Battlegrounds Watch is a collection of stories and topics in today’s news Chuck & Sam are tuning in to.
JONATHAN TURLEY: I Was Screaming Before You Interrupted Me
Constitutional scholar weighs in on the Tennessee Three and what they mean as a symbol of the politics of modern rage…
“Nothing says deliberative debate like a bullhorn. American politics, it seems, has become a matter of simple amplification. Many on the left lionized the three for their disruption of the legislature. President Biden denounced the sanctioning of their “peaceful protest” as “shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.”
There was little criticism of the members for obstructing the legislative business or refusing to accept the democratic process that rejected their gun-control demands. Today, for many, there is no room for nuance. Instead, they live in a world occupied only by “fascists” and “insurrectionists.”
CNN: Americans hold mixed views on getting back to ‘normal’ after Covid-19, new polling shows
Despite federal lawmakers voting to end the pandemic emergency, some citizens are unhappy and still feeling the effects of various covid restrictions. Others are still quietly panicking.
“Relatively few Americans say either that their lives have completely returned to a pre-pandemic normal or that their lives are still completely upended by it. The Monmouth poll found a 69% majority saying that their daily routine was at least mostly back to what it was pre-pandemic – but only about a third, 34%, say that things were completely the same as they were three years ago. Another 20% said things were partially back to normal, and 11% that they were still not normal at all.”
POLITICO: Europe must resist pressure to become ‘America’s followers,’ says Macron
China wined and dined the French leader. Apparently, the cost to purchase French politicians has depreciated since his predecessor got busted for a corruption scheme
“Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party have enthusiastically endorsed Macron’s concept of strategic autonomy and Chinese officials constantly refer to it in their dealings with European countries. Party leaders and theorists in Beijing are convinced the West is in decline and China is on the ascendant and that weakening the transatlantic relationship will help accelerate this trend.”
WSJ: Chicago gets what it voted for
Congratulations, Windy City residents, you elected another insane leftist who thinks crime is caused by victims of crime, doesn’t think schools should actually have to teach anything to kids before they graduate, and can’t tell you what a woman is. Now stay there and deal with it, Texas, Arizona and Florida are full.
“Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is off to a running start. The hyper-progressive is fulfilling every expectation that he’ll drive even more people and businesses out of the Windy City. Two days after narrowly winning the election, Mr. Johnson thought it a good moment to blame the city’s crime wave on business.”
Victor Davis Hanson via AMERICAN GREATNESS: Fiddling America Away
America fights over little things, while all the big things escape our grasp. Can we turn it around?
“The last few weeks, the world has been writing off the United States as either crazy or irrelevant as it watches America cannibalize itself. Friends tremble at our sudden decline. Enemies rejoice. Neutrals make the necessary adjustments to join the ascendant non-American side.”