Below is my column in the Hill on the rise of delusional politics in America — a problem captured vividly on New Year’s Eve as Mayor Bill de Blasio dancing with his wife to a virtually empty Times Square. This is not Chicago where Sinatra sang about seeing a “guy dancing with his wife.” It is New York and the only one dancing seemed to be de Blasio.
We are watching as both parties seem blissfully and utterly detached from reality.
Here is the column:
At midnight at the start of the new year, if you listened hard, you could almost hear the teeth of an entire nation grinding, or at least of those watching coverage from New York as Mayor Bill de Blasio danced in a nearly empty Times Square. Millions watched as he dipped his wife in a romantic flourish to Frank Sinatra singing “New York, New York.” At least Nero made his own music.
The scene drew angry rebukes. Andy Cohen said it made him feel sick. “I did not need to see that at the start of 2021. Do something with this city! Honestly, get it together!”
In fairness to de Blasio, it probably seemed harmless. Who would object to a guy dancing with his wife? But sometimes a predictable photo turns into a cursed image. Just ask 1988 presidential candidate Michael Dukakis after he took a spin in an army tank. The image captured what many considered as his faux commitment to a strong defense. He and his campaign failed to think of how driving around looking like Mickey Mouse on a battle tank would only drive home the criticism of his defense policies.
For de Blasio, dancing in a nearly empty Times Square came across not as amorous but as delirious in a city in lockdown with a collapsing economy and soaring crime rates. For many, it reinforced the crisis both parties now face. We have become a nation that seems untethered from all reality. In one of the most liberal cities on earth, de Blasio cannot break 40 percent in popularity. But he, like many others, plays to the extreme wings of his party. As crime raged, he pushed to reduce the police budget by $1 billion and eliminated the plain clothes division. New York has had a 50 increase in homicides and almost a 100 percent increase in shootings.
He also closed public schools despite overwhelming scientific evidence of little risk for coronavirus exposure, notably for elementary students. He finally caved to the pressure from parents and experts, admitting there was little risk in having the schools reopen. He supported the closing of restaurants, sending many to insolvency, despite the fact that they contribute to less than 2 percent of confirmed infections.
With New York losing money, de Blasio said the federal government could bail out City Hall and local businesses by simply printing more money, a statement both fiscally and politically delusional. As many highly taxed residents continue to move out of New York, de Blasio voices his “tax the hell out of the wealthy” policy. He recently declared that the purpose of public schools is the redistribution of income.
The eerie image of de Blasio dancing in a dead Times Square captures what could await us in 2021. Even if the pandemic is curtailed with the vaccines, cities like New York have been devastated by the lockdowns. There is no way that the federal government can bail out every business and landlord in one city, let alone the entire country.
At the same time, last year ended much as it had gone on for months. In Portland and Philadelphia, federal buildings were attacked by rioters and looters. In Washington, both parties deadlocked and, regardless of what happens in the Georgia Senate runoffs, that division will likely continue. Joe Biden and others have called for massive new spending in a country with $27 trillion in debt. Yet our lawmakers in Washington continue a kind of ghostly dance, oblivious to the costs and hazards ahead.
Meanwhile, reporters are unlikely to return to the standards of objectivity and independence after years of open bias against Donald Trump. Some journalism professors now reject the very concept of objectivity in favor of open advocacy. Columbia University journalism dean Steve Coll has denounced what he says is freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment now being “weaponized” to protect disinformation. Many reporters are invested in the next administration, including downplaying or ignoring those scandalous allegations against Hunter Biden and Eric Swalwell. Networks actively tailor their coverage to offer their viewers “safe spaces” without opposing facts or stories.
It is not just politicians and the press who have not changed. The reason 2021 will not be much different than 2020 is because we as a nation have not changed. We are still divided right down the middle, and the space between is filled with blind rage. Democrats have called for blacklists, disbarments, and other actions against those “complicit” in the Trump years, while over 70 percent of Republicans believe the presidential election was rigged and that Biden did not lawfully win.
Many among us sadly do not want any of this to change. Rage seems to be addictive. It becomes a license to hate. While few will admit it, the Trump years were a release from decency and civility. We have become a nation of conflict junkies. Even worse, we all live in artificial spaces which are a dangerous delusion because we face this economic crisis, international conflicts, and rising violence in our cities. That is why de Blasio dancing in New York could prove the ultimate embodiment not of 2020 but of 2021. Unless the middle can come out stronger, we all will be dancing with de Blasio in a dead space where the country once thrived.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. You can find his updates online @JonathanTurley.
Jonathan: Mayor de Blasio and his wife dancing in a deserted Times Square is a metaphor for life in the times of Covid. My wife and I did the same thing on New Year’s eve in our deserted living room. Millions more probably did the same thing. Not remarkable. For all his mistakes along the way at least de Blasio took the coronavirus seriously. What is remarkable is that Trump, on the other hand, has never taken the pandemic seriously. In the last month before he leaves office, when he should have been leading the fight against Covid Trump has been MIA–consumed with still trying to overturn the election results. Case in point:
The Washington Post just published a leaked transcript of a phone conversation Trump had on Saturday with Georgia’s secretary of state Brad Raffensperger. Trump cajoled and berated Raffensperger for not willing to “find” enough votes to change the election outcome in Georgia which favored Biden. At one point Trump said: “So look, all I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes…because we won the state”. Trump even threatened Raffensperger with a criminal investigation if he did not comply. To his credit Raffensperger pointed out the vote had been counted three times and he could not doctor the vote to favor Trump. Continuing his coercion Trump continued: “And there’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, that you’ve recalculated”. So Trump is willing to engage in extortion and actual voter fraud, a federal crime, to get his way.
A number of legal experts have weighed in on Trump’s call. Richard H Pildes, constitutional law professor at New York University, said: “The president is either knowingly attempting to coerce state officials into corrupting the integrity of the election or is so deluded that he believes what he’s saying”. Pildes added: “…we have a president trying to use the powers of his office to pressure state officials into committing election fraud”.
Over the past 4 years you have made spurious claims against the press for their “open bias against Donald Trump”. When the Washington Post publishes a transcript of Trump’s threatening call to Raffensperger that’s in the public interest because it exposes a president who is willing to use extortion and actual voter fraud to overturn a legitimate election. If that’s “bias” we need more of it!
Dennis, +10
PS I note that none of the usual prolific Trumpster posters want to touch the phone call news. We get it.
I’ll touch it like a drop forge. No crime. Move on.
Feel free to identify specifically what laws Trump allegedly broke in this phone call that you find so exciting.
Please provide a citation and illustrate the elements. Otherwise it seems you just think it was “bad,” I got it: you and the press think it was bad. But what crime, allegedly?
Saloth Sar
52 U.S. Code § 20511
A person, including an election official, who in any election for Federal office—
(1) knowingly and willfully intimidates, threatens, or coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any person for—
(A) registering to vote, or voting, or attempting to register or vote;
(B) urging or aiding any person to register to vote, to vote, or to attempt to register or vote; or
(C) exercising any right under this chapter; or
(2) knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process, by—
(A) the procurement or submission of voter registration applications that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held; or
(B) the procurement, casting, or tabulation of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent under the laws of the State in which the election is held,
shall be fined in accordance with title 18 (which fines shall be paid into the general fund of the Treasury, miscellaneous receipts (pursuant to section 3302 of title 31), notwithstanding any other law), or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
GA Code § 21-2-604 (2016)
(a) (1) A person commits the offense of criminal solicitation to commit election fraud in the first degree when, with intent that another person engage in conduct constituting a felony under this article, he or she solicits, requests, commands, importunes, or otherwise attempts to cause the other person to engage in such conduct.
(2) A person commits the offense of criminal solicitation to commit election fraud in the second degree when, with intent that another person engage in conduct constituting a misdemeanor under this article, he or she solicits, requests, commands, importunes, or otherwise attempts to cause the other person to engage in such conduct.
Woopee! You can copy and paste! Congrats! Now state Trump’s exact and specific actions, witnesses, dates/times, evidence, etc. consistent with the criminal statue you posted.
Crickets………………
P, the exact specifics are all in a one hour long phone call where Trump is pressuring an election official to change the vote on his behalf by threatening him with crimes he can’t elaborate.
The phone call even has a time and date specifically showing when and where and to whom it was made.
If you had to ask for specifics clearly you didn’t listen or read the transcript of that conversation.
The only one really detached is you and your biased column and one view of all things, Jonny.
Another leftist failure. Does the left learn? No,
https://justthenews.com/nation/crime/portland-mayor-admits-his-effort-deal-antifa-failed-seeks-federal-and-state-help?utm_source=daily-newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter
Portland mayor admits his effort to deal with Antifa failed, seeks federal and state help
‘My good faith efforts at de-escalation have been met with ongoing violence,’ Ted Wheeler lamented.
Portland, Ore., Mayor Ted Wheeler admits his efforts at appeasing radical anarchists failed after another destructive riot ruined New Year’s Eve in his city, and he is now appealing for federal and state help.
Continued…
“My good faith efforts at de-escalation have been met with ongoing violence,” . . .
Here’s the rest of the clueless Wheeler’s quote: “and even scorn from radical Antifa and anarchists.”
At the outset of those riots, his efforts were *not* in “good faith.” He attempted to evade reality by not using the words “Antifa” and “anarchists.” As usual, reality did not bend to his desires. You don’t vanquish barbarians by inviting them to tea.
Oops. I forgot to sign in.
Another politician lives in infamy.
First there was: While Rome burns, Nero fiddles. Now there’s: While NYC disintegrates, de Blasio dances.
(Before you jump on “fiddles,” it’s a metaphor.)
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s famous quote of 2020, “I’m going to tax the hell out of you.”
If you don’t pay, you’ll be pushed in front of a subway train or attacked by bicyclists on the streets of NYC.
The hypocorcy and lack of self-awareness in this post is amazing, even for JT. I feel sorry for his students. Take this scene in one of his classes:
Student: “Professor, may I ask about your dress code and drink ban?”
JT: “Yes of course, this is a serous law school, not a coffee house and I expect a level of decorum.”
Student: “But you are wearing a string bikini and drinking a large Slurpee.”
LOL, buy hey, wouldn’t it be a Speedo. Not that there is anything wrong with a guy who wears a string bikini!
The comments above prove Turley’s point. The anger and rage are real and dangerous. Turley is one of the few with the courage to follow the facts … even when they lead to a conclusion he didn’t seek. The way he was treated after his witness re constitutional law during the Trump Impeachment may have opened his eyes. Not all on the right are fair and objective. Nor are all those on the left. Objectivity has given way to narrative and advocacy, which signals the death of journalism and eventually the demise of our country.
Jody, “ Turley is one of the few with the courage to follow the facts … even when they lead to a conclusion he didn’t seek. ” actually that’s not true. When Turley gets to a conclusion that he didn’t seek he proceeds to engage in a long winded argument splitting hairs over the conclusion instead of accepting it at face value.
New York. Fly over and flush twice.
It seems that I can remember when the control of the number of murders and shootings was expected by a mayor. It seems that I can remember when a mayor was expected to encourage new and continued investment in his city for the purpose of providing employment for its citizens. Safety and food on the table, what a novel idea. In the name of “Bad Trump” and “Bad Turley” it is apparent here that our TDS crowd doesn’t give a damn about people being afraid or watching their kids go hungry. What we get is false morality ravings instead. What a bunch.
DeBlasio used an empty Times Square in a blighted city to make sure everybody noticed his biracial marriage. That was the message. It was clueless narcissism masquerading as racial redemption.
Now that I think about it, all leftism is clueless narcissism masquerading as racial redemption.
??? Everyone in NYC and those who follow politics nationally know he is married to a black woman. How do you get this as some kind of red flag intended for your racist reaction?
“the rise of delusional politics in America”
Professor Turley as one who is left of center yet a consistent interpreter of the Constitution you should recognize that the left is delusional politics almost by definition.
If Turley is left of center, I’m The Rock’s understudy for a new Broadway version of Oklahoma!
That you don’t understand where the center is positioned is is not surprising. The left keeps moving further and further leftwards while you float along.
Probably unlike you Anonymous, I have voted with the majority in all but one of the last 8 presidential elections – Kerry in 2004 the exception – and have also voted for that majority winning candidate in the primaries. How could I be more in the center than that?
Deblasio and his wife are complete freaks. How stupid are the people of NYC who voted this freak a second term rather than give (gasp!) a Republican a shot at cleaning things up? Yes, New York Ciry you get what you deserve. Now these idiot voters in NYC are fleeing to Florida so they can ruin that fine state by voting in loser Democrats. Can you imagine if Andrew Gillum had been elected to utterly ruin and destroy the fine state of Florda? Yes, it was Oprah and Barack out there stumping for Gillum, who turned out to be a completely messed up freak. Democrats are the party of insanity. Look at the idiots and clowns they have running Congress. They are a bunch of incompetent freaks. Now we have senile Joe and “call me Docta Jill” (who never leaves his side, because she knows he can’t handle it without his ‘handlers’)…and this is who the country chose to put in the White House, a senile old man? Good god this country is doomed.
Deco writes:
“Trump’s the most results-oriented man to occupy that position since Eisenhower.”
Really? What result was he seeking in trying to strong arm the Georgia Sec of State on Saturday? The Sec no longer has any control over the state’s electoral votes, and if he did,they wouldn’t begin to change the election result.
Deco: when is Trump releasing is “better than ever” health care plan he promised about a 1000x? “Better than Obamacare” ring a bell?
Yeah Turley, whatever.
Meanwhile, Trump’s phone call is only defensible as the ravings of a delusional incompetent. Is that his defense in court?
1. The Georgia Sec of State has no power to change the state’s 2020 electoral votes at this point in time, or ever again.
2. Georgia’s votes don’t begin to win the election for him.
3. Nothing he brought up is even close to factual
Meanwhile, the supposed king of making deals sounds like the aunt with dementia who everyone is trying to get out of the car dealership. Meadows attempts to get down to a deal to meet and finagle at one point, only to be told by the SoS that his credit card was just rejected, and then Trump comes in claiming again he should get the undercoating for free, Beautiful exchange.
The scariest part of this is this guy is president for another 2 weeks.
If you don’t like the topic, get your own blog. You start out with these diversions and attempted thread-jackings every day. It’s rude.
Oh, I’m sorry. You mean you actually GAF about the host’s daily Democrat’s Misbehaving column? Hey, if one of them is about AOC going topless – with pics – let me know!
Are the politicians being delusional or showing contempt for the “little people”?
Turley starting the new year with an article that couldn’t be more hypocritical and ironic. Here he criticizes the mayor for a harmless display and turns it into an over-interpretation.
“ In one of the most liberal cities on earth, de Blasio cannot break 40 percent in popularity.” Guess what? Trump has been exactly like this for four years. Apparently Turley is too busy worrying about freedom of speech and defending an incompetent authoritarian for the same things.
His “what abouts” on hunter Biden and all other inconsequential issues are just fodder to distract weak minded readers who are easily convinced with the mildest of allegations that something nefarious is afoot or some other sinister sounding things that somehow are suspicious just because they sound suspicious.
I’m sure Turley will no doubt be writing about this phone call everyone is talking about and will engage in mental gymnastics and pretzel logic to justify the president’s incoherent ramblings and needs to have others “recalculate” votes. Still making BS claims he won the election in Georgia because he says “they” found thousands of illegal votes. “They” is Trump’s reference to the Internet conspiracy theorists which he stupidity and incoherently claims he doesn’t follow because social media is run by big tech, yet it’s exactly where he gets all of his “intel” that “they” say is going on. Please. Trump is just a massive incoherent moron who is just as incompetent at “persuading” people.
Trump actually violated Georgia law with this phone call. In fact even a pardon won’t prevent him being charged here.
I see Correct-the-Record has told several of their contacts to use the ‘Svelaz’ handle. Today it’s Gainesville, tomorrow Paint-chips.
Art Deco, I’m the real Svelaz. I’m sure the local troll has used my handle as well as others as he/she does all the time.
Regardless of what the “handle” is. My post is genuine.
Turley is just another clown who claimed “voter fraud” charges were serious because so many believed in them, somehow forgetting that Trump – who must have expected his chances of losing were better than 50-50 – set up the premise months ago, just as he did in 2016 (see Scarramuchi on this), and has been selling it ever since, and without any significant evidence .
Where’s the apology column Turley? You helped sell it too.
Go to the 6:00 minute mark of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQFMQAIo1UE
Be careful Turley or you’ll be accused of being a Trumpist just because you’re using common sense.
Isn’t it DeBlasio’s job to know what the optics will be?
Rules are only for the Little people.
Again, New York’s voters elected this man. They had other alternatives. These are the wages of fecklessness. Unfortunately, the sensible people in New York are injured in the process. There’s nothing out of the ordinary about diBlasio. He just manifests the liberal mentality implemented without any acknowledgement of practical effects or public complaint. Keep in mind, he’s not David Dinkins. David Dinkins was a diffident, unimaginative, business-as-usual New York City pol of a particular era. He had no interest in fixing much of anything, but he wasn’t acting to ruin the city in the service of his social ideology.
Art Deco, you do know Trump was a New York liberal before he was a “republican”, right?
Trump’s own behavior mirrors exactly what you described. A lot of trump supporters don’t realize he is exactly what a New Yorker is.
The sensible people of New York also don’t want trump to live in the city. Heck even residents near mar a lago don’t want him as a neighbor.
Art Deco, you do know Trump was a New York liberal before he was a “republican”, right?
No, I don’t know that, and neither do you. Trump was an enrolled Republican from 1969 to 1985 and enrolled non-partisan for most of the time since. Trump is a businessman, and has long viewed politicians as fungible. Businessmen tend to do that. Examples can be seen in The Art of the Deal, among other places. Or, look at his estranged niece’s comments on the expressed interests of her grandfather and the rest of the family. None of Trump’s signatures are characteristic of the liberal bourgeoisie.
Trump’s own behavior mirrors exactly what you described.
Of course it doesn’t. Trump’s the most results-oriented man to occupy that position since Eisenhower. Both Gainesville and Natacha have had a habit of repeating brazen falsehoods over and over. I see you’ve adopted it.
Art Deco, “ Trump was an enrolled Republican from 1969 to 1985 and enrolled non-partisan for most of the time since. Trump is a businessman, and has long viewed politicians as fungible. Businessmen tend to do that. ”
Nope. “ Trump’s political party affiliation has changed numerous times. He registered as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987, switched to the Reform Party in 1999, the Democratic Party in 2001, and back to the Republican Party in 2009.[1]”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_career_of_Donald_Trump#Political_activities_up_to_2015
Trump is as erratic with his political affiliations as he is incoherent when he speaks.
He could have joined you marching in lockstep with an armband on his sleeve.
” he is incoherent when he speaks.”
Your problems in comprehension do not reflect on Trump since he is understood well enough by the rest of the world. They seem to understand and this is demonstrated by his many successes in getting his point across.
Anon, he doesn’t get a point across at all. All he does is rants incessantly hoping somebody who wants to pretend they understand what he says is getting the point.
You can’t even articulate what he says because every other sentence contradicts his own point. He’s just rambling nonsense in a poor attempt at trying to convince others he’s saying something substantive.
Svelaz, no one expects you to understand much of anything if it isn’t carefully predigested for you by a left wing site. His accomplishments in 4 years are impressive. You are not.
I can’t figure if out of senility you’ve forgotten your original contention or that you do remember it and are being deliberately misleading.
Trump fights like a Democrat. That’s why they hate him.
“but he wasn’t acting to ruin the city in the service of his social ideology”
Art, de Blasio’s destruction of NYC as the financial capital of the world is the result of him following orders. He’s essentially just another self-serving simpleton who is hiding behind a thin facade of being a “progressive” while simultaneously serving his money masters.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) cannot succeed with NYC remaining as the financial linchpin of global capitalism.
Note the date (January 2016) of this article:
“The Unfolding Global Reset that Only Few Understand”
https://geopolitics.co/2016/01/17/the-unfolding-global-reset-that-only-few-understand/
If you read the article in the context of all that has occurred since the Black Swan of Trump’s completely unexpected win, and Hillary’s completely unexpected loss, in November of 2016, you can see why they had to manufacture Russiagate to act as a Drogue anchor to gain some leverage (control) on his presidency. Brexit’s passage was yet another huge Black Swan event.
But Trump’s outright refusal to be coerced into maintaining the Obama admins military course in Syria that included codifying Iran in order to keep Iran from getting militarily involved in Syria, was the final trigger.
So they pulled the corona canard scamdemic trigger in January of 2020 once they realized that Trump would win a second term. Trump, like Brexit, is just a symptom of the one thing the globalists fear more than anything else. That being populism.
https://consentfactory.org/2020/09/20/the-war-on-populism-the-final-act/
But this has all been in play since the early 1900’s after Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, and shortly thereafter agreed to enter WWI. Which ensured that WWII would be inevitable.
In between the two world wars was the Great Depression. Which allowed FDR the ability to do a trial run of fascism lite in the form of The New Deal.
What we are now looking at is not fascism lite. It is full on in your face fascism masquerading as it always has, as Fabian Socialism.
“the line between fascism and Fabian socialism is very thin. Fabian socialism is the dream. Fascism is Fabian socialism plus the inevitable dictator.”
– John T. Flynn (“The Road Ahead”)
de Blasio is just another useful idiot. The idiot who made Godzilla look like a lightweight when it came to destroying New York City. Likewise with Cuomo.
The Lyndon LaRouche partisans I used to see at the airport were at least amusing.