Mission Accomplished

South Carolina has delivered it's verdict and JEB! is out after spending over $100M to win he lost and lost and lost. Now everyone is wondering where his votes will go - Rubio, Gov. K, ...? Um, I guess those are the only two options left (unless they go to Donald Trump, which some undoubtably will because Trump and Rubio's ideological support is almost identical). As was noted long ago, and sighted several times on this blog, the Donald has captured the sweet spot of the GOP electorate and there's no way to move him or his supporters. He's played a game of King of the Hill and he raced to the top right from the start and has been pushing down every opponent consistently and with dispatch. Those opponents have included every GOP rival who have, at times, pounced in coordinated attack but also include the broad press corps, liberal AND conservative pundits, Hillbilly, Obama and even the Pope. Pundits claim that Trump can't win because his favorability rating is too low, but if you had $500 Million in negative advertising dumped on you the odds are lots of people would think poorly of you too. What's uncanny is how Trump is able to move the favorability score once he comes to town and starts meeting people - it's an amazing trait or quality that he possesses and I'm not sure it can even be learned. I don't know if there's another candidate in the field that can change peoples minds and perceptions as effectively as Trump.

Starting to look like a Trump/Rubio ticket in 2016

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The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson

She was "sexy", but "too much hard work." I'm a regular Fox & Friends viewer (mostly in protest of the other insipid morning programs like Today and Good Morning America) so over the years I've gotten to know Gretchen Carlson pretty well. Stuck between Steve and Brian she always seemed a prudish scold with an irritating, self-righteous demeanor that I simply put up with because I figured some people in the Fox audience actually liked her persona. It was obvious that Steve and Brian did not, but they were stuck with her like so many talking heads and had to make the best of it - which they did. Besides, she was no worse than any of the other women on morning show TV - I mean, you're only going to find a certain kind of person to do this kind of work and that kind of person is the Gretchen Carlson kind. Then, one day, she was gone and replaced by Elisabeth Hasselbeck and the F&F ratings began to climb, and climb and climb - in two months view

The 4th Estate "does not know"

Last night Jim Acosta sat down for an interview with Larry Sabato at a national symposium series presented by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics titled “Democracy in Perilous Times.” The evening’s topic was “ The Fourth Estate: Enemy of the People? ” and the crowd was warmly receptive of Acosta’s message which, boiled down to its essence, is that Donald Trump is a liar and he’s making life dangerous for reporters. Sabato introduced Acosta to the audience as Enemy #1 which drew mirthful laughter from the auditorium and then presented a short video montage of President Trump and his deplorable rubes insulting the reporter on many occasions over the past two years. This was all a set up for his first question which was, “how do you do your Job?” Acosta said the he accomplishes his duties by maintaining focus, reporting the story and telling the truth but acknowledged that it is difficult when the White House erodes the peoples faith in the press by bullying reporters. Whe

A Apolitical Blues

Well my telephone was ringing, and they told me it was chairman Mao. You got to tell him anything 'cause I just don't want to talk to him now. According to the brilliant troubadour Lowell George the Apolitical Blues are " the meanest blues of all" and who am I to disagree with this soul man now after all these years of living by his maxim. I first heard the song bursting from the 1972 vinyl of Little Feat's Alt-Rock-Country masterpiece "Sailin' Shoes" in the second story bedroom of my friend John's older brother Edie who, being about 3 years our senior, was instructing us on the importance of good music. This was circa 1975 and a formative time for my musical taste and overall aesthetic which, for better or worse, infuses every aspect of my existence including the KOTCB blog so a debt is owed this unforgettable "older brother" now that he has shuffled off this mortal coil and left us with smoky memories. A born rebel with the heart o

Keeper of the Clown Bell

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