News Burst: April 19, 2017 (Patreon)

Hey All,

I hope today’s News Burst finds you well!

Postcards (for March) have begun going out, and my hand feels like it’s going to fall off. So, if you were at the $50+/month level in March, keep an eye on your mail over the next week or so. I’m going to be sending more out everyday. (April postcards will go out in May, and so on and so forth.)

Otherwise, let’s jump into the news. Not a specifically heavy day, but there are some interesting entertainment news and other notes to go over.

Bill O’Reilly is Out at Fox News: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/bill-oreilly-is-officially-out-at-fox-news/2017/04/19/74ebdc94-2476-11e7-a1b3-faff0034e2de_story.html?utm_term=.ea45974b2aaa

My Take: Perhaps this isn’t the biggest surprise, considering the additional news that’s come out about Bill O’Reilly in recent days. Nonetheless, the rumors have been made official: Bill O’Reilly is out at Fox News, and will be replaced in his primetime slot by the rising Tucker Carlson, which is a great ratings solution for Fox News. Carlson is having a somewhat unexpected resurgence -- many will remember his career being down-and-out not a decade ago -- and they’ll be able to capitalize on that by giving him a better time slot, one that Bill O’Reilly occupied for an astonishing two decades.

But that’s business. What’s unclear here is what O’Reilly is and isn’t guilty of. As I said the other day, I think it’s fairly clear he’s not a good dude. Fox News has paid millions settling past claims against him, and the fact that new women are coming out and explicitly saying they don’t even want any money out of the ordeal speaks volumes. I’m not saying O’Reilly is guilty of everything he’s been accused of -- it’s impossible to say -- but I’ll use the smoke-fire argument here again. Something’s up, and Fox News almost certainly made the right call. He’s a liability, both professionally and in terms of their precious advertisers.

Interestingly, O’Reilly maintains his innocence, and it sounds like he may be willing to go down fighting, not necessarily in the realm of Fox News -- he wished them well in his statement -- but rather out there, on his own, battling the “liberal media” into his twilight years. Even if he became toxic at Fox News, O’Reilly is still going to be ratings gold should he end up anywhere else. Then again, he’s filthy rich. His networth is near $100 million. I wonder if he should just take his money and go. Certainly a strange fall of grace for the man, but an earned and fitting one, nonetheless, if he’s guilty of even a fraction of what he’s been accused of.

Berkeley Cancels Ann Coulter’s Speech: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/04/19/berkeley-cancels-ann-coulter-speech-over-fears-of-more-violent-protests/?utm_term=.246bb8f2af05

My Take: I think this is a mistake. This kind of maneuver simply gives into the hateful hordes that act viciously and violently in the streets. It’s a sign that, if you’re petulant enough, you can effect the desired change, without having really earned that change in the marketplace of ideas. Coulter is an inflammatory figure, no doubt, but she’s also educated, smart, and about 10 degrees away from actual provocateur status.

I agree with the conventional wisdom that something needs to be done in regard to Berkeley’s stifling of free speech. The school is supported by taxpayer dollars, and is a public institution. Note that Coulter wasn’t the only recent speaker cancelled because of her politics; David Horowitz was also recently scheduled to speak, and then likewise cancelled. That said, I’m also concerned about the rise of violence, from both sides, as this fresh political war continues unabated. It’s going to be at least part of what I talk about in tomorrow’s new episode of Colin’s Last Stand. Because something has to give here, from all angles.

Interestingly, there’s word -- perhaps to Coulter’s credit, I dunno -- that she’s planning on going to Berkeley that day, anyway, and that, because of the nature of UC Berkeley’s public status, her Constitutional right to free speech is being infringed. It’s an interesting argument, to be sure, and I’ll be fascinated to see how everything plays out, as Coulter is indeed a firebrand.

Is Georgia A Wakeup Call For the GOP?: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/04/19/georgia-republicans-handel-ossoff-237374

My Take: I’ve gotten some mild heat for suggesting on Twitter that the Democrats have something to be optimistic about moving into the 2018 midterms, what with Trump’s unpopularity and the traditional advantage the minority party has in those types of elections. The Senate map is stacked significantly against the Democrats, but they could make some solid gains in the House, and I think both the Kansas and Georgia special elections suggest that things could be looking up for them.

Listen, I get that the Democrats spent a ton of money in the races -- specifically in Georgia -- and that they still lost. I get that. But that spend, that energy, and that attention could translate into the special something the downtrodden Democratic party really needs right now. I’m not saying they’re going to flip the House, but what I am saying is that Trump’s presidency is going to drag the rest of the ticket down unless things change soon.

But it seems I’m in the minority with this particular opinion. GOP insiders, according to this story, don’t seem all that worried, even as they admit that fundraising for the Democrats is going to be huge moving into 2018, and that there may be a growing enthusiasm gap as well. I simply think the Democrats, while in the wilderness, are poised to strike back. They just need to find the right people and the right message. I think Republicans are making a huge mistake thinking that they can keep the status quo with the current climate, but again, that’s just my opinion.

Jason Chaffetz Declines to Run Again: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/329616-chaffetz-decision-stuns-washington

My Take: This one is a bit of a surprise. Jason Chaffetz, if you’re unfamiliar with him, is a prolific and well-respected Republican Congressman from Utah. The interesting thing about this is that people are confused as to why he’s making this move. He’s completely safe in his district, so long as he keeps running, but announcing this decision with nearly two years left in his term is a strange move, indeed.

The conjecture is that he’s planning a bigger run, perhaps for Senate or Governor in Utah. However, Chaffetz says he won’t run in 2018 (therefore taking Senate off of the list). Interestingly, some folks are finding domain names indicating Chaffetz may run for President in 2020. That would be highly unusual, as it’s uncommon (though not unheard of) for a sitting president who is clearly going to run for reelection to be primaried.

Or maybe Chaffetz knows something we don’t know? He’s on the Oversight Committee, after all…

Aaron Hernandez Kills Himself: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/04/19/aaron-hernandez-suicide-prison-hanging-souza-baranowski-correctional-center-shirley-new-england-patriots/

My Take: Not much to say here. Aaron Hernandez is a convicted murderer who was doing life for the crime he committed. The timing of this is interesting, as he just beat other murder charges a few days ago, but there seems to be no foul play involved. Seems like he just wanted out. Can’t say I blame him, even if he is human garbage.

This man should be a lesson to all: Fame, fortune, and all of the benefits of high class American life can’t shake who you are inside. Hernandez had it all, and he threw it away, and at least one other person’s life in the process. Not to be curt, but good riddance.

(This Washington Post story is a really great chronicle of his rise and fall: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/04/19/the-tragic-fall-of-aaron-hernandez/?utm_term=.704508eb9284)