Flotsam and Jetsam - Iowa Speaks, Trump Wins, DeSantis 2nd, Vivek Bails

Have I told you how much it annoys me that Iowa has such outsized weight in our politics yet? Well, at least now we can forget about Iowa for another 4 years, and let them get back to business, growing corn to turn into gasahol. As was entirely expected, Trump won the caucuses handily, taking all 99 counties, with DeSantis and Haley distant seconds and thirds. Vivek Ramasmarmy failed to make enough impression to impress even himself, and announced he was "suspending" his campaign and throwing his support to Trump. Kinda too bad, he added a little curry to the mix. I think the biggest loser of the night was Nikki Haley who was being pushed by the media and the democrats (but I redund) as the sensible center alternative to Trump. 

Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Establishment Rallying to Trump? Live Results from Iowa; Update: AP Calls It for Trump; Update: DeSantis 2nd 51: 21: 19: 8. Roger Kimball at Da Spec, Trump trounces everyone in Iowa "It’s game over for Ron DeSantis." At Da Caller, Trump Wins Iowa Caucus In Landslide and Vivek Ramaswamy Suspends Presidential Campaign. Stephen Kruiser at PJM, The Morning Briefing: Nikki Haley — From Juggernaut to Jugger-Naught in Iowa. Never-Anybody-but-Trump sundance at CTH had a busy night, with Trump Wins Iowa – President Trump Victory Speech From Iowa – Livestream Links, Ron DeSantis Campaign Very Upset – Accuse Media of “Election Interference” for Calling Race for President Trump, After Visiting All 99 Iowa Counties and Failing to Win a Single One, Ron DeSantis Declares Victory “We Got Our Ticket Punched” and Vivek Ramaswamy Suspends Campaign and Endorses President Donald Trump. Likewise, at Althouse, Trump's secret: hats... always hats, Trump's Iowa victory speech: "I really think it's time now for everybody — our country — to come together. We want to come together — whether it's Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative", "The Most Durable Force in American Politics" — The New York Times gives Trump his due, "A third-place finish didn’t deliver the boost Nikki Haley wanted as she tries to turn the race into a one-on-one with Donald Trump", "Haley got "the boost [she] wanted" from the media in the run up to the Iowa caucuses. It didn't work. Taking down Trump didn't work, and making Haley into his one true rival didn't work " and of Vivek, "[H]is bleak vision of millennial and Generation Z voters 'starved for purpose, meaning and identity,' with a black hole in their hearts had surprising resonance with older voters.". Twitchy, HOO BOY! MSNBC Panel VERY Alarmed by Iowa Caucus Result (Does THIS Meltdown Sound Familiar?). So, Rachel Maddow is still a thing?

At Ace\s, Nikki Haley Refuses to Say That a Man Can't Become a Woman "All she will commit to, weakly, is blocking those under 18 from surgeries. She will not say she would block those under 18 from being prescribed irreversible, sterilizing hormone blockers." Hat Hair's Dave Strom notes Nikki Haley Still Can't Define the Word 'Woman.' and Jazz Shaw wonders What's Wrong With Nikki Haley on Trans Issues? She's still trying to shave a few of "those" votes from Democrats. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.15.24, Dana Loesch: Nikki Haley Dodges Question Trump Fumbled and Victory Girls: Nikki Haley And The Swamp.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 01.15.24, Bob Zimmerman at Behind the Black asks Can the shift in black vote to Trump overcome the Democratic Party’s vote tampering?

At NewsMax, RFK Jr.: Kennedy Admin Had 'Good Reason' to Wiretap MLK. "My father gave permission to Hoover to wiretap them so he could prove that his suspicions about King were either right or wrong. I think, politically, they had to do it."

NewsMax crows about an ABC Poll: Biden Has Lowest Approval in 15 Years, 71% Say Economy 'Bad'. Nick Arama at RedState thinks (hopes) Biden's Empty Eyes As He Holds Up Apples Is Going to Inspire Memes. At TownHall Spencer Brown asks Did You Notice What's Wrong With the Biden White House's MLK Day Tweet?, Just another lie, and  Sarah Arnold reports Biden To Make 'Subtle' Shifts As to Not Appear 'Too Old'. From the Free Bacon, Biden's Dem Challenger Launches Bigfoot Ad Mocking President for Not Campaigning. Capt. Ed comments "Very clever, and a fun diversion on the way to Biden’s easy renomination. Expect Republicans to make an entire series of these in the general election."

Matt Margolis at PJM thinks House Republicans Cave to Hunter Biden by sending a new subpoena. "House Republicans fell for it, hook, line, and sinker." At Insty, WHITE HOUSE IS SWATTED: Prank caller calls 911 to say residence was on fire and someone was trapped inside. "Fire trucks and ambulances swarmed the White House on Monday morning after a caller told 911 dispatchers the building was on fire and someone was trapped inside in what appears to be a ‘swatting’ incident. President Joe Biden was at Camp David when the call came. D.C. fire and emergency services dispatched 13 units in response. . . . As Not the Bee adds, “Well, I know the FBI won’t investigate when Republicans are getting swatted, but now that it’s happened to a top-level Democrat, I’m sure all their efforts are gonna go into finding this guy!”" Breitbart, Report: White House Swatted by ‘Prank Caller’ Claiming Residence on Fire. OK, it's funny, once. 

Our long national nightmare is over as Defense Secretary Austin Released From Hospital. 

At I&I, Batten down the hatches, a financial hurricane is on the way. Economist have predicted the last twenty of five recessions.

Jazz Shaw at Hat Hair feels McConnell Sells Out America With Border Deal. Immigration Accountability Project@I_A_Project "@SenatorLankford Border deal would: 1) Increase green cards by 50,000/year 2) Work permits for adult children of H-1B holders 3) Immediate work permits to every illegal alien released from custody 4) Taxpayer funded lawyers to certain UACs and mentally incompetent aliens 5) Expulsion authority for a limited number of days ONLY if encounters exceed 5k/day over a seven day period 6) Restricts parole for those who enter without authorization between ports of entry". Hat Hair's KT, Speaker Johnson: Fire Any Administration Employee Who Joins With 'Feds United for Peace' Strike.

Chris Queen at PJM, Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Willis? Fani Goes to Church to Grandstand. “I’m just asking, God, is it that some will never see a Black man as qualified, no matter his achievements?” she griped to the Almighty." 'Bonchie' at RedState thinks Fani Willis Is in Full Panic Mode. PM, Fani Willis speaks out after allegations she hired her lover to prosecute Trump: 'You cannot expect black women to be perfect'. But we do expect prosecutors not to break the law. Dave Strom, Did Fani Willis Just Admit to the Charges Against Her? Nicholas Ballasy at JTN, Former U.S. attorney: Georgia DA Fani Willis should resign if alleged improper relationship true. "Willis hired her alleged romantic partner, special prosecutor Nathan Wade, to prosecute former President Donald Trump, according to court documents." At NottheBee,  Georgia DA Fani Willis addresses claim that she hired her married lover to prosecute Trump: “You cannot expect black women to be perfect and save the world." "We need to be allowed to stumble." Ace, Fani Willis: Yeah I Hired My Unqualified Fuckboy and Had Sexcations With Him on the Taxpayer Dime -- Just Like Martin Luther King, Jr. Did. "Truly, she too Has a Dream. A dream of going on a taxpayer-paid vacation in Napa Valley and getting grape juice sucked off her toes after stomping some grapes."

Rick Moran at PJM isn't the first to notice Hysteria on the Left Grows That Trump Will Use the Military in 'Dictatorial Ways' If He's Elected. At Twitchy, John Hayward Takes Dems' Claims About Trump Being a 'Threat to Democracy' APART in Straight-FIRE Thread. The start, John Hayward@Doc_0, "When Dems howl that Trump's re-election would be a "threat to democracy," what they mean is that he might start using the anti-democratic techniques they pioneered: weaponized bureaucracy, politicized federal law enforcement, etc. Those weapons were meant for their hands alone." Ace, NBC "News:" Some Fear That Trump Would Weaponize the Government Against His Enemies, So They're Planning to Weaponize the Government Against Possible Trump Officials, "Oh really? Now that's a bad thing, huh?"

Jazz Shaw, UPenn Antisemitic Attackers Likely Face No Disciplinary Action. At Campus Reform, Northwestern under fire as critics say it is 'choosing not to enforce Title VI' when it comes to Jewish students. Hollywood in Toto hears Bari Weiss Shame MeToo Celebrities for Silence on Hamas

Industry obsessed with women's rights now mum on terror group's hostages. Hat Hair's KT, Palestinian Activist Who Called to 'Normalize the Massacres As the Status Quo' Now Says He Misspoke. Insty, THEIR PRINCIPLES ARE VERY FLEXIBLE:

The left really went from “Black Lives Matter” to “slavery can be excused in pursuit of anti-Zionism” in less than 4 years. https://t.co/LOI046lGze

— Joshua Davis (@byJoshuaDavis) January 15, 2024

Tim Knighton at TAW says Antisemitic incidents rose not in spite of DEI, but because of it. I think he's right. At the WSJ, though, Federal Contracting Is the Next DEI Target. "Companies are required to meet strict hiring ‘goals’ that would be illegal anywhere else."