Random thoughts and observations as we close out 2024…
The number of stories examining people’s anger and frustration at insurance companies in the wake of the cold-blooded murder of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson continues to give undue credence to the “cause” of the accused shooter, Luigi Mangione. Using Thompson’s murder — at the hands of a cowardly assassin — as a jumping off point to explore the deficiencies in the healthcare system ends up sickly validating Mangione’s depraved act — it’s what he wanted to happen. It’s pathetic.
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Retired Associated Press reporter Dan Sewell has been writing a regular column for the Cincinnati Enquirer, and a few weeks ago he explored the state of the media in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. He included some comments from yours truly. You can read that piece here. He later wrote about reader reaction to his column, which you can read here. Dan’s columns are interesting reads, and his own perspective is always informative.
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President-elect Donald Trump’s economic plans are, as usual, being blasted by the mainstream media, including his intention to levy tariffs and cut taxes. Typical headlines are along the lines of “Economists say Trump’s tax and tariff plans will raise prices” or something similar. Whenever I read Trump-related headlines that start with “Economists say…” or “Experts predict…” followed by gloom and doom, it makes me more confident that Trump is likely on the right path, based on his first term and the track records of most economists and experts.
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ABC News settling a defamation case with Donald Trump for $15 million, along with a public apology, was the correct outcome based on the facts. The civil trial jury deciding E. Jean Carroll’s claim that Trump had raped her (in a year Carroll was unable to pin down — it was 1994, ‘95 or ‘96, she testified, making it impossible for Trump to provide an alibi) decided instead that Trump was liable for sexual abuse — not rape. But on his ABC Sunday show, host George Stephanopoulos insisted on asking questions based on the false premise that the jury had found Trump liable for rape. Stephanopoulos later tried to say he was still right because the judge said later that it was basically a rape finding. Even if you buy that, Stephanopoulos was still wrong, especially in the way he repeatedly posed his premise: “Donald Trump has been found liable for rape by a jury [emphasis added],” Stephanopoulos insisted. Wrong. As the media likes to remind us, facts matter, even when discussing Trump.
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There are still people urging President Biden to resign the presidency early so that Kamala Harris can officially become the first woman to be president of the United States, even if for only a few days. Seriously? This would somehow advance the cause of women, or feminism, or provide inspiration for girls or young women? All it would do is bolster the notion that a woman can only achieve something if a man hands it to her — not the correct message, or the message women want, I’m pretty sure.
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Speaking of mainstream media, daily perusals provide little evidence yet that they’ve learned any lessons at all from the 2024 election. It seems that they’re content to cling to the same old far-left topics and grievances and minimize their audience to the greatest extent possible, ultimately fading away unceremoniously rather than making the changes necessary to stay relevant in a world they clearly don’t care to understand or acknowledge. Quite sad.
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The uncertainty about the future of Mike Johnson as House speaker is a perfect example of Republicans’ inability to handle success. On the verge of controlling the White House, the Senate and the House, some Republicans in the House (the usual suspects) want to dump Johnson, triggering a fight that has no good ending. The drama threatens to delay Trump’s Jan. 6 certification as president and cause other unnecessary turmoil. Advice to certain House Republicans: Grow up.
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Various reports in recent years have romantically linked Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt, but neither one has ever formally confirmed the rumors. Until now. Over the Christmas holiday, Hannity, 62, proposed to Earhardt, 48, and she accepted. Good for them. All the best.
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The effort being led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to find waste in government and recommend cuts is a noble one, despite complaints from the left and many in the media. The hard crash that we will all wake up to someday from our government being dramatically overextended will have everyone pointing fingers, but the reality is that all sides are guilty of reckless spending and government bloat. What Americans must be prepared for is that the kind of cuts that are needed will be felt by just about everyone. It will be painful in most cases. But the end result will represent a reality check that eventually relegates government to its rightful place as a resource of last resort, while requiring our churches and civic organizations to become more active, and individuals to become more industrious and self-reliant.
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Russ Weeks died last week at age 82. Most of you didn’t know Russ Weeks. Russ was a former West Virginia state senator who was the Republican Party’s nominee for governor in 2008 against incumbent Joe Manchin. I was Russ’s campaign manager (and communications director, etc. — the only staffer). The race turned out as predicted, with Manchin winning decisively at a time when he was at his most popular and the GOP was still firmly a minority party in the state. But Russ never got the credit he deserved for being willing to run against Manchin when no other Republican would step up, as evidenced by the fact that Russ had no competition in the GOP primary. Russ was a veteran (20 years in the Navy) and one of the finest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. His wife, Helen, is a lovely and fun person to be around. They relocated to North Carolina a few years ago to be closer to family. God bless you, Russ, and condolences to Helen and the family. Here’s his obituary.
An era ends: Broadcast legend Hoppy Kercheval steps aside
Longtime West Virginia broadcaster Hoppy Kercheval recently announced that he is stepping down as host of “Talkline,” a long-running statewide radio talk show that became the go-to source for political news and information.
Over the course of his five-decade career, Hoppy became a legend not just in West Virginia, but also in media circles across the country. He is respected by his peers coast-to-coast.
I wrote a Washington Post piece about Hoppy three years ago after an interview he did with Sen. Joe Manchin made some waves. Here’s an excerpt:
During my years working in West Virginia GOP politics in the early 2000s, I quickly learned that “Talkline” was required listening. As an occasional guest, I found Kercheval to be a tough, fair and knowledgeable interrogator with no agenda other than practicing good journalism. …
… Throughout his career, Kercheval has covered numerous stories that gained national attention, including mine disasters and floods. He has moderated, by his estimate, “a half dozen or more gubernatorial and U.S. senate debates, hosted election night coverage for over four decades, and broadcast live from the State Capitol [in Charleston] during legislative sessions.” … He also contributes to the sports coverage of his beloved WVU.
He has occasionally appeared on national outlets, including last week on CNN to discuss his Manchin interview. But Kercheval is an example of journalists who prefer to work in “flyover country” — often in their home states — while making contributions to the Fourth Estate that are every bit the equal of their better-known national counterparts.
Clicking the image above (or here) will take you to one of my appearances on his show, this time from April of 2023 talking about Donald Trump’s New York hush money indictment. It showcases Hoppy’s knowledgeable but relaxed and conversational style. Hoppy is no fan of Trump — which put him at odds with a lot of West Virginians — but he recognized Trump’s uncanny ability to use indictments to position himself as a martyr. (You’ll also get to hear how wrong I was about Trump’s likelihood to win another general election.)
Hoppy said he plans to continue some duties, including coaching the news staff and doing some sports work, along with occasional “Talkline” appearances. But his announcement marks the end of an era. Those who practice Hoppy’s brand of journalism — aggressive and informed, but fair and respectful to all sides — are few and far between these days.
All the best, Hop.
‘MAGA Republicans Are Already Normal’ — for yourself or for that friend or loved one confused about the election
“MAGA Republicans Are Already Normal — And Other Shocking Notions” is a great addition to the library of MAGA Trump supporters, or the perfect gift for friends and loved ones to help them make sense of the 2024 election results. It’s available on Amazon. Buy it here.
The book (actually much thicker than the illustrations above indicate — the hardcover and paperback are each 453 pages) is a compilation of many of the columns I wrote for The Washington Post from 2017 to 2023, and covers a variety of topics, but it particularly focuses on Trump’s rise to political prominence and helps explain his appeal.
Here’s a link to a website dedicated to the book.
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