NEWS AND OPINION:
Will you need a vacation after the 2024 presidential election? If so, the Media Research Center has got you covered.
“We’re all going to need a break to regroup after another grueling election season, regardless of the outcome,” Brent Bozell, founder and president of the conservative media watchdog, said in a written statement about the planned voyage.
The organization is offering a “2024 Post-Election Caribbean Cruise” aboard Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam. The ship is scheduled to depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Nov. 10, and return a week later on Nov. 17.
The stops include Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and St. Thomas and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.
“Guests will also have the opportunity to meet with, hear from, question, and dine with a host of well-known conservative commentators who will be joining them,” the host organization said in a guide to the upcoming trip.
And who are those esteemed commentators? Here’s the official list:
There’s Mr. Bozell, of course. Also along for the journey: Jason Chaffetz, Fox News contributor and former Utah congressman; Charles Hurt, opinion editor and columnist for The Washington Times and also a Fox News contributor; Rachel Campos-Duffy, co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend”; and her husband, Sean Duffy — a Republican former member of Congress from Wisconsin.
Also scheduled to be on hand: Sean Spicer, former White House press secretary; Joe Concha, politics and media columnist and Fox News contributor; Cal Thomas, nationally syndicated columnist, author and radio commentator; Sara Carter, journalist and Fox News contributor; and Kevin Sorbo, actor and film producer.
Curious about this trip? Visit https://mrccruise.com/ for more information. And bon voyage.
HOW DID THEY DO?
So the first Republican presidential debate has come and gone. But don’t fret. The next one will be here before we know it — to be staged on Sept. 27 at the spectacular Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California.
Meanwhile, here are a selection of headlines about the Thursday bout, all from the last 24 hours:
“Ramaswamy seizes spotlight as DeSantis hangs back” (The New York Times); “Body language told me everything I needed to know about the GOP debate” (Politico); “Candidates fight each other and mostly line up behind Trump” (The Associated Press); “First Republican debate: Here’s what voters in New Hampshire and South Carolina thought” (USA Today); “The winner of the first GOP debate: Glenn Youngkin” (The Hill); “Debate spat reflects divide in GOP over Ukraine aid” (Axios); and “Republicans showed their cards: Trump is still holding the aces” (Vox).
VIVEK’S ‘TRUTH’
Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy offered a terse take on his own beliefs following the Republican presidential debate Thursday.
Here’s what he posted on X — formerly Twitter — about an hour after the big event ended, in a numbered entry titled “TRUTH” — based entirely on his remarks during the debate. Here it is, verbatim from the tweet:
1. God is real.
2. There are two genders.
3. Human flourishing requires fossil fuels.
4. Reverse racism is racism.
5. An open border is no border.
6. Parents determine the education of their children.
7. The nuclear family is the greatest form of governance known to mankind.
8. Capitalism lifts people up from poverty.
9. There are three branches of the U.S. government, not four.
10. The U.S. Constitution is the strongest guarantor of freedoms in history.
BERNIE’S MOTIVATION
Saturday is a significant day for independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a self-described democratic socialist. He will deliver a speech titled “The Agenda America Needs” at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown.
And his motivation?
“I have always believed that good public policy is good politics, The American people are increasingly disgusted at the growing levels of income and wealth inequality in our country and the rampant corporate greed we are seeing. Now is the time to stand up to oligarchy and create a vibrant democracy which works for all, not just the few,” Mr. Sanders said in a written statement, this according to the New Hampshire Journal, a news organization focused on the Granite State.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: Los Cielos, a 297-acre “luxury recreation retreat” in Angel Fire, New Mexico, near the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range. Property includes three bedrooms, five baths, seven stone fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, wood and tile interiors, custom gourmet kitchen, cathedral ceilings, unique chandeliers, pool room; 10,037 square feet. Landscaped exterior includes stone walls, two ponds, multi-level seating areas, restored barn, three-car garage, trout pond. Priced at $9 million through FayRanches.com; enter the word “Cielos” in the search function.
POLL DU JOUR
• 64% of U.S. adults would describe the nation’s political system as “dysfunctional”; 61% of Republicans, 72% of independents and 58% of Democrats agree.
• 58% would describe the nation’s political system as “corrupt”; 68% of Republicans, 64% of independents and 42% of Democrats agree.
• 37% would describe the system as “unfair”; 33% of Republicans, 47% of independents and 30% of Democrats agree.
• 14% would describe the system as “effective”; 13% of Republicans, 9% of independents and 21% of Democrats agree.
• 12% would describe the system as “fair”; 8% of Republicans, 9% of independents and 20% of Democrats agree.
• 7% would describe the system as “honest”; 6% of Republicans, 3% of independents and 13% of Democrats agree.
SOURCE: A CBS News poll of 2,061 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 16-19. Respondents were given a list of descriptors and asked to “check all that apply.”
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X, formerly known as Twitter, @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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