2016 presidential race

On Monday, the Financial Times published a letter from George Soros calling for Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sanderberg to be removed from controlling Facebook:

You wonder why independent voters and millions of Democrats don't trust the establishment?-by Michael BrennanDecember 16, 2014: President Obama signs into law omnibus spending bill that increases maximum possible individual political contributions from $129,600 annually to $777,600, substantially increasing the amount of money flowing through party committees.

In 2016 Trump did poorly in Utah, a state where his amorality-- and worse-- is not appreciated. He came in third in the Republican caucuses:

A couple of new YouGov polls were just released that tell us something about what to expect moving forward. These were the results of a survey of German voters when they were asked to name the most dangerous world leader:

Michigan used to be a reliably Republican state. Michiganders picked native son Jerry Ford over Carter in 1976, Reagan both times he ran and the George H.W. Bush over Dukakis in 1988 but in 1992 the state started turning-- and voting-- blue. Bill Clinton beat George H.W. Bush and then Dole; Bush II lost there both times he ran and then Obama won both times he ran.

As Jimmy Breslin wrote in his blurb, this is the best book ever written about legendary Democratic Party boss Richard J. Daley, king of the smoke-filled back room deal.

Discrepancy between the reported Trump vote (red vertical line) and the unadjusted exit polls (green vertical line) in the 2016 North Carolina general election. If the actual Trump vote fell anywhere within the 95% confidence interval, Trump would have lost NC.by Thomas Neuburger This is the beginning of an occasional series on vote fraud in the U.S., especially with respect to the treatment of Bernie Sanders in 2016 by the Democratic Party.

How will these people respond if they think Sanders was cheated again?by Thomas NeuburgerLike many I watched the 2016 Democratic primary carefully, and like many I was appalled by what looked like rampant cheating of varying types and degrees by national party leaders, state officials and local functionaries.

Joe and Hunter Biden in 2009 (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)by Thomas NeuburgerWheels within wheels. This is from longtime investigative reporter John Solomon, writing in The Hill (emphasis mine throughout):

CA-34 in Los Angeles is the district next door and to the east and south of mine. I'm there a lot; it's basically down the street. It includes Angelino Heights, Mount Washington, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, City Terrace, Boyle Heights, the Arts District, the Financial District and Koreatown.