Another ABC Faux Pas … Err, Lie

Why did the moderators of the recent Presidential debate fact-check only Donald Trump, and not Kamala Harris?

From C&C:
The Washington Times ran a reverse-fact-check story yesterday headlined, “Data backs up Trump on crime increase, violence up under Biden-Harris administration.” So much for ABC’s debating fact-checkers?

On Tuesday night, after President Trump noted that violent crime is way up under Biden’s open-border “policy,” ABC moderator qua co-debater David Muir, fact-checked President Trump citing FBI data, and claimed that violent crime “is coming down in this country.”
ABC was wrong. It wasn’t just something the Washington Times came up with. The DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Statistics runs an annual National Crime Victimization Survey, which contacts about a quarter-million people in 150,000 households.
The BJS Survey’s conclusions, taken directly from citizen reports, flatly contradicted the FBI’s carefully collated crime data.
Under Trump, nearly all local police departments reported their crime data to the FBI. Now, just three years later, over half of police departments don’t even bother.
A crime expert cited for the story concluded violent crime has increased overall by +37% under the Biden Administration, compared to a drop of -17% under the Trump Administration. Aggravated assaults fell by -24% under Trump, but accelerated +55% under Biden. Robbery reduced -6% under Trump, but rose +63% under Biden. Rape ran flat under Trump, but rose +42% under Biden.
In other words not only was Trump correct, but he was SPOT-ON, while ABC was lying!
Hmmm!
9/16/24

Kirk Cousins

On Sunday I write about individuals who we can all admire, often because of their adherence to their beliefs.
Today’s story comes from Jason Whitlock on BlazeMedia:
“You don’t have to agree with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins’ decision to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, but you should respect his courage and conviction.
Cousins spent a week in the NFL’s COVID penalty box, the reserve/COVID-19 list. A Vikings backup quarterback, Kellen Mond, tested positive for COVID-19. Cousins came in close contact with Mond, and because Cousins is unvaccinated he was sent home and unable to practice with the team. The 32-year-old quarterback missed four practices.
“It was disappointing to miss practice,” Cousins said Thursday when he was finally allowed to return to practice. “In my entire college and pro career, I have not missed four practices. So to miss four practices in one week and not have COVID was frustrating, disappointing.”
Cousins told the media he remains committed to not taking the vaccine. He said he will follow the league’s burdensome protocols for unvaccinated players. This pronouncement has put him in the corporate and social media crosshairs. He will likely remain a target of the vaxx mob throughout the season. Cousins signed a two-year, $66 million contract extension last year. The big paycheck puts a big target on Cousins’ back.”

So here we have someone who is sticking up for his principles and is being punished for it, even though we know that getting the vaccine does not protect one from getting Covid.
Why does he refuse to get the experimental vaccine? Could it be related to the fact that his dad, Don Cousins, is a minister at Discovery Church in Orlando, Florida? To me, his reason is not important … what is important is that Kirk Cousins is a man of principle.
Kudos to Kirk Cousins.
9/15/24

www.californiacontrarian.com

My Faith Has Been Restored

Years ago when Mike Pence bailed on President Trump at a critical juncture after the last Presidential election, I thought that perhaps I would never again have anything to do with Indiana. My poor opinion of Indiana was only further downgraded by the non-actions of Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana as Biden’s Secretary of Transportation.

Many years back my wife and I liked to watch American Idol and then years later, The Voice. This year it is AGT (America’s Got Talent) mainly because of Richard Goodall, a janitor from Terre Haute, Indiana. Mr. Goodall is a humble middle-aged guy, but, wow!, can he sing. Ergo, my faith in Indiana has been partially restored, as he is now in the finals.
In addition however, my other new favorite is also now from Indiana … Caitlin Clark. For those unaware, Caitlin Clark is a rookie on the WNBA’s Indianapolis Fever. Just about every morning I read about her latest accomplishments and watch her demonstrate her amazing basketball skills. And in addition, watching Caitlin Clark play live has been added to my very short bucket list.
So after listening to Richard Goodall and watching Caitlin Clark, my faith in the state of Indiana has been restored.

9/14/24
californiacontrarian

Legal ?

The next time you have a chance, think about what has happened in Springfield, Ohio. Forget about the eating/non-eating of certain animals, or the potential voodoo involved, and concentrate on the real problem. How did these thousands of Haitian immigrants find their way to Springfield, Ohio? For those of you not geographically inclined, one cannot walk from Haiti to Ohio. They could have only “escaped” Haiti by sea or by air, and then they needed to land somewhere so that they could make their way to Springfield. While not impossible, it is extremely unlikely that these thousands of Haitians coincidentally all crossed into the US via our southern border, and then by serendipity all found their way to this medium sized town in Ohio.
It is much more likely that these Haitians were flown to somewhere relatively close to Springfield, and then bussed into the Springfield.
To me there are a few critical questions:
Who arranged for the presumed air/bus transportation out of Haiti and into the town of Springfield? And who paid for it?
Was Ohio Governor Mike DeWine aware of what was happening to Springfield? … or worse, did he play a pivotal role in arranging for this to happen?
Finally, were the residents of Springfield, Ohio consulted?

I have heard that Gov. DeWine has a special place in his heart for the people of Haiti, and while that is nice, if he was involved, other crucial questions arise. Who paid for all of this? Did he arbitrarily choose the town of Springfield, or was there something else that contributed to this location?
Whoever arranged for these thousands of Haitians to descend on Springfield didn’t use much forethought to enable them to adapt to the town or to have the town adapt to them. Did anyone arrange to have them learn English? Did anybody arrange for them to learn how to drive properly … BTW how did they get driver’s licenses? Were they tested? English or French?
How could the Haitians afford cars? Were they given cars? Who paid for them?
Was the effect on the local schools taken into account?
Was the effect on the health of the locals taken into consideration?
And for me the most important question : Were the people of Springfield aware of what was happening? Were the people of Springfield, or their reps, consulted?

Much much more needs to come out on the background of what led to this disaster for the people of Springfield, Ohio. Is the transporting of thousands of illegals from Haiti to Ohio legal? … Even for a Governor, or a President, or a Vice President?
Hmmm!
9/13/24
californiacontrarian

A Lost Chance

Prior to the debate with Joe Biden, I suggested a certain tactic to Donald Trump. As it turned out he did not heed my advice nor did he need it. Subsequently, I suggested a similar tactic to the Trump campaign to be used in the Trump/Harris debate, but my advice was not considered in this debate either.
Simply put, my suggestion was for DJT to specifically mention the names of young women and girls who have been abused or murdered by illegals let into this country because of the Biden-Harris non-border policy. Since these women/girls were real people, even the ABC commentators could not dispute the reality of what happened to them.
What makes this even more interesting is a House Judiciary Committee hearing held on the same day as the debate.

From Daybreak Insider:
“The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday featuring victims of illegal alien crime, family members and victims rights advocates. During her time, Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar claimed Republicans were “exploiting people’s pain.” Her claims were immediately met with disgust by the witnesses… Testimony throughout the hearing was gut wrenching, with pleas from parents for control over the U.S.-southern border (Townhall). Townhall: SMUG Democrat tells MOMS who testify about their children’s deaths at the hand of violent illegal alien criminals that they’re being “exploited” by Republicans. You NEED to hear how they responded (X). House Judiciary GOP: 3 daughters gone too soon. Their mothers believe it’s the result of the policies of “Border Czar” Kamala Harris (X).”

I watched part of this hearing on X, and would suggest that you also watch it. It was very powerful.
Trump missed a huge opportunity by not speaking about these specific tragedies in the debate. A lost chance!
9/12/24
Californiacontrarian

Still Tied At the End Of the Fifth

The debate last night was a disappointment. To me both candidates were prepared, but prepared in different ways. Kamala had her many set phrases memorized, and dropped them in often. I can say that now I am certain that she grew up as a middle class kid, in a middle class family, in a middle class neighborhood. (She had obviously been told that she needed to appeal to the middle class, and tried to gain their favor by saying over and over that she was one of them.)
Similarly, Trump was apparently instructed to repetitively mention Kamala’s opposition to fracking, as fracking is very important to Pennsylvanians, and Pennsylvania is a critical swing state. Well played!
She was also apparently coached to be near tears at times. Whereas tears could never be a good thing for the President, near tears might establish her as compassionate to some.
On the other hand it appeared to me that Trump was coached to be Mr. Nice Guy, and he certainly was well behaved … perhaps too well behaved. I get the reasoning behind that debate philosophy, as he is behind with women voters, and his best behavior was necessary to not further swing his unfavorability with women any further to the negative.
Harris was also well coached to stay away from certain topics, such as immigration and inflation. Whenever she was asked questions concerning either of these topics, she did not answer the question, but rather was able to deflect to something else. Unfortunately, neither the moderators nor Donald Trump pressed her to actually answer the question asked. That should have been part of the moderators’ job, and DJT was too busy being nice.
I did notice something interesting when Trump and Harris were side-by-side on the TV screen – Harris’s head appeared larger. Was this just an innocent aberration? Hmmm!
In general, I do not think that as a result of this debate either candidate moved the needle in their favor. If this were a baseball game, I would say that the game is still tied at the end of the fifth inning.

9/11/0

Saying vs. Doing !

A wise man once said, “In leadership, life and all things it’s far wiser to judge people by their deeds than their speech – their track record rather than their talk because the wolf’s could be hiding under a sheep clothing.”
If I had a chance to give Donald Trump any advice concerning tonight’s debate, I would emphasize the above, especially when it comes to energy production. VP Harris has come out in big opposition to fracking in the past, but now she says the opposite. Which Kamala to believe? Again look at what she has done and not at what she is now saying.
Everyone is aware that a lot of our present inflation is because of the Biden/Harris energy policies. One reason that everything costs more is because gas and oil cost substantially more. In the heyday of fracking during the Trump administration, gas prices were reasonable, now they are not. President Trump has vowed to push for more fracking and cheaper oil on day 1, whereas on day 1, if she is elected, Kamala will most likely double down on what she has done in the past concerning fracking.
Lindsey Graham had a recent editorial in the NYT that basically emphasized this same point to Trump … emphasize what you have done as opposed to what she says that she will do. Likewise emphasize what she has done in the past as opposed to what she is now saying that she will do.

9/10/24
californiacontrarian

Malinformation and Revenge

There is now a new term that has come into our lexicon … “malinformation .” To help understand this new term one has to understand some other related terms.
From the Washington Examiner, July 20, 2023:
“Malinformation is info that is true but inconvenient to the government, that they don’t want people to hear,” RFKJr said.

The term stands in contrast with misinformation and disinformation, which both involve the spreading of false information as truth. Misinformation is generally regarded as falsehoods that are disseminated without a specific intent to mislead, while disinformation is defined as falsehoods spread intentionally.

Why bring up something that JFKJr said over a year ago at
his testimony before the House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government?
Just recently JFKJR. was on a Tucker Carlson podcast.
“I lost my Instagram account; I had almost a million followers. They say it was for ‘misinformation,’ but they could not point to a single post that I ever made that was factually erroneous,” RFK explains.
In emails, Facebook was recorded pushing back and saying RFK wasn’t factually incorrect, so they had to come up with a new word for what RFK was doing.
“Malinformation, which is information that is factually true but nevertheless inconvenient for the government,” RFKJr says, to which Tucker responds, “That’s illegal.”

Some may think that he government would never do anything “illegal,” but after watching Tulsi Gabbard’s video describing what has recently happened to her and her husband because of what she said on a TV interview, perhaps we should all reconsider our faith in our government! Was what was done to Tulsi Gabbard a form of revenge, or merely a warning to others about what can happen if you express your opinion?

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2024/09/you_must_watch_tulsi_gabbard_s_video_about_the_harris_biden_administration_s_stasi_style_governance.html

Just the other day an undercover video from CV NEWS FEED // A spokesman for a Department of Justice (DOJ) office, Nicholas Biase stated in an undercover video that Democratic New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump is “nonsense” and a politically motivated effort at the behest of “the Democrats.”

In addition, Nicholas Biase acknowledged that Bragg’s prosecution – which resulted in Trump’s May 30 conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records – is backfiring on Democrats. 

The prosecution is “a perversion of justice,” Biase continued. “[Bragg] was stacking charges and rearranging things just to make it fit a case. No, to be honest with you, I think the case is nonsense.”

Biase went on to say that Bragg is “probably going to try to lock [Trump] up.”
“They’re so obsessed with getting him,” Biase continued.
“Who is they?” the journalist asked.
“The Democrats,” Biase replied. He explained that he has personally known Bragg, who used to work in his office, for 15 years.
The spokesman implied that Bragg, his “very ambitious” former colleague, may have decided to prosecute Trump to increase his name recognition and pave the way for a potential future bid for higher office, such as New York City mayor.

When the journalist asked Biase about the ongoing Georgia election interference case against Trump, he called it “a travesty of justice.”
“To put it mildly, it’s a mockery of justice,” he continued, calling Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis “a joke.”
“The whole thing is disgusting,” he added. “They’re just out to get him.”

9/9/24
californiacontrarian

Madysen and Darin Wilcox

On Sundays I write about individuals who deserve our respect because they stand by their beliefs. Madysen and Darin Wilcox are such people. Whether someone is for or against abortion is not really the issue when it comes to Madysen Wilcox and her husband, Darin.
Madysen and Darin Wilcox have chosen to walk a difficult path, and she is sharing what helps her remain strong in the face of adversity: her faith in God.
The 29-year-old homeschooling mom is currently in her third trimester of pregnancy (thirty-two weeks along at the time of writing). She’s carrying her third baby—a boy whom she and her 34-year-old husband, Darin Wilcox, have named Charlie.
Having received a fatal diagnosis for their unborn son, Madysen and Darin bravely decided not to terminate the pregnancy. Instead, the heartbreaking diagnosis has made the couple see life through fresh eyes.
After struggling for weeks Madysen and Darin decided not to abort Charlie.
“I am so glad that we left our decision up to God and that we listened to Him because looking back now, I realize the decision of how and when Charlie is called home to heaven really isn’t up to me—it’s up to God. And I have so much peace knowing that,” she said.
Again Madysen Wilcox story isn’t about abortion per se, but rather about how two individuals stuck to their beliefs.

9/8/24

Seven Out of Eight !

For quite a while now I have not watched Fox News with the exception of occasional glimpses of The Five. And for sure I did not watch Sean Hannity on 9/4/24 when Trump held a Fox News Town Hall on Hannity’s show. On this Town Hall Trump introduced his well thought out plan to Make America Affordable Again. While Kamala’s economic boondoggle got blasted by both Dems and Republicans because it was atrocious, my review of Trump’s plans is getting stellar grades.
From the Team Trump post on X:
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PLAN TO DEFEAT INFLATION, MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN. (MAAA)
Seven of the eight proposals are concrete and not arbitrary – with the exception of #8 which is ill-defined. Personally, I am especially intrigued by #4 since at present I am reading “Elon Musk” by Walter Isaacson.
4. At the suggestion of @elonmusk, President Trump will create a Government Efficiency Commission tasked with conducting a complete financial and performance audit of the entire federal government—and making recommendations for drastic reforms, which will save TRILLIONS of dollars—further taming inflation and bringing prices down.
What I am learning about Elon Musk makes #4 especially interesting.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the rest of Trump’s proposals as they are common-sensical and are definitely anti-Kamala-esque.
Now with only a few days left until the debate on 9/10, it will be interesting to see on 9/10 how Kamala can logically argue against any of these MAAA proposals.
I would strongly suggest that you read all eight of Trump’s proposals.
9/7/24
www.californiacontrarian.com