Dan Lipka Web Log

When I  posted a warning two years ago that the Democrats focus on Trump's collusion would come back to hurt them, it just seemed like an obvious thing to write. If the Mueller report showed collusion, it would be a victory, but if it didn't, than it would be a terrible defeat (and discredit any future investigations or even concerns about the Trump). If they had just said the entire Mueller investigation was just about Russian interference and anything connected to it, than they would be a much better position. They didn't have to accuse Trump so blatantly, there was never a political advantage of that. Now everything the Democrats say or believe with just be met with "The were wrong about the Mueller investigation, they lied to the people about that, and now they are lying about health insurance, or NATO, or immigration. What will the Democrats do now? Why not, just whole heartily accept that Trump didn't collude and move on. They announce "There was en

Today, Molly (and a bunch of her friends) will joins millions of kids, around the world, to protest climate change inaction. I'm proud Molly is interested in fighting for what she believes in. Long-term, items like Climate Change will effect the next generation more than the current one, but we should be all be concerned on their behalf. There are many things about the science of climate change that give credibility to disbelievers. Perhaps the greatest are the incorrect warnings of a small minority of scientists in the pasts. There were scientists in the 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s, who all said that climate change is going to cause massive damage in the following decade (which is has not). Other scientists have been wrong about other issues, as well.  And generally, the science is complicated and goes against some generally basic intuition. However, to believe that Climate Change (caused by humans) is not happening you would have to believe in the greatest world-wide conspiracy i

I just don't get it. If you want Trump to lose in 2020, the absolute easiest way is to support a 3rd party candidate, specifically somebody who is religious, libertarian, or generic Republican. Democratic donors should not bother supporting a Democratic candidate, but give enough to fund a 3rd party candidate (it would take a lot of money, but could be funded by anonymous Superpac donors). Offer this person a top Cabinet position to entice them. Would John Kasich or MItt Romney agree to run as a 3rd party with the promise of being Secretary of State afterwards (if the Democrats won). Rand Paul would be perfect. Gen. James Mattis would do the trick. Or just focus the popularity of the 3rd party in a critical swing state. If they could get Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to run for President it would ensure a Democrat victory in Florida. The Democrats should offer to never run a candidate against him for Governor if he does this. Win-Win. It is much more likely to convince a conservative v

As of 3/6/19 at 4:00pm How do different "news" websites cover the same story. Today, a new report was released related to the U.S. trade deficit. Washington Post top story: U.S. posts a record trade deficit in goods despite ‘America First’ policies. NY Times top story: In a Blow to Trump, America’s Trade Deficit Hit a Record $891 Billion. Politico minor story: U.S. trade gap with China reaches all-time high under Trump. USAtoday: No Story. Fox News: No Story. Wall Street Journal, 2nd lead story: U.S. Trade Deficit in Goods Hits Record. Huffington Post: No Story. CNN: No Story. Breitbart Trending Story: Trade Deficit Hits Highest Level in a Decade. The Guardian minor story: Trump's tariff war pushes US trade deficit to 10-year high. Is this news or not? FYI, Here is the top story for news site that did not cover this story was all... USAtoday: Chick-fil-A serves up fish sandwiches for Lent, now through April 20. Fox News: Massive snake in Tennessee fores

Of all the sports, I enjoy basketball the most. I liked to play everyday when I was little, and still watch it on TV.  However, it has become apparent that about 1/3 of the teams are not trying to win this year, including historic franchises like the Knicks, Lakers, and Bulls. These teams, along with many others, are actively not signing good players in the hopes of having enough cap space to sign major free agents in the off-season. The incentive for the teams is extremely high because the top players have a pay ceiling. Meaning that the most a player can receive is about $40million per year. Of course that is a ridiculous amount of money, but top players (like Kevin Durant) would get significantly more if there was no ceiling (maybe $60million/year). So these players are the biggest bargains around. Teams don't sign players for this year so they could just have the chance to sign one, or even two max players. This would be ok if the strategy ensured a top player, but it certainl