NEWS AND OPINION:
So has the 2024 presidential election already begun? For some it has. Here’s a new public message sent out by former President Donald Trump’s campaign, clearly seeking to rev up some unity and corral those votes.
“The journey ahead of us will not be easy. Anyone who truly seeks to take on this rigged and corrupt system will be faced with a storm of fire that only a few could withstand. We will be resisted by the combined forces of the establishment, the media … and the most dangerous domestic censorship system ever conceived,” the message advised.
“We will be attacked. We will be slandered. We will be persecuted, just as I have been from the beginning. But we will not be intimidated. We will persevere. And in the end, they will lose, and we will win. I did it before, and I will do it again. Will you vote for me a third time to be the 47th President of the United States?” the message asked.
FLORIDA SENSIBILITY
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has offered some candid insight about the appeal of the Sunshine State.
“What’s the secret in Florida? Why are all the New Yorkers and Californians coming to your great state?” asked Sean Duffy, guest anchor for “Sunday Morning Futures” on Fox Business.
“It’s not rocket science, Sean. I mean, people are watching, and they understand that leadership matters. We don’t just watch as things break down or things aren’t going right. We do something about it. When we saw people not respecting cops and other folks defunding their police, we gave them raises. When we saw a rash of folks rushing into a store and committing mob thefts, we did something about it. We made it easier to prosecute those people,” Ms. Moody replied.
“When we look at what’s happening around the country in regard to crime, everyone wants to be innovators with no-cash bail and rethink sentencing laws. And the result of that has been spikes in crime all over the country. You’re the top cop in Florida. What has your philosophy been in regard to crime and how you keep your state safe?” Mr. Duffy then asked.
“I’m not only the attorney general. I’m a former federal prosecutor, a judge for over a decade. I’m married to a cop. It is not hard to imagine that if you fail and refuse to enforce the laws on the books — and that includes both crimes and your bail statutes — that you will see an increase in crime. Recent stats released from the FBI show that where folks increased funding for police, crime goes down; where they decreased funding for police, crime goes up,” Ms. Moody replied.
“It’s very simple. In Florida, we respect our cops. We give them the tools they need. … Florida, nation — be aware. If you move here, Florida is a law-and-order state. So, if you’re a criminal and you’re residing in Florida, you may want to get out,” she added.
MAJORITY CRAVES FAMILY TIME
The traditional American family get-together has not lost its appeal.
“More than eight-in-ten U.S. adults (83%) say spending time with family provides them a great deal or quite a bit of meaning and fulfillment. This includes large majorities of Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP (85%) as well as Democrats and Democratic leaners (82%). Similar but smaller majorities of Republicans (64%) and Democrats (68%) say the same about spending time with friends,” notes a hefty new Pew Research Center survey.
“People in both major parties at least agree on the value of getting together,” wrote Michael Lipka, editorial manager of religious research for the pollster.
In addition, 71% place high value and personal fulfillment in being outdoors and “experiencing nature,” 47% cite their religious faith as a source of value and fulfillment, while 33% cite volunteer work and “meditating.” The Pew Research Center American Trends Panel survey of 10,156 U.S. adults was conducted April 11-17 and released Nov. 22.
CYBER MONDAY GETS NOISY
Black Friday and Small Business Saturday got much press coverage, much of it accompanied by images of shoppers either waiting for stores to open or standing in check-out lines.
Let’s not forget Cyber Monday, however — often billed as the last chance for deal-hungry consumers — which also attracted lots of coverage. Much of it was very precise, identifying the exact moment when deals went live — most often at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday across the nation’s time zones. Some 63.9 million are expected to participate in this online extravaganza, this according to the National Retail Federation.
“Did you miss out on Black Friday 2022? No problem: Cyber Monday deals are here, with internet retailers offering their lowest prices of the year,” advised ZDNet.com, a tech-friendly news organization which previewed over 100 of the best deals in the nation.
The New York Times, meanwhile, highlighted 140 best deals, Wired.com identified 159, while CNN weighed in with 510.
“There are decidedly two camps of shoppers when it comes to the biggest shopping week of the year: the ones who’ve been eagerly curating wish lists for months, and those who get a shiver of anxiety down their spine whenever the words ‘Black Friday’ or ‘Cyber Monday’ are uttered. Regardless of where you fall on that spectrum, you probably like to save money — and that’s where we come in,” CNN proclaimed in an analysis.
POLL DU JOUR
• 43% of U.S. adults would prefer that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis win the Republican nomination for president in 2024, if the candidates were former President Donald Trump and Mr. DeSantis; 44% of Republicans, 45% of independents and 44% of Democrats agree.
• 46% of men and 40% of women also agree.
• 29% overall would like Mr. Trump to win the nomination; 44% of Republicans, 28% of independents and 17% of Democrats agree.
• 33% of men and 26% of women also agree.
• 15% overall don’t know who they would want to win the nomination; 11% of Republicans, 15% of independents and 17% of Democrats agree.
• 12% of men and 18% of women also agree.
• 13% would like “someone else” to win the nomination; 1% of Republicans, 12% of independents and 22% of Democrats agree.
• 10% of men and 16% of women also agree.
SOURCE: A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,589 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 16-20.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.