we should not surrender it to them," comments JMartin on the Op-Ed, "Reclaiming Patriotism for the Left." https://t.co/FYv2VDUEd6 pic.twitter.com/nFUVJKuxWW

— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) August 22, 2018

The resurgence of blood-and-soil nationalism around the world seems to prove that appeals to nationhood are too racist, too tribal and too dangerous to be of value. Yet surrendering patriotism to champions of the ethno-state abdicates the fight for the soul and meaning of the American project.

The American left, from the center of the Democratic Party to its insurgent challengers, needs a dose of national vision. One of the core lessons of Trumpian politics is that Americans are starved for a meaningful politics of what it means to be American. Getting rid of the vainglorious Trump administration is only a partial solution. The causes of his rise remain.

Call what is needed a reinvigoration of “civic nationalism” or “civic republicanism” (a reference to the ancient political ideal, not the party). This is a revival of the “bond of common faith,” the “bond of common goal,” as Robert Kennedy once put it, which needs constructive outlets if what is left of American democracy is to survive.

In recent decades, progressive forces in the United States have split between two positions, both of which surrender a robust and hopeful sense of national citizenship. On one track can be found a cosmopolitan economic elite that embrace a multicultural world order shaped largely by the politics of corporate globalization. On the other track are radical critics of the racism and imperialism of the American state who often support local community and transnational solidarity but maintain a deep cynicism, even despair, about the American project. Both groups have abdicated the national story to their shared political enemies. What remains is a fervent hybrid of nationalism and anti-statism, an echo of the rebel yell.

The American past, according to the historian Gary Gerstle in his book “American Crucible,” can be understood as a struggle between “two powerful and contradictory ideals” — a civic and racialized national vision. Yet the dissolution of a progressive civic dimension has left us with an unchallenged ethno-racial nationalism.

Globalization has further complicated the problem. In a dizzying world of oppressive economic and political inequality, global trade, immigration and technological disruption, voters seek grounding not in technocratic detail but in place, in time, in tradition and, above all, in the shared fate, history and meaning of the nation...

This "project" will fail.

As long as Democrats (who are not "centrist") champion and glamorize their most ardent radical factions and agendas, rejection of civil nationalism will remain at the center of their program.

It's a program of self-hatred.

But keep reading.

California's 50th District Now Competitive After Duncan Hunter Indictment?

I don't know?

You'd have to have a pretty mainstream Democrat running, and Democrats aren't mainstream, so there's that.

But see LAT, "Rep. Duncan Hunter's indictment opens door for Democrats in Trump country":

Rep. Duncan Hunter's indictment opens door for Democrats in Trump country https://t.co/wZjS6l3XZB pic.twitter.com/z1zhaIg90Z

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 23, 2018

Republican Dale Weidenthaler shook his head in disgust Wednesday when the conversation turned to Rep. Duncan Hunter.

The retired police officer has long distrusted the GOP congressman but voted for him anyway. Now that Hunter has been indicted on campaign corruption charges, Weidenthaler, 61, expects to skip the House race rather than vote for his Democratic rival.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and there’s just too much smoke,” said Weidenthaler, who was sipping a Red Bull on a morning visit to a Temecula grocery store.

The Alpine congressman’s indictment Tuesday has suddenly turned this safe Republican House seat into a competitive race in a midterm election that was already looking grim for the GOP.

It threatens to depress Republican turnout in this largely rural district in San Diego and Riverside counties. The party now has to spend resources on a contest that GOP leaders would have normally ignored.

With Democrats across the nation already portraying President Trump’s Republican Party as a swamp of corruption, the charges against Hunter came the same day that Trump’s former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felonies and his onetime campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted of bank fraud and other crimes...

More.

Adam Housley, Los Angeles-Based Reporter for Fox News, Quits Network Amid Objections to 'Talking-Head Panels' Focusing More and More on President Trump

I still love Fox News. I just don't watch it that much any more, for these very reasons.

At Politico, "Second Fox News reporter leaves amid objections to network: In the Trump era, hard reporting is being crowded out by opinionated panels, current and former staffers say":

"objections to the Trump-era Fox News are widely shared within the network’s reporting corps, according to current and former employees of the network.” https://t.co/WHFgXzFD0i

— Jon Passantino (@passantino) August 24, 2018

Another on-air reporter is leaving Fox News over frustrations with the direction and tone of the network, the second in the last three weeks to defect for those reasons.

Adam Housley, a Los Angeles-based reporter who joined Fox in 2001, felt there was diminished opportunity at the network for reporters and disapproved of tenor of its on-air discussion, according to two former Fox News employees with knowledge of his situation.

Housley believed that as the network’s focus on Trump has grown — and the number of talking-head panels during news shows proliferated — it had become difficult to get hard reporting on air, according to one of those former employees.

“He’s not doing the type of journalism he wants to be doing,” the former employee said. “And he is unhappy with the tone of the conversation of the channel.”

Housley’s objections to the Trump-era Fox News are widely shared within the network’s reporting corps, according to current and former employees of the network...

Still more.

Kate Upton's Struggles (VIDEO)

Yes, we should all struggle like Kate Upton, lol.

At Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:

Wow! Kayleigh McEnany Unloads on Open-Borders Democrats in Wake of Mollie Tibbetts' Murder by Illegal Alien (VIDEO)

Man, she's good!

At Fox News:

American Peter Beinart Detained for Questioning at Ben-Gurion Airport Upon Entering Israel

This was a news story a few weeks back.

But Carolyn Glick's putting the kibosh on this self-serving anti-Israel promotion.

See, "Peter Beinart’s latest publicity stunt":

There has been a lot of hand-wringing in official Israel over the brief questioning of anti-Israel author Peter Beinart at Ben-Gurion Airport this week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on the episode calling it “an administrative mistake.”

Netanyahu added, “Israel is an open society which welcomes all – critics and supporters alike.”

Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Michael Oren said Beinart’s questioning is grounds “for an immediate examination of all policy towards the entry of political activists.”

Speaking to Israel National News, Oren said, “Detaining American Jewish reporter Peter Beinart is an example of how acting unwisely causes both strategic and PR damage.

“Beinart is a top-rate American media person. Most of his opinions about Israel disgust me, but he does not support BDS, and in fact defines himself as a Zionist.”

Oren’s position is problematic first and foremost because it is factually wrong.

Beinart is a major supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Indeed, he is a central figure in the movement. This mere fact renders Beinart’s protestations of Zionism disingenuous, to put it mildly.

In 2012, Beinart published an oped in The New York Times calling for the boycott, divestment and sanction of all Israeli goods produced by Israeli Jews in Judea and Samaria.

His crass insensitivity towards Israeli Jews in Judea and Samaria was striking: “If moderate settlers resent being lumped in with their more ideologically driven counterparts deep in occupied territory, they should agitate for a two-state solution that would make possible their incorporation into democratic Israel. Or they should move.”

Beinart described the boycott as part of an overall political warfare strategy that American Jews should undertake against Israel and its American supporters.

“We should lobby to exclude settler-produced goods from America’s free-trade deal with Israel,” Beinart said. “We should push to end Internal Revenue Service policies that allow Americans to make tax-deductible gifts to settler charities. Every time an American newspaper calls Israel a democracy, we should urge it to include the caveat: only within the green line.”

Even Beinart’s most fervent admirers viewed his call for BDS against Jewish products in Judea and Samaria as a transparent means to facilitate BDS against Israel as a whole.

Jane Eisner, editor of the far-left The Forward newspaper wrote, the “optics of Beinart’s proposal” are “dangerous,” because they provide “implicit support for the broader BDS movement.”

But as has since become clear, that was his goal.

Beinart devotes great energy to mainstreaming anti-Israel activists who reject Israel’s right to exist...

Keep reading.

BONUS: Watch, at i24NEWS, "Peter Beinart on His Detainment at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport: Left-wing Jewish American writer Peter Beinart discusses his interrogation by the Shin Bet security services, the latest in a series of such incidents involving leftist personalities, with i24NEWS' Tracy Alexander."

Some Random Woman on Reddit

At Phun, "Reddit User Lucie Fair":

Not much to say here...she's an amateur that posts hot pictures of herself on Reddit. Here are some of her shots!

Hat Tip: Drunken Stepfather, "MORNING HANGOVER DUMP OF THE DAY."

BONUS: "JEWEL’S GOT THEM TITTIES ON OF THE DAY."

Trump's Supporters Don't Care About Cohen and Manafort Convictions

From Salena Zito, at the New York Post:

Right now the value of Trump to the Trump voter is he is all that stands between them and handing the keys to Washington back over to the people inside Washington. That’s it. He’s their only option. You’ve got to pick the insiders or him. https://t.co/uTuDi7HXcp

— SalenaZito (@SalenaZito) August 23, 2018

Kate Morton, The Clockmaker's Daughter

Available October 9th, at Amazon, Kate Morton, The Clockmaker's Daughter: A Novel.

Laura Ingraham, Billionaire at the Barricades

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Laura Ingraham, Billionaire at the Barricades: The Populist Revolution from Reagan to Trump.

Herman Melville, Moby Dick

There are dozens and dozens of different published editions of Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

Someone's selling this Signet version I have for $45.69.

Don't buy that one, unless you're a hard-up collector, lol.

Buy this one, the recent Signet version, for just under $6.00.

And thanks for your support! As you know, I've been having a blast with book blogging (and book reading, of course) over this last year or two. It's what keeps me sane, heh.

Shop at this Amazon link for more. And thanks again!

Megan Parry's Fabulous Thursday Forecast

I was down at the beach yesterday and it was all-star weather. Just perfect. People travel around the world to such beautiful locations. Laguna Beach? It's paradise.

In any case, here's the lovely Ms. Megan, for ABC 10 News San Diego:

Madison Beer Selfies

At Popoholic, "Madison Beer Selfies Her Ginormous Braless Cleavage Like Never Before!"

And at Taxi Driver, "Madison Beer Cleavage & Cameltoe."

Commentator Paris Dennard 'Suspended' All of a Sudden (After Vigorously Defending President Trump) as Leftist CNN Hacks Dredge Up Old Sexual Assault Allegations (VIDEO)

I don't know Paris Dennard. I don't watch much cable television anymore, but it sure seems a convenient coincident that he's being suspended from CNN after making hack Philip Mudd literally lose his mind on live TV in a profanity-laced meltdown.

At the Hollywood Reporter, "CNN Suspends Contributor Paris Dennard Following Sexual Misconduct Report."

And watch the meltdown, which received wide coverage. (For example, at the Washington Examiner, "Trump says ex-CIA, FBI official Philip Mudd 'is in no mental condition' to have security clearance.")

Today's Shopping

At Amazon, Today's Deals. New deals. Every day. Shop our Deal of the Day, Lightning Deals and more daily deals and limited-time sales.

And especially, Leather Messenger Laptop Briefcase Cross-body Bag by Aaron Leather.

Here, Logitech MK735 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo - MK710 Keyboard and Wireless Mouse M510.

Also, Buck Knives 110 Famous Folding Hunter Knife with Genuine Leather Sheath - TOP SELLER.

More here, Military Outdoor Clothing Never Issued U.S. Military Canteen.

Also, CLIF Fruit Smoothie Filled - Organic Energy Bar - 3-Flavor Variety Pack - 1.76 Ounce Protein Snack Bar, 12 Count.

Plus, Nestlé Pure Life Bottled Purified Water, 16.9 oz. Bottles, 24/Case.

Still more, Koffee Kult Dark Roast Coffee Beans - Highest Quality Gourmet - Whole Bean Coffee - Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans, 32oz.

BONUS: John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces.

WaPo Bemoans 'Day Like Any Other' at Right-Wing News Outlets After Cohen and Manafort Convictions (VIDEO)

Hey, it's a good thing we have Fox News to put things in perspective. The Mollie Tibbetts murder, by an illegal alien who's been in the country for years, is a much bigger story, in my opinion. That one should implicate the Democrats in impeachable crimes. But here's the headline at WaPo, via Memeorandum, "In Trump's right-wing media universe, it was a day like any other."

And yes, let's listen to Sean Hannity's monologue. You know he's right:

Megan Parry's Wednesday Weather Forecast

Hey, it's been nice weather --- a little marine layer in the morning, blowing off by early afternoon, with temps in the mid-80s.

What's not to like?

Here's the lovely Ms. Megan:

Manafort Verdict Says Nothing

Check Memeorandum for all the scandal-related news about the Trump administration.

It's over the top. Calls for impeachment are already ramping up, but this morning's headlines are as significant as folks may think.

See Byron York, at the Washington Examiner, "Manafort split verdict says nothing on Trump, Russia, and the 2016 election":

Mueller did not allege any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign, and none were revealed at the trial.

That's not to say the public did not learn anything from the Manafort trial. Indeed, if nothing else, outsiders got a glimpse into what Washington influence peddlers have gotten away with for decades. Manafort was convicted of shady dealing going back a long way. His behavior had been examined by the Obama Justice Department, which took no action against him. It was only because Manafort hooked up with Trump, and Trump then won the White House, and Democrats then pushed a Trump-Russia narrative to hobble the new president, and Trump then fired the director of the FBI -- only through all of those circumstances -- that Manafort got caught and his foreign money schemes exposed.

The importance of the financial crimes case against Manafort was never the financial crimes themselves. It was the prosecutors' hope that, by charging the hell out of the offenses alleged, by playing hardball with the defendant with a guns-drawn-at-dawn search-warrant raid, by jailing him over a debatable obstruction of justice charge that Manafort could be pressured into spilling what prosecutors apparently thought were a lot of beans about the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election.

The big question about that strategy, of course, was whether the beans really existed. Was there a deep, dark secret about Russia collusion, evidence to proved that it occurred, and did Manafort, and only Manafort, know it? If so, then Manafort could be the key to the case. If not, then Mueller could succeed in nailing Manafort's hide to the wall -- and sending a warning to Washington operators who accept huge foreign payments -- but not accomplish the actual goal of the Trump-Russia investigation...

RTWT.

Asia Argento and 17-Year-Old Boy in Bed in Sexual Encounter

She claimed Anthony Bourdain paid off the kid to make problems go away. There was no sexual relationship, according to her statement:

I just received this statement from @AsiaArgento in response to the NYT story published late Sunday evening. pic.twitter.com/jAOo7TAULX

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 21, 2018

But TMZ's got the photos to prove that sex did happen. This Asia woman is hypocrite scum. Now I really feel bad for Anthony Bourdain. She broke his heart and then he killed himself. I don't think she was worth it, damn.

Asia Argento and 17-Year-Old Boy in Bed in Sexual Encounter https://t.co/y6EeKOdPT7

— TMZ (@TMZ) August 22, 2018

Eiza Gonzalez Busting Out

At Popoholic:

Eiza Gonzalez Braless And Busting Out Like Bananas… WOW! https://t.co/n5FpP496GF pic.twitter.com/Hixa2x5ixH

— Popoholic (@Popoholic) August 17, 2018

Selena Gomez Bikini

At Popoholic:

Selena Gomez Busting Out Her Massive Cleavage Like Bananas In A Tiny Bikini… WOW! https://t.co/dJnWMf7x46 pic.twitter.com/63NmVpgKcp

— Popoholic (@Popoholic) August 16, 2018

More Ultra Busty Selena Gomez Bikini Pictures? Yes Please! https://t.co/gmeJGwUvC7 pic.twitter.com/a5cSt7fYLM

— Popoholic (@Popoholic) August 20, 2018

Today's Front-Page at the Los Angeles Times

I'm still waiting for my paper. The deliveryman is the worst. We had to call for a replacement paper, and today's one of those days in which I actually want to read the news, sheesh.

Today’s front page. Every story, from Washington to Bell, is about corruption. pic.twitter.com/bALNzwKocT

— Laura J. Nelson 🦅 (@laura_nelson) August 22, 2018

Jennifer Garner on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (VIDEO)

Ms. Garner's in the news. She's hands down one of the most smoking hottest actresses in the business --- and Ben Affleck's an idiot and a loser, man.

At Elle, "Jennifer Garner Is Reportedly ‘Not Pleased’ or 'Surprised' Ben Affleck Is Dating a 22-Year-Old Playboy Model," and at Metro U.K., "Ben Affleck grabs bite to eat with Playboy model Shauna Sexton as he skips ex-wife Jennifer Garner’s Walk of Fame ceremony."

(BONUS: "SHAUNA SEXTON PHOTOGRAPHED BY DOVE SHORE FOR PLAYBOY, MAY 2018." Maybe he's not an idiot after all, shoot! But see, "Jennifer Garner Topless & Ass Pics.")

Also, at People, "All the Cutest Photos From Jennifer Garner's Walk of Fame Ceremony with Her Three Adorable Kids: Jennifer Garner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday — and made a rare appearance with her three children with ex Ben Affleck."

Anne De Paula on Most Secluded Beach (VIDEO)

Via Sports Illustrated Swimsuit:

Olivia Culpo Nautical Bikini

Nice.

Olivia Culpo slips into a nautical-inspired ruffle bikini as she poses up a storm for desert shoot in Palm Springs https://t.co/sgcKbrgRz7

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) July 9, 2018

Whimsical

Wow!

WhimsicalLadies pic.twitter.com/6lnG9vfu8P

— Erotic Goddesses 97K (@trozo2015) July 15, 2018

Emily Ratajkowski in New York

At London's Daily Mail:

Emily Ratajkowski shows off a hint of underboob and her extremely svelte torso in a summery crop top https://t.co/FSE6yatPGB

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) July 21, 2018

The U.S. Maintains the Most Generous Immigration Policies in the World (VIDEO)

Here's Michelle Malkin, for Prager University:

Megan Parry's Tuesday Forecast

At 10 News San Diego:

Phoebe Price Bikini Slip

At Drunken Stepfather, "Phoebe Price Nipple Slip of the Day."

Also, at DListed, "Open Post: Hosted By Red, White, Blue and Ginger Elegance," and "It Wouldn’t Be a National Holiday Without Bikini Pics of Phoebe Price!"

Oakland Athletics Tied for First in American League West Division

The A's won again last night, and the Mariners beat the Astros for the fifth time in a row, pushing the Athletics back up to a first place tie with Houston in the American League West.

It's great!

I mean, I'm an Angels fan first and foremost, of course. But I love the Athletics and they're making a serious run for the post-season. Really serious! They were something like twelve games out of first place a while back, but they started racking up the best record in baseball for the last month or so. And here they are, tied for first.

The season's been magical up there in the East Bay too. When they opened up the top level seats --- Mount Davis, the sky-high section that was built to lure the Raiders back to Oakland back in the day --- it was the first time in 13 years, and was one hella phenomenon. You can see across the bay on a clear day. Just spectacular.

In any case, let's hope the Athletics continue to have a hot streak here, that they take the first place spot in the standing outright over the next few days. I just wish I could watch them on TV. The Angels are fading and this is the time I wind down my game viewing until the playoffs.

On Twitter:

Ramon Laureano smacks 2 homers and Khris Davis hits one with young cancer patient's signature on his jersey. Updated story on #Athletics powering their way back into first-place tie in AL West: https://t.co/kCK2Hi0kof

— Ron Kroichick (@ronkroichick) August 21, 2018

41-14 since June 16!

(Best in @MLB in that span 👀)#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/FFApT2VYhk

— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) August 21, 2018

Join us to #PackTheTown.
For the first time in 13 years, we are opening up Mount Davis! Help us break the all-time Coliseum attendance record of 55,989 set in 2004 with $10 Mount Davis tickets for Saturday, July 21. https://t.co/F9skzqsr4r pic.twitter.com/LiPuKbYcuY

— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) July 16, 2018

Who is going to help us #PackTheTown tomorrow?
$10 Mount Davis seats + $2 hot dogs, nachos, soda, water, and peanuts at the Mount Davis concession stands. 😋 (cash only)
🎟️: https://t.co/F9skzqsr4r pic.twitter.com/Wu2CwwbRLB

— Oakland Athletics 🌳🐘⚾️ (@Athletics) July 20, 2018

This story is especially good:

We famous! 😎📸
A’s, Giants fans go on expedition to dusty Mount Davis https://t.co/0S4RuIdPPP

— Maria Contreras (@Maria_Maria727) July 22, 2018

Leftists Politics Closing In

This is really phenomenal, from John Zmirak, at Pajamas, "The Fences Are Closing In":

The Fences Are Closing In https://t.co/xFm8CVVVan pic.twitter.com/s1V12VxSKr

— PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) August 20, 2018

There’s an old expression, we’ve all used it: “It’s a free country!” Now, sometimes people abuse it. If you catch somebody spraying graffiti on the side of your house, he might just say that. Which, of course, is stupid.

But people only hijack an expression because it’s powerful and true. This is a free country, that’s what defines it. It’s what made America great.

But will America stay free? Or are powerful forces eating away at our freedoms? I won’t say nibbling, because they’re tearing off great big chunks of it at a time. Our freedom of speech, of religion, our right to back political candidates and stand up for what we believe in. All that’s now threatened. I think you know that.

Would you feel comfortable wearing a MAGA hat? Or would you worry you might get assaulted? That happened to 16-year-old Hunter Richard in Austin, Texas, last month. An adult man confronted him, ripped the hat off his head, screamed profanity at him, and threw a drink in his face.

But don’t worry, Austin is on it. They’re getting ready to change the name of the city because Stephen Austin owned slaves. I wonder how long it will be until the Washington, D.C., city council gets around to renaming our capital. Seriously, I think we should start a pool. Ten years? Five? Maybe two? That slope’s getting pretty slippery. If you ever want to see Mount Rushmore while it’s still intact... I think you should book your tickets now. Be sure to take lots of pictures, so you can show your children. The same with the Jefferson Memorial, Monticello, and most of the statues in Richmond. They’re on the List. You know they are.

The Democrats are now embracing “democratic socialism.” Their activists are dressing up in hoods and masks and terrorizing citizens. Assaulting cops and reporters. Trashing government buildings in Portland and occupying them for weeks. Lawmakers are actually having to use old anti-Klan laws to stop the violent radicals of Antifa from terrorizing Americans.

But we’re not supposed to complain about it. It’s getting dangerous to speak your mind. Dangerous to your career, and even to your safety...

Keep reading.

David Horowitz Make the Case Against the #NeverTrump Crowd

At the Other McCain, "David Horowitz Schools Jonah Goldberg: #NeverTrump as Moral Cowardice":

Politics is a team sport. In a two-party system, being a team player often forces us to make difficult choices. After the 2012 GOP primary campaign, when I twice went “all-in” on candidates (first Herman Cain, then Rick Santorum) trying to stop Mitt Romney as the “It’s His Turn” establishment candidate, it was understandably difficult for me to get fired up for Mitt’s fall campaign. And yet, I did. By late September, I’d convinced myself that Mitt had a good chance of beating Obama and, even though Romney was by no means my idea of a conservative, I spent the final weeks of the campaign in cheerleader mode, hoping against hope that Obama could be prevented from getting a second term. Alas, we were “Doomed Beyond All Hope of Redemption,” as I declared after Mitt’s loss.

That experience taught me something, namely that my efforts as a journalist to “make a difference” were futile. The primary voters had their own opinions which I was unable to influence, so I vowed to ignore the 2016 primaries and let the voters hash it out for themselves. This yielded Trump as the nominee and, rather miraculously, he won. Now, however, all the GOP pundit types who’d gone all-in trying to prevent Trump’s nomination are so butthurt about their lack of influence that they can’t get over it. They are like petulant children, ruining a birthday party with a tantrum because they didn’t get the gift they wanted.

Trump is not “my guy.” I have always been for free trade, and oppose protectionism on principle. As for Trump’s tone and temperament, I share many of the concerns of the #NeverTrump crowd, but there is one thing I like very much about Donald Trump: He wins.

Keep reading.

And here's the Horowitz piece, at American Greatness:

Here's my answer to Jonah Goldberg without the restrictions of a tweet:https://t.co/lbweUZUsV0

— David Horowitz (@horowitz39) August 20, 2018

Rose McGowan Backlash After Former 'Charmed' Star Tweets Support for Asia Argento

Althouse had the story, first reported at NYT, "Asia Argento, a #MeToo Leader, Made a Deal With Her Own Accuser."

And Ann's comment there:

"Most 17-year-old boys would consider sex f any kind with a beautiful woman the best day of their life so far."

How old was he when he made the movie in which she played his mother? Then look at the continued psychological hold on him with this "I'm your mother" routine. What if someone did that to your child? It's an appropriation of childhood innocence, very reminiscent of the behavior of the accused Catholic priests. To take a young mind and to shape and manipulate it to serve your sexual interests is truly evil. Everyone who has contact with children has a moral responsibility not to use them that way, even if they are refraining from sexual contact until the age of consent.

And now at CNN, the hypocrisy of Rose McGowan:

Rose McGowan is being criticized for her support of Asia Argentohttps://t.co/LgNUzhAHIW

— Lisa Respers France (@LisaFranceCNN) August 21, 2018

I got to know Asia Argento ten months ago. Our commonality is the shared pain of being assaulted by Harvey Weinstein. My heart is broken. I will continue my work on behalf of victims everywhere.

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) August 20, 2018

None of us know the truth of the situation and I’m sure more will be revealed. Be gentle.

— rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) August 20, 2018

Rose got fried for her sick double standard here, at the link.

Last Known Nazi Death Camp Guard Deported to Germany

Good riddance to the fucker.

And ICE deported him. You'd think leftists would celebrate that, right?

At the Guardian U.K., "U.S. deports Nazi war crimes suspect to Germany."

Howard Fast, Freedom Road

I've finished The Human Factor. It was surprisingly good. I was trying to figure out some of the story lines, as I'm not a big spy novel aficionado, but it all came together in the last third of the book, and it was moving, even sad.

In any case, I read Howard Fast's Spartacus last summer, and that book made me a forever fan of Fast, who has a fascinating personal history (or "had" one; he died in 2003).

At Amazon, Howard Fast, Freedom Road (American History Through Literature).

'Think'

Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," has dead at the age of 76.

At LAT, "Aretha Franklin, who defined an era as the Queen of Soul, dies at 76."

Bella Thorne for GQ Mexico.

At Maxim:

No photoshop, no problem. https://t.co/ZwgousGHyP

— Maxim (@MaximMag) August 16, 2018

Lucy Pinder in Lingerie

On Twitter, "#LucyPinder with sexy #lingerie."

She's a beauty.

Jeremy Corbyn is Too Extreme to Be Prime Minister

From Sohrab Ahmari, at Commentary, "Never Corbyn."

Dear Britons: For the love of all that is good and just, please don't elect Jeremy Corbyn--the Hamas-hugging lunatic from the People's Republic of Islington--to No. 10 Downing Street. https://t.co/KRhvs7j2dT

— Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) August 14, 2018

Coliseum's Ongoing Renovation Means Different USC Game-Day Experience for Fans (VIDEO)

College football season's almost upon us.

And here's this, at LAT, "It will be a season of 'growing pains' for USC fans at the Coliseum":

The Coliseum has come together and is ready for the 2018 season. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/OMhiJDtJAt

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) August 15, 2018

USC’s 95th football season in the Coliseum will be unlike any other. And that will have nothing to do with what happens on the field.

As the Coliseum undergoes its real-time renovation in preparation for a 2019 unveiling, more will be asked of the Trojans fans in particular. USC and Coliseum officials scheduled a news conference Wednesday morning to address the biggest challenges fans will face and what specifically they can do to make 2018’s temporary game-day experience palatable enough to get through it and onto next season, when the fun can really start.

“It will be a season of change for a lot of fans when they come into the Coliseum,” USC athletic director Lynn Swann said. “Everybody will be going through some kind of adjustment, in terms of where they used to sit and to where they’re going to sit this year and how it’s going to change in 2019. Growing pains, if you will."

USC fans and alumni who would have preferred that the athletic department not touch the venerable stadium have been heard, but that ship sailed long ago. Since the end of the Rams’ 2017 season in January, 12,514 cubic yards of concrete have been poured; 2,131 tons of structural steel have been used; and 46,000 cubic yards of dirt have been exported.

All of this comes in the name of progress — if you are willing to define progress as spending a lot of money now to make a lot more money over the coming decades thanks to new revenue streams created from building luxury boxes — and USC would prefer that the process doesn’t have to be that painful...

More.

California Looks to Block Further Offshore Drilling for Oil

Hey, I say, "Drill baby drill," lol.

But this is California, which has been taken over by far-left progressive nutjobs. It's hard out here, man.

At LAT, "First came the proclamations against Trump's offshore drilling plan. Now comes the legislation":

First came the proclamations against Trump's offshore drilling plan. Now comes the legislation https://t.co/KMoG4CuZd5 pic.twitter.com/IpuxNVTwYh

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 16, 2018

When the Trump administration proposed opening California waters to drilling on an unprecedented scale, state leaders said they would do whatever it takes to keep new oil operations at bay.

But promises only go so far.

So some in Sacramento now are trying to lock those pledges into law — safeguarding the coast from offshore drilling no matter the whims of future administrations.

Despite decades of lawsuits and regulations, the state’s ability to block offshore drilling hinges largely on who’s in power in the state Capitol. Even with staunch opposition by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and pledges from both candidates vying to be the next governor, future leaders could still allow new drilling if they choose.

Two bills that could live or die Thursday would close that possibility by barring state land managers from allowing the construction of new pipelines, piers, wharves or other infrastructure necessary to transport the oil and gas from water to land.

In a state where polls show 69% of residents oppose more drilling off their coast, such legislation may seem like a shoo-in. “But unfortunately it’s not,” said Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance), acting chair of the Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee.

A similar Senate bill last year failed amid pressure from powerful oil and business interests that said stripping the state of this decision-making authority could do more harm than good.

Muratsuchi said he agreed to team up with state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) and seven coauthors this year to reintroduce the issue as nearly identical bills in the Assembly and the Senate, and overcome what he said were the key challenges: “Oily Democrats,” a more business-friendly Assembly than in years past, and powerful lobbying alliances in Sacramento.

The stalling of the legislation last year marked an instance in which California, famous for leading the charge on environmental laws, left other states to pave the way. New Jersey and New York picked up and adopted similar legislation this year. Delaware and Maryland are also looking to pass laws that would bar new drilling in state waters.

But with mounting public pushback against the Trump administration’s efforts to upend California’s environmental protections, backers say the bills have a new urgency this year.

“We need to take control of what we can control — and what we can control is our state land and waters,” said Richard Charter, a senior fellow at the Ocean Foundation who has worked on oil issues for 40 years. “I have never seen this level of danger to California’s coastline.”

Bills AB 1775 and SB 834 would prohibit the State Lands Commission, which has jurisdiction over tidelands and waters extending roughly three miles offshore, from granting leases for new pipelines and infrastructure — the most economical way to transport oil and gas to land. The Senate version of the bill goes a step further, banning the commission from renewing an existing lease if that action will result in increased oil or natural gas production from federal waters.

Currently, the commission’s oil decisions are subject to the vote of two elected officials, the lieutenant governor and the state controller, and one appointee of the governor, the director of the state Department of Finance.

Both Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for governor, and John Cox, the Republican candidate who has Trump’s backing, have declared that the commission’s current commitment to barring new leases would not change under their leadership...

More.

Graham Greene, The Human Factor

Mr. Greene's classic paperbacks go for prime dollars, lol.

The mass-market is available at Amazon, Graham Greene, The Human Factor (Mass-Market Paperback).

And see also, The Human Factor (Penguin Classics).

We Need More Masculinity

Here's a great Prager University video, featuring Allie Beth Stuckey, "Make Men Masculine Again":

Blanca Blanco in Bathing Suit

At Taxi Driver, "Blanca Blanco Pops Out of her Bathing Suit."

PREVIOUSLY: "Blanca Blanco in White T-Shirt."

Samuel P. Huntington, Who Are We?

*BUMPED.*

Following-up, "Progressives Outraged at Laura Ingraham's Opening Segment Slamming Left's Program to Remake America (VIDEO)."

It's not like Ms. Laura was saying anything new. Conservatives have been sound the tocsin for decades. Here's Pat Buchanan's book from 2002, The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil Our Country and Civilization.

And don't forget Jean Raspail's 1973 novel, The Camp of the Saints.

Also, Victor Davis Hanson, Mexifornia: A State of Becoming.

More recently, see Douglas Murray, The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam.

And my favorite, which was eye-opening at the time (2004), Samuel P. Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America's National Identity.

Democrats Are Socialists, Duh

The polling is just now catching up to the reality on the ground. Go to any college campus and nearly everyone --- from administrators, faculty, and the students --- will tell they prefer socialism over the free market. I've been saying so for years. Obama ushered in an era where open embrace of radical leftism was cool. Bernie brought the last shy leftist out of the socialist closet. And with the lame brain leftist Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, far-left Democrats can run on an openly Marxist platform and win office.

This is a good development, people. It clarifies the lines of ideological contestation. I love it.

At Gallup, "Democrats More Positive About Socialism Than Capitalism":

Democrats have a more positive image of socialism than they do of capitalism... https://t.co/qSBZ6vkpk2 pic.twitter.com/4XnryzaD9J

— GallupNews (@GallupNews) August 13, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For the first time in Gallup's measurement over the past decade, Democrats have a more positive image of socialism than they do of capitalism. Attitudes toward socialism among Democrats have not changed materially since 2010, with 57% today having a positive view. The major change among Democrats has been a less upbeat attitude toward capitalism, dropping to 47% positive this year -- lower than in any of the three previous measures. Republicans remain much more positive about capitalism than about socialism, with little sustained change in their views of either since 2010.

These results are from Gallup interviewing conducted July 30-Aug. 5. Views of socialism among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents are particularly important in the current political environment because many observers have claimed the Democratic Party is turning in more of a socialist direction.

Socialist Bernie Sanders competitively challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, and more recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a candidate with similar policy views and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, won the Democratic nomination in New York's 14th Congressional District. Several candidates with socialist leanings lost their primary bids in Aug. 7 voting, however, raising doubts about the depth of Democrats' embrace of socialism.

The current survey is the fourth time Gallup has measured Americans' overall views of capitalism and socialism in this format. The question wording does not define "socialism" or "capitalism" but simply asks respondents whether their opinion of each is positive or negative...

Yeah, don't ask any of these idiot leftists to define terms, as you'll get a nonsense regurgitation which is the calling card of Ocasio Cortez (*eye roll*).

But keep reading.