{"id":109428,"date":"2023-05-11T15:04:35","date_gmt":"2023-05-11T19:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=109428"},"modified":"2023-05-11T15:04:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T19:04:40","slug":"the-daily-gouge-archive-monday-may-8th-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=109428","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge Archive, Monday, May 8th, 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>It&#8217;s Monday, May 8th, 2023&#8230;but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>before<\/em><\/span> we begin, here we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>go again<\/em><\/span>:, courtesy of <em>Red State<\/em> via the lovely Shannon:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/redstate.com\/nick-arama\/2023\/05\/07\/comer-announces-bombshell-news-coming-on-joe-biden-wednesday-will-be-a-very-big-day-n742454\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff9900; text-decoration: underline;\">Comer Announces Bombshell News Coming on Joe Biden, &#8216;Wednesday Will Be a Very Big Day<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">&#8216;<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/64653587-4d8a-4170-af4d-f03c6d89fdfc-860x475.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109435\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/64653587-4d8a-4170-af4d-f03c6d89fdfc-860x475.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/64653587-4d8a-4170-af4d-f03c6d89fdfc-860x475.jpeg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/64653587-4d8a-4170-af4d-f03c6d89fdfc-860x475-300x166.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>We&#8217;ll <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>believe it<\/em><\/span> when we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>see it<\/em><\/span>; NOT &#8220;allegations&#8221;, NOT &#8220;he said\/she said&#8221;, NOT unproven innuendo, but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>unalterable evidence<\/em><\/span> and\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>verifiable proof<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Now, here&#8217;s <em>The Gouge<\/em>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>First up, never willing to wait for the facts to get in the way of a good narrative, let alone distract from the presumption of guilt&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"article-header__title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #800080;\"><a style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/news\/n-y-governor-claims-homeless-man-was-killed-for-being-a-passenger-on-subway\/?utm_source=email&amp;utm_medium=breaking&amp;utm_campaign=newstrack&amp;utm_term=31379522\">N.Y. Governor Claims Homeless Man Was \u2018Killed for Being a Passenger\u2019 on Subway<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwmm9.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109436\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwmm9.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwmm9.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwmm9-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;Despite the violent and erratic behavior exhibited by Jordan Neely on a New York subway Monday night that led to a violent and ultimately fatal altercation, Governor Kathy Hochul said that the man was simply \u201ckilled for being a passenger on the subway trains.\u201d \u201cBefore we get started answering your questions,\u201d Hochul told reporters on Thursday afternoon, \u201cI do want to acknowledge how horrific it was to view a video of Jordan Neely <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">being killed for being a passenger on the subway trains<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;Asked by one journalist what the appropriate response <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should be<\/em><\/span><\/strong> when \u201csomebody\u2019s acting erratically, [and] <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>threatening people<\/em><\/span><\/strong>,\u201d Hochul\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chrislhayes\/status\/1654175059731263489\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">deflected<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>. \u201cI think it\u2019s a case-by-case situation. This was an unarmed individual who had been on the subway many times, known by many of the regular travelers.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Otby-zOtvdI?start=133&amp;end=135&amp;\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And you know, sometimes people have an episode where they\u2019re displaying their feelings in a loud and emotional way, but it became very clear that he was not going to, you know, cause harm to these other people. And the video of three individuals holding him down until the last breath was snuffed out of him. I would say it was a very extreme response.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;Neely\u2019s manner of death has been a ruled a homicide, the New York Medical Examiner\u2019s Office told\u00a0<span class=\"small_caps\">National Review<\/span>. But District Attorney Alvin Bragg <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>has not yet made a charging decision<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>That didn\u2019t stop<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from declaring \u201cJordan Neely was murdered.\u201d \u201cBut [because] Jordan was houseless and crying for food in a time when the city is raising rents and stripping services to militarize itself while many in power demonize the poor, the murderer gets protected [with] passive headlines [and] no charges. It\u2019s disgusting,\u201d she wrote on social media.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">New York City Mayor Eric Adams, however, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>struck a different cord<\/em><\/span><\/strong> in responding to the controversy, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>suggesting it was \u201cirresponsible\u201d to determine fault before all the facts are known<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. \u201cAny loss of life is tragic. There\u2019s a lot we <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>don\u2019t know<\/em><\/span><\/strong> about what happened here, so I\u2019m going to refrain from commenting further,\u201d Adams said. \u201cHowever, we do know there were serious mental health issues in play here which is why our administration has made record investment in providing care to those who ended it and getting people off the streets and subways, and out of dangerous situations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Ocasio-Cortez responded by calling Adams\u2019s comments a \u201cnew low\u201d in a Twitter post. \u201cThis honestly feels like a new low: not being able to clearly condemn a public murder because the victim was of a social status some would deem \u2018too low\u2019 to care about,\u201d Ocasio-Cortez wrote. \u201cThe last sentence is especially rich from an admin trying to cut the very services that could have helped him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>On the one hand, both Hochul&#8217;s and Ocasio-Cortez&#8217;s comments are <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not just<\/em><\/span> &#8220;irresponsible&#8221;, but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>INCREDIBLY<\/em><\/span> irresponsible.\u00a0 On the other hand, they&#8217;re simply following the example The Great Divider himself set early in his presidency:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LucTPdK8VTc?start=17&amp;end=26&amp;\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LucTPdK8VTc?start=97&amp;end=143&amp;\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>And the literal lies, malicious misrepresentations and deliberate divisiveness never ceased to emanate from his mouth.\u00a0 We&#8217;re hard-pressed to think of a time the man has <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>ever<\/em><\/span> told the truth.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In a related item, Andy McCarthy exposes the falsehoods Obama claimed as facts as he correctly concludes&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"article-header__title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><a style=\"color: #333399;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2023\/05\/race-shouldnt-stop-us-from-tackling-recidivism-and-mental-illness\/?bypass_key=T2MwczZqN3I3YkxlUkJlWlZaeVluZz09Ojpia3BMVFhWbFowZEJRMVZRU1hoSE5IbElZM054VVQwOQ%3D%3D&amp;lctg=547fd4393b35d0210c8dec30&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Saturday%202023-05-06&amp;utm_term=NRDaily-Smart\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Race Shouldn\u2019t Stop Us from Tackling Recidivism and Mental Illness<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<h3 class=\"article-header__subtitle\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2023\/05\/race-shouldnt-stop-us-from-tackling-recidivism-and-mental-illness\/?bypass_key=T2MwczZqN3I3YkxlUkJlWlZaeVluZz09Ojpia3BMVFhWbFowZEJRMVZRU1hoSE5IbElZM054VVQwOQ%3D%3D&amp;lctg=547fd4393b35d0210c8dec30&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Saturday%202023-05-06&amp;utm_term=NRDaily-Smart\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The Left\u2019s cynical rush to turn Jordan Neely\u2019s death into a racial issue only makes a bad situation worse<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks1or.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109403\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks1or.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks1or.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks1or-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span class=\"drop\">&#8220;P<\/span><span class=\"small_caps\">ace<\/span>\u00a0drama queen AOC, Jordan Neely was <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> murdered. Yet, he <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">did<\/span><\/em><\/strong> die at the hands of another man. The circumstances under which that happened are <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>complicated<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. Of those circumstances, the dangerous setting that Neely further imperiled before his fateful confrontation is <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">probably the most consequential<\/span><\/em><\/strong>: an <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>under-policed<\/em><\/span><\/strong> New York City subway system that is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>regressing<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to late 20th century mayhem \u2014 <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>except<\/em><\/span><\/strong> with the <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">add-on<\/span><\/em><\/strong> of a mental-health crisis <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>decades in the making<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>least consequential<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of the circumstances, at least in the decisive moments, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>was race<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The manic 30-year-old Neely <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>was black<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. The young man who placed him in a headlock, a 24-year-old former Marine identified Friday as Daniel Penny, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>was white<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. In a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>sensible world<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, the happenstance of the racial difference would go <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>unmentioned<\/em><\/span><\/strong> because, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>objectively<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, it was <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>irrelevant<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. Psychotic and suffering, Neely was <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not discriminating<\/em><\/span><\/strong> about the racial and ethnic composition of the passengers he harassed and frightened on the F train as it crawled through Manhattan on a Monday afternoon. Penny <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>obviously<\/em><\/span><\/strong> did not hop on the subway thinking, \u201cGood day to hunt down young black men.\u201d Nor did the other passengers who helped subdue Neely, at least <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">one<\/span><\/em><\/strong> of whom appears (from\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/05\/03\/manhattan-da-mulling-charges-against-vigilante-in-subway-death\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">video of the incident<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>) to have been a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>young black man<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The happenstance of racial disparity <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>made no difference<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>except<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>demagogues<\/em><\/span><\/strong> who carp their way to control of our public debate \u2014 to whom it is now the\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>only<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0thing that matters.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">We need to learn to ignore them<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Of course<\/span><\/em><\/strong> Jordan Neely\u2019s life mattered. But <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">so did<\/span><\/em><\/strong> the life of the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>67-year-old woman he punched in the head on November 12, 2021, fracturing her orbital bone and breaking her nose<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 as a result of which he spent over a year in Rikers Island. Neely\u2019s life <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>also<\/em><\/span><\/strong> mattered when he was\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/05\/04\/jordan-neely-had-history-of-mental-health-issues-before-subway-death\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">repeatedly arrested and left untreated<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>despite<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the patent danger he had become to himself and those around him. Notwithstanding the indifference <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>then<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of the agitators to whom he <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>suddenly matters<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, his life mattered as much then as it did on the subway Monday afternoon. And as for the subway,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/05\/04\/where-was-the-progressive-outrage-when-27-others-were-killed-on-the-subway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">as Nicole Gelinas observes<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>, the lives of the <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">27 other people violently killed on trains and in stations since March 2020 matter too<\/span><\/em><\/strong> \u2014 though you <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>haven\u2019t heard about them<\/em><\/span><\/strong> because <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">their circumstances don\u2019t advance the Left\u2019s race-mongering<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Year in and year out<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, about <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>90 percent<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">black homicide victims<\/span><\/em><\/strong> are killed by <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>black assailants<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>overwhelmingly<\/em><\/span><\/strong> young and male. Comparatively speaking, incidents of interracial homicide are rare enough to dispel the absurd depiction of America as a racist dystopia \u2014 indeed, in the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/ucr.fbi.gov\/crime-in-the-u.s\/2019\/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019\/tables\/expanded-homicide-data-table-6.xls\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">majority of such killings<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>, the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>perpetrator is black<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, and the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>victim is white<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I offer these <em>cold hard facts<\/em> <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to make a racial point. Quite the opposite. The point is that when we <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>obsess<\/em><em> over race<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, as the Left would have us do, we <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>miss<\/em><\/span><\/strong> violent crime\u2019s <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>critical causative factor<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u2014\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>recidivism<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The fact that young black males, as a class, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>offend<\/em><\/span><\/strong> at a rate <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>disproportionate<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to their percentage of the overall population <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> obscure the more salient fact that <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>a disproportionate amount of crime is committed by repeat offenders<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>too many<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of those recidivists <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>have mental-health problems<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> a\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>black<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0issue. Yes, if we\u2019re going to think in group terms, then a disproportionate amount of crime committed by one demographic means that demographic will have more than its share of recidivists. But contrary to the Left\u2019s insistence on pitting group versus group to divide us, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>crime is an individual phenomenon<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. As judges instruct juries, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>guilt is personal<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 you may not be convicted of a crime based on the racial or ethnic group you happen to be a part of; there has to be evidence that you <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>personally<\/em><\/span><\/strong> committed the charged offense. The toxic notion of group proclivities has <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>no place in the law<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;What happened on the F train Monday <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>did not happen <\/em><em>because of race<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. It <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>happened because race has become an excuse not to deal with what actually ails us<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">So . . . what <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should<\/em><\/span><\/strong> happen? What should <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>always<\/em><\/span><\/strong> happen when someone\u2019s life is taken by another person: a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>thorough investigation<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;Until more of the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>facts<\/em><\/span><\/strong> are disclosed, I <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">can\u2019t <\/span><\/em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>p<\/strong>retend to know<\/em><\/span><\/strong> what should happen here. I <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>do know<\/em><\/span><\/strong> that distorting a tragedy that had <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>nothing to do with race<\/em><\/span><\/strong> into another episode of the Left\u2019s <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>tragically divisive race-baiting<\/em><\/span><\/strong> will only make a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>bad<\/em><\/span><\/strong> situation <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>much worse<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Meanwhile, in news you <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>won&#8217;t find<\/em><\/span> the MSM covering,\u00a0<em>FOX<\/em> reports a&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"headline\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/black-man-charged-murdering-two-white-strangers-oklahoma-because-race\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Black man charged with murdering two White strangers in Oklahoma because of their race<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tulsa-copy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109408\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tulsa-copy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tulsa-copy.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tulsa-copy-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;&#8230;Carlton Gilford allegedly shot and killed two men <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>to whom he did not have any connection<\/em><\/span><\/strong> on April 18, according to the Tulsa Police Department. Police said Gifford, who according to jail records <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>is homeless<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, went inside the Rudisill Library around 9:40 a.m., walked up behind a man sitting at a desk, and\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>shot him in the back of the head<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. The victim, 35-year-old Lundin Hathcock, was rushed to the hospital where he died.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>After<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the library shooting, police said, Gifford went to a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>nearby QuikTrip convenience store<\/em><\/span><\/strong> and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>shot 55-year-old James McDaniel in the back of the head<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. When the victim fell to the ground, the suspect <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>shot him again<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. McDaniel died at the scene. Police said that surveillance video showed Gilford <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>also<\/em><\/span><\/strong> fired shots at a security guard <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>and<\/em><\/span><\/strong> another person outside the QuikTrip. When officers arrived, Gilford was standing outside the store and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>admitted<\/em><\/span><\/strong> that he shot two people,\u00a0according to the department.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Gilford was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of shooting with intent to kill, and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>one count of malicious intimidation or harassment<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. The latter charge is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Oklahoma&#8217;s version<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of a hate crime. Under\u00a0Oklahoma law, there is no specific hate crime statute, but malicious intimidation or harassment includes targeting someone based on their race.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">According to Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>the evidence suggests<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Gilford, who is Black, shot both men <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>because they were White<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. The prosecutor <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>didn&#8217;t elaborate<\/em><\/span><\/strong>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Here&#8217;s the juice: Make no mistake about it, Progressives will represent\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Daniel Penny<\/em><\/span>\u00a0as a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>racist<\/em><\/span>\u00a0killer, and\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Carlton Gilford<\/em><\/span>, an <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>actual<\/em><\/span> racist killer, as the\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>victim<\/em><\/span> of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>systemic racism<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In the meantime, like Mr. McCarthy, we&#8217;ll wait to hear <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>all<\/em><\/span> the facts; <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Not<\/em><\/span> as selectively presented by a MSM which, as this chart forwarded by Nick highlights&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/silver.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109398\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/silver.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/silver.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/silver-300x296.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;helped artificially fabricate an issue which heretofore didn&#8217;t exist, but at Penny&#8217;s eventual trial, which, if we were a betting man, will be <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> be for <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>murder<\/em><\/span> but rather <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>involuntary manslaughter<\/em><\/span>.\u00a0 After all, he choked the life out of a Black man on the NYC subway:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dV_51nzd9Lo?start=133\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>All of which proves the wisdom of the late, great Winston Churchill as forwarded by our beautiful sister-in-law Jackie:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/jackie.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109441\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/jackie.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/jackie.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/jackie-300x153.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Which we guess means, at least if Winston was right, we, like the Tin Man, are\u00a0<\/strong><strong>heartless.\u00a0 Still, that beats the shortcomings of these three:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/5d1tob.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109442\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/5d1tob.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"906\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/5d1tob.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/5d1tob-153x300.jpg 153w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Next up, <em>NRO<\/em>&#8216;s\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Noah Rothman details&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"article-header__title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2023\/05\/the-loneliness-epidemic-we-all-saw-coming\/?bypass_key=ZDM3RlZkdzBDZ2hTRHduRTQ5S0s1dz09OjpSMVZwVkhCeFl6VjJTMWhGWkVsRVF6QkRNelk0UVQwOQ%3D%3D&amp;lctg=547fd4393b35d0210c8dec30&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202023-05-04&amp;utm_term=NRDaily-Smart\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The \u2018Loneliness Epidemic\u2019 We All Saw Coming<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<section class=\"section-content--article-content\">\n<h3 class=\"article-header__subtitle\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2023\/05\/the-loneliness-epidemic-we-all-saw-coming\/?bypass_key=ZDM3RlZkdzBDZ2hTRHduRTQ5S0s1dz09OjpSMVZwVkhCeFl6VjJTMWhGWkVsRVF6QkRNelk0UVQwOQ%3D%3D&amp;lctg=547fd4393b35d0210c8dec30&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202023-05-04&amp;utm_term=NRDaily-Smart\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">Many of those who encouraged social isolation now seek to distance themselves from its deleterious consequences<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks3a8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109405\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks3a8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks3a8.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ks3a8-300x194.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span class=\"drop\">&#8220;F<\/span><span class=\"small_caps\">or<\/span>\u00a0too much of this young decade, social isolation was presented as a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>virtue<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 an \u201c<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/future-perfect\/2020\/4\/9\/21213425\/coronavirus-covid-19-social-distancing-solidarity-ethics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">ethical duty<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u201d even. This week, the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>horrible<\/em><\/span><\/strong> consequences of what <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should<\/em><\/span><\/strong> have been an <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>option of last resort<\/em><\/span><\/strong> are being met with some urgency <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>by the very public-health establishment that implored you to keep to yourself<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">An 81-page report released this week by Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned of a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>crisis of loneliness<\/em><\/span><\/strong> afflicting the American public. His office maintains that, beyond the psychological drawbacks associated with loneliness, solitude contributes to negative health outcomes, too. \u201cWidespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually,\u201d the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/surgeon-general-loneliness-334450f7bb5a77e88d8085b178340e19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" testid=\"standard-link\" class=\"broken_link\">Associated Press<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;The public-health imperative to withdraw from physical social settings <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>exacerbated<\/em><\/span><\/strong> what was <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>already<\/em><\/span><\/strong> a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>measurable decline<\/em><\/span><\/strong> in the number of Americans who engaged regularly in\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2023\/04\/how-to-reclaim-the-pursuit-of-happiness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"dynamic-link\">communal activities<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0with a reliable group of friends and acquaintances.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Robert Putnam\u2019s look into the declining social capital among the American public in his seminal book\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Bowling-Alone-Collapse-American-Community\/dp\/0743203046\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">Bowling Alone<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0was published in the year <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>2001<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. He <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>measured<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Americans\u2019 detachment from one another by the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>declining<\/em><\/span><\/strong> memberships of PTAs, churches, social organizations, and youth groups such as the Boy Scouts. In the middle of the last decade, the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/the-decline-of-the-company-softball-team-1404256076\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\"><em>Wall Street Journal<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0tracked the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>decline and fall<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of workplace-sponsored sports teams, observing that the tradition had fallen out of fashion and was on a path toward extinction. The paper was joined that year by liberal columnist\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfgate.com\/opinion\/article\/As-tight-knit-communities-fade-where-goes-the-5680193.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">E. J. Dionne<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>, who chronicled the lamentable decline of \u201cthe neighborhood\u201d and, with it, \u201cneighborliness.\u201d With the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commentary.org\/noah-rothman\/the-atomized-society\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">rise of streaming services<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0and the proliferation of entertainment venues, Americans have access to fewer and fewer shared cultural moments <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">even within our social silos<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">And <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>then<\/em><\/span><\/strong> came the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>pandemic<\/em><\/span><\/strong> <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>(<em>Or, as we&#8217;ve always preferred, &#8220;scamdemic&#8221;, a moniker the facts have proven accurate.<\/em>)<\/strong><\/span> with all its attendant miseries. One study cited in Murthy\u2019s report linked the rise of crippling loneliness to the technological tools that mimic socialization \u2014 tools that are marketed as reasonable facsimiles of community. But those tools proved <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>woefully insufficient<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to the task not long into the pandemic. Indeed, they may even invite <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>worse<\/em><\/span><\/strong> psychological consequences than being <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>truly<\/em><\/span><\/strong> alone does. No one should have needed a surgeon general\u2019s study to at least have the sense that social disaggregation would have lasting consequences for us all. But <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>so many<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of the Americans who set public policy during those years and to whom policy-makers looked for affirmation <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>were not troubled<\/em><\/span><\/strong> by the isolation of the pandemic era.\u00a0They <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>welcomed<\/em><\/span><\/strong> it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;In April 2021, the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/lifestyle\/style\/introverts-are-dreading-a-return-to-the-noise-crowds-and-small-talk-of-normal-life\/2021\/04\/09\/386006b0-987b-11eb-b28d-bfa7bb5cb2a5_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" testid=\"standard-link\" class=\"broken_link\">Washington Post<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0insisted that roughly \u201chalf the population\u201d is \u201cdreading the return to normal.\u201d The pandemic proved to be an <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>introvert\u2019s paradise<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Gone<\/em><\/span><\/strong> was the \u201cemotional labor\u201d of engaging with human beings. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>No longer<\/em><\/span><\/strong> were the psychologically anguished <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>compelled<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to put on a \u201chappy face\u201d for the benefit of others. The need to maintain relationships with friends and extended family <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>went out the window<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. \u201cUnpopular opinion: I don\u2019t have zoom fatigue and I miss zoom happy hours and game nights,\u201d wrote one 30-year-old software engineer profiled in the\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/03\/18\/business\/zoom-friends-socializing.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" testid=\"standard-link\" class=\"broken_link\"><em>New York Times<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/span>. \u201cI feel more isolated now than I did when friends all took time to chat online at the beginning of the pandemic.\u201d She wasn\u2019t alone in her nostalgia. The\u00a0<em>Times<\/em>\u00a0featured the responses of several young adults who <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>preferred<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the \u00e0 la carte communitarian experience available online. \u201cStudies show they [social-media and digital substitutes] meaningfully benefited people\u2019s mental health during a historically isolating period of human history,\u201d the\u00a0<em>Times<\/em>\u00a0insisted.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In this period, policy-makers were bombarded with messages from media professionals that it was <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>reckless, irresponsible, racially suspect, and hopelessly selfish<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">prioritize<\/span><\/em><\/strong> social reintegration <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>over<\/em><\/span><\/strong> extended \u2014\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.commentary.org\/articles\/noah-rothman\/lockdown-inconsistencies-and-isolation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"standard-link\">seemingly indefinite<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2014 pandemic-related mitigation measures. Those messages were coming from a class of Americans for whom socialization is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>apparently a burden<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. Almost overnight, their social anxiety became a species of probity, and they were <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>reluctant to let that go<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. Even when we had\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/joewalsh\/2021\/03\/25\/study-finds-us-lockdowns-didnt-make-a-big-difference-in-stopping-covid-but-that-doesnt-mean-theyre-pointless\/?sh=3be94715329e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" testid=\"standard-link\" class=\"broken_link\">ample evidence<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0to suggest that self-isolation was only being selectively observed and was, therefore, useless, the arbiters of American discourse <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>prosecuted the case for loneliness for as long as they could<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Now, however, the loneliness epidemic will be written about as though it is a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>fatherless phenomenon<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. The conditions that exacerbated it will be written off <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>as though they were no one\u2019s preference<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, but <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>that<\/em><\/span><\/strong> is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not true<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. If only for posterity\u2019s sake, there <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>must be an accounting<\/em><\/span><\/strong> so that the experience of the pandemic is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>never repeated<\/em><\/span><\/strong> \u2014 <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>regardless<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of how much elite opinion misses the sequestration and solitude in which its mouthpieces thrived.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><strong>If not in this world, then most certainly in the next.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Moving on, Charlie Cooke details how&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"article-header__title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/Florida Republicans Can\u2019t Stop Winning Gov. Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.) walks on stage at The Heritage Foundation's 50th anniversary Leadership Summit in National Harbor, Md., April 21, 2023.(Sarah Silbiger\/Reuters) Share 475 By CHARLES C. W. COOKE May 5, 2023 11:51 AM Listen to article What the GOP has achieved in Florida is astounding. Republican primary voters should credit the governor who spearheaded it.\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\">Florida Republicans Can\u2019t Stop Winning<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<h3 class=\"article-header__subtitle\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/Florida Republicans Can\u2019t Stop Winning Gov. Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.) walks on stage at The Heritage Foundation's 50th anniversary Leadership Summit in National Harbor, Md., April 21, 2023.(Sarah Silbiger\/Reuters) Share 475 By CHARLES C. W. COOKE May 5, 2023 11:51 AM Listen to article What the GOP has achieved in Florida is astounding. Republican primary voters should credit the governor who spearheaded it.\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff6600;\">What the GOP has achieved in Florida is astounding. Republican primary voters should credit the governor who spearheaded it<\/span><\/a>.<\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ktpnf.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109422\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ktpnf.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ktpnf.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7ktpnf-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span class=\"small_caps\"><span class=\"drop\">&#8220;I<\/span><\/span><span class=\"small_caps\">s<\/span>\u00a0this what it felt like to be a progressive during the Great Society?<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Today, the Florida legislature concludes its 2023 session. And <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>good\u00a0Lord<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0has it made the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>most<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of it. In the space of <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>just three months<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, Governor DeSantis and the Republican supermajority have created the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>largest school-choice program in American history<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>banned abortion after six weeks of pregnancy<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, made Florida the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>26th\u00a0constitutional-carry state<\/em><\/span><\/strong> in the nation, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>forced<\/em><\/span><\/strong> unions to abide by the Supreme Court\u2019s\u00a0<em>Janus<\/em>\u00a0decision, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>cut<\/em><\/span><\/strong> taxes by <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>$2 billion<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>banned<\/em><\/span><\/strong> sex-change operations from being performed on minors, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>barred<\/em><\/span><\/strong> DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives in universities, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>expanded<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the use of mandatory E-Verify in the state, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>achieved a previously unthinkable<\/em><\/span><\/strong> collection of tort reforms, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>declared<\/em><\/span><\/strong> driver\u2019s licenses issued to out-of-state illegal immigrants <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>invalid<\/em><\/span><\/strong> in Florida, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>prohibited<\/em><\/span><\/strong> state and local governments from <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">considering ESG<\/span><\/em><\/strong> (environmental, social, and governance) <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>factors in their contracting and investing decisions<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>extended<\/em><\/span><\/strong> last year\u2019s Parental Rights in Education law <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>through twelfth grade<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, made it <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>illegal<\/em><\/strong><\/span> for financial institutions to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>discriminate on the basis of \u201creligious, political, or social beliefs<\/em><\/span><\/strong>,\u201d and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>prevented<\/em><\/span><\/strong> credit-card companies from <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>tracking their customers\u2019 gun purchases<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In recent weeks, Governor DeSantis has been keen to point out that politicians who wish to effect change must <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>first<\/em><\/span><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> win their elections<\/span><\/em><\/strong>. The GOP\u2019s achievements within this legislative session <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>underscore<\/em><\/span><\/strong> his point. Florida is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Florida by <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>accident<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. It is Florida <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>because<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, for the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>last 28 years<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Republican Party<\/em><\/span><\/strong> has <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>controlled the state\u2019s legislature<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, and, for the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>last 24 years<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, it has <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>controlled the governor\u2019s office<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>This<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not posting memes on Twitter<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, has allowed it to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>prohibit the taxation of any form of income<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>require any tax or fee increases to receive the blessing of a supermajority of both legislative houses<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>create the top\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freedominthe50states.org\/fiscal\/florida\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" testid=\"standard-link\" class=\"broken_link\">fiscal<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.freedominthe50states.org\/economic\/florida\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" testid=\"standard-link\" class=\"broken_link\">economic<\/a><\/span>\u00a0environment in the country<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>ban affirmative action<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>reject Obamacare\u2019s Medicaid expansion<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>appoint six out of the state\u2019s seven supreme court judges<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>provide the sane response to Covid that attracted hundreds of thousands of \u00e9migr\u00e9s during 2020 and 2021<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, and to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>accumulate all of the other policy wins<\/em><\/span><\/strong> that, frankly, are just <strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">too numerous to list<\/span><\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">I do not like <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>every last thing<\/em><\/span><\/strong> that Republicans have done in Florida, and I have\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2022\/04\/ron-desantiss-misguided-attack-on-disneys-legal-status\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"dynamic-link\">been happy<\/a>\u00a0<a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/floridas-desantis-backed-big-tech-bill-is-a-mess\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"dynamic-link\">to say<\/a>\u00a0<a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/magazine\/2023\/05\/15\/ron-desantiss-conservatism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-testid=\"dynamic-link\">as much<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>. But <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>that<\/em><\/span><\/strong> is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> my point here. My point \u2014 the\u00a0<em>sine qua non<\/em>\u00a0point, really \u2014 is that <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Florida provides a remarkable example of a political organization having conceived of, and then executed, a coherent vision<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Until 1999<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, Florida had elected <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>only two Republican governors<\/em><\/span><\/strong> since Reconstruction. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Since then<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, voters have <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>refused to elect a single Democrat to the mansion<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Better still<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, Republicans have been <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>rewarded<\/em><\/span><\/strong> for their efforts. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>From the end of the Civil War until 2021<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, there were <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>more registered Democrats in the state than Republicans<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Today<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Republicans<\/em><\/span><\/strong> have an advantage of <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>454,918<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Republican governor<\/em><\/span><\/strong> has a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>59\u201339 approve\u2013disapprove rating<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, and the legislature has <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>so many<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Republican legislators sitting in it that it could pass <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>any legislation it wished to over a gubernatorial veto<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">This <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should matter<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. It <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should matter<\/em><\/span><\/strong> when other state GOPs are looking for a model to follow. It <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should matter<\/em><\/span><\/strong> when conservative organizations are thinking about how to achieve their goals. And, yes, it <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>should matter<\/em><\/span><\/strong> when the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>national Republican Party<\/em><\/span><\/strong> is looking for a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>nominee to lead it<\/em><\/span><\/strong> into 2024. The current evidence suggests that there are <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>only two men<\/em><\/span><\/strong> who could <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>plausibly<\/em><\/strong><\/span> be chosen as that nominee next year: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>That being so<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, it seems <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>perfectly obvious<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to me that <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>DeSantis<\/em><\/span><\/strong> should be the pick. Donald Trump <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>lost<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the 2020 election and gave us Joe Biden; then helped Republicans to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>lose<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the 2021 Georgia runoff, which made it difficult to check Joe Biden; and then <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>helped<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Republicans to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>struggle<\/em><\/span><\/strong> in the 2022 midterms, which made it <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>impossible<\/em><\/span><\/strong> for the Senate to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>block<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Biden\u2019s terrible nominations to the judiciary and federal agencies. Ron DeSantis <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>won<\/em><\/span><\/strong> his reelection by <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>19 points<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>then<\/em><\/span><\/strong> set about presiding over a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>whirlwind<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of conservative policy reforms that have prompted voters in swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and elsewhere to tell pollsters that they <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>prefer him<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>both<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Biden and Trump. When DeSantis announces his campaign in a few weeks, he will be able to point to a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>record of political achievement<\/em><\/span><\/strong> that is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>unparalleled in recent memory<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. If they\u2019re <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>smart<\/em><\/span><\/strong>, Republican primary voters will <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>take note<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>All of which leaves us scratching our head over would lead anyone to support a proven loser with a myriad of liabilities over a candidate with DeSantis&#8217;s resum\u00e9 and track record.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In a related item from <em>American Thinker<\/em> via by Balls Cotton, Jay Valentine suggests we&#8217;ll only&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americanthinker.com\/articles\/2023\/05\/savor_trumps_electoral_landslide__until_the_phantoms_vote.html\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600; text-decoration: underline;\">Savor Trump\u2019s Electoral Landslide &#8212; Until the Phantoms Vote<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/voter-fraud-warning-copy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109434\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/voter-fraud-warning-copy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/voter-fraud-warning-copy.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/voter-fraud-warning-copy-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;RINOs, psyops, controlled opposition like Breitbart and Fox and the grifter consultant class are selling the narrative that Trump wins the nomination bigly &#8212; then takes the Electoral College. Joe Biden is on wobbly knees, at the edge of the actuarial life chart, leaving America with the most ridiculous replacement president.\u00a0 His own party doesn\u2019t want him to run &#8212; but the party owners are stuck with him. That too favors Trump.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Blissfully count the new Senate majority, the expanding House majority, and the keys to a White House that will finally drain the swamp.\u00a0Then, have a coffee, sit down and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>remember 2022<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>That<\/em><\/span><\/strong> felt great <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>too<\/em><\/span><\/strong> &#8212; until the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>day after<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the election.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">To become president, Trump <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>must<\/em><\/span><\/strong> win a bunch of swing states.\u00a0 To win each state he needs more ballots in his pile than the other guy.\u00a0 It\u2019s baked into the data &#8212; which we look at every day &#8212; that Trump is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> going to win those swing states.\u00a0 <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>None<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of them. It\u2019s not his fault.\u00a0 He will probably <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>get more votes<\/em><\/span><\/strong>,\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/americanmind.org\/salvo\/unrigging-our-elections\/\">just not more ballots<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Walk with me through the swing state landscape and let\u2019s count them together&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;What do these states have in common &#8212; except they determine the next president? <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Each<\/em><\/span><\/strong> is a <em><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">hotbed<\/span><\/strong><\/em> of election fraud &#8212; either from election commissions or phantom armies or both &#8212; and in <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>every case<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the RNC <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>and<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the Trump campaign are <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>ignoring<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the dinosaur in the kitchen.\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Voter fraud<\/em><\/span><\/strong> will <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>screw you<\/em><\/span><\/strong> on election day!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Why?\u00a0 Political consultants make money on ad placements and retainers &#8212; <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span><\/strong> by dealing with baked-in fraud. <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>If<\/em><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em> the RNC<\/em><\/span><\/strong> spent as much on election fraud remediation in each swing state as it did on flowers and booze, Trump <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>might win<\/em><\/span><\/strong> some of these states. If the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Trump campaign<\/em><\/span><\/strong> paid attention to the election integrity teams and took seriously the threat of election commission-instigated fraud, it <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>could<\/em><\/span><\/strong> make a difference.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Unfortunately, the RNC is about raising dough and having elaborate meetings with mediocre minds.\u00a0 The Trump campaign thinks rallies, flags, and red hats can overcome the Left\u2019s complete control of election apparatus.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">It\u2019s like France in 1939.\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Trump<\/em><\/span><\/strong> is <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>France<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>There&#8217;s a reason Republicans are known as the Party of Stupid.\u00a0 We&#8217;ve said it before, we&#8217;ll say it again: You CANNOT fight election fraud AFTER the election.\u00a0 Courts, from the Supremes on down, are LOATHE to be seen changing the results of an election, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>particularly<\/em><\/span> when the plaintiffs offer <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>little or no evidence<\/em><\/span> of said fraud.\u00a0 The GOP <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>has<\/em><\/span> to have a plan to mobilize and fight fraud <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>prior<\/em><\/span> to it happening.\u00a0 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>After the fact<\/em><\/span> is far too little, far too late.\u00a0 We hope and pray Team DeSantis is paying attention.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Forging on, here&#8217;s another septet of special selections certain to pique the interest of inquiring Conservative minds:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(1). Rather than shortening their constantly lengthening response times, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxbusiness.com\/small-business\/chicago-police-department-tells-businesses-buy-riot-glass-product-prevent-burglaries\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>the Chicago Police Department has advised local businesses<\/em><\/span><\/a> to install <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.riotglass.com\/riot-glass-price\/\"><em>ArmorPlast<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span>, a type of invisible shatterproof shield installed over existing glass, though the CPD <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #000000;\"><em>isn&#8217;t<\/em><\/span> offering to cover the cost.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(2). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/sports\/cam-newton-says-dreadlocks-reason-why-he-is-not-on-nfl-roster\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>Cam Newton says the reason no NFL franchise wants to sign him<\/em><\/span><\/a> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>isn&#8217;t<\/em><\/span> his lackluster 30-36 record of late as a starter, but rather because&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Cam-Newton2-copy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109410\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Cam-Newton2-copy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Cam-Newton2-copy.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Cam-Newton2-copy-300x169.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>&#8230;of his hairstyle.\u00a0 Yeah,&#8230;whatever.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(3). <em>FOX News<\/em> contributor Miranda Devine warns <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/media\/biden-setting-stage-pardoning-hunter-he-frames-potential-doj-charges-political-witch-hunt-devine\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>the godfather of the Biden crime family is setting the stage for pardoning his slimebucket son<\/em><\/span><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(4). Writing at <em>NRO<\/em>, Becket Adams relates, &#8220;There\u2019s a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>reason<\/em><\/span> the public distrusts the press. It\u2019s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>very<\/em><\/span> simple: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/2023\/05\/theres-a-reason-the-public-doesnt-trust-the-press\/?lctg=547fd4393b35d0210c8dec30&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=WIR%20-%20Sunday%202023-05-07&amp;utm_term=WIR-Smart\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>Too many journalists behave in an untrustworthy manner<\/em><\/span><\/a>!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(5). Since we&#8217;re on the subject of the untrustworthy, in the wake of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/jeffrey-epstein-calendar-bill-gates-leon-black-thomas-pritzker-62d7590?mod=article_inline\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">WSJ report revealing the startling number of America&#8217;s elite who still associated with Jeffrey Epstein even after he\u00a0officially becoming a sex offender who preyed on a child<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/a>, <em>Best of the Web<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/jeffrey-epstein-excuses-8b6754f7?mod=djemBestOfTheWeb\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>wonders<\/em><\/span><\/a>&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-k3zb6l-Paragraph e1e4oisd0\" style=\"padding-left: 60px;\" data-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;It\u2019s hard to think of people who had <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>more options<\/em><\/span><\/strong> when it comes to financial expertise or philanthropic support. They are surely some of the most <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>well-connected<\/em><\/span><\/strong> people in the country. Did they <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>need<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to do business with Epstein?&#8230;<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Perhaps<\/em><\/span><\/strong> the Epstein circle was composed of trusting and forgiving people who wanted to give him a second chance. Are there <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>other convicts<\/em><\/span><\/strong> with whom they developed <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>similar relationships<\/em><\/span><\/strong>?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>More specifically, other <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>pedophiles<\/em><\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(6). <\/strong><strong>Reading Rich Lowry&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/breaking-harlan-crow-and-clarence-thomas-once-conspired-to-aid-a-penniless-widow\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>account of Harlan Crow helping an acquaintance of Clarence Thomas, a penniless Black widow<\/em><\/span><\/a>, we initially thought it serious commentary:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">&#8220;&#8230;A\u00a0<em>ProPublica<\/em>\u00a0investigation has revealed that billionaire real-estate developer Harlan Crow paid the bills of a personal acquaintance of Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas in an arrangement that has set off alarm bells for experts in government ethics. In an undisclosed meeting between Crow and Thomas on Easter weekend in 2005, Thomas mentioned that, through family friends, he had learned of a widowed elderly woman living near Pin Point, Ga., in a leaky tar-paper shack.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">Claiming that he was moved by her plight from his own experience with childhood poverty, Thomas had begun sending her food deliveries and paying a home health aide to check in on her. Then, Crow wielded his <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>massive fortune<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to take the arrangement to another level. At Crow\u2019s own suggestion, people familiar with the deal say, they moved the woman to an apartment for three months until a local charity could be found to help her get better, more permanent housing. Crow paid the rent for <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>all three months<\/em><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>ProPublica<\/em>\u00a0interviewed the property manager of the Community Gardens Apartments, who recalled renting to a woman who matched the description of the widow, and found in old records a check from Crow\u2019s company for $475.25 marked \u201cJune rent.\u201d Similar payments were noted in a Community Gardens ledger for July and August of that year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\">The Crow largesse came to a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>total of $1,426.05<\/em><\/span><\/strong>. A\u00a0<em>ProPublica<\/em>\u00a0calculation found that <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>if<\/em><\/span><\/strong> Crow had paid for the woman to live in a <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>luxury apartment<\/em><\/span><\/strong> for the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>entirety<\/em><\/span><\/strong> of her life, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>with<\/em><\/span><\/strong> her <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>extended family<\/em><\/span><\/strong> living in nearby apartments, the Crow expenditure would have come to <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>more than $10.5 million<\/em><\/span><\/strong>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>We&#8217;ve since concluded it was a spoof.\u00a0 We report, you decide.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>(7). NRO informs us\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/news\/cdc-director-rochelle-walensky-steps-down\/?utm_source=email&amp;utm_medium=breaking&amp;utm_campaign=newstrack&amp;utm_term=31391588\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>Rochelle Walensky resigned Friday from her position as the head of the CDC, citing the end of the Covid-19 pandemic as an optimal transition point to turn over the reins to a successor<\/em><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 In announcing her resignation, the double-masked Walensky noted&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwa8y.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109433\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwa8y.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwa8y.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7kwa8y-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Rochelle&#8217;s sudden resignation couldn&#8217;t have anything to do with the fact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/health\/dozens-people-infected-covid-19-cdc-annual-conference-disease-detectives\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>35 of her subordinates contracted COVID at a CDC confab<\/em><\/span><\/a>, despite many of the participants <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>still<\/em><\/span> wearing the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>useless<\/em><\/span> masks <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">they<\/span><\/em>\u00a0helped force upon the country.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Which brings us, appropriately enough, to <em>The Lighter Side<\/em>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050523dAPR-800x0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109383\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050523dAPR-800x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050523dAPR-800x0.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050523dAPR-800x0-300x235.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/afb050523dAPC-800x0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109384\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/afb050523dAPC-800x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/afb050523dAPC-800x0.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/afb050523dAPC-800x0-300x214.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_0498-800x0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109385\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_0498-800x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"347\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_0498-800x0.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/IMG_0498-800x0-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050723dAPR-800x0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109386\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050723dAPR-800x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050723dAPR-800x0.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/sk050723dAPR-800x0-300x229.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaa-3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109387\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaa-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"332\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaa-3.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaa-3-300x216.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/cb050523dAPR-800x0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109388\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/cb050523dAPR-800x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/cb050523dAPR-800x0.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/cb050523dAPR-800x0-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/a-3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109389\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/a-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/a-3.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/a-3-300x194.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aria_c19799620230504103040-800x0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109392\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aria_c19799620230504103040-800x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aria_c19799620230504103040-800x0.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aria_c19799620230504103040-800x0-300x182.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaaa.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109390\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaaa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaaa.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aaaa-300x201.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aa-3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109391\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aa-3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aa-3.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/aa-3-300x196.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Lisa.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109380\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Lisa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Lisa.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Lisa-300x186.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AI-AI-Oh-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109381\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AI-AI-Oh-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"465\" height=\"223\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AI-AI-Oh-1.jpg 465w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AI-AI-Oh-1-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Image-5-6-23-at-10.01-AM.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109382\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Image-5-6-23-at-10.01-AM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Image-5-6-23-at-10.01-AM.jpeg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Image-5-6-23-at-10.01-AM-300x169.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Then there&#8217;s these from\u00a0<\/strong><strong>the lovely Shannon&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109419\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon-300x300.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109378\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Shannon-300x226.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;Speed&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/speed.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109420\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/speed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"451\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/speed.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/speed-300x293.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;Balls Cotton&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109437\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"259\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109438\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"566\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls2.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls2-245x300.png 245w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109439\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls4.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls4.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls4-300x193.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109440\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls3.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls3.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Balls3-300x250.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;Major Jon&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MajorJon.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109379\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MajorJon.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MajorJon.jpeg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MajorJon-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/MajorJon-298x300.jpeg 298w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;and, with apologies to the great Thomas Sowell, this random thought on the passing scene&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109394\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-2.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Untitled-2-300x182.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;along with this from Andy Meyers, who&#8217;s worried&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AndyMeyers.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109377\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AndyMeyers.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AndyMeyers.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/AndyMeyers-296x300.png 296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;now that he likes looking at plumber&#8217;s crack, it can only be a matter of time until he &#8220;transitions&#8221;!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally, since we&#8217;re on the subject of alcohol, we&#8217;ll call it a wrap with yet another sordid story straight from the pages of <span style=\"color: #800000;\"><em>The Crime Blotter<\/em><\/span>, as <em>Black Enterprise<\/em> reports a&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"entry-title penci-entry-title penci-title-\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackenterprise.com\/pregnant-passenger-comes-to-blows-with-spirit-airlines-employee\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #800000;\">Pregnant Passenger Comes to Blows with Spirit Airline Employee<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7krx8h.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-109400\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7krx8h.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7krx8h.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/7krx8h-300x296.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;Tempers flared and\u00a0reached a boiling point\u00a0after Spirit Airlines employee Jasmine Rhoden informed 29-year-old pregnant passenger Que Maria Scott that she would not be allowed to board a flight due to her aggressive behavior toward a gate agent. An all-out brawl began with Scott tackling Rhoden to the floor, where the women threw several punches at one another.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">In a statement given to the Atlanta Police Department, Rhoden claims that Scott\u2019s frustration grew from a flight delay. Rhoden told police that the pregnant passenger \u201cmade a statement to other passengers around that she will <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>beat a b\u2014h up if she does not get on the plane<\/em><\/span><\/strong>,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Video of the altercation, which occurred late last month, shows the two women violently attacking each other after the initial exchange. Onlookers yelled for them to stop before airport security eventually pulled them apart. According to the\u00a0<em>New York Post<\/em>, Rhoden claimed to \u201c<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>clearly smell alcohol<\/em><\/span><\/strong>\u201d on Scott, who\u00a0<strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>claimed<\/em><\/span><\/strong> to be six months pregnant.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">After being detained by officers, the pregnant passenger made one final threat to Rhoden, saying, \u201cI didn\u2019t do nothing to nobody. You really just got me booked. It\u2019s cool. I\u2019m going to remember your face in my head forever,\u201d according to the statement.\u00a0Scott was arrested\u00a0and booked into Clayton County Jail on a $1,500 bond and was placed on the \u201cno-fly\u201d list for the foreseeable future. Spirit Airlines did not comment on whether or not Rhoden will face disciplinary actions for the fight.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">There was a fight yesterday at Atlanta Airport. They were both added to the no fly list. \ud83d\ude33 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/svK2fKj9AZ\">pic.twitter.com\/svK2fKj9AZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GAFollowers\/status\/1653056195370921986?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 1, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>We can honestly say, though we&#8217;ve on occasion been frustrated, we&#8217;ve never had the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>slightest<\/em><\/span> inclination to physically assault an airline employee over a flight delay.\u00a0 Such drunken anger bespeaks a larger problem which is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>also<\/em><\/span> the product of the same Progressive propaganda and misinformation which has created our current racial divide.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Magoo<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>P.S.\u00a0 As we&#8217;ll be playing in a charity tournament benefitting Frederick County, MD firemen with our eldest on Monday followed by a round at Merion on Tuesday, we&#8217;ll likely be radio silent until Friday, possibly next Monday.\u00a0 So &#8217;til then&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GLUNypEfrFQ?start=86&amp;end=88&amp;\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Video of the Day<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Neil deGrasse Tyson demonstrates why he&#8217;s not a serious SCIENTIST, but a Progressive PROPAGANDIST. You have to love his use of voice inflection in the place of factual evidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w89etN8QqNQ\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>Tales of The Darkside<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Larry Kudlow and guests Andy McCarthy and Greg Jarrett detail the potential travails of the Biden criminal cartel.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sT-c9KXwDYo\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><strong>On the Lighter Side<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sheldon Whitehous gets a well-deserved b*tch-slap; Ouch!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eotNDbgPU9s?start=89&amp;end=144&amp;\" width=\"462\" height=\"258\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Monday, May 8th, 2023&#8230;but before we begin, here we go again:, courtesy of Red State via the lovely Shannon: Comer Announces Bombshell News Coming on Joe Biden, &#8216;Wednesday Will Be a Very Big Day&#8216; &nbsp; We&#8217;ll believe it when we see it; NOT &#8220;allegations&#8221;, NOT &#8220;he said\/she said&#8221;, NOT unproven innuendo, but unalterable evidence [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1988,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-109428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1988"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=109428"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109531,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109428\/revisions\/109531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=109428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=109428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=109428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}