Rudy holds PA presser unfurling fraud claims

Biden gets first Warp Speed update

THE SHOW GOES ON

Rudy stages Pennsylvania “hearing” to unfurl fraud claims

THE INDEPENDENT

At least his brain didn’t leak this time.

The claims were voluminous. The evidence circumstantial. The appearance by the president morphed into a speaker phone cameo.

The lighting: terrible.

The content: droning.

The effect: forgettable.

Gone was the glitz. Gone was the glamour. Gone was bombast of a popular movement.

All that is left of Trump 2020 was in that Gettysburg hotel ballroom. Once the home of Dwight D. Eisenhower, like Trump, a first-time politician turned president. But there was little military precision to this exercise. Just rowdy soldiers who don’t think the war is over.

These arguments require proof, that proof belongs in a court room. Otherwise, these are all valuable arguments to stoke your base for the next go ‘round.

Biden takes first Operation Warp Speed briefing

POLITICO

Wall Street bets big on a vaccine spurring the economy

AXIOS

The *current* vaccine czar says that 70% of the nation could be vaccinated by May. That would mean that commerce *could* be back on track for a manufacturing and ordering for a fairly routine 2021.

Buuuuut…. I’m not sure I trust it.

Trump pardons Michael Flynn

THE HILL

I assumed he’d gotten all of his wacky pardons out of his system by now. Remember, Flynn’s charge was initially dismissed before a DC judge intervened. That decision was still in the balance before the pardon from Trump.

Biden’s past with Erdoğan could cloud future relations

AXIOS

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Olivia Nuzzi's reaction has to be common across the aisle at all levels of government and civil society.  Not once have I heard a report in four years of Trump processing the daily intelligence briefing.  There was a time when people would re-focus the briefing to talk about Trump in an attempt to get his interest.  I just hope Biden doesn't see anything in it before inauguration day that requires immediate action and has to convince Trump to do the right thing.  - SEAN W

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Ok, maybe if I reply to you with sub stack Big Al D will put you in primary. This news letter is the first thing I look for in the morning when I open email. My kids grades are second. - JIM

Whatever, the kids will be fine. YouTube will teach them what they need to know.

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MAGA people saying F*&K Fox News, Dave Chappelle notifying Comedy Central he's about to get paid, the times they are a-changin' within the media industry right now. 

I don't think if Trump TV ever exists, it'll be the media powerhouse people believe. Remember when media powerhouse Oprah started the O Network? People said she would dominate media. I guess the crooked doctors and cooking mom shows that spin-off are somewhat successful. Of course, my news feed is biased towards making me a more radicalised me, but I don't seem to see Oprah that much. If years were to pass where I hadn't seen or heard from Oprah, would I notice?

Trump seems to have developed a comedic formula "How about [adjective] [target]? Can you believe what they've done? [accentuate ridiculousness] [make funny face]." Personally, it seems too formulaic and I'm not a fan, but his base loves it and at the moment, when Trump says something it usually shows up on my radar.

Another formulaic comedian with politicised views that always seems to be news the day after his show is John Oliver. 

Basically, I'm saying if Trump goes the media route, he won't be the next Rupert Murdoch, but I could see him as a right-wing John Oliver. - KEN

“Donald Trump is best case John Oliver” is a take I am proud to have in this newsletter.

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I suspect the Democrats will take away bad lessons from door knocking stats during a pandemic election. Not knocking worked for Biden this time because Democrats messaged mail-in or early participation, and they could have only turned his voters away by showing up.  Meanwhile, knocking worked for Trump because his potential voters were more likely to welcome a sense of normalcy during a crazy time.  They are nearly orthogonal strategies that have almost no relation to one another.  In a (hopefully) more normal world 4 years from now, Biden will likely get shallacked if they try to save money by not getting boots on the ground. - ANDREW

The other element of 2020 is how much can you take away from it when it’s not “The Trump Show.” Even more confusing, what happens when it’s still “The Trump Show” in 2024.

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Michigan in the summer: Masks are tyranny and infringe on my freedom!

Michigan in the winter: Actually, masks keep my face warm in the cold and are kind of nice. - BIGBODYTAD

The universal lesson? Snow is awful and should be outlawed.

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Hey now, things have quieted down a little. The election is over, the follow-up election hasn't loomed up yet, and the Seans and Kyles seem to have made a truce. So, I was wondering, dear other readers, how you ever got interested in politics in the first place? What brought you here? For me, it was punk music in the 90s that piqued my interest - bands like Anti-Flag, Rise Against, and The Dead Kennedys introduced me to the broad world of political discourse.  - CHARLIE FROM CANADA

My family has always been politically interested, in that they had opinions on who should be president and stuff. But what really turned the key was two things… The Starr Report getting published in The Sun-Sentinel and teachers congratulating me for being a well-informed young citizen whilst I was reading about beejs and the 2000 recount which happened within minutes of my house.