|
Saturday 10th February 2024
|
| | Hi Friend,
Three Cheers For Trump (this week) ... It's Going To Be A Coronation ...
1 No charges for Biden in classified documents probe but ...
Joe Biden carelessly kept classified documents and notebooks at his home, according to a special counsel report released Thursday. The report said the evidence wasn't strong enough to charge the president with crimes. The report's description of Biden as "an elderly man with a poor memory" prompted a furious response from the president at a hastily called news conference hours later.
The 345-page special counsel report portrayeds Biden, 81, as someone who haphazardly kept notebooks and documents with classified information at his home, and struggled to recall key dates in his life.
In concluding Biden should not be prosecuted, Special Counsel Robert Hur, a former Trump-appointed US Attorney in Maryland, offered a political indictment of the president's fitness. Hur described the leader of the free world as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory". This would make him impossible to prosecute (and difficult to elect).
Republicans quickly seized on that stinging characterization to attack the Democratic incumbent as unfit for office, well no surprise in that!
2 Trump is on a glide path to the Republican nomination ...
Trump is on a glide path to the Republican nomination, or should we say "coronation". Trump romped home in the Nevada and US Virgin Island caucuses Thursday night, continuing his unbeaten streak and making Nikki Haley's campaign appear futile.
After wins Thursday in Nevada and the US Virgin Islands, Trump remains undefeated and in total command of the primary race.
Trump's win in Nevada was never in doubt in a state where party leaders molded the delegate-awarding contest to benefit him. Trump's chief rival, Haley, was not even an option for caucus goers Thursday.
Haley, the former South Carolina governor chose instead to take part in the state-run primary conducted earlier this week, where Trump was not on the ballot. Haley finished second to"none of these candidates". A "Non Of The Above" embarrassment confirming her fading relevance in the race. "Nota Bene", It's a landmark.
3 Good signs for Trump in the Supreme Court case ...
Trump appears poised for a win at the Supreme Court. Justices expressed deep skepticism that Colorado could declare him an insurrectionist and bar him from their election ballots.
Even liberal justices were skeptical that Colorado should be able to declare the former president an insurrectionist and disqualify him from the state's ballot.
The question of whether Trump actually engaged in insurrection was barely mentioned in the arguments. This was a clear indication the justices could sidestep Trump's behaviour on January 6, 2021, in a decision that seems likely to affirm his eligibility to appear on presidential ballots.
Trump is not in the clear yet. Trump related questions loom for the Supreme Court, such as whether Trump enjoys absolute immunity from prosecution. His lawyers have until Monday to ask SCOTUS to review a DC appeals court ruling last week that Trump does not have super immunity and that he can be prosecuted for trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
So what can we expect?
It's all set for a November run off between a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" and a 'vicious, vindictive, unfeeling, self serving, malicious, old man with a revenge agenda and a blatant disdain for the American democratic process." Memory not that great either.
It's Uncle Joe up against a relative you wouldn't leave alone with the kids . And certainly not the U.S constitution, for four more years (At least).
|
| | | Fighting Over The Deck Chairs On The Titanic ...
Twenty five points behind Labour, in the polls, over 50 MPs about to jump ship, the Tories continue to fight over the deck chairs on the Titanic, as disaster looms..
Not content with the Balkanization of the Conservative party with five, or is it six families, Liz Truss, who did for Pork exports to China what Rishi Sunak appears to be doing for EV sales in the U.K., is to launch another faction. The Pop Con, faction.
The reaction to the launch of "Popular Conservatism" has been mixed, with significant criticism from various quarters, including within her own party, the media, and the public. The initiative, aimed at galvanizing Britain's "secret Conservatives" and pushing back against left-wing ideologies, has been met with skepticism and irony, particularly given Truss's own unpopularity following her brief tenure as Prime Minister.
Critics within the Conservative Party have expressed doubts about the necessity and positioning of this new faction. Some Tory MPs have questioned the space "Popular Conservatism" intends to fill, given the existence of other groups advocating for similar libertarian economic policies.
The absence of several key MPs from the launch event, including Ranil Jayawardena and Simon Clarke, who were initially billed to speak but later withdrew, indicates a lack of unified support for Truss's movement.
The media's response has been both satirical and critical. The Guardian's commentary likened the "Popular Conservatives" to a "Tory tribute act sounding a death knell for irony," highlighting the perceived absurdity of Truss leading a movement for popularity, despite her own unpopularity.
This onslaught of satire and criticism reflects a broader skepticism about the movement's impact and Truss's leadership particularly. Public opinion, remains largely unfavorable towards Liz Truss, with recent polls suggesting she is one of the least popular politicians in the country. Ranked 152nd with a 10% approval rating according to YouGov.
Widespread unpopularity underscores the challenges Truss faces in rallying support for her "Popular Conservatism" movement. The movement's success in influencing Conservative Party policies and public opinion remains to be seen, but initial responses suggest it faces significant hurdles. Like "do we really need another Tory variant?".
The great thing about the Tories, they never stop fighting, the unfortunate facet of action, it always appears to be amongst themselves ...
|
| | That's all for now. Have a great week ahead ...
John
|
| To understand the markets, you have to understand the economics ...
|
| |
© 2024 John Ashcroft, Economics, Strategy and Financial Markets, experience worth sharing.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The material is based upon information which we consider to be reliable but we do not represent that it is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. We accept no liability for errors, or omissions of opinion or fact. In particular, no reliance should be placed on the comments on trends in financial markets. The receipt of this email should not be construed as the giving of advice relating to finance or investment.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you do not wish to receive any further Saturday Economist updates, you can unsubscribe or update your details, using the buttons below or drop me an email at jkaonline@me.com. If you enjoy the content, why not forward to a friend, they can sign up here ...
_______________________________________________________________________________________
We have updated our privacy policy to address Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The policy changes include explaining in more detail how we use your information, including your choices, rights, and controls. We have published a GDPR compliance page about the regulation and the steps we have taken as part of our compliance process. Your privacy is important to us.
For details of our Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions check out our main web site. John Ashcroft and Company.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2024 The Saturday Economist, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as a member of the Saturday Economist Mailing List or the Dimensions of Strategy List. You may have joined the list from Linkedin, Facebook, Google+ or one of the related web sites. You may have attended one of our economics presentations. Our mailing address is: The Saturday Economist, Centurion House, 129 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3WR.
|
| |
|
|
