Thursday, November 09, 2023

Tone Deaf!

People Magazine puts Patrick Dempsey on their cover, 20 years later. The magazine continues to be tone deaf when it comes to this.

People Magazine released its annual Most Sexiest Man Alive and once again for the third time a white man graces the cover. No person of color.

Actor Patrick Dempsey graces the People Magazine cover.

Last two covers were Chris Evans and Paul Rudd.

How long will it take to put a person of color on People's Sexiest Man Alive?

When will they retire this?

It's tone deaf and doesn't represent beauty. I mean, what gives them the right to define who the fuck is the "sexiest?"

The annual feature the "Sexiest Man Alive" is billed as a benchmark of male attractiveness and typically includes only famous people. It is determined using a procedure similar to the procedure used for Time's Person of the Year. The origin of the title was a discussion on a planned story on Mel Gibson. Someone exclaimed, "Oh my God, he is the sexiest man alive!" And someone else said, "You should use that as a cover line."

Of the nearly 40 years of issuing this title, guess how many were people of color?
YearChoiceAge
February 4, 1985Mel Gibson29
January 27, 1986Mark Harmon[27]34
March 30, 1987Harry Hamlin35
September 12, 1988John F. Kennedy Jr.28
December 16, 1989Sean Connery59
July 23, 1990Tom Cruise27
July 22, 1991Patrick Swayze38
March 16, 1992Nick Nolte51
October 19, 1993Richard Gere (1)
(Sexiest Couple Alive)
44
Cindy Crawford[28]27
1994
(awarded on
November 18, 2015)
Keanu Reeves[29]30
January 30, 1995Brad Pitt (1)32
July 29, 1996Denzel Washington41
November 17, 1997George Clooney (1)36
November 16, 1998Harrison Ford56
November 15, 1999Richard Gere (2)50
November 13, 2000Brad Pitt (2)37
November 26, 2001Pierce Brosnan48
December 2, 2002Ben Affleck30
December 1, 2003Johnny Depp (1)40
November 29, 2004Jude Law31
November 28, 2005Matthew McConaughey[30]36
November 27, 2006George Clooney (2)[31]45
November 26, 2007Matt Damon[32]37
November 25, 2008Hugh Jackman[33]40
November 18, 2009Johnny Depp (2)[34]46
November 17, 2010Ryan Reynolds[35]34
November 16, 2011Bradley Cooper[36]36
November 14, 2012Channing Tatum[37]32
November 19, 2013Adam Levine[38]34
November 19, 2014Chris Hemsworth[39]31
November 17, 2015David Beckham[40]40
November 15, 2016Dwayne Johnson[41]44
November 14, 2017Blake Shelton[42]41
November 5, 2018Idris Elba[43]46
November 13, 2019John Legend[44]40
November 30, 2020Michael B. Jordan[45]33
November 10, 2021Paul Rudd[46]52
November 7, 2022Chris Evans[47]41
November 7, 2023Patrick Dempsey[48]57

They had five Black men on the cover.

Denzel Washington 
Dwayne Johnson
Idris Elba 
John Legend
Michael B. Jordan

It took a pressure campaign to force People to reevaluate its nomination process.

Looks like it will happen once again.

People Magazine picks its "Sexiest Man Alive" cover. Notice a pattern?

People Magazine does have a problem. The magazine doesn't pick people of color. The magazine defines White as the "most sexiest" and "most beautiful." They have only five men and four women of color gracing the magazine.
Not a problem at all. People Magazine carefully picks the candidate. They pick the celebrity who is newsworthy. This isn't about color. This about magazine sales.
I don't read People Magazine.
You guys have Essence, Ebony, Jet and Vibe Magazine to put Black celebrities on.
 

See the magazine has not placed Latino, Asian, Brown, Indigenous or disabled actors in their Most Sexiest Man Alive. It took a pressure campaign to at least get a Black actor on the damn magazine cover.

And for the last time, what qualifies as "sexiest?"

Many are getting tired of this. I know I am. I am tired of celebrity tabloids using these titles to divide people.

People Magazine gives Americans the impression you got to be white, skinny, rich and at least newsworthy.

With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, People had the largest audience of any American magazine, but it fell to second place in 2018 after its readership significantly declined to 35.9 million. People had $997 million in advertising revenue in 2011, the highest advertising revenue of any American magazine.

In 2006, it had a circulation of 3.75 million and revenue expected to top $1.5 billion

I expect conservatives to draw conclusions and use the minority owned magazines as a cover. 

 Yeah, did you know that Ebony and Jet were started way before People Magazine?

John H. Johnson got fed up with magazines covers showing only White people. So he started his own and it became a success. Ebony and Jet are not as big as People but managed to reach an audience that feels neglected by whitewashing mmagazines like People.

What Debate?

Ain't no chance for them.

I haven't watch much news lately. 

The junk food media is literally taking propaganda from Israel. This ongoing conflict in the Middle East has me questioning my support for the Democratic Party. I am frustrated with Democrats taking a hardline stance to a country that devotes itself to occupying human lives and dehumanizes them as terrorists, animals and refugees. They deserve to be free from the colonialism. The U.S. must pressure Israel for a ceasefire and a formal recognition to return the land stolen by settlers during the Nakba. 

They won't listen. They are influenced by AIPAC.

The Israeli government has mounted a campaign to fight back against the allegations that it committed war crimes and apartheid. They have influenced lawmakers to give them $14.3 billion in military aid and a formal censure of Democrat Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

Also, here is the debate. The debate of five losers. None of them made to double digits.

The five Republicans candidates on the stage of Wednesday's debate all support Israel.

Even the one candidate who questioned why America's tax dollars are funding a foreign government backtracked.

It is pretty much a wrap for the Republicans seeking to win the 2024 presidential nomination. I mean the junk food media is too invested in the former president.

Literally no one cared about last night's debate in Miami.

I mean Washed Up 45 stole all the limelight.

Tim Scott, Nimarata "Nikki" Haley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy were the only candidates to qualify for the NBC News debate. 

And as usual, they avoid talking about the elephant in the room. They all had ideas that are out of touch. They blame President Joe Biden for Israel and Ukraine. They put over election day losses in Ohio and Kentucky.

They also blamed Congress for failing to do its job. Scott is the only person currently serving as a member of the Senate.

The debate was largely described as more substantive than previous debates, and many headlines following the debate focused on the combative exchanges between Haley and Ramaswamy, with Haley calling Ramaswamy "scum" for criticizing her daughter's use of TikTok. The New York Times editorial board voted Haley as performing the best in the debate and Ramaswamy as performing the worst.

Wednesday, November 08, 2023

What Happens Next?

Ohio Republicans took a huge L.

The results of off-year elections.

Unpredictability is what we will expect going into 2024. Democrats ended up winning the battle this off year election.

President Joe Biden is unpopular, Washed Up 45 is unpopular, Congress is unpopular, the world is angry and polarizing rhetoric makes it less safe for Jews and Muslims.

Going into 2024 will be interesting. Maybe I should continue blogging!

Ohio passed the resolutions that legalize marijuana and codify Roe v. Wade.

The 2023 Ohio reproductive rights initiative, officially titled "The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety", and listed on the ballot as Issue 1, was a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that was adopted on November 7, 2023, by a majority of 56.6% of voters. It codified reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution, including contraception, fertility treatment, whether to continue one's own pregnancy, and miscarriage care, restoring Roe v. Wade-era access in Ohio and protecting "the right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability" while permitting restrictions after.

The Ohio Republican Party tried to thwart this constitutional amendment by attempting to change the rules so as to increase to 60% the threshold required for referendum passage in an August 8 special election, known as August 2023 Ohio Issue 1. The voters of Ohio rejected this change 57%-43%, keeping the threshold for passage at 50%+1.

Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, a moderate Democrat defeats Republican challenger, the Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Mississippi governor Tate Reeves, a conservative Republican defeats Democratic challenger, Brandon Presley.

Virginia flips. The Democrats managed to capture the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate and it knocked the sails out of potential 2024 challenger, Republican governor Glenn Youngkin.

Rep-elect Gabe Amo, Democrat of Rhode Island.

Louisiana had its jungle primary in mid-October. Had there been a runoff, it would be today. Louisiana State Attorney General Jeff Landry defeats a handful of candidates to become the governor-elect. The Republican crossed the threshold of 51% to avoid a runoff.

Democrat Gabe Amo defeated Republican Gerry Leonard Jr. to succeed David Cicilline, who resigned on May 31, 2023, to become the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation. Amo, a former President Joe Biden official won and became the first Black person to win a seat in Rhode Island. He will be sworn in by Friday.

Philadelphia has its first Black woman mayor, Cherelle Parker. She defeated David Oh as the Democratic nominee in the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election. When sworn in, she will be the first woman to hold the position.

Islamophobic Dems Joined Republicans In Censuring Tlaib!

Rashida Tlaib exposes the hypocrisy of her own party.

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.

It is not anti-semitic.

To those who believe it, cry more.

The pressure is on.

Resistance to the occupation is not terrorism. I am not concerned about what people think about me anymore.

I know what I am seeing on social media is disinformation and platform manipulation.

I know that I can't change some of their minds. But today, I am going to be continuous in being a person devoted to seeing a Free Palestine.

Israel needs to be abolished. Israel must be reborn as a unified democracy free of apartheid, ethno-nationalism and racism.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) released a video demanding Biden call for a ceasefire.

Trust me, by the turn of 2024, Israel will no longer be occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It will end with the government dissolved, its political leadership banned and criminal charges for war crimes.

The Democratic leaning influencers who denounce the left and their concerns will soon find themselves without allies. The Democrats will end up losing their supporters going into 2024.

For the last five weeks, I seen folks on X, some whom I follow denounce the concerns about Israel. Some have even taking up to dehumanizing dissent. I mean literally these folks are falsely claiming the Gen Z generation is a bunch of idiots. 

Wow, I am Gen X and the Millennial and Gen Z generation are not playing when it comes to issues that affect their votes,

Washed Up 45 has managed to pick up more support from Black men. About 30% of them are likely to vote for the former president. Young voters are not happy over American taxpayer money going to Israel and the influence of AIPAC on members. They are souring on President Joe Biden and Democrats in general. Arab Americans and Muslims are definitely souring on Democrats. Biden is giving a one sided approach to this controversy. He is definitely trying to do damage control by establishing a coalition on protecting Jewish and Muslim Americans. Because they are definitely riled up over this. They believe the remarks by Biden in the wake of Israel striking a Gaza hospital, lying about it being a Hamas rocket misfire, claiming he saw 40 beheaded "Israeli" babies and then walking back, saying it "was the other team," and giving aid and credence to a warmonger who is committing a ethnic cleansing in both the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Support for the president and Democrats dropped significantly.

The House honors Israeli victims. Not one member here mentioned the 11,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli air strikes and military attacks.

Tlaib is an American lawmaker and activist. She is a Palestinian-American and a fourth generation Palestinian. She is one of 12 siblings who has parents who immigrated to the United States after the Nakba. She is a Democrat [for now] who is part of the Squad.

Tlaib, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MI) and Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) are the only three Muslim lawmakers in Congress. They all represent the Midwest.

Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and New York have a large Muslim population

Biden carried Michigan by 1.2 points. Biden carried Minnesota by 2 points. 

The Muslim support was 87%.

Now the censure.

On November 7, 2023, Tlaib was censured by a measure introduced by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) for "promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel". 212 Republicans and 22 Democrats voted in favor of the censure.

The censure motion focused on a video posted by Tlaib on social media featuring the "from the river to the sea" slogan. The slogan is widely regarded as calling for the eradication of Israel and is described by the resolution as "a genocidal call to violence to destroy the state of Israel and its people to replace it with a Palestinian state extending from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea". Tlaib defended the slogan as "an aspirational call for freedom, human rights and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction or hate".

The motion also highlighted a statement made by Tlaib on October 8, calling for "dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance", and claims she made attributing blame against Israel for an explosion at a hospital in Gaza, despite the US Department of Defense sourcing it to a rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

A previous censure resolution introduced by worthless lawmaker Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was unsuccessful. The resolution described Tlaib as "leading an insurrection" over a protest she was involved in at the Capitol, where 300 protestors were arrested.

Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)

Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA)

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN)

Rep. Don Davis (D-NC)

Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL)

Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY)

Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)

Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH)

Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV)

Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.)

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL)

Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-NC)

Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY)

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL)

Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA)

Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL)

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

In addition to the Democrats who bucked their party, four Republicans voted against the censure: Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), John Duarte (R-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Tom McClintock (R-CA).

Tuesday, November 07, 2023

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Defeats Daniel Cameron!

Democrats can win in Red States. Andy Beshear defeats Daniel Cameron.

Democratic governor defeats Republican in the state of Kentucky. Gov. Andy Beshear managed to defeat Republican nominee Daniel Cameron.

The contest was rough. 

Beshear who ran on protecting women's rights, getting Interstate 69 completed and fixing the Brent Spence Bridge won.

Beshear, who has seen strong approval despite being the Democratic governor of a red state, defeated Republican state Attorney Cameron after a competitive race, winning his second term in the governor’s mansion. 

He will hold onto the seat he flipped blue back in 2019, when he beat then-Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. 

He thanked voters Tuesday night, telling a crowd that his reelection win against Republican Cameron, who had the backing of former President Trump, “sends a loud, clear message.”

“Tonight Kentucky made a choice, a choice not to move to the right or to the left, but to move forward for every single family,” he said.

Polls generally showed Beshear holding onto a lead ahead of Tuesday’s elections — but an Emerson College Polling survey released last week found Beshear and Cameron tied at 47 percent each. 

Kentucky has been a closely watched contest amid the off-year elections, sandwiched between last year’s midterms and next November’s presidential election. The gubernatorial race in the Bluegrass State — as well as another in Mississippi — are being looked at for insights about how Democrats can fare in deep-red states. 

Kentucky voted for Trump by roughly 30 points in 2016 and by around 26 points in 2020 — and President Biden has remained unpopular in the state. An Emerson College poll from October found Biden with just a 22 percent approval rating among Kentucky voters.

Daniel Cameron now may run for the Senate. His defeat was evident.

At the same time, Democrat Beshear has been noted as one of the most popular governors in the country.

Some strategists have pointed to the Kentucky and Mississippi governor’s races as opportunities for their respective winners to emerge as more prominent political stars. 

Cameron worked along the campaign trail to tie Beshear to Biden and knock the incumbent governor on inflation, crime rates and social issues. Beshear leaned into abortion, painting Cameron as extreme for supporting Kentucky’s abortion ban, which notably includes no exceptions for rape or incest.

Vote!


Today is election day.

Even if you're frustrated with what's going on in the world or even in the United States, your vote matters and I hope you take the time to make the ballot.

The 2023 United States elections are scheduled to be held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 7, 2023. The off-year election includes gubernatorial and state legislative elections in a few states, as well as numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local offices on the ballot. At least three special elections to the United States Congress were scheduled as either deaths or vacancies arose.

The election cycle was generally marked by a trend of strong Democratic overperformances in special elections. Daily Kos and FiveThirtyEight analyses of at least 38 races as of September 2023 determined that the party outperformed the partisan lean by an average of 10 percent; in comparison, Democrats outperformed by an average of 4 percent in elections held between the 2018 and 2020 elections, and an average of 7.6 percent in elections held in 2020. The 2023 overperformances consisted of unusually larger margins of victory in races held in safely Democratic areas and unusually smaller margins of defeat in races held in safely Republican areas. These results were seen as surprising considering the low approval ratings of incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden and polls indicating his middling prospects in the 2024 presidential election. Both Democratic and Republican operatives attributed the overperformance streak to general support for abortion access in the wake of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision (which was also believed to have driven a similarly strong Democratic overperformance during the second half of the 2022 election cycle), as well as disapproval over the 2024 presidential campaign of Washed Up 45 and his continuing influence over the Republican Party.


Iowa Gov. Endorses DeSantis!

Looks like he got his running mate.

As you know, the Iowa Caucus does not determine who becomes the Republican Party's presidential nominee. The last handful of candidates never became the nominee.

Washed Up 45 will certainly be riled up over this. 

Despite him writing off Iowa, he knows he will be likely the winner. The Republicans continue to keep the former president in good favor despite his turmoils.

Ron DeSantis won Florida easily in 2022. He ran on a far right platform and convinced Democrats to cross over and vote for him. So far, he has touted his successes as Florida's most polarizing governor.

Now running for president is another thing. 

Washed Up 45 has been dragging him down in the polls. He is either a distant second or a distant third in the national polls.

DeSantis and Nikki Haley are the only two candidates that the former president take seriously.

Both were staunch supporters of the former president and as literally targets of ridicule.

Nonetheless, Ron DeSantis wants to still be the choice for real conservatives. Uh, a bunch of white nationalism and populist rhetoric certainly gets Republicans to vote.

Washed Up 45 is an awful human being and was a terrible president. Why on earth do they want to elect this idiot again?

Kim Reynolds, the current Iowa governor has endorsed DeSantis.

“I believe he can’t win,” Reynolds said of Washed Up 45, “and I believe that Ron can.

“And that’s a big reason I got behind him,” Reynolds said in a joint interview with DeSantis. 

Reynolds, who is in her second term, had said she would stay neutral in the Republican primary race, though she appeared with DeSantis at least eight times since he announced his candidacy in late May. But she is breaking with local tradition to throw her support behind DeSantis as he tries to consolidate non-Washed Up 45 Republicans and close the polling gap with the former president in Iowa and other states.

“This one’s obviously very meaningful, because Kim has proven to be a great leader that Iowans love,” DeSantis said of Reynolds’ support, recounting the enthusiasm he hears from Iowans for their governor as he campaigns across the state. 

“I mean, any time I mention her name out there, they cheer, and it’s because of what she’s been able to accomplish as governor,” he added.

Reynolds’ assessment of the former president’s electability clashes with current public polls, which often show Washed Up 45 performing similarly to or better than DeSantis in matchups against President Joe Biden. But that is before the heat of a general election campaign — and before Washed Up 45 faces trial on numerous state and federal criminal charges next year.

Reynolds, who has campaigned with a number of Republican presidential hopefuls across the state in recent months, painted DeSantis as an accomplished executive — one worth spending her own political capital to support in an upcoming slate of public events.

“I just felt like I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer. We have too much at stake. Our country is in a world of hurt, the world is a powder keg, and I think it’s just really important that we put the right person in office,” she said. 

With just over two months to go until the all-important Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses, it’s unclear whether Reynolds’ endorsement will push DeSantis over the finish line in the nation’s first 2024 contest. 

DeSantis’ poll numbers in the state have stagnated in recent months. An NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of Iowans conducted in late October found 16% of likely Republican caucusgoers supporting DeSantis as their first choice, compared to 19% in August. Washed Up 45 had 43% support.

Serving bull.
DeSantis is redirecting his campaign resources into Iowa in an effort to block Washed Up 45 in the first contest, barnstorming the state and edging closer to visiting all of its 99 counties. 

If any figure can change the local dynamics of the presidential race, it might be Reynolds. She enjoyed an 81% favorable rating among Iowa Republicans in an August NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll. The Washed Up 45 campaign and allies have conducted polling suggesting Reynolds’ endorsement would have little impact on the race, but it remains to be seen whether her public campaigning will help DeSantis gain more traction.

Reynolds’ endorsement is a departure from Iowa tradition. Former Gov. Terry Branstad, Reynolds’ mentor, who served from 1983 until 1999 and then again from 2011 until 2017, didn’t endorse a presidential candidate in the Iowa caucuses once during his multidecade tenure.

“I stayed neutral, virtually throughout all the time I was governor. And that’s been kind of the tradition,” Branstad said in a separate interview. “We’re the first-in-the-nation caucus, and we want to be very welcoming to all the candidates.”

But for Reynolds, who was Branstad’s lieutenant governor before she succeeded him in 2017, this election felt too important to stay on the sidelines. And it means she’s lining up against the former president as he runs to retake the White House.

Their relationship is icy. WAshed Up 45 lambasted Reynolds in July over her coziness with DeSantis at a time when she had said she would be neutral in the GOP race. 

Reynolds said that the last time the two had a conversation, the former president sought her endorsement, which she withheld. She said her decision to get behind the former president’s chief rival so far this year wasn’t spurred by Washed Up 45’s insults.

DeSantis said: “It’s almost like with Donald Trump, if you don’t kiss the ring — you can be the best governor ever and he’ll trash you. You can be a terrible, corrupt politician. But if you kiss his ring, then all of a sudden he’ll praise you.

“I’ve had people come to me and say they endorsed him because of the threats and everything like that,” DeSantis added. But, he said, “if you can look in the mirror and say you did what was right for the right reasons, then let the chips fall where they may.”

Some of the former president’s detractors say a unified Republican front in support of a single non-Washed Up 45 candidate is essential to block Washed Up 45 from winning the GOP nomination for a third time. Reynolds said she didn’t consult with other early-state governors, like Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, who is considering his own potential endorsement ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation primary.

Reynolds’ endorsement of DeSantis seized the former president’s attention not long after the news of her expected decision broke. 

“It will be the end of her political career in that MAGA would never support her again, just as MAGA will never support DeSanctimonious again,” he wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. 

“Two extremely disloyal people getting together… they can now remain loyal to each other because nobody else wants them!!!” Washed Up 45 added. 

Asked about the potential of a DeSantis-Reynolds ticket in the general election should he secure the nomination, DeSantis played coy.

“She’s clearly qualified to do any of that,” DeSantis said.

“What I’ve learned in Iowa is you’ve got to be careful about talking about her in D.C., because a lot of people want to keep her here,” he added.

The governors will make a joint appearance Monday evening in Des Moines, where Reynolds is scheduled to endorse DeSantis’ bid onstage.

Monday, November 06, 2023

Suid-Afrika stel Israel aan die kaak as 'n apartheid!

South Africa becomes the latest nation to abandon Israel.

South Africa Denounces Israel As An Apartheid!

The Global South has had enough of Israel and its lawlessness. Many countries are recalling their ambassadors and severing ties with the country.

The South African government has recalled Monday its ambassador and diplomatic mission to Israel in condemnation of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, calling it a “genocide.”

The government also threatened action against the Israeli ambassador to South Africa over his recent remarks on the African country’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. No further details were given about the remarks.

The war broke out after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct.7, leaving over 1,400 people dead. More than 10,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

“The South African government has decided to withdraw all its diplomats in Tel Aviv for consultation,” said minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. She added the cabinet noted the “disparaging remarks of the Israeli ambassador to South Africa about those who are opposing the atrocities and genocide of the Israeli government” and that the department of international relations has been instructed to “take the necessary measures within the diplomatic channels and protocols to deal with (his) conduct.”

Ntshavheni also said the position of the Israeli ambassador in the country was “untenable.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters — who have been staging demonstrations by the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg and Israeli embassies in Pretoria and Cape Town — have called on the South African government to expel the Israeli ambassador.

International relations minister Naledi Pandor, who on Monday hosted her Ukraine counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, said the South African officials would be recalled from Tel Aviv to give the government a detailed briefing about the situation in the region.

“We need to have this engagement with our officials because we are extremely concerned at the continued killing of children and innocent civilians in the Palestinian territory and we believe the nature of response by Israel has become one of collective punishment,” said Pandor.

Pandor said she had discussed the strengthening of bilateral ties with her Ukraine counterpart, including meetings held by at least seven African leaders who visited Moscow and Kyiv earlier this year to propose a peace plan.

“We are one of the few countries around the regions of the world that are able to speak to both Ukraine, as well as Russia.”

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli foreign ministry.

Peace will come when this war criminal is gone. On top of that, the current government Israel runs will eventually change.

The South African government, led by the ruling African National Congress party which has close ties to Palestine, has called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and for aid to be allowed into the bombarded enclave.

South Africa is among other countries to recall their ambassadors to Israel to protest the military operations in Gaza, including Chile, Colombia Honduras. Bolivia severed diplomatic ties with the country.

Israel criticized the Latin American countries last week and called on Colombia and Chile to “explicitly condemn the Hamas terrorist organization.”

Hamas is only recognized as a terrorist organization in the United States, Great Britain, European Union, Canada and Israel. The rest of the world does not consider it a terrorist group.

The Palestinians look at Hamas as a resistance to the occupiers.

Peter Meijer Prepares For Senate Run In Michigan!

Peter Meijer confirms he will run for the senate.

Former Republican lawmaker from Michigan enters the U.S. Senate race. 

Democratic senator Debbie Stabenow is retiring and it puts a crucial seat up for grabs.

Peter Meijer, the son of business executive Hank Meijer, who is the CEO of Grand Rapids based retailer Meijer served one term as U.S. Representative from Michigan. He was one of 10 members of the Republican Party to vote to impeach Washed Up 45 for inciting a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol.

Meijer was hit with death threats and calls to resign soon after. Meijer faced a tough primary challenger and lost his bid for reelection.

The seat he held went to a Democrat and it is one of twelve seats to watch for a potential challenge.

Meijer who appeared as a CNN contributor briefly now is confirming his intention to run against possible Michigan Democratic lawmaker Elissa Slotkin.

“My wife and I prayed hard about this race and how we can best serve our state and our nation,” Meijer said in a statement. “We considered every aspect of the campaign, and are confident we have the best chance of taking back this seat for the Republicans and fighting hard for a conservative future.”

Meijer’s path to the nomination is unclear. Washed Up 45 still appears to be popular with Michigan’s GOP base, and it’s unlikely that those voters would choose a nominee whom Washed Up 45 and his allies made a pariah in the party following his second impeachment. Most of the Republicans who voted to impeach Washed Up 45 either lost a primary like Meijer or opted not to run for reelection.

The one-term representative, who had signaled his intentions with the creation of an exploratory committee in August, enters a GOP primary without a presumed front-runner. National Republicans are behind former Rep. Mike Rogers, a onetime chair of the House Intelligence Committee who briefly floated a 2024 presidential campaign as an anti-Washed Up 45 conservative. James Craig, a former Detroit police chief, is running in the “Make America Great Again” lane. Meanwhile, Washed Up 45, the polling leader for the GOP presidential nomination, has yet to weigh in on the Michigan race.

Meijer, a 35-year-old business analyst and former member of the U.S. Army Reserve, has one advantage over his rivals: the ability to self-fund his campaign. While in office, Meijer was ranked as one of the wealthiest members of Congress.

Elissa Slotkin (left) with Democratic senator Ben Cardin and Republican lawmaker Victoria Spatz. They were in the Oval Office with President Biden and Vice President Harris.

Michigan went to Biden.

The president is facing a tough challenge. The conflict in the Middle East has now put him at odds with Arab Americans, Muslims and young voters. The president's support for Israel has become a lightning rod. The voters felt that Biden is looking the other way as the Israeli government commits a genocide.

Slotkin, a Jewish moderate senator from suburban Detroit could face opposition from these voters due to her stance on Israel as well.

Meijer is at best a moderate to conservative Republican. Meijer is not a flamethrower like Craig or a nobody like Rogers. 

Craig, a former Detroit and Cincinnati police chief was ousted numerous times for incompetent leadership. He could get the Washed Up 45 endorsement.

AIPAC Losing Grip On U.S. Politics: Cory Booker Shouted Down!

Cory Booker and President Joe Biden.

American Israeli Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC] has donated to Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ). It is one of the most powerful lobbyist groups next to the National Rifle Association. They have been relentless on defending Israeli interests and trying to stifle criticism as a product of antisemitism.

AIPAC has openly criticized nine Democrats and one Republican for not supporting the $14.3 billion in military aid to Israel. They ignored the do nothing lawmaker from Georgia.

Booker went to Israel two days after the Oct. 7 strike by resistance. Hamas launched a resistance that led to a massive response by Israel.

The two are locked in this notion that even in a one sided war, "Israel Has The Right To Defend Itself." That slogan has led to Israel committing unthinkable crimes against humanity. The senators look the other way and allow Israel to literally carpet bomb heavily populated areas.

Even they know that moving 1.5 million people from the northern Gaza Strip is impossible.

They know that a ground invasion will only spark a global war.

They know that Benjamin Netanyahu will go down in history as the 21st Century's newest bad guy. 

Booker was hold a town hall and he felt the outrage of supporters who felt he let them down. 

The protesters interrupted Booker’s speech to his Democratic supporters by shouting, “Ceasefire now!” Since the start of last month, Israel and Hamas have been engaged in a military conflict over the Gaza region after the militant group launched a surprise attack on the US ally.

Pro-Palestine supporters have demanded that the U.S. limit its military and financial aide for Israel as well as call for a ceasefire in the region to avoid further bloodshed.

Senator Booker gets donations from AIPAC.

Booker initially welcomed the protesters, noting that the “power of protest” is what makes “America so great.” However, as the chants continued Booker tried to stop the shouting by starting his own counter-cheer.

“That we have what makes America great. The power to protest. Power to have respect. Power of America,” Booker said over the microphone as the chants of “ceasefire now!” grew louder.

Could Washed Up 45 be the new Grover Cleveland? 

Cleveland who served as the 22nd and 24th president was not good. 

But Cleveland ran on the dog whistle politics that brought him a new term. Washed Up 45 has an iron clad grip on supporters. They are motivated to vote. 

Arab American, Muslim and young voters had enough of this. With this conflict in the Middle East, Democrats are seeing their chances of winning slipping fast.

President Joe Biden and his team are not panicking yet but the latest polls show that in a matchup against Washed Up 45, he could very well lose.

Sunday, November 05, 2023

Is He In Deep Trouble?


Do not trust polls.

VOTE

President Joe Biden may have lost support among key groups. He landed in this controversy due to his broken promise of fundamental change. On top of that, he faced brutal rebuttals from Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).

Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Nevada are up for grabs this coming election year.

In no way, I will vote for Washed Up 45. He will take America further down than he did.

I mean I made more money during his presidency at my previous job. But now I am working two jobs under Biden and money is not suitable.

So I take the economy and my wallet as the most significant issue. Then Israel and Palestine next. Thus, the least important thing on my mind is his age.

Biden is the oldest president and it is a factor to some voters. Not a big issue to me.

But his stance on Israel is a really big issue to me. He and Washed Up 45 have a one sided view to the conflict. They ignore the Nakba and support the Israeli government's use of force against Palestinians who fight with Hamas.

They also ignore the fact that Arab Americans and Muslims voted for them. 

Washed Up 45 is leading in a few polls and it should spook Democrats and especially Biden. The former president and his handling of the pandemic was his downfall.

His revisionist history of Jan. 6 will not play a factor. So many Democrats can't use democracy. 

This week Ohio will have abortion and marijuana on the ballot. Kentucky will have a governor-elect. Virginia will have a power shift if the elections favor one party. Many other issues on the table this election.

If Ohio does allow abortion to be codified, it puts the state in play.

If Andy Bashear wins, Democrats will hold a slim majority in governorship. If Daniel Cameron wins, he will absolutely pull for a Republican revolution and possible presidential run in 2028.

If Virginia does go to the Republicans, Glenn Youngkin may have a better footing and governance. He may run for president because Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley are flopping.

Election Day is on Tuesday.

I encourage you to vote.

Despite my disappointment in Biden, he still has one year to turn things around. He can do it but it will take time and a lot of pressure.

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