2020 Presidential Election

[soonernvolved]

www.nationalreview.com/2019/12/trump-impeachment-inquiry-2020-election-democrats-threaten-democracy/

An Election Too Important to Be Left to Voters
By RICH LOWRY
December 10, 2019 6:30 AM

Who is it again who’s threatening our democracy?
The Democrats believe that the 2020 election is too important to be left to the voters.

It’s obvious that President Donald Trump withheld defense aid to Ukraine to pressure its president to commit to the investigations that he wanted, an improper use of his power that should rightly be the focus of congressional investigation and hearings.


Where the Democrats have gotten tangled up is trying to find a justification that supports the enormous weight of impeaching and removing a president for the first time in our history.

They’ve cycled through different arguments. First, Trump’s offense was said to be a quid pro quo, a phrase cast aside for supposedly being too Latin for the public to understand; then it was bribery, which has lost ground lately, presumably because of the inherent implausibility of the charge; now, the emphasis is on Trump’s invitation to the Ukrainians to “meddle” and “interfere” in our elections.

This is posited to be an ongoing threat. Nancy Pelosi said in her statement calling on the House to draft articles of impeachment: “Our democracy is what is at stake. The president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The president has engaged in abuse of power undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”

NOW WATCH: 'Bolivia's President Resigns After Disputed Election'


WATCH: 0:30
Bolivia's President Resigns After Disputed Election
House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerry Nadler said on Meet the Press last weekend that Trump has to be impeached “for posing the considerable risk that he poses to the next election.” Asked if he thinks the 2020 election will be on the up and up, he said: “I don’t know. The president, based on his past performance, will do everything he can to make it not a fair election.”

The gravamen of this case is that the election is too crucial to allow the incumbent president of the United States, who is leading in key battleground states and has some significant chance of winning, to run. In fact, the integrity of the election is so at risk that the U.S. Senate should keep the public from rendering a judgment on Donald Trump’s first term, or deciding between him and, say, his nemesis Joe Biden.

Of course, it’s possible to imagine a circumstance where a president would indeed present such a grave risk to our elections that he’d have to be removed. This is a reason that we have the impeachment process in the first place. But what’s the real harm that Trump’s foolhardy Ukraine adventure presented?


–– ADVERTISEMENT ––



Let’s say that Ukraine had, in response to Trump pressure, actually announced an investigation into Burisma, a shady company that had in the past been under investigation. What would have happened? Would Joe Biden have been forced from the race? His numbers collapsed in Nevada and South Carolina, his best early states? His numbers changed anywhere?

No, it’s not even clear that there would have been any additional domestic political scrutiny of Hunter Biden’s lucrative arrangement with Burisma, an issue that is dogging the former vice president on the campaign trail anyway because his son’s payday was so blatantly inappropriate.

The bottom line is that after tsk-tsking Trump for refusing to say in advance that he’d accept the outcome of the 2016 election, Democrats have steadfastly refused to truly accept the 2016 result (allegedly the work of the Russians) and now are signaling they won’t accept next year’s election either, should they lose again.

Given their druthers, Trump wouldn’t be an option for the voters. They are rushing their impeachment, in part, because they know that as November 2020 approaches, it becomes steadily less tenable to portray the man who wants to run in an election as the threat to democracy and the people who want to stop him as its champions.

With every day that passes, the Democrats risk creating the perception that they themselves are a threat to the 2020 election.

[soonernvolved]

Conservative leader Boris Johnson and the Tories are set to win a huge overall majority in the British General Election on Thursday. Exit polling has Johnson and the Tories winning 368 MPs putting him.

www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50765773

The survey taken at UK polling stations suggests the Tories will get 368 MPs – 50 more than at the 2017 election – when all the results have been counted.

Labour would get 191, the Lib Dems 13, the Brexit Party none and the SNP 55.

The Green Party will still have one MP and Plaid Cymru will lose one seat for a total of three, the survey suggests.

The first general election results are due before midnight, with the final total expected to be known by Friday lunchtime.

[soonernvolved]

www.dailywire.com/news/watch-medicare-for-all-supporters-shocked-by-facts-about-medicare-for-all

On Monday, Campus Reform released a video in which Cabot Phillips speaks with students at George Washington University about “Medicare for All.”

“So the main issue that Democrats have taken up, and [are] running against Trump on, is health care,” Phillips said. “The policy right now that they’re proposing is Medicare for All, which is the idea of government-funded health care for everyone. Is that a concept you view favorably or unfavorably?”

As expected, all of the students who were questioned said that, to one degree or another, they approved of Medicare for All.


“Favorably, for sure.”

“I do support Medicare for All.”

“I do think that every American deserves health care.”

“I do support that. I think it’s an important form of universal heath care.”

“I do support free health care for everybody.”

“In general, I would say yes. I do favor Medicare.”

A Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) supporter wearing a pink and gray scarf told Phillips that she didn’t believe he could say anything that would have her “view it unfavorably.”

Phillips then outlined some of the consequences of a Medicare for All system, and asked each participant to tell him whether they “view them favorably or unfavorably.”

“So, first off, it is mandatory, so it would be – over a hundred million people right now have private insurance plans that they like – they would be removed from those plans by the government,” Phillips stated. “It would be mandatory, and they would be put on the government plan, even if they didn’t want to. Is that something that concerns you at all?”


A female student wearing a black backpack said it “probably” concerns her. Another female student holding an orange cup agreed, saying she views that aspect of the plan “unfavorably.”

A male student holding a water bottle and another male student in a pink T-shirt indicated an unfavorable position.

“I mean, they shouldn’t be like kicked off of it, I guess. That’s not really – that doesn’t seem fair,” said the student in the pink tee.

A student with a beard and glasses who had previously indicated that he favored “free” health care said that the “government can’t force” Americans onto its plan, to which Phillips replied: “Well, that’s what this would do.”

Click to find out more about a new promotion
Don't miss this content from our sponsor

Orange cup shared a similar sentiment, noting that while she believes “everyone should have health care,” Americans shouldn’t be stripped of their private plans.

The Sanders supporter remained steadfast: “I mean, as a Bernie support, I think you do have to give up some choice just for the benefit of everyone in society.”

Phillips moved on to another ramification of enacting a Medicare for All system.

“So, the second part – it would eliminate private health insurance, the entire industry. It would be just under a million jobs [that] would be eliminated because all insurance [is] moved to the government,” he said.

Most of the students stated that they viewed such a consequence “unfavorably.” Orange cup even went as far as to say that she believes “having jobs and being able to make a living and … survive on your own and take care of your family is more important than everybody having health care.”

Black backpack added that “the way someone wants to insure their life and their health is their choice.”

A student wearing a white T-shirt told Phillips that he was “fine with that,” leading to the following exchange:

WHITE TEE: People can have health care, you know, regardless of whether its private or governmental they will have health care –

PHILLIPS: But this would eliminate private health care.

WHITE TEE: Yeah, you know, and either way it’s still health care, you know?

Phillips moved on to the final detail.

“In the Bernie Sanders proposal – it would be about $32 trillion over the next decade – that would be every American paying about one-fifth of their income toward funding it. Is that a concern?” he asked.

The student with the beard and glasses was confused, asking: “You have to pay for it?”

Phillips replied: “Yes, so taxes will go up.”

The student shot back: “You still have to pay for it? I don’t support that.” He later added, “I just think that’s a lot and it’s just like, health care is definitely important and crucial, but there’s also other things that people are trying to worry about.”

Black backpack echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the adverse impact it might have on “low-income” families.

Pink tee said he would view the tax burden in an “unfavorable” light if he were on his own financially.

The student holding the water bottle laughed and said, “No comment.”

When asked if the information troubled her, orange cup replied in the affirmative, adding: “I didn’t know those facts before. Now I’m kind of debating on if I’m supporting Medicare for All now.”

Pink tee still wasn’t sure, although he said the information did “shock” him.

Black backpack said the information “could change [her] mind,” but “the overall goal is worthy of conversation.”

Phillips pressed white tee, asking him what his message was to people who want to keep the insurance they already have.

Tee offered an incoherent answer: “I mean, you know, regardless, I feel like insurance you can keep – here’s – I don’t really know much, I’m just [saying my] support, I [mumbles] just governmental stuff, but personally, yeah, it’s …”

Lastly, Phillips asked a female student from Venezuela if she viewed Medicare for All favorably or unfavorably.

She replied: “Where I come from … we used to have health care for all, right? But I feel like, for us particularly, it didn’t work. We’re socialist. It really hurt us as a country.”

[soonernvolved]

www.zerohedge.com/markets/i-just-want-it-over-and-done-britons-head-polls-most-important-election-generation

Update (5pmET): The first exit polls are in...and by the looks of it, the Conservatives will walk away with a sizable majority, with 368 of the Commons 650 seats.

With a predicted majority of 86 seats, this would be the biggest majority for the Tories since the days of Margaret Thatcher.

Political analysts on Sky News are already lauding Johnson's stunning political comeback

Unsurprisingly (and in accordance with our trading guides posted below), cable has exploded higher as it looks like Boris Johnson has led Tories to a "stellar" performance. The pound jumped 2.2% to the $1.3450 level. It's an insane move in cable - its largest one-day jump since January 2017, and that's especially alarming when one takes into account the fact that economic data still show the UK sliding into recession.


But let's not forget: If these results are confirmed, then Johnson may have delivered something investors have been wanting since referendum day - a stable working government.

Plus, now there's little doubt that Johnson will manage to push his Brexit deal through the Commons.



The British currency is trading at its highest level against the dollar since June 2018. Against the euro, the pound has reached its strongest level since the aftermath of the 2016 EU referendum.



If the pound holds on to these gains, we could see the biggest one-day jump since March 2009.

If the pound holds onto these levels - it would be the biggest one-day gain in $GBPUSD since March 2009. Surpasses previous biggest gain since Brexit referendum (17 Jan 2017 - Theresa May's Lancaster House speech). Pound hasn't been this strong against $EUR since July 2016 pic.twitter.com/2TEEhSP3Eo

— Viraj Patel (@vpatelfx) December 12, 2019
Looking ahead, analysts are saying that GBPUSD could climb past $1.36 throughout the night if the results confirm the exit polls. On the other hand, any polls questioning the size of the Tories' majority could trigger a pullback. We imagine that, on a night like tonight, traders (both and human and computer) will exhibit a hair trigger. Newcastle and Sunderland, two cities roughly 15 minutes apart, are expected to report the first official results around 11.

But with no official results reported, complacency is already sinking in.

"The numbers that people expected were 330, maybe 350, so to see 368 on the screen is incredible," wroteNomura's Jordan Rochester, aka "Mr. Brexit". In a note to his clients, Rochester advised them to "go home folks, pop open a bottle of wine, and get a night's sleep." We imagine Rochester will remain vigilant and at his desk, as he told the BBC.

The exit poll also points to sizable gains for with the SNP, which is slated to win 59 seats, up from 55 presently. According to the FT, the combination of a Tory government and a nationalist surge in Scotland will likely revive pressure for another independence referendum.

While the SNP and the Conservatives both have reason to celebrate, the results for Labour are nothing short of appalling. You'd need to go back to 1935 to see another Labour result that bad. Falling below 200 seats would be a major blemish on Corbyn's legacy, and it's very possible that, after tonight, Corbyn's days as leader will be numbered, with some analysts saying that he has to resign after this.

The Lib Dems don't have much to brag about either, appearing to have gained just one seat, moving from 12 to 13 MPs.

As Johnson and his team bask in the adulation from the media and political analysts fawning over his still-uncertain accomplishment (though a margin of 86 is well outside of the exit poll's margin of error for a Conservative majority), somewhere in the UK, Theresa May is probably lighting a blunt in front of the TV and starting to giggle...

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/12/britain-votes-breitbart-london-election-night-2019-live-wire/

Polling stations have now closed on the United Kingdom’s 2019 snap election, the fifth national vote in Britain since 2014, and results are expected to roll in until early Friday morning.

While the first results may come in as quickly as an hour after the polls closed at 2200GMT, some of the most rural and remote areas — including the Scottish Islands where votes have to be brought to the mainland by boat — could take until Friday morning.




A so-called exit poll, based on interviews with voters as they leave polling stations across the country and trying to forecast the overall vote can legally be published immediately after 2200, when all polling stations close and its results can no longer influence would-be voters.

UPDATE 0125 — Workington man votes Tory

Want Breaking News from Breitbart Direct to Your Inbox? Takes Just 2 Seconds...
Enter your email address
SIGN UP
The Conservative Party has won Workington — not only a seat that has never voted Conservative before, but the seat reckoned to characterise the whole election. Party leaders travelled to Workington to woo the so-called “Workington man”, a Brexiteer in a traditionally Labour area.

Cearly the Tory plan is working. The seat was created after the First World War and has voted consistently Labour ever since 1979, and mostly Labour since 1918. This is a predominantly working-class area — further evidence that the Conservatives have picked up working class, so-called left-behind areas abandoned by the increasingly liberal, urban Labour party.

Workington: Con GAIN

CON: 49.3% (+7.6)
LAB: 39.2% (-11.9)
BREX: 4.2% (+4.2)
LDEM: 3.7% (+1.0)
IND (Cockburn): 2.0%

Swing: Lab to Con (+9.8)
Turnout: 67.8%
Full results: t.co/wVfQPUtvng #GE2019

— Britain Elects (@britainelects) December 13, 2019

UPDATE 0110 — Tories enjoy strong swing in key Nuneaton seat

Nuneaton was the key seat in the 2016 Brexit referendum — for many pundits seeing the key bellwether had voted to leave the European Union was the giveaway that Britain as a whole would do so.



The Conservative MP for the town Marcus Jones has dramatically increased his majority to over 13,000 tonight — up from 4,700 in 2017. This is an absolutely major swing for the Conservatives in a swing seat that had been Labour for decades before Jones won the seat for the Tories in 2010.

Labour's majority down in every seat declared so far: t.co/pHAmhckPls pic.twitter.com/OcitkScDBi

— Britain Elects (@britainelects) December 13, 2019

UPDATE 0030 — About Blythe Valley…


Landslide: Conservatives Take Seat Held By Labour For Nearly 70 Years t.co/NHDphi75C4

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 13, 2019

UPDATE 2335 — Newcastle Upon Tyne wins the race to first to declare

Labour has retained the seat of Newcastle central, the city returning Chi Onwurah to Parliament again. Her vote fell by 2,500 — interestingly near exactly the same number of votes the Brexit Party achieved.

Sunderland followed shortly after, also returning a Labour MP — Bridget Phillipson. Her vote also fell considerably — again by a similar number of votes to the Brexit Party, who enjoyed a decent showing with 15.5 per cent of the vote to Labour’s 40.7 per cent.

We’ve also had the first Tory MP of the night — the Conservatives have taken Blyth Valley from Labour, overturning a strong majority to take the seat by 600 or so seats. The Conservatives have a ten per cent swing in this key seat — considered a key to the rest of the night’s results.

647 seats to go…

UK, Blyth Valley constituency: this seat has voted for a CON-ECR Member of Parliament for the first time since its formation in 1950.

It has been won by LAB-S&D for its entire history. #GE2019 #GeneralElection2019 #GeneralElection19 t.co/4XH1bA4pqe

— Europe Elects (@europeelects) December 12, 2019

UPDATE 2300 — Twitter responds

Because our political class lives on Twitter, here are some choice responses:

Boris Johnson is obviously happy:

Thank you to everyone across our great country who voted, who volunteered, who stood as candidates. We live in the greatest democracy in the world. pic.twitter.com/1MuEMXqWHq

— Boris Johnson (@borisjohnson) December 12, 2019

But Labour’s David Lammy is not:

This looks abysmal. The result will be devastating for communities like mine all around the country who are now facing five years of Boris Johnson with unchecked power. I am more fearful for our country than at any point in my lifetime.

— David Lammy (@davidlammy) December 12, 2019

Hollywood luvvie Hugh Grant — who has been campaigning for anti-Brexit candidates this election — is also not a happy fellow:

There goes the neighbourhood.

— Hugh Grant (@hackedoffhugh) December 12, 2019

He’s joined by Labour’s Jess Phillips

There are very few words for how heartbroken I am for the community I represent who have been through enough.

— Jess Phillips Esq., (@jessphillips) December 12, 2019

Oh dear…

I’m so, so sorry guys. Just utterly devastating. Brexit just smashed us. Keeping together an electoral coalition of Remainers and Leavers as the country bitterly divided just became impossible.

— Owen Jones🌹 (@owenjones84) December 12, 2019

An important point — you either believe in democracy, or you don’t:

I cannot imagine how so many people in England can have been quite so stupid

Sorry, but it has to be said

— Richard Murphy (@richardjmurphy) December 12, 2019

UPDATE 2230 — How would this result compare to elections past?

A majority of 368, if the exit poll is correct, is obviously nothing like any election result the United Kingdom has seen in the past decade. The last time any UK party exceeded that number was the then left-centrist Labour party in its 1997 landslide under europhile globalist Tony Blair, who won 418 seats.



The last Tory win of such a magnitude was Margaret Thatcher in 1983, when she won 397 seats, a majority of 144 seats.

Read more at Breitbart London:

Latest: If the UK election exit poll is correct, the Conservatives will have won their best victory since the days of Thatcher t.co/yh5fHXAdy3

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 12, 2019

UPDATE 2203 — Exit polls suggest enormous Conservative majority, Labour collapse

The exit poll has now been released, and if the figures are to be believed — bearing in mind even this poll has got it wrong before — there will be champagne corks popping in Conservative headquarters.

While the Conservatives needed nine seats to control the house, the prediction is they would actually gain 50, taking them to 368. This is a majority of 86 over Labour — a potentially major achievement that would give the Conservatives the largest majority for the party in decades.

UPDATE 2200 — Polls close

Polling stations have now closed, leaving the not inconsequential task of counting. Sealed crates of paper ballots will be transported to local government counts around the country where they will be counted and verified, before the constituency returning officer declares the results.

We’re in for a long night.

The Day So Far

British electoral law prevents journalists from reporting on many aspects of the day so not to influence voters on the day they actually cast their ballots — but some unusual events have permeated the shutdown.

Police in Motherwell, Scotland were called to a polling station in the early hours of this morning after a “suspicious device” was spotted. The incident was deemed sufficiently serious that the surrounding area was evacuated before a bomb disposal robot was sent in to destroy the device.

Police subsequently revealed the object was not a “viable” bomb, but arrested a 48-year-old man. Information about the identity of the suspect, or a potential motive.

Britain Goes to the Polls in So-Called ‘Brexit Election’ t.co/PaC7fneemJ

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 12, 2019

Why is this election happening? A potted history of Brexit

British politics has been in an unusually intense state of political activity in recent years, with the watershed moment arguably coming in 2014 — meaning the British people have been in a state of near-constant debates, coverage, and national votes for half a decade.

This has been largely down to Brexit — Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union — probably the defining political feature of this generation.

Then Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron promised Eurosceptics an in-out referendum way back in 2013, a major concession but an easy concession for him to make. Not only did Cameron not believe the country would vote for it — offering the vote would allow him to silence anti-Europe critics within his own party for a generation — but he said he would only give in in 2015 or later, after a general election he did not believe he would win.

This promise became complicated for him when the British people voted Nigel Farage’s UKIP into first place in the 2014 European Union elections. Not only did this knock Cameron’s Conservatives off the top perch in the European Parliament, it meant an overtly Eurosceptic party had won a national election for the first time.

With the following year came the 2015 general election Cameron did not expect to win — but win he did, and this time without the need of a coalition partner — leaving him with a manifesto promise to give that EU referendum to the British people. The pollsters had failed to predict the outcome of the 2015 election, and after a failed attempt to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the European Union to make remaining seem more appealing, the pollsters got it wrong in 2016 when they failed to predict the outcome of the referendum.

The British people voted to leave the European Union, giving Brexit the greatest political mandate for any issue or government in British political history. But rather than taking the message — the vote threw into crisis a government which had been whole-blooded in its support for the losing side — David Cameron resigned as prime minister within hours of the news coming in.

Then followed Prime Minister Theresa May, elevated to the leadership of the Conservative Party after frontrunner Boris Johnson dropped out of the race. May — a Remain supporter who nonetheless promised to deliver Brexit — was determined to get a new parliament to carry her plan through, but bungled the 2017 snap general election and put the events in motion that inevitably led to today’s general election.

After two years of, at times, torturous ‘negotiations’ with the European Union, May found herself unable to pass her Brexit deal through a House of Commons her party had no majority in. While she clung onto power, it was Nigel Farage again winning the European Parliament elections — in 2019 under a newly concocted Brexit Party banner — that finally brought the curtain down on May’s reign.

Mr Farage in the meanwhile credited himself with the scalp of a second Conservative prime minister in three years.

Reigns of the Conservative Party now passed to Boris Johnson, Britain again moved into another period of renegotiation with the European Union. This more swiftly concluded, the so-called deal again failed to pass through Parliament, Johnson having inherited the same hung fractious, broadly anti-Brexit parliament that had frustrated Theresa May.

Hence today’s snap election — after several attempts, Boris Johnson finally got the blessing of Parliament to hold fresh votes. While Brexit is far from the only issue at stake, it has certainly been the most discussed — hence the British press dubbing this the ‘Brexit election’.

Yet despite that, it will be the fifth national vote in five calendar years — and the fourth dominated by Brexit. Whether this will be the last Brexit election or not, depends on the polls and the coming months and years.

[soonernvolved]

www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-british-labour-party-leader-jeremy-corbyn-stepping-down-after-devastating-loss

Far-left British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced that he plans to resign as leader of the party after it was blown out by the Conservative Party in the U.K. General Election.

Corbyn’s decision to step down comes after Conservatives dominated the election winning 368 seats, giving them an 86 seat majority, while the Labour Party only won 191 seats.

“I want to also make it clear that I will not lead the party in any future general election campaign,” Corbyn said. “I will discuss with our party to ensure there is a process now of reflection on this result and on the policies that the party will take going forward and I will lead the party during that period to ensure that the discussion takes place as we move on into the future.”


“Because I am very proud of the trust that a half million members put in me to lead this party, I am very proud of the way that we fought this election campaign,” Corbyn continued. “We did not descend into the gutter, we did not undertake personal abuse, we undertook the take of getting a message of hope and justice to every part of this country.”

WATCH:

Former Labour interior minister Alan Johnson responded to the election results by saying of Corbyn: “We knew he was incapable of leading. He’s worse than useless.”

“The exit poll spells disaster for the main opposition Labour party which was projected to win just 191 seats — its worst result since 1935,” AFP reported, noting that Corbyn “focused Labour’s campaign on a radical programme of economic change, including nationalising key industries, which failed to woo traditional voters.”

“Corbyn was also personally deeply unpopular and dogged by accusations of sympathising with proscribed terror groups and failing to tackle anti-Semitism within the Labour party,” AFP continued. “If confirmed, it will be Labour’s fourth successive electoral defeat — and the second under Corbyn — which could see the party out of power until 2024.”

Sky News Political Correspondent Lewis Goodall tweeted out a quote from sources in the Labour Party who said that the party lost because Corbyn was an anti-Semite who did not understand economics:

Click to find out more about a new promotion
Don't miss this content from our sponsor

Labour source: ‘This is a damning verdict on the Corbyn project. If the exit poll is accurate then jeremy Corbyn, Karie Murphy and Seamus Milne will have done more to bring about the end of the Labour Party than the Conservative Party ever could. Their position is untenable.’

Labour source: ‘Any attempt to blame this on Brexit is folly. The one thing that came up time and time again from voters – Corbyn. Whether that was his support of the IRA, his antisemitism or limited grasp of economics. He was the problem.’

Another Labour source: ‘Leadership will try and blame it on Brexit but that’s bollocks. Speak to any candidate. They know what the problem was. And it was much more than Brexit.’

The Conservative Party’s blow out win over the far-left Labour Party comes after socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) meddled in the election by sharing promoting Corbyn and encouraging British citizens to vote for him.

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/12/boris-johnson-outshines-anti-brexit-old-conservative-guard-pm-john-major/

Go Woke, Go Broke: Brexiteer Boris Projected To Win Majority Four Times Larger Than Remoaner John Major

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is projected to have secured the largest Conservative victory since Margaret Thatcher, confirming the British public’s belief in Brexit and laying waste to the anti-Brexit old guard Conservative establishment, including former Prime Minister John Major.

According to exit polls, Boris Johnson is projected secure a 86 seat majority in Britain’s snap ‘Brexit general election’. If the exit polls prove to have been correct, the convincing mandate should allow Mr Johnson to deliver Brexit, despite the best efforts of former PM John Major, a Remainer, who campaigned against Boris and Brexit.




Mr Johnson’s projected majority would be over four times larger than the 21 seat majority secured by former Europhile Prime Minister Sir John Major in 1992.

Last week, Sir John Major joined with Tony Blair, the former left-wing Labour Prime Minister, to urge British voters to vote tactically to derail Boris Johnson’s ability to take the United Kingdom out of the European Union and finally deliver Brexit after over three years since the referendum.

Want Breaking News from Breitbart Direct to Your Inbox? Takes Just 2 Seconds...
Enter your email address
SIGN UP
Return of the Globalists: Blair, Major, Clegg, and Heseltine Fortify Campaign to Kill Brexit t.co/iKDTGrswBl

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) October 17, 2018

Sir John described Brexit as “the worst foreign policy decision in my lifetime”, and said that: “It will affect nearly every single aspect of our lives for many decades to come. It will make our country poorer and weaker. It will hurt most those who have least. Never have the stakes been higher, especially for the young. Brexit may even break up our historic United Kingdom.”

“Your vote is absolutely crucial… for you have the longest lease on our country’s future and our place in the wider world. Don’t wake up on Friday 13 December and regret not making a choice. So choose the future you believe in… for your own generation and the next”, the former prime minister added.

In response, Boris Johnson described his predecessor’s views as “outdated” saying that: “He represents a view that is outdated, alas. I respect him and his record. I must respectfully disagree with my illustrious predecessor and urge people on Thursday, ‘Come on, let’s get this thing done’.”

Two National Votes and 32 Months Later, Former PMs Call for Another One Year Brexit Delay t.co/ZXCAwEDmL2

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) March 8, 2019

Sir John has been in a deep struggle against Boris Johnson and the pro-sovereignty Brexit movement, even going so far as to join a legal battle to challenge Boris Johnson’s suspension of parliament in August, despite suspending parliament himself in 1997.

The europhile former prime minister has long-held an anti-Brexit position.



“One day, I confidently predict, the young ones will reenter the EU or form a new alliance with them”, said the 76-year-old former Tory prime minister in October.

“I have been a critic of Brexit, and I remain so. I think it’s bad for the UK, bad for the EU and bad for Europe, and a colossal mistake”, he added.

Boris Johnson’s projected landslide victory would be a clear endorsement of Brexit by the British public and rejection of the anti-Brexit old Tory guard, including Sir John. Whether the poll is correct will become clear in the coming hours, as more seats confirm the local vote and return members of parliament across Friday morning. Read more at the Breitbart London live wire.

Ex-PM Who Suspended Parliament Joins Legal Challenge to Boris Suspending Parliament t.co/9cxCMw8g15

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) August 30, 2019

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/12/uk-election-conservatives-take-seat-held-by-labour-for-nearly-70-years/

UK Election: Conservatives Take Seat Held By Labour For Nearly 70 Years

The Conservative Party have beaten Labour in the seat of Blyth Valley which has been held by the Labour party for nearly 70 years — since it was created in 1950.

The result is one of the first to be reported following the exit polls which suggested the Tories could win a landslide majority of 86 in the House of Commons with an estimated 368 seats, while Labour is estimated to be down to just 191. The potential Labour collapse is particularly serious as it takes the party below the 200-seat level considered normal for an opposition party.




The Tory candidate Ian Levy took the long-standing Labour seat with a 712 vote majority and former House of Commons Speaker, a noted anti-Brexiteer, John Bercow labelled the loss as “catastrophic.”

According to Chronicle Live, Mr Levy is a lifelong resident of the area and the win is his second attempt at becoming the MP for the area. The Northumberland Conservatives have also claimed that his ancestors have lived int he area for at least 500 years.

Blyth Valley is located in the North East in Northumberland, which, in 2016, voted to leave the European Union in the Brexit Referendum by a vote of 54.11 per cent to 45.89 percent.

The North East of England has traditionally been a stronghold for Labour for decades but has also been one of the heartlands for the Brexit vote. Blyth Valley has been safely in the hands of Labour for decades — the fact it has now fallen to Boris Johnson’s Conservatives is indicative of the broader swing in the country.

Labour's majority down in every seat declared so far: t.co/pHAmhckPls pic.twitter.com/OcitkScDBi

— Britain Elects (@britainelects) December 13, 2019

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/12/boris-johnson-new-government-deliver-will-people-brexit/

Boris: Election Has Given Tories a ‘Powerful Mandate to Get Brexit Done’

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that if exit polls are correct and the Conservatives are returned to power with a strong majority, then the new government will have “the chance to respect the democratic will of the British people”.

Exit polls have predicted a Tory victory, gaining seats from Labour, with Sky News predicting as of 4 am on Friday that the Conservatives could have a House of Commons majority of as many as 76 to 88 seats. Johnson was re-elected to his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat, holding it with 25,351 votes with Labour in second with 18,141.




Whilst still dealing with projections and not wanting to “tempt fate”, Prime Minister Johnson said with optimism: “This one-nation Conservative government has been given a powerful new mandate to get Brexit done.

Breitbart TV



Play Video
CLICK TO PLAY

Brexit MEP: Euro Currency ‘Financial Dictatorship’

“And not just to get Brexit done, but to unite this country and to take it forward and to focus on the priorities of the British people,” he said from the counting centre in Uxbridge.

Want Breaking News from Breitbart Direct to Your Inbox? Takes Just 2 Seconds...
Enter your email address
SIGN UP

Britain’s Prime Minister and Conservative leader Boris Johnson (C) waits with the other candidates on stage to hear the result of the race to be MP for Uxbridge and Ruislip South at the count centre in Uxbridge, west London, on December 13, 2019 after votes were counted as part of the UK general election. – Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ruling party appeared on course for a sweeping victory in Thursday’s snap election, an exit poll showed, paving the way for Britain to leave the EU next month after years of political deadlock. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

It has almost become a tradition in British politics for fringe parties like the Monster Raving Loony Party to field candidates in handfuls of constituencies during elections, often wildly dressed and gaining votes in the dozens.

In the prime minister’s seat, there was no exception and with typical dry humour, Mr Johnson namechecked his rivals, saying: “I thank my fellow candidates in all their glory, Lord Buckethead, Elmo, and others.”



Prime Minister Johnson continued: “I want to thank the people of this country for turning out in a December election that we didn’t want to call but which I think has turned out to be a historic election that gives us now in this new government, the chance to respect the democratic will of the British people, to change this country for the better, and t0 unleash the potential of the entire people of this country and that is what we will now do.”

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/12/ex-labour-mayor-london-blames-corbyns-demise-jewish-vote/

The former Labour Party mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said that Boris Johnson’s predicted landslide victory spells “the end” for Jeremy Corbyn, blaming the loss on the “Jewish vote”.

In the latest antisemitic outburst from the far-left ex-Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone blamed the loss of his “close ally” Jeremy Corbyn on the 70-year-old socialist’s handling of allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party.




Mr Livingstone said: “The Jewish vote wasn’t very helpful.” He added in comments reported by The Mirror that “Jeremy should have tackled that issue far earlier than he did.”

“It looks like the end for Jeremy, which is disappointing for me since I’m a close ally. I’m sure he’ll have to resign tomorrow,” he concluded.

Want Breaking News from Breitbart Direct to Your Inbox? Takes Just 2 Seconds...
Enter your email address
SIGN UP
Jewish Voters Have ‘Deserted’ Labour Under Corbyn over Antisemitism t.co/G5Fu1TbOcJ

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 11, 2019

The far-left opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has been at the centre of a growing scandal over allegations of antisemitism within the Labour Party.

This week, Breitbart London reported that Jewish voters have largely “deserted” the Labour Party in response to allegations of antisemitism under Corbyn’s leadership, with just six per cent of Jewish voters supporting the party.

One Jewish voter said: “I am proud to be a British Jew, but for the first time, it’s also unnerving. Three of my grandparents are Holocaust survivors, and this country has been so good to them. I feel privileged to be part of this country, but it is shocking to see someone like Corbyn leading one of the main political parties.”

‘F*** the Jews, Kill the Jews’ – Senior Rabbi Beaten in Khan’s London t.co/QK47aoKHGa

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 2, 2019

Ken Livingstone has a long history of making antisemitic remarks, being suspended from the Labour Party in 2016 after making offensive remarks about Hitler and Zionism.

The arch-Remainer ex-mayor said that Hitler supported Zionism “before he went mad and ended up killing 6 million Jews”, going on to say there is a “well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic”.



Livingstone has also called the creation of the state of Israel “a great catastrophe” and said that he will “never buy” products from Israel.


“The creation of the state of Israel was a great catastrophe. We should have absorbed the post-World War II Jewish refugees in Britain and America. They could all have been resettled, whereas 70 years later, the situation is still very tense, and there is potential for many more wars, potential for nuclear war,” Livingstone said.

“I like dates, but I don’t buy dates that come from Israel,” he added.

Ken Livingstone: Creation Of Israel Was ‘A Great Catastrophe’ t.co/tc5Hilb3OT pic.twitter.com/1LY1ig4Rih

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) May 6, 2016

The Labour Party is currently under investigation over allegations that the party “unlawfully discriminated against, harassed, or victimised people because they are Jewish”.

In November the chief rabbi in the UK, Ephraim Mirvis, said that Jeremy Corbyn was unfit for office due to his handling of antisemitism allegations.

“It is a failure to see this as a human problem rather than a political one. It is a failure of culture. It is a failure of leadership. A new poison – sanctioned from the top – has taken root in the Labour Party,” Rabbi Mirvis said.

In response to the Labour Party’s projected stunning defeat, Jeremy Man Saltan, a Jewish political strategist wrote on Twitter: “If exit polls are correct the Labour Party has received the least amount of seats since 1935. Antisemitism doesn’t pay.”

If exit polls are correct the Labour Party has received the least amount of seats since 1935. Antisemitism doesn’t pay.

— Jeremy Man Saltan (@thejeremyman) December 12, 2019

Follow Kurt on Twitter @kurtzindulka

[soonernvolved]

thefederalist.com/2019/12/12/joe-biden-promises-to-restore-obamas-disastrous-campus-kangaroo-courts/

Joe Biden Promises To Restore Obama’s Disastrous Campus Kangaroo Courts
By signaling his intention to restore unfair Title IX guidance, Biden is showing his willingness to eviscerate due process to please far-left activists.
Inez Feltscher StepmanBy Inez Feltscher Stepman
DECEMBER 12, 2019
Joe Biden has learned nothing from the Title IX due process disaster plaguing America’s campuses. The former vice president has released a plan on his website to restore the Obama administration’s infamous 2011 Dear Colleague letter, which Biden’s plan describes as outlining how to “fairly conduct Title IX proceedings.” In reality, the Dear Colleague letter introduced a monstrously unfair process that has forced hundreds of young men to sue for their rights — and reputations — in federal courts.

An accused’s rights to confront his or her accuser through cross examination and to have a neutral adjudicator have long been considered the very basics of due process. In the name of protecting women, the 2011 guidance encouraged universities to abandon these well-tested pillars in favor of a single-investigator model, in which a Title IX administrator both elicits the stories from the involved parties and rules on the outcome. The Dear Colleague letter also pushed universities into lowering the standard of proof and discouraged any kind of cross examination that might probe discrepancies in an alleged victim’s story.


Cynthia Garrett is a California attorney and co-president of Families Advocating for Campus Equality (FACE), an organization that advocates for due process and offers resources to the falsely accused. She says she is deeply concerned that Biden appears to be unaware of the downsides of the 2011 guidance.

“It’s particularly concerning that a presidential candidate seems oblivious to the unintended repercussions of a policy he championed. Over 500 lawsuits have been filed by accused students since the 2011 Dear Colleague letter, resulting in at least 161 court decisions in these students’ favor and over 100 pre-decision settlements,” Garrett said.

She also added that to her knowledge, Biden did not even reach out to organizations concerned about due process or any of the families of those suing their universities before pronouncing the Obama administration action an unalloyed good that should be restored.

Under Secretary Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s Department of Education withdrew the Obama-era guidance and proposed a new, fairer rule, which among other changes ensures that those accused of Title IX misconduct on campus have access to a fair adjudicator, the advice of counsel, and the ability to question (through third parties) their accusers. Now, leading Democratic candidate Biden says he will restore the madhouse that federal judges have excoriated as “enough to shock the Court’s conscience.”


Many got their first up-close look at the kangaroo court processes often used to adjudicate allegations of sexual assault on college campuses during the confirmation of now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh. At that time, regardless of their beliefs about the truth of the allegations, nearly 70 percent of Americans were appalled by the mishandled process.

Is it any wonder that in the wake of watching the Kavanaugh hearings, in which a man with an impeccable record had his reputation nationally and permanently trashed by allegations countered by all the available evidence, more American men reported they’d rather be falsely accused of murder than sexual misconduct? In that same poll, almost 60 percent of both the men and women surveyed said society presumes a man accused of sexual assault to be guilty.

While we should of course have sympathy for victims of sexual assault, the unfair process Biden blithely promises to restore has victims as well. FACE collects some of their stories, mostly anonymized to protect the young men and their families still traumatized and ashamed by their experiences with unfair campus adjudication.

It’s doubtless true that many women have negative experiences in the alcohol-fueled hookup culture prevalent on most American universities, but attempting to cram the genie back in the bottle with over-broad definitions of consent and unfair processes just creates more victims. And the kangaroo processes necessary to punish men for failing to read women’s minds in ambiguous situations infantilize women, as well as cheapen the experiences of real rape victims.


Acknowledgement and sympathy for victims must not come at the expense of the most critical principles underlying American justice, which protect men and women alike. By signaling his intention to restore the Obama administration’s unfair guidance, Biden is showing voters he is willing to eviscerate those principles to please far-left activists.

[redrex]

Saw an interview with Jerry Nadler------Is he standing in a hole?

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/13/exclusive-ortiz-boris-johnson-election-victory-is-bad-news-for-democrats/amp/

Boris Johnson’s dominant election victory in the U.K. national election this week is great news for the U.S., yet terrible news for the Democratic Party.

Defying the pundits, Johnson romped to a majority government in the biggest conservative victory since Lady Thatcher in the 1980s. The win was just the latest for the silent majority that wants good governance in contrast to the bellicose activists who desire socialism.

Like midwestern voters in the U.S. in 2016, working-class voters in the economically-distressed industrial areas of Northern England — traditionally a Labour Party constituency — pulled the lever for a Conservative Party that will give them a hand up not a handout. The Labour Party was decimated, winning its fewest seats since 1935.

The outcome should make Democrats nervous. The Labour Party candidate, Jeremy Corbyn, is a socialist who promised to nationalize vast swaths of the U.K. economy. He enjoys support from adolescents, activists, and actors but not ordinary workers. He’s a dour and depressing curmudgeon. In other words, he would be right at home in the Democratic presidential primary field.

Joe Biden has already trumpeted the results to argue that a radical leftist cannot win a national election. “Look what happens,” he said, when you move “so, so far to the left.” And yet the Democratic presidential candidates continue to trip over themselves to see who can get farthest to the left on taxes, healthcare, education, regulations, and energy.

The growing number of suburban voters who will determine the next election are centrists, not socialists. They want a good economy to provide for their families and pay off their mortgages. By sucking trillions of dollars from these communities in the form of tax increases and burdening local businesses with over-regulation, the Democratic Party threatens the economic growth to which they have become accustomed thanks to Trump.

The U.K. results also demonstrate how voters want charismatic leaders in the mold of Johnson and Trump who embody the national spirit. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and their travelers, by contrast, have about as much personality as the average government bureaucrat. Biden called Johnson “a physical and emotional clone” of Trump. That’s a bit much, but it’s not far off in spirit. Biden’s description would be better-suited for Corbyn and Warren/Sanders.

Aside from politics, the Johnson victory is great news for U.S. policy. It will allow the U.K. to finally achieve Brexit, which the British deep state has been stalling for years against voters’ wishes. Johnson has reiterated his promise to take the country out of the European Union by January 31st.

Brexit will free a globally competitive and relatively free-market Britain from the socialist vestige of continental Europe that’s run by an army of bureaucrats in Brussels and Strasbourg. The British Pound surged by two percent on the election news.

Britain will be free to negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement with the U.S. without interference from the EU intelligentsia. This will allow President Trump to follow up on his recent trade wins this week on the USMCA and the Phase One agreement with China. Small businesses and ordinary workers in both countries will benefit from access to new markets and new opportunities.

“Britain and the United States will now be free to strike a massive new Trade Deal after BREXIT,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “This deal has the potential to be far bigger and more lucrative than any deal that could be made with the EU.”

“You may only have lent us your vote,” said Johnson to the electorate in his victory speech. The same could be said about the many traditional Democrats who supported Trump in 2016. But by continuing to reach out to these voters with economic opportunity — while pointing out the inevitable consequences of socialist policies — conservatives like Johnson and Trump can keep these votes for good.

[soonernvolved]

They simply can not admit that they are wrong and are being rejected by the voting masses:

www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/former-hillary-clinton-aide-blames-unadulterated-racism-and-xenophobia-for-boris-johnson-victory

Former Hillary Clinton aide blames 'unadulterated racism and xenophobia' for Boris Johnson victory

One of Hillary Clinton’s former aides reacted to the apparent Conservative Party victory in the United Kingdom’s election by tying racism and xenophobia to the win.

Peter Daou, who was Clinton’s internet director during her 2008 presidential campaign, expressed his displeasure with the results on Twitter on Thursday.

“Never underestimate the impact of unadulterated racism and xenophobia in the election of rightwing white males around the world,” Daou, who also worked on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, said.

Daou has recently been an advocate of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and has spoken against the Democratic establishment.

“I was a vocal Hillary Clinton supporter, and now I've moved to a position where I think that the Democratic Party establishment needs to change,” Daou recently told Politico. “Bernie Sanders is the sole candidate advocating for systemic change — democratic socialism, really questioning the capitalist system, questioning the entire establishment.”

Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 55, is projected to win 368 seats in Britain's Thursday election, according to an exit poll by U.K. broadcasters. The win could potentially grant the Conservative Party an 86-seat majority, a number larger than anticipated.

[soonernvolved]

So, Russia wanted the socialists & communists to lose?

www.dailywire.com/news/russia-collusion-conspiracy-theorists-take-their-show-global-now-claim-russia-meddled-in-u-k-election

Russia Collusion Conspiracy Theorists Take Their Show Global, Now Claim Russia Meddled In U.K Election

The Left continues to use its ready-made excuse for election losses: Just claim Russia meddled. The most prolific purveyors of this excuse (which is only used when the Left loses) are the co-founders of Fusion GPS, the research firm hired by Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee in 2016 to tie then-candidate Donald Trump to Russia.

Though the work of Fusion GPS, which culminated in the “Steele Dossier,” has been almost entirely discredited, its founders were allowed to pen an op-ed in The Guardian. Glenn Simpson and Peter Fritsch are now claiming that the “British political system has become thoroughly compromised by Russian influence.”

“The efforts in both countries had much in common. They were aided by a transatlantic cast of characters loosely organised around the Trump and Brexit campaigns. Many of them worked in concert and interacted with Russians close to the Kremlin. The outcome in both countries was also eerily similar,” the pair wrote. “Both countries have been at war with themselves in the three years since, pulling them back from the international stage at a time when Putin has consolidated his position in Crimea, Ukraine, Syria and beyond.”

[soonernvolved]

thefederalist.com/2019/12/13/boris-johnson-cracked-the-code-for-a-reagan-coalition-in-great-britain/

Boris Johnson Cracked The Code For A Reagan Coalition In Great Britain
It is far easier for the right to compromise on economics than for the left to compromise on culture, religion, and nationalism. And that is the formula conservatives need to remember.
Sumantra MaitraBy Sumantra Maitra
DECEMBER 13, 2019
As I came back from my office at the university, the cab driver was asking me about what I teach in politics a day before the British elections. A big NewCastle guy, with an affable Northern accent, this guy voted Remain in the European Union elections and has been a lifelong voter for Labour.

For those who have no idea about the electoral map of the United Kingdom, the entire Midlands and North of England are traditional working-class Labour voters since Margaret Thatcher broke the back of trade unionism in the 1980s. These people were taught in their households, in no uncertain terms, that voting for posh urban southern Conservatives is a cardinal sin and they have more in common with the Scots north of the border than their fellow Englishmen down south.


This guy, however, said that he would vote for Conservative Boris Johnson, reluctantly: “What’s the point of a vote, if the results are not even honored? We voted for Brexit as a country, even when I voted for Remain. Chin up and move on.” It was then I knew Labour was toast. If a traditional Anglican working-class bloke from NewCastle can vote Conservative, even in anger or apathy, then we are living in a very different world.

The election results are still coming in as I write, and the Conservatives are on course to get a bigger majority than Thatcher’s. No word can adequately express the result. A rout, a massacre, a thumping—nothing explains the political earthquake that just happened.

It also highlights a few important trends that should be urgently studied and emulated by conservatives across the world. The former Eton-Oxford Classics scholar, former successful two-term mayor of liberal London, former editor of world’s oldest English magazine The Spectator, a chubby cosmopolitan blonde who can recite The Iliad in ancient Greek and lecture on the usage of ascending tricolons in the speeches of Winston Churchill, has just cracked the code of outright long-term conservative majority. This is the Reagan coalition of Britain at work.

This election consolidates that hypothesis that the old definitions of left and right are obsolete. It hasn’t mattered which political party’s badge was before your name in the last 20 years. The fundamental difference in Western politics now is cultural, and is between Westphalian sovereignty and unifying nationalism on one hand, and complete individualist internationalism and rule by technocratic institutions on the other.


Brexit was not a one-off, nor were the elections in Australia, India, and even the United States, not to mention non-Anglosphere countries like Brazil and most of Central and Eastern Europe. The nationalism in question here isn’t one based on race or ethnicity. Every BBC interview was showing British people of Nigerian, Indian, Hong-Kong Chinese, and even European heritage, saying why they voted Conservative.

Naturally, there were instinctive reactions from the left to blame it on racism and xenophobia, but statistics prove otherwise. There was one particular interview on BBC, where three Labour voters from the heart of England who never voted Conservative in their entire lives talked about how surreal it was to not vote Labour.

There will be swings in the future, and some of those seats will go back to Labour again, but a healthy, civic nationalism is a vote winner. If anything, this election just proved again that Twitter is not a country, and a majority of the conservatives and moderates do not use or are not strongly influenced by social media.

Added to that was the Corbyn effect. No matter how radicalized the universities are, traditional working-class people are patriotic. They won’t likely support a man or a woman who hates his or her own flag. Whether it’s those taking the knee in the United States, or the ones supporting Hamas in the United Kingdom, they’ve given a key lesson that Conservatives should not only remember, but implement. Loyalty to the land beneath your feet, regardless of culture, race, or background, is a uniting and winning factor.


Another important revelation was that neither Trotskyist socialism nor woke liberalism sells. As was inevitable, there is already bickering between the two factions of the left as to whose messaging flopped, but the answer, in reality, was both. The hard-left nationalized industrialization of Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was a throwback to an era that simply does not reflect the reality anymore.

We don’t live in the times of Charles Dickens, and the largest class of people in the planet are the middle class, who won’t favor a complete overhaul of economic systems. The Anglo-American culture favors the “right to property.” It is in the DNA of the political system we inherit.

To grow the massive government to increase middle-class taxation to fund a supposedly egalitarian society is perhaps workable in a tiny country like Iceland or Sweden or New Zealand, but has never succeeded and will never sell in larger democracies. That doesn’t mean that opportunities should not be provided for the vulnerable and the needy, but overall the middle class will revolt the moment they must pay a heavy tax burden to subsidize others.

That being said, far-left messaging was also not a winner. This election in Britain had it all, from the Liberal Democratic leader Jo Swinson saying transgender people are equal to biological women, to Corbyn pronouncing his pronouns in political ads, to the climate hysteria by the Green Party. Only one individual outright rejected such focus group nonsense, and that was Johnson.


In a certain way, the win of Boris, with his uber-masculine persona compared to a Marxist gardener, or a Guardian- and Jezebel-designed feminist, was something that Britain almost forgot exists. People still like leaders. And leaders should lead. It was a harkening back to 1980s-style conservatism, a focus on Reagan-Thatcher messaging of free trade, with a sublime Gordon Gekko aggression, but a promise to look after the working class left out by globalization.

How to balance these contradictory urges will be a challenge for the Conservatives in the future, but so far, the majority in Britain elected for a combination of free-trade and freedom from the EU, with generous health care and law enforcement spending promises.

The result of this election is difficult to explain to non-Brits, with seats like Wrexham, Blythe, Burnley, and Sedgwick going to Conservatives, and North England and Midlands seats, which have not voted Conservative since the 1930s, or some since the formation in 1920s. Consider Kentucky voting for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in the presidential election, and you might get an idea of the scale of re-orientation undergoing in British politics.

Once the smoke disappears, it might be that Boris has been the most successful coalition builder conservative in Anglo-American politics since Reagan. As professor Matthew Goodwin wrote, it is far easier for the right to move left on economics than the left to move right on culture and nationalism. And that is a recipe for the permanent defeat of the Marxist/intersectional/internationalist left.

Perhaps in the future there will be a return of a normal, nationalist, Jim Webb left, but that seems unlikely, as the transgender left and Trotskyist left fight over the carcass of Western social democracy. I am as conservative as they come, but this complete eradication of any form of sane, healthy left-wing opposition is a tragedy for any democracy.

Boris can shape conservative politics and consolidate a right-wing cultural hegemony, if he so chooses. The real test will come in the next few months, with the trade negotiations starting with both the EU and the United States. That is where Conservatives will face major challenges.

There will be a lot of news about Scotland and what that means for Scottish independence, but the fact remains that in any Scottish referendum, the split Labour, Conservative, and Liberal voters will unite to form the Unionist chunk. The bigger issue would be to decide what direction the nation goes.

If Boris can continue with this Reagan coalition of social-conservative working-class votes, a punch back against the woke intersectional left, a generous Gaullist social security for the elderly, strong law and order, a re-orientation of the propaganda centers of our erstwhile education institutions, as well as free trade with the rest of the Anglosphere, especially India, Australia, and the United States, it might be possible that he has cracked the formula for a long Conservative future. Other Conservatives should take note of that formula.

Sumantra Maitra is a doctoral researcher at the University of Nottingham, UK, and a senior contributor to The Federalist. His research is in great power-politics and neorealism. You can find him on Twitter @mrmaitra.

[soonernvolved]

thefederalist.com/2019/12/13/take-note-democrats-the-uk-election-was-a-referendum-on-progressivism/

Take Note, Democrats: The UK Election Was A Referendum On Progressivism
DECEMBER 13, 2019 By Erielle Davidson
Last night, in a historic election, the UK Conservative Party celebrated its most sweeping victory since Margaret Thatcher, the original “Euroskeptic,” won the election for Prime Minister in 1987. The election had been regarded as particularly momentous, given the UK’s recent struggles to bring the much-debated Brexit to fruition. The Conservative Party won 364 seats in UK Parliament, compared to Labour’s 204, catapulting Conservative leader Boris Johnson to the position of Prime Minister. It was the worst defeat for Labour since 1935.

But in addition to Brexit woes, the election was also saddled with the baggage of the UK Labour Party and its controversial leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Over the past several years, Labour has been mired in accusations of anti-semitism, which seemed to plague both its members and leaders. The accusations culminated in nearly a dozen members of the party opting to defect in protest of Corbyn’s incapacity to deal with what many felt to be a rising culture of toxicity within Labour.


Just last week, a leaked memo written by Jewish Labour members to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the UK’s official regulatory body devoted to issues of discrimination, revealed the depths to which both the party and Corbyn had minimized, dismissed, or simply ignored accusations of anti-semitism within Labour, often identifying such criticisms to be a “right-wing smear.” Several times in an interview with BBC’s Andrew Neil last month, Corbyn failed to offer any sort of substantive apology, even when confronted with the statistic that nearly a half of British Jews were “seriously considering” leaving the UK, should Corbyn win the election.

There were other problems with Corbyn, too. As documented here, the Labour leader has a long history of palling around with terrorists, attending their conferences, referring to them as “friends,” and laying wreaths on their graves. Corbyn’s behavior could only be regarded as the seediest form of anti-Westernism, not one that posits anti-Western sentiment within a philosophical framework, but one that finds manifestation in friendships with those who seek the West’s destruction.

Corbyn was also a full-blown socialist in the way that U.S. progressives could only dream of, advocating for nationalization of most public services and some large national industries, nuclear disarmament of the UK, staggering increases in taxes on the wealthy, and softening tactics on combatting terrorism. Corbyn would have been the first self-identified socialist to lead the United Kingdom in 40 years.

But Corbyn’s dreams were swiftly dashed in an election whose results brought a sigh of relief to many. But lingering questions remain as to how the country formerly led by Winston Churchill could ever have come so close as to falling in the hands of a socialist, anti-Semitic, terrorist-sympathizer.

The crushing defeat of Corbyn, while reinvigorating for the project of Western democracy, may be a warning bell for the American Left, who continues to toy with the policies espoused unequivocally by Labour—including their affection for anti-Semitism. If the Left’s meltdown this week in response to Trump’s Executive Order protecting Jewish college students is any indication, there doesn’t seem to be much consensus on the Left regarding what is more important—hating Trump or combatting anti-Semitism.

After witnessing this election unfold, it became abundantly clear that the base of the American Democratic Party and the base of the UK Labour have a disconcerting amount in common. Both identify as radically progressive and encourage government control over vast swaths of major industries. Both embrace identity culture wholeheartedly, with the equality message nearly always excluding Jews in some fashion. Both espouse anti-Israel rhetoric, often using it to cloak blatantly anti-Semitic sentiments. And both seem to have a stark antipathy to the project of Western democracy that manifests itself in disturbing way—namely, in calls for the allegedly rotten project itself to be utterly destroyed and refashioned into some utopic vision that the socialists have cooked up.

Following the election, many leftists took to Twitter to console themselves that the fate of Labour would not be the fate of the Democratic Party, searching for any meaningful distinction between Corbyn and the progressive swivel of the American Left. Indeed, the desperation was quite telling for those of us who have been reporting on the parallel lives of the two movements for nearly a year.

UK voters have spoken. In response to one of Labour’s worst defeats, Corbyn has opted to step down as leader of the party, fielding a litany of accusations from within Labour that he is to blame for the disastrous outcome.

However, Alastair Campbell, a former adviser to Tony Blair and Corbyn rival, emphasized that last night’s results were not simply a referendum on Corbyn but on Labour’s vision to upend the entire British economy. “Labour has to face some hard truths — this was not just about Corbyn but the broader worldview and an economic plan that so many people did not believe,” Campbell tweeted.

It’s unclear what comes next for Labour and if the party will pivot back to the center in an attempt to recapture the days of Tony Blair. With no clear successor to Corbyn, the party seems ripe for a refashioning of its own. In the meantime, it would be wise for American Democrats to take stock of their own progressivism and heed the warning put forth by the UK election. Indeed, as UK voters show us, it’s possible that not everyone is ready for their anti-capitalist, anti-Western utopia.

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/13/boris-time-brexit-closure-let-healing-begin/

Boris Johnson has thanked the first-time Tory voters who have handed him an “overwhelming mandate” to get Brexit done, and offered an olive branch to those who opposed him.

Speaking on the steps of Number 10 Downing Street, the modest official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Johnson related that he had been formally invited to form a new government by Queen Elizabeth II, and pledged that he would lead a “people’s government”.




“I’m proud to say that members of our new One Nation government, a people’s government, will set out from constituencies which have never returned a Conservative MP for a a hundred years,” he said, in reference to his broadly centre-right, neoliberal party’s astonishing incursion into the Labour party’s working-class heartlands.

Johnson said that his “overwhelming mandate to get Brexit done” — he has won the biggest Conservative parliamentary majority since Margaret Thatcher’s last election in the 1980s — would provide a “moment of national resolution” in a country which has been mired in Brexit squabbling from almost the moment the people voted for it, in defiance of the political establishment.

Want Breaking News from Breitbart Direct to Your Inbox? Takes Just 2 Seconds...
Enter your email address
SIGN UP
‘Celebrate Boris!’ – Trump Hails UK Election Result, ‘Massive New Trade Deal After Brexit’ t.co/qc0qkD2Hje

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 13, 2019

“I want to speak directly to those who made it possible and to all those who voted for us for the first time, and all those whose pencils may have wavered over the ballot,” Johnson said, recognising that the gains which made his victory possible came in areas where few voters are natural Tories — indeed, where the Tories have been largely despised for generations.

“I say: thank you for the trust you’ve placed in us, and in me, and we will work round the clock to repay your trust and to deliver on your priorities with a parliament that works for you,” he pledged.



“[And] to those who did not vote for us, or for me, and who wanted and perhaps still want to remain in the EU… I want you to know that we in this One Nation Conservative government will never ignore your good and positive feelings of warmth and sympathy towards the other nations on Europe,” he added in a gesture of magnanimity.

“Because now is the moment, precisely as we leave the EU, to let those natural feelings find renewed expression in building a new partnership, which is one of the great projects for next year, and as we work together with the EU as friends and sovereign equals, tackling climate change and terrorism, in building academic and scientific co-operation… I frankly urge everyone one either side of [an] increasingly arid argument, I urge everyone to find closure and to let the healing begin,” he said.

Lib Dem Leader Pushing for No Brexit, Gender Neutral Schools Loses Seat t.co/vx61sbDAwa

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 13, 2019

“What is he going to do with his extraordinary majority?” Johnson thought new voters may ask after his victory.

“We are going to unite and level up… bringing together the whole of this incredible United Kingdom… taking us forward, unleashing the potential of the whole country,” he vowed.

“fter five weeks, frankly, of electioneering, this country deserves a break from wrangling, a break from politics, and a permanent break from talking about Brexit,” the Prime Minister wrapped up.

“I want everyone to go about their Christmas preparations happy and secure in the knowledge that here in this people’s government the work is now being stepped up to make 2020 a year of prosperity and growth and hope, and to deliver a parliament that works for the people,” he said.

“Thank you all very much, and Happy Christmas”

Farage: The Brexit War Is Over t.co/5uqcOGB0ca

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 13, 2019

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/13/no-more-miserable-threats-of-a-second-referendum-as-tories-secure-biggest-majority-since-thatcher/

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that with his House of Commons majority, he will deliver Brexit by January 31st, 2020.

With just two constituencies left to call, the Conservative Party will have between a 78- and 80-seat majority in the House of Commons, giving the party its biggest majority since Margaret Thatcher was reelected in 1987. Meanwhile, Labour has had its worst election result since 1935.




In his victory speech from Westminster on Friday morning, the prime minister said in his characteristic verbosity and humour: “We did it. We pulled it off, we broke the deadlock, we ended the gridlock, we smashed the roadblock.”

He added: “With this mandate and this majority, we will be able to get Brexit done because this election means that getting Brexit done is the irrefutable, irresistible, unarguable decision of the British people. With this election, we can put an end to all those miserable threats of a second referendum.”

Want Breaking News from Breitbart Direct to Your Inbox? Takes Just 2 Seconds...
Enter your email address
SIGN UP
‘Celebrate Boris!’ – Trump Hails UK Election Result, ‘Massive New Trade Deal After Brexit’ t.co/qc0qkD2Hje

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 13, 2019

Thanking the British people, Mr Johnson also extended his “humbled” thanks to Labour voters who lent the Conservatives their votes, pledging to never take their support for granted.

He said: “You may only have lent us your vote and you may not think of yourself as a natural Tory… You may intend to return to Labour the next time around and if that is the case, I am humbled that you have put your trust in me and you have put your trust in us.

“I, and we, will never take your support for granted. I will make it my mission to work night and day, flat out, to prove you right in voting for me this time and to earn your support in the future. In this election, your voice has been heard, and about time, too.”



Labour haemorrhaged seats in Leave heartlands where the Tories made significant gains and where senior party figure John McDonnell admitted that Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party had eaten into their voting bloc. In fact, some formerly Labour seats were won by the Tories not with slim majorities, but between 2,000 and 4,000, according to an analysis by Sky News.

Farage: The Brexit War Is Over t.co/5uqcOGB0ca

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 13, 2019

Mr Johnson continued: “We will get Brexit done on time, by the 31st of January, no ifs, no buts, no maybes. Leaving the European Union as one United Kingdom, taking back control of our laws, borders, money, our trade, immigration system, delivering on the democratic mandate of the people.”

Pledging also to increase spending on the NHS, police, technology, and infrastructure, Prime Minister Johnson said that “as the nation hands us this historic mandate, we must rise to the challenge and to the level of expectations.

“Parliament must change so that we are working for you, the British people and that is what we will now do. Let’s go out and get on with it, let’s unite this country, let’s spread opportunity to every corner of the UK with super education, superb infrastructure and technology, let get Brexit done.

“But first, my friends, let’s get breakfast done, too.”

Corbyn Will Not Stand as Leader at Next Election After Crushing Defeat t.co/Sliq4oLiKr

— Breitbart London (@breitbartlondon) December 13, 2019

[soonernvolved]

www.breitbart.com/europe/2019/12/13/vice-prez-congratulates-boris-u-s-supports-strong-and-free-brexit-britain/

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has congratulated Prime Minister Boris Johnson on his historic general election win, and reiterated his country’s support for a “strong, prosperous and free United Kingdom”.

“Congratulations [Boris Johnson] on a historic win!” the Vice President wrote on social media in the wake of the results.




“The United States stands for a strong, prosperous and free United Kingdom and we look forward to striking a trade deal after Brexit is complete,” he added.

“Conservatism won in the UK last night!”

Want Breaking News from Breitbart Direct to Your Inbox? Takes Just 2 Seconds...
Enter your email address
SIGN UP
Congratulations @borisjohnson on a historic win! The United States stands for a strong, prosperous and free United Kingdom and we look forward to striking a trade deal after Brexit is complete. Conservatism won in the UK last night! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/X4sZpBfLp5

— Vice President Mike Pence (@vp) December 13, 2019

The Vice President also shared a video showcasing his support for Britain and British independence from the European Union even more explicity.

“The United States stands without apology for a strong, prosperous, and free United Kingdom,” it shows him saying on a previous visit to America’s mother country, where he had the “great honour” of meeting Boris Johnson — already Prime Minister, but at that time prevented from delivering Brexit or a domestic policy programme by a Parliament dominated by EU loyalists.

“I offered the President’s regards [to Johnson] and I assured him the United States of America supports the United Kingdom’s decision to Leave the European Union,” the video shows Pence saying.

“Our two nations will stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and we will show the world how free and fair trade can promote prosperity and peace across the globe.”

pic.twitter.com/PEIuaqox86

— Vice President Mike Pence (@vp) December 13, 2019

Like President Trump, Vice President Pence is a long-term supporter of Brexit and of the British-American special relationship.

As Governor of the State of Indiana, he famously took out full-page adverts in the British press after former president Barack Obama was invited to the United Kingdom by former prime minister David Cameron during the EU referendum campaign in 2016, to threaten the British people with being excluded from an EU-U.S. trade deal — now dead — and being sent to “the back of the queue” for a bilateral deal.



“Brexit or not, you’ll always be at the front of the queue for business in Indiana,” the adverts vowed, hailing the dozens of British businesses with a presence in the Crossroads of America.

The State of Indiana has made it clear that the UK will always be at the front of the queue for trade and business. pic.twitter.com/puhquILW4W

— Jonathan Arnott (@jonathanarnott) July 13, 2016

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @jackbmontgomery

[soonernvolved]

www.nationalreview.com/2019/12/the-u-k-elections-were-the-real-second-referendum/

In the end, it wasn’t close at all. Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party met a fate to which it has been accustomed for most of the last half-century. Once again, the British roundly rejected socialism. Boris Johnson and his conservatives will form the next British government.

This was no slight rejection. Labour lost 59 seats, putting the party in its worst position since 1935. The Tories won a majority of 78, making this their biggest victory since 1987. Every seat that the Conservatives contested swung towards them. Labor was abandoned by its traditional voting base.


There are a host of reasons that the election turned out this way. For many, last night represented a second referendum on Brexit — a chance to say, “we really meant it the first time.” For others, many of whom were not enthusiastic about Brexit in 2016, last night represented a chance to move on. One does not have to have been an ardent Leaver to have been appalled at the way in which the will of the people has been thwarted. Boris Johnson’s promise to ”get Brexit done” resonated.

Then there was Corbyn himself. It should have come as no surprise that Corbyn was most unpopular with Britons who remember the dark days of the 1970s. Britain has tried Corbyn’s ideas before, and they resulted in disastrous inflation, economic stagnation, high unemployment, routine power-cuts, industrial strife, a reduction in national prestige, and a penchant for nationalization that led to scarcity, abysmal customer service, and a virtual end to innovation. In his resignation speech, Jeremy Corbyn insisted that his policies had been popular. If they were, the British have a funny way of showing it.

Corbyn himself did not help matters. For all of his ideological lunacy, Michael Foot was an intelligent and thoughtful man with an admirable record of standing up to fascism. Jeremy Corbyn, by contrast, reminded voters of George Orwell’s sandal-and-pistachio-colored-shirt wearers, carrying with him “the smell of crankishness.” Notably, Corbyn failed to deal with the kooks, bigots, and anti-Semites that had flooded into his party, and he failed to apologize for his abdication. He equivocated on terrorism, had a history of sympathizing with dictators, and never met a radical he disliked. Put simply, he was not a man that a majority of the British people could imagine making their first minister. Boris Johnson, for all his flaws, was.


We must not overstate the appeal of Boris Johnson’s Conservative party, for Margaret Thatcher he is not. As he was obliged to do, Boris struck an ingenious bargain with the electorate: Trust me to deliver Brexit, and I will act as a centrist elsewhere. It is this bargain that explains how the Conservatives won over so many voters who, in any other circumstance, would never dream of voting Conservative. It is this bargain that explains why it was so difficult for Labour to convince its rank-and-file to stay loyal.

NOW WATCH: 'Culture with Kat Timpf: The U.S. Should Follow Oklahoma's Example on Inmate Releases'

Once Brexit is done and dusted, the Tories will face a challenge: How to govern a country more generally in the name of an electorate that sent them there to achieve Brexit. How they answer that question will define British politics for a generation — maybe more. For now, however, the party should bask in its victory. Brexit is saved. Corbyn is gone. The Tories have a large majority for at least the next five years.

[soonernvolved]

www.nationalreview.com/2019/12/judgment-day-u-k-tories-win-big/

Boris Johnson bested Jeremy Corbyn by rejecting the cultural extremism of the left but abandoning the politics of austerity. Now Brexit is finally imminent.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ran a Tory campaign that was a rebuke to his two Tory predecessors, David Cameron and Theresa May. He campaigned for getting Brexit finished and talked endlessly about his plans to invest and spend on the National Health Service, with none of the usual Tory promises to “reform” or “streamline” it. In other words, he was not going to be embarrassed about carrying on Brexit, as May had been. And he was going to reverse the policies of austerity that had existed after the financial crash under both the Cameron and May governments.


The result is a thumping majority of 78 seats for the Tories, who won seats deep in traditional Labour heartlands. This is a majority large enough to break the parliamentary deadlock into which the first Brexit deal had fallen. Even more crucially, it is large enough to allow Johnson to freely shape the next stage of Brexit negotiations — on the future trading relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

Realignment and rejection
In this space, we predicted after the 2017 snap election that the tectonic plates of Brexit — the sentiments of Leave and Remain — would begin to grind underneath Jeremy Corbyn. Corbyn could not find, in this election, a coherent position on Brexit. The resulting earthquake will end his leadership of the Labour Party. He has brought them to the lowest result since before World War II.

The election is a massive national repudiation of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. It was often said that Jeremy Corbyn was a “throwback” Labour leader, that he reminded people of the days before Tony Blair took the party in a less socialist and more Clintonite direction. Blair’s transformation of the Labour party in the 1990s was an ideological development that weakened the importance the party’s attachment to the working class. But the truth is that Corbyn’s ideological cohort in the 1980s had done the same, but in a different direction and to different ends.

His was the hard edge of the party that defined itself by its support for Third-Worldist socialist movements, and every challenge to the imperialism of the United Kingdom. He was no Clement Attlee or Harold Wilson. In the end, Corbyn appealed neither to the upwardly mobile metropole voters of the Blair coalition nor to the actual working class in northern England and in Scotland. In this election, the most decisive factor was that Labour finally lost the Labour vote to the Tories in England, and to the Scottish Nationalists in Scotland.

Under Corbyn’s watch, Labour became a party in which anti-Semitism started to have free rein. At first this seemed simply baffling. Surely, in a party committed to diversity, anti-Semitism would be an easily fixable programming error. But the problem has only persisted and grew under Corbyn’s leadership. Former London mayor and Corbynite Ken Livingstone seemed to blame the “Jewish vote” for Corbyn’s defeat last night, despite the fact that Jews are less than 1 percent of the population of the United Kingdom.

NOW WATCH: 'Culture with Kat Timpf: NYPD's Churros Arrests Show How Big Government Can Be Bad'


WATCH: 2:06
Culture with Kat Timpf: NYPD's Churros Arrests Show How Big Government Can Be Bad
Brexit vindicated
Johnson ran on a message of finally delivering on the result of the largest democratic mandate in British history: the 2016 vote to leave the European Union. He made this the center of his campaign and won a commanding majority.

Still, those on the center-left and progressive sides view this election as a reversal for democracy itself.

Not feeling massively bullish about the future of liberal democracy tonight.

— Edward Luce (@edwardgluce) December 12, 2019

The UK really throws a wrench in the view that multiparty democracy fixes everything, or even very much.

Whatever winds are buffeting Western democracies, they're more than powerful enough to overwhelm differences in electoral systems.

— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) December 12, 2019

It is no such thing. Brexit is the most significant event for Western democracy since the fall of the Berlin Wall. One of the great dangers in Europe and increasingly in America is the emergence of a political class that acts as a nomenklatura, that is motivated by its teleological belief in a fixed course for History itself. Brexit was a repudiation of this class and its version of History.

Until this election, elite Remainers were pioneering a playbook for subverting even such a stunning referendum result as Brexit. The playbook included hysterical and false accusations that the result was rigged by a hostile foreign power. (Russia, naturally.) It included simple fraud and misrepresentation. Tory and Labour candidates who preferred Remain simply lied about their commitment to implementing the result in their manifestos in 2017. When Labour did surprisingly well on a manifesto that promised to deliver Brexit that year, the media reinterpreted it as a rebuke to Brexit.


–– ADVERTISEMENT ––



The playbook included the usurpation of democratic institutions by judicial ones. In recent months the United Kingdom’s supreme court discovered powers to revise the royal prerogative and parliamentary procedure when it was acting on behalf of Remain. And of course, this class sought to deploy the tried and true methods of the European Union, which simply forces nations to hold referendum again until the pre-determined, pro-European result is given. This is over and done. The clock of History is well and truly smashed now. The political classes of the West are on notice: They can no longer govern against the consent of democratic peoples forever.


Odds and ends
There are some odd winners and losers out of this process. Jo Swinson, the leader of the Remain-committed Liberal Democrats, lost in her own constituency. She was a beloved figure for Lib Dems, a party that should have been able to capitalize more on the turmoil of Labour and on the defection of Remainers from the Tory party.

In Scotland, Tory gains from 2017 were reversed in a basic landslide for the Scottish Nationalist Party. Is this a harbinger of a breakup of the Union? Maybe not. The reality of Brexit makes a secession of Scotland more difficult in fact. All the questions and agonies of the Irish border debates in Brexit would play out on a much larger scale if Scotland sought to leave the customs and currency territory of the United Kingdom for that of the European Union. Brexit makes Scottish independence more uncertain and more costly.

In Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist party lost the constituency of Belfast North to Sinn Fein. This is a shocking turnover of a seat unionists had held since the days of Edward Carson. But it was not a great night for Sinn Fein either, which saw the strengthening of the moderate nationalist Social Democratic and Labour parties. Overall, Sinn Fein and the DUP — the extremes who had moved to the center of Northern Irish politics — were rebuked for their inability to make the institutions of Northern Ireland work.


The election is oddly good news for Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach of Ireland. Varadkar bet his premiership on the Irish backstop and avoiding a hard border in Ireland. In negotiations with Johnson, he won serious concessions while making one or two small ones of his own. This last bit was dangerous given the feeling in Ireland that Brexiteers were weakening at every turn. Why concede anything to that bumbling lot? By getting a good-enough deal with Johnson ahead of a thumping Brexiteer victory, Varadkar and the Irish government timed their strategy perfectly. However, this strategy may ironically work against Varadkar, as it will allow the return of normal domestic politics in Ireland. He will surely face an election soon.

The election is good for conservative nationalist reformers everywhere in the West. Certain trends have dominated Western politics since the end of the Cold War. In the 1990s and early 2000s this included the dominance of center-left parties who tacked to the center and away from socialism on economic issues. Now we see a photo negative of the trend. Johnson’s ability to firmly detach Labour voters from the Labour party is another indication that center-right parties are ascendant when they reject the cultural extremism of the left, but abandon the politics of austerity and aspirations for a laissez-faire economy.

[soonernvolved]

www.dailywire.com/news/jeremy-corbyn-goes-full-stacey-abrams-declares-victory-after-blowout-loss

Far-left British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn channeled his inner Stacey Abrams on Saturday after his blowout loss in the U.K. general election, declaring he “won the argument” in the election despite suffering the worst political loss in the U.K. since 1935.

In an op-ed published in The Guardian, a left-wing British publication, Corbyn blamed everything from “the financial crash of 2008” and billionaires to Brexit.

“I am proud that on austerity, on corporate power, on inequality and on the climate emergency we have won the arguments and rewritten the terms of political debate,” Corbyn declared. “But I regret that we did not succeed in converting that into a parliamentary majority for change.”


Labour sources told Sky News: “Any attempt to blame this on Brexit is folly. The one thing that came up time and time again from voters – Corbyn. Whether that was his support of the IRA, his antisemitism or limited grasp of economics. He was the problem.”

It’s hard to argue that Corbyn won anything given the massive defeat that the U.K. handed him late this week.

“The scale of Labour’s defeat predicted by the shock exit poll would leave the party with the fewest number of seats since the 1935 election,” The Telegraph reported. “It would also be the first time since the inter-war years that Labour has won fewer than 200 seats.”

The New York Times described the election as a “landslide victory” for the Conservative Party and acknowledged that it was the worst defeat for Labour in over 80 years.

Click to find out more about a new promotion
Don't miss this content from our sponsor

Corbyn continued, “Progress does not come in a simple straight line. Even though we lost seats heavily on Thursday, I believe the manifesto of 2019 and the movement behind it will be seen as historically important – a real attempt at building a force powerful enough to transform society for the many, not the few. For the first time in decades, many people have had hope for a better future. … There is no doubt that our policies are popular, from public ownership of rail and key utilities to a massive house-building programme and a pay rise for millions. The question is, how can we succeed in future where we didn’t this time?”

“The media attacks on the Labour party for the last four and a half years were more ferocious than ever – and of course that has an impact on the outcome of elections. Anyone who stands up for real change will be met by the full force of media opposition,” Corbyn continued. “The party needs a more robust strategy to meet this billionaire-owned and influenced hostility head-on and, where possible, turn it to our advantage.”

Corbyn’s remarks are eerily similar to rhetoric used by failed far-left Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stace Abrams, who lost Georgia’s governor race in 2018 by nearly 55,000 voters.

Abrams, despite her loss and lack of evidence that anything in the election was unfair, has falsely claimed on numerous occasions that she won the election.

Switch to Boost Mobile and Get More
Get 4 LG Stylo 5 phones when you make the switch to Boost's super reliable, super-fast nationwide network!
Ad By Boost Mobile
See More



In an interview that was posted to Corbyn’s Twitter account, the far-left leader, who announced this week that he is stepping down from the party, said, “Obviously very sad at the result we’ve achieved and very sad at those colleagues that lost their seats in the election and very sad for many people in this country who will now have a government that is continuing policies of austerity and many of the poorest communities I think will suffer very badly from the economic strategy that I suspect the Prime Minister will take forward. But also, I have pride in our manifesto that we put forward and all the policies we put forward which actually had huge public support on issues of Universal Credit, the Green Industrial Revolution, and investment for the future. But this election was taken over ultimately by Brexit and we as a party represent people who both voted remain and leave and my whole strategy was to reach out beyond the Brexit divide to try to bring people together, because ultimately the country has to come together.”

Our aim was to bring people together and offer hope. pic.twitter.com/OLTC2ifPxB

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 13, 2019

[soonernvolved]

Cory Booker isn’t qualifying for the next Democrat debates. Therefore, he thinks the rules must be changed. He has managed to convince other Democrat candidates to support his position.

The Hill reports:

thehill.com/homenews/campaign/474592-booker-asks-other-2020-dems-to-sign-petition-urging-dnc-to-change-debate

Booker leads other 2020 Dems in petition urging DNC to change debate qualifications

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) led several of his fellow 2020 contenders in sending a petition asking the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to change its debate qualifications.

The New Jersey Democrat and eight other presidential candidates urged the DNC to “consider alternative debate qualification standards” for four primary debates scheduled to take place in January and Febraury in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, which will host the first four nominating contests of the 2020 primary cycle.

Booker was joined by former Vice President Joe Biden, South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, businessman Tom Steyer, entrepreneur Andrew Yang and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in signing the petition.

So far, the DNC isn’t budging.

Politico reports:

www.politico.com/news/2019/12/14/dnc-debate-qualifications-085083

DNC balks at effort to alter debate qualifications

The Democratic National Committee is pushing back against a request from the party’s presidential candidates to change debate requirements to allow Cory Booker and Julián Castro to appear on the January stage…

But the DNC resisted the request in a statement shared with POLITICO: “The DNC has led a fair and transparent process and even told campaigns almost a year ago that the qualification criteria would go up later in the year — not one campaign objected. The DNC will not change the threshold for any one candidate and will not revert back to two consecutive nights with more than a dozen candidates. Our qualification criteria is extremely low and reflects where we are in the race. Once voting starts in February, our criteria will reflect those contests, which is more than appropriate. We’re proud to have given candidates so many opportunities to get their message across, and will continue to have fair criteria that reflects each point in the race.”

[soonernvolved]

freebeacon.com/issues/detroit-sued-over-voter-roll-irregularities-including-thousands-of-deceased-registered-to-vote/

Detroit Sued Over Voter Roll Irregularities, Including Thousands of Deceased Registered Voters

The city of Detroit has been hit with a lawsuit alleging numerous voter registration irregularities including thousands of dead people on its voter rolls, according to a complaint.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF), an Indiana-based group that litigates to protect election integrity, filed the complaint Wednesday to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Janice Winfrey, Detroit’s city clerk, and George Azzouz, Detroit’s director of elections, are named as defendants. The suit alleges that Detroit’s voter rolls contain more than 2,500 deceased individuals, nearly 5,000 voters who appear more than once, and 511,786 registered voters in the city where only 479,267 individuals are eligible to vote.

The lawsuit comes less than one year out from the 2020 elections in a state that President Donald Trump carried by just 10,704 votes over Hillary Clinton. Past reports showed voter machine irregularities in the city when 37 percent of its precincts in 2016 registered more votes than the number of voters tallied in polling stations. The city of Detroit was overwhelmingly carried by Clinton.

www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/born-in-1823-you-can-still-vote-in-detroit-according-to-a-lawsuit

Born in 1823? You can still vote in Detroit, according to a lawsuit

One registered voter in the city of Detroit was born almost 200 years ago, according to a lawsuit. This still-active voter would have been born 14 years before Michigan became a state.

Sound fishy to you? That’s not all. This ancient voter appears to be one of thousands falsely registered in Detroit, many of whom died a decade ago or more yet were still able to drag themselves from their graves to vote in the most important election of our lifetimes (though, I guess, not their lifetimes)…

During the 2016 election, Detroit had 511,786 registered voters despite having only 479,267 voting-age residents, according to the lawsuit. That’s more than 32,500 people who should have been booted off the list. Some of the names belonged to people who were 105 years old or older, and the foundation flagged 4,788 registration files as potential duplicates or triplicates.

[kcrufnek]

Dec 14, 2019 23:50:14 GMT -6 soonernvolved said:

www.dailywire.com/news/jeremy-corbyn-goes-full-stacey-abrams-declares-victory-after-blowout-loss

Far-left British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn channeled his inner Stacey Abrams on Saturday after his blowout loss in the U.K. general election, declaring he “won the argument” in the election despite suffering the worst political loss in the U.K. since 1935.

In an op-ed published in The Guardian, a left-wing British publication, Corbyn blamed everything from “the financial crash of 2008” and billionaires to Brexit.

“I am proud that on austerity, on corporate power, on inequality and on the climate emergency we have won the arguments and rewritten the terms of political debate,” Corbyn declared. “But I regret that we did not succeed in converting that into a parliamentary majority for change.”


Labour sources told Sky News: “Any attempt to blame this on Brexit is folly. The one thing that came up time and time again from voters – Corbyn. Whether that was his support of the IRA, his antisemitism or limited grasp of economics. He was the problem.”

It’s hard to argue that Corbyn won anything given the massive defeat that the U.K. handed him late this week.

“The scale of Labour’s defeat predicted by the shock exit poll would leave the party with the fewest number of seats since the 1935 election,” The Telegraph reported. “It would also be the first time since the inter-war years that Labour has won fewer than 200 seats.”

The New York Times described the election as a “landslide victory” for the Conservative Party and acknowledged that it was the worst defeat for Labour in over 80 years.

Click to find out more about a new promotion
Don't miss this content from our sponsor

Corbyn continued, “Progress does not come in a simple straight line. Even though we lost seats heavily on Thursday, I believe the manifesto of 2019 and the movement behind it will be seen as historically important – a real attempt at building a force powerful enough to transform society for the many, not the few. For the first time in decades, many people have had hope for a better future. … There is no doubt that our policies are popular, from public ownership of rail and key utilities to a massive house-building programme and a pay rise for millions. The question is, how can we succeed in future where we didn’t this time?”

“The media attacks on the Labour party for the last four and a half years were more ferocious than ever – and of course that has an impact on the outcome of elections. Anyone who stands up for real change will be met by the full force of media opposition,” Corbyn continued. “The party needs a more robust strategy to meet this billionaire-owned and influenced hostility head-on and, where possible, turn it to our advantage.”

Corbyn’s remarks are eerily similar to rhetoric used by failed far-left Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stace Abrams, who lost Georgia’s governor race in 2018 by nearly 55,000 voters.

Abrams, despite her loss and lack of evidence that anything in the election was unfair, has falsely claimed on numerous occasions that she won the election.

Switch to Boost Mobile and Get More
Get 4 LG Stylo 5 phones when you make the switch to Boost's super reliable, super-fast nationwide network!
Ad By Boost Mobile
See More



In an interview that was posted to Corbyn’s Twitter account, the far-left leader, who announced this week that he is stepping down from the party, said, “Obviously very sad at the result we’ve achieved and very sad at those colleagues that lost their seats in the election and very sad for many people in this country who will now have a government that is continuing policies of austerity and many of the poorest communities I think will suffer very badly from the economic strategy that I suspect the Prime Minister will take forward. But also, I have pride in our manifesto that we put forward and all the policies we put forward which actually had huge public support on issues of Universal Credit, the Green Industrial Revolution, and investment for the future. But this election was taken over ultimately by Brexit and we as a party represent people who both voted remain and leave and my whole strategy was to reach out beyond the Brexit divide to try to bring people together, because ultimately the country has to come together.”

Our aim was to bring people together and offer hope. pic.twitter.com/OLTC2ifPxB

— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 13, 2019

Where has she gone? I need someone out there telling me what a bigot and a bad person I am.

[atl1979]

Scumacrats!!

[soonernvolved]

The far left Democrats and Socialists will take the debate stage again tonight at Loyola Marymount University in California. Tonight’s debate will feature just seven candidates but the shrinking stage “has not come without controversy” as it will only feature one non-white candidate.

Ratings for Democrat debates have lagged behind 2016, and ratings have declined steadily with each debate.

Trump 2020 supporters welcomed the Democrats to Loyola on Thursday.

The supporters of President Trump added their “Trump 2020” stamp under the LMU sign.

[kcrufnek]

Watching Live PD in Terre Haute. What a shithole. Nice job, Mayor Pete.

[soonernvolved]