NEWS AND OPINION:
“We are friends of refugees — those fleeing war torn countries, those fleeing desperate poverty, and also those fleeing despotic candidates such as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. We welcome former Republicans and Democrats who value liberty and justice for all to find a new home in the Libertarian Party,” the organization notes in a public outreach which underscores media claims that angry voters now seek a third party alternative.
Such talk may amuse or even infuriate strategists on both sides of the aisle. It also may resonate with those Americans wandering along in the endlessly evolving political landscape. They can sample the Libertarian fare next month when the party stages a presidential forum aired by the Fox Business Network, featuring prime-time host John Stossel as moderator.
“If you are one of the millions of Americans who no longer feel you have a voice in the Republican or Democratic parties, we welcome you to join us in our fight for the rights of ordinary Americans to be free to raise their families, run their businesses, and pursue happiness in any way that’s peaceful,” says Nicholas Sarwark, the 35-year-old chairman of the Libertarian Party.
“We believe firmly that all rights, of all people, matter all the time. That is a key difference between us and the older parties, each of which is plagued with special interests that undermine the rights of some,” adds Mr. Sarwark adds.
O’HILLARY AND O’DONALD
It’s all for Saint Patrick’s Day, of course.
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“The wearing of the green is here but what about the battle of the ballot box between Hillary and The Donald?” asks Sheila Langan, a correspondent for Irish Central, a popular New York-City based publication for the “global” Irish community.
“We want to know which way Irish Americans are leaning. Will Donald trump Hill or will Clinton ace Donald?” she wonders.
Here’s how some eager 6,800 readers responded to an online poll: 45 percent favored Mr. Trump, 41 percent picked Mrs. Clinton and 15 percent said “neither.” The publication also points out that green beer — both loved and reviled by Americans at this time of year — actually has heritage: It was invented in 1914 by “a New York City coroner named Dr. Thomas Hayes Curtin, who unveiled his invention at a Bronx social club — a beer the color of shamrocks.”
AND IN SUMMATION
“May God strengthen our people. May God strengthen our nation. May God strengthen the conservative movement. May God strengthen the Republican Party. May God strengthen our eventual nominee. And may God always bless and strengthen this great nation, the United States of America.”
— The last words of former Republican presidential hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio to his followers before he dropped out of the race on Tuesday night.
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THE MOST POWERFUL, SORT OF
“Is the president of the United States the most powerful person in the world?” So asks a Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 likely voters, released Tuesday.
Well? Here are the numbers: 47 percent agree “the American president” is the most powerful person on the planet. Forty percent disagree, while 13 percent are undecided.
FOR THE LEXICON
“Conservative-populist lane.”
— Phrase from Heritage Action for America, the activist arm of The Heritage Foundation. “For too long, the establishment has dictated the Republican agenda. Heritage Action has spent the last 5-plus years trying to counter that. Our goal is to create what the pundits might call a conservative-populist ’lane’ that can unite the party around conservative ideas and solutions,” the group notes.
Michael Needham, CEO of the organization, elaborated in an op-ed for RealClear Politics:
“The future of the country is best served by a party that doesn’t just live in the populist lane, but seeks to channel populism towards conservative ends. This is what a successful Republican presidency will look like. We know it is the type of project Ted Cruz would lead as nominee and we hope it is one Donald Trump would lead also.”
MEGYNIZED
So there won’t be a fourth GOP debate on Fox News after Donald Trump and Gov. John Kasich bowed out. That’s showbiz. In the meantime, Fox News has another surprise developing: prime time anchor and GOP debate moderator Megyn Kelly has landed her own one-hour special featuring “celebrity interviews from the world of politics, entertainment and other areas of human interest,” the network says.
Executive producer Bill Geddie is of significance here. He is the man behind ABC’s “The View” and all those Barbara Walters interview specials over the years, including the popular series “The 10 Most Fascinating People.” Is something similar in the cards for Ms. Kelly? Stay tuned. The show airs in May.
SCHLAPP SLAPS BACK
Conservatives are swiftly pushing back at the White House nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court to replace the late Antonin Scalia.
“President Obama considers the Constitution a series of old-fashioned suggestions rather than the law of the land. The Senate should continue to stand strong and prevent a lame-duck president from remaking the court for decades to come,” says American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp. Mr. Schlapp applauds Republican Senate leaders, he says, “for standing on principle and upholding their role of advice and consent in filling Supreme Court vacancies.”
POLL DU JOUR
• 86 percent of Americans who drink alcohol “at least several times a year” say they imbibe to celebrate a special occasion; 9 percent say they drink no alcohol at that time.
• 73 percent drink alcohol on their birthday; 18 percent drink nothing at that time.
• 72 percent drink when they are having “a really good day”; 21 percent drink nothing.
• 60 percent drink when they have “a really bad day”; 31 percent drink nothing.
• 52 percent drink when they are stressed; 36 percent drink nothing.
Source: A Harris Poll of 2,191 U.S. adults conducted Dec. 9 -14 and released Wednesday.
• Applause, churlish remarks to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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