New Mexico Political Journal
mobile icon
New Mexico Political Journal

.

Show Subnavigation
  • Home
  • About NMPJ
    • About
    • Editor
  • Feedback
  • Advertise on NMPJ

FacebookTwitter

If you read New Mexico Political Journal from a Facebook link, and appreciate the coverage of events, please “like” NMPJ on Facebook.

Intelligent Political Discourse - for the Thoughtful New Mexican

Warning: If you don't have an IQ of at least 110 (on any of several Standardized Intelligence Tests) please DO NOT enter this website. Synaptic and neurotransmission damage may occur. NMPJ isn't responsible for anyone not adhering to this disclaimer.

All Posts > Archives

Search posts:

Browse posts by tags:
  • 2015 (0)

KKK Changes its Name—Inspired by Antifa

01/03/2021
This Just In: KKK Changes its Name
 
To show solidarity with ANTIFA, the Ku Klux Klan today announced that it has “rebranded” itself. From now on it will be known as “Anti-KKK.”

Email us (at editor@newmexicopoliticaljournal.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


New Mexico Republican Party State Central Committee Meeting Ends in Fiasco

12/08/2020

Just when you think things can’t get worse for a political party, last night the Republican Party of New Mexico said: "Hold my beer!" 

First of all, with only a handful of voters even eligible to participate, the RPNM felt it had to “contract” with an out-of-state vote-counting company. How complex is it to count 180 ballots or so? Apparently, it’s beyond the RPNM capability. How much was spent on this completely unnecessary project is not known, but—whatever it was—it was a waste of money.

Not only that, the task was beyond the capability of the company they hired, TEXT2VOTE. They blew the count. They got it wrong. So much for TEXT2VOTE.

When the totals were announced—after more than an hour of waiting (the votes could have easily been tallied by hand in less than half the time)—Pearce had won by 1 vote, beating Eddy Aragon and Geoffrey Snider 55 to 54 to 53. Eric Lucero got the other 8 votes.

But wait, more than an hour later the vaunted TEXT2VOTE company came back and said they had miscounted. The new totals were Pearce 76, Aragon 47, and Snider 41. (Lucero still had 8, so TEXT2VOTE at least had that figure nailed down.)

Tone-Deaf Much?

It’s one thing to be tone-deaf to what is going on in the world, or in the country. It’s a step beyond that to be tone-deaf to your own personal rhetoric. In other words, with Pearce joining in the criticism (and rightfully so) of the irregularities and lack of openness in election administration around the country, he should have had the self-awareness to realize the same kind of requirements must—most especially—apply to him too.

In other words, he had to realize that in an election for his own position he must provide maximum transparency and competency. A prudent, thinking chairman and executive director would have provided paper ballots, to be counted by a team that included observers from every single candidate who wanted to watch.

It was a no-brainer.

However, none of that took place.

Here’s what happened:

The RPNM sent out a list of 180 eligible voters. And they allegedly had strict rules for who could “participate.” Despite that, quite a number of State Central Committee (SCC) members who did not register on time were allowed to sit in on the Zoom meeting. Two or three of those turned out to be “tech team” members who ran the meeting and the voting process.

Additionally, Pearce crony (and a failed state chairman in his own time) John Billingsley came up with a total number of 184 eligible voters, four more than the number of eligibles.

After much squabbling and back and forth dialog with a number of SCC members trying to get the voting system to work, the voting “ended” sometime around 7:50 PM. And it was well beyond an hour’s wait after that (and long after they had said “We’ll have the results in about 5 minutes”) before they got the results—which were wrong!

This begs the question: Is TEXT2VOTE automated at all? It appears that the company is nothing more than a few people sitting around counting votes by hand, and pretending to be some sort of “high-tech” service. It would be hilarious if it were not so serious.

Besides All That, There Were Other Hilarious, Tone-Deaf Moments

Each candidate was allotted 2 minutes to speak to the entire Zoom crowd. And for most candidates it was strictly enforced.

However, after all the campaigning was over and while the voting was taking place, Executive Director Anissa Galassini Ford Tinnin (famous for turning state’s evidence in the notorious stolen email case that sent her co-conspirator to federal prison for 9 months*) invited her boss, Pearce to speak again!

Pearce seized the opportunity to drone on for 20 minutes about his claimed accomplishments WHILE THE MEMBERS WERE STILL VOTING! You cannot make this kind of stuff up!

One thing about the Pearce-Tinnin team: the rules are for amateurs. They will do what they will do. The rules be damned.

The public and the media will all have a field day with this. How dumb was this entire exercise? What kind of credibility will Pearce have in going after Democrats over election integrity issues?

Furthermore, how can Pearce present himself as a candidate for statewide office yet again? When he could not get even one-third of the votes of his own party on the initial count? And could only get 44% of the Central Committee on the revised, highly favorable relook?

You have to remember that a huge number of these 180 people have been either chosen directly or had their selection to the committee heavily influenced by Pearce (with Pearce taking over county meetings to do so). And yet, he could not come close to mustering a simple majority of this group.

It seems clear that if the Republican Party had enforced its previous rules that require a majority, Pearce would not have been returned to this office.

So, while 2022 probably looks like a great year for the GOP, the New Mexico GOP is clearly suffering.


* The Federal Judge in the sentencing portion of the criminal proceedings also noted the incident in which Anissa and Jamie Estrada, under false pretenses,  surreptitiously accessed the files and information in the Doña Ana Republican Party Headquarters to obtain information to use against the Republican candidate who was running for District Attorney, against Jamie and Anissa's Democrat client, the Democrat candidate for District Attorney, District 3.


Email us (at editor@newmexicopoliticaljournal.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


New Mexico Republicans to Pick a State Chair Today: On the Horns of a Dilemma; What to Do? Is the State Chair Position Even Worth Worrying About? Who all is Running? Pearce is Making Noise About Another Run for Governor—We Explain Why That is a Disaster.

12/07/2020

The Republican Party of New Mexico has just come through its third straight disastrous cycle—all of which have been under either the direct personal leadership or the direct influence of former Congressman Steve Pearce. Now Pearce, who is 73, is running yet again for state party chair, seeking to be the "man behind the curtain" for the fourth consecutive cycle. 

GOP State Central Committee members meet tonight—Monday night at 7:00 PM—via Zoom, to decide who will chair the party for the next two years. The Pearce organization has the upper hand, precisely for the same factors that affect everything during the "Pandemic Era" — inertia. 

COVID-19 is the go-to excuse for non-action, for keeping things the same, for eliminating actual discussion, for grotesquely affecting the dynamic badly needed in so many different aspects of life. In the case of a political party meeting, the current situation favors the existing structure, no matter what the subject matter is.

It was the Pearce organization who got the RPNM on this rushed-up schedule, just a month after the election. In our view, this is a terrible idea: It needless hurries the process for picking new party leadership just a few days after the previous election has been certified. In reality, political parties need time to sit back and fully assess what has just transpired. Rushing to set up a new structure in the middle of the Thanksgiving-Christmas season is a ridiculous rule. It should be abolished, and the chairmanship election should be set in April of each odd year.

So, is the Chairmanship even Worth Worrying About?

Probably it is. After all, lightning can strike. Biden has the potential to be such an amazing disaster that he could turn thousands of traditional Democrats against the party of their birth. Who knows? It certainly appears that 2022 could be a great year for Republicans, across the nation, and in New Mexico.

The state chair has traditionally had to be someone with the ability to raise money—to have money himself or herself and the ability to tap into wealthy donors through connections they have both in-state as well as through a nationwide network of political connections.

Pearce, though disastrous as the “leader” (whether de facto or de jure), appears, on paper at least, to likely be the only candidate with those kinds of possible connections. However, that is only in "theory." In practice, Pearce’s actual fundraising has been desultory and lots of legislative candidates got very little or no help from the oil and gas interests that he was supposed to bring to the table. 

The big money that did reach the party was from national sources that would send money to the state party regardless of who occupies the state chair. 

Nonetheless, Pearce understands fundraising and certainly appears to most likely be more capable in that regard than the other candidates. So that favors him. Additionally, Pearce—as he has bragged—has the personal organization around the state.

Of course, that personal organization has had no success in winning elections around the state, but it is extremely useful in capturing and holding the chairmanship itself.

The most alarming thing about the Pearce candidacy is the insistence among those in the know that he is once again using the position or the control of the party apparatus to advance his own plans to—once again—run for governor. It would be his fourth effort to win a statewide race. The three previous efforts have ended in catastrophic landslide defeats.

Who Else is Running?

The other candidates are  Eddy Aragon, Eric Lucero, and Geoffrey Snider.

  • Eric Lucero is a popular, likable, 63-year-old (who looks much much younger), well-meaning frequent volunteer worker, but as far as we know has no experience in running a major organization, and appears to have only a limited ability to raise funds. At least he has been a Republican for a long time, and, also unlike Aragon, he's voted in every single election, 15 straight, general, primary, and municipal. 
  • Eddy Aragon is a 45-year-old broadcaster. Oddly, he's only been a Republican for less than a year, which, not surprisingly, means he's only voted in one primary in the past decade. As usual, he appears to be using this opportunity for cheap publicity, to prompt more attention and business for his radio station. His radio show has (at best) an “extremely modest” audience that doesn’t actually know who he is. Those who are close to campaign organizations know that he tries to “sell” interviews to candidates, something that is not done by legitimate media organizations.

Plus, Aragon, as previously noted, has been all over the political spectrum—repeatedly threatening to run as an independent for the US Senate in 2019 and 2020, while at one time or another attacking every single Republican hopeful: Elisa Martinez, Mick Rich, Gavin Clarkson, and Mark Ronchetti, calling all of them “worthless.”

Clarkson took the hint towards the end of the primary campaign, purchased some air time, and suddenly became—in Eddy's view—a much more "worthy" candidate. Pearce himself has made arrangements with Aragon, and according to sources, has paid him quite a bit to air Pearce's own radio shows, as well as those of his protégés. (It would be interesting to see state party records to verify how much has been paid to Aragon.)

Eddy—at least in the image of his most recent version of himself (which is ever-changing)—now regularly attempts to identify with the most aggressive positions possible. His history, however, indicates that such positions are far from stable, let alone permanent.

He is related to Raymond and Michael Sanchez, and has worked for prominent Democrats, including Tom Udall and General Wesley Clark. He also brags about having been married to a “coyota” — a woman who helped illegals cross the border.

He also had an abortive run for Mayor of Albuquerque, but quit after collecting 5-dollar contributions, which he neither filed, accounted for, or returned to donors. Aragon is also advocating for equal funding of all candidates, without regard for the winnability of particular races. This of course is a naive and highly wasteful approach and one that can only end up in lots of money being directed to districts that are impossible to win, while underfunding those candidates who can win. So all that is extremely problematic.

  • This leaves 43-year-old Geoffrey Snider. We don’t know if he can raise money, but he says he can, and he has definitely written the best letters to the central committee. He owns his own business, FOAC, LLC, and, again unlike Aragon, he has voted in every single election of all kinds for the past decade.

Snider has recently been serving as the Executive Director of the Bernalillo County Republican Party, where he says the party has set an all-time record in fundraising. His letters discuss his ideas about ways to redirect and reorganize and focus the state part

It appears that Snider is far and away the best choice at this juncture.

To Recap the Last 8 Years:

  • In 2014, a Susana Martinez-led coordinated effort captured the statehouse for the first time in 60 years. When the dust had settled, Republicans held a 37-33 advantage in the State House.
  • In 2016, a Pearce-led effort persuaded House Republicans to abandon Martinez’s successful strategy, with the result being the loss of 5 seats—and the majority it had taken six decades to achieve.
  • For 2018, as Pearce gave up his safe CD 2 seat to run for governor, he secured the chairmanship for his acolyte (and fellow Martinez hater) Ryan Cangiolosi, resulting in the most disastrous cycle for the Republican Party in 106 years of statehood: Republicans lost an additional 8 House seats, making a net loss of a whopping 13 seats in just two years. Democrats held a 46-24 advantage. The GOP lost all twelve statewide races plus all four federal contests, for an astounding 0 for 16 result—something that had never happened before.

As part of the catastrophe, Pearce’s hand-picked replacement ran a weak race and actually managed to lose CD 2, which is designed to be a Republican seat.

  • As for 2020, just a month after his 2018 debacle, Pearce got himself installed as Chair for the 2020 cycle, by bragging about losing the governor's race by 100,000 votes (we are not making this up) and promising “a new vision.”

In Pearce’s 2018 Letter, He Made a Number of Promises

Here is what Pearce stated:

“I know there are others who will want to run for leadership of the party but the big question is, how long will it take for them to develop the people and talent in every county?”

“I have been constantly "on the ground"…for the last 16 years and have personally established a network of supporters…We have built a great organization and, yes—we are going to keep it going…This provides me with a strong base of "new friends" that I can build on for the party.

COMMENT: The problem appears to have been his continuous references to what he personally had established for himself—to win election to state chairmanship, to arrange to win primaries for candidates who belong to “HIS” organization, as opposed to the state party itself.

He claimed to have “invested $5 million” in developing what he called “a base message that the State GOP can build on even further for 2020.”

He went further, stating that:

“I am a seasoned communicator. I  know all the key people in the TV stations, all the radio stations across the state and am well acquainted with those in the print media…No one else in the party…has a skillset of campaign and business experience, the grit, the network of committed volunteers that I have assembled…No one…has been to more towns and villages that I have been in, or developed the relationships in every county that I have…

He went on:

“I have personally talked and listened to over 10,000 people…and have gone to every county and over 100 small and large towns, to reservations and chapter houses…I know and work well with leaders in all cultures; Hispanic, Native American, African-American, Asian and Middle Eastern. Anyone else who might be elected as State Party Chair will start at ground zero and need years to travel to the places that I have been and organized over the last 16 years.

Of course, these claims tended to beg the question: If Pearce has everything in the world going for him, how come it doesn’t result in a victory—of some kind? Or, possibly this question: How does all that result in getting beat by 100,000 votes? But we digress.

Pearce went on:

“We are going to recruit more [millennials] …and put them in key positions in the party as we move forward…We are going to recruit new, younger, and talented people. “We will create a strong social media presence…Speed and commitment are essential. Our leaders must hit the ground running in January 2019 to prepare for 2020-with new energy, new commitment and new turnout targets for winning each and every election when called upon.

"We will also establish a statewide policy coordinating committee to hold elected officials accountable for their actions, and I believe we must also have our own independent polling operation.

“The renewed Republican party will function like a growing business…

He promised to “act boldly…be more strategic…inclusive, and united, to build coalitions,

So, did Any of that Take Place? As Best We Can Tell, NONE of That Actually Happened

So, what really did happen?

Pearce spent his entire two years engaging in divisive, grudge-holding maneuvers, making sure that the first Hispanic female governor in the history of the country—and by all measures, the most successful—was not invited to conventions, and was never used as an example of what can be done.

Pearce again used divisive tactics in primaries—inserting himself and state party assets into intra-party contests.

The result was—again—the loss of every single statewide race—all five of them! Republicans did regain CD2, which should never have been lost in the first place, because of the design of the district. Republicans also picked up one (1) of the 13 state House seats the Pearce team had lost over the previous two cycles.  But they lost a seat in the Senate. When all was said and done, the Pearce-led coalition of “Republican leaders” have gone from a 37-33 Republican House and 18 Senate Republicans to a 25-45 House deficit, with only 15 Republican Senators left.

Additionally, Trump lost the state in a landslide, despite Pearce’s promises. The one bright spot was the showing of Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti, who was ignored by Pearce, mainly because Pearce “sees him as somehow an ally of former Governor Martinez.” Some leadership. 

So' Pearce Declares “Victory” and Boldly Announces He Needs Another Term as Chairman

Just a few days ago, Pearce sent out a bizarre letter to the GOP State Central Committee. In it, he makes claims that no one can even understand, much less believe. Here are some of them:

“During the past two years, RPNM has made history in our great state, reaching remarkable milestones and surpassing many of its goals. I would be honored to serve another two years to further play a vital role in its continuing success.”

What? When and where did any of this happen?

 “The Republican Party has become dynamic, truly diverse and extremely driven. RPNM has received national acclaim during this recent election, and many more New Mexicans have eagerly embraced the Party’s message and mission.”

Comment: Republicans may properly respond that they wish all of this, or any of this, were true. But it is painfully obvious that it’s not.

Pearce went on:

“As your Chairman for the last year, I have witnessed extraordinary achievements by our staff and supporters…In short…RPNM has become stronger and more influential. It is for these reasons that I plan on running for another term as your Chairman.”

The New Mexico Republicans’ Dilemma

The Republican Party is in tatters in New Mexico. However, the likelihood is that a President Biden will create a national mood which will probably be very favorable to the GOP in 2022. So, given a strong candidate (not Pearce) there should be a reasonably good chance that Republicans could capture the governorship, and perhaps (again with strong candidates) a decent chance at other statewide races.

Unfortunately, the favorable environment will almost certainly not help in the legislature. The Pearce team has left the GOP without a seat at the table for the most important factor of all: redistricting.

In 2001 and 2011, the legislative Republicans had Gary Johnson and Susana Martinez to veto the gerrymandered bills put forward by the Democrats—forcing the whole question of redistricting into court.

But for 2021, the GOP has neither house in the legislature, plus Pearce lost the governorship in a landslide, leaving the Republicans with no seat at the table. Brian Egolf has already signaled that he and the Democrats will run roughshod over the Republicans—including (as Egolf stated) taking away the Second Congressional District by means of a partisan gerrymander.

The choice of state chair may or may not have any effect at all. But New Mexico Republicans cannot be blamed if they choose not to go down the Pearce road yet again. 


Email us (at editor@newmexicopoliticaljournal.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


TRUMP-BIDEN: The Electoral College, Online Shysters, Internet Wizards, and Google Geniuses; What is True and False?

11/15/2020

A Guest Editorial by former State Senator Rod Adair (R-Chaves & Lincoln Counties) and former member of the Electoral College (2004)

Perhaps many of you have seen the gentleman, named Shane Vaughn, shown at left. His photo and accompanying video about the current presidential election have been sent to me scores of times, along with questions asking “Is this true?”

The answer, for the most part, is “No, it isn’t.” He gets a few facts correct as many Googlemeister-internet surfers do, but he misses the mark on most things. This is to be expected. *

So I watched this man’s video. He starts out by boldly stating he’s going hold a “class” on “history and law” and that he’s going to “teach.” Then he says that this election (2020) in which a candidate has not “conceded” has “occurred twice before in 1800 and 1824.” And that it’s because the popular vote margin was “less than 1%.”

This is patent nonsense. In 1800, there was no actual popular vote at all. In 1824, most states had popular votes recorded, but several states still had no popular vote at all. And the margin of that which was recorded was fairly wide, not close at all.

But all of this discussion is irrelevant. Those two elections went to the House of Representatives because in each instance the Electoral College did not produce a majority. Those events had nothing at all to do with “concession speeches” or popular vote margins.

He goes on to say there are 475 members of the House of Representatives. (There are actually 435.) And he says that if there were to be “no certification” of the election results (though it’s clear he doesn’t know what that means exactly) then the election goes to the House of Representatives.

What is true is: if there is no presidential candidate with a majority of the Electoral Votes then that election would go to the House, where delegations vote by state, not by individual member.

Mr. Vaughn goes on to make the startling claim that Republicans control 37 of the 50 state delegations. The actual situation is that they currently control 26, with the Democrats holding majorities in 20, and four states are either tied or in doubt. (A Republican candidate has a 48-vote lead in one Iowa congressional district—if she holds that lead in a recount, then the GOP would have a 27 to 20 advantage, with Michigan, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania all evenly split, 4-4, 7-7, and 9-9 respectively.)

Misunderstanding Electors and Misunderstanding the Method of Presidential Elections

The problem with much of what is on the internet right now is that it ignores what has already transpired. Yes, it is true that under the US Constitution the individual state legislatures are empowered to determine the manner of each state’s electoral votes. But they have already done that. They are not waiting till the December 14th meeting of the Electoral College to make that determination. They have long-since put the manner of choosing electors into their state statutes.

The chief elections officers of every state (usually, but not always, the secretary of state) have had the names of the electors, their addresses, phone numbers, and all pertinent information, on file for several months. The reality is that on November 3rd, Americans were voting for ELECTORS, not directly for Biden or Trump. (Even the so-called popular vote is the cumulative total of votes cast for electors—not for the candidates themselves. In fact, the electors ARE the candidates.)

For example, in New Mexico, if a voter filled in the oval next to a presidential candidate, he or she was actually, legally and constitutionally, casting his or her vote for five electors, not Biden or Trump. This is the same thing that took place in all 50 states. (See an example of how an actual presidential election result looks like in the attached photo.)

The five winning candidates for elector in New Mexico (or the 38 winning candidates in Texas, or the 29 in Florida) will go to their respective state capitals (not to Washington, DC, as Mr. Vaughn asserts) on December 14 and cast electoral votes. They do so because they have won their elections for the office of elector.

People have a very hard time understanding this process. The states have already elected the electors.

So, as Mark Levin asserts (and he is only one among several doing so): Can the legislatures overrule the elections that have already taken place to elect the electors?

The answer is: They possibly could. But it would not be very easy. They would have to be drawing up plans right now for special sessions of their legislatures. Why? Because they would have to go into session and repeal their current statutes which currently specify the manner in which their electors are to be chosen.

They would also have to, somehow, nullify their own states' 2020 election results and that probably would mean nullifying ALL the election results in their states, including those that just elected or defeated these same legislators themselves.

Final, official canvassing is about to take place all over the country. (New Mexico's is in nine days.)

Can they repeal their own results after they have been declared final and official? It seems doubtful. So if anyone intends to do this, they better get cracking.

Let's say they go through with that, what next? After repealing the current method of choosing electors by popular vote of the people (after they just had an election to choose them, mind you) they would then have to arrogate the choice of the electors solely to themselves—the state legislators.

Any state that did this would be reverting to a method that has not been used since 1860, when South Carolina was the last state which made the choice of the electors to be determined solely by a vote of the legislature. All other states had already adopted the system currently in place (and South Carolina did too after it was readmitted to the Union) which has the people choose electors by popular vote on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

I am not saying that the election is over, or that the outcome has been decided. The Electoral College does not meet for another 29 days. Trump has some serious allegations, and there appears to be evidence of a number of problems involving elections integrity. I have no idea how these claims will be adjudicated, nor does anyone else.

All I am saying is that many of the things posted on the internet are false, or at best highly misleading.


EDITOR’S NOTE: Let us know what you think, or send us any questions you may have, by emailing us at: Editor@NewMexicoPoliticalJournal.com


* Some three centuries ago, Alexander Pope noted that “A little learning is a dangerous thing.” He wisely noted that “shallow draughts intoxicate the brain” and “short views we take, nor see the lengths behind…”

Today’s youngest generations are intoxicated by the belief that formal educational traditions, study, research, and reflection are completely obsolete, and made so by “search engines.” Many times I’ve heard people say, “I don’t need to study anything or read any books, I can just Google whatever I want to find out.”

The problem is that relying solely on search engines too often end up with the searcher getting a modicum of information, but no context, no understanding of the antecedents, or many other variables that are part of the historical framework. Mr. Vaughn is but one of hundreds on the internet who offer their expertise, obviously based on incomplete and hastily completed Google searches. (To be fair, the man in the photo is not a millennial, maybe not even a Gen X, but the same mental disease—not wanting to drink deep from the Pierian spring”—affects millions (Gen Z and Boomers alike) in the 21st Century.)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


2020 Post Mortem , Part 1 (of 5, maybe): Ronchetti Appears as the Rising Star—Outruns Trump, by A Lot, Helps Herrell Tremendously, Carries 19 Counties; Vote Totals Reminiscent of Another Italian-Surnamed Albuquerque Republican from New Mexico's Past.

11/09/2020

In reviewing the fallout from Decision 2020, and while we wait for a few developments on the national scene, we will dive into the New Mexico results this week. First things first, the federal races in the Land of Enchantment.

Ronchetti Emerges as the Statewide Star

New Mexico Republicans have a rising star in Mark Ronchetti and, in our view, they would be well-advised to get behind him moving forward.

Ronchetti did not win his race, nor did we expect him to, considering the atmosphere and New Mexico's apparent continual drift to the Left. But he exceeded all expectations and even outran President Trump by almost 5 percentage points, beating the president by an astounding net total of 43,500 votes.

This is by itself a remarkable accomplishment for a Republican Senate candidate in 2020, with perhaps only one GOP senatorial candidate in the entire country running farther ahead of the President.  

Ronchetti also ran ahead of all the GOP congressional nominees by a combined net total of nearly 32,000 votes. 

Democrat Spending Wildly to Save the Udall Seat

Ronchetti did all of this while getting outspent by millions of dollars and receiving no outside help. In his post-election video, Ronchetti noted that his campaign had over 15,000 small-dollar donors that helped him combat all of the outside money spent for Lujan. That’s the kind of army of grassroots supporters that New Mexico Republicans have not been able to put together in years.

Yvette Herrell Helped Enormously by Ronchetti

We strongly endorsed Yvette Herrell (as we did in the 2018 General Election as well) and we predicted she would win. She ran an excellent campaign—much-improved over last time—and was greatly aided by Ronchetti who was far and away the strongest-performing candidate in the district.

Of course, Herrell received over $10 million in outside help—something unavailable to Ronchetti, making his showing even more impressive.

In New Mexico's CD2, Mark Ronchetti took a whopping 57% of the two-party vote and ran a net 15,536 votes ahead of Herrell in her district, outperforming her by a net 6.25  percentage points. Ronchetti's margin of victory was 13.68 points, compared to Herrell's 7.43, meaning he ran a net 84% better in precinct after precinct.

This is even more remarkable when you consider that Ronchetti was unknown in much of the district before he entered this race.

Ronchetti outperformed candidates in other districts by even greater margins. This is not to criticize any other candidates, especially not Herrell, who recovered from 2018 to run a very strong race. Rather, it is merely a black and white evaluation of the vote totals.

Going Forward

We have no idea what Ronchetti's future plans are, whether he is a "one-and-done" candidate, who may go back to the private sector, or if he would be willing to put himself and his family through another grueling race. We plan to reach out to him at some point in future, but have not done so to date.

For New Mexico voters, however, Ronchetti is clearly the de facto leading Republican in the state. In our view, the GOP should begin now to get behind him in the race for Governor in 2022, or for Mayor of Albuquerque in 2021, or for US Senator in 2024, or for whatever race he chooses.

Again, however, we don't know that he will choose to run for any other office. We are just recognizing the strength of his campaign, and his appeal.

Remembering another Italian-surnamed Republican from Albuquerque

Ronchetti's run reminded us of another Albuquerque Republican who also happened to have an Italian last name, and who ran a strong statewide race 50 years ago. Pete Domenici ran hard in 1970 for an open gubernatorial seat. But he was running against the popular Speaker of the New Mexico House, Bruce King.

The results were remarkably similar to this year's US Senate contest, with King prevailing, roughly 51-46, almost identical to the Lujan-Ronchetti result. One major difference is that Domenici carried only 7 counties in 1970, while Ronchetti prevailed in 19 of New Mexico's 33 counties.

Domenici came back two years later as the leading contender for the open US Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Clinton P. Anderson. Domenici won that second statewide race, defeating Democrat Jack Daniels, and went on to serve six terms, from 1972 to 2008.

New Mexico in the Years Ahead

No one knows what the future holds for New Mexico elections. Nor can we even begin to predict how (what appears to be) a Biden Administration will fare. Many suspect that Democrats will not allow Biden to serve out his term, and will instead work to invoke the 25th Amendment at some point.

We aren't convinced of that, but we can see that the national scene is highly volatile. It is not unreasonable to assume that the national mood in 2022 will be highly favorable to Republicans, just as 2010 and 2014 were. In fact, we predict it will be a highly favorable cycle for the GOP.

We can say that if that kind of favorable year appears to be shaping up, New Mexico Republicans certainly appear to have a candidate who can win and who can start a great GOP comeback in the state. In that eventuality, it would be unwise for the GOP not to seize the opportunity to rally around Ronchetti.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Decision 2020 in New Mexico: As we Predicted, CD 2 Looks Good for the GOP. What About the Rest of the Scene? Pearce Has Promised a Huge Victory.

11/02/2020

As New Mexicans look ahead to tomorrow, and perhaps for the next few days (at least on the national scene), Republicans especially are encouraged by the promises offered up by their state chairman, Steve Pearce. Pearce has promised that Trump will win the state and that Republicans will win at least one legislative chamber. 

The respected Albuquerque Journal poll, conducted by pollster Brian Sanderoff had some good news for the GOP. Sanderoff forecasts a victory for Republican challenger Yvette Herrell in Congressional District 2. Sanderoff sees her defeating incumbent Xochitl Torres Small. This is a seat Republicans never should have lost, as Congressional District 2 is solidly Republican (it’s actually as Republican as the state of Texas, to give readers an idea). And the national Republicans have poured tens of millions of dollars into the race—a tactic that appears to be working. 

With the amount of money national Republicans are spending in the district and with Trump expected to carry the district, Republicans should definitely pick up legislative seats in southern New Mexico, such as the John Arthur Smith senate seat, the Howie Morales seat, and even Candy Sweetser’s house seat in Deming, as examples. This will simply be the result of Republican legislative candidates benefiting from the national environment. 

Similarly, Republicans should retain all the seats in the region where the Democrats are giving it an all-out effort (and an illegal effort, frankly) to knock off sitting Republicans. In this category, House District 38 comes to mind, in which Republican Rebecca Dow is facing the nastiest campaign from Democrat Karen Whitlock—though, oddly enough, Whitlock is not running or paying for her campaign. Even though her negative mail says it's paid for by her, in reality, it is being furnished entirely by House Speaker Brian Egolf.

Egolf is classifying all of his expenditures—hundreds of thousands of dollars for some thirty Democrat candidates—as "in-kind" contributions. But in reality, he is raising all the money and purchasing all the ads, mail, and nastiness directly. He's doing that because the Democrats created a special provision allowing him to raise unlimited amounts of money, while individual legislators are capped.

The challenge for Republicans will be in the Albuquerque area where Democrats are expecting a Biden wave to wash away many legislative Republicans. Pearce has allowed Republicans to be heavily outspent by the Democrats, but he apparently believes his grassroots and the billboard campaigns of "Respect New Mexico" will win the day. 

PEARCE'S PROMISES: ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE GOP RANK AND FILE

Again, Pearce has promised two big things: 1) Trump will carry New Mexico; 2) Republicans will win one of the two legislative chambers. We certainly hope he is correct, but we are concerned.

Given his announcements about what the Republican Party of New Mexico has supposedly done, the GOP should prevail. Here are the tasks that Pearce says he has completed: 

  • More than 3,000,000 contacts—which represents well over three contacts for every voter who will vote in the general election
  • More than 100,000 doors knocked just during the week of October 22-28
  • 1,300 volunteers have knocked on more than 900,000 doors and placed more than 2,100,000 phone calls in New Mexico.

According to Pearce, all of this represents "the biggest GOP infrastructure, the most manpower, and the most volunteers in New Mexico election history."

These are incredibly impressive numbers. Given that there are only 780,212 households in the entire state, Pearce's team has personally contacted every single voter's home, they've also spoken with everyone—as New Mexico's population is estimated at exactly 2,100,000. These figures, if accurate and true, are nothing short of astonishing. And they should also do the trick.

Pearce insists they are true and accurate, adding:

"These impressive numbers demonstrate not only the commitment and excitement of the Trump Campaign to turn New Mexico red, but the drive and fortitude of our staff and volunteers...We feel the tide turning here, and more and more New Mexicans will be casting their vote for President Trump and Republicans down ballot to turn the state red. New Mexicans know the President stands for law and order, has created a strong economy and will protect our freedoms and family values.”

Given what a disaster a Biden victory would mean for America, and how poorly New Mexico will be represented if Torres Small returns to the House, and Ben Ray Lujan reaches the Senate, we certainly hope that Pearce is telling the truth. And we hope he has overcome his divisiveness by having had his volunteers work for Mark Ronchetti just as hard as the state party worked for Herrell all during this past year.

The results will tell.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


UNDERSTANDING MODERN JUDGES and JUSTICES: The CONSERVATIVE v. LEFTIST Disconnect and Disagreement

10/28/2020

Why Amy Coney Barrett is NOT the Kind of Justice the Democrats Want

There is so much incorrect terminology thrown around and so much careless discussion taking place in the media and among politicians that, in our view, probably fewer than 5% of voters even understand what the role of judges actually is.

Phrases are thrown around like: "they want a judge who is 'pro-life,' or 'pro-oil & gas,' or 'pro-environment,' or 'anti-[this or that[, or who 'supports' some policy or another. This is the language of the Left—indicating that judges have a distinct legislative role. It is not the language of the right, even though many right-of-center people employ, incorrectly, those same phrases. 

In the view of conservatives, while judges may have personal political views, they cannot be "pro" or "anti" anything at all in their role as a judge.

Unlike legislators, judges and justices are not presented with campaign-related issues: Shall we abolish the death penalty? Shall we restrict the manner in which abortion services can be offered? Should voters be required to show an ID?

Those are all questions that come before legislative bodies. Judges only entertain specific cases with specific facts and the specific points of law being argued about the facts of a given dispute or circumstance that gave rise to the case—the situation that caused the case to be filed.

Applying the Law that is on the Books v. Making up a New Law to "Make Things Better" 

Amy Coney Barrett is not the kind of justice the Democrat Party wants precisely because she "applies" the law, reading statutes, or passages in Constitutions as they are written, in plain English. The Left wants jurists who look at laws only as suggestions, or perhaps just as incidental starting points for public policy debate or discussion.

The two approaches clash all the time.

Recent Elections Law Cases Provide Excellent Exhibits. For Example:

A statute may read (as in New Mexico) that: 

Absentee ballots "shall be accepted until 7:00 PM on election day. Any...envelope received after that time shall not be qualified or opened..."

An entity, such as the Democratic Party (or Libertarian or Republican Party) in New Mexico (or in Wisconsin or Pennsylvania) may bring suit, demanding that the deadline adopted by the legislature be extended for any number of days—say, for example, six more days. The plaintiff or petitioner may claim that the statute is somehow “unfair” or “unreasonable,” or may come up with any number of reasons to set the statute aside.

A typical judge or justice, coming from the last couple of generations of law school, and certainly ALL judges and lawyers of the current American Left, including many, perhaps most, Democrat appointees (though to be fair, not all) will look at the case and the law and say:              

"Hmmm. I don’t much care for this statute. I’m not sure the legislature thought this through as well as I can by myself. I think I’ll rule that there shall be six more days added on to the deadline.”

A different Democrat court, looking at the same case, may say: “No. We think the deadline should be extended only three more days."

And yet another activist judge or three-member panel might rule that:

"No, we know best of all—the deadline should be extended for 30 days. Elections officials should count all votes received not later than 30 days after the deadline identified in statute.”

All of them will conclude in their own minds: “There. That’s what I call fair and just. I am a judge and I know best what should be done. The legislators simply don’t have as good a handle on fairness and justice as a trained lawyer and judge does.”

However, a justice or judge like Amy Coney Barrett will read the statute and conclude:

1) the law is clearly stated and understandable

2) there is nothing “unconstitutional” about the legislature making rules and establishing deadlines for the conduct and administration of elections

3) in a republic, it is the legislature that represents the people’s will (right or wrong, regardless of how we “feel” about the law) through the process of free and open elections

4) a court is not a legislature, did not participate in the debate, and has no role in writing bills, voting on their passage, or signing them into law

Court cases are not supposed to be about some judge's "druthers" or how they "wish" the law was written, or what "outcome" the judge prefers.

Personally, a judge might prefer some other deadline, or see ways in which she would write the law differently and “better,” but she recognizes that that is not her role as a judge.

This kind of thinking is anathema to Leftists. They want judges who will use their positions to hand down rulings that conform to the Left’s desired outcomes in a huge array of cases that can be brought. The Left finds entities that will file suits for the purpose of getting a judge to simply "enact" a law that is nowhere on the books, or that could not be passed in a legislative body. 

For example: “We want six more days added to the deadline. And a judge responds ‘Okay, you got it, six more days it is.’”

That is essentially what Supreme Court Justices Kagan and Sotomayor do on a regular basis. (Justice Stephen Breyer responds less “automatically” in this manner.) And Ruth Bader Ginsburg did the same as Sotomayor and Kagan.

for the American Left, Amy Coney Barrett is a terrible reminder to the people that the role of the judiciary and the role of the legislative branch are separate and distinct. She essentially is an exhibit that says: "Judges should stay in their own lane."

That's what the US Constitution says, and that's what all state constitutions say. If you want to change the structure of American government you should amend the Constitution. If you want to change state or federal laws, then go to your legislature or to congress.

Judges should not just make stuff up on the bench. That approach represents an enormous threat to the American Experiment.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT THIS WILL BE A FAIR ELECTION?

10/27/2020
The New Mexico Justice Project recently released this statement
 
The following is the kind of inquiry we frequently receive:
"People are criticizing the all-mail balloting that a number of states have suddenly adopted. They're claiming it will be a mess, and that it raises serious issues involving election integrity and honesty."
HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU THAT THIS WILL BE A FAIR ELECTION?
 
ANSWER: Very concerned. Let us explain.
 
Elections are conducted by states. There are major differences in the ways each state administers elections. Yes, there has been great controversy about "mail" ballots and whether or not "voting by mail" is okay. In that talk, there has been a lot of obfuscation, and (in our view) deliberate misrepresentation. For example, the media have said about a hundred times that "Trump votes by mail."
 
What they are implying is that an "all-mail election" is the same as the way Trump, and many thousands of other Americans as well, have been voting since the Civil War. But that is not true. Trump has voted by absentee ballot: requesting his ballot, providing his verifiable personal information—the same as all absentee voters.
 
That process—the absentee ballot—is NOT the same as an "all-mail-ballot-election." Not even close. And we have seen many, many talking heads, reporters, and politicians who have appeared (to us at least) to be deliberately trying to deceive the public about the system. More on that below, but first things first:
 
1) What is most important is whether or not a state has done a good job of maintaining its voter list. Most states do not do this well. Among the 160 million or so registered voters in the country, there are millions of addresses that are incorrect, with people having moved or died, and their addresses never being updated or corrected.
 
2) Another big consideration is whether a state is conducting a regular, normal election, or is conducting an "all-mail-election"—which is a shotgun mail-out to everyone on its statewide list. In the all-mail-ballot election, every single listed voter is mailed a general election ballot, ready to be voted. This is done without a request from the voter, and without any verification that the address where the ballot is being sent is accurate.
 
3) Important facts to consider are that: A) 31 million Americans move each year; B) 20 million students are away from home in college; C) 1½ million adults are in nursing homes; D) a million are in assisted living facilities; E) 55 million live in apartment buildings (that frequently incorrectly show the same address for each resident). That's a total of 108 million Americans whose addresses and locations present huge opportunities for missing the actual, intended voter.
 
The reality is that states that simply send out ballots to every listed address in their file are INEVITABLY (there is no debate or question about this) going to end up with lots of ballots arriving at homes, dormitories, apartments, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and in post office boxes where the voter in question does not live, or does not currently get his or her mail.
 
Blanket mailings of ballots, sent without being requested, have the same error rate as tons of junk mail sent out every day that often say “to the current resident” or “household.” This leaves a tremendous opportunity for unclaimed ballots lying around all these venues.
 
We live in very divisive times, with the American people facing an election that so many are beyond passionate about. It seems highly likely that any number of misdirected ballots will fall into the wrong hands and be voted by someone else.
 
Bottom Line: There is actual cause for a great deal of concern. And this is without even beginning to address the logistical problems involved in many states who are, for the very first time, receiving millions of "all-mail" ballots, struggling to have the time to verify that they are from the intended voter, and processing them in any reasonably timely manner.

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Herrell wins Debate. Hands Down. NMPJ Enthusiastically endorses Yvette Herrell for CD2

09/30/2020

We watched Sunday's debate between incumbent Congresswoman Xochitl Torres Small, a Democrat from Las Cruces, and her Republican challenger Yvette Herrell of Alamogordo. We ended up pleasantly surprised.

Herrell's refusal to debate in 2018 was, to a number of pundits' thinking at least, a contributory cause of her defeat in the Republican-leaning district. It was perceived that she "must have recognized" that she couldn't really stand toe to toe with Small.

After the one-hour debate, sponsored by KOAT-TV, Channel 7 in Albuquerque, we were left wondering what she—or more likely her campaign team—was worried about two years ago.

Herrell easily won the debate.

Xochitl Torres Small

Small apparently came into the debate believing that a machine-gun-like delivery along with a "word salad" approach to all the questions is "the ticket" in any debate. At least that's what she did. Small delivered many of her answers at speeds hitting an astounding 220 words per minute, some 45 to 50% faster than a normal person talks in normal conversation.

And a review of "what" she said is shocking: Word Salad City. Small essentially repeated almost every single question and then went into laborious detail in describing to the audience the meaning of the question and why it was important—something the questioners already knew, as did, presumably, the listening audience. 

The audience definitely knew it when the questioner was Kent Walz. The Albuquerque Journal's senior editor asked questions that were longer than the time allotted to answer them. And they usually included four or five different sub-topics. The candidates needed a scribe to make sure they got to all of them.

But Small's objective was recognizable: eat up time with repetition and non-answers, and make it appear you're being responsive.

In any case, Torres Small just substituted a rapid-fire series of disconnected phrases—very fluently and mellifluously, make no mistake, she's not a verbal bumbler—in place of giving real answers that addressed the actual topics being discussed.

Another flaw in the process, of course, could not be avoided: the pandemic-induced "Zoomery." Forums like these permit all kinds of behind the scenes direction and answer-feeding that the public would be able to see if the debate were live and being held in some sort of normal setting.

As a result, Small got a second shot at the question Herrell posed: "Are you going to vote for the Biden-Harris ticket?"

In her original response or rather non-response to Herrell's question, Small just went directly to her automatic-rifle-speed chatter, and ended up never responding at all to the question. Then, some 10-15 minutes later, Small worked in a response that indicated she will be voting for Biden

This late recovery, so to speak, was almost certainly as a result of a handler either approaching Small, or holding up a cue card—something that simply could not have occurred if the debate had been held under normal conditions. No one would do that in full view of the audience. 

Yvette Herrell
For her part, Yvette Herrell was well prepared and delivered her responses clearly and articulately. What came across was a candidate who established a contrast with the left-leaning incumbent in the right-leaning Second Congressional District.

If there is a criticism of Herrell, it is that she simply did not drive home that contrast anywhere near as strongly as she might have.

Small and her team are obviously banking on winning the election in the same way they won in 2018: based purely on imagery. 

If it's a contest about that—which candidate is going to appear more often with a shotgun, with camouflage outfits, with "conservative-looking" backgrounds and themes, well, Small and her team have all that stuff down pat. They believe that is enough—since they have tremendous amounts of out-of-state money from Pelosi as well as lefty special interest groups. 

Small and special interest groups are spending enough to keep the TV stations afloat for another year.

All the more reason that Herrell should have driven home the stark contrasts and the reality that lie behind the images. If there is one regret for her team, it's probably that she didn't really hammer that home enough. 

Still, Herrell clearly won. Southern New Mexico—whether it's the southeastern counties, or the western counties of Sierra, Luna, Hidalgo, and Catron—is simply not southern California, where Small would be much more at home. So Herrell did enough for the reasonable observer to get the message: Herrell represents your values. Small does not.

Trump Doing Well in CD2

We conclude that polls must be showing the Herrell team that Trump is set to carry the district in November. Thus the question posed by Herrell: "Who you gonna vote for, Xoch?"

If Trump isn't winning CD2, then the question, and making an issue of that question, makes a lot less sense. We think the question does make sense.

Endorsement

The choice in this congressional race is hardly a difficult one. It's hands-down for Herrell, as it was in 2018.

Whether it is the Second Amendment, national defense issues, positions on taxation, re-opening the economy, various aspects of the entire personal liberty issue, or the rampant out-of-control rioting, looting, and mayhem perpetrated by Democrat front groups Antifa and Black Lives Matter, Herrell is on the correct side each time, and Small is hardly more than a Nancy Pelosi look-alike. 

Again, this is the reason that Small is "all-image-all-the-time." Substance is simply not her scene.

We hope Herrell can overcome the shenanigans led by her mentor Steve Pearce and the divisiveness he has brought to her primary battles are not too much to overcome. 

We strongly and heartily urge readers to support Yvette Herrell for CD 2.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Poll Shows Republicans May Pick up State Senate District 28; State Senate Watch: New Mexico Democrats May Face Losses due to their Vicious Primary Battles; (This is the first of a planned Series we will do on Competitive Legislative Races this Fall.)

09/10/2020

Democrats ousted five of their incumbent state senators in their June primary. We predicted three of those. "Assuming the challengers' campaigns are competently managed," we expected that Senators John Arthur Smith, Clemente Sanchez, and Gabriel J. Ramos would be defeated.  They were. We were sort of neutral on Mary Kay Papen and Richard Martinez's chances, but kind of expected them to survive. They didn't.

Senate District 28, Background

Several of the Democrat challenger campaigns were indeed run by highly competent, proven winners. The SD 28 race, encompassing all of Grant and Catron Counties, as well as almost all of Socorro County, saw incumbent Gabe Ramos easily dispatched by Democrat Siah Correa Hemphill. And Hemphill's guiding light was one of the Democrats' most experienced and most successful advisers to the Hard Left of the party, none other than the notorious Neri Holguin.

We note this with the greatest of respect—if you are a Democrat, and you have voted more than once or twice in a manner that, say, Rachel Maddow, would not approve of, well...you'd better hold your breath to see if you get a challenger. If you do, and it's a hard-Lefty...and if he or she hires Holguin, well...get ready to clean out your office. 

Here's the thing: the parties are more polarized than ever—and primaries bring out the most polarized voters. The majority of Democrat primary voters generally hang on every word uttered by Maddow or anyone at MSNBC or CNN.

And Ramos, who had never faced the voters, had been appointed to replace former Senator Howie Morales who had just been sworn in as lieutenant governor. All three county commissions sent up Ramos' name, much to the vocal displeasure of Governor Grisham and her fellow "progressives." In short, Ramos found himself out of step with the Democrat base.

All the enthusiasm in the Democrat Party, including in New Mexico, is on the far Left. Just look at the result in SD 28: 4,809 to 2,970, a 62-38 crushing defeat for Ramos. Hemphill raised almost $127,000, spent about 95 grand of that, while Ramos spent almost the same amount, about $96K, after raising about $112,000. 

Funding was not the issue. It was messaging. And once it was established that Hemphill was part of the Bernie Sanders-AOC-Green New Deal-anti-Second Amendment-Abortion on Demand coalition, Ramos and his advisers could simply not match the Holguin-Hemphill team. You're either in lockstep with the modern Democrat Party, or you're not. And if you're not, well, sayonara!

While most observers are zeroing in on the JOhn Arthur Smith district (SD 35), there are a total of five seats that should be followed closely. In addition to SD 28, and SD 35, there is the Clemente Sanchez seat (SD 30), the William Tallman seat (SD 18), and the John Sapien seat (SD 9). All of those should be won by the Republican candidates PROVIDED there are competent campaigns and sufficient funding. 

Senate District 28 Poll and General Election Outlook

In Senate District 28, the Republicans have nominated James "Jimbo" Williams to face the Democrat nominee Siah Correa Hemphill. Here is a poll we have come across from less than two weeks ago. It was conducted by Remington Research Group out of Kansas City. It is a nationally reputable polling firm, which, incidentally, was the earliest to predict that Trump would win Ohio in 2016.

The poll surveyed 422 likely general election voters in Senate District 28.

Q1: What is your opinion of Michelle Lujan Grisham?

Favorable: 50%  Unfavorable: 38%  No opinion: 12%

Q2: What is your opinion of James Williams?

Favorable: 23%  Unfavorable: 15%  No opinion: 62%

Q3: What is your opinion of Siah Correa Hemphill?

Favorable: 31%  Unfavorable: 26%  No opinion: 43%

Q4: For whom would you vote for President if the election were held today?

Donald Trump: 42%  Joe Biden: 52%  Undecided: 6%

Q5: In Senate District 28, the candidates are Republican James Williams and Democrat Siah Correa Hemphill. If the election were held today, for whom would you vote?

James Williams: 42%  Siah Correa Hemphill: 42%   Undecided: 16%


The survey was conducted from August 26 through August 28, 2020. 422 likely General Election voters participated in the survey. Survey weighted to match the expected turnout universe for the 2020 General Election. The Margin of Error is +/-4.9% with the normal 95% level of confidence.


This was the initial baseline poll. It was not a "push poll," or one in which descriptions of the candidates were used to influence the voters' responses. Those facts being the case, the results show that Hemphill is surprisingly weak, running a net 10 points behind Biden. 

Hemphill does have the advantage of being from Silver City, so she's a resident of Grant County, which has 61% of the voting power in the district. Williams has a disadvantage, at least on paper, of being from a much smaller community. He is from Quemado (population 228) which is in Catron County, which has only 10% of the voters in the district.

Still, Hemphill is on the extreme Left of both the Democrat Party. She identifies with entities like Antifa and Black Lives Matter that are the engines of the nationwide riot and looting culture. She has changed her tune in the wake of the primary—with the addition of both independent and Republican voters now in the general election mix.

With Ramos out of the way, Hemphill has removed all of the hard Left rhetoric from her personal appearances, campaign literature, and social media postings. She is going to try to win the general election as a "moderate," something she is decidedly not.

How much the traditional New Mexico Democrats will be put off by her actual political leanings is unknown. But there could be considerable resentment of the kind of campaign she ran in the primary. And the traditional moderate base of the New Mexico Democrat Party, which has been largely Hispanic, may harbor some resentment toward yet another outsider largely supported by outsiders in Silver City (people who have moved in from California and elsewhere over the past 15 years or so) trying to take over the party.

In any case, the results of the poll should be very encouraging for the GOP.


 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


MAKE HISTORY THIS NOVEMBER

08/20/2020

A guest op-ed by Former New Mexico Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez

On a picturesque summer day in July, I stood alongside President Trump as he signed the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative. The Executive Order is particularly important to me. I have had the good fortune of living the American Dream and now, thanks to President Trump’s leadership, future generations will have an opportunity to accomplish whatever they set their minds to.

Prosperity has been the bedrock of the Trump Administration and the results were clear at the start of the year and as we approach the next phase of the Great American Comeback. In June alone, New Mexico added 26,300 new jobs. Before the Coronavirus Pandemic, New Mexico saw an addition of 40,000 new jobs, 9,600 construction jobs, and 3,000 manufacturing jobs as a result of the Trump administration.

Now, compare this with the track record of the Obama-Biden Administration and the campaign promises of a Biden-Harris ticket. Under the economic direction of the Obama-Biden Administration, New Mexico lost 8,500 construction jobs and 5,700 manufacturing jobs. The average unemployment rate in the state during the Obama-Biden Administration was 7.1 percent.

So, despite our legislative efforts and accomplishments, we found ourselves beholden and subject to the big government model preferred by Democrats in Washington.

New Mexico is now a top 10 energy producer in America thanks to President Trump’s deregulatory agenda. Fossil fuels support over 90,000 jobs in our state, contributing about $13 billion to our economy over the past four years. Our oil and natural gas boom have revived our state’s budget, too. Schools benefited from the record $2.2 billion in oil and natural gas tax revenues.

(It must also be noted that this is, in large part, thanks to the administration of former Governor Susana Martinez, in which Sanchez served as lieutenant governor.)

Joe Biden—Despite his Record—is Still Peddling Bad Public Policy

Even with an abhorrent track record in Washington, Joe Biden is trying to pitch New Mexicans again this November. What’s worse is that he’s adopted policies that are popular among social circles in San Francisco and New York City but have no place in the actual livelihoods of New Mexicans. Biden and Harris want to repeal President Trump’s tax cuts; making New Mexicans return the $1,391 they were able to pocket thanks to tax reform.

And Joe Biden has locked arms with an unfeasible energy agenda. Banning fracking would cost New Mexico 142,000 jobs and $86 billion in economic activity by 2025. Outside the energy industry, New Mexico households would also feel the sting of a Biden-Harris energy plan. Cost of living would increase by $5,790 per person while household incomes would drop due to a burdensome government. The ramifications of a liberal agenda would have very real, and very detrimental, consequences throughout the state.

Upward mobility is a cornerstone of America’s promise. As a young boy who grew up in abject poverty, I understand the challenges facing all families, especially Hispanic families in this country. Our household of eight children was held together by my mother — a single mother. Her leadership, devotion, and sacrifice toward our personal improvement made me the man I am. It’s also what makes me so passionate about working with President Trump to improve the lives and wellbeing of New Mexicans.


John Sanchez served as the 29th Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico from 2011-2019. He serves as a commissioner on President Trump’s Hispanic Prosperity Initiative.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


First Shoe Drops in ObamaGate: FBI Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Documents for Obama-Biden Administration

08/19/2020

Ex-FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleads guilty in Durham investigation

by Jerry Dunleavy, Justice Department Reporter | Washington Examiner
 
 August 19, 2020 01:40 PM

The former FBI lawyer charged in U.S. Attorney John Durham’s investigation of the investigators pleaded guilty Wednesday to a false statements charge for fraudulently altering a CIA email to obtain surveillance against a former Trump campaign associate.

Clinesmith, who worked on the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server as well as on the FBI’s Crossfire Hurricane inquiry and special counsel Robert Mueller’s team during the Trump-Russia inquiry, admitted that he falsified a document during the bureau’s efforts to renew Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authority to wiretap Carter Page, who had been a foreign policy adviser to now-President Trump's 2016 campaign.

Judge James Boasberg, the presiding judge in the criminal case against Clinesmith (and also the presiding judge for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court), accepted the plea during the hearing conducted by phone before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Clinesmith, 38, claimed in early 2017 that Page was "not a source" for the CIA when the CIA had actually told the bureau on multiple occasions that Page was indeed an operational contact for them. U.S. Attorney John Durham submitted a five-page filing to the federal court on Friday, noting Clinesmith was being charged under 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(3) for “False Statements.”

“On or about June 19, 2017, within the District of Columbia, the defendant, Kevin Clinesmith, did willfully and knowingly make and use a false wiring and document, knowing the same to contain a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and entry in a matter before the jurisdiction of the executive branch and judicial branch of the Government of the United States,” Durham told the court.

"He will be pleading guilty," Emily Damrau, an attorney for Clinesmith, told the Washington Examiner on Monday.

“Kevin deeply regrets having altered the email,” Clinesmith's lawyer said Friday. “It was never his intent to mislead the court or his colleagues as he believed the information he relayed was accurate. But Kevin understands what he did was wrong and accepts responsibility.”

Andrew Weissmann, the Mueller “pit bull” who has been critical of Durham and U.S. Attorney General William Barr and who misrepresented an element of the special counsel’s congressional testimony during an appearance on MSNBC this week, had fired off multiple Twitter threads seeking to undermine the possible plea deal, but to no avail.

Judge Rosemary Collyer, then the presiding judge over the FISA court, ordered an FBI review of every FISA filing that Clinesmith had ever touched following the release of DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz’s December report on the FBI's Russia investigation. The FISA court criticized the FBI's handling of the Page applications as "antithetical to the heightened duty of candor described above" and demanded corrective action from the bureau.

Clinesmith, an assistant general counsel in the National Security and Cyber Law Branch of the FBI’s Office of General Counsel from July 12, 2015, through Sept. 21, 2019, is not named in Horowitz's report, but it is clear he is the "Office of General Counsel attorney" who had been acting in response to a question by an FBI agent who was part of the team investigating the Trump campaign.

A supervisory agent, dubbed "SSA 2" who swore in an affidavit for all three FISA renewals against Page in 2017, told Horowitz's investigators that on the third renewal, he wanted "a definitive answer to whether Page had ever been a source for another U.S. government agency before he signed the final renewal application." While in contact with what was reportedly the CIA's liaison, Clinesmith was reminded that in August 2016, predating the first Page warrant application in October 2016, the other agency informed the FBI that Page "did, in fact, have a prior relationship with that other agency."

An email from the other government agency's liaison was also sent to Clinesmith in 2017, who then "altered the liaison's email by inserting the words 'not a source' into it, thus making it appear that the liaison had said that Page was 'not a source' for the other agency" and sent it to "Supervisory Special Agent 2," Horowitz found.

"Relying upon this altered email, SSA 2 signed the third renewal application that again failed to disclose Page's past relationship with the other agency," the inspector general wrote.

Horowitz’s report criticized the Justice Department and the FBI for at least 17 “significant errors and omissions” related to the FISA warrants against Page and for the bureau's reliance on the Democrat-funded discredited dossier compiled by British ex-spy Christopher Steele. Declassified footnotes from Horowitz’s report indicate that the bureau became aware that Steele’s dossier may have been compromised by Russian disinformation, and FBI interviews show Steele’s primary subsource undercut the credibility of the dossier.

In January, the Justice Department determined that the final two of the four Page FISA warrants “were not valid." The FBI told the court it was working to "sequester" all the information from the Page wiretaps, and FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to Congress that he was working to "claw back" that intelligence. The FBI director also testified that the bureau likely illegally surveilled Page.

In a scathing July 2018 inspector general report on the FBI's Clinton emails investigation, Clinesmith was mentioned (again not by name) numerous times as being one of the FBI officials who conveyed a possible bias against Trump.

In a lengthy instant message exchange between Clinesmith and another FBI employee on Nov. 9, 2016, the day after Trump’s presidential victory, he lamented: “My god damned name is all over the legal documents investigating his staff,” Clinesmith said, adding, “So, who knows if that breaks to him what he is going to do?”

Other messages showed Clinesmith, listed in Horowitz's report as "FBI Attorney 2," expressed favor toward Clinton and said “Viva le resistance" in the weeks after Trump's win.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Beware of Democrats Celebrating the 19th Amendment! Hint: They're Lying—Yet Again!

08/18/2020

Democrats are at it again—and especially the increasingly aggressively phony Democrat women "spokespersons"— who drone on about how much they now "hate" all Republicans, all conservatives, everyone who doesn't accept Black Lives Matter, Antifa, or Joe Biden. They are all at it again today—lying their butts off. 

This time it's about the 19th Amendment, the constitutional change ratified 100 years ago today that guaranteed women the right to vote everywhere in America. (At least 19 states already had some form of women's suffrage, and about a dozen states provided full suffrage for women.)

Why are they Lying to You? Because Democrats OPPOSED it!

That's right, if it were up to the Democratic Party, women would not have won the right to vote everywhere. It would have been left to the states. Before the states could begin ratifying the proposed amendment, it had to pass both the US House and the US Senate by two-thirds majorities in each.

The House vote in May of 2019, was 304 to 89. But by party it was like this: Republicans voted  200 to 19 to pass the amendment, or 91% in favor. Democrats voted 102 to 70, meaning that if it had been solely up to the Democrats the amendment would have received only 59% support, well below the nearly 67% required for passage.

In the US Senate, the Democrats did even worse. They voted "in favor" of the resolution by only a 19 to 18 vote. The Republican support was overwhelming 37 to 7. When both parties' votes were combined, the result was a 56-25 victory for women's suffrage, over two percentage points more than required to send the proposal to the states.

But it was no thanks to the Democrat Party. 

Just FYI. Don't let them fool you. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Black Lives Matter Hired Miscreants Still Disruptive in Albuquerque

07/23/2020

Photos and story by Gerald A. Loeb, Freelance Journalist. (Facebook: Jerry Loeb)

In Albuquerque this past Sunday, forty hired thugs from the Black Lives Matter Movement verbally bullied and attacked legitimate peaceful counter-protestors who were merely waving American flags at a contentious demonstration at the Downtown Civic Plaza.

BLM slogans were scrawled  on the Plaza with different colored chalk, producing such gems as,

“Mask it or Casket,” “If you don’t wear a mask, you are the virus,” and “If all  lives matter, put on your mask.”

“We are here to show that we are not afraid of the fascist cops,” screamed one BLM speaker, who was virtually incoherent behind her mask.

At the same time, less than two dozen peaceful protestors for the Unmaskers waved a few American flags and talked quietly among themselves. They were on the northeast side of the Plaza, and well distant from the BLM crowd.

I interviewed some of them. One of the Unmaskers, Matt K., stated:

“I think that people with medical conditions such as asthma or PTSD should not wear masks. It simply deprives people of oxygen.”

Another Unmasker, Vanessa Q, said:

“I’m here at the risk of losing my job. The hospitality industry may never recover from this crisis.” 

 U.S. Army veteran Teil Plont was succinct on his attendance as an Unmasker:

“Look at the Bible in Luke 10, 1-11. I choose the Lord over men.”

The Unmaskers were briefed by a police sergeant who told them a City Ordinance ordered by Mayor Tim Keller prohibited guns in a designated “demonstration area,” and violators would be cited.

Approximately twenty minutes after the Unmaskers arrived, the BLM protestors wheeled their group west to deliberately and verbally attack the Unmaskers. Albuquerque Police Officers enforced the law and stood between two groups.

“Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter,” chanted some of the more frenzied BLM operatives.

“All Lives Matter. All Lives Matter,” responded the Unmaskers.

“Maybe you are in the wrong place,” shouted one BLM protestor at one Unmasker, adding “Maybe I should kick your ass.”

“Maybe you’ll wind up on Youtube. Or in jail,” came the response.

The cops, apparently choosing sides, then firmly asked the Unmaskers leave and move two blocks north, which they did. That did not stop the bellowing BLM from taking a position at the end of the Plaza and screaming epithets like spoiled children.

One female BLM swung her fist at an older man waving an American flag. The police quickly moved in and tear-gassed her into a stupor, but she was not arrested or cited.

(According to a later Tweet sent by the Albuquerque Police Department, “Three armed individuals—one from the protesting group and two from the opposing group – were briefly detained after they refused to disarm. Guns are banned at Civic Plaza.”)

One person I interviewed, an Unmasker who was one of the ones cited, said he was legally carrying his pistol in a holster while at the edge of the Plaza when he was apprehended by APD and led away from the scene. The officers told him he would be cited for a misdemeanor and gave him a paper-sized citation.

The scene was best summed up by Kim F., who said of the Black Lives Matter miscreants:

“I kinda felt like they really didn’t care. We have to be (normal) people and just live okay, but they (the Left) are coming after everything.”


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


LUJAN GRISHAM BREAKS the LAW to ENFORCE her EDICTS

07/21/2020

The Pizza Inn in Carlsbad has refused to commit financial suicide by shutting down. So in retaliation, Grisham has her Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions issue an edict:

”New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Extends Unemployment to all Pizza Inn Employees in Hobbs and Carlsbad Who Leave Employment Due to Safety Concerns.”

As a result, all employees of Pizza Inn restaurants in Hobbs and Carlsbad will be able to qualify for Unemployment benefits if they voluntarily leave their jobs over the next two weeks.

This of course violates existing New Mexico law which prevents workers from simply walking away from employment in order to get unemployment pay. All these workers have to do is go online or call the toll-free number, and say ”Bill McCamley sent me.”

McCamley, of course, is the unemployed guy from Las Cruces whom Grisham appointed cabinet Secretary for the unemployed.

What do you think?



Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


What Would a Biden Administration Look Like? The St. Louis City Prosecutor is a harbinger of things to come.

07/20/2020

A Biden Administration? The St. Louis City Prosecutor is a harbinger of things to come.

If you wonder how life will change in a Biden Administration, the actions of the prosecutor in the City of St. Louis, Missouri serve as a great example: Rioters, or a mob—provided it is rioting or looting on behalf of a leftist cause, Democrats, BLM, Antifa—will have protection. Meanwhile, homeowners who seek to protect their own lives or property will be prosecuted.



Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


"Stand with Survivors"? #MeToo? #Hypocrisy? — Will all the Signers of a Famous New Mexico Letter Now Disavow Bill Richardson? Or Step Down from Their Elective Offices?

07/10/2020

On Tuesday, September 25, 2018, a group of wannabe #MeToo-ers, who wrote styling their prose as being "by New Mexico Democrats," published a scathing attack on Supreme Court nominee and on then-US Senate nominee, Republican Mick Rich.

They titled their condescending missive as "Mick Rich's Comments on Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford Show a Callous Disregard for Sexual Assault Survivors Everywhere."

Of course now we know that there is not a single shred of evidence to support a single allegation by Blasey Ford. She did put on a show, initially winning over lots of people with her testimony in which she adopted the voice and sound of a 6-year-old girl, not to mention all kinds of cheap and poorly performed histrionics that led one to believe she was waiting to be told when to do what by some off-stage parent or guardian.

But it has all fallen apart as not a single person—including close friends and even her own father—has been willing to back up anything she has said. In short, it was a repeat performance of the Anita Hill travesty in that it was orchestrated by Democrats and special interest groups willing to go to any lengths at all to stop a textualist (actually just someone who just reads the law rather than makes up stuff) from becoming a supreme court justice. 

Here is What the 65 Democrats Said Two Years Ago

"The reality is that our culture of rejecting sexual assault claims will continue as long as people who are in positions of power use their perches to first blame survivors, cast aspersions on their credibility and character, and minimize the trauma they have experienced.

"That’s why we take Rich’s comments as more than just hurtful and wrong. He used his platform to undermine survivors everywhere, and to remind those who have committed these acts that there are any number of excuses they can use to explain why their actions don’t count, and their crimes don’t matter.

"We ask that Mick Rich not just issue an apology, but to articulate that he understands the severity of his words, and that in the future he will support survivors rather than contributing to their silence. We believe that anything short of this disqualifies Mick Rich from representing the people of New Mexico."

We certainly hope Mr. Rich did not apologize. To our knowledge, he said nothing wrong. And nothing has ever come to light that even begins to corroborate any of Blasey Ford's statements, let alone support her evil and conscienceless accusations of an innocent man, motivated purely by the most cynical and amoral political prejudice.

So Here's Our Question

So now that public legal records reveal that Virginia Giuffre has testified that both the late Jeffrey Epstein and his socialite accomplice, the now-jailed Ghislaine Maxwell, directed her to have sex with former New Mexico Governor, and celebrity Democrat, Bill Richardson, here is our question:

Will the same 65 New Mexico Democrats sign a similar letter condemning Richardson? 

After all, the existing evidence regarding Richardson is obviously infinitely more compelling than the zero-evidence egg laid by wannabe 6-year-old Blasey Ford—who promptly went back to talking in a normal tone of voice when her "show" was over.

Here are the 65 New Mexico Democrat Wizards, Rocket Scientists, Masterminds, and Mental Giants 

This is how they signed their "sincere" letter concerning Kavanaugh and Mick Rich:

Signed by

U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich
Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Democratic candidate for Governor
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver
Speaker Brian Egolf
Senate Majority Whip Mimi Stewart
Senator Howie Morales
Rep. Debbie Armstrong
Rep. Gail Chasey
Rep. Liz Thomson
Rep. Nathan Small
Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero
Rep. Javier Martinez
Rep. Angelica Rubio
Rep. Matthew McQueen
Bernalillo County Assessor Tanya Giddings
Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller
Former New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid
Deb Haaland, Candidate N.M. Congressional District 1
Xochitl Torres Small, Candidate N.M. Congressional District 2
Brian Colon, Candidate for State Auditor
Joy Garratt, Candidate N.M. House 29
Abbas Ahkil, Candidate N.M. House 20
Andrea Romero, Candidate N.M. House 46
Rep. Stephanie Garcia Richard, Democratic candidate for Land Commissioner
Former U.S. Senator Fred Harris
Marg Elliston, Chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico
Joe Kabourek, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico
Dr. Ellen Bernstein, President, Albuquerque Teachers Federation
Kathy Chavez, AFT National Vice President; AFT NM Executive Vice President; President, Albuquerque Educational Assistants & Transportation Workers Association
Stephanie Ly, President, AFT New Mexico
Neri Holguin
Caroline Buerkle
Natasha Ning
Drew Setter
James Jimenez
Alicia Manzano
Felicia Salazar
Justine Freeman
Sharon Miner
Jessie Lane Hunt
Heather Brewer
Melanie Aranda
Rachael Lorenzo
Joan Lamunyon Sanford
Theresa Trujeque
Deanna Archuleta
Jennifer Ford
Oriana Sandoval
Amber Walin
Sarita Nair
Reena Szczepanski
Garrett VeneKlasen
Marsha Garcia
Anathea Chino
Marianna Anaya
Pamelya Herndon
Indigenous Women Rising
Southwest Women’s Law Center

AFSCME Council 18
Equality New Mexico
Brava Media New Mexico
New Mexico Asian Family Center
University of New Mexico College Democrats
New Mexico Federation of Labor


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


State Police Officers Stopping all Vehicles with Texas License Plates at Brantley Lake State Park. What is Going On in New Mexico?

07/07/2020

Over the 4th of July weekend, five New Mexico State Police officers were patrolling Brantley Lake State Park. The state park is located 12 miles north of Carlsbad.

Were they looking for suspects in recent crimes committed in Carlsbad or Eddy County?

All boating traffic was being stopped and inspected by state park personnel, but state police were taking extra measures.

All vehicles with Texas license plates (or any other of state license plate) were told they could not put their boat in the lake and were told to leave.

If by chance the driver had a New Mexico driver's license to show that he or she was a resident, that person may have been allowed to go into the lake.

One oilfield worker who has been living in Carlsbad since last year argued with the police, saying he had come to this lake nearly every week since March. After a long, somewhat heated argument, he was turned away, told he had to leave the park.

Several people went to nearby Champion Bay, which is part of the extended lake area, but not a part of the state park. However, New Mexico State Police officers or State Park Service personnel got on jet skis, and motored over to that part of the lake and made those folks leave too.

The governor's order requires 14-days of "quarantine" if you cross state lines. We are not sure if Governor Grisham, in her home in Santa Fe, is even remotely aware of how many people live on the Texas-New Mexico border and work in the oil fields on the New Mexico side. 

Is this good policy? We don't know, but we are just making you aware of what is going on.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


Shots Fired at the Oñate Statue in Albuquerque. We Show You the Video that the Mainstream Media Refuse to Show. BLM, Antifa, and Anti-Hispanic Vandals attack Innocent Man.

06/28/2020

What really happened at the statue of Juan de Oñate in the early evening of Monday, June 15?

The answer is that an innocent, lone man named Steven Baca was repeatedly assaulted, threatened, surrounded, and attacked by an out-of-control, violent mob of Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and rabid anti-Hispanic Heritage vandals. 

The mainstream media, including the New York Times (which showed an edited, false video) and even local Albuquerque media refuse to show what really happened. We will show you. Right here: https://youtu.be/Ufg46i4wTDc

The crowd consisted of between 75 and 100 rioters. Surrounding an attacking ONE man.

Finally, after they had shoved him to the ground and beaten him, one of them (possibly more) pulled a knife and lunged forward at Baca.

The crowd can clearly be heard shouting:

"He's a cop. (He isn't.) Get his license plate. Get the fuck out. Kill him. We'll fucking kill you."

Baca fired in self-defense, as is backed up by the police report written by the Albuquerque Police Department.

One of the bragging leaders of this wildness, and someone who claims credit for inciting young, immature youths, is none other than Moisés Gonzales, whom the University of New Mexico has apparently hired to be its representative "scholar."

Gonzales, who now styles himself "Moisés Brady," is a well-known cyberbully, who regularly doxes anyone who disagrees with him. One observer noted:

"The state police should investigate UNM associate professor Moises Gonzales and what he did to incite today’s violence over the Oñate statue. He has been stirring up young, impressionable kids & should be held responsible for the part he played in today’s altercation."

 

Mainstream Media, the Democrat Party, and Many Virtue-Signalling Airheads

Will Tell you the Shooting was NOT Justified. 

Yes, we have reached a level of lunacy in our nation right now. Over the past month, otherwise normal and previously intelligent people on social media are increasingly bragging about donating to Black Lives Matter and other domestic terrorist groups. 

The Democratic Party of New Mexico and all of their New Mexico elected officials are caught up in the "rage" and the lawlessness, justifying vandalism and riot at every turn.

Mayor Keller was reported to be "furious" with the contents of the APD report on the shooting and wanted the investigation turned over to the New Mexico State Police, supposedly because he believes they are "under the thumb" of Governor Lujan-Grisham, who is a strong advocate for both BLM, and Antifa.

It is unclear how the NMSP can "undo" the existing police report, however.

New Mexico Democrats are "Vendidos"

Grisham is what the Hispanic community calls a "vendido" (or in her case, "vendida") meaning she has sold out her heritage for the "30 pieces of silver" temptations and political rewards provided by the "progressives" and outsiders, mainly from the east and west coasts, who now dominate the Democratic Party of New Mexico.

They nominated her for governor. They persuaded a large majority of New Mexicans to elect her. Meanwhile the state is filled with "mansos."

Dozens of Hispanic elected officials are vendidos. And the overwhelming majority of those in the state legislature are complete sell-outs.

Outsider Democrats have taken over entire cities and locales—most famously the City of Santa Fe, which is now dominated by an adult migrant Anglo population, mainly from the east and west coasts. They have transformed almost every aspect of the life and culture of the city.

They elected an outsider mayor, Alan Webber, who has no regard for the state's history and is especially disdainful of the city and state's Hispanic heritage. Two years ago, he pressured a meek and cowed group of "Hispanic leaders" into abandoning century-old traditions surrounding the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe.

We don't really know which is more shameful, Webber's grotesque ignorance and condescending demands to discourage any celebration of Hispanic heritage or the so-called Hispanic community leaders' meek and child-like acquiescence to his pressure.

Neither they nor Webber will ever earn any kind of recognition similar to a "profile in courage."

Webber is now totally emboldened. He is essentially just like rioters and looters around the nation who are merely "watched" by the police. They can do as they please. And Webber can do as he pleases. 

Last week, he had the statue of Don Diego de Vargas hauled out of the Plaza. We expect all statuary to any Hispanic settler or leader to be gone soon. Perhaps he will bulldoze the Plaza. After all, the Spanish built it. Maybe he will stop the selling of "Indian jewelry." After all, the Indians learned the art of silversmithing from the Spanish.

Keller, who is only nominally New Mexican is also a leading vendido. He is following the same approach as Webber: If the populace is meek, ignorant, compliant, and shows no resistance to their new personally-imposed "culture," then both he and Webber and Grisham will transform the state into a BLM, Antifa paradise.

If New Mexicans remain complacent, the will wake up someday soon and our state will be completely California-ized. We can expect human feces on our streets and sidewalks.

And our community values will make us look like Massachusetts-West. If that is what the majority wants, well, then we deserve it.

But be forewarned. Realize that the recent assaults on religious liberty and the highly selective prosecutions of stores, gun shops, and only certain specifically picked-out, targeted restaurants and businesses will become the norm.

And New Mexicans will have allowed it to happen to themselves.

People are Showing Support for Steven Baca

We don't know Steven Baca. But we do believe in the right of self-defense. With Mayor Keller and Governor Grisham hyped up on BLM amphetamines, it is likely they will try to pressure authorities to harass him with some sort of trumped-up charges.

We have learned that a site has been set up to donate to his cause. It can be found here: https://fundly.com/stand-with-steven-baca


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


Moises Gonzales, Fierce Opponent of Hispanics, Claims to be Native American, But he Isn't. He's Hispanic Himself. We live in Strange Times.

06/26/2020

On December 29, 2016, on the program, All Things Considered, Moises Gonzales told the National Public Radio audience that "The Spanish fantasy is a myth." What he forgot to tell his audience was that he, himself, is largely a myth.

UNM professor Moises Gonzales is the man leading the charge against any and all vestiges of Spanish or Mexican influence in New Mexico. He has allied himself with such entities as Black Lives Matter and Antifa. Whether, like them, he has actively encouraged violence against peaceful protesters we will address at another time. 

For now, we will just deal with his schtick—his claims to be all Native American, and to share the struggle with his fellow Indians, against the European oppressors. 

But Gonzales forgot to take down his Facebook posts from a few years back. In one of them, he posted this: A graphic showing that he is some 65% European. To be specific, he is 57% Western European and 8% Sephardic Diaspora, which is synonymous with Iberia, or Spain and Portugal. 

His "New World" roots—in DNA from North American natives—represent only 25% of his ancestry. 

He went on to ignore most of the information provided by whatever service he used. 

 

It's What You "Identify" As

Gonzales is playing the modern game of "identification." It goes something like this:

"Okay, I'm not a biological woman, but I IDENTIFY as a woman, and want to dress like a woman, and live and interact in society as a woman."

Instead of identifying based on gender, Gonzales is "identifying" based on ethnicity. But it doesn't make it so. 

A few years ago, we published a story of the 36-year old California man who "identified" as a 6-year old. He famously led his T-ball team to the league championship. 

The story was comical in that his teammates attempted to hoist him up on their shoulders in celebration after the championship game, but were unable to pick up the large 230-pound man. Along the way, the "self-identified" six-year-old absolutely shattered every league record.

With a 1.000 batting average, 52 home runs, and an incredible showing at first base, second base, shortstop, third base, and pitcher, the man is being called an inspiration to other six-year-olds everywhere.

He even enjoyed an orange slice and juice box with his teammates after the championship. 

The story, of course, is absurd. And complete fiction. Just like Gonzales' "identity."


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


For People Tempted to Virtue-Signal: THIS IS AN IMPORTANT 60-SECOND VIDEO: For Normally Intelligent People Who End up Giving Money to Black Lives Matter

06/25/2020

Because of the invisible social pressures of social media, we have a number of people, who clinically present as conservatives or even Republicans, who are, sadly, caught up in virtue-signaling—and end up actually advertising about supporting BLM, or even donating to BLM, or other groups.

Video: https://bit.ly/30BwFBk

This reflects their transition into “people” rather than remaining a “person.” It is indicative of a lack of confidence in their own capacity for discernment. But worse, it’s a plea for others to see them in a certain light—a light they believe (because of the strong influence of both media and social media) to be reflective of some higher virtue that they want others to perceive in them. But it isn’t true.

They have ceased to be individual persons, reasoning through what is logical, illogical, factual, and false, and trying to come to a common-sense conclusion. Instead, they have transitioned into “people” and are being swept along by what is essentially a “virtual” mob.

We live in strange times. God save America!


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Black Lives Matter Vandalizes Statue of the Founder of the Democratic Party; We find Ourselves Torn on this Issue

06/24/2020

Guest Editorial Column by the Editor Emeritus, Former State Senator Rod Adair

So Black Lives Matter has decided to attack a statue of the very Founder of the Democratic Party, Andrew Jackson. In a certain sense, it is somewhat comically ironic. Ironic in that the very political party that supports BLM and ANTIFA might have its founder attacked, with attempts to pull down the monument, à la US forces v. Sadam Hussein, circa 2003.

Yes, of course, they are ignorant. We know that. Otherwise, they would not be trying to destroy the country by means of riot, violence, and vandalism. What is puzzling is why a major US political party sides with them. Especially the party whose Founder their allied groups are trying to wipe out of history. 

These are amazing times. And it is not just the Democrats who puzzle us. Every day we read posts by formerly intelligent people, independents and even Republicans, proudly announcing their support—even bragging about giving money to Black Lives Matter. 

This is what even the lefty pundit Andrew Sullivan makes fun of, saying:

"These white liberals are in a WOKE-OFF to prove their own virtue, an intra-elite competition to impress their peers." 

Exactly. Only it isn't only "liberals." Largely, we believe, because of Facebook many conservatives or people who have at least considered themselves conservatives (some even libertarians) are engaged in barefaced Woke-off contests, trying to prove to their neighbors, friends, and followers just how concerned they are about "justice."

They appear to be very very unsure of their actual virtue, because they feel they have to "prove" it by uttering inanities about BLM, bragging about donations to them, and advancing all kinds of incongruent arguments.

"A PERSON IS SMART, BUT PEOPLE ARE DUMB" — The Social Media Connection

About a decade ago in the popular movie Men in Black, the lead character told his assistant he was training, "A person is smart, but people are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."

What does this mean? It means that if left alone, to think, to reflect, to truly contemplate what is right, wrong, true, false, what makes sense, and what is illogical, most individual persons—without interference from the news media, or especially now, from SOCIAL MEDIA—will stumble through the reasoning process (as we all do from time to time) and get it right.

But that's not the society we live in any longer. 

With the advance, takeover really, of social media, perhaps especially with Facebook (though Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms have their influence), the "person" is almost disappearing. We are a nation now not of persons, but of people.

In an atmosphere in which an individual—formerly perhaps an independent thinker—is surrounded by hordes of people, he or she increasingly loses himself or herself. The individual, personally-developed thought process tends to give way to the expectations of "people."

In our view, it is almost certainly unconscious, perhaps subconscious, and certainly not—at least not initially—willful. One begins to "perform" for the people by emoting, rather than consciously trying to hew to an intellectually grounded approach to social discourse and political or societal intercourse.

Admittedly, intellects may vary. But it really doesn't matter. Even persons of modest ability will do much better left to their own reasoning than they will do when they become aware of the social pressures of saying the "right thing," or reflecting what they believe the people believe or want to hear.

Then comes the feedback, and the piggybacking of comments to assure someone that a reader of their posts is just as "caring" or, nowadays, unfortunately, "woke" —which has seized the initiative in the current era. 

In Any Case, We Are Torn—Andrew Jackson?

Sure part of us says, "Okay, take it down, you morons, you have no idea that you're tearing down the Founder of the Party that is your only hope in American elections.

Until the late 1930s, the Democrats' principal fundraising tool was called the "Jackson Day Dinner." It was the counterpart of the Lincoln Day Dinner Republicans have long used to raise campaign funds. 

In the late 30s, Franklin Roosevelt made a concerted effort to claim Thomas Jefferson as the founder of the Democrat Party. It isn't correct, but he had probably become disenchanted with Jackson's image. Who knows? In any case, since then the Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner has become the staple of the various state and local Democratic Party fundraising efforts. Just as the Lincoln Days remain for the GOP.

So as much as it is tempting to laugh at the foolishness and not object, it probably isn't wise. History is there for us to learn from. It isn't for us to erase. In reality, that is what Stalin did. That is what George Orwell wrote about. His book, 1984, is replete with ministries in the central government of the story that do little else other than change "history," in fact simply eliminating entire historical figures as well as erasing everything about entire epochs that the central government doesn't want to be known. 

This is where we are. We can't really support the iconoclasm of the modern Left. We just can't. But well-meaning people, caught up in the pressures of Facebook and social media PC should really think twice about "supporting" BLM or ANTIFA, let alone donating to them, so as to appear "woke."


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


BUBBA WALLACE “NOOSE” = TOTAL HOAX; NASCAR DRIVERS, OFFICIALS, and MANY OTHERS MAKE TOTAL FOOLS of THEMSELVES

06/23/2020

The initial Bubba Wallace "noose" story broke Sunday night, June 21st, with multiple reports describing a noose as having been found in the racing garage stall of Wallace and Richard Petty Motorsports. 

Everyone went wild, with no one actually taking a photo of the alleged "noose" or following up for any corroboration. NASCAR went wild, reporting the "incident" as a "hate crime."

Fellow race car drivers flooded the area, trying to out-woke each other with concern over the incredible depth of "racism" in America. 

THE FBI ARRIVES on the SCENE—with FIFTEEN (15) AGENTS

  • In no time at all, they found the "noose." It turned out to be approximately one inch in diameter with a length of about two inches. It would be a struggle to get a mouse's head inside this alleged noose.
Think about it, there are scores of riots and vandalism attacks being carried out all over the country by Black Lives Matter and Antifa. Police and the FBI are standing by and watching, allowing wanton destruction of private and public property.
 
Yet the FBI sends 15 agents to Talladega, Alabama, to look at a "noose" the size of a walnut. And people wonder why the American people have lost faith in the FBI. It isn't just the lying about "Russia," and all of the scandalous crimes conducted by the upper echelons of the FBI (which will hopefully be exposed in an upcoming report), it is about sheer unadulterated unwillingness to fight actual crime in America. 
 
It is about incompetence, combined with corruption. 
 
MUCH ADO ABOUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
 
Yesterday’s FBI report ended the federal investigation and concluded the rope in question served a "functional purpose." Yeah, like the kind of loop you find at the end of millions of small ropes on millions of garage doors all over the country. They also found that it was not put in place last weekend as a hate crime or as a threat to Wallace’s safety in the wake of the nation’s ongoing racial strife.
 
Images indicate the same rope was in place, serving the same purpose last year.
 
HOAX AFTER HOAX AFTER HOAX BY THE AMERICAN LEFT
 
By our count this latest scam is something like the 1,287th time America has been treated to a hoax that is aimed at attacking Republicans or conservatives, trying to damage them with voters.

Between 2015 and 2018, there were six extremely high-profile “hate crimes” involving nooses. Every single one of them turned out to be a hoax. But not before every single morning show and every single news media outlet went crazy—as celebrities and pundits fell all over themselves in efforts to appear to be “woke.” This is yet another—and this doesn’t even count the ultra-absurd Jussie Smollet incident.

With the NASCAR thing, we suspected hoax from the very beginning, as the story didn’t seem to add up. Nonetheless, drivers and retired drivers and all kinds of folks made total fools of themselves in overt efforts to show their “wokeness.”

KEEP YOUR EYE on SANTA FE

On that note, the latest Santa Fe, New Mexico story, the attack on the India Palace restaurant—which was unquestionably a senseless act of vandalism, was probably done by Leftists in an effort to harm Republicans. (After all, this is what they’ve done over and over again.)

Let’s wait and see how good a job the Santa Fe Police Department does with this, but our money is on it having been carried out as a stupidly misguided effort by the “Woke” crowd to try to disparage Republicans. We could be totally wrong, but that’s where our wager lies.

Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace looks an awful lot like Jussie Smollet. Not nearly as bad, but it looks as though he was trying to play a similar game.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


The CHINA Question: BIDEN v. TRUMP — A Vast Difference

06/21/2020

Which Candidate Should Earn Your Vote?

On China, Biden represents the Obama “Devil May Care” approach which won him support on Wall Street and at major universities. Trump is the first president not only to recognize the long-term threat, but to be willing to buck big business and big academia.

The Chinese recognize that America leads the world because—among other reasons—we have led in advancements in technology. China wants to be the new leader of the world. So they have engaged in a massive, comprehensive program of intellectual and technological theft—stealing our secrets with impunity.

The American business community as well as the American Academy have been complicit in the theft of US intellectual property for short-term gains in financing, endowments, and grants.

These are not the business leaders and university leaders of the World War II generation, who looked to the long-term future of their grandchildren and beyond. But rather, as Democrats show everyday, they are part of a series of generations that believe that patriotism is a joke. They wash their hands of any kind of long-term thinking and concern for where we may stand in the world 15-20 years from now.

This is not just about weapons systems that will be vital to national security, it is also about agriculture, medicine, robotics, and the full gamut of technological innovation—all of which are also vital.

THE DECISION

If you believe that China should be allowed to continue to steal from America, then your choice must be Biden. That is a continuation of the policies of Obama—of greedy CEO’s and money managers focused only on short-term share prices. And also of academic leaders looking only for research dollars—not caring that the research is to benefit China.

But if you are in any way concerned about China’s thefts and their determination to overtake the West, both technologically and militarily, then your vote must go to Trump. He’s the only candidate to even admit the threat exists and he’s definitely the only one committed to fight it.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


They Shouted "We're Gonna Kill You! And "Kill Him!" At One Peaceful Protester, Surrounded by 75 Thugs. The Shooting (entirely in Self-defense) in Response to Violent Antifa, BLM, and Anti-Hispanic Heritage Rioters and Thugs. Young, Impressionable Protesters Egged on by Moisés Gonzales of UNM? It has been Reported that That is the Case.

06/20/2020

Local media, the New York Times, and other national media, will not report the truth about the violence at the Oñate statue on Monday, June 15. We will. Other media have edited or refused to show the actual moments leading up to the shooting. It doesn't fit their agenda. We will show it.

Here: https://youtu.be/Ufg46i4wTDc

We are showing all the video of the attack on a lone, innocent man, Steven Baca. Baca showed up at the statue of Don Juan de Oñate, with perhaps only one other pro-Hispanic Heritage attendee, praying quietly.

In the course of events, Baca was surrounded by thugs, was continuously assaulted and threatened by a violent mob of Antifa, Black Lives Matter, and anti-Hispanic Heritage rioters and vandals. 

The man continuously bragging about organizing and inciting innocent young minds is Moisés Gonzales who supposedly is some kind of professor at the University of New Mexico.

While the Mayor of Albuquerque, Tim Keller, had his police do nothing to protect innocent people—they were all "holed up" a long way from the site, either unwilling or unable (reports vary) to do anything.

The mayor was shamelessly plotting his own personally-engendered plans for official vandalism—the tearing down and removing of a work of art with no legal basis, no authorization by any public body, and no vote and no voice for the people.

The crowd is heard shouting:

"He's a cop. Get him. Get his license plate. Get the fuck out. We're gonna fucking kill you. Kill him."

They attack him, start beating him while he's on the ground. Then one of the thugs comes at him with a knife.

The mainstream media, and the Democrat Party, and many other people caught up in the practice of thoughtless, mindless attantion-seeking and virtue-signaling, will tell you that an innocent peaceful demonstrator was shot for no reason. They will post messages about donating to Black Lives Matter to show that they are "woke."

New Mexico Political Journal will not go along with the crowd, or with the mob. 

America, New Mexico, Albuquerque, and our communities have had enough of this. Political leaders thus far have lacked the courage or the will to do anything. Albuquerque Mayor Keller and Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber are part of the problem. Not the solution.

They are, in essence, BLM, Antifa, and anti-Hispanic Heritage mobsters themselves. 

Webber has had the statue of Don Diego de Vargas removed from the Plaza. This, after he pressured local Hispanic leaders to put an end to a century-old tradition of the Entrada, and curtail the Fiesta. We don't know which is more shameful, his ignorant, outsider, condescending attitude toward New Mexico's Hispanic community and their history, or the acquiescence of Hispanic community leaders in meekly surrendering to his pressure.

Neither is worthy of a "profile in courage."

As has been prophesied, all of this will continue as long as these domestic terrorists remain unopposed and the people take no stand. As long as the rioters, looters, and vandals are rewarded they will continue to up the ante, tearing down more and more of our cities and streets. 

If our state lets this happen—and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham is a certified Kellerista and Webberista, so she is also in league with domestic terrorists—we will wake up someday and find ourselves the cultural and community values equivalent of California or Massachusetts-West. 

Next, our cities will be covered in human feces. Shootings and lootings will be the norm. And, who knows? Maybe these thugs will take over part of Albuquerque and we can have our own little Seattle-inspired separate "no-go zone."

God Save New Mexico and the United States of America!


 

 

 

 

 


A State Senator Rats Out his Constituents. Has New Mexico Government Created a Political Climate in Which the Expected Norm Will Have Neighbors "Surveilling" Each Other? Has Lujan-Grisham Created a Snitch Culture? Jealous Businesses Encouraged to Report Competitors to "The Authorities"

06/14/2020

It's one thing for a business owner to try to direct state government agencies to come down hard on a competitor, but for elected officials to sic the dogs on constituents? Well, that seems pretty intense.

Nonetheless, that's what State Senator Bill Soules of Las Cruces is doing to his voters. And he's not only ratting out businesses in his hometown, he's doing it to folks in his own senate district. Soules really has it in for guns, gun owners, and gun shops in particular.

Here's the email he sent to Teasha Roybal of the Department of Public Safety:

"Miller Guns and Ammo on North Telshor in Las Cruces appears to be in open violation of the state orders. There are cars there every day...Gun stores are not deemed to be essential..."

This is not surprising in that Soules either does not respond to questionnaires from groups like the National Rifle Association, or when he does he gets fairly low ratings.

Soules has also ranks number one (or at least tied for #1) in the State Senate in contributions from groups that are either anti-gun or pro-gun control.

He supports all Red Flag legislation, background checks, even for individual sales to family members, and essentially all restrictions that are proposed.

Of Course, That's NOT Really the Point

Certainly, Senator Soules has every right to vote his conscience and his philosophy. That's not what we are picking up on. 

More important in this environment of state-encouraged snitchery and ratting out, what catches our eye are the choices that citizens make—and the organizations that politicians decide to report.

In other words, there are hundreds of businesses in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. And there are scores and scores that were not precisely complying with the governor's orders.

But how many did Senator Soules turn in? And which one did he pick on? Was it health-related? Food-related? Did any of the social distancing violations that other people spied catch Soules' eye? Did he care?

Apparently not. Just the gun store.

What does that say about the uniform and non-discriminatory application of the law? Do we just attack those businesses that annoy us? While all others doing the same thing don't bother New Mexico state government officials?

Those are questions worth asking.

Are the Governor's Agents Really Applying her Orders Fairly?

Or in an Unconstitutional, Arbitrary, and Capricious Manner?

We have noticed that some entities have been cited for violations. But others have been levied staggering fines. While others—such as the Lujan-Grisham's own jewelry store—have been caught red-handed in violation of the orders, but received no notice whatsoever.

In at least a couple of cases where the state has come down hard, the entities being fined and threatened with having their licenses revoked, happen to be businesses whose owners criticized the orders and criticized the capricious manner in which they were being enforced.

Is this what we really need a state government to do? Are Lujan-Grisham and Senator Soules about equal protection of the laws? Or are they about using the coercive power of government to zero in on those whose political views they dislike?

Think about it.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Governor Grisham Appoints Avowed Racist to Advise her on Racism. It's the "Ugly Truth" says Lujan-Grisham. We Agree: The Governor Herself is Doing the Racial Profiling. Media invokes New Mexico's 2009 "Racial Profiling" Act.

06/06/2020

New Mexico's mercurial Governor, Michelle Lujan Grisham, has announced that she wants to address the “ugly truth” of racism, that she claims is embedded in core institutions. 

So she says she is going to create something called a "Racial Justice Czar." This czar will supervise a "Racial Justice Council" and that panel will identify "potential policy changes." (Most people are probably left betting that those will be doozies.)

So who does Grisham turn to—to fix New Mexico's alleged "racial" problems? None other than perhaps the most famous racist in New Mexico—State Representative Sheryl Williams Stapleton (D-Albuquerque). 

News reports indicated, "the council's make-up is still being finalized," but one thing for certain is that among its members will be the, apparently indispensable, House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque.

With the choice of Stapleton, it's pretty clear that Grisham herself is engaged in racial profiling. After all, she's certainly not choosing her because of her intellect or character, but only because she's black.

Stapleton and "The "Mexican on the Fourth Floor"

In late 2011, Representative Stapleton got really steamed at Republican State Rep. Nora Espinoza, R-Roswell, who questioned Stapleton's double-dipping. Stapleton was (and still is) being paid legislative per diem while in Santa Fe AND simultaneously being paid by Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) for working on exactly the same days. 

APS has long been a famous bastion of flakiness on myriad levels, with its top-heavy administration, scores of extra staff, hired lobbyists, and public relations and media spokespersons ALL on the payroll for education.

So to compound things, under then-superintendent Winston Brooks, APS actually made it approved "policy" for Stapleton to double-dip. (And you wonder why people have chosen so many charter schools and private schools in Albuquerque?)

In any case, Stapleton flew into a rage and hollered at Espinoza at least three times for everyone to hear:

"You’re carrying the water for the Mexican on the Fourth Floor!"

Stapleton was referring to then-Governor Susana Martinez, who had acknowledged that her parents were Mexican-American. 

Stapleton was widely criticized for the racist outburst, and the House Democrats subsequently deposed her as Majority Whip, replacing her with Albuquerque Representative Antonio Moe Maestas.

(Though it has to be said that the semi-tone-deaf Democrat Caucus allowed Stapleton to make a roaring comeback and installed her as Majority Whip once again in 2017.)

As a comical aside in the entire furor, both Stapleton and her then-sidekick, State Rep. Mimi Stewart both pled innocent to the very idea that angrily referring to Governor Martinez as "that Mexican on the fourth floor" was anything other than polite routine speech.

And both Stewart and Stapleton comically (though almost certainly insincerely) invoked what might be called the George Costanza* defense:

"Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I tell you, I gotta plead ignorance on this thing, because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing is frowned upon... you know, cause I've worked in a lot of offices, and I tell you, people do that all the time."

Stapleton at First Claimed She "Had no Idea" She had Made a Derogatory Comment

Stapleton's "Costanza" approach consisted of saying she "did not mean the remark in a derogatory way or as an ethnic slur." Going on to say "I would never say anything derogatory,” as she apologized "If I offended anyone." (Using the modern-day "apology" style of putting the burden on the offended, rather than having the offender (Stapleton) take responsibility.)

Stapleton then went the extra mile, so to speak, by making the bizarre, Elizabeth Warren-like claim, that she considers herself "at least partly Latina." [NOTE: She is actually from the US Virgin Islands and speaks a kind of broken Spanish, which she sometimes invokes as she insists on shrieking off-key renditions of birthday songs on the floor of the House, which both horrifies and victimizes her colleagues in both parties.]

Later, Stewart weighed in—speaking as someone who was also simultaneously in a teaching position while attending legislative sessions. Stewart, who is from Massachusetts, said she "did not think Stapleton meant the remark about the governor to be an ethnic slur."

Both Stewart and Stapleton are said to be huge fans of George Costanza.

Stapleton Apology Seems to Contradict both Herself and Mimi "Costanza" Stewart

But later, Stapleton admitted she was lying when she had previously claimed that she had no idea she had said anything in an offensive way. Admitting, as her voice began to break:

"I lost it, ladies and gentlemen. I expect more of myself. This is not my character."

As Stapleton's remarks were reverberating throughout this Hispanic-plurality state, she followed up with a more thorough apology:

“I am publicly making an apology to the governor of the state of New Mexico, I am publicly making an apology to my district and I am publicly making an apology to the people of New Mexico as an elected official."

This, of course, left her buddy Mimi Stewart alone by herself, twisting slowly in the wind, in the embarrassing position of continuing to own the obviously false claim (as long as Stapleton claimed it) that there was no offense at all, all in good fun, nothing to see here.

Stewart was not warned by Stapleton that she was about to leave her alone, claiming the ridiculous.

Grisham Obviously Used Racial Profiling in Selecting Stapleton

Stapleton made the excuse that "I was under extreme stress." 

Well, maybe so. But this raises the question: Can the governor find no one else in the entire state for this expert panel who does not fold under pressure and stress and whose first instincts when excited or stressed is to blurt out ethnic or racial slurs? 

After all, this panel of authorities will be charged with defining, finding, identifying, and rooting out racism. It appears that Grisham is using the lamest approach, effectively telling New Mexicans: "I chose Sheryl because it takes one to know one."

And of course, all of this begs the embarrassing question: Just how many black leaders does the governor know? Apparently, very, very few. Almost none. A few political cronies. No one else. For panels like this, shouldn't she be looking for leaders? People of unimpeachable character? The right stuff? 

And the Governor's answer to all these questions is Stapleton? 

All this while the governor goes on to intone:

"We have a tendency to wrap ourselves in that particular cloak and pretend sometimes that we don’t have the kind of inequalities, institutional racism and hatred that exists.” 

“We have institutional racism embedded in every construct in American society. The fact you might not see it every day means you’re not looking for it every day. It exists.”

We can argue about whether any of that is true or not (neither the governor nor anyone else gave any examples for New Mexico) but just saying those things with a straight face, while simultaneously deciding that Stapleton is the judge and jury on these questions is nothing short of bizarre.

What this means is that Grisham used the most barefaced and obvious racial profiling, completely ignoring character, intellect, and articulation of issues, and shamelessly choosing based on race alone. The very thing she claims to oppose.

2009 Bill Prohibition of Profiling Act

New Mexico already has a 2009 law that allegedly bans "racial profiling." This bill purported to prohibit the used of certain information in the identification of criminal suspects based on descriptions that might include race, ethnicity, color, national origin, language, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, religion, physical or mental disability or serious medical condition

That bill passed the New Mexico House of Representatives, without a whimper, by a vote of 62-0. But when it arrived in the State Senate, its sponsors faced some questions from senators, including then-Senator Rod Adair (R-Roswell):

Is it racial profiling to identify suspects or subjects of investigations based on testimony from witnesses or cameras, which might include descriptions of skin color, or guessed ethnicity, or gender, or if someone might have been on crutches, or had spoken a foreign language?

The sponsors couldn't answer.

Are there any data or studies of any kind to show that new Mexico law enforcement are engaged in racial profiling?

The sponsors had neither.

What if a Hispanic state police officer from Albuquerque tells a Hispanic deputy sheriff in Deming that he believes a suspect is Hispanic, female, about 5' 4" tall, 125 lbs, and that she had black/brown hair and brown eyes? Is that profiling?

Confused answers. Much debate and arguing ensued. 

Are we just copying some things being done in other states right now, especially back East?

Sponsors admitted that other states were passing similar bills.

The bill ended up passing the Senate, 32-10. In addition to having Adair vote "No," others voting No included Vernon Asbill of Carlsbad, Sue Wilson Beffort, Mark Boitano, Kent Cravens, William Payne, and John Ryan, all from Albuquerque, Dianna Duran from Tularosa, Stuart Ingle of Portales, and William Sharer of Farmington. 

The remaining five Republicans joined 27 Democrats in voting in favor of the bill.

Governor Grisham Statements and Nationwide Hysteria Aren't Justified by Actual Data

Grisham expressed regret this past week for having taken an aggressive approach to combating violent crime, particularly when she decided to send 50 State Police officers to patrol certain areas of Albuquerque last year.

The two-month “Metro Surge Operation” cost about $1 million. It resulted in 14,674 traffic stops and netted 738 arrests—the majority of which were for felony or misdemeanor warrants. The governor said Thursday that such decisions would be viewed through a different lens going forward.

“It is a public health emergency and New Mexico will treat it as such,” Lujan Grisham said.

But the data don't support all this regret and Nationwide Angst 

Statistics compiled by Heather MacDonald of the Manhattan Institute reveal the following:

  • In 2019 police officers fatally shot 1,004 people, most of whom were armed or otherwise dangerous. African-Americans were about a quarter of those killed by cops last year (235), a ratio that has remained stable since 2015.
  • That share of black victims is less than what the black crime rate would predict, since police shootings are a function of how often officers encounter armed and violent suspects.
  • In 2018, the latest year for which such data have been published, African-Americans made up 53% of known homicide offenders in the U.S. and commit about 60% of robberies, though they are 13% of the population. 
  • The police fatally shot nine unarmed blacks and 19 unarmed whites in 2019, according to a Washington Post database, down from 38 and 32, respectively, in 2015. (It must be noted that the Post defines “unarmed” broadly and loosely, counting as "unarmed" a suspect in Newark, NJ, who had a loaded handgun in his car during a police chase.)
  • In 2018 there were 7,407 black homicide victims. Assuming a comparable number of victims last year, those nine unarmed black victims of police shootings represent 0.1% of all African-Americans killed in 2019.
  • By contrast, a police officer is 18½ times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer. 
  • On Memorial Day weekend in Chicago alone, 10 African-Americans were killed in drive-by shootings.
  • Such routine violence has continued—a 72-year-old black Chicago man shot in the face on May 29 by a gunman who fired about a dozen shots into a residence
  • Two black 19-year-old women on the South Side shot to death as they sat in a parked car a few hours earlier
  • A black 16-year-old boy fatally stabbed with his own knife that same day.
  • This past weekend, 80 Chicagoans were shot in drive-by shootings, 21 fatally, the victims overwhelmingly black.
  • Police shootings are not the reason that blacks die of homicide at eight times the rate of whites and Hispanics combined; criminal violence is. 

MacDonald went on to note:

The latest in a series of studies undercutting the claim of systemic police bias was published in August 2019 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers found that the more frequently officers encounter violent suspects from any given racial group, the greater the chance that a member of that group will be fatally shot by a police officer.

There is “no significant evidence of anti-black disparity in the likelihood of being fatally shot by police,” they concluded. 

A 2015 Justice Department analysis of the Philadelphia Police Department found that white police officers were less likely than black or Hispanic officers to shoot unarmed black suspects. Research by Harvard economist Roland G. Fryer Jr. also found no evidence of racial discrimination in shootings. Any evidence to the contrary fails to take into account crime rates and civilian behavior before and during interactions with police.

The false narrative of systemic police bias resulted in targeted killings of officers during the Obama presidency. The pattern may be repeating itself. Officers are being assaulted and shot at while they try to arrest gun suspects or respond to the growing riots.

Police precincts and courthouses have been destroyed with impunity, which will encourage more civilization-destroying violence. If the Ferguson effect of officers backing off law enforcement in minority neighborhoods is reborn as the Minneapolis effect, the thousands of law-abiding African-Americans who depend on the police for basic safety will once again be the victims. 

The Minneapolis officers who arrested George Floyd must be held accountable for their excessive use of force and callous indifference to his distress. Police training needs to double down on de-escalation tactics. But Floyd’s death should not undermine the legitimacy of American law enforcement, without which we will continue on a path toward chaos. 


*Costanza is a character on TV's Seinfeld. He used this "defense" while in the process of being fired by his boss for having had sexual intercourse with the cleaning woman on the desk in his office. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY... (apologies to Gilbert O'Sullivan) Drew Brees' Brains Beaten out. All remaining matter caves in.

06/04/2020
A guest editorial by the Editor Emeritus, former State Senator Rod Adair
 
As I survey the unanimous opinion of the American people, I once again find myself, apparently, all alone. Everyone else apparently agrees that Brees' views of the now four-year-old "Kaepernick incident" were "racist" or somehow "wrong." Yet here I am reading Brees' words, and finding them, at the very worst innocuous, and at best actually commendable and accurate.
 
However, the state of our nation is such today, that an absurdly opinionated and extremely aggressive "news" media, accompanied by a range of athletes, celebrities, and virtue-signaling commentators, can absolutely bully the living hell out of anyone into submission. To cave in—to the designated, required point of view. There is an element of social and rhetorical fascism in all of this: Conform—or we will destroy you. The fact that this mob mentality-driven "thought coercion" scares no one, scares me to some extent.
 
EVEN INTELLIGENT AMERICANS HAVE FALLEN FOR THIS
(Almost certainly due to unconscious pressures to signal virtue.)
 
It is lost on everyone that those who argue (somewhat ignorantly) that Kaepernickism is "free speech" (like, who on earth doesn't know that already?) completely ignore the obvious fact that Drew Brees has the same right. (But it isn't a matter of "free speech" at all—everyone knows everyone has that right.)
 
Lost (on even intelligent Americans) is that we are moving into forced beliefs—viewpoints and opinions with which you MUST agree, or else. How can people not see the danger in this?
 
So all of this leaves me feeling like the guy in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Except I'm not surrounded alien creatures from outer space, but by fellow Americans who have no concept, or do perhaps have an alien concept, of what our nation is about. I'm surrounded by mindless conforming, cowed, forced virtue-signallers everywhere. Most aren't even reflective enough to think about what they are conforming to. It is very discouraging.
 
NEWS FLASH: Kaepernick did NOT do something 3½ years ago which was somehow "profound" or "thought-provoking" or somehow "deep" and "moving." And he didn't do anything inspired by deep feelings about civil rights, or black lives.
 
Here's what he did:
  • He sat down during a civic ritual—the National Anthem
  • He had never done this BEFORE he was benched and not playing, and becoming very unhappy as a 49er. Never.
  • True, he said it was for deep "civil rights" convictions/beliefs
  • Again, he had never uttered such things before
  • He's gone on to object to the flag because he says it represents "slavery" (this is also a recent discovery on his part)
Millions of Americans swooned. Oh my gosh, let's interrupt all ball games or ceremonies so that "Black Lives Matter" can have their two minutes of hate. Riots, looting, assault, are not enough. We must invade and take over public rituals.
 
How stupid are the American people? How conforming are they becoming? How gullible are they?
 
IF It's MERELY A CIVIC RITUAL that MEANS NOTHING? LET'S GET RID of IT.
 
The National Anthem is only 89 years old. It's not like George Washingon invented it or anything (and if he had, the Kaepernick-influenced Americans would tell us to junk it because GW had slaves). The Pledge of Allegiance is only 78 years old.
 
These are only two of a number of events that are essentially merely rituals that—for whatever reason—many Americans feel are important. It is absurd to present the idea that the National Anthem authoritatively asserts, forthrightly states, gingerly signals, or even somehow remotely implies that the United States of America has achieved perfection or nirvana in our public policy or social interaction.
 
The notion that we must kneel rather than stand and salute because we aren't perfect is a ridiculous idea. But it is a measure of our massive national ignorance that this concept is embraced.
 
These ceremonies aren't "required" and we don't have to have them. And if most Americans who have made a profession of faith in the new religion called Kaepernickism believe those moments of civic unity should be invaded and co-opted every time they are observed, so that individuals—whether disgruntled athletes, or anyone else with a personal grievance—can make a self-centered show of "what's-in-this-event-for me," then we really do need to scrap all of these events.
 
If the majority of Americans believe, like Kaepernick and his millions of fans—that he has a point: That NO ONE should stand until all injustice is erased from the continent, then we must get rid of these civic rituals. Entirely. This is because our civic ceremonies—rituals that are supposed to unite our people behind the American Experiment, which is a quest for the very best we can achieve—will never ever be affirmations of perfection.
 
Yes, there will always be some injustice somewhere. And if Kaepernicksim is truly a public good, and is right in its cause, and is correct in its invocation, then we should do Kaepernickism every single time we get together
 
If it is right, and good, and correct, we shouldn't just do it for one person, or for one person's personal grievances. We have to commit our nation to interrupt or deface or defile every single ritual. Otherwise, we aren't being consistent. We are recognizing only some grievances but not all, and that would not be "fair."
 
If it is right and good and correct, it should be promoted and carried on in every Middlesex village and farm.

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


The PRESIDENT, the DEMOCRATS, and the ARMY. What is true?

06/02/2020

[A guest editorial, by Editor Emeritus, former State Senator Rod Adair]

A few observations:

Can the President use the Army to enforce the law and to quell riot and violence, and to protect lives and property?

Answer: YES. This is not even remotely debatable. (The Democrats and media are lying about this.)

Do the Democrats have a history of disobeying the law and of either encouraging lawlessness and riot, or praising it when it happens?

Answer. YES. Not only do they have that record, it is a long, ugly, and infamous record—which history will never erase—to the permanent, indelible shame of the Democrat Party.

It's Not Just About History—they Still do it Today—Though it is Also about Their History

It is not just a case of the Democrats’ notorious invention of and embrace of and support of and use of the Ku Klux Klan in the period from 1865 to 1925, though all of that shame belongs to that party. Forever.

It goes well beyond that. Even in my lifetime, Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower had to call in the United States Army to protect life and property and the lives of little black children who were being threatened by a Democrat governor in Arkansas.

Similar use of military force had to be applied to Democrat governors repeatedly throughout the 1960s.

The Democrats have never really abandoned these approaches to picking and choosing who will be protected and who will not. Just in the last couple of years, several Democrat mayors—most infamously perhaps????, the mayor of Portland, Oregon—ordered police not to protect Republican or conservative demonstrators who were were being beaten senseless by Democrat, Antifa, and BLM rioters, and thugs.

Trump has enormous numbers of flaws including inarticulateness. We cannot dispute that. However the Democrats have greater flaws in their selective application of the law and the refusal to have everyone enjoy the equal protection of the law.

If you stop and think about it, the selective enforcement of the law—which is what the Democrats advocate—is something which thoroughly undermines our entire system of government. It is vastly more dangerous than anything Trump has ever said or done. There is no comparison.?

The Democrats have never embraced the 14th amendment, which they unanimously opposed in 1868, and which they still oppose today.



Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Republican Senate Primary Has Turned Ultra Interesting: RPNM Elites Appear to Pour it On for Elisa Martinez and Clarkson

06/01/2020

The three-way Republican US Senate primary promises to be an interesting race to watch Tuesday night.  Supporters of Gavin Clarkson and Elisa Martinez are claiming that the race is very tight and say it will provide the surprise of the night. 

We don’t necessarily agree with that analysis, but we can't help but notice that there have been developments worth reporting.

In early April, Mark Ronchetti released a survey, which we wrote about, that showed him with a strong lead over the other candidates. However, on April 27th, a video surfaced in which Ronchetti was shown jokingly referring to President Trump as "the orange one.” This video was from some time back when he was still working for KRQE-TV, where he served as its chief meteorologist for many years.

Ronchetti's opponents pounced. Gavin Clarkson notified this publication and had a YouTube video up within hours, followed by TV ads.  

Ronchetti Situation became Similar to the Herrell-Chase Argument: Who Likes Trump? 

Clarkson was the first to put a television attack ad together on the subject, and then Martinez followed suit. With the Ronchetti video surfacing five full weeks ago, Ronchetti's opponents have had tons of time to drive home their negative message. And they have.

To be fair to Ronchetti, since he entered the senate race, he has consistently stated that he supports President Trump and his policies, but that did little to stave off the attacks. Clarkson and Martinez had picked up on lessons from the Herrell-Chase contest and had decided that—all other issues be damned—voters needed to decide the nominee on the basis of the purest and longest-lasting Trump love.

We have covered this same ridiculous "debate" before in our analysis of the CD2 GOP primary.

Readers of NMPJ know how we feel about this completely anti-intellectual, philistine, 100% lowbrow approach to political discussion and debate: We absolutely hate it. We think it is beyond ignorant and is totally demeaning to the voting public.

This is for a number of reasons. Perhaps most ironic of all—and to be fair, irony is lost on thousands of voters—Trump himself has hired his most vocal critics, including his current press secretary, who was brutal to him. At least Trump apparently recognizes that you need people of ability, even if they've made fun of you before. But what do we know?

In any case, we must ask: "Is Ronchetti strong enough to weather the storm?" His supporters think so and argue he is the strongest candidate with the most compelling message. 

Anti-Ronchetti Forces in Full Attack Mode

In fairness, the anti-Ronchetti forces have been in full attack mode since he entered the race in January and long before any video surfaced. Many chalk that opposition up to jealousy on the part of Republican Party elites and insiders who felt entitled to choose the Republican nominee themselves. They were apparently very offended by the entry of an outsider like Ronchetti stealing their thunder.

Albuquerque radio talk show host Eddy Aragon (at left) began attacking Ronchetti immediately and has only grown more venomous over the past few weeks. To be fair to Aragon, last fall he said that NONE of the Republican candidates were any good—he dismissed not only Clarkson and Martinez, but also then-candidates Mick Rich and Louie Sanchez as simply not measuring up to the stature required to beat the former casino dealer Ben Ray Lujan.

And who did measure up? Well, Eddy thought it was Eddy himself. In dismissing all of the Republican candidates, he said he would actually enter the race, as his ability to articulate the issues is essentially unparalleled. However, after that announcement didn't go over that big, Aragon announced he would run as an independent.

Then that didn't go over so well either. Ultimately, he failed to file for the office in February and in a reappraisal of the situation ended up declaring that Elisa Martinez was "the one" after all, and that he was "all-in" for her. 

In any case, Aragon has been attacking Ronchetti, saying he doesn't believe he is sufficiently Republican. (We know, this sounds weird coming from someone who has been, and remains, all over the map every single year, dancing from one political position to the next as often as seasons change, but we digress.)
 
 

UPDATE on Eddy: Aragon switched his endorsement from Elisa Martinez to Gavin Clarkson in May, noting that Clarkson had raised the most money and complaining that Martinez had "texted, rather than called," the one donor Aragon is influential with to ask for a contribution. We presume Eddy considered that to be "dissing" his donor, and that was just too much for him to take.

Since then, Aragon has spent the better part of this month relentlessly attacking Ronchetti on his radio show and in social media. Many dismiss Aragon as having a tiny audience, but Aragon claims to possess a megaphone capable of flipping races. He has told numerous people that he has a daily audience of many thousands. 

In any case, we’ll soon find out if Aragon is as powerful with Republican primary voters as he claims, or if his megaphone is really that of a carnival barker, with an actual audience of about 150, with him going unheard by the overwhelming majority of Republican voters.

Social Media Warriors: Crusaders or Trolls?

Meanwhile, former Democrat intern and campaign volunteer John Block has emerged over the months, continuously and mercilessly attacking Ronchetti on social media. The irony of a former Martin Heinrich intern and volunteer for Mayor Tim Keller's campaign awarding himself the position of judge and jury of the conservative Republican purity test has been noted by many.

Yet, Block (shown while working on the Keller mayoral campaign) is oblivious and, with a straight face, claims to be channeling the feelings of Republican primary voters and Trump supporters.  Block has gone so far as to expend funds on Facebook ads asking voters to vote against Ronchetti (this spending might raise a few eyebrows over at the Federal Elections Commission, but that’s a different subject). Again, we will find out on Tuesday if John Block is the shepherd of Trump voters like he claims.  

The Money Race

To his credit, Gavin Clarkson has surprised us, raising and spending the most money of anyone in the campaign, which refutes the narrative that we had actually believed, which was that Ronchetti probably led in fundraising. Clarkson correctly pointed that out to us recently. Clarkson's latest report showed $1,088,918 raised. 

Mark Ronchetti did raise an eye-popping $675,000 in his first quarter of fundraising and has continued to receive strong financial support even after the COVID-19 economic shutdown slowed fundraising for all candidates. Ronchetti’s campaign says his fundraising has been driven by thousands of small-dollar contributors who are looking for a conservative outsider. His most recent filing, however, has him at $850,343, lagging behind Clarkson by some $238,000.

As far as being outspent, the Ronchetti campaign says it is unconcerned and asserts it has been far and away the most efficient with its resources, avoiding the pitfalls that waste hudreds of thousands of dollars on consultants and vendor projects that do little to move voters. 

While Elisa Martinez had been lagging behind her competitors in overall fundraising, she has received a notable boost down the stretch with the help of a maximum contribution from the husband of State Republican Party Executive Director Anissa Galassini Tinnin and a handful of other party insiders, including Mark Murphy of Roswell.

Given that infusion, we can only conclude that her recent surge is extremely strong, as she has a vastly greater statewide TV presence than either Clarkson or Ronchetti. That being the case, we would presume that her $418,554 on her last report is not reflective of how the donations will have been in May, which have to have pushed her into something on par with Ronchetti now, and possibly even close to the fundraising frontrunner Clarkson.

It is clear that the establishment elite has tried to coalesce financial support behind Martinez in the closing weeks. This has allowed Martinez to come with a huge broadcast television buy down the stretch, which as we noted earlier, attacks Ronchetti for his “orange one” joke. 

This must bode ill for Ronchetti. The simple reason for that is that it would be bizarre and counter-productive for Republican Party leaders to fund an attack ad like Martinez's against someone who had increasingly been seen as the presumptive Republican nominee, UNLESS they sincerely believe the race is neck and neck and that such an ad could pull it out for Martinez.

We would further note that if that is not the case, then it would raise some extremely serious questions about their judgment and about their commitment to Republicans winning the seat in November. 

Insiders Coming on Board for Martinez

House Minority Leader James Townsend

Along a similar vein, Martinez has also earned the endorsements of many political insiders, including Republican House leader James Townsend. It begs the question again why Townsend would wade into this race at this late stage, unless he believed his endorsement would sway the electorate.

Either he believes that very strongly, or he will have quite a bit of egg on his face on Tuesday. This is especially true since he is the Trump campaign chair in the state. Having the position of Trump Campaign Chair would cause most thoughtful and knowledgeable political leaders to remain strictly neutral during a primary season—in every single race—so as not to offend Republicans whose unified support they will need, and so as not to embarrass the President.

But Townsend is defying that norm, running all over the state, involving himself in every primary he can weigh in on. Of course, this is the same Townsend who is one of the architects of the devastating and historic loss, in 2018, of over one-fourth of his own caucus, while he was spending all of his time playing in a congressional race (CD2) that he also lost. So who knows?

Former Senate candidate Louie Sanchez

Another very curious development is the new role taken on by former senate candidate Louie Sanchez, who has become a very vocal supporter of Martinez and a rabid critic of Ronchetti. This has occurred since mid-March, when Sanchez dropped out of the race after he was unable to secure 20% support at the GOP state nominating convention, and after he had raised only about $50,000, while spending over $100,000 and ending up in debt.

We say this is curious for him to suddenly claim to be the voice of the Republican grassroots because Sanchez has had no involvement at all in Republican politics prior to his short-lived Senate campaign. In fact, Sanchez had never even voted in a Republican primary. So, it is very strange for him to act as though he’s been working tirelessly in the Republican trenches for decades.

Nonetheless, this hasn’t stopped Sanchez from posting shrill attacks on Facebook against Ronchetti about the need to elect “true” Republicans. Some claim this is all driven by Sanchez’s consultants who are trying to set Sanchez up to run for Governor in two years. 

We see that as a plausible rationale for his advisors and handlers, however, we question the wisdom of this strategy. Rather than make a great name for Sanchez, this "strategy" seems more likely to mark Sanchez as some sort of troll and to increase the number of Sanchez detractors. In other words, his inexplicable vitriol and divisiveness could ultimately lead to a Sanchez campaign for governor being as short-lived as his ill-fated Senate bid. 

Nevertheless, Sanchez is all-in with Elisa Martinez and—along with Aragon, Townsend, and other state party leaders—we’ll find out how persuasive he is with Republican voters on Tuesday, or if he’s shot himself in his other foot. 

What About the Ronchetti Campaign?

For his part, as best we can tell, Ronchetti appears undaunted by the attacks and has stayed largely focused on taking his message directly to Republican voters via social media and advertising. His television and radio ads have remained positive and they have driven a conservative message with a notably and relentlessly optimistic bent.

Those positive ads stand out on airwaves that have been flooded with negativity the past few weeks. It seems to us that Ronchetti is seeking to appeal to Republican primary voters in a specific and unique way that he hopes will also attract independents and conservative Democrats. 

To us, his approach has been one of textbook image-making, a candidate who is giving a positive, conservative message, while holding out the possibility of winning over voters in the fall. It's the same approach used by extremely "likable" candidates in campaigns past. Ronald Reagan comes to mind. It’s why so many Ronchetti supporters believe he is the only one capable of defeating Ben Ray Lujan in November.

It has to be said, however, that Ronchetti hasn't completely ignored his opponents. He has responded to the attacks against him in direct mail. We sift through post office trash, and we've found mail pieces in which he is pointing out that Elisa Martinez failed to pay her 2010 state income taxes for 8 years and previously worked for a liberal immigration group called the “Libre Initiative.”  That group openly supported amnesty for illegal aliens.

We've also seen mail in which Ronchetti has responded to Clarkson’s attacks by pointing out how Clarkson has supported liberal candidates and causes, including attending a pipeline protest in North Dakota in 2016 with a leftwing "environmental" group.

These mailers probably represent a very small part of the Ronchetti advertising campaign, but they are great uses of resources. He is able to target likely voters with the kinds of messages they need to see about both his opponents.

Meanwhile, the overwhelming bulk of his messaging has been conducted on television, where all voters, including Democrats and independents, are watching and where everyone can get a feel for his vision. Significantly, Ronchetti doesn't even mention his opponents at all on the TV screen.

We have to admire this approach in which his negative messaging is targeted via direct mail to likely primary voters, while his TV is all positive.

But will the Ronchetti strategy of remaining positive on TV work? Or will the negative attacks of his opponents—funded and supported by party elites—seal this outsider’s fate? 

We’ll find out on Tuesday evening, most likely by around 9 PM. Although, with this COVID-19 effect, the tabulating of absentee ballots may push that timeframe to 10 or even 11 PM. Who knows?


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Secretary of State Unlawfully Changes Absentee Ballot Application Forms. We Explain why it's Bad News for Elections Integrity in New Mexico. Also: The terms "Vote by Mail" and "All-Mail Elections" are Still Not Understood by Virtually any Voters or even Politicians

05/31/2020

A Key Issue that—If Left Unchallenged—Will Adversely Impact the 2020 New Mexico General Election

Last month, the Democrats filed suit to try to get the Supreme Court to implement an “ALL mail-in” election for 2020. 

The New Mexico Supreme Court denied the Democrats' all mail-in election idea, but instead ordered the Secretary of State (SOS) and the county clerks to mail to all “registered” voters an absentee ballot application. (Many people erroneously still believe we are having an all-mail primary, but we are not.)

The Significance of an All-Mail Election (Which Most People Still Don't Have Straight in the Minds)

If the Democrats had had their way with the Supreme Court, then every Democrat, Republican, and Libertarian would have been mailed an actual ballot—ready-to-vote—in early May.  Or at least that would have been the idea. The reality, however, is that a ballot would have been mailed to every mailing address listed in the voter file.

In other words, there are no real means of ensuring that individual registered voters are actually having a ballot delivered to them. The only thing that can happen is that ballots are mailed to either a residential address where a voter says he or she gets mail, or to a Post Office box, if a voter has indicated that preference for mail delivery.

An all-mail election is particularly problematic for New Mexico because the statewide voter file is not maintained. For just one example of the bloated condition of the voter file, a recent Bernalillo County School Board election that was "all mail-in" resulted in more than 30% of the ballots being undeliverable. 

All that mail was "undeliverable" because the registered voters had long since moved. And while a number of those moves may have taken place only a couple of years earlier, many of them had taken place 7 or 8 years ago, or possibly as long ago as a decade. That's how terribly inaccurate the voter file is.

We Have a Primary in Which all Eligible Voters Have Been Sent an Absentee Ballot Application

Instead of an actual votable ballot, which the Supreme Court would not allow the Democrats to mail—because the law says the SOS/Clerks cannot do that—the SOS was limited to sending out applications for a ballot. So individual voters have to decide if they want a ballot sent their way or not.

HOWEVER, MOST SIGNIFICANTLY, though she was denied the “all-mail election,” the SOS decided to seize the opportunity to unilaterally change the absentee ballot application form. On these new absentee ballot applications which you have been sent, the SOS has:

1) pre-populated every voter’s name—even though that is information which is supposed to be provided only by the voter

2) printed each voter’s unique random identification number—something no voter even knows exists, and which is also not allowed by law to be printed on the application

3) provided a bar code, so the county clerks can scan the applications when they come back in—which is also not permitted by law to be printed on an application, much less a ballot

Our Election Code very clearly provides that an application shall be designed so that spaces are provided in which the name, registration address, and the year of birth can be filled in. However, it is also clear that all of that information is "to be supplied by the applicant." (§ 1-6-4 (B))

What Can be done with this Unauthorized Information on the (previously blank) Form?

Anyone—any candidate, individual, party organization, or special interest group—who can purchase a statewide voter file, can simply filter the unique voter identification numbers provided by the SOS and immediately have the means of filling in the registration address and year of birth—to go with the voter’s pre-printed name, which the SOS has furnished.

At that point, anyone in possession of these applications has had the ability to send in a perfectly valid request for an absentee ballot. And the additional bar code will make for immediate processing. In fact, the bar codes—now supplied on ballot outer envelopes as well—actually encourage the elimination of any kind of manual verification of data. 

Danger Lies Ahead

While the implications for the primary are relatively insignificant (after all it’s only D v. D and R v. R), the groundwork is clearly being laid for this same process to be used in the General Election. And the potential for misuse/fraud in absentee balloting is very clear: with some 30% of our statewide voter file completely out of date, hundreds of thousands, perhaps 350,000-400,000 of our 1.3 million registered voters, will not be at the address to which these applications will be delivered.

The presence of upwards of 400,000 absentee ballot applications with names already printed on them, with unique identifiers on them, and with bar codes for easy processing on them presents an enormous opportunity for the mail-in of thousands of completed applications that may be completed by someone other than the actual voter who is supposed to cast the vote. 

Groups with questionable reputations, like the infamous ACORN (now disbanded) and its successor organizations like OLÉ (which is very active in New Mexico), are specially positioned and suited—due to their experience and practice (discussed below)—to take enormous advantage of the information provided in the new unlawful absentee ballot applications.

In other words, ballot harvesting has just been made vastly simpler and less time-consuming for any group willing to participate. And in New Mexico, those groups are more than willing to participate.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


Albuquerque libertarian "think tank," the Rio Grande Foundation, a "Charitable 'non-profit," Begins Meddling in Republican Primary Races. The "Tax-Exempt" Group Tries to Lure Republicans Away from Conservatism to Embrace "Libertarian Ideology." But unlike libertarianism, conservatism is NOT an Ideology.

05/30/2020

Many people are calling us, telling us their views that the Rio Grande Foundation, a tax-exempt, so-called "non-profit" organization, which styles itself as a "think tank," has begun to get way out over its skis. One caller told us she had just "un-liked" the RGF Facebook page over its extreme meddling in Republican primaries, as well as its gross misrepresentation of issues to the voters.

We have to say that we can see where the RGF's lecturing to conservatives about "just how the cow eats the cabbage" can become not only tiresome, but downright irritating. This is especially true for those voters who really understand conservatism and the myriad differences between conservatism (which is not an ideology) and libertarianism (which is an ideology). 

One thing Republican voters, especially conservative Republican primary voters—everywhere, not just in New Mexico—must keep in mind, is that the Rio Grande Foundation is NOT a conservative organization—not by a long shot. Not even close. It has always been oriented toward libertarian politics, featuring programs and guest speakers who promote the thinking of the famous Ayn Rand. Rand, unlike conservatives, was an avowed atheist.

As for its recent activities in New Mexico Republican primaries, "weighing in" is what the group calls it. It's their euphemism for "taking sides." And that's a risky thing for an organization that lives off its tax-exempt, special protections that most Americans do not enjoy.

Libertarians (Rio Grande Foundation) v. Conservatives: What are the Differences?

It is true that there are some similarities between conservatives and libertarians. They both believe strongly in individual liberty, limited government, and free markets. So many times those shared views can lead to cooperation on a number of public policy issues.

However, there are also stark differences on matters such as national defense, the armed forces, foreign policy, immigration—including illegal immigration—the death penalty, drugs (and across the board drug legalization), surveillance, marriage and the family, and the ability of individuals to express their faith, including the recognition of the role of religion in our nation's history, as well as its influence on public policy.

Here are just a few of the issues of the day, and where libertarians and conservatives line up on each:

Issue                                     libertarians                                                               conservatives

Taxation                                  Oppose increased taxes                                           Oppose increased taxes

Immigration                            Oppose Restrictions                                                  Believe in Restrictions and limits

Illegal Immigration                  Support Open Borders (liberty)                                 Strongly Oppose, must have control of borders

Abortion                                  Support, without limits                                               Oppose, or oppose except in certain circumstances

Legalization of hard drugs      Support legalization of practically all drugs (liberty)  Oppose

Recreational Marijuana          Support                                                                      Many conservatives support, many oppose

Medical marijuana                  Support                                                                     Most support, minority opposed

Death Penalty                         Oppose (they believe it comes from "religion"         Support (though not all conservatives do)

Marriage                                 Support for any persons who "love" each other       Tend to support "traditional" marriage

Gun Rights                             Support the Second Amendment                             Support the Second Amendment

Religious Expression              Emphasize the "establishment" clause                    Emphasize both "establishment" and

                                                                                                                                "free exercise" clauses

Gender                                   Support "liberty" ("however many there are")           Believe in two basic, biological sexes

 

Libertarianism shares a number of public policy positions that are supported by traditional conservatives. But these tend to be related to economics and taxation. With regard to social and cultural issues, libertarians tend to be much more aligned with liberals and the modern Left.

Libertarianism sees itself as being a political ideology that asserts the natural order of things is total liberty. As one example of this ideology, it embraces the view that a woman, for example, has "total control" of her own body and therefore can do whatever she wants with a fetus, up to and including the ultimate stage of birth.

Conservatives, on the other hand, would argue that a fetus is not merely an organic "part" of a woman's body—much like a kidney, gall bladder, or spleen—which can and should be dispensed with in whatever manner she chooses. Rather, they would argue that a fetus is a separate, living entity, and not merely an incidental body part.

Libertarian RGF Butts in on the Senate District 41 Race: David Gallegos v. Gregg Fulfer

Yesterday, the Rio Grande Foundation butted in to the campaign for State Senate District 41, by siding with current Representative David Gallegos. 

Gallegos, with or without the active assistance and encouragement of the RGF (and that is unclear) has weaponized a so-called "Freedom Index" published by the RGF. Gallegos touts his "rating" on this index as some sort of proof of his suitability to represent a very conservative district in Lea and Eddy Counties. 

However, as discussed above, the question arises: Are folks in southeastern New Mexico really libertarians? Or are they traditional conservatives? What is the relative level of church attendance there compared with Albuquerque? Or with Santa Fe—which is now dominated by recent arrived ultra-secular Anglos from the East and West Coasts.

Do folks in Lea County really want to see their political views judged by a marker established by the atheist Ayn Rand? We sort of doubt that.

For the more educated and informed Republican primary voters, Gallegos's desire to be judged "libertarian" as opposed to conservative, seems to very much put him at odds with the overwhelming philosophical majority of the district.

The Most Conservative Senators and Representatives have very little Respect for the RGF

The most conservative senators and state reps in New Mexico have been highly critical of the Rio Grande Foundation indexes, calling them, among an array of negative descriptions, "flaky," and "just so much bullsh-t." A group of a half dozen senators interviewed during the most recent legislative session said that there's "no comparison" between the highly respected American Conservative Union (ACU) ratings and the RGF ratings.

Here are some of their opinions:

"You've got be kidding me. The Rio Grande Foundation can't even decide from one minute to the next what its "important votes" are.

"They change the criteria three times during a session, publishing updated and altered issues."

"Then they 'weight' certain issues, arbitrarily assigning 2 points, 6 points, or 8 points  here and there, then raising or lowering them after they've published their criteria."

"It's very flaky."

"It's they may be trying to get a certain end result for some senators, and they have to go back and tinker with their ratings to make sure that result is what they get."

"You can't trust it." 

"Besides, they're libertarian, not conservative."

Yesterday, we presented those criticisms to Rio Grande Foundation President Paul Gessing, and much to our surprise, he very forthrightly and straightforwardly owned them and confirmed them.

"Yeah, it is a valid concern or criticism. During the session, yeah, we had to, we have somebody managing the site, it's a fast-moving process, and yeah, the initial weight during the session is not always where it ends up.

As much as RGF is to be commended for being honest about its flakiness in the ratings, it nonetheless reconfirms the near uselessness of constantly changing and arbitrarily assigned "importance" and "points" that don't get decided until AFTER all the votes are lined up.

The charge that the "index" is being manipulated to conform to pre-determined desired outcomes has to be taken seriously.

Then there's the fact that none of the conservatives even want to be considered a "libertarian" anyway.

For the well-read, thoughtful conservative Republican, especially those who have at least some belief in God—and very much so for the serious Evangelical or Roman Catholic—the "libertarian" road is not one they want to travel. And they vastly prefer a conservative to represent them.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

Southeastern New Mexico State Senate Republican Primary Turns Nasty: "The Most Negative and Dirtiest We've Ever Seen" say some observers. Now a PAC that has Joined forces with Democrats is Smearing Republican Senator Gregg Fulfer.

05/28/2020

All around the state, dark money operatives are going overboard to win elections, breaking all precedent in terms of outrageous claims and slanders against their targeted enemies—and those "enemies" always turn out to be the most conservative, common-sense candidates in the contests.

Senate District 41 in the far southeast corner of the state is no exception. In a district that consists of the southern halves of both Eddy and Lea Counties, incumbent Republican State Representative David Gallegos is challenging incumbent Republican State Senator Gregg Fulfer.

Gallegos has come under some criticism for making the race, considering that Republicans hold precious few seats in either house, and that many rank-and-file Republicans believe precious and scarce campaign funds should be directed at unseating Democrats rather than spent to merely satisfy personal ambitions about moving to the upper house.

Gallegos Announces His Motives—And they Aren't Pretty

On March 1st in the Hobbs News-Sun, Gallegos began his campaign by telling voters that he was motivated by anger at not being chosen to replace retiring Senator Carroll Leavell, 17 months ago. In his full-page ad, Gallegos 
described the Lea and Eddy County Commissioners as criminals for not selecting him, accusing them of violating the law, engaging in backroom deals and dishonest, secret plots. 

What was the reason for those charges? Gallegos had been sending out emails for several months, essentially telling anyone who would listen that it was time for Senator Leavell to step down. And in those same emails, Gallegos was lobbying hard to have himself appointed to replace the 82-year-old senator. 

So when the Eddy and Lea County Commissions voted, 3 to 2 and 4 to 1 respectively, to appoint Gregg Fulfer, the only thing Gallegos could conclude was that the county commissioners must have committed some sort of criminal act. At least that's what his allegations amount to.

In addition to these reasons for being motivated to run, Gallegos also said on Facebook that he wanted to have "a four-year term rather than just a two-year term."

As far as we know, none of the commissioners Gallegos has accused of crimes has turned out to be enthusiastic about his candidacy.

Unprecedented Tactics

Fulfer ran a very positive campaign throughout April and early May, with very little being heard from Gallegos. Then Gallegos suddenly struck on radio, in mail pieces, and in newspapers, attacking Fulfer in very vicious terms, accusing him of being every possible negative descriptive they can invent. 

Gallegos has repeatedly attacked Fulfer for being a "lifelong Democrat" who supposedly changed his party affiliation "just before" his appointment. This is weird because both Gallegos and Fulfer have been Democrats most of their lives. Gallegos changed his registration a few years ago and Fulfer changed five years ago—long before his appointment. 

A Federal PAC is Now Smearing Fulfer—And it's a PAC that has Joined Forces with Democrats

In recent days, a PAC headed up by a pro-abortion political operative who has strongly supported Democrats in the past, has jumped into the race with a smear campaign against Fulfer. The same organization, using radio and TV ads produced by a couple of anti-conservative Republican operatives in Austin, Texas, has been deeply involved in smear campaigns against conservative Republicans in the past. 

Even though Fulfer is the only candidate in the race who has opposed Governor Lujan Grisham on all of her extreme issues, this PAC accuses Fulfer of being an ally of Grisham.  

According to one observer, "one dead giveaway in the ad is that John Billingsley is the only person we know who would spell oil with two Ls."

Ironically, considering their smears against Fulfer, this same PAC is working alongside the progressive Democrat PAC, Patriot Majority, as both of them are engaged in smearing Republican Claire Chase on behalf of Yvette Herrell—trying to persuade Republicans to nominate the weakest candidate, so that the Democrat can prevail in the general election.

Though this PAC which is now attacking Fulfer has nothing to do with Trump, and in fact goes against Trump ideas, the men behind the group chose to disguise their goals by naming themselves "Make NM Great PAC." The PAC is not registered in New Mexico, even though New Mexico law explicitly states that it must do so:

"If a political committee is located in New Mexico, and is required to register as a political committee under this rule, the political committee must register with the secretary of state even if it is also registered with the FEC."

—New Mexico Administrative Rule 1.10.13.10 (A) (4)

So in addition to blatantly false attacks on Fulfer, this deep-secret PAC is also violating New Mexico law in that it is not registered at all and is not filing campaign finance reports of contributions and expenditures.

Gallegos Using Campaign Funds Inappropriately

A New Mexico registered campaign committee called "Committee to Drain the Swamp" is running radio ads and sending out mail exposing Gallegos' use of his campaign donations. Gallegos has filed campaign finance reports using such terms as "reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses." Such line items are not allowed under New Mexico law.

Gallegos has apparently "reimbursed" himself or his wife for "expenses" by paying off credit card charges.

Some of the entries state they that the "reimbursements" are for "campaign expenses" (which are not itemized or described) while some claim to be reimbursements for such things as "signs" or "materials."

In any case, even if all the entries happened to be truthful or accurate, such accounting is not allowable under New Mexico law.

Altogether, Gallegos has used some $38,000 of campaign funds in this manner.

 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


NM Congressional and Senate Republican Primaries Descend into Dumbassery. Is it even possible to formulate a dumber question on which to base an election? So Democrats Pounce: Brazenly Announcing that THEY will Determine the Outcomes. It's an Amazing Story. Will Republican Primary Voters be as Stupid and Manipulable as those in Nevada or Missouri have Been in the Past?

05/25/2020

What has become the most important issue for Republican primary candidates running in Congressional District 2 or in the US Senate Primary?

If you're thinking how to deal with the COVID-19 plague, you're wrong. If you think it has anything at all to do with rebuilding the economy you're also wrong. You're also wrong if you think the top issue is healthcare, or international trade deals, or China, or Russia, or border security, or the Middle East, or most anything else you're likely to think up.

No. Believe it or not, the top issue is "When did you first love Trump?" 

Or on what date can a forensic investigation determine when you first said something negative about Trump?

And then at what point can detectives determine when you subsequently had your "conversion experience" that was sufficiently satisfactory to prove to investigators that you are now in the Trump fold?

How many professions of faith in Trump can dance on the head of a pin? 

We are not making this up. For CD 2, it's all about whether Claire Chase or Yvette Herrell supported other presidential candidates in 2015 and 2016—and what was their attitude toward Donald J. Trump four to five years ago.

For US Senate hopefuls Elisa Martinez and Gavin Clarkson, it's their whole campaign: Did Mark Ronchetti make a joke about being anti-Trump?

Yeah, he did. Like millions of Republicans—even millions of Republicans who voted for him and who are going to vote for him again.

NEWS BULLETIN: Millions of Republicans—including Republicans who are his strongest supporters—make fun of Trump every single day!

As Seinfeld's Frank Costanza would say: "What the hell does that mean?" Answer: Not a damn thing.

How Logical is This? (Spoiler Alert: Zero—the "Logic Quotient" for this Issue is 0 — Zilch, Nada)

Five years ago, Kayleigh McEnany called Trump a "racist" and a "showman" who was an embarrassment and "not a serious candidate." Today, she is his press secretary, the spokesperson FOR TRUMP himself! 

This is proof positive that the Trump Administration is not following the Elisa-Gavin-Yvette-Claire logic, but instead is using the following kind of logic:

It's not what you thought of Trump five years ago, it's whether or not you support his policies today or believe that his administration has been successful.

But getting back to New Mexico. How's the Trump Administration logic playing in the Land of Enchantment?

Answer: It isn't playing at all. It hasn't cracked the Billboard top 100. Nobody is listening to it.

Yvette Herrell and Claire Chase are beating each other senseless over which one of them made a profession of faith in Trump the earliest.

Why does Trump himself and why do his handlers understand that the New Mexico "logic" makes no Sense?

Because if you actually believe the allegations made and the questions posed by the New Mexico candidates you have to disqualify far more than half of the Americans who ended up voting for Trump over Hillary Clinton. That's right, after all was said and done in the GOP nominating process in 2016, more than 55% of Republicans wanted someone other than Trump.

Does that mean that Trump needs to rail against them, holding a grudge over that? Or are the Trump advisors smart enough to realize that what is important is that the voters who supported Cruz, Rubio, Kasich, Ben Carson, and a dozen other Republicans turned around and voted for Trump in the general election?

We think they get that. Otherwise, Hillary Clinton would be president. And if they didn't get it, they'd be headed for certain defeat this November.

But do GOP candidates in New Mexico get it? And more important, do New Mexico Republican voters get it? Answer: We won't know until about 10 PM on Tuesday, June 2nd. 

But Wait, HERE COME THE DEMOCRATS

One group of people who are loving all of this is the Democrat Party brain trust, laughing their butts off at the nonsense. It's so damn funny to them that they have begun running ads on behalf of Yvette Herrell.

They are openly reinforcing the message offered by Herrell, which is: 1) do NOT vote based on each candidate's position on crucial issues, or 2) each candidate's ability to appeal to the general election, or 3) a candidate's ability to stand and deliver in debate, or 4) articulate the conservative argument, or 5) make the case for something better than Xochitl Torres Small, or 6) raise money, or 7) broaden the appeal of the Republican message, or 8) who has the greater winnability quotient?

No. None of that. The Democrats are copying the exact message of Herrell (and Clarkson and Elisa Martinez): any Republican who has not been continuously in love with Trump for five years is a bad candidate.

Think about it. If the Democrats are pushing that same "reasoning" process, how smart is it really? 

Will Republicans get it? As our previous article showed, they have a habit of not getting it. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


Democrats Now Weighing in FOR HERRELL. Stay tuned. It's NOT that Weird. They have a History of Doing This. (And it's a Successful History. For Democrats.)

05/23/2020

Pulling a familiar trick out of the Democrat Party playbook, a Leftist/liberal SuperPAC has now jumped into the middle of the Republican primary in New Mexico’s Second Congressional District.

Patriot Majority PAC, which is famous for supporting Barack Obama, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Harry Reid, began airing television commercials today (Saturday, May 23rd) attacking Republican Claire Chase, while praising former Republican state representative Yvette Herrell.

This is exactly the tactic Democrats have used successfully in recent years. Here are two examples:

Nevada, 2010, Senate Race

  • Then-Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid was losing very badly in head-to-head polling against Republican Sue Lowden. And his campaign wasn’t making any headway either.
  • So he came up with the plan of promoting the weakest Republican, a former state representative* by the name of Sharron Angle, who, unfortunately for Republicans, couldn’t string two sentences together.
  • By wildly exaggerating Angle’s abilities and “conservative” bona fides, Reid and Patriot Majority PAC easily fooled all the Tea Party types in Nevada and also sparked the interest of Club for Growth, which weighed in enthusiastically (though cluelessly) for Angle. ?
  • At the same time, Patriot Majority relentlessly attacked Lowden, making her out to be a “liberal,” thus doubly deceiving the Tea Party faithful.

Angle won the primary. And Reid had successfully secured the Republican opponent of his choice. With Angle unable to debate, or form coherent sentences, her staff spent the last two months of the campaign shuffling her through airports and other public areas—keeping reporters and news cameras at a “social distance.”

That didn’t help. The general election ended up being a walkover for Reid.

Missouri, 2012, Senate Race

  • Incumbent Democrat Senator Claire McCaskill faced exactly the same problem as Reid had faced: She was headed for defeat against either of two leading Missouri Republicans. So she took a page out of Reid’s playbook and began spending money to support the third Republican, Todd Akin.
  • In this article: https://politi.co/2zZUzNp, which she titled "How I Helped Todd Akin Win—So I Could Beat Him Later," McCaskill brags about the plan she came up with to spend $1.7 million to tear down the strong Republicans and boost the weak one. That figure represents almost seven times what Akin spent on his own campaign.
  • Again, Tea Party and Club for Growth people were fooled, Mike Huckabee got excited about all the great things that were being said about Akin and against Akin's opponents (not knowing that all that noise was coming from McCaskill) so Huckabee got on board with Akin.

Akin won the primary, 36-30-29, over the two Republicans who had been poised to crush McCaskill. Then Akin had his very predictable meltdown: He announced that it’s not really possible for a woman to get pregnant from a rape—provided it’s a “legitimate” rape.

From that point on, he was toast. McCaskill won the general election in an enormous landslide. And the Democrats had held another seat they didn't deserve to have.

New Mexico, CD 2, 2020
 

Fast forward to today. The Associated Press reports that:

"Spending reports reviewed by The Associated Press show that Patriot Majority PAC bought nearly $200,000 of ads to influence Republican voters in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District primary on June 2."

Yes, that's the same outfit that has tried to (successfully) get Republican voters to pick the weakest candidate all around the country. The AP said: 

"The Center for Public Integrity said Patriot Majority PAC was founded by veteran Democratic Party operative Craig Varoga in 2009 to support Democratic candidates."

This clearly indicates that Democratic Party polling shows that Chase is ahead of incumbent Democrat Xochitl Torres Small and that Yvette Herrell is running behind Torres Small. Small defeated Herrell by close to 4,000 votes in 2018. It was an open seat then, and it had just been won by a Republican in 2016 by more than 24 points.

Now, Small is the incumbent. It has seemed difficult for Republicans to find a path for Herrell to win a race in 2020 as a challenger that she couldn't win as the "virtual" incumbent just two years earlier.

The Democrats' ad says:

"There’s Santa Fe lobbyist Claire Chase who opposed President Trump, calling him an (expletive) unworthy of the office,” 

Then, while pictures of Chase are shown on the screen, the voiceover intones:

“Or there’s Yvette Herrell. She’s 100% loyal to Trump, backed by 11 pro-gun sheriffs and Cowboys for Trump.”

At that point, the Democrat spokesperson has this to say:

“make a better choice.”

Right. But "better choice" for whom? Since the Democrats are producing the ads and paying for them to go on the air, they probably mean that Herrell is the "better choice" for them. Not for the Republicans' chances in November.

The bottom line is this: Will Republicans be so easily fooled as they have been in years past in similar circumstances. 

We don't know. But we do know that State GOP Chairman Steve Pearce and his staff are pulling out all the stops for Herrell. While they're doing that, it certainly appears that they are playing right into the Democrats' hands.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Pearce, Herrell, Tinnin Deeply Involved in Campaigns: Complaints Coming in from Everywhere; Pearce's Support of Yvette Herrell Doesn't Stop There.

05/21/2020

It appears any pretense that the Republican Party of New Mexico might actually adhere to party rules and remain neutral in various primaries around the state, has been lost.

Everywhere we look, Pearce appears to have deeply embedded himself—and his Sancho Panza-like Executive Director Anissa Galassini Ford Tinnin—in Republican primary campaign after campaign. Sidekick John Billingsley also shows up everywhere with "contributions" and verbal support for the Pearce team, in opposition to those Republican conservatives who are even more conservative than Pearce himself, but who will not join the Pearce personality cult, pledging total fealty to Pearce and the odd team of email thieves he's surrounded himself with.

After all, shouldn't the state party focus on winning more Republican seats? Instead of creating more life-long intraparty disputes and squabbles? Just so Pearce and Tinnin can maintain an up-to-date "enemies list" for themselves? 

To us at least, all of their machinations, picking favorites, and endless scheming seem pointless and destructive. 

Yesterday we learned that Tom Tinnin (recently married to the RPNM Executive Director) had donated $2,500 to US Senate hopeful Elisa Martinez. Reports recently made public establish that Anissa's mother, Rocky Galassini, filed with the Federal Elections Commission as the registered Custodian of Records for the Yvette Herrell campaign. Philip Pearce, Steve Pearce's brother, is the Herrell's campaign treasurer.

All of this kind of interference while simultaneously insisting that what we are seeing with our own eyes—improper meddling by the state party in Republican primary contests—is not really what we are seeing. And the kicker is that they expect us to believe that.

Lea and Eddy Counties

Everyone in Lea and Eddy Counties has complained about Pearce's takeover last winter of the Lea County Republican Convention, and his near-takeover in Eddy County. His purpose was to ensure that all state convention delegates in both counties would support Herrell over Claire Chase. 

In both instances, Pearce pushed out (or in Eddy County, attempted to push out) long-time activists and volunteers and imposed a group he had gathered up. One Lea County Republican stalwart told us: "Steve showed up with about a hundred people we had never seen or heard of before, and never will see or hear from again."

In Lea County, numerous political observers state that it was Pearce who recruited, or strongly encouraged, incumbent State Representative David Gallegos to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Gregg Fulfer. This of course has resulted in an extremely expensive primary battle that in the end will probably have cost Republicans hundred of thousands of dollars. That is money that could have been used to take on sitting Democrats.

According to our sources:

"Steve would rather have folks on 'his team' or his own 'devoted followers' in office, even if the sitting Republican is a strong conservative and doing a good job."

This is certainly the case in State Senate District 41, where incumbent Gregg Fulfer is endorsed by the National Rifle Association, recommended by Right-to-Life, has continuously battled Governor Lujan-Grisham, and has the endorsements of such stalwarts as Eddy County Sheriff Mark Cage—one of the most vocal and influential conservatives in the state.

Fulfer also did something no first-year legislator has been able to do: he got $350 million to four-lane the state's most dangerous roads, and make huge improvements on US 285. (Gallegos, oddly, we are told, actually voted against that funding.)

CAGE ABANDONS HERRELL: SWITCHES TO CHASE BECAUSE OF HERRELL's UGLY AD CAMPAIGN

Tuesday, Sheriff Mark Cage announced that he has withdrawn his earlier endorsement of Yvette Herrell. Cage endorsed Herrell when she was the only candidate in the race.* Cage had this to say about his earlier endorsement and his change of view:

“Unfortunately, the latest very personal, very ugly attacks on my friend Claire Chase have driven me to do otherwise...” 

Herrell has faced tremendous criticism for her part in a sordid political affair involving a cartoonist, with whom she exchanged text messages about creating a meme that would promote false rumors about her opponent Claire Chase—implying that she had cheated on her first husband. The rumors weren't true, but text messages obtained by The Associated Press showed that Herrell was busy offering suggestions to build and embellish the meme.

Cage's support of Fulfer could have something to do with the incredibly nasty ads being run by Gallegos—apparently all of which are untrue. Gallegos is said to be using the same Washinton, DC-based consulting groups that Pearce is said to have lined up behind Herrell. Both groups have run demonstrably false ads, angering many people in Southeastern New Mexico.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 

.


CD 2 Republican Primary Heated, Attacks All Around; Yvette Herrell in Trouble over Low-Rent Campaign Tactics

05/11/2020

The race for the GOP nomination in CD2 is dominating the airwaves, and in a very negative way. Both sides are carpet-bombing TV news programs and highly-rated syndicated game shows with devastating hits on each other.

HERRELL'S ANTICS HAVE ATTRACTED THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA and GARNERED NATIONAL ATTENTION

Former State Representative Yvette Herrell, who lost the Republican-leaning seat in 2018 (even while Trump was carrying the district) has come in for serious criticism from the Associated Press as well as the Washington Free Beacon.

It seems the Herrell has gone well beyond any basic sense of decency, digging into the personal life of her main opponent, Claire Chase. Most candidates and consulting teams steer clear of trying to attack such things as marriages, child custody, things that are said in divorce proceedings, and the like. NOT Herrell. She's dug deep—in a manner that has really bothered even her strongest supporters. One close observer of the race sent us this comment:

"Everyone I've talked to is absolutely disgusted by Yvette's actions, and her decision to collaborate with a known criminal to fabricate allegations against her opponent may end her political career."

The Associated Press and the Washington Free Beacon

Yvette Herrell is desperately trying to run away from her boneheaded political attack

This week the Associated Press and Washington Free Beacon reported on Yvette Herrell’s partnership with Roger Rael, a political meme-maker, who is currently facing charges for criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct. Apparently Herrell – who has herself been divorced twice – thought it would be a good idea to push fake accusations about Claire Chase’s first marriage.

According to the Free Beacon, Herrell offered Rael $200 if he would put out a meme falsely accusing Claire Chase of cheating on her ex-husband, Ben Gray, with her current husband, Chance Chase, while Gray was in Afghanistan.  

AP: “In an interview with The Associated Press, retired U.S. Marine Jared Richardson said Herrell called last month after he announced his support for Chase on social media and told him that Chase cheated on her first husband while he was deployed in Afghanistan. But according to Chase, she met her current husband after her divorce and two years after her former husband’s return from deployment.”

Washington Free Beacon: “But Rael told the Free Beacon on Tuesday that he created the cartoon at Herrell's direction. ‘She asked me to make a meme for her and put it out there, because she didn't want ties to it,’ Rael said, adding that Herrell offered to pay him $200 for the task.”

Unfortunately for Herrell

Chase was able to immediately produce documents proving the attack was false. Chase hadn’t even met her current husband, Chance, when she and Gray divorced. Herrell appears to have made it up out of thin air. Chase’s ex-husband even blasted Herrell for smearing him and using his service to our country in this boneheaded political attack.

Here is how the national media covered this aspect of the story:

Washington Free Beacon: “Chase's campaign says the allegation is false and provided information showing that Chase and Gray were not divorced until two years after he returned from Afghanistan. It also says the divorce was finalized months before she had met her current husband.”

AP: “Gray, Chase’s first husband, said in a statement he and Chase are still friends and he is a member of the Veterans for Claire coalition and the rumors are false. ‘I can’t believe Yvette Herrell would try to use me in this false, disgusting attack,’ he said. “What kind of person would smear a veteran to win a political campaign?’”

Text Messages Show that Herrell Appears to be Lying About her Relationship with Rael

Yvette Herrell is now is claiming she doesn’t even know Rael and had nothing to do with the attack, but The Free Beacon and Associated Press have her text messages personally editing the meme and describing her long-time relationship with Rael.

AP: “According to the text messages obtained by the AP, Herrell offered suggestions about a meme created by Roger Rael that showed Chase with her current husband, Chance Chase, while her former husband, Ben Gray, looked on confused. ‘The second Claire is spelled wrong,’ Herrell texted back after receiving the meme. ‘It should say golddigging, not good digging.’ Herrell then writes, ‘Let me send them in the morning. There are a couple of more.’”

Washington Free Beacon: “Herrell has attacked Rael's credibility, pointing to pending criminal charges against the cartoonist, and said she had no relationship with him. But the string of text messages, which began last November and stretches until this February, suggest otherwise. Among the text messages Rael provided to the Free Beacon, one message from Herrell refers to the ‘long time’ they've known each other. ‘I know you know me better than to buy into this crap,’ Herrell wrote in a Feb. 17 message. ‘You have known me a long time and you know my priorities are the people of New Mexico.’”

Herrell’s Campaign in Damage Control

Yvette's campaign seems to be in damage control mode at this point. She is no longer responding to requests for comment about her attack on Chase and refused to attend the first major debate of the race.

Free Beacon: “Herrell's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.”  

Associated Press: “The first major debate among GOP hopefuls in a crucial U.S. House race in New Mexico had a noticeable absence — a Republican who skipped debates in 2018 and lost the seat. Former state lawmaker Yvette Herrell declined Thursday to participate in the debate with two of her opponents on KIVA in Albuquerque. It was the first radio debate in an increasingly nasty Republican primary fight.”


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


TRUMP DAILY COVID-19 BRIEFINGS PROBABLY NOT HELPING—possibly marking time now, but very possibly could be losing ground each day.

04/24/2020

We realize there are lots of analyses—all over the map—both praising and downgrading Trump’s performances on the daily briefings.

The shows appear to have been helpful early on, but as time has gone by Trump has appeared to lose ground—as shown in the polls.

He did benefit from being the only game in town for a bit—especially as he held his temper and deferred to experts. But as time goes by, he wanders farther and farther afield each day, increasingly taking the bait from hostile reporters, ending up in a set-to, squabble, or verbal altercation every few minutes.

Don’t get us wrong: the media types are mostly awful, wholly uninterested in doing the actual job of journalism or news reporting. Most are focused only on steadily attempting to annoy Trump—and he increasingly succumbs to engagements that don’t really go anywhere.

Let’s face it: CNN and many others are unprofessional jerks. But that fact is known by all who can possibly know it by now. Engaging them doesn’t help Trump—nor does it help CNN. Trump’s base, of course, is unaffected, as are their counterparts—the most ardent Trump haters.

What appears to have happened is that the tiny portion of the electorate which is persuadable is now more or less suffering from Trump briefing fatigue—thus the 8 to 10 point gap between Biden and Trump.

And no, we still can’t really believe Biden will be the Democrat nominee—we look at the current polls as a stand-in measurement of Trump v. Whoever the Democrats put up.

Bottom line: As a publication which continues to believe that the Trump Administration is far better equipped to lead than anyone the Democrats have thus far produced, NMPJ believes “less is more.”

Trump would be better off getting out of the briefings. In fact, the administration would be better off with far fewer briefings, and only holding them when there is something truly new and important to announce.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


How Do COVID-19 Death Statistics Compare with Other Causes of Death in New Mexico?

04/23/2020

Each year, on average over the past decade, the State of New Mexico records some 18,650 deaths. That means approximately 4,600 New Mexicans die from all causes every quarter, or about 6,200 during every third of the year—each four months.

Thus far to today, through the 23rd of April, with one week to go in the first third of the year, 65 New Mexicans have died of COVID-19 (or perhaps we should say that many deaths have been "attributed to" COVID-19).

Meanwhile, approximately how many other New Mexicans will have died in the first third of the year, ending 30 April? Based on statistical averages from the National Vital Statistics Reports, here are the answers to that question:

Total deaths in New Mexico: 6,220

Deaths caused by:

1) Heart disease: 1,300

2) Cancer: 1,205

3) Accidents: 480

4) Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease: 320

5) Stroke: 290

6) Alzheimer's: 240

7) Diabetes: 200

8) Suicide: 160

9) Flu & Pneumonia: 110

10) Nephritis: 100

Other causes of death include homicide, which in New Mexico occurs, on average, about 55 times every four months.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 
 
 
 
 

GRANTS MAYOR WILL DEFY GOV. GRISHAM. WILL OTHER CITIES & COUNTIES FOLLOW? (Watch video below)

04/22/2020

Small businesses being killed while Grisham is allowing “Big Box” stores to run wild!

GRANTS, N.M. — Grants Mayor Martin Hicks says dozens of locally-owned businesses in his town, have been forced to close.

While larger corporately owned stores, are considered essential and allowed to stay open.

Now, he's willing to go against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s extended public health order and opening up all Grants businesses on Monday, no matter what it costs.

https://bit.ly/3eJy531


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

WHERE ARE THE NEW MEXICO MEDIA? Don't they Know we have on Ongoing Crisis?

04/21/2020
Our surrounding states' governors have specific, detailed plans to open their economies. And those governors are available to the press.

Meanwhile, Michelle Grisham has the advantage of the sleepy-time New Mexico media: No questions, No inquiries, No interest.

We are way behind other states and other states' governors. Why isn't Grisham being pushed by our media?

Whatever she says or doesn't say is fine with them. Amazing.

(Would they have the same approach if the governor were a Republican? We don't know. But we think not.)

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 
 
 
 

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC STATISTICS? We are Doubtful of their Accuracy

04/20/2020

Has anyone else noticed that the “reported” Coronavirus infections and fatalities make the United States look very bad?

We have 4.25% of the world’s population, yet the current numbers show we have suffered 25.2% of the globally-reported deaths. That would make us worse per capita than the world-wide average—by a factor of six.

And our total reported infections represent 31.8% of the world-wide total. That’s more than 7.5 times more than what our pro rata share should be.

Our suspicion is that a number of countries have little or no accurate reporting taking place. Of course this would include many third world nations where public health infrastructure and statistical analysis reliability is weak, but we also suspect China is not telling the truth.

China has more than 1.4 billion people and has reported only 4,632 deaths. So they have 3 fatalities per 1 million population. We on the other hand have 137 per million. Is it possible that China has prevented deaths from the COVID-19 outbreak (which began there) 46 times better than the U.S.?

We somehow doubt that.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

FOUR COURAGEOUS REPUBLICAN COUNTY CLERKS WIN a MAJOR VICTORY in the NEW MEXICO SUPREME COURT.

04/14/2020

SURPRISINGLY BIG LOSS for the DEMOCRAT PARTY

The Supreme Court has unanimously rejected the Democrat Party's request that New Mexico conduct an "All-Mail-Ballot" election for the upcoming June 2nd Primary.

Instead, the court has ordered that all voters be mailed an absentee ballot APPLICATION. As we explained in our previous post, the mailing of applications sets in place an entirely different dynamic from the mailing of actual ballots.

Democrats, led by Senator Daniel Ivey-Soto and lead Democrat Party counsel Gretchen Elsner sought desperately to find an argument that would convince the Supreme Court that it could simply impose an entirely new kind of election on New Mexicans—one in which actual ballots would flood the state, leaving piles and piles of opportunity for potential fraud in trash cans, apartments, college dorms, and assisted living facilities.

Instead, Albuquerque Attorney Carter Harrison, arguing on behalf of four Republican clerks, persuaded the court to order the mailing of APPLICATIONS ONLY, a procedure which interposes a crucial step requiring identification and personal information as a prelude to receiving an actual ballot.

Though most Republican County Clerks ran away from the case, intimidated by Ivey-Soto and the dominant Democrat power structure in the state, three Republican clerks stayed with the case as intervenors—brave enough to fight the attempted power grab. Those clerks are Keith Manes of Lea County, Whitney Whittaker of Lincoln County, Tanya Shelby of San Juan County, and Dave Kunko of Chaves County.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


TRUMP and the ALL-MAIL BALLOT ELECTION: Understanding the differences between Absentee Voting and the All-Mail Ballot Election

04/07/2020

The President did a reasonable job of fending off a hostile question about why he opposes “all mail ballot” elections while, according to the reporter “you yourself just now voted by mail in Florida.”

Neither the questioner nor the President were able to draw the distinction between regular “absentee” balloting and “all mail ballot” elections. This is understandable because neither of them is a county clerk or an elections administrator. For those of you who are interested, here are some key differences:

ABSENTEE BALLOTING is an “optional” means of voting in a regular, standard election during which the bulk of the voting takes place on a designated Election Day, or at early voting sites in the exact same manner as Election Day voting. Absentee voting is at least 155 years old, and it requires a voter to fill out and send in an “absentee ballot application” for which there are a number or safeguards. Only then is a ballot mailed selectively to a voter who is choosing to vote in that manner.

ON THE OTHER HAND, “all-mail” elections are quite the separate animal entirely. They are held for general elections in only about three states (all of which, perhaps coincidentally, are now strongly or extremely strongly Democrat). Under an “all-mail” election, all eligible registered voters are mailed a ballot. (No application necessary.) This procedure literally floods the state with ballots. All kinds of what are called “group quarters” locations end up with huge numbers of ballots.

This means one sees ballots in hallways, trash cans, stoops, entryways, and all sorts of bins at retirement homes, college dorms, apartment complexes, assisted living facilities, and even homeless shelters—not to mention Post Office trash cans where uninterested voters simply throw them away. There are few safeguards.

It’s a crime to do so of course, but these loose ballots can easily be gathered up and mailed back in by all kinds of interested special interest groups. OLE is one group already deeply involved in the harvesting of absentee ballots, so it would be a normal transition for them to adjust to the even more lucrative world of “all-mail” elections.

Our goal is to clarify the point that “absentee” voting and “all-mail” elections are two entirely separate concepts.

We hope this helps.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

Ronchetti Opening up a Wide Lead in the Republican US Senate Primary

04/03/2020

The Mark Ronchetti campaign released a poll yesterday that showed the Albuquerque meteorologist opening up a huge lead over his remaining Republican opponents in the GOP primary race for US Senate. The winner of the primary will face Democrat Congressman Ben Ray Lujan in the open seat general election to replace retiring Senator Tom Udall.

According to Public Opinion Strategies, 45% of Republican primary voters either definitely support or probably support Ronchetti, while both Gavin Clarkson and Elisa Martinez each enjoy probable or definite support from only 11% of those same voters. 

Voters were asked:

"If the Republican primary election for US Senate were being held today, for whom would you vote between Elisa Martinez, Gavin Clarkson, and Mark Ronchetti?" (Or "between Mark Ronchetti, Elisa Martinez, and Gavin Clarkson," and other randomized combinations that changed the order of the candidates' names throughout the poll.)

400 Republican voters who were identified as "primary voters," were surveyed by telephone between the 18th and 22nd of March. 

In terms of name identification, Ronchetti also enjoyed a significant advantage, with 75% of Republican voters having heard of him, while Clarkson was known by only 41% of those surveyed and 37% were familiar with Martinez.

Significantly, core sub-groups also supported Ronchetti. Voters who identified themselves as "very conservative" gave Ronchetti 46% of the vote. Perhaps even more surprising, Ronchetti had 44% of the support of voters who consider themselves to be "strong pro-life."

The latter finding has to sound alarms with the Martinez campaign, as she has touted herself as the pro-life champion, given her role as the former Executive Director of New Mexicans for Life. 

It's Early, But this is the First Test

Of course, it's still a very long time (especially in politics) till the June 2nd primary, exactly 60 days away, and a lot could happen, especially in this strange, unprecedented atmosphere. But this early sample has to be sobering for Clarkson and Martinez as it is encouraging to the Ronchetti backers. Ronchetti could get a huge fundraising lift out of this poll, just as his opponents could see contributions dry up.

Ronchetti's favorable to unfavorable rating is an almost unheard of 56 to 3, while Clarkson's is 16 to 4 and Martinez's is 13 to 4.

One of the things that has to be concluded from this is that the constant, daily extremely negative social media attacks on Ronchetti by Martinez supporters, John Block, Eddy Aragon, and several others have simply had little effect. 

We have believed that those kinds of tactics often end up creating what might be called "a tempest in a teapot" rather than having a significant impact among the state's 370,000 Republicans or the 120,000 GOP voters who might show up in a primary. This poll appears to support our conclusions.

While we have remained scrupulously neutral in this race, as in other statewide races, we nonetheless can see where many Republican voters may see a rise in morale and a hope that their party might be able to unite behind a strong candidate for the fall showdown with Lujan.

Still, there is time for either Clarkson and Martinez to stage a serious comeback and surge to victory, in which case we are sure that Republicans would also unite behind either of them should they become the nominee. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 

 

 


State Representatives May be Tossed off the Primary Ballot; Partisan Challenges to Nominating Petitions Reveal Confusion; Legislature Has Failed to Adjust Petition Forms for Almost a Decade. Today we look at Representative Ruiloba. Rumors that the Democrats Don't Care What Happens to Ruiloba.

03/31/2020

Representative Patricio Ruiloba Disqualified, House District 12 (South Valley, SW of the Big I)

In 2014, following the retirement of the late Ernest H. Chavez, the current incumbent Democrat Representative, Patricio Ruiloba, won a three-way Democrat primary with 42% of the vote by defeating Mark D. Armijo 438 to 405, with Lorenzo J. Pino getting 197 votes. Republicans did not file anyone.

As shown in the map at left (HD 12, shaded orange), the district is located west of the Rio Grande between Gun Club Rd on the south and Rosendo Garcia on the north. It is a "low-vote" district, with a higher than average "under 18" population, and fewer eligible adult voters than average. So vote totals are much lower than the average House district.

81% of the voting-age population is Hispanic.

These combinations of factors usually mean the Republicans are not competitive.

In 2016, the district voted for Clinton 4,468 to 2,013 for Trump, and 638 for Gary Johnson. Republicans last contested the district in 2012, when Chavez defeated Clyde Wheeler, 4,736 to 1,856.

Ruiloba Problems

Representative Ruiloba apparently secured a sufficient number of signatures, but failed to indicate the district number of his state representative district, writing only the words "State Representative" into the last blank (as shown on the form) instead of "State Representative, District 12."

To be fair, the Supreme Court is on record encouraging the legislature to provide an additional blank space for a district, but the legislature has ignored that direction. 

Confusion Built-in to the System

On section of the Election Code requires the following information on a nomination petition: 1) the candidate’s name as shown on the certificate of registration; 2) the candidate’s address; 3) the office sought; 4) the district or division number; 5) the party affiliation of the candidate; and 6) the party affiliation of the voters signing the petition.

However, over the past nine years, the legislature has failed to update the nominating petition form as shown in statute. Therefore that section of the Election Code requires some very different information: 1) the party affiliation of the voters; 2) the candidate’s name; 3) the candidate’s address; 4) the candidate’s county; 5) the office sought; and 6) the date of the primary election.

To make matters worse, while the Secretary of State tells candidates that the district number is required, the statute and the SOS guidance also say that the candidate’s party affiliation is required. However, there is no blank on the petition form for the candidate’s party affiliation, just as there is no identifiable appropriate blank provided for the district number. 

In short, regarding nominating petitions, the entire process, including the Election Code, the SOS guidance, and the numerous conflicting passages between various sections of the Code represent an enormous jumble of conflicting and contradicting information that is actually impossible to comply with. It will remain that way until such time as the legislature finally agrees to take seriously the Supreme Court's admonition to "fix it.

Ruiloba however, did not make any of these points in court, so, while he says he will appeal the district court's decision, he appears unlikely to prevail.

Rumors that Democrats Want Ruiloba Out? Not True, says the Speaker of the House

We have heard from many readers, Democrats and Republicans alike, that the Democratic Party and Speaker of the House Brian Egolf "don't care if Ruiloba is thrown off the ballot." In fact, say these readers "the word is out that Egolf and the Democrats are happy to see him go," that "he votes wrong on some issues and isn't in the mainstream of the party," that he "has an A rating from the National Rifle Association" and other damning traits.

Not so.  Speaker Egolf denies these rumors in no uncertain terms. "I absolutely have done everything I can to assist Representative Ruiloba," the speaker said. "I worked with other elected officials to ensure that he was able to find competent counsel." (Counsel ended up being Tatiana D. Engelmann of Albuquerque.) "Representative Ruiloba is a very collegial member of our caucus who works very well with everyone, I absolutely want him back, and will do what I can to see that that happens."

When asked about statements other Democrats had made that Ruiloba has a "bad" rating with the NRA or is part of a faction that opposes Egolf, the Speaker denied even knowing about such a dynamic. "That's the first I've heard of any of that," he said. "I value Pat, I've made him a committee chair, and regard him as a key member of the legislature."

The Speaker did, however, acknowledge that Ruiloba's problems with his petitions were "of his own making." "We offered everyone a chance to have their signature and petitions reviewed, and even reached out to him on three occasions to afford him that opportunity. He decided that." The Speaker hopes Ruiloba prevails on appeal, but is not "optimistic" about that.

So if Ruiloba does NOT Prevail on Appeal: What Happens Now to the Residents of House District 12?

Well, Ruiloba is out—individuals who have filed a declaration of candidacy cannot file another one during the same election year. So he cannot come back as a "write-in," or as an "independent," or under some other party banner. The other major parties—the Republicans and the Libertarians—did not file anyone. So they're out too.

What is left for the people of House District 12 are four options:  

1) On June 25, an independent (or multiple independent candidates) could file 300 valid signatures and provide voters with that choice for the general election ballot.

2) On June 25, a member or members of New Mexico's three minor parties—the Green Party, the Constitution Party, and the Better for America Party—could file 150 signatures and present one or more candidates from those parties as an option on the general election ballot.

3) On June 25, a resident or residents of the district (all potential candidates have to be residents of the district) could file as a write-in candidate. Such a candidate has the disadvantage of not having his or her name appear on the ballot, but it is an option.

4) No one files on June 25, Ruiloba serves out his term, and the office becomes vacant on January 1, 2021. At that point, the Bernalillo County Commission would be empowered to name a new state representative. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


IS HONDA SUBARU of SANTA FE the FIRST VICTIM of the GOV. GRISHAM CRACKDOWN?

03/23/2020

We have received reports this evening that New Mexico State Police—apparently tipped off by passers-by (or by competitors)—have cited the owners and management of Honda-Subaru of Santa Fe for “having too many people on site.”

NMSP apparently entered the property, located at 7511 Cerrillos Road, without warning.

The Governor’s edict apparently provides that Sales Staff at car dealerships are “not essential,” whilst mechanics and other maintenance employees are essential.

We’ve had at least one reader ask us “Did we all go to bed a citizen and wake up a subject of the state?”

We understand a hotline is being set up so that the citizenry can report on their neighbors. (And businesses can keep competitors from gaining the upper hand with regard to sales.)



Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


The Republican State Convention, A Comprehensive Report: Successes, Failures, Surprises, and the Expected. A Review of Speeches and Performances.

03/23/2020

Delegates of the Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) gathered at the Hotel Albuquerque on Friday evening, 6 March, for their State Pre-Primary Nominating Convention which was held Saturday morning, March 7th. The convention is for candidates who seek statewide or congressional offices.

Only those candidates who have gathered signatures equal to 2% of their party's total votes cast in its previous gubernatorial primary may compete in the pre-primary convention. The New Mexico pre-primary convention law then requires those candidates for statewide offices and congressional seats to receive 20% of the delegate vote to be "certified" as convention-designated nominees for the primary. 

The first thing we have to say is that the convention was very well run, efficient, on-time, with no glitches of any kind that we took note of. 

Steve Pearce started the whole thing off, which as state chairman was certainly appropriate. He hawked his autobiography, which was on prominent display, though we never saw anyone buy one.

It's available in thrift stores in southeastern New Mexico for 25 to 50 cents, though to be fair, many many books are sold at that price, not just Pearce's. But Pearce did give a good, solid, rousing speech, which was fairly well-received, though certain sectors did not respond as we thought the theme merited. 

Candidate Speeches and Results

Congressional District 1

Michelle Garcia Holmes led off, making an okay speech with frequent referrals to notes, indicating some unfamiliarity with her message. She was well-received as the bulk of Albuquerque delegates present in their home town venue were in support of her candidacy.

Brett Kokinadis delivered an okay speech as well, though he also had to constantly refer to notes and was not as well-prepared as others. His themes were generally not in sync with the views of the overall convention crowd. This was probably predictable, given that he's only been a Republican for five months and his views still by and large reflect his life-long Democrat leanings.

It's one thing to change parties—that happens all the time. But in most cases, the change is made because a person realizes that his or her current party does not match his or her actual worldview or political philosophy. It is not clear if this is the case with Kokinadis, or if he instead intends to lead the GOP to embrace new policy positions it doesn't currently hold.

Attendees also told us he was hurt by an abrupt switch from the CD3 primary to CD1 that they claimed had the appearance of opportunism rather than sincerity.     

Jared Vander Dussen finished the three-candidate set by giving a well-prepared speech with no notes and he never looked down or anyplace else other than to his audience. He was one of two candidates to accomplish this (Yvette Herrell was the other). He made a generally very good impression.

RESULT:  Holmes 135 (63.4%) Vander Dussen 64 (30.3%) Kokinadis 14 (6.6%). Holmes won an impressive victory, with Vander Dussen coming through with a very respectable showing, and Kokinadis receiving very little support. By all accounts, it went about as expected, though some were surprised that Kokinadis did very very poorly, believing he had a real chance to reach 20%. 

Congressional District 2

Claire Chase was introduced by her husband, and then gave a pretty good speech, with a certain degree of energy and was well received. It must be noted, however, that at the 3-minute 50-second mark, Chase's microphone was cut off. She is the only candidate who received this treatment, though others did go past the 3½-minute time limit.

When that happened, Chase maintained her poise and reacted with grace, something the audience seemed to appreciate.

Yvette Herrell was introduced by Couy Griffin, who has built up a business enterprise called Cowboys for Trump* and has a certain following in the state.  Griffin gave a rousing, well-received speech, as did Herrell. In fact, it could be said that Herrell actually knocked it out of the park.

She had clearly spent a lot of time rehearsing the speech—which is something every convention candidate should do, but few actually accomplish. It paid off, and she was probably the best-received candidate on that date.

However, it must be noted that Herrell went all the way to 3 minutes 54 seconds (four seconds longer than Chase) and her mike was not cut. (So there was non-uniform treatment of candidates in that respect.)

Chris Mathys showed up with a hat—something we believe is usually not a good look (with the possible exception of a Land Commissioner or County Sheriff candidate). It wasn't a cowboy hat, but some sort of odd, exotic style. He gave a reasonable speech, but not anything that would move the crowd.

RESULT:  Herrell 168 (66.1%) Chase 83 (32.7%) Mathys 3 (1.2%). While Herrell's victory was reasonably impressive, it was also very much expected, as Steve Pearce had led a contingent of about a hundred people in Lea County that took over their county convention and had secured at least 90% of the delegates there.

[NOTE: Though he has escaped notice thus far (probably because disadvantaged candidates do not wish to file a formal complaint against their own state chairman) Pearce has left himself open to being cited for violations of §1-19-1 of the New Mexico Election Code.]

Pearce has engaged in similar operations, in several contested primaries, but perhaps most noticeably in the CD2 race. His involvement—and the active, ongoing involvement of the RPNM on behalf of Herrell—has been so extensive that most observers were thinking that the effort to keep Chase from reaching the 20% threshold might be successful.

Given that context, Chase's showing exceeded most people's expectations and her campaign was clearly happy to emerge with convention designation. Mathys' showing was about as expected, though perhaps a higher single figure of total votes was expected.

Congressional District 3

Audra Lee Brown appeared in a cowboy hat and delivered a reasonable speech. She got some laughs from the crowd and developed a good rapport. We later learned from a close observer that the rationale for the hat was not the cowboy motif so favored by Gavin Clarkson et.al, but rather to obscure a rainbow-colored coif that might otherwise be viewed as off-putting. In any case, Brown's speech was pretty well delivered. 

Karen Evette Bedonie, who is Navajo, brought a considerable entourage to the stage and made an appeal that was somewhat heavy on identity politics.

This is a somewhat risky tactic in conservative settings where the voters believe politics is about ideas and a candidate's stands on issues rather than overt appeals to demographic subgroups of the population. Bedonie did pretty well and seemed to make a connection with the crowd.

Anise Golden-Morper, newly back on the ballot and fresh off an easy victory over a poor ruling by the Secretary of State (who seems continuously power-hungry and overreaching) brought something of a defiant mood to the stage.

Because she is only 4' 6", the lectern had to be moved back and off to her right so she could be in full view of the convention audience. She displayed a lot of energy, but—perhaps understandably—devoted too much time to her court victory and not quite enough to the great national issues to which a congressional candidate should be attuned. Still, she made a solid impression overall.

Alexis M. Johnson made what sounded like the best-outlined and maybe the best-scripted speech of the day (with the possible exception of Herrell's). Unfortunately, in the hubbub surrounding Golden-Morper's visibility, when the lectern was moved back into place, the microphone was left dangling to the right and down and away from the speaker. Either that or her nominating speaker left it in an awkward position.

In any case, Johnson did not make an effort to ensure that she and her microphone were in sync. As a result, the volume of her voice ranged between very low to a light, mid-range level.

As she came in and out, it definitely appeared she was giving the right inflection and proper emphasis to have a desired effect, but much of that effect, if not most of it was missed, and therefore lost on the audience. The people right in front of her did react more strongly than most of the nearly 700 who had gathered in the room. It was an unfortunate turn of events for her.

Harry B. Montoya was introduced by former Congressman Bill Redmond, an experienced hand whose first move on the podium was to take control of the microphone with his hand and adjust it, and even holding it while he spoke.

We usually don't believe introductory speeches are the way to go (they take time away from the candidate, who, after all, is the subject on trial) but Redmond's recognition of the mike problem did a great deal for Montoya.

Montoya was also accompanied by an enormous entourage, one that included quite a few natives of northern pueblos. They appeared to be making it clear that Bedonie, whatever identity she may invoke, does not have a lock on the Native American vote. (It may be lost on some, but there exists a certain degree of, shall we say "disconnect" between Pueblos and the Diné—which reflects long-standing, somewhat uneasy relationships.)

Montoya made a good speech on his own and connected.

RESULT:  Montoya 86 (35.6%) Bedonie 69 (30.9%) Golden-Morper 39 (17.5%) Johnson 25 (11.2%) Brown 4 (1.8%). Montoya's victory may have caught some off-guard, as he has been attacked pretty strongly for being another recent convert.

He left the Democrat Party only 11 months ago, after more than 35 years a Democrat and having served two terms as a Democrat Santa Fe County Commissioner.

His opponents claim he switched only because the state Democratic Party told him he had no place to run as a pro-life candidate and was unwelcome as a potential congressional candidate. This did not seem to hurt him among convention-goers, though it may as the primary campaign continues.

Bedonie's operation is very well organized, and, according to most observers, is far and away the nastiest—and said to be in league with US Senate candidate Elisa Martinez, whose surrogates and spokespersons are also running an extremely nasty and overwhelmingly negative campaign, especially in social media.

Both of those candidates, who seem to be running as a team, may eventually face a backlash from primary voters disgusted with their social media operations. 

Whether it has come about via negativity or some sort of true grassroots support, Bedonie clearly has a formidable organization. Golden-Morper was clearly upset with her showing and dropped out of the race within a few days. Audra Brown did the same, having garnered only 4 votes.

For her part, Alexis Johnson vowed to continue the campaign. As the candidate who probably comes off more eloquently conservative Republican than any of the remaining three in the race, Johnson may yet have a shot at catching hold. 

U.S. Senate

Gavin Clarkson led off the senate speeches attired in his semi-cowboy motif and did his usual good job of expounding on conservative Republican themes. He appeared to connect with the audience, most of whom have undoubtedly seen him around the state, as this is the third office he has sought over just the past 21 months.

Elisa Martinez followed with a well-delivered speech, which connected with a built-in very receptive audience. As the former executive director of New Mexico Alliance for Life, she had an organizational advantage that allowed her to elect about a hundred members of that pro-life organization as delegates, leading to a real boost in enthusiasm for every part of her speech.

Martinez is Navajo, but emphasizes that she is also Hispanic, and she, much like Bedonie, made a very real identity-politics pitch. Again, this is a risky approach in a universe of voters who view identity politics with skepticism if not outright intellectual disdain.

Though to be fair, Martinez probably touched on more issues that resonate with conservative audiences than did Bedonie. Needless to say, she did well with the convention crowd.

Mick Rich, who is clearly one of the nicest people to ever run for office anywhere, simply did not come across as someone who had his full heart and soul in this race. He read most of his speech, which is almost inexplicable for someone who is running for the same office for three years. 

Mark Ronchetti came through with a burst of enthusiasm that seemed to hit home with at least a portion of the convention crowd. He seemed to elicit a more increasing welcoming and friendly response as his speech went on.

Ronchetti has been the principal, if not the only target of the relentlessly vicious attacks by the Elisa Martinez social media operation. So it was not a surprise that it appeared that a large segment of the attendees had come in with a skeptical, if not negative, appraisal of his candidacy.

However, Ronchetti's enthusiasm and well-delivered, well-crafted speech seemed to win over a significant portion of that skeptical element.

Louie Sanchez made a good speech, highlighting his entrepreneurial talents and business success. He found a receptive audience as it appeared he had a lot of committed delegates who were big fans, a phenomenon we had noticed in various locations around the state. This was impressive in that we had never heard of him till his announcement earlier this year. 

RESULT:  Martinez  241 (34.9%) Ronchetti 198 (28.7%) Sanchez 113 (16.4%) Rich 72 (10.4%) Clarkson 66 (9.6%). Martinez's win was widely expected as she had a built-in base of about a hundred votes due to her very early start nearly six months ago and the hard work planning for the convention and rounding up the Alliance for Life members.

The surprise for almost everyone, including us, had to be Ronchetti. He had only recently entered the race and had done relatively little for this meeting, knowing that no matter what happened he had over 10,000 signatures and therefore did not have to worry about reaching the 20% threshold.

As a result he apparently spent nothing for the convention: no hospitality suite, no ads, no visible effort at all. Yet he surged very strongly, probably based on how he came across. It can even be argued that if only the persuadable delegates are considered, Ronchetti actually beat Martinez something like 190 to 140, pretty impressive.

Rich seemed somewhat despondent at the surprising result, and dropped out of the race. Clarkson's showing has to be considered unimpressive given his continuous campaign for three offices that has now lasted some 2½ years. However, he vowed to soldier on.

Another real surprise was Sanchez's inability to reach the 20% threshold, considering his extremely loyal base of support that had quickly emerged and his clear standing and reputation in the business community. Surprisingly, he dropped out as well. We are told that his lucrative business interests are more or less a "hands-on" requirement for him and that he concluded that he cannot really conduct the kind of campaign he needs to do while simultaneously giving the personal attention his enterprises require.


* The organization does, however, face serious questions involving its role in advocating the election of selected candidates, and whether or not it is filing proper campaign finance reports.)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


DEMOCRATS PLAYING POLITICS with the DEADLY CORONAVIRUS

03/23/2020

Can any Democrat out there tell us what Nancy Pelosi’s amendment, that provides:

“tax credits for solar panels,”

has to do providing relief for the effects of the Coronavirus?

Anything? Why get in the way of helping the American people by insisting that “the Green New Deal” be a part of the package?

The Democrats are continuing to do what we have, sadly, noted over the past several days: playing politics with the lives of the American people.

Yes, it’s hard to believe that anyone—let alone elected officials—would gamble with our lives, but that is exactly what Schumer, Pelosi, and many others are doing. If you don’t believe us, all you have to do is tune in to C-SPAN.

This is what the Democratic Party has become.


 

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


NEW MEXICO REPUBLICANS SHOULD NOT BE CALLING for a SPECIAL SESSION: BAD IDEA

03/20/2020
The frantic calls by New Mexico House Republicans and some New Mexico Republican Senators for a special session to "solve" various problems in state government seem very very misguided to us.
 
Yes, it is true that both those caucuses of Republicans fought very hard on a range of issues, including advocacy for a reasonable budget, lower spending, etc. And it is true that they were, and are, correct about Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's reckless spending and her waste of much of the record $2.2 billion surplus left by Gov. Susana Martinez.
 
House and Senate Republicans deserve credit for all they have done.
 
But it's an entirely different thing to be clamoring for a special session.
 
Making that kind of noise does a number of things:
 
1) It makes it sound as though the Republicans own the problem of any budget shortfalls or irresponsibility. They don't. The Democrats own that problem. Democrats asked for that budget. Democrats overspent. Don't give Grisham the opportunity to say "I'm calling for a Special Session because Republicans want to fix their problems." No. It's her problem.
 
2) In the current atmosphere, the tendency by those in power (and the Republicans are NOT in power) is to overreach—to try to stretch the limits of governmental power, claiming it's justified by "emergency." (We need look no further than the Albuquerque City Council's recent actions this week.)
 
3) Secretary of State Maggie Oliver is making noise about all kinds of "powers" she supposedly has to create new election laws and rules. If a special session is called, she could easily ask the legislature to adopt an "all-mail-in" election for 2020. If such a thing were adopted, New Mexico would quickly go the way of Oregon, Washington, and Colorado. Republican electoral fortunes would plummet further with hundreds of thousands of ballots stacking up in post office trash, dormitory rooms, group housing, apartment buildings—all ready to be picked up and voted by OLÉ, or other Democrat special interest groups.
 
Bottom Line:
 
The Democrats control 100% of every aspect of state government in New Mexico. Asking for a special session, or any kind of session, always puts an outnumbered group of Republicans against overwhelming voting power of the Democrats—so please explain to us HOW that works to any taxpayer's advantage.
 
In the Old West, cowboys who found themselves outgunned 20 to 10 weren't the ones who said, "Okay, let's schedule a showdown." No way. If it comes, do your best, but there's no logic in always trying to bring the Democrats' overwhelming power to bear. You're going to lose. And, keep in mind, it's not your fight, and not your dilemma to solve.

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Part 2 of Our Look at Unnecessary Primaries: Senate Districts 33 and 41

03/18/2020

We already looked at the circular firing squad situation in State Senate District 19, brought about by the state's Republican leadership. RPNM and House Leadership continue to deny unlawful activities, however, it appears all of the information that our sources say came from inside discussions we have reported on has turned out to be true. The bottom line is that because of poor leadership New Mexico Republicans are going to be wasting many thousands of dollars on primaries—funds and resources that could be used on challenges to Democrats.

GOP LEGISLATIVE PRIMARIES

Senate District 41

Incumbent Republican Senator Gregg H. Fulfer of Jal is being challenged by incumbent Representative David M. Gallegos of Eunice. Fulfer was appointed to the position in December 2018, following the resignation of Senator Carroll Leavell. Following New Mexico law on vacancies in the legislature, both Fulfer and Gallegos submitted their names to the Eddy and Lea County Commissions.

The Eddy County Commission selected Fulfer by a vote of 3-2 and the Lea County board did the same by a 4-1 vote. Accordingly, Fulfer's name was the only one forwarded to Governor Susana Martinez, who appointed Fulfer.

Since they have both been interviewed extensively and have published full-page ads explaining their motivation for running, we did not need to interview either candidate. 

Representative Gallegos explained his rationale in the Hobbs News-Sun on March 1st by attacking both of the county commissions that he wants to represent. Saying that he is someone who has "always stood on principle," Gallegos appeared to repeatedly attack both the Eddy and Lea County commissioners as lacking the principles he possesses. He had this to say:

"When Senator Fulfer was chosen for this office by just 7 people who were all on Lea and Eddy county commissions, the voice of the people at that time was ignored. Some would go so far to say the decision was made in private before the public vote."

Gallegos neglected to tell the voters that the procedures followed by the commissions are exactly those that are prescribed in New Mexico law. Instead, he implies they had somehow broken the law and just dreamed up the process, making up rules as they went along. He also accuses the commissions of having violated the Governmental Conduct Act by holding secret, unlawful meetings—an odd approach to take with the governments of the counties he wants to represent.

In any case, Gallegos has made it very clear that his self-proclaimed, single, overriding reason for running is that he feels he should have been chosen 15 months ago instead of Fulfer. It seems a thin reed on which to base a campaign, especially with the Republican Party having so many Democrat targets available. 

Senator Fulfer had a strong response ad to Gallegos, laying out his support for traditional family values and the Southeastern New Mexico way of life. Minority Leader Stuart Ingle weighed in to buttress Fulfer's case by saying:  

“Senator Fulfer is the foremost expert in the entire State Senate on oil and gas issues. We look to him for the kind of in-depth knowledge of this industry which is so vital not only to Southeastern New Mexico, but to our entire state. I don’t know where we would be without Gregg’s expertise on these kinds of issues. We need him to stay in the Senate.”

On balance, it appears that Fulfer makes the stronger case for the seat, as Gallegos appears motivated by spite, while Fulfer is motivated by the ways in which he can represent the district. Making the case worse for Gallegos is the fact he's an incumbent challenging an incumbent of the same Republican Party. Meanwhile, Republicans will have fewer resources with which to take on Democrat incumbents.

Senate District 33

Incumbent Republican William F. Burt of Alamogordo is being challenged by newcomer Christopher Glendon Hensley of Roswell.

Hensley is a landman with his own company. He is from Chickasha, Oklahoma and he says he's been in Roswell about two years. He graduated from Putnam City High School in Oklahoma and he has a B.S. from Oklahoma City University. He is 39, married and has four children. 

Burt grew up in Deming and graduated from high school there. He has a B.S. in Mass Communications from New Mexico State, and he and his wife own four radio stations in Alamogordo. He is 69, married, with two children and five grandchildren.

We interviewed Mr. Hensley by telephone, asking his motivation, considering the fact that, in terms of Republicans capturing the Senate, the outcome of this race is irrelevant. 

Here are excerpts from that interview: 

Hensley: "I don't have a negative thing to say about Mr. Burt. I just feel we need new blood, and certain people have asked me to do this." 

NMPJ: Are they willing to go public with that?

Hensley: "No."

NMPJ: Are you familiar with the notion that when anyone takes on an incumbent that person is saying the incumbent should be fired? You're essentially saying Mr. Burt should be fired.

Hensley: "I get that. And again, I don't have anything to say about Mr. Burt, but the state is in poor position. We are just about last in every category, except crime. If you've had a job for close to ten years, it can be time for change. 

NMPJ: Well, Republicans might argue "Hey, we aren't the ones in charge. We aren't the ones who have put the state in this position. Why run against us? Why not against the Democrats?

Hensley: "Some people say that. But here's the thing: new blood can find different ways to work together to change things. 70-80% of the issues are non-partisan—education, healthcare, we have only 2 million people and we're last in everything."

Hensley was cordial throughout. 

We also interviewed Senator Burt by phone, asking his view of the impending contest. Here is his take:

NMPJ: Do you know Mr. Hensley or why he is running?

Burt: We have met and talked. He's a nice guy. I don't know, no one seems to know him. But yes, I do have an idea of who is behind his running.

NMPJ: Can you say who that is?

Burt:  No, I'd rather not right now. Let's wait and see how things go. There might be an appropriate moment to talk about that at some point, but not right now.

NMPJ: What do you think of his statement that New Mexico is last in everything?

Burt: "There are lots of reasons why we are last or near last in some categories. Everyone wants to improve. It's what path we take that matters. Most issues are certainly not non-partisan. Republicans and Democrats have different approaches to just about everything."

NMPJ: So you've had a cordial meeting?

Burt: "We have. I certainly don't want anything negative. Win, lose, or draw, I don't want to lose a good Republican. I encouraged him to get to know people, let people get to know him, for him to get to know the state, the politics of the state, and the system."

Senator Burt was cordial and forthright. 

RATINGS

We again consulted the American Conservative Union (ACU)* to see what their 2019 rankings of New Mexico legislators might reveal. It turns out that Senator Burt has a rating of 53%, which ties him for 10th place out of 16 in his caucus, with Senator Candace Gould.

His ranking places him 3 points behind the Senate Minority Whip, William Payne of Albuquerque and one point ahead of the Minority Leader, Stuart Ingle of Portales. The Minority Caucus Chair, Steve Neville of Farmington is in the same grouping, standing 8th, at 57%.

Mr. Hensley, as a first-time candidate, has no votes and no record with which to compare.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 

 

 


We Were Right: Republican Leaders Apparently Did Encourage Intra-Party Fights Instead of Focusing on The Democrats. Senate District 19: Schmedes v. White.

03/16/2020

Republicans end up being urged to run a circular firing squad. As we tentatively forecast, based on reports we had received about the activities of Steve Pearce, Anissa Tinnin, and others, several Republicans are now challenging sitting Republican incumbents in the legislature. The RPNM had denied this, but we turned out to be correct. 

It now appears they have guided even currently sitting Republican state representatives to spend enormous resources attacking other Republicans who already hold seats. This may represent hundreds of thousands of dollars of expenditures that could be spent trying to unseat Demcorats. Democrats hold the state senate 26-16 and the State House, 46-24. Only in New Mexico would you see a state party so ill-led as to have these undertakings. 

GOP LEGISLATIVE PRIMARIES

Senate District 19

Incumbent Republican James P. White is being challenged by a sitting Republican State Representative, Gregg William Schmedes. 

We interviewed Representative Schmedes by telephone, asking his motivation, considering the fact that, in terms of Republicans capturing the Senate, the outcome of this race will not move the ball one inch down the field. Here are Schmedes' responses:

Schmedes: "Jim is a good guy and primaries are misunderstood. Jim is a nice person. But the district is a conservative district and it deserves to have conservative representation."

NMPJ: Are you saying Senator White is not a conservative?

Schmedes: "I won't say that. I feel it's best to let Jim describe himself."

NMPJ: Well, if you say the district should have conservative representation, that implies that you believe the district does not have conservative representation at this time.

Schmedes: "Yes, it does. That's right. This was not my personal idea in the first place. It came from people I met with who wanted different representation. Jim is a good guy. It's going to be a good race. We have talked and we've agreed to remain collegial in the campaign."

Representative Schmedes was cordial and forthright. 

We also interviewed Senator White by phone, asking his view of the impending contest. Here is his take:

White: "I believe we are both good legislators. The bad thing is that one of us will have to go home, and that's a shame because we shouldn't really be having this [primary]."

NMPJ: Representative Schmedes says the distinct deserves a conservative to represent it. How do you respond to that?

White: [laughs] "I don't see that as accurate. As I understand it, he's giving up his seat in the House because he's got a tough opponent and he doesn't think he can win that race. So he might as well try for the Senate seat."

NMPJ: What does this mean to you?.

White: "Well, there's a Democrat running for this seat also. So we now have to spend a lot of money on the primary that we really need for the general election." 

NMPJ: He says you two have talked about the primary.

White: "We have. I called him, and we agreed that we want to keep it clean and have no mud-slinging or that kind of campaign."

Senator White was cordial and forthright. 

RATINGS

Since Schmedes is assuming the role of the "conservative" in this race, we decided to try to obtain some kind of objective information about both candidates.  The American Conservative Union (ACU)* rates legislators in all 50 states as well as members of Congress. Their 2019 ratings for New Mexico are online.

It must be noted that the House and Senate ratings are based on different criteria. The House ratings include seven votes that senators did not get to make, and the Senators are rated on four votes that House members did not have a chance to vote on. So there are a total of 46 votes included in the survey, but 11 of them are not available to one chamber or the other. 

Those differences result in very different scores between the two houses. For example, the average Senate Republican score is 61%, while the average House Republican score is 80%—but the average scores would be much more similar if they were graded on the same criteria. 

The ACU rates Schmedes 22nd of 24 Republican state representatives. His rating is 71%, nine points below the average House Republican rating, which is 80%, though well ahead of the average House Democrat, whose rating is 15%.

Oddly enough, the two Republicans Schmedes placed ahead of are Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences (66%) and Bill Rehm of Albuquerque (66%). Neither Rehm nor Dow is considered to be a "liberal" or a "progressive." To the contrary, both enjoy strong conservative reputations in their districts as well as throughout the legislature.  

For his part, White comes in tied for 12th among the 16 remaining Republican senators. Significantly, one of the senators he is tied with is the Minority Leader, Stuart Ingle of Portales, hardly considered a progressive. The other is Gay Kernan of Hobbs, who is also not considered to be a liberal.

Their ratings are both 52%, which—as in the case of Schmedes in the House—is also 9 points below the Senate Republican average of 61%, though well above the 19% average enjoyed by Senate Democrats. In addition to tying Kernan and Ingle, White finished ahead of Ron Griggs of Alamogordo (50%) and Sander Rue (46%) of Albuquerque. Neither of those legislators is considered objectively progressive. 

Conclusion: Based on objective ratings, it would appear that Schmedes does not have a case for challenging White on the grounds that he himself has put forth: that the district needs a conservative. If Schmedes' logic is to be considered strong, then Steve Pearce (or Stuart Ingle himself) should have recruited people to run against Kernan, Ingle himself (oddly), Griggs, and Rue.

Likewise, Pearce or Jim Townsend should have had someone recruited to run against Schmedes, Rehm, and Dow. 

The point we are making is that Schmedes "logic," if that is what it is, fails of its own weight. It appears to be more of a conjured pretext rather than an objectively derived rationale. We must conclude that White is most likely closer to the truth in asserting that Schmedes saw a tough race ahead and decided to try for an office with a four-year term rather than a two-year.

(A review of the 2018 election returns shows that Schmedes won his house race by only 140 votes out of more than 16,000 cast: 8,198 to 8,058. This is much closer than it should have been, as Trump carried the district comfortably two years before, and the previous representative, James Smith, won his races by between two and three thousand votes. That kind of relatively weak showing may be part of Schmedes' motivation, especially since the 2018 Democrat nominee is running again this year.)

In any case, the motive has to be judged as likely springing from personal ambition and a personal desire, rather than to ideas or the welfare of the conservative movement or the Republican Party. 


* We also took a look at something called the Freedom Index, published by the Rio Grande Foundation. The problem with the Freedom Index is that the criteria used appear to be arbitrary, inconsistent, and subject to sudden changes and readjustments. One senator told us that "the RGF has switched its weighting of the issues two or three times since they were first published." 

Additionally, the RGF tends to be "libertarian" rather than conservative. This can end up misleading Republicans, who tend to be conservative. As an example, libertarians generally: favor abortion rights, support the legalization of controlled substances, support sanctuary cities, favor citizenship for illegals, support the transgender movement, and oppose a border wall. While libertarians and conservatives have many shared views—on taxation and the economy for example—it would be misleading to the bulk of Republican voters to evaluate elected officials based on libertarian criteria. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 

 

 

 

 


LOWLIGHTS of the DEMOCRAT DEBATE TONIGHT: BIDEN TRASHES OIL, PLUS OTHER HITS

03/15/2020

BIDEN’s LOWEST LOWLIGHT for NEW MEXICO

“No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill. Period.”

In context, at the 1 hour 25-minute mark of the debate, Biden said:

“No more drilling on federal lands. No more drilling, including off-shore. No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill. Period. Ends.”

If Biden becomes president, New Mexico is screwed. We get nearly 40% of our total revenues from oil and gas taxes and royalties that go into the permanent funds and the general fund.

It was because of oil & gas that Gov. Susana Martinez was able to leave office while providing New Mexico with a $2.2 billion surplus.* Unprecedented in state history. (Even though Grisham has already eaten into that surplus quite a bit.)


* To be fair, she also had to veto every single tax proposal that passed and also make numerous line-item vetoes of Democrat overspending.


MORE DEBATE LOWLIGHTS:

Biden points out that, if he had his way:

“6 million undocumented (illegal immigrants in Democrat-speak) would be citizens right now.”

Bingo. Exactly. That is the Democrat Party platform: bring as many illegal immigrants into the country as can possibly cross the border at the maximum rate possible—open borders—and immediately make them citizens and Democrat Party voters.

The American people will have to decide if that is what we want our country to be: No borders. No sovereignty. No real country at all.

SOME ADDITIONAL DEBATE LOWLIGHTS

??Biden makes the bizarre claim that Sanders has “nine super PACs” supporting him. Bernie asks Joe to name one. Biden gets all sad, turns oddly silent—goes just a little bit “dementio.”

??Biden says:

“I don’t want to get into a back and forth.”

NMPJ comment: Really? It’s a debate, Joe. That’s sort of how debates work, Joe.

Sanders is being somewhat aggressive, but—in a Romney-esque manner—he can’t decide whether to be bold or timid. He’s talking seriously about Biden’s bad votes (from a Democrat perspective) and about his failure of “leadership.” However, he needed to have been this way all along—and to let it all out. To change the dynamic at this stage he must go all out. He’s not doing that.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


BERNIE’s LAST STAND? Sunday Night? 6PM Mountain Time.

03/14/2020

With the Democratic Party’s nomenklatura issuing orders to all its membership to END THE NOMINATION PROCESS NOW, Sunday night's CNN Debate between Biden and Sander’s could very well represent Bernie’s last chance to change the dynamics of the Democratic race for that party’s nomination.

After losing the first three contests—badly—Biden has made a dramatic turnaround, first by winning the South Carolina primary. At which point, the hierarchy of his party excitedly seized on the moment to enlist their numerous media allies, who enthusiastically joined forces with the party to drive home the message: BIDEN’s the ONE! Bernie must be stopped!

Oddly, for a party that sees itself as intellectually superior to the Republicans—and especially to Trump supporters—the Democrats responded remarkably like sheep. Suddenly Biden was hailed by Democrat apparatchiks in unprecedented terms—and in terms dramatically and embarrassingly at odds with those same individuals’ appraisals just days before.

It simply didn’t matter.

“Who cares what we said before? Who cares if we believe any of this?” As James Carville and equally influential members of the Democrat “Politburo” shouted on TV:

“Everybody shut up! This thang is over! Just stop. Vote for Joe! Nothing else matters!”

The sense of the party is this:

If Joe can get by Bernie tonight, unharmed, without a self-inflicted wound, then we will be home-free. We will have a nominee behind whom we can all unite to defeat Trump. We must knock Bernie out tonight.

And, the thinking goes, there’s no need for any special maneuver or “punch” by Joe Biden tonight. All he has to do is survive—to make it to the bell. He can even take a lot of punches—doing the equivalent of a “rope-a-dope” for two hours. He only needs to be on his feet and breathing at 8:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time.

We have no idea if Bernie realizes the fate of his campaign is resting on tonight’s event. But it most likely is.

BIDEN can also be seen as a PLACE-HOLDER

We also believe that Biden represents not just his own candidacy. We suspect he is also being viewed as a place-holder. That is to say, once he is used to vanquish Sanders, the Democrats may well see him as someone who can be replaced—if need be—should his incapacity to lead become glaring obvious to all.

NEW RULES for DEMOCRAT DEBATES

For a satirical view on the Democrats’ debates (though one with possibly a great deal of truth), see our Editor Emeritus’s take here:

 

Washington, D.C. (AP) THE DNC’s NEW DEBATE RULES DISCOVERED; AND LEAKED TO MEDIA

??Beginning Sunday, all presidential debates are reduced from two hours to 30 minutes.

??Permanent moderators will be Donna Brazile, Candy Crowley, and Martha Raddatz. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is the timekeeper and host.

??Because she has experience in this, Brazile has full discretion to provide all questions in advance to Biden.

??Biden will also be provided a TelePrompTer.

??Crowley is permitted to disagree with Sanders on the “facts” he may offer—and explain Bernie’s errors to the viewing audience.

??Raddatz is permitted to mildly harangue Sanders for “misstatements,” and admonish him as the need arises.

??Wasserman-Schultz will introduce the show with a 5-minute explanation of the rules and the assurance of neutrality by the Democratic National Committee.

??Moderators will ask one question each.

??Questions offered by moderators will last at least two minutes each, providing the background and a full explanation of the issue to be discussed.

??Sanders will always answer first and is given one minute to respond.

??Biden will always follow Sanders and is allowed a maximum of 30 seconds, though moderators may cut him off earlier, if mind-wandering is detected.

??There will be five 3-minute commercial breaks. The breaks will feature ads for Biden.

??Sanders is given 30 seconds to close.

??Biden will be thanked for his straightforward answers and will be asked to nod and smile as the credits roll.

??The delegate threshold for Tulsi Gabbard to qualify has been raised to one thousand.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


ANOTHER INNUMERACY ALERT (Or—again an alternate title: Why You need NMPJ!)

03/13/2020

Yesterday, Fox News’ medical expert, Dr. Marc Siegel, had this to say:

“It’s time we step up to the plate and do what South Korea is doing. How about 20,000 tests per day? That'll make the people feel comfortable with the situation," he concluded.

Not us.

Why? Because testing the US population, at the rate of 20,000 people per day, would take the United States 45 years and 2 months. And that’s if no one else was born or died during that period.

See: Math is hard. We guess.


That’s why people say things that they simply have not thought through.

(Heck, at the rate the South Koreans are boasting about, it will even take them seven years to test their whole country.)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 
 

Filing Day. Will this be a Day of “Unity” for the GOP? Or has the Party’s Leadership and Legislative Leadership Led Individuals to Disunity and Selfish Motives? Today will Tell Whether We are Correct or whether the State Party and Legislative Leaders have been Telling the Truth or Prevaricating.

03/10/2020

We are hearing rumblings of the worst kind from the Republican Party insiders—that they have encouraged their own to turn on each other. With the party having been run into the ground over the last two cycles, the thinking of most Republican voters is that the state GOP should be concentrating only on vulnerable Democrat seats in the state House and State Senate.

NO REPUBLICANS HAVE ANY BUSINESS  TRYING TO KNOCK OFF THEIR EXISTING OFFICEHOLDERS. THAT'S STUPID.

Resources are scarce. Contributions are hard to come by. Democrats are organized and have tons of Soros money and other “independent expenditure” funding. We have heard over and over that Republicans have to marshal their funds, time, and effort on going after Democrats.

And that there is no way any Republican should be challenging any of the incumbents they already have. Those are hard-earned seats that Republican voters and donors have already fought and bled for.

Nonetheless:

Yet, as we have reported: We have heard rumblings that the State Party leaders have encouraged certain sitting GOP legislators to take on other sitting GOP legislators.

We are not making this up—as bizarre as it may seem for a party as poor and as outnumbered as the New Mexico Republicans, the rumors are strong that incumbent Republicans are going to challenge OTHER INCUMBENT REPUBLICANS.

We are not talking about primaries where there are Democrat incumbents—primaries in those seats make sense. You want a strong candidate.

We are not talking about primaries in places where there are OPEN seats. Again, primaries in those places make complete sense.

But Primaries Where the Seat is Already held by a Sitting, Incumbent Conservative Republican?

The Republican leaders of the state party and of the state legislature can and will do what they want to do. We recognize that. They can encourage division if they want. And they can provide no leadership and no vision of how to capture Democrat seats if they want to. But that doesn’t make them good leaders or correct.

If there are sitting Republican incumbents bent on taking on other Republican incumbents, it is nothing more than a selfish act of ego. The differences in philosophy are not there. The differences in their votes and their platform positions are not there.

No. Such undertakings—even if they are encouraged by legislative leaders or state party leaders—are extreme acts of egotistical, self-centered, narcissism. And no Republican in his or her right mind should contribute a single dime, or pass out a single piece of literature on behalf of such a selfish effort.

What a colossal, almost incredibly stupid waste of resources, time, campaign funds and energy and effort that would be!

Republicans are at their lowest ebb in the history of the New Mexico Republican Party.

Democrats have a 47-23 stranglehold in the State House.

Democrats have a 26-16 stranglehold in the State Senate.

All Republican efforts should be solely focused on DEMOCRATS ALONE!

Bottom Line at this Low Ebb of the New Mexico GOP?

Any Republican who might be running against a sitting Republican legislator is definitely not doing so in the interests of the GOP or in the interests of New Mexicans.

He or she would be acting solely to stroke his or her own ego. They deserve the opprobrium of the Republican rank and file. And so do the leaders who either encouraged it, or stood by and provided no leadership and no vision for 2020.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


BIDEN MELTS DOWN

03/09/2020

We have received lots and lots of pushback with our firm position that Biden will not prevail—even in the Democratic nomination process—and that Bernie will ultimately destroy him in debate, or Biden will destroy himself.

This is about guns—and we don’t even think this is his most vulnerable issue.

This video shows Biden pointing finger in a man’s face and telling the autoworker he is “full of shit.”

He grows increasingly agitated by his own confusion over firearms nomenclature and the legality of classes of weapons.

We are not physicians, but for many voters this can come across as a classic example of onset senility.

https://twitter.com/boknowsnews/status/1237387463246708736…

“WATCH: "You’re full of sh*t," @JoeBiden tells a man who accused him of "actively trying to end our Second Amendment right." "I support the Second Amendment," Biden adds while vising under-construction auto plant in Detroit. @CBSNews https://t.co/sueOSBaY9P”
 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 

RPNM State Convention. Albuquerque. Question of the Day: Will the Smear Campaigns Work? State Party Operatives Working Feverishly.

03/07/2020

Republican delegates are gathering in Albuquerque this morning to nominate candidates for US Senate and three congressional districts. And the question on everyone's mind last night was "Will the smear campaigns directed against Albuquerque meteorologist Mark Ronchetti and Roswell businesswoman Claire Chase end up deciding their particular convention contests?"

It has been apparent for some time that the Steve Pearce cabal at state party headquarters oppose those two candidates. And the smear campaigns were all the talk last night at the various receptions.

Most delegates we interviewed acknowledged that the attacks, via email and internet posts, came from Pearce forces, or individuals everyone believes are allied with the State Party chairman. John Block has posted particularly ugly smears, as has Rick Montoya, and there was a disgusting letter that quite a number of delegates have said looks like the style and tone of one of Pearce's closest allies, John Billingsley.

In our interviews we found that quite a number of people were turned off by the posts and anonymous letters—and planned to vote for those who were attacked. But others, while acknowledging the ugliness of the attacks, nonetheless were pondering whether to follow the suggestions contained in them.

It all happens this morning, with speeches from probably some 15 candidates and the results will probably be known by noon.



Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

The Story of Elizabeth Warren

03/06/2020

She lies, she lies, she lies: About her career, about her ethnicity, about her use of a fake race to land positions and jobs, about her claims that she was fired because she was pregnant, about her claim that Sanders told her some wild tale. All of which were disproved in the most embarrassing manner, with the entire country watching.

And she produces proposals that make no sense, don't add up, and don't stand up to scrutiny. And then she loses. Then she says:

"Oh, it's because I'm a woman."

And, incredibly, the media say, "Yeah, that's right."

Well if all that is true, then the Democratic electorate harbors the most sexist people in America.

Seriously.

Is anyone thinking through all this? Hello? Is this thing on?

We are confused. Are our media this bad? Is Elizabeth Warren this dishonest? Are the media?

Remember: In politics, the person with whom it's most difficult to be honest and objective is: oneself.

We believe the same holds true for the press and the electronic media.


 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Odd Smear Campaign Against Mark Ronchetti Emerges: Appears to Have Backfired.

03/05/2020

An attempt to attack Mark Ronchetti in the leadup to the state Republican nominating convention appears to have seriously backfired. The smear came in the form of an email, purportedly sent by a "Rick Montoya." The email fiercely attacks Republican US Senate candidate Mark Ronchetti for hiring Republican political consultant Jay McCleskey.

By implication and by photographs and copy it also, sadly, attacks Ronchetti's wife and small children.

We don't know or recognize Montoya, however, he apparently announced his candidacy some time back, and filed a declaration of candidacy in the Republican primary for the open US Senate seat. However—and this is important—Rick Montoya was disqualified shortly after filing day because he did not submit enough signatures to qualify for the pre-primary nominating convention. So his campaign is over. 

THE EMAIL SMEAR

The email in question was sent from the domain “RickMontoya2020.com.” And here’s where it gets interesting. We found that the domain was registered by a "Mike Raczynski" who listed his address as 1319 Lima Place in Albuquerque. This domain was registered the same day the attack email went out.

Raczynski happens to be the husband of Jared Hamilton—a paid consultant for Mick Rich for U.S. Senate—and the couple resides at the same listed address.  Is that a smoking gun that proves Jared Hamilton is really behind the attack? We don't know. But it certainly doesn't look good at all.

Does Involvement of a Mick Rich Consultant in the Email Attack Create Campaign Finance Issues? 

Given Hamilton’s role as a paid consultant for Mick Rich, the email seems to create a number of thorny issues. For starters, the email uses a disclaimer that reads: “Paid for by the Committee to Elect Rick Montoya.” However, Montoya’s short-lived campaign committee had a different name. That by itself is a violation.  

But even more serious is the fact that Rick Montoya is no longer a candidate. As noted, he was disqualified for failing to submit enough petition signatures. That would seem to make this expenditure—the smear campaign we are discussing—a third-party expenditure.

Now, any involvement by a consultant of another candidate in the same race with a third party entity, or an independent expenditure committee, constitutes coordination.  Coordination by a candidate, his campaign, or his committee with third party entities is expressly prohibited. It is a clear violation of federal campaign laws. 

Raczynski Denies Involvement—Which Raises Even More Serious Issues

We called Raczynski and asked him about the domain registration. He claimed to know nothing about it.  If that’s true and Raczynski really has no knowledge of it, then someone may have committed identity theft, or the interception and dissemination of stolen information or fraud—both of which are felonies—by falsely registering the domain in Racyznski’s name. 

How serious is that potentially? We note that this is falsely registering a domain and the stealing and disseminating of private emails is what Jamie Estrada did in 2011 in order to illegally intercept Governor Martinez’s emails. This led to Estrada being convicted of multiple federal felonies and serving time in federal prison. Is this something federal authorities need to investigate? 

Attack Misses Wildly

And the point of the smear campaign is for what exactly?  The attack itself misses the mark. The email attacks McCleskey for running PACs for former Governor Susana Martinez. Okay. As we have pointed out before, those PACs were actually responsible for Republicans winning control of the state House in 2014—giving the GOP control of that body for the first time in 60 years.

Those same PACs were responsible for the defeat of the Democrat Senate President Pro-Tem, Tim Jennings and the Democrat Senate Majority Leader,  Michael Sanchez, among numerous other Democrats.

While it’s true opponents lodged complaints to the feds about the PACs, McCleskey was completely exonerated (by the Obama Administration no less) and found to have done nothing wrong. Like McCleskey or not, and we don't particularly, he has by far the best record of winning statewide elections of any Republican consultant in the state (Bush, Martinez twice, Nakamura, Hanissee, among others).

The Anti-Ronchetti Motive in All of This

And what does all of this have to do with Mark Ronchetti? It appears that whoever is behind this is continuing to push the intraparty strife and dividions that we have chronicled and described in great detail for several years now. They simply will not let up.

They’re trying to pigeon-hole Ronchetti as someone who is what? We don't know.

The attack misses wildly. Ronchetti has assembled a diverse leadership team for his campaign that demonstrates the fact that he is reaching out to everyone in New Mexico. The man has no role in any of the shenanigans we have documented. He appears to be as clean as a whistle.

In fact, Allen Weh—Susana Martinez’s bitter 2010 primary opponent—is one of the Chairs of Ronchetti’s campaign. Former Speaker of the House Don Tripp, a strong supporter of Yvette Herrell, is also a chair, along with Mark Veteto, a strong supporter of Claire Chase.

And Ronchetti’s campaign manager came from the Trump campaign without ties to any faction of the party.

Sadly, it appears the person who may end up most hurt by the senseless attack on Ronchetti is the person who pulled the trigger in the first place…whoever that is...


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


THE BIDEN PHENOMENON: It Will Not Last

03/04/2020

Nearly 11 months ago, we boldly predicted that the then-front runner Joe Biden would definitely not become the Democrat nominee. Now, after South Carolina and Super Tuesday, a number of readers are gleefully taunting us about being “wrong.”

We also have heard from so many people—even Republicans—who are “relieved” that “Biden will beat Bernie.”

At the same time, the MSM and Democrat leaders who have been pushing Biden 24/7 for weeks are now telling everyone that it’s over—talking constantly about how now “no one can catch Biden.”

Not so fast. We may be alone—we have been before—but we still believe that Biden will not make it. (It’s been almost a year and a half since we said the same about Warren, though she went on and on, completely unaware she was toast after her DNA stunt.)

UNLESS HANDLERS INTERVENE

In our view, the only chance Biden has is to systematically draw back from the public eye—to reduce his exposure. If they are intent on winning, Biden’s handlers will let him appear only for a few minutes of entirely scripted events a few times per week. However, we don’t believe they’ll end up doing this.

Those who can figure out what is going on—people other than James Carville (who believes he and the Democratic Party have been “saved” by Biden’s sudden victories)—are on the horns of a dilemma. They know that they need to keep Biden under wraps, yet they know it’s almost impossible for modern candidates to win elections without being seen or heard.

DEBATING WITHOUT a CAST of THOUSANDS

As the Democrat field has dwindled from 25 to 20 to 15 to 10 to 7, Biden has only had to speak for a few minutes in any given 2-hour period. And dramatic and acrimonious exchanges among several other candidates have further obscured him and reduced his exposure. All of these things—the arguments between others and the heavily divided time allotted to candidates—have worked to Biden’s advantage.

Those favorable factors are slipping away. If there are only three or four candidates in a debate—Biden, Sanders, Warren, and maybe Gabbard—Biden is in increasing danger. If it were to get down to only two: Biden v. Sanders, Biden will be in extreme peril. It’s one thing to utter 4 or 5 minutes of pre-planned talking points, it’s quite another to have to go toe to toe for two hours with only one other speaker.

We believe Bernie Sanders will beat him badly in a debate—not necessarily because Bernie is “correct” on the issues, but because he is vastly more fluent and can remember things. The next debate is March 15. We believe it will be pivotal.

FOUR DEBATE PREDICTIONS

1) Bernie will eat Biden alive rhetorically.

2) Media “moderators” will not moderate at all, but will see it as their “duty” to try to help Joe and hurt Bernie. They will fall all over themselves trying to set up Bernie for traps and pitfalls—trying to trip him up in as many ways as their staffs and network researchers can discover.

3) Debate moderators are going to try to “rescue” Biden repeatedly—so thoroughly and desperately that it will put the likes of Candy Crowley and Martha Raddatz to shame. (It will be so dramatic that those two ladies will be seen as fair and balanced.)

4) Biden—if his handlers allow him to debate at all—is going to commit massive gaffes, which will include verbal incoherence, linguistic errors, memory lapses, misstatements of facts/history, and inaccuracy about his own record (his whereabouts at particular times and other details) in a manner so historically inept that it will make Brian Williams and Hillary Clinton look like Will and Ariel Durant.

And Reiterating a Point we have Made More than 20 Times!

The Hunter Biden and Joe Biden Ukraine story will NOT go away. Republicans and Independents will not let go of it, AND it's not out of the question that progressive DEMOCRATS may yet throw their hands up and conclude:

We cannot let Biden be the nominee, he's got no answer for these monumental questions of ethics, legality, and just plain "swampism." He's going to get hammered. Bernie may not be the answer, but Joe is definitely not the answer: 

In Sum

Biden is not going to be the Democrat nominee. It may not be Bernie either, but it won’t be Biden.

(By the way, we keep asking: “Why does Donna Brazile still have any degree of credibility” at all? And everyone steadfastly refuses to answer. But we digress.)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


THE DEMOCRATS’ SUPER TUESDAY (Alternate Title: “Sheep May Safely Graze” *) (Second Alternate Title: “Be Careful What you Wish For”)

03/03/2020

Sheep-like Conformity and Following Orders

Our first impression of tonight’s results is the sheer amazement at the sheep-like conformity with which the Democrat Party rank and file dutifully follow the instructions of their media allies and their bosses in the Democrat establishment.

We also believe they will live to have serious regrets about the almost pathetic and certainly near-thoughtless bandwagonism they have exhibited tonight. Two weeks ago, Biden was talking to almost empty rooms. Nobody wanted to listen to him.

Joe Biden? Seriously? That is the answer? What on earth was the question?

Many will say the question was “Who can beat Trump?” And we realize that—that has been the ceaseless mantra on CNN and all the other networks for weeks now.

But is that true?

We don’t believe so. The talking heads are trying to get Democrat voters to nominate the most obviously and provably corrupt candidate they currently have—he and his son epitomize “the swamp” that many people say they want “drained.” He’s not going to be convincing to that segment of voters.

There are several reasons that Biden is perhaps the worst candidate among all the Democrats who have been running. As we have said before, he can, and does, hide his own Easter Eggs.

In his acceptance speech tonight, Biden confused his sister and his wife and was grossly slurring his words—as if he had been drinking, even though he almost certainly had not been. The media are trying to nominate a mentally incompetent and incoherent man. Hint: He’s not going to get “better” over the next eight months.

There’s a long way to go, but if the Democrat-Media consortium get their way—as they got it tonight—we believe the left-of-center voters will rue the day they followed their coaches like pathetic, clueless sheep.


* With sincere apologies to J.S. Bach


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


INNUMERACY* and YOU: It’s a Problem (Or, alternate title: Why you Need NMPJ); This is Commentary on the Democrats’ Debate you won’t get from CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, or anyplace else.

02/27/2020

On Tuesday evening, Joe Biden said:

“150,000,000 people have been killed since 2007 when Bernie voted to exempt the gun manufacturers from liability.”

And NO ONE blinked an eye.

We were stunned when NO ONE on the panel of “journalists” and NO ONE on the stage of candidates even reacted. Why didn’t they react? Because they are ALL—INNUMERATE.

[*Innumeracy is actually a greater problem than illiteracy. It encompasses not only the lack of basic arithmetic skills, it also—and perhaps more important—represents an inability to comprehend numbers and to place in context the actual meaning of numerical quantities.]

It is certainly a key element in explaining an unqualified electorate given to poor decision-making in voting.

ACTUAL MEANINGFUL POPULATION NUMBERS

We won’t know the 2020 population of the US until the Census Bureau releases the official count about 13 months from now. But it will probably be in the range of 330 million, give or take 1%.

The total number of deaths in the US in a single year—from all causes—is about 2.8 million. Gun-related deaths are about 39,000 (about 24,000 suicides, 15,000 homicides).

It is physically impossible for America’s medical facilities or morgues to even be able to process 150 million deaths—of any kind—during the time period Biden mentioned. It would be akin to the kinds of losses conceivable only in nuclear war or the effects of nuclear winter or perhaps catastrophic and sudden worldwide climate change caused by simultaneous volcanic eruptions throughout the planet.

CONSEQUENCES of JOURNALISTIC and POLITICAL INNUMERACY

Yet, NO ONE questioned this “stat.” We reviewed the post-debate analysis—not a single word about this from any source.

(This is why you read New Mexico Political Journal — Not only is there no other national TV source that provides this kind of analysis, there is no other source of any kind in New Mexico that does so.)

How long, at our current rate of firearm-related fatalities, would it take to reach 150 million deaths in the US? Answer: 3,846 years.

Again, no journalists understood ANY of these concepts. Worse, no Democratic candidates understood any of these concepts. They all just looked on with abject, blissful credulity.

Much like children.

Does it make you wonder how much all of them—journalists and candidates alike—understand or DON’T understand about ALL OTHER issues of the day? It should.

And you wonder why we can’t have nice things?


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


DEMOCRAT DEBATE: Bloomberg's Big Blunder—"I bought..." AND Warren's Big Lie and Cowardice

02/26/2020

A key event occurred 34 minutes into last night's debate when Mayor Michael Bloomberg was responding to questions about Democrat congressional winners from 2018. He said:

"Let's just go on the record. They talked about 40 Democrats. 21 of them were people that I spent $100 million to help elect. All of the new Democrats that came in, put Nancy Pelosi in charge and gave the Congress the ability to control this President, I bough..  I got them."

That's correct: Bloomberg came within on phoneme (in this instance the "t" sound) to finish the word "bought." But the American people got the message. Most likely the Republican National Committee also got the message, as did the National Republican Congressional Committee along with all the 21 Republican challengers who are taking on the 21 Democrats whose seats Bloomberg has now said that he purchased, apparently for cash. 

Will you hear about this in the coming fall campaign? We think so.

Campaign Contribution Limits? How Effective Are They?

Finally, what does Bloomberg's Blunder say about Campaign Contribution Limits? One guy openly admits he spent $100 million?

So how effective are all those "good-government" Democrat laws that try to prevent" the influence of money?

Isn't Bloomberg the exact kind of "dirty money" character that the Democrats' "reforms" are supposed to eliminate? 

Or has he also bought organizations like "Common Cause" so that billionaires can be enabled to buy seats?

New Mexicans should be asking themselves if Bloomberg bought their elected officials?

Governor? Check.

Attorney General? Check.

Secretary of State? Check.

WARREN: The Fraud Continues, Unable to Answer Simple Questions. Easily Fooling the Media

The candidates were asked: Would you move the US Embassy in Israel back to Tel Aviv?  (From Jerusalem where Donald Trump moved it.)

Elizabeth Warren had this disingenuous, inaccurate, and ridiculous response:

"It's not ours to do."

The question came to her again: Would you move the embassy back to Tel Aviv?

Again she answered:

"It's not ours to do. We should let the parties determine the capitals themselves. We should let the parties determine the capitals themselves."

This answer was wrong on several counts:

1) The embassy IS ours. It is our determination whether we put it an embassy in a capital city or whether we choose some other city at random.

2) What "parties"? Only the sovereign nation itself (not "themselves") determines what its capital is. (Was this a slip of the tongue in which she was implying that the Palestinians have a say on where Israel's capital is?) In any case, there is only one party, and that party—Israel—has already determined that its capital is Jerusalem. There are no "parties" and there is no "themselves."

3) The question was not about where a capital is located—Warren changed the question entirely—and the media panelists facing her did not even notice. The question was whether the United States should move its embassy. The question did not ask where the capital is. Or if the capital would be or should be chosen by Israel or any other entity. 

Warren's answer was as disingenuous and ignorant as it was cowardly. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


The DOWNSIDE of POLITICAL PRIMARY TELEVISED DEBATES?

02/25/2020

(Democrats are Demonstrating it Right Now!)

—THE “GUSHER” of GENERAL ELECTION ADs Produced to Benefit the Other Party!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Campaign Contribution Limits? How Effective Are They?

02/24/2020

What does Bloomberg's entire campaign say about Campaign Contribution Limits? One guy openly admits he spent $100 million?

So how effective are all those "good-government" Democrat laws that try to prevent" the influence of money?

Isn't Bloomberg the exact kind of "dirty money" character that the Democrats' "reforms" are supposed to eliminate? 

Or has he also bought organizations like "Common Cause" so that billionaires can be enabled to buy seats?

New Mexicans should be asking themselves if Bloomberg bought their elected officials?

Governor? Check.

Attorney General? Check.

Secretary of State? Check.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


REPUBLICANS and UNIONS

02/23/2020

We have received a number of questions on this topic, as well as comments and posts. So we will tackle the issue of "How to take a historically correct view of the orthodox conservative Republican position on the subject matter."

Some folks have been posting memes like “Should Republicans Support Unions?” and engaging in far-reaching, tangential discussions. Here is our take.

First, some definitional distinctions need to be made. It is not necessary or even appropriate to say Republicans “support” unions. That isn’t even a “thing.” In fact, it’s pretty much completely meaningless because of the fact that the individual function, role, and behavior of unions vary so very widely. There are almost as many variations of roles as there are union genres. Some unions are passive. Others are aggressive. Some are private sector and legitimate, some are public and therefore illegitimate. The objectives and missions are often quite distinct.

The Private Sector

Historically, Republicans have fully recognized and have not opposed the right of people—in the PRIVATE sector—to organize freely (with no coercion whatsoever) and “bargain” with ownership or management. Republicans since Lincoln have accepted such ideas. Such an action can obviously have either positive or negative outcomes. There are many stories of highly successful and mutually beneficial relationships. The key is that there is something about which to bargain. That being capital, the existence of which would not exist but for the mutual relationship between labor and ownership/entrepreneurship.

However, Republicans have traditionally opposed the MANDATORY imposition of union organization and its forced behavior or conformity, or dues, et cetera. In other words, the union shop or closed shop are anathemas to a free people.

The Public Sector

What Republicans have NOT supported, however, is PUBLIC sector unionism. Public sector unions are illegitimate in that they are not in business or industry and therefore do not produce any capital at all.

I other words there is no jointly produced product over which there is something to bargain about. This leaves the only targets of the public sector union’s “bargaining” or “negotiations” as being the taxpayers’ wallets and purses.

Of course, such a concept is absurd on its face. No one has to work in the public sector where no capital exists and no capital is produced. Everyone is free to choose the private sector which produces trillions of dollars of capital. So public-sector unions are left with what is essentially “extortion” through the weakness of politicians.

Republicans and other conservatives should consistently oppose public-sector unionism.

Ironically, it is public sector unionism (the illegitimate cousin of private-sector unionism) that actually drives the Democrat train in state, national, and local politics. And it is by far the fastest-growing element of unionism. In fact, it is the only “growing” sector of unionism.


 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


TRUMP SHOULD THANK PIRTLE, SHARER, and BRANDT

02/21/2020

Those three New Mexico state senators killed the bill that would have permitted wide open absentee voter fraud.

To the extent that President Trump has a chance of carrying New Mexico, Trump would have had no chance at all if HB 229 had become law. The reason for that is that the bill would have been a total license to steal absentee votes. And we have seen before what motivated Democrat campaigns have done with that opportunity.

Pirtle, Sharer, and Brandt have given Trump at least a fighting chance to win New Mexico's 5 electoral votes. Absent their heroic actions on the night of 19 February and the morning of 20 February, the president would have zero chance in 2020. Now he has that chance.


 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


The Farmer Plows Through the Lawyers: New Mexico Republicans Owe a Tremendous Debt to Two State Senators: Cliff Pirtle (R-Roswell) and William E. Sharer (R-Farmington)

02/20/2020

Last night, a horrible election bill, House Bill 229, was set to pass the state senate and go to the eager fingers of Governor Grisham for immediate signature. The bill would have wiped out all of the safeguards that were put in place in March of 2019, to ensure that there are at least some means of reviewing absentee ballots for voter integrity.

The bill would have allowed outside groups and organizations to flood all districts in the state with absentee ballot application and have those ballots come back without having any review of the information provided on the outside envelope flaps of the ballots when they came back. 

If President Trump had, or has, any chance at all of carrying New Mexico, this particular bill would have killed any and all of his chances to do that. And now, if Trump ends up carrying the state in 2020, he will need to send a very special thanks to Senators Pirtle, Sharer, and Brandt for what they accomplished on February 19, and 20, 2020. 

The bill would have given license to steal elections.

But Senator Cliff Pirtle of Roswell—the Farmer—put on a "call of the Senate" Wednesday night, forcing every senator to be rounded up before the Senate could proceed. Some senators had already gone home, so the bill had to be carried over till today. 

And today, Senator William E. Sharer of Farmington held the floor for more than an hour until the time expired for the bill to be considered.

Republicans in the state owe an enormous debt of gratitude to both Pirtle and Sharer, and also to Senator Craig W. Brandt of Rio Rancho who prepared a slew of amendments to try to fix the bill and to extend the time of the debate on the bill. All three did a tremendous job for the entire State of New Mexico—not just Republicans, but also all Democrats and Independents who care about elections integrity. 

House Bill 229 died on the floor. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


New Mexico Presidential Primary Candidates Named (For Now); The Democrats Included Candidates Who've Already Quit. The Libertarians Name an Enormous Number of Candidates.

02/20/2020

New Mexico has a very informal process for determining who will be on its Presidential Primary ballot. Since it is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June, New Mexico's primary takes place with the very last group of states, meaning it has no real impact on any presidential nomination. 

Over the past few decades, New Mexico has participated on the same day as North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, New Jersey, and California. Though this year, California has opted out of their traditional place, choosing instead to be a part of Super Tuesday on March 3.

The Informal Process for Presidential Candidates in New Mexico

The New Mexico Election Code assigns the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to chair a committee consisting of the Speaker of the House, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Minority Floor Leaders of both the House and Senate, and the State Chairmen of each major political party. The committee is to meet and nominate candidates for each major party not later than February 15. 

The guidance in statute is to name those individuals "generally advocated and nationally recognized or supported by any major political party in the state..."

This year the committee met on February 11. Here are the names submitted to the Secretary of State:

Democrats                  Republicans                   Libertarians

Michael Bennet                    Donald J. Trump                      Max Abramson

Joseph R. Biden                                                                   Sorenne Ardeleanu

Michael R. Bloomberg                                                          Ken Armstrong

Pete Buttigieg                                                                       Daniel Behrman

Tulsi Gabbard                                                                       Lincoln Chafee

Amy Klobuchar                                                                     Jacob Hornberger

Deval Patrick                                                                        Jo Jorgensen

Bernie Sanders                                                                     Adam Kokesh

Tom Steyer                                                                           John Monds

Elizabeth Warren                                                                  James Ogle

Andrew Yang                                                                        Sam Robb                       

                                                                                             Arvin Vohra

                                                                                             Mark Whitney

This Is NOT Final However

You may believe the Libertarians have overdone it somewhat. We doubt their list of names complies with the "generally advocated and nationally recognized" guidance in statute, but that's what they came up with. And the Democrats named three people who had already quit the race by the time the committee met: Michael Bennet, Deval Patrick, and Andrew Yang.

But, an additional provision in the law requires the SOS to notify each of the nominated individuals "in writing by certified mail, with return receipt requested" that the person's name will be printed as a candidate on our primary ballot "unless the person requests in writing otherwise."

In years past, a number of candidates who have dropped out have written the SOS requesting that their names not appear on the ballot. We expect that will happen this year too. They have until March 31st to notify the SOS. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Cowboys for Trump Leader Praises NMPJ for Calling for Unity; Alexis Johnson and Joey Tiano Speak

02/19/2020

Couy Griffin, the leader and chief spokesman for Cowboys for Trump, made an impressive speech last night at a regular meeting of the Republican Party of Santa Fe County.

In the course of his speech, Griffin gave a nod to the editor of New Mexico Political Journal (who was present on a visit to Santa Fe) and said, "Thank you for calling for unity in the Republican Party, I appreciate that."

Griffin was endorsing the editor's statement earlier that evening in which he acknowledged that NMPJ has repeatedly reported and commented that New Mexico Republicans really have no business ginning up primaries that pit one incumbent Republican legislator against another incumbent Republican legislator. This was a statement that the entire crowd applauded enthusiastically, with the exception of only two attendees who were from out of town.

And Griffin's reiteration and acknowledgment of the idea was also greeted with great applause.  

Griffin also asked that NMPJ not report on a scene that was made by some folks early on in the meeting—to which the editor stated that there is no way he would report on it—and NMPJ will of course honor our pledge and will not report on it at all, nor will we identify the people involved.

Griffin's speech was very well received, as he made a strong case for re-electing President Trump and for focusing on Democrat officeholders—which was again the precise points being made repeatedly by New Mexico Political Journal—something Griffin acknowledged and strongly supported.

Candidate Speeches: Alexis Johnson and Joey Tiano

Alexis Johnson

CD3 Congressional candidate Alexis M. Johnson spoke and received an enthusiastic response. Johnson was born Alexis Martinez in Portales and grew up in Roswell. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. She lives in Santa Fe with her husband and four children. 

In the upcoming Republican primary, she faces at least three opponents: Audra Lee Brown of Portales, Karen Evette Bedonie of Navajo, Harry B. Montoya of Santa Fe, and possibly a fourth, "Anise" Anastacia Golden-Morper of Angel Fire, who has been "disqualified" by the Office of the Secretary of State. However, in reviewing the justification for SOS actions, NMPJ believes Golden-Morper was unlawfully removed from the ballot.

The other four Republican candidates were at a similar meeting last night at the Sandoval County Republican Party. 

The winner will face one of seven Democrats—an array of candidates that includes the semi-ridiculous (though very attractive) Valerie Plame, who was a mid-level analyst at the CIA in Langley, Virginia, but claims (in a manner similar to Pete Buttigieg's Rambo impersonation) that she was a veritable James Bond running around in flying cars with ejection seats and guided missiles hidden in her fountain pens.

The other Democrats include John Blair, Teresa Ledger Fernandez, and Marco Peter Serna, all of Santa Fe, Joseph L. Sanchez of Alcalde, Kyle J. Tisdel of Taos, and Laura M. Montoya of Rio Rancho.

Joey Tiano

Joey Tiano is a native of Santa Fe who is running for State Senate District 39, currently represented by Democrat Liz Stefanics, who is from Minnesota. Tiano made a fine speech, well-received, making the case for unseating Stefanics, and emphasizing his roots in the district. Tiano's family immigrated from Italy in 1895 and he is a 4th-generation New Mexican, part of a large family that had a popular business years ago called Tiano Sporting Goods, though he pursued a career in law enforcement.

Tiano is a graduate of the New Mexico State Police Academy, and was a New Mexico state policeman for seven years, before serving on the police force in Las Vegas, Nevada. He finished his career on the Los Alamos police force, retiring there after 16 years.

Tiano faces another Italian-surnamed candidate, Susan Vescovo of Alto, who is the daughter of Democrat Senate President Pro-Tem, Mary Kay Papen. Papen has announced her support of Stefanics. So we are given to understand that blood is not "thicker than water" in all families.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


Will New Mexico Republicans Challenge the Democrats? Or will the State Party Guide them to Challenging Each Other?

02/17/2020

Opinions from Lea County

If the Republican Party of New Mexico is organized and thinking ahead, it has by now recruited candidates in all winnable state House and Senate districts. There are only 22 days left before filing takes place on March 10.

It is far from clear where the party is heading, but the focused effort does not appear to be happening, as a number of readers have contacted us with serious opinions and concerns to the contrary:

“Steve Pearce is focused on himself and getting ‘his people,’ you know ‘allies of Steve,’ rather than recruiting people who can actually win. He also appears focused on other Republicans rather than Democrats.”

"We lost so damned many seats in the legislature in 2016 and 2018. Everyone who is left up there is a solid conservative. There aren't any RINOs up there. If Steve Pearce spends one dime trying to gin up a primary against any of our outnumbered Republicans, well, I think he should just about be hauled in on criminal charges. 

"Seriously, that kind of thing would be practically a criminal waste of Republican money—like flushing it down the toilet."  

“He’s not focused on any of that. He’s focused on his buddies, and those who don’t suck up to him. You watch. They will end up spending Republican dollars against other Republicans. Steve is not focused on the Democrats.”

And:

“Steve Pearce is all about Yvette Herrell. He doesn’t concentrate on anything else.”

If that is true it is sad. And it appears it is true. We got this from a Lea County Republican activist:

“Steve Pearce showed up at our county convention with about 60 people none of us party members had ever seen before, and probably won’t see again. His only goal was to elect all the delegates he could to back Yvette Herrell and deny delegates to Claire Chase.” [Note: Herrell and Pearce have been remarkably close for several years.]

Republicans Urged to Run Against Other Republicans?

Lea County opinion points to Pearce as being behind a potential Republican challenge to incumbent Republican Senator Gregg Fulfer. Word out of Lea County is that incumbent Republican State Representative David Gallegos is being urged to give up his House seat to take on Fulfer.

Gallegos is a close ally of Pearce. However, this turn of events would be particularly strange given Fulfer’s long-time support of Pearce. 

We have never heard any information that Fulfer is not friendly with Pearce, but it appears that Gallegos’s tireless work on behalf of Pearce’s gubernatorial campaign, as well as his all-out effort in support of Herrell against Lea County’s own Monty Newman, may have been enough to endear Gallegos to Pearce.

Pearce has apparently pledged his support. If true, this would result in a Republican primary race in which as much as $200,000 to $300,000 could be wasted on an intra-party battle.

All Republicans we have heard from strongly believe that that kind of money should be spent against Democrats—trying to GAIN seats rather than just moving one Republican from the House to the Senate.

Is Steve Pearce listening to that kind of reasoning?

Or does he value building a personal coterie of personal, dedicated supporters OVER the waste of so much Republican campaign funds?

We have noted that Pearce, and his Executive Director, Anissa Galassini Tinnin, who was an integral figure in working with Democrat State Party Chair Sam Bregman in the famous email stealing incident and working for a Democrat district attorney candidate over the Republican candidate may be violating both state law as well as party rules by favoring certain GOP candidates over others.

Rumors are also circulating that Republican Representative Candy Spence Ezzell, also a close Pearce and Herrell ally, may be being talked into running against incumbent Republican State Senator Cliff Pirtle of Roswell. Pirtle unseated then Senate-Pro Tem Tim Jennings in 2012.

That brought an end to Jennings’ 34 years in the legislature. It also has to be noted that the current Republican National Committeeman for New Mexico, Harvey Yates, a close Pearce ally, strongly supported Jennings over Pirtle—he even wrote a book about why!

No! We are not making this up. This ONLY happens in New Mexico. If you are trying to understand why the Democrats RULE New Mexico, look no further than people like these folks. Their goals seem to be personal aggrandizement, power, influence, and position. Is this any way to grow a party? 

Focus on Herrell—No One Concentrating on the Democrats

Two years ago, State House Minority Leader Jim Townsend spent lots of his time trying to get all of his caucus to endorse Yvette Herrell’s run for Congress. He got about 25 of them or more. Meanwhile his own member—who he should have been concentrating on—got shellacked.

So did he learn anything? Apparently not. He’s back at it, together with Steve Pearce, trying to round up supporters for Herrell again, and trying to defeat the fresh face, newcomer Claire Chase from Roswell.

He doesn’t have nearly as many house Republicans endorsing Herrell this time—of course that’s because a lot of them got beat while Townsend had them distracted from their own races and instead farting around with a congressional race—something that was completely out of their lanes.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Pearce Opposed Trump in 2016 and 2018. So, It's Foolish for the RPNM to Try to Attack fellow Republicans about Trump's Tweets. Pearce Should Shut Down His Party's Social Media Attacks.

02/11/2020

Some social media warriors have been hard at it, apparently with the encouragement of the Republican Party of New Mexico and its Chairman, Steve Pearce. 

They have been asserting that no matter how much any Republican may support Trump, there can never have been any questioning of any Trump tweet. EVER!

Not only that, they assert—apparently at the urging of Pearce—there has to be some sort of litmus test that disqualifies anyone from party membership if he or she has ever questioned anything Trump has ever said. We can't begin to tell you how dumb this is. 

And there's someone else who should be concerned with how dumb this is: Steve Pearce.

Pearce Attacked Trump in 2018: Opposed Trump on the Border Wall

In a gubernatorial debate in September 2018, Pearce said he has "taken on Donald Trump in two instances while serving in Congress."

Pearce and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Michelle Lujan Grisham were asked for their impressions about Trump. Pearce responded that he had:

“contended with him pretty earnestly” at times.

Those "times" included

"Trump's plans to build a bigger wall at the US-Mexico border and a refusal to support one initial proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act."

PEARCE WASN'T FOR TRUMP IN 2016 EITHER

As the Albuquerque Journal reported in 2016

"While Pearce hasn’t advocated dumping Trump in Cleveland, he is among many high-profile Republicans struggling to fully embrace the presumptive nominee, whose bombastic comments...offended millions of Americans during the long primary campaign."

Pearce added:

“I’ve said all along that I will vote for our nominee over Hillary Clinton. He wasn’t my first choice or even second choice, but he is our nominee – so absolutely.”

Pearce went on to explain why, though he would support Trump, he did not want to formally endorse Trump:

“I’ve always gotten some good support from the Democratic community, but a lot of my Democrat friends, when Obama was running for president the first time, said, ‘Hey man, I’m going to support you but I can’t endorse you – I can’t say anything publicly’…. People out there understand the difference.

“Support means I’m going to vote for Trump over Hillary Clinton. I couldn’t ever imagine trying to get her elected under any circumstance by not voting for our candidate. An endorsement is saying, ‘I’m going to go out there and put my name beside yours’.”

"And that’s not something he said he is quite ready or willing to do for Trump."

“I’ve gone to the Trump campaign and said, ‘Hey, if you want an endorsement from me being in the 2nd District of New Mexico we’re going to need to get this relationship with the Hispanics repaired’,” Pearce said. “We’re having that ongoing discussion. They’re (Trump’s advisers) catching me at events and saying, ‘Here’s what we’re doing – take a look.’ So, we’re having a good conversation. They understand exactly what I’m saying and they intend to correct it.”

According to some RPNM minions, that makes Pearce a "Never Trumper."

And Pearce wasn't alone. As reported by Reuters, in 2016, he was among scores of Republicans in Congress who criticized what they called "Trump's inflammatory tweets."

What is the Point?

Our point is a simple one: There is no use in having the Republican Party of New Mexico attempting to exclude the 62% of Republicans who don't believe that Trump should ever tweet at all.* That's 240,000 Republican voters in the RPNM's own party ranks who their "leadership" is trying to paint as "bad" or disqualified from the party. How stupid is that? How are they going to win elections?

Trump is Viewed Very Differently by the Voters and that Image is NOT TRANSFERABLE

After almost five years, the American people—or about half the American people—now tend to shrug off every single tweet Trump sends out. It doesn't matter if they are offensive, inaccurate, outright tall tales, contain misspellings, bad geography, or whatever.

The standard response by now is "That's just Trump being Trump. Pay no attention to that." He gets a pass, no matter what. And with the ardent supporters—the Trumpistas—all the tweets, no matter what they say, are viewed as wise, astute, or "Trump playing Chess while everyone else is playing Checkers." In other words, his most intense base considers all of them works of genius.

Trump being Trump is something only HE can get away with. He is unique. And we take our hat off to him for being able to pull that off!

But we have news for you: That image, that take on the tweets, is NOT TRANSFERABLE. A regular Republican candidate running for the legislature, or county office, or for statewide office, will NOT get a pass on those tweets.

Those candidates aren't Trump and they won't be viewed the same. They will be asked if they support Trump's individual tweets. And if they agree with ALL of them, well, they won't get elected. 

If voters—and that includes Republican voters and elected officials—do not understand this last point, well, they're going to be in trouble.


 Morning Consult poll, 10 December 2018


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Elijah Cummings' Widow Will Not Succeed Him. She was Crushed in the Primary by Kweisi Mfume

02/10/2020

ump to navigation

Jump to search
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings
Maya Headshot 2020.png
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings in 2019
 

Maya Michelle Rockeymoore Cummings, widow of the late Elijah Cummings, a Democrat House committee chair who became famous for hating Trump, will not succeed him.

Baltimore Democrats instead went wild for Kweisi Mfume, a former congressman and former Chairman of the NAACP. Mfume crushed Cummings like a bug, 29,650 to 11,722. (Final returns of both primaries are shown below.)

Mfume is a Poster Child for the Great Society

Mfume, who was formerly named Frizzell Gerald Gray, is more or less famous for fathering five children by five different women, none of whom he married. 

As such, he can probably lay claim to being the poster child of LBJ's Great Society, which had the unintended consequences of reversing the growing stability of the black family and encouraging an enormous spike in out-of-wedlock births. 

In 1965, before the Great Society, 76% of black babies were born to two-parent, intact families. Today, that figure is only 23%. Apparently, role models like Mfume are what today's black voters look to as guideposts.

Rockeymoore Cummings Will Have Another Shot

The most recent special election primary held just six days ago, is not the end of the story. The regular Maryland Democratic primary will be held on April 28. Oddly enough, that's the same day as the Special Election "General" Race between Mfume and the Republican nominee Kimberly Klacik (shown at right and below).

The winners of the regular primaries on April 28 will face each other in November.

It is likely that the candidates will again be Mfume and Klasik, though it's theoretically possible that Cummings might beat Mfume on the April 28th, as turnout in the Democrat primary was extremely low.

The chances of Klasik winning are practically nil.


 

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
  Democratic Kweisi Mfume 29,650 43.0
  Democratic Maya Rockeymoore Cummings 11,722 17.0
  Democratic Jill P. Carter 11,179 16.2
  Democratic Terri L. Hill 5,123 7.4
  Democratic F. Michael Higginbotham 3,134 4.5
  Democratic Harry Spikes 2,456 3.6
  Democratic Saafir Rabb 1,221 1.8
  Democratic Jay Jalisi 1,209 1.8
  Democratic Talmadge Branch 750 1.1
  Democratic Mark Gosnell 566 0.8
  Democratic T. Dan Baker 355 0.5
  Democratic Charles Stokes 261 0.4
  Democratic Paul V. Konka 237 0.3
  Democratic Darryl Gonzalez 236 0.3
  Democratic Leslie Grant 168 0.2
  Democratic Alicia D. Brown 151 0.2
  Democratic Jay Fred Cohen 139 0.2
  Democratic Anthony Carter 136 0.2
  Democratic Matko Lee Chullin 72 0.1
  Democratic Charles U. Smith 71 0.1
  Democratic Adrian Petrus 55 0.1
  Democratic Nathaniel M. Costley Sr. 42 0.1
  Democratic Dan L. Hiegel 30 0.0
  Democratic Jermyn Davidson 26 0.0
Total votes 68,989 100.0%
Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
  Republican Kim Klacik 4,425 40.7
  Republican Liz Matory 2,670 24.5
  Republican James C. Arnold 1,348 12.4
  Republican Reba A. Hawkins 870 8.0
  Republican Christopher M. Anderson 789 7.3
  Republican William T. Newton 381 3.5
  Republican Ray Bly 223 2.0
  Republican Brian L. Brown 174 1.6
Total votes 10,880 100.00%

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


THE DEMOCRAT FIELD: THE GIGANTIC MYTH —that no one mentions, but you should know:

02/09/2020

There is one huge thing about the Democratic presidential field that no one mentions—or maybe even notices or knows:

Despite the press and the talking heads classifying—actually sort of anointing—this candidate or that as “moderate” or “centrist” or “in the middle lane” or using some other political euphemism, the honest truth is that NOT A SINGLE Democrat candidate is actually a moderate.

Every single one of them would have nominated Ginsburg, Kagan, and Sotomayor to the Supreme Court—people who reflect the exact same philosophy as the 9th Circuit—judges who don’t give a hoot in hell for what any statute or any provision of the Constitution actually says in plain, black letter language.

ALL of them firmly believe the courts are where politicians should simply ENACT POLICY. Forget the legislative branch.

TEST WHAT WE ARE SAYING BY ISSUES:

Abortion: Watch and see if ANY one of the candidates can, when questioned, bring herself/himself to oppose partial-birth abortion or the killing of an unborn baby in the final passage through the birth canal, or even condemn the Virginia governor’s view on the born-alive issue. They CANNOT. Not Klobuchar, not Biden, certainly not Buttigieg. No. They ALL have identical positions.

Borders/Illegal Immigration: Try to find a single one of them who will insist on any means of ensuring we have a form of controlled, monitored legal immigration. You cannot. They all—to belong to the Democrat Party—and they must now support open borders.

Second Amendment: See which one embraces the 2nd Amendment as a pre-existing right that shall not be infringed. Answer: Zero. (Oddly, Bernie comes closest.)

We could go on and on, but the reality is there is no actual moderate lane in which “centrist” candidates are elbowing each other for running room. Think about it—not a single one of them could possibly have advanced to their positions if they were milling about any place other than in the mainstream of the modern Democrat Party.

Media Types Help Mislead, Whether Accidentally or on Purpose

Yes, you get “happy talk” TV analysts who drone on about Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and who knows who all, supposedly competing in their “lane” of opportunity.

But one of two things is taking place. Either:

1) The analysts have genuinely been fooled by the “cosmetic” or “stylistic” or “ rhetorical” distinctions some of the candidates are employing merely as “separation tactics”:

(For one example. Klobuchar’s “I’ll pay for it...” remarks—or Buttigieg’s endless and fluid “word salad” happy talk, which ends up mesmerizing audiences into believing he is saying something—anything at all—or makes them think he’s saying something “different” from the others)

Or

2) The talking heads know better. But are trying to fool YOU into believing all of the above.

The reality is none of the candidates will “pay for” anything. And none of them will deviate one iota from the “platform” of the modern Democratic Party.

And, to be precise, it appears that Buttigieg is the phoniest of them all, and the most poll-derived, totally artificial construct we have ever seen in American politics.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


State Senate Republicans Anti-First Amendment? What the Hell are They Thinking? This Should Make New Mexico Conservatives' Blood Boil.

02/08/2020

It's one thing if State Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez, D-Albuquerque, is so embarrassed by her own inarticulateness that she doesn't want cameras to record her input, it's quite another thing when a conservative Republican chimes in to support the covering up of committee hearings.

Enough damage is being done in Santa Fe to basic constitutional principles, including the highly controversial "Red Flag" law and other attacks on Second Amendment rights. It's unimaginable that anyone professing to be a conservative or a Republican would want to join Democrats in hiding what is going on.

On the contrary, voters need to be able to see who is pushing what—as well as seeing who is standing up for them. What kind of arguments are being put forth in support of trampling on the Constitution?

But Sedillo Lopez interrupted a Senate Conservation Committee hearing Thursday to say:

“Excuse me, excuse me madam chair, I don’t mean to interrupt but there’s someone filming and I was wondering if you’ve gotten permission or if you’d like to request permission."

That was bad enough. But it got worse when State Senator Pat Woods, R-Clovis, piped in with this:

“There’s adequate ways this footage can be gotten in other ways. I just prefer this not to be spliced and edited to be used against someone and have someone not be totally truthful in their comments in a bill because they’re worried how something might be splashed and cut in a newscast.”

He just prefers? Well isn't' that special.

We have seen Woods in action before, and he is a conservative, and he's generally done a reasonably good job representing those principles. But this is bad. In fact, it's just plain stupid. Especially when at least one Democrat, Senator Jeff Steinborn of Las Cruces (who is a hard Lefty to boot) is willing to go on camera in support of transparency.

What's worse is that two other Republican senators in the same committee meeting, Ron Griggs of Alamogordo and William H. Payne of Albuquerque, just sat there like bumps on a log, apparently too cowed to raise a voice for openness and transparency. 

We can't emphasize this enough: It makes Republicans look downright stupid. Just plain ignorant.

They're sending the message, however unwittingly, that Republicans stand for closed meetings, while Democrats (who actually wrote the rules to shutdown committee hearings) come off as mere bystanders, or—in the case of Steinborn—appear to be supporters of 'open government." Which they are decidedly not. How dumb can you get?


Click here to see the video of this incident https://bit.ly/39hVqoU


The Senate has Always Been Reluctant to Let Sunshine In

Just yesterday, former Senator Mark Boitano (R-Albuquerque) publicly noted, in a Facebook post, that in 2011 only three Republican senators stood up to demand a vote to institute webcasting. It takes seven senators to demand "a call of the senate" forcing a vote of everyone who can be located.

Most senators, even including Republicans, were following the "cover-up our actions and hide from the public" position pushed by then-Senate Pro-tem Tim Jennings, D-Roswell, and then-Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belén. But according to Boitano, he, along with Senator Rod Adair, R-Roswell, and William E. Sharer, R-Farmington (who is still serving), joined four Democrats to force the vote. 

And those were the only seven senators out of 42 who were willing to go to the mat on the issue of transparency and openness. The rest, by and large, did not want it at all.

At that point, as if often the case in politics, hypocrisy, and shame kicked in. What do we mean by that? Well, we mean the bill passed unanimously.

As so often happens in legislative bodies, if you can force a vote then the very same people who have been trying to hide the issue, or not take a stand at all, are then forced to vote correctly just to avoid the embarrassment of being on the wrong side. 

After the Fact, Private "Apologies" and Other Political Nonsense

The KRQE reporter, Rachel Knapp, who captured all of this, later reported that:'

"Senators Joseph Cervantes and William Soules, who were on that committee, followed Knapp after she was kicked out and said they were upset about the way this was handled."

Right. Sure they were. Once the reporter gets more experience and learns more about politics she will realize that she fell for a meaningless political trick. And she will never again give these cynical yahoos "credit," for supposedly "really being sincere" or for being "on the right side of the issue," or some other thing they don't deserve. 

Wrong. In politics, the only thing that matters is what the elected official is willing to do in public, in front of his or her peers, in front of the media, in front of the voters. One has to note that neither Soules nor Cervantes was even close to being willing to stand up for what is right when the moment occurred or when the camera was rolling.

And THAT—the public statement—is the only true test. 

Nothing said merely in private is a test of anything at all, let alone the true test.

Additionally, this same reporter who was told to leave reported this: 

After the incident, Sen. Woods apologized but stuck to his guns, saying [she] should’ve asked permission.

What guns? He may wear a cowboy hat, but he doesn't have any guns—if by guns you mean something important to stand up for. 

Republicans Should not be Carrying Water for those Who are Actually in Power

Republicans in both the Senate and the House (for reasons that lie at the feet of the Gang of 8, discussed in articles of November 8, 2018, and December 4, 2018) are almost completely powerless.

There are only 16 Republicans in the Senate and 26 Democrats. If Democrats want to run rough-shod over the First Amendment, or exclude the media, or pass ridiculous rules or laws, they have complete power to do so. They should own everything that comes out of the legislature. 

It is politically tone-deaf and clueless for a Republican to come to the aid of bad Democrat rules and regulations, and it's downright dumb for any Republican to step up and act as a spokesman for such policies. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


IOWA CAUCUSES RESULTS—FINAL TOTALS

02/07/2020

Bernie Sanders defeated Pete Buttigieg by over 6,000 votes to win the Democrats’ Iowa Caucuses.

In what the Democrats call a “second vote,” Sanders still led by over 2,600 votes. However after an as yet unexplained and mysterious process, “Mayor Pete” emerged with two more “state delegate equivalents” than Bernie.

If it were a primary, which is probably the correct way to look at this, Bernie Sanders would be the winner.

Iowa Caucuses Final  Results      
Candidate First Ballot

Second Ballot

SDE *

  % 

Finish
Bernie Sanders     43,671      45,826 562 24.9  1st
Pete Buttigieg     37,557       43,195 564 21.3  2nd
Elizabeth Warren     32,533      34,771 387 18.5  3rd
Joe Biden     26,384      23,691 341 15.0  4th
Amy Klobuchar     22,469      21,181 264 12.8  5th
Andrew Yang       8,821        1,780   22   5.0  6th
Tom Steyer       3,083           413    7   1.7  7th
Uncommitted          984        1,418    4   0.6  8th
Tulsi Gabbard           334             17    0   0.2  9th
Michael Bloomberg          217             20    0   0.1 10th
Others          159           205    1   0.1   —

Total Votes Cast: 176,212


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


UPDATE on the IOWA CAUCUSES: Expert Arrives to Save the Democratic Party of Iowa

02/06/2020

The Count arrives in Des Moines! All is well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


THE “HANDSHAKE” ISSUE—Between Trump and Pelosi

02/05/2020

We believe JOHN TOWER SAID it BEST

We recall the 1978 US Senate race in Texas when Senator John Tower came under heavy media criticism for refusing to shake hands with his Democrat opponent, Bob Krueger.

TOWER THEN MADE an AD in which HE SAID THIS:

“Perhaps you’ve seen this picture of my refusal to shake the hand of my opponent.

“I was brought up to believe that a handshake is a symbol of friendship and respect, not a meaningless hypocritical gesture.

“My opponent has slurred my wife, my daughters, and falsified my record.

“My kind of Texan doesn’t shake hands with that kind of man.

“Integrity is one Texas tradition you can count on me to uphold.


 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Guest Editorial: Pelosi May be Sending Signals to Independent Voters (Signals she doesn't intend to send)

02/04/2020

By Former State Senator Rod Adair, Editor Emeritus, NMPJ

Watching Nancy Pelosi all night, but especially after she tore up the speech, I couldn’t help but wonder how her behavior might affect the small percentage of Americans who aren’t sure if the entire impeachment ordeal was fair and warranted or purely motivated by sheer hatred and frustration.

I kind of think all of her actions—including the unprecedented smirks, nervous gestures, and bizarre paper tearing—may have subtly or even subconsciously convinced millions of people, in ways that words could not and cannot, that the Pelosi-Schiff impeachment was motivated purely and simply by hate.

I could see where her behavior could cause such a conclusion to dawn on even the most clueless voter.



DEMOCRAT WOMEN WEARING WHITE at the STATE of the UNION

02/04/2020

Irony of Clueless Irony. But they are blissfully unaware.

Dozens of Democratic lawmakers — all women — strutted into the House chamber this evening wearing white, supposedly to send a message to President Donald Trump when he gives his State of the Union address. The Democratic Women's Caucus in the House organized the effort.

The color choice honors the women's suffrage movement that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which granted women the right to vote. The women wore white throughout the early part of the 20th Century.

HOWEVER, DID YOU KNOW?

That the Democratic congressmen and senators of 1919 who voted on the amendment, voted to DEFEAT the amendment.

If you said "No, I didn't know that," don't feel bad. Neither do the "proud" Democrat women of today.

As they say, "Ignorance is bliss."

Quite a heritage to make a big scene about!


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


IOWA CAUCUSES DEBACLE: Democrats Can’t Figure Out How to Count the Votes.

02/03/2020

And the Democrats are going to stop the Russian hackers? Lol. It appears that they can’t run a 2-car funeral. Much less develop an app.

Protect us from cyber attacks? That appears to be out of the question!

It’s after midnight in Iowa and 0 Precincts of 1,765 have reported.

Is it incompetence? Or are Democrat big shots arguing about how to screw Bernie over—again?

We don’t know. But it’s past 1:00 AM in the East. Newspapers have gone to print. People are headed to bed.

Do Americans want this party to lead?

Meanwhile, the Republicans counted their votes with no problem at all:

Donald Trump 30,573
Bill Weld 401
Joe Walsh 341

(1,620 of 1,765 precincts reporting)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


ADAM SCHIFF on TRUMP

02/03/2020

We have now reviewed Adam Schiff’s speech from earlier today and we are appalled. We now know why we have received so many texts, emails, and posts from people who (jokingly, we are sure) actually expressed a desire to do bodily harm to him.

A typical comment is this:

“Adam Schiff is obviously consumed with hatred for Trump. A hatred that is so intense that he cannot even begin to sense his own attachment or lack of attachment to facts. Never mind even the remotest relationship to objectivity, he doesn’t have that. You can see the hatred in his face and hear it in his voice. He speaks as if we are supposed to believe his version of everything, but his bias and anger are so clear that it becomes obvious he is distorting every single detail.”

With him making that kind of impression on folks, we find it hard to believe that Adam Schiff has persuaded either senators or citizens at large.

It is very possible that Schiff may be viewed simply as an evil man, motivated by personal animus to grossly distort and pervert Constitutional powers. We know that sounds harsh, but it is our best judgment. Let us know what you think.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


IOWA CAUCUSES. TONIGHT. Our Forecast—Despite the Foolishness of Making Predictions. Bernie Wins. Biden Second. Klobuchar Surges to Third. Warren Bombs. And Bloomberg? He gets Votes, despite Not Running.

02/03/2020

Because of the format—it is not a straightforward election—it is almost foolish to predict the outcome of the Democrat Iowa Caucuses. It is a bunch of people standing around horse-trading for votes.  If you don’t get at least 15% at your local caucus location, you go stand in a corner and consider offers coming from other candidates.

For some precincts, you have to get 16.7% or 25%, and in the very smallest your candidate has to get an outright majority and the other candidates' supporters are not counted at all.

In most instances, quite a number of folks have to decide who their second choice is and glom onto some candidate who has made the cut. Or, it's also possible that they can get together with other also-ran enthusiasts and come up with a high enough total to get one of their first-round losers over the minimum threshold.

Because of all that hubbub, predicting the result is a complete crapshoot. It is a highly distorted and distortable process.

Nonetheless, we will try. And we'll do so based on the notion that it's more or less straightforward, which it isn't.

[Note: The results from Republican Iowa caucuses are almost indistinguishable from primary elections—people just vote. But the Democrat process is that local people are electing 11,402 delegates to the county conventions, then 2,107 delegates to the state convention, and so on until they finally determine who the 41 national convention delegates are. Then there are the 8 additional super-delegates, but that's another story.]

OUR POSITION GOING IN

For the better part of a year now, despite enduring a great deal of ridicule, we have been maintaining that Bernie Sanders must be considered the leader in the Democratic nomination process. We even argued that his heart attacks would not have any effect. That resulted in even more pushback. But we think we have been proved correct on that.

We still believe he is the candidate to beat in Iowa tonight and again in New Hampshire eight days later. We fully acknowledge that we could be dead wrong. There could be a massive surprise win tomorrow, but we’re giving it our best analysis.

Here’s Why, Since April 2019, We Have Thought that Bernie Would Prevail

1)  A Following

Bernie has had a loyal contingent of fans and supporters for five years now. They are young, committed, ideological, and determined. They are convinced that America must have Bernie’s brand of socialism for our nation to survive.

They are also bitter—bitter at the Democrat Party establishment for cheating them in 2016, bitter at people like Donna Brazile for cheating them during the debates.

2) The Emergence of AOC

The energy and the surging, ascending power in the Democratic Party has been that of the Hard Left. (They are the counterparts to the Tea Party/Gun Enthusiasts/Pro-Life/Trumpista element that plays the power role in Republican primaries.) The emergence of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been a boon to Bernie’s fortunes. Like their counterparts on the right, they may or may not have a general election majority in place, but they have the energy to produce a nominee.

3) ?A Lack of Strong Alternatives

a.  The Original (and to many, the current) Frontrunner, Joe Biden

Almost nine months ago, despite all the overwhelming polls to the contrary, we stated that Joe Biden will not get the nomination. That has gotten us a lot of pushback as well.

However, two things became clear to us:

The Easter Egg Phenomenon.  It was by then obvious that Easter Egg hunt organizers could readily and fairly allow Joe Biden to hide his own Easter eggs because they could have great confidence that he would not remember where he put them. On the campaign trail, it has now become obvious that that assessment is more accurate than ever. A Democratic voter who is paying attention does not want Biden and Biden’s “memory” on the debate stage in the general election.

Ukraine.  Eight months ago, it was already obvious that Biden had huge problems with both his own and his son’s shenanigans in Ukraine. The impeachment inquiry and proceedings have raised the awareness level of that issue by a factor of 1,000.  Again, an intelligent Democrat voter can envision the ads that will appear about that sorry episode. It isn’t good. We think it’s fatal.

b.  The Second Frontrunner, Elizabeth Warren

More than 15 months ago, we posted that Elizabeth Warren is out, but that she simply doesn’t realize it. It was the day that she published her semi-idiotic DNA test, which she touted as “proving” she had “Indian blood.” Yeah, like maybe she was related to Folsom Man—provided that Folsom Man was an Indian. It was a goofy thing to do to start with, but a completely idiotic thing to tout, precisely because it showed her to be LESS likely to be an Indian than the majority of native-born Americans.

While that was enough for us, totally enough, Warren has only compounded her problems since then by lying incessantly about her past—she emphatically stated she never got any advantages by falsely claiming her “minority” status. We now all know she did. So do Democrat voters. They don’t want those ads either.

She also fared badly in designing and scripting an artificial “confrontation” with Bernie Sanders: “You called me a liar.” This was so poorly choreographed that even the national media had to acknowledge it as poorly thought out. It also backfired by reminding people that she has lied—several times. Smart Democrat voters don’t want those ads either. We still believe she is done, and has been for 15 months.

What Happens if we are Correct?

Where Have you Gone, Michael Bloomberg? Our Nation Turns its Lonely Eyes to You! Woo Woo Woo, Woo Woo Woo...

Except that Mayor Mike has not “left and gone away.” He’s here.

The Democrat Party establishment is already scared out of its collective mind at the thought of Bernie as the nominee. They have even jumped through hoops to make an emergency rule change to put Michael Bloomberg on the next debate stage.

Many people say that “money doesn’t win in politics.” Many people say “money wins more often than it doesn’t.” We don’t want to debate those statements. We will just say this: “There is money. Then there is money.”

What that means is, it’s one thing to talk about a Governor candidate or US Senate candidate putting in $20 million, or $50 million, or even $87 million of his or her own money—and winning (or purchasing) and election in Wisconsin, or Ohio, or New Jersey. It’s quite another thing to pour in TWO BILLION DOLLARS!

Never mind Bloomberg's fellow Democrats, even those Trumpistas who defiantly say they’re not scared about that are whistling past the graveyard. No one knows for sure how much THAT AMOUNT of money can or will play out. The fact is no one knows, because that kind of purchasing power has put us into uncharted waters.

In a desperate situation, the entire forces of the Democratic Party establishment, joining together with all the other Democrat candidates and special interest groups, could well turn to Bloomberg as their “Man on horseback”: “Ready booted and spurred to ride, and millions ready saddled and bridled to be ridden.”

THE FIVE PERSON RACE—COULD FORESTALL A DESPERATE TURN TO THE MAN ON THE HORSE

Months ago, while we were eliminating Joe and Elizabeth, we also included “the field” as a possibility. While we acknowledged that someone or a two or three might emerge, we also believed some in the field were foolish and non-starters. Cory Booker was an example. He didn’t get the Obama model.

Obama was vague. He spoke to hope and change and all kinds of imprecise notions and undeveloped mile-wide, inch-deep “ideas,” believing he could get white liberals and independents to engage in massive virtue signaling and to become wildly enthusiastic about “the first black President.” He was right about that.

Booker, however, didn’t get any of that. Neither did Kamala Harris (who we erroneously did believe would be formidable). They both instead jumped out and touted themselves as “the black candidate,” much as Sharpton and Jesse Jackson had done in the 1980s and 1990s. So they bombed. Too dumb to learn the lessons from history.

On the other hand, it was not out of the question that one or more—Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Young, Steyer, Gabbard, or someone else could catch hold. Months later, however, we don't think Buttigieg has, nor do we believe Steyer has, and, though to us she's the best of the lot, we don't think Gabbard has.  

But it does appear that Klobuchar may have caught on with a substantial number of Iowans. And it's possible that Yang has.

OUR BEST ESTIMATE

[Note: We actually called the Iowa Caucus Hotline and asked if voters could choose Michael Bloomberg, even though he's not running in the Caucuses. The answer was "yes." So we believe he will make a showing, at least 2% if not more, despite not running at all and having no organization.]

Bernie Sanders: 24.2

Joe Biden: 19.8

Amy Klobuchar: 16.5

Pete Buttigieg: 14.2

Elizabeth Warren: 13.1

Andrew Yang: 6.5

Tulsi Gabbard: 2.4

Michael Bloomberg: 2.0

Tom Steyer: 1.1

All Others: 0.2


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


YET ANOTHER REASON WHY TRUMP SHOULD NOT TWEET.

02/02/2020

(Trump tweeted at 8:24 PM, then, after staff saw the error—another good reason for having an editor—he did correct it at 8:27 PM.)

Please don’t attack us—we supported Trump in 2016 and have already endorsed Trump for re-election and acknowledge his highly successful administration.

It’s just that these kinds of things don’t help him. In this instance, it gives fuel to those who would maintain that he has little educational background.

For our part, we have to admit that educated Americans know that the major city is Kansas City, Missouri. There is a Kansas City, Kansas, but it is, at best, a poor stepchild.

A president should know the difference. So it’s a needless shot in the foot. That is all.

NOTE to Readers: We recognize that about 65-70% of our readership will understand the points being made and agree with them. We also recognize that about 30-35% will object strenuously to ANY commentary that does not praise Trump or his actions or habits.
We understand. It’s okay.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


NEW MEXICO PRE-PRIMARY CONVENTIONS. Chaves County Republicans Meet in Roswell Friday, 31 January.

02/01/2020

ROSWELL— An overflow crowd was reported at the Chaves County Republican Convention last night. County Commissioner Robert B. Corn is the County Chairman.

We were told there could be a showdown among the CD 2 candidates, Yvette Herrell, Claire Chase, and Chris Mathys. We received these photos of Corn and the crowd.

Nothing much came of the event except a great deal of confusion. 104 people attended. 40 precinct representatives were chosen from the various county precincts. They selected 28 delegates to the Republican state pre-primary nominating convention.

Delegates were believed to be roughly split between the advocates of Yvette Herrell and Claire Chase. Mathys is thought to have little support here.Each of the candidates spoke for two minutes.

All five US Senate candidates were present. All were greeted with polite applause. They spoke in the following order: Gavin Clarkson, Mick Rich, Mark Ronchetti, Louie Sanchez, and Elisa Martinez.

Interviews with attendees indicated that Mark Ronchetti generated the most enthusiasm as he was seen as the most comfortable and enthusiastic speaker. 

"He seemed to have the crowd with him after a few seconds," noted one observer.

Another attendee remarked,

"Louie Sanchez was impressive. He is a real businessman and entrepreneur in the health care industry. That shooting range stuff is just a sideline."

For the record, we had never heard of Sanchez before a month ago.

All the candidates in both major races did very well for the two minutes they were allotted.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


ONE LAST QUESTION: The Chief Justice and the "Whistleblower"

01/31/2020

Adam Schiff has repeatedly said he doesn’t know who the whistleblower is. He has said no one knows. No one in the Senate knows. No one in the House knows. None of the house managers knows. Rand Paul doesn’t know.

So how does Chief Justice Roberts know that one of the two people named in Rand Paul’s question was the whistleblower?

If all the statements by Schiff are true, then it seems impossible for Roberts to know. However, if he does know and—as has been alleged—there’s an agreement between Schiff and Roberts, then the Chief Justice has improperly inserted himself into the process.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Are Republicans Becoming the Democrats' "New Jews." The Coming "Kristallnacht."

01/30/2020

An ASTOUNDING TURNAROUND from the failed OBAMA ERA

01/30/2020

A Gallup Poll just released shows that 3 years after Obama left office, or 3 years after Trump took office, Americans are vastly more satisfied with the state of affairs than they were under Obama.

The Economy: 48% improvement
Security from Terror: 36% improvement
Military strength: 23% improvement
Race Relations: 64% improvement
Crime Policy: 24% improvement

Source: Gallup Poll of 1,014 Adults

Image may contain: text
 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


NMPJ IS VICIOUSLY ATTACKED BECAUSE WE CAUTIONED REPUBLICANS ABOUT THE DANGERS of DISUNITY

01/29/2020
So we make the case that Republicans could actually beat Ben Ray Lujan for US Senate. What was the response? Vicious attacks. More vitriol than we have ever experienced. The divisive element in the party really does want to divide. They hate anyone urging their party to consider civility and unity.
 
(Now the divisive element within that party is trying to divide the GOP based on how many times the US Senate candidates have voted—but their claims don’t hold up—even if it were a legitimate issue.)
 
Our article, which made the case that Ben Ray Lujan can be beaten—IF Republicans could keep from attacking their own Senate candidates—was greeted with more vitriol than we have ever received—at least from the Right.
 
So-called “Republicans” (actually they are merely paid Twitter/Facebook “warriors” hired to attack) hit us harder than anyone has, with the possible exception of some BLM or Antifa supporters.
 
NOW THEY SAY IT’s VOTING HISTORY—You should choose candidates based on how many times they have voted in primaries. (We are not making this up.)
 
So, HERE is the VOTE HISTORY for the FIVE GOP Candidates for US Senate:
 
Candidate           Primaries     General Elections    Total Votes, Last 7 Elections
Gavin Clarkson       1 of 3                 1 of 4                       2
Elisa Martinez         1 of 3                 4 of 4                       5
Mick Rich                1 of 3                 1 of 4                       2
Mark Ronchetti        0 of 3                4 of 4                       4
Louie Sanchez        0 of 3                 2 of 4                       2
 
NONE of the Five US Senate Candidates Voted for Trump
 
A look at the voter history shows that NONE of the 5 GOP candidates “voted for Trump” in the 2016 primary. In fact, they didn’t vote for ANYONE! Why? Because none of them voted in the 2016 Primary at all.
 
LESSON for REPUBLICANS? We’ll say it again:
 
If the rank and file GOP voters really want to win, they will either ignore or “say no” to the organized dividers — including Eddy Aragon, John Block, Jeffrey Neil Girrard, Leticia Muñoz-Kaminski, and Vann Schaffner.
 
Just to inform readers, few of these individuals have voted in Republican primaries themselves—which is the very exact same “sin” they are using to try to “disqualify” all the GOP candidates. Their attacks just don’t make sense. How dumb can this approach be?
 
Aragon has NEVER voted in a single GOP primary, so he didn’t support Trump. Yet he attacks Republicans.
 
Girrard last voted in a primary in 2014, and did not vote for Trump in either the primary or the general election—even against Hillary Clinton. Yet he attacks Republicans.
 
Schaffner never voted in a Republican primary until 2018, so he did not vote for Trump for the nomination. Yet he attacks Republicans.
 
At least Muñoz has voted in 1 of the last 4 primaries.
 
Again, Republican voters can do as they please, we have no stake in it. But they would be foolish to let the Pied Pipers of Personal Vendettas to lead them in illogical, senseless crusades against themselves.
 
If they actually want to win they will work FOR their own candidates and NOT work AGAINST their fellow GOP opponents.

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Republican Party of New Mexico Continues to Break the Law. Formed Paid Twitter Group to Trash Particular Candidates. If Republicans want to win any elections, they should reject these kinds of Tactics.

01/28/2020
We are not a GOP website, and we don't have a dog in any of these fights. However, rank and file Republicans in New Mexico (just as their Democrat counterparts) have a right to know what the law is. And what is prohibited. 
 
PARTIES ARE FORBIDDEN TO DO THE KINDS OF THINGS THE STATE GOP IS DOING
 
Here is New Mexico State Law:
 
1-19-1. Campaign practices; primary election; expenditure of party money.

A. No contribution of money, or the equivalent thereof, made directly or indirectly to any political party, to any political party committee, to members of any political party committee or to any person representing or acting on behalf of a political party, and no money in the treasury of any political party or political party committee shall be expended directly or indirectly in the aid of the nomination at a primary election of any one or more persons as against any one or more other persons of the same political party running in such primary election.

B. Any person who expends money, or is responsible for the expenditure of money, in violation of this section is guilty of a petty misdemeanor.

History: 1953 Comp., § 3-19-1, enacted by Laws 1969, ch. 240, § 405.

We Have Learned that the State Republican Party Has Hired a Twitter Group

Our readership has learned that the Republican Party of New Mexico has put together a group of people with at least one paid "leader" named Vann Schaffner, to attack specific Republicans that the party leadership, Steve Pearce, Anissa Tinnin, and their Gang of 8 do not support, or who are running against candidates that the party "leadership" openly favors. 

We have noted before the party intervention in the CD 2 race, and now they are doing the same thing in the US Senate race. They are also messing in legislative primaries as well as the CD1 and CD3 primaries.

Participants in the scheme include Eddy Aragon, who has never voted in a Republican primary, but has said he would run for the US Senate, John Block who is apparently a puppet for Tinnin, and Twitter people such as Neil Girrard and Leticia Muñoz. 

Look, we don't care. You Republicans should do what you want. But you have a right to know. If we get information about the Democrats doing similar things we will make that known as well.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


New Mexico Senate Race 2020: Ben Ray Lujan is Beatable; If Republicans Have the Ability to Stop Attacking Their Own Candidates, They May have a Real Chance. Let’s Look at Lujan.

01/27/2020

Ben Ray Luján, the de facto Democratic Nominee

Lujan is a 47-year-old Congressman for Northern New Mexico with a notably undistinguished record in elective office. In fact, he only came to political office solely by virtue of his father’s fame, influence, and intervention.

In 2004, he won a four-way primary for Public Regulation Commission, and in 2008, he did it again, winning a six-way primary for Congress, beating a well-financed Donald Wiviott, 42-26. In both instances, his father, the then-Speaker of the House, pulled out all the stops and called in every chit to ensure that little Ben got the nomination.

He easily won CD 3 in the general election. He’s only had one highly serious Republican opponent, Thomas E Mullins in 2010. But the district is so heavily weighted toward the Democrats that even that election was decided by 14 points. Lujan has won all the others by a minimum of 23 points, usually 26, and he won the most recent contest by 32 points.

What is Ben Ray's background?

Ben Ray Luján was born in Santa Fe and attended schools in Pojoaque. His only civilian job was as a blackjack dealer at Lake Tahoe, NV, and then later at a northern New Mexico tribal casino. After his stint as a dealer, he attended the University of New Mexico for a spell, and 12 years later finally got a degree at New Mexico Highlands at age 35 while he was serving on the PRC.

(Of course, Ben's father was Speaker of the House, and New Mexico Highlands has always more or less been at the mercy of politics, but we digress.)

Meanwhile, his dad got him political appointments in the Office of the State Treasurer and at the Department of Cultural Affairs, before running interference for him in his PRC and Congressional primaries.

Why should he be Vulnerable?

Ben Ray has never run for office outside the highly gerrymandered PRC and Congressional seats in the north that tilt heavily to the Democrats.  He’s never really been tested at all—not in either of his daddy-aided primaries, and certainly not in any general election.  

In a state in which the oil and gas industry not only does all the heavy lifting for the state’s economy, but contributes more to the state budget than any other entity, Ben Ray makes a big deal of being a member of the Hispanic Green Caucus—which has taken its lead from the cock-eyed ideas of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Lujan does very little in the House, and his major role is following the Speaker around like a personal lapdog, jumping wildly to do her bidding rather than represent New Mexico.

Were it not for his father, who was holding more political chips than all New Mexico casinos combined, Ben Ray would almost certainly still be a black jack dealer at Cities of Gold or Buffalo Thunder Casino. Although it is certainly possible that he might have advanced to baccarat by now on his own skill.

(On the other hand, with the passing of his father in 2012, who was widely respected and very much admired in Democratic circles, it's certainly not out of the question that Ben Ray might well have been let go, or at best relegated to monitoring slot machines.) 

He is essentially a Hunter Biden-like creature, with no legitimate background or skills, except that he wanted his dad to help him get into politics rather than the private sector.   

Positions on Issues

In foreign policy, Lujan has been a strong supporter of the hare-brained Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which gave Iran $150 billion—not to mention the famous Obama delivery of nearly $2 billion in cash on pallets—and which threatens Israel, as well as Middle Eastern stability in general.

On domestic issues, Lujan is a conventional Leftist Democrat, with a 100% rating from Americans for Democratic Action, 89% from the ACLU, 97% from the radical union organizations, and 100% from the League of Conservation Voters—which takes radically anti-property rights positions supported by so-called enviros.

On social and cultural issues, he’s taken positions very strongly opposed to traditional values. He has a 0% rating from the Family Research Council, 8% from the Heritage Action for America, and 4% from the American Conservative Union. Regarding economic issues, he has received a 5% score from the Club for Growth.

Clearly, Ben Ray Lujan is positioned about as far to the Left as he can place himself. 

Republican Candidates

Thus far there are five declared candidates vying for the GOP nomination. All of them are very capable, each highly qualified in his or her own right.

Gavin Clarkson, a former professor at New Mexico State University, and the Republican nominee for Secretary of State two years ago. He also ran third the the GOP primary for CD 2.

Elisa Martinez, a member of the Navajo Nation, and Executive Director of the New Mexico Alliance for Life.

Mick Rich, a businessman in the building industry and the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate two years ago.

Mark Ronchetti, a former meteorologist at Albuquerque TV station KRQE.

Louie Sanchez, a businessman in the health care industry.

Any of the five, if he or she is sufficiently financed, has a real chance to defeat Lujan. “Sufficiently financed” is a very key element. The last two successful US Senate candidates in New Mexico raised $8.74 million and $6.30 million respectively.

It is unlikely that any of the Republicans can be successful unless he or she can at least “approach” those totals to some reasonable degree, say, perhaps, reaching at the very least a minimum of $5 million.

What Should Republicans Do?

Far be it from us to dictate, or even suggest what a major party should do. However, it seems that at the least the rank and file of the Grand Old Party will have to keep their powder dry and let the voters decide who their nominee will be.

At that point they will have to unite as never before, pushing aside all the naysayers that may be roving to and fro.

What Republicans Should NOT Do

One thing they absolutely cannot do is engage in the social media attacks currently being led by Twitter, Facebook, and email warriors employed, oddly, by the Republican Party of New Mexico.

In encouraging this kind destructive behavior, State Party chairman Steve Pearce and his Executive Director have not followed the legally required neutrality approach, which is also required by Republican Party rules.

Instead they are continuing to foment discontent and disunity, slamming local party chairs, expressing favoritism for preferred candidates, and encouraging their Facebook, Twitter, and radio allies to attack fellow Republicans.

This is a key point to understand: They are trying to tear down candidates behind whom the GOP would have to unite in the fall if they are to have a chance of success. 

These tactics just aren't smart at all. For example, if the Pearce-led forces are "successful" in destroying the reputations of individual candidates, they will have potentially fatally wounded whoever might end up being the GOP nominee for the general election.

So these tactics, led by a physician, a young blogger, a Rio Rancho perennial candidate, an "independent" radio guy—all very very angry sounding—and a number of other very angry men and women, just don't make sense.

We not only don’t believe this is a formula for success, frankly, we believe it is completely nutty.

If they really want to win, then regular, normal, rank-and-file Republicans should shun the negative people, avoid all these personal internecine battles, be very supportive of all of their primary candidates, and commit to getting behind the eventual nominees—for each and every office—and try to win in November.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


Governor Martinez will Speak to Bernalillo County Republican Party. How on Earth is this a "controversy"? It isn't. Trump campaign officials and other Candidates are of course going to Speak as well.

01/24/2020

Former Governor Susana Martinez has been invited to speak at the county convention. She did not ask to speak. She was invited to speak. It was a logical invitation. Martinez will talk about how important it is for all Republicans, especially in Bernalillo County, to work as hard as they can to re-elect President Donald J. Trump as well as all the other Republican candidates up and down the ballot.

How on earth, in the minds of any Republicans, is this in any way controversial?

Answer: It isn't. It's the opposite of controversial. It's a no-brainer. Martinez is the only statewide elected official in the history of the state to organize a unified effort to turn the state Republican.

She is the only statewide elected official to raise money—some $4 million—for the purpose of electing Republicans to the legislature and other offices. It was through her cooperative efforts at fundraising and messaging that the Republicans captured the State House of Representatives in 2014—and that was the first time that had been done in 60 years!

Why is Martinez, in particular, especially suited to talking about unity and winning elections? Because of what we just wrote. She is unique in that respect.

Politicians are notoriously self-protecting and self-centered, focusing only on their own political races and on protecting themselves. For all of his success, winning six terms, Pete Domenici never did the kind of unifying and cooperative spending that Martinez did. No one has. Not Bruce King for his party. Not Jeff Bingaman. Not Bill Richardson. No one. 

There is nothing at all controversial about having Martinez speak ANYWHERE to any Republican group. 

We have no idea why there is a coordinated effort by the Republican Party of New Mexico and the minions and disciples of divisive people like Anissa Tinnin and Steve Pearce to viciously attack both Martinez and the volunteer Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Bernalillo County, Julie McIntyre Wright. 

None of it makes any sense. 

The Pearce/Tinnin/Block/Aragon crowd are even spreading the lie that the Trump campaign people will not be allowed to speak. But, again, that is a lie. They are going to speak.

Immaturity and Stolen E-mails

It is our understanding that in this whole process there was a stolen email involved. One in which an exasperated and harrassed Bernalillo County party official who had gotten angry at the way he was being treated, lashed out that some unnamed people.

He did write: "After all their shenanigans and ridiculous behavior, including taking credit for things they didn't do..trying to steal (and kick us out of) the office"..."harassing Julie by accusing her of being disloyal to the president,"...and "acting literally like nazis..."

He did not say that anyone was a "Nazi." He said they "acted" like it. In the same vein as the famous Soup Nazi. 

What would a mature party leader and party leadership do?

They might call or talk to people to try to reach an understanding or an accommodation of some sort. Just calm people down.

But what did Steve Pearce and Anissa Tinnin do?

They went public with all of it. Publishing rebukes and accusations and repeating stuff. 

Folks, that is not what mature, calm, thoughtful, intelligent party leaders—or any kind of leaders—actually do. It just isn't.

Tinnin is highly suspect in this whole thing as she has massive experience in stolen emails. It may be her forte.

Why Pearce believes in stolen email and these kinds of nonsensical actions are beyond us. We have no idea. 

FACTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO CONSUME

  • Susana Martinez was invited to speak by a hard-working volunteer party chair. That is logical and sensible.
  • Martinez has only one message: Unity and hard-work for Trump and the entire Republican slate.
  • Tinnin and Pearce raised a tempest in a teapot to public view. That is very dumb.
  • Wannabe politicos Eddy Aragon and John Block both piled on, apparently hired or encouraged to perpetuate division.

Eddy Aragon attempted to run for Albuquerque City Council in 2017 as an independent (he's been in multiple parties); did not file proper paperwork, nor accurate reports of fundraising, got into shouting matches over it, filed a false police report, and ultimately dropped out of the race (he was never competent enough to actually get in). He also is continuously making noise about running for the US Senate.

John Block worked for Democrat Tim Keller during the 2017 Albuquerque mayoral race. He also interned for Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich. So he has converted, and that is fine. (As Catholics say, "there's no one more zealous than a convert.") But it is a bit rich for him to lecture to anyone about the "purity" or longevity of their Republican commitment. 

Bottom Line

If Republicans want to be successful, they have to realize that they either need to stop listening to the divisive messages constantly being preached by Pearce, Tinnin, the Gang of 8, and the Galassini Cult in Alamogordo.

Their only hope is unity and hard work at the local grassroots level, ignoring the social media attacks that the state party and their allies constantly produce to try to discredit Republicans they don't approve of.

The state party needs to get out of the business of :

  • Attacking fellow Republicans
  • Choosing favorite candidates in legislative races
  • Trying to force candidates to hire particular consultants or staff (with the threat of recruiting a primary opponent)
  • Stealing emails (for heaven's sake, this has to finally stop!)
  • Choosing favorite candidates in congressional races
  • Attacking Republicans for not being among the 25-30% of primary voters who initially supported Trump
  • Trying to discourage millions of Republicans who didn't vote for Trump in the primary, but DID SUPPORT him in the General Election

All of these things are not only divisive, they are downright stupid.

Republicans must change these approaches—PROVIDED they are serioius about winning.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


State Republican Party, Pearce, Galassini-Tinnin, a Radio Talk Show Host and their Misguided Allies CONTINUE to Divide the GOP rather than Uniting it. That's a formula for Democrat Success.

01/23/2020

We cannot understand why the "leadership" of the Republican Party of New Mexico continues to work as hard as they can to divide the New Mexico GOP. The end-of-year voter registration showed that Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state by nearly 200,000 voters (579,409 Democrats, 384,937 Republicans).

Add to that an enormous number of Decline-to-State voters, 285,111 to be exact—a huge percentage of which registered that way when they signed up for some form of government assistance—and you have a situation in which Republican candidates must face a highly unfavorable electorate.

So it is bizarre that state party officials Steve Pearce and Anissa Galassini Ford Tinnin, along with erstwhile "Republican" radio show host Eddy Aragon* (who has also been a Libertarian, independent, and who knows what all) and various other divisive minions on social media have set their sights on Republicans.

If their goal is to win elections, and if they're going to take aim at anyone, it should be Democrats. 

Susana Martinez—Her Remarkable Record is Largely Unknown to New Mexicans 

That's what 8 years of Criticism by the Gang of 8 and the Galassini Cult will Get You

It is an irony of ironies that none of the RPNM people and their toadies can stop vilifying Susana Martinez, the only governor they actually criticize, and whom they have attacked nonstop for eight years.

Largely because of propagandizing by Pearce, Tinnin, Aragon, and the Galassini Cult based in Alamogordo, almost no New Mexicans even know that Martinez was rated as the most successful governor in the US—the only governor in 2018 to receive an A+ from the CATO Institute, a fiscal watchdog group. Yes, Martinez left the state with an all-time record surplus of $2.2 billion a Martinez 

Inviting an ex-Governor to Speak is a Crime?—And NO, She is not and Never was a "Never Trumper"

Aragon has spent days attacking the Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Bernalillo County, Judith McIntyre Wright, for having the temerity to invite Susana Martinez to speak at an event. He did so apparently at the behest of Pearce and Tinnin. Why? Because they continue to hate her—for no reason other than childishness. 

Aragon claims that Martinez can never be allowed to speak at any event because, he says, she is a "Never-Trumper." But he is lying. And we wonder why. But the reality is that she never has been any such thing. We spoke directly with the former governor, and here is what she said:

"I voted for Trump. There is no way I was ever going to vote for Hillary Clinton or Gary Johnson. Were there were moments when I wished Trump had used language that was different from what he used? Of course. But that puts me in the same category as approximately 30,000,000 other Republicans. 

Sure there are times I wish he wouldn't say or text certain things. So what? That doesn't make me a "Never Trumper. I am in complete support of his policies, from national security to border security—which is much the same thing—and all across the board, to his ensuring that our law enforcement officers are safe and many other things. He has delivered and I strongly support his re-election. It is ridiculous for anyone to claim that I am a 'Never Trumper.'"

Phony, Made-up Issues

A number of party volunteers and stalwarts, including county chairs, are pushing back against the "Us against Them" mentality of the Pearce-ite party officials. The RPNM has been playing favorites, helping preferred candidates, pushing narratives that try to harm candidates that are not necessarily in their little clique. 

If the Republican Party says you can't be a candidate or you can't be a Republican unless you were on the escalator with Trump when he announced, then they are disqualifying more than 70% of the present membership of the GOP. Trump only got 25-30% of the vote in his early primaries. And in the final analysis, more than 55% of Republicans supported someone other than Trump in the nomination process.

That includes party favorite Yvette Herrell who was part of the Ted Cruz team early on. It also includes Eddy Aragon too, who was also for Cruz. It also includes Pearce, who was very unhappy with Trump from time to time in the early going. 

Bottom Line: The Republican Party "leadership" needs to clean up their act, get over their constant airing of grievances, and concentrate on growing the party, not shrinking it.

Either that or get out of the way. 


* NOTE: According to ratings providers, his show has fewer than 150 listeners. Also, Aragon has announced as a US Senate candidate, so he may be in trouble with the FEC for his antics.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


ELIZABETH WARREN: Still on a Glide Path to Crash

01/20/2020

It certainly appeared to us that Elizabeth Warren very carefully planned her little confrontation with Bernie, ensuring that there were open mikes. Her purpose was:

1) damaging Bernie’s overall image as “woke,” but especially among women; and
2) conveying the idea that she is a “strong” leader.

However, the skit, though rehearsed and scripted, had the semi-comical effect of inadvertently reminding everyone of her own numerous fibs. This no doubt surprised her staff. (We wonder whose head rolled for having thought up the ploy. But we digress.)

We predicted 15 months ago that Warren would not be the nominee—and we’ve received quite a bit of pushback on that because of all of her #1 poll standings at various times. But we stand by that prediction, made in October 2018.

NO BIDEN EITHER

We also predicted, 8 months ago, that Biden will not be the nominee. We’ve taken grief for that as well, but it’s still our position. We also said that as the Iowa Caucuses approach the others will abruptly stop “playing nice” with Joe.

Democrat pundits always said “there’s a trade-off between 1) going negative on Joe in order to win, and 2) damaging your party’s general election nominee in the process.” Despite their admonition, we predicted option 1 would be the ultimate choice. We think you’re now seeing that play out. (And it’s possible that something in the impeachment process may yet do immediate permanent damage to Biden.)

BERNIE

When we took the position that Bernie would not be harmed by his heart attacks, we got the most pushback of all. Everyone told us “he’s done.” Our view was, and remains, that Bernie has the largest—and most loyal—actual following and base of support in the race.

Several months ago, we took the position that the nominee would be either Bernie or someone who may emerge from the field—possibly a Yang, Klobuchar, or a Gabbard—or someone we didn’t know about. Though we discounted Buttigieg’s chances for various reasons. Now it is looking as though Bloomberg may be a very real possibility. Gabbard is vilified and has not qualified for the debates. Steyer doesn’t seem to have it.

UPDATED ODDS

Bernie: 4-1
Klobuchar: 20-1
Bloomberg: 10-1
Yang: 15-1
Gabbard: 30-1
Buttigieg: 50-1
Steyer: 40-1
Biden: No Line
Warren: No Line


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


The ERA Question: An Opportunity for a Perfect Illustration of the Differences between “liberal” and “conservative” jurisprudence.

01/19/2020

Friday it was announced that the Virginia Legislature voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. In so doing, it became the 38th state to approve the amendment. Virginia’s action is alleged to mean that the long-awaited ERA has finally satisfied the Constitutional provision that requires that ¾ ths of the states must ratify an amendment for it to be adopted.

We Doubt It However

However, there is a glitch. When Congress passed the amendment and sent it to the states, in 1972, it included a clause requiring that the states must ratify the resolution within seven years from that date. That period lasted from 1972 to 1979—without the necessary 38 states approving it. So Congress then granted it a controversial three-year extension—but 1982 came and went and it still wasn’t ratified.

Now, nearly 38 years after the last deadline passed, Virginia claims to be the decisive 38th state. You can see the controversy immediately. Proponents claim that the deadline clause is somehow "unconstitutional." We don't see how that can be reasoned.

It is true that most constitutional amendments have not had "deadlines" for ratification. However, four of them do. The 18th Amendment (Prohibition) was the first to have the "seven-year deadline" tacked on. Apparently, Congress believed that the temperance movement was eventually going to die out and the enthusiasm for prohibition would fade in a few years. It didn't, as we all know.

The 20th Amendment (Dates of presidential and congressional terms; inauguration) also had the deadline added on, And the 21st Amendment (Repealing Prohibition) contained the deadline—with Congress probably hoping the states would be encouraged to hurry up. The ill-advised 22nd Amendment (Two-term presidential limit) was the last to contain the seven-year clause.

But there's more: Even if you believe there is somehow something "improper" with there being a deadline, there's the additional issue that has arisen because five states have repealed their own ratification of the ERA. Are those states' actions allowable?

Or does a state get only one shot at deciding on constitutional amendments: Up or Down?, One time? If that is the case, then why have states taken several votes before ratifying certain amendments? Is ratification a one-way street: You get to try to approve an amendment as many times as you want to, getting second chance after second chance—or third or fourth chance;  BUT, you don't ever get a second chance NOT to ratify. 

In other words, proponents get unlimited chances, while opponents get only one. Seems an odd concept. Yet some people insist that's the way it should be.

Many Believe the ERA Issue will End up in the Supreme Court

For all the reasons discussed above, we aren't sure this will make it to SCOTUS. There does not appear to be a valid case. It seems that proponents of the Equal Rights Amendment should have to start all over. And maybe this time ensure that there is no time-limit clause.

But if the Case were to Reach the Court, How Would Justices Rule?

A case like this one will present a classic example of the difference between so-called "conservative" and "liberal" justices and their approach to the law.

The Liberals

Because they strongly favor the ERA, four of the justices (Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan) would all vote (and we use "vote" because they do see themselves as having a legislative function) in favor of saying that the ERA has been ratified.   

1) They would say that the time-limit is somehow disallowed (they'd come up with some reasoning, regardless of how tortured it may be) and:

2) They would use the same approach to "reason" that no state can "rescind" its ratification. 

Again, they would do this not because the law actually says they must, but because THEY FAVOR the policy—a certain outcome of the controversy. They would not be reaching their decision based on the black letter reading of the legislation in question, or based on perfectly constitutional and proper actions taken by legislatures.

They can't. The laws, the proposals, and the resolutions don't say what they want them to say. Likewise, the actions of the states are not what they want to see either. But it's important to understand that judicial liberalism means enacting what you want to see adopted as public policy by means of court rulings. They will agree with the Virginia Legislature. Why? Because they want to. 

The Conservatives

Among the five conservatives, one or two of them, perhaps all of them, may also favor the ERA, believing it to be good public policy. Or some or all of them may have their doubts. We don't know. However, the rationale for their ruling will be very different from that of the liberals.

If they are judicial conservatives, they will rule that the time limit has expired. Why? Because it has expired. They will acknowledge that it's up to Congress to propose the amendments, not the courts. And the Congress can write the resolutions any way they desire. 

Bottom Line

The four liberals will try to overcome any obstacles that may exist in order to get to an outcome they want to see—the adoption of the ERA.

The five conservatives, assuming they are jurisprudential conservatives, will follow the actual law as written, and rule against efforts to circumvent legal, prescribed deadlines. 

The differences between judicial conservatives and liberals are not based on public policy preferences, but rather how they approach the questions. "What does the law say?" As opposed to "What do I want to see happen?"


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


THIS JUST IN: Governor Groin-Grabber is Far From Being Out of the Woods. Hallinan's Law Firm Weighs In.

01/16/2020

Apparently, Governor Grisham made some pointed remarks today about James Hallinan, her former staffer who made very specific allegations of sexual assault and abuse against Grisham. NMPJ broke that story, publishing Hallinan's detailed accusations on December 26.

HERE IS A STATEMENT GRISHAM APPARENTLY ISSUED TODAY, ATTACKING HALLINAN

(Although the wording or syntax, apparently either drafted by the Governor's staff, or spoken by Grisham, is sketchy):

"It’s unfair to victims. It’s completely false.  There are real victims every single day and in this poisonous climate that’s what happens, right? that they use these things and they hide from real things do happen. I hope he gets help, but I’m proud of who I am, what I stand for and what we are going to get done.

HALLINAN ISSUES THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IN RESPONSE

I have issued the following statement:

"Governor Lujan Grisham’s comments are inappropriate and damaging, only serving to revictimize Mr. Hallinan and countless other victims.

"We look forward to a court’s assessment of who the 'real victims' are and who truly seeks to 'hide' from the 'real things' they have perpetrated against employees and associates over the years.

"We are hopeful that other victims will come forward to further expose the truth."  

          – Rachel Berlin Benjamin, lead legal counsel for James Hallinan     

    Buckley Beal, LLP, 600 Peach Street N. E., Suite 900, Atlanta, Georgia, 30308

WE ARE NOT SURE, BUT IT APPEARS THAT HALLINAN HAS A HIGH-POWERED LAW FIRM

(If that's the case, Governor Groin-Grabber may not be out of the woods so quickly—or as quickly as she thinks...)

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


GOVERNOR GROIN-GRABBER UPDATE, FOLLOW-UP and ANALYSIS; NMPJ BREAKS THE BIGGEST STORY OF THE YEAR: Governor Groin-Grabber Exposed by her own Campaign Staff; We Shamed the Mainstream Media into Finally Covering It. (You’re Welcome, by the way); ANATOMY of a STORY: State Republican Party Confused, Silent; The Galassini Cult Misses the Point Entirely; Republicans Continue Without Leadership; Meanwhile Thousands of Republicans, Independents, and even Democrats DO Get the Point.

01/14/2020

19 days ago, at 1:07 PM on Thursday, 26 December, we broke the story of James Hallinan’s first-hand, personally-delivered report stating that Governor Grisham grabbed him in the groin in front of witnesses. Since then, the story has been read on our sites nearly 50,000 times:

                10,659 on our website (www.newmexicopoliticaljournal.com

                13,482 on our Twitter handle (@NMPolJournal)

                25,197 on our Facebook page (@NMPoliticalJournal)

For a grand total of 49,338 readers.

 

We called out both the Mainstream Media as well as the four leading Democrat social media blog sites. “Why are we the only ones covering this story?”

The answer, unfortunately, was one that comes under the familiar title “Only in New Mexico.” That is to say: because it involves not only the state’s leading Democrat, but a progressive Democrat, the media did not know whether to poop in their pants, go blind, or look around for any other possible option. There was clear panic in the newsrooms.

But not just in the newsrooms. The Republican Party of New Mexico did not know what to do or say, and still doesn’t. The same goes for the Galassini Cult—a group centered in Alamogordo which has effectively destroyed the Republican Party of Otero County—and is the de facto controlling element of the RPNM. More on those two later.

Suffice it to say that the Republican Party should be all over this story. Demanding answers, keeping it in the public eye, insisting on the same kind of coverage that would occur if the alleged perpetrator were a Republican.

Can you imagine the wall-to-wall coverage this story would have been having for the past 19 days if Susana Martinez were the alleged perp? No. Don’t bother. You cannot even begin to imagine the level and intensity of media sensation that would surround us.

Missing the Point: The Story is not now and Never Has Never Been About the Provable Guilt or Innocence of Grisham: But the Hypocrisy of So Many—Including the Mainstream Media, the #MeToo Movement, and the Established Democrat Party

A Local TV Station

After breaking the story and calling out the media, we got this from a KOAT-TV reporter:

“James Hallinan posted these on social media moments before leaving the country for vacation, and as he mentioned, he has declined media interviews.

"Without an interview or a criminal complaint/lawsuit filed, it would be irresponsible for any journalist to run with this…If Hallinan agrees to do interviews, and any similar incidents are corroborated, I assure you this will get plenty of media attention….”
 

Our response was, essentially: what part of Journalism 101 did KOAT not understand? Hallinan DID do an interview. And the KOAT reporter read it—that’s how he knew that his station and all the other TV stations and other media were being called out.

“Hallinan did a first-hand, on-the-record interview. He also posted tweets that are, by definition, first-hand, on-the-record statements. There is no denying that.

We asked the reporter:

“Did KOAT interview the Kavanaugh accuser? Answer: No, you didn’t.”

 “Did [the accuser in that case] file a lawsuit? Answer: No. She did not.”

 “Did she go to the police? Answer: No. She did not.”

But:

  “Did KOAT run the story? Answer: Yes. You did. Many of them.”

Corroborated? Corroborated? Whoa! When did the media EVER ask for a Kavanaugh story—or countless others—be “corroborated” prior to begin covering the story? You’re right if your answer is “NEVER.”

The reporter got angry and sent several more emails he probably regrets.

The station eventually covered the story without:

  •     A police report
  •     A lawsuit
  •     Any "corroboration" by anyone

Better to be shamed into covering the story than not to cover it ever.

A Local Albuquerque FM “Talk Radio” Station (which claims to be “libertarian” or “Conservative”

[NOTE: This station is not at all like KKOB, which is the established 50,000-watt talk radio leader in New Mexico. Instead, this station broadcasts with only 250 watts of power and has an estimated audience of fewer than 150 listeners.]

Here is what the station manager/owner had to say about the Hallinan-Grisham Story:

"This is not a story”…“Sorry folks…I smell BS…PAY NO ATTENTION TO THIS!”

“It has to be corroborated…” Has he gone to law enforcement? Does he have an attorney?

“As much as I would like to cover this and wouldn’t mind this being true, he’s going to need a lawyer and a criminal report before his claim can be legitimized.

"There’s no one to corroborate his claims…If he actually contacts law enforcement then we can “play ball” folks! Let’s see                what happens."

We have to tell you—because intelligent voters, Republican or Democrat would not believe it otherwise—that we are not making this up.

Normally, given the extremely tiny “reach” of this station, we wouldn’t pay that much attention. But several readers sent us these bizarre, unintelligible comments, and other comments on Facebook.

We decided to include these comments only because the station—despite its irrelevance—has a close relationship with the RPNM. In fact, we are told that Steve Pearce actually PAYS the station to have his own show taped and broadcast on Saturdays. (The radio station operator also claims to be ready to announce his own run for the US Senate.)

To Sum it Up

The Hallinan report, which we believe is far from over, is about hypocrisy. The Weinstein trial is ongoing. Hypocrisy and double standards abound.

Yet, the only elected official or candidate the Republican Party of New Mexico and all its divisive allied "But-Boys" ("we can't cover this, but...we can't register voters, but...we can't win any elections, but....we can't manage a message, but...we can't organize any campaign at all, but...") have ever seen fit to criticize is…wait for it…Susana Martinez. (All apparently because of personal, petty feuds cooked up by Pearce, Harvey Yates, among others.)

Martinez, by the way, left the state with a $2.2 billion surplus and is the only governor in America to receive an A+ rating from the CATO Institute—in recognition of her fiscal leadership, numerous vetoes to reduce government spending or stop unnecessary spending proposals, and her vetoes of ALL proposals to raise taxes or fees.

She left office as the highest-rated governor in the country. Yet, the Gang of 8, which currently runs Republican headquarters, fought her and criticized her every step of the way for eight solid years. A truly amazing and ridiculous story.

(The same goes for their allies in the Galassini Cult of Alamogordo which has destroyed the Republican Party of Otero County. But more on that ongoing soap opera in a later edition.)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Mark Ronchetti Enters US Senate Race: The Entry Appears to Bring a Spark to a Race with Little Excitement to this Point

01/07/2020

Clearly not wanting to interfere with the massive statewide celebrations of New Mexico's 108th Birthday, Albuquerque meteorologist Mark Ronchetti waited till the morning of January 7 to announce his candidacy for the US Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Tom Udall.

Ronchetti will compete for the Republican nomination in the primary which will take place on June 2. Already in the GOP race are Gavin Clarkson, Mick Rich, Elisa Martinez, and Louis Sánchez, who just entered the race. None, so far, has sparked the level of excitement that Ronchetti's announcement has immediately received.

A Late Entry—But There are Reasons Ronchetti is an Intriguing Option

In reviewing US Senate races over the past several decades, it is difficult to find a serious major party candidate announcing his or her candidacy at this late a date—fewer than five months from the date of a primary. However, we see Ronchetti as an intriguing candidate for several reasons:

1) Bernalillo County. The state's largest county has been migrating leftward for some 30 years, and increasingly so over the past decade. It hasn't voted for a Republican presidential nominee since 1988, though Republicans continued to carry the county in some off-year statewide races through the years.

But Ronchetti has been a very popular local fixture on KRQE-TV for 13 years. And there is precedent for a very well-known local Albuquerque Republican to do well and buck the trend. The most recent example is in 2016, when Bernalillo County District Court Judge Judith Nakamura, running in a presidential year, carried the county by more than 24,000 votes on her way to winning a seat on the Supreme Court.

She did so even though Trump was losing the county by yearly 49,000, an amazing swing of some 73,000 votes. Ronchetti almost certainly has even higher name recognition than Nakamura.

2) Ronchetti is an outsider. In fact, he's so much an outsider that he's an outsider's outsider. With a completely fresh start, not coming from politics at all, and having never run for office, he can bring what well may be seen as a fresh voice, an non-politician's perspective.

3) He has the potential to unite all forces in the Republican Party, as well as independents and non-Hard Left Democrats. We have heard rumors/speculation that Ronchetti's team—perhaps meaning key supporters, or those willing to endorse or get deeply involved (we're not sure)—may well include folks from disparate wings, so to speak, of the Republican Party.

He may have prominent support from those who have supported current and previous GOP primary opponents. In other words, Ronchetti may have the backing of some who support CD 2 candidate Yvette Herrell as well as supporters of her opponent Claire Chase. He may also be backed by Susana Martinez supporters as well as those who supported her first primary opponent Allen Weh. 

4) He will be a hard target. We all know and lament the extreme negativity that seems to permeate the airwaves in every single political campaign these days, from local school board races all the way to President of the United States.

The bulk of the ammunition used in such attacks comes from the voting records or public statements made on the campaign trail in previous races. People who have been in political office have taken tough votes or have worked to enact ordinances on a city council or county commission, or they have sponsored bills in the legislature.

All of those actions provide rationales for negative attacks, often unfair, but attacks nonetheless. Ronchetti has none of that ready-made baggage.

Of course that doesn't mean he won't be attacked—he will be. But the attacks are likely to based on trivial or contrived matters, which will in turn likely make him a more sympathetic figure than most political candidates. Opponents will have to be very careful so as to not have their attacks backfire.

Ronchetti's Statements

"Like all New Mexicans, I want my kids to grow up in an America where opportunities are created right here in New Mexico—where the American dream is as strong today as it’s ever been. I’m concerned that Washington is standing in the way of that bright future."

“Sadly, politicians like Congressman Ben Ray Lujàn are focused more on fighting one another than fighting for us—and that’s why I couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore.” 

“New Mexicans are fed up with the petty partisan politics that has gotten in the way of progress for New Mexicans.”

“Hatred for your political opponents can never be stronger than your love of New Mexico—when it is, nobody wins. When partisanship is all that matters, it’s the people that get left behind—I will always put New Mexicans first.” 

Ronchetti describes himself as "a political outsider" who has worked in television news for more than 23 years. He is a pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment conservative Republican who believes in low taxes and that government’s number one job should be to protect freedom and liberty and keep our families safe.

He is the grandson of immigrants who says that his family "has impressed on him the importance of serving one’s community, and that the promise of the American Dream is what makes the United States a truly great and unique country."

He states that he will take a "pragmatic, outsider perspective to Washington" and "always prioritize the future of New Mexico families—and the protection of the American Dream for every child—above all else."

His Campaign Goes on to Say

"New Mexico deserves a senator who has not been part of the problem in Washington, but a senator who will represent true New Mexican values.

Mark will be New Mexicans’ voice in the nation’s capital, where he will work to preserve and grow New Mexico’s role at the forefront of our national defense, secure our southern border, and bring much-needed federal help toward the daily fight against crime. He is ready to bring new leadership to Washington."

Ronchetti is 46, lives in Albuquerque, where he and his wife, Krysty, are raising two young daughters. They say they are "proud New Mexicans who want their children to be able to chase and realize their boldest dreams—right here, at home."

The Bernalillo County Factor: It Cannot be Overstated

In thinking about the decision that Republican primary voters will have to make, we have to return to the concept of the popular local Albuquerquean. Overcoming the devastating results that Bernalillo County has produced for the GOP is a consideration that simply has to be made.

Long gone are the days, 35 years ago when the county went for Ronald Reagan by 37,000 votes, leading to a statewide margin of 106,000.

Despite supporting the local builder Gary Johnson twice in off-year elections, by the turn of the century, Albuquerque had drifted far enough Left to produce a 4,000 vote margin for Al Gore, as the state ended up in a virtual tie, with Gore winning the state by only 366 votes.

Then four years later, in 2004, an all-out, unprecedented Get-out-the-Vote campaign by both parties drove up Bernalillo County turnout by over 24% in just one presidential election cycle, as more than 257,000 Albuquerqueans voted in 2004, compared to 206,000 in 2000.

That same GOTV push was being made all over the state as statewide turnout surged by 28%. President Bush carried the state by 5,988 votes, but John Kerry prevailed in Bernalillo County by 10,800. 

The weak candidacy of John McCain led to a landslide by Obama in 2008, as he swept Bernco 171,556 to 110,521, a county presidential record margin of 61,000 votes. in 2012, Romney fared somewhat better, losing by "only" 44,000 votes.

But in 2016, there were a couple of mixed messages: 1) Trump saw the GOP margin of defeat climb back to nearly 49,000 in the presidential race, while 2) Nakamura—the popular local—reversed those numbers, carrying the county by over 24,000 votes. Elsewhere in the state, she led by only a little over  6,000, giving her a margin of victory of 30,500 statewide in an otherwise disastrous year for the Republican Party.

Hope for the GOP. Concern Among Democrats

Again, no one knows the thinking behind any of the candidacies or campaigns that have been launched. We can only speculate—e.g. Ben Ray Lujan wants to move up from the House, etc. And we haven't spoken with any of the other candidates in weeks or months, and we've never spoken with Ronchetti.

However, in thinking about Ronchetti's image, and looking at the Bernalillo County voting dynamics and its impact on New Mexico elections, we can see how it's not unreasonable that New Mexico Republicans may very well become very enthusiastic about a Ronchetti run for the US Senate. There is a lot to consider in the numbers that can make Ronchetti a potential game-changer. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


CD-3 REPUBLICAN HOPEFUL TAKES ISSUE with RPNM LEADERSHIP

01/05/2020

Alexis Johnson is one of seven Republican candidates vying for the GOP nomination in the open northern NM congressional district being vacated by Democrat Ben Ray Lujan.

This afternoon she issued a press release titled:

“A Return to Traditional, New Mexican Family Values.” “Alexis Johnson to Steve Pearce: I am not just ‘Another Minority Female.”

She says her goal is “to make clear the difference between myself, as the voice of conservatives in New Mexico, and Steve Pearce's outdated brand of Republicanism which has cost Republicans elections.”

Johnson goes on to say that:

“In December 2019, I sent NM State GOP Chairman Steve Pearce an email voicing my private concerns regarding messaging...by the NM State GOP.”

She said she had decided to address her concerns privately, but today had received a response in which Pearce included an attachment of a Facebook screenshot with the explanation from Pearce that:

“I will send along a post from another minority female in the same race.”

Johnson believes Pearce’s post indicated that the RPNM had—yet again—picked their own favorite in a congressional race.

TAKING SIDES in PRIMARIES

It is against party rules for the RPNM to take sides in primaries. A number of candidates for various offices are upset that the RPNM has already indicated their preference in CD2—taking their place alongside the 2018 general election loser, Yvette Herrell.

They have also alleged that RPNM officials have tried to direct legislative and congressional candidates to hire campaign staff allied with those same RPNM officials.

Johnson appears to be annoyed that Pearce and the state GOP, as she describes it,

“view me in some type of box and only as another minority female.”

Johnson went on to say that she is:

“a proud American, wife, mother and engineer. I represent the New Mexican who believes in the sanctity of life of the unborn, the right to bear arms, one who is proud to work, and to raise children in a great economy with low unemployment and a focus on the best education for our children.

“I understand what it requires, and I have what it takes, for a conservative to win the 2020 elections in New Mexico.

“My campaign is about conservative values, which are New Mexican Values.

“My platform is not identity politics.”


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


OBAMA v. TRUMP: YET ANOTHER KEY DIFFERENCE

01/04/2020

Fairly well illustrated in these photographs.

This is another consideration for voters as America heads into 2020. Trump, if anything, has been far LESS interventionist than his predecessors. Yet, he has shown that he can and will take decisive action when required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


JULIÁN CASTRO QUITS: Democrats and Media Beat Themselves Up—Yet Again!—We are racists and we can't stop ourselves!

01/03/2020

Leading Democrats and their (de facto) campaign managers in the mainstream media took to the airwaves yesterday to bemoan the creepy, unrelenting, inexplicable racism that persists within their own ranks.

NBC's Andrea Mitchell led the self-loathing discussion, clearly recognizing the Democratic Party's traditional association with racism, the Klan, Jim Crow, and segregation, almost tearfully declaring:

"as of now there are going to be five white candidates on the next debate stage."

Mitchell, who became famous last April for having assumed that Castro was Cuban because his last name is, well...Castro, simply had no words to describe her despair.

The painfully non-introspective Mitchell droned on about the lack of diversity within the ranks of the Democrat contenders, ignoring the fact that all of them express virtually identical views on all the issues being pushed by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Castro, for his part, had contributed one of the more bizarre policy positions in recent centuries—when in a debate in June he became the first candidate in any party to ardently and vociferously insist on "abortion rights for transgender women."

When informed after the debate that transgender women are actually biologically male, have no ovaries, and cannot become pregnant, Castro angrily declared that he would "look into it." Following this "controversial" policy initiative, Castro's campaign, which had never exactly surged, went either downhill or remained the same. It was difficult for analysts to determine which. In any case, he's done now.

One additional note: Castro tried desperately to base his campaign on identity politics, effectively shouting "I'm Hispanic, I'm Hispanic, I'm Hispanic" over and over again—entirely oblivious to the obvious racism inherent in identity politics (but then, the entire Democrat Party is also oblivious to it).

However, Castro—just like the now-forgotten "Beto" and the currently forgotten Cory Booker—could NOT actually speak Spanish. He spoke Spanish like some Gringo tourist who just got off a plane somewhere, talking like Steve Martin:

"doan day ess tah el bahn yo?"

In short, he was hilarious. And he will be missed.

[NOTE: This is NOT a parody, even though it sounds like one.]


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


BOILING IT DOWN

01/02/2020

“This is very simple: General Soleimani is dead because he was an evil bastard who murdered Americans.

“The President made the brave and right call, and Americans should be proud of our service members who got the job done.”

—Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska

 

 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


2020: Put an End to Anti-Semitism in America

01/01/2020

America must resolve in #2020 to stop the kinds of #AntiSemitic attacks shown in this video https://twitter.com/i/status/1211798042027970560 and carried out by the #Left’s #AntifaDomesticTerrorists, #BLM thugs, and others inspired by the Democratic Party. We must stand up to the Democrats' promotion of #BDS — Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions — all aimed at Israel. 

And we must call out the college professors and lecturers, as well as even high school teachers who are indoctrinating the ignorant oncoming generations to be anti-Israel.

We must also call out their leaders in their racism and antisemitism: Leaders such as Ilhan Omar, a Democrat Congresswoman from Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat Congresswoman from Illinois, Al Sharpton, a Democrat Party stooge, fraud, and con artist from New York, and Minister Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam and also a con artist extraordinaire.

Call Out Those Who Tolerate Them

Hold them to account. It is bizarre the extent to which neither the Democrat Party nor any talking head in the Mainstream Media will condemn any of the most virulent antisemitic acts or attacks carried out by any of these people.

As Massachusetts voter Josh Eibelman has written to his Congressional Representative, Ayanna Pressley:

"... I have become increasingly disappointed and concerned about your silence with regards to Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Omar and Tlaib, members of the “Squad” which you are proudly part of, have in the past engaged in anti-Semitic rhetoric. They have also slandered and defamed the world’s only Jewish state. So I was concerned about your membership in “the Squad.” But I became more hopeful when I learned you supported the bill condemning the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

But I expected you to condemn the anti-Semitic rhetoric your “sisters” are spouting. I thought you would call out Miftah for its vile Jew-hatred. I hoped you would reaffirm the shared values of democracy and freedom that the United States and Israel stand for...

Instead, your statement made you a bystander to the hate and ill-will Congresswomen Omar and Tlaib have for Israel — and for Jews.

... you wrote, “Congresswomen Omar and Tlaib are my dear friends, my sisters in service and hardworking Americans who have been subject to some of the most vile and vicious attacks simply for being who they are.”

Congresswoman Pressley: Members of The Squad, which you so proudly represent, are dealing a grave injustice to American Jewry. You have a moral obligation to stand up for your Jewish brothers and sisters, especially those in your District. We are pained by your silence, and willful ignorance of the vile rhetoric propagated by your “sisters in service.”

As an American, I am shocked by your silence, and as a Jew, I am outraged by it. And as a voting constituent, I hope you will find your voice."

We noted the Democratic Party's dangerous-looking moves toward antisemitism some 25-30 years ago in its party leaders' refusal or reluctance to condemn people like Sharpton. Since then, the Democrats' media organs have, most bizarrely, given Sharpton his own platform on their flagship media outlet. 

Over the past decade or so, the drift toward antisemitism among the Democrat faithful has turned into a flood.

2020 should be a year in which it is confronted by decent Americans throughout the country. 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


BIDEN ATTACKED TEXAS GOVERNOR for SIGNING the very LAW that SAVED an ENTIRE CONGREGATION.

12/29/2019

Another blunder for doofus ole Joe. Where would America be without him? Read it hear: https://bit.ly/2F5S9Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


THIS JUST IN: New Mexico AG Declines to Investigate Sexual Abuse Charges Against Grisham

12/27/2019
In a press release, the AG's office provided this photo along with the comment:

"The Attorney General is unable to address this case right now because his hands are full and, due the extreme volume of the load — the heavy case load — the best we can do is put the incident on the back burner, for now."


[Editor's Note: This post is very obvious PARODY, though many will not be able to discern that. We nonetheless post it as a commentary on what we believe will be a ho-hum approach taken by New Mexico politicians.]


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


A Groin-Grabbing Governor Grisham? What is the World Coming to? Here is the Story of James Hallinan.

12/26/2019

One of Trump's most vocal critics is the pussy hat-wearing Governor of New Mexico. She is also a woman who demanded that State Senator Michael Padilla not only quit the race for Lieutenant Governor, but immediately resign from the State Senate—based on allegations of sexual harassment that were ten years old. 

Numerous New Mexico Democrat-favoring blogs weighed in breathlessly and angrily. They demanded that people who were faced with unsubstantiated charges be railroaded. Immediately.

These were folks like Padilla and others like former State Representative Carl Trujillo (who passed a lie detector test, which his accuser refused to take). In Trujillo's case, the charges "went away" once Andrea Romero who used the charges against him, won the Democrat primary in June of 2018. Mysterious.

And the bloggers were successful, as New Mexico Senate Democrats led by Peter Wirth and Mimi Stewart (who directly benefited from Padilla being kicked out of his job) decided to run Padilla off. 

Those blogs included NMPolitics.net, led by Heath Haussamen, New Mexico Political Report with Andy Lyman and Matthew Reichbach, New Mexico in Depth with Trip Jennings and Marjorie Childress, New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan, along with the Associated Press with Morgan Lee and Russell Contreras, the Albuquerque Journal, the Santa Fe New Mexican, and the Las Cruces Sun-News, all of whom went ballistic. 

They all sang right on cue and right in key. 

Well, where are they now? The story of Grisham's groin-grabbing is 48 hours old. What do we have? Silence. Again, right on cue, and right in key.

Grisham isn't now just known for gun-grabbing, but for groin grabbing. (The Marines might say both are the same, but we digress.)

It appears that Governor Grisham has problems of her own regarding not sexual harassment, but sexual and physical abuse. And that there is no shortage of witnesses. The question that will arise is whether those witnesses will come clean under oath. 

The James Hallinan Story

Mr. Hallinan responded to our request for an interview, by calling this afternoon. He stated that the most egregious physical and sexual abuse occurred at the home of State Representative Deborah Armstrong. That would place the event at  2015 Dietz Place NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the 87107 zip code.

He then said, "It involved a bottle of water. It was at a staff meeting, but at this point, I'd rather not describe the incident in detail." 

We then responded: "Well, we have a narrative from another source." And Hallinan replied, "Tell me your narrative." So we did. It went like this:

Governor Grisham in plain sight of everyone at the event, approached Hallinan and took a bottle of water and threw it in Hallinan's groin area, completely soaking his crotch. She then reached down and grabbed him by his sexual organs, loudly stating, "Is this real, have you really even got anything down here?"

At this point, Hallinan responded: "I will not deny that account. I will not argue with that."

He then went on to describe a miserable work environment in which he was hardly the only victim. 

"It left me really fucked up," he said, "this really fucked me up for all time. It eats at me, every day, all day, all the time. I resent the way she holds me under her thumb, living in fear of some sort of retaliation or vindictive action she might take, to hurt my business, to discourage clients, to keep me from getting work. She is the most vindictive, petty, and mean-spirited, individual I have ever known."

"I think of all the pushing back I did for her. It was constant. I had to try to kill stories, pushing back continuously on stories that she was sleeping this person or that, making sure she wasn't identified with anyone the Democratic Party leaders did not want her to be associated with."

"I've never seen, much less experienced the kind of pervasive manipulation of human beings, pervasive and calculating," he said, "she is so smart with abusing the power dynamic, she is a complete bully. She abused me in full view of my supervisors and my staffers, in addition to everyone there who worked for her, including Dominic Gabello, who sat right there at the table with his staff, and with Representative Armstrong right there as well."

We pointed out that none of these people—all of whom are totally #woke and virulent #MeToo enthusiasts—has ever said a thing. 

"Everyone lives in fear," he said, "of retaliation, and of retribution."

"But it never stops. I get calls from people like [Albuquerque City Councillor] Pat Davis passing along threats, and with his own threat that 'the Albuquerque City Council won't fund Somos ABQ,' which is a client of mine. I had to laugh and tell him 'I don't make any money off Somos ABQ'. Although the City does provide funding for it, which is why Davis threatened me. But people are so afraid of the administration that they pass on threats that don't even make any sense."

Hallinan finished the conversation by admitting that he is afraid for his own safety.

"I'm public enemy number one right now of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, And I may be public enemy of the national Democratic Party once I make it known that I am recommending to the Democratic Governors' Association that they definitely do not make Michelle their new chair. That would be disastrous for the DGA."

Hallinan is scheduled to return to New Mexico in January, from somewhere in the Dutch West Indies. (We narrowed it down to six islands owned by The Netherlands.) But he allowed as how "if the Government of The Netherlands were open to granting me asylum, it is something I would consider." 

Finally, We Still Ask

Where are the media? The mainstream media? All the little Democrat blogs that give themselves awards for brilliant "fair" journalism? Silent. NMPolitics.net, led by Heath Haussamen? New Mexico Political Report with Andy Lyman and Matthew Reichbach? New Mexico in Depth with Trip Jennings and Marjorie Childress? New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan?

Right on cue. Right in key.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


Grisham-gate: Sexual Assault. Where is the Coverage? New Mexico Media Continues with their Ridiculous Double Standard

12/26/2019

Think for just a moment. If some prominent political operative came up on the internet with allegations of sexual assault against Susana Martinez (or any prominent* Republican) how long do you think it would be until there was wall-to-wall coverage of the story?

On every TV station in Albuquerque? On El Paso or Lubbock TV? On KKOB? On the front pages of the Albuquerque Journal? The Santa Fe New Mexican? The Las Cruces Sun-News?  On every tweet or blog posting by the Democrat Party spokesman—little Joey Monahan?

We can answer it for you: It would be non-stop! It would be bigger than the headlines on Pearl Harbor.

(Hell, it would be huge even if it was for running a red light or maybe even talking loud in a restaurant. But sexual assault? Holy moly! Heaven forbid! It would be beyond HUGE!) 

Think about this: Former State Representative Brian Moore—a Republican—fished in the wrong place without a proper fishing license. What happened? Front-page story in the Albuquerque Journal. (You really can't make this stuff up about the New Mexico media.)

JAMES HALLINAN?

James Hallinan was the Communications Director for Michelle Lujan Grisham's run for governor.

When he was recruited, she was up by 4 points.

But after he had done all of her commo, her research, created her digital platform, killed all of her negative press stories (okay, admittedly not a terribly difficult task with New Mexico's Democrat-friendly media), and solicited and "earned" tons of positive stories (okay, again, not that hard in NM) she won by a whopping 14 points on election day! 

Hallinan did the same thing for the new State Auditor, Brian Colón.  Before that, he had worked for Hector Balderas for three years, driving the messaging about the AG that got him on the national media stage, and numerous appearances on CNN, MSNBC, and CNBC. 

The point is, this guy is a big deal within the Democratic Party. He's not some drunk guy stumbling in from a ride on ART to some sort of wild party scene in Albuquerque. 

This is so very different from So Many Sexual Assault Stories or Claims

Hallinan was not only close to Grisham and all Democrats, he is going on the record!  How is this different from so many of the #MeToo stories that have been so popular through the years? Let us count the ways:

  • 1) He is telling it first hand—this isn't someone waltzing in with a story he "heard" from someone else, or from two or three people removed.
  • 2) Hallinan is not suddenly "recounting" a story from 30 years ago—that he didn't tell anyone else.
  • 3) He is not coming up with a deal about "This happened when I was in high school."

James Hallinan has already posted the tweets shown above.

Coverage of this Story is a Real Challenge: But only in New Mexico

If this were occurring in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Texas—it doesn't matter if it's a Democrat or Republican state—a state with a mature, highly professional, "get-the-story" media, Grisham would have been front-page news this morning, and wall-to-wall TV all day.

But New Mexico has a small, largely in-bred media culture—one that is hand-in-glove with the Democrat Party establishment. The media regularly cover up or grossly slant political stories to fit the Democrats' goals and objectives (even government-centered shows like New Mexico in Focus on PBS frequently have a 5 to nothing Lefty panel, though usually, it's only 4 to 1, and largely utter or regurgitate inanities copied from the DPNM.) 

The coverage of Governor Grisham's administration has been icky sweet to downright promotional. This contrasts extremely sharply with the coverage of Susana Martinez, which went hunting—almost always "snipe" hunting—for any invented "controversy, no matter what.

Examples

  • The State Fair Commission

The Fair Board is an excellent example. Egged on by the Democrat Party, through spokesman Joe Monahan, Martinez's efforts to put Expo New Mexico on sound financial footing was made into three or four YEARS of stories. They manufactured a phony "crisis" and then bounced it around. 

The message Democrats lobbied the New Mexico media to tell was that there had to be "something" wrong there. Yet it turned out to be about NOTHING. Expo was saved by an open bid lease that poured badly needed capital into the entity. The story finally died of pure exhaustion because of its non-existence to start with. 

Compare that with Grisham, who appointed a slew of political operatives, cronies, and hacks to the same board. She even appointed Eric Serna, who serves as the chair.

Serna is so badly tainted with a reputation for corruption that he is the only Democrat to ever lose a race for the strongly Democrat Third Congressional District. Even Democrats turned against him. Can you imagine New Mexico media reaction if Martinez had appointed Serna? Whoa! But Grisham? Crickets. Just crickets. 

  • Grisham's Veto of Mental Health funding for UNM athletes

Grisham vetoed the bill because she was "pissed off" about the Soccer program being cut (something she could have insisted be saved if she really wanted to). Then a Lobo football player committed suicide. 

What would have happened to Martinez? The Democrats would have issued a press release blaming Martinez. Monahan and the purely political operatives on the city council and in the state legislature (Pat Davis, Jacob Candelaria, et. al) would have been on the "story" immediately.

People like Colleen Heild, Milan Simonich, or Jolene Gutierrez Krueger would have written front-page stories of the "thoughtless cruelty." Then "news" reporters and editorialists would have banged away at it for at least a year, probably inventing a nickname for Martinez along the way.

  • It took Grisham six months to appoint a cabinet secretary for the new Early Childhood Education and Care Department.

If it had been Martinez dilly-dallying around, the same process listed above would have occurred. The media were on record hammering Martinez even for vacancies of six weeks. 

  • Grisham appoints as her Deputy Chief of Staff, Diego Arencon, a firefighter union guy who had been suspended from the Albuquerque Fire Department for falsifying time cards

Martinez would have been fried. New Mexico media with Grisham? "Nothing to see here, folks, keep moving. Go on home."

  • Grisham gives raises of almost 50% to everyone working for her

Again, Martinez would have been criticized for her entire term. NM Media? "Meh."

It will be Interesting to See How it Plays Out: Hallinan turns to Contreras

Hallinan has identified AP reporter Russell Contreras as his "go-to" guy for his story. This will be interesting. Contreras is a "reporter" by title, but is also extremely active with opinion writing on Facebook and other media—strongly endorsing Democrat policies and candidates while bashing anything remotely conservative or even moderate.

So this puts Contreras in a tough spot: How to play this story? He will be on the horns of a dilemma. Our guess is they'll figure out someway, somehow to vilify some Republican in this process. Or go to extremes to ensure that the #MeToo narrative is somehow validated. In any case, it will almost certainly not end up being a straight story—despite Hallinan's straightforward presentation thus far. 

This is going to be interesting 

Grisham is said to be the upcoming Chair of the Democratic Governors' Association, a position of great influence in campaigns. In other words, she will have national prominence and come in for national scrutiny. Our money is on the national media getting to the true bottom of this story before the fawning New Mexico crowd figures the real story out, or even tries to. 


* We know, we know—you're thinking "thanks to Steve Pearce, Harvey, Mark, Anissa, and the Gang of 8, there aren't any left in New Mexico. Just bear with us though. Think if there "were" any. Play along.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


POSTURING ABOUT IMPEACHMENT: Virtually 100% BS

12/23/2019

It doesn’t matter if it is Doris Kearns Goodwin, supposedly waxing “historical,” or any number of talking heads running the gamut from foaming-at-the-mouth outrage to genuine bemusement. It all comes down to this: raw, crude, unadulterated partisanship.

America has never been more polarized—not even since the days when Democrats lined up to back slavery and Jim Crow while Republicans supported freedom. At least at that time, both sides could argue points in discussion—however bad one side’s argument was.

Today it’s just tribalism, plain and simple: Trump hatred v. Trump love. We are neither Trump haters nor Trump lovers. So we are in the middle between the two extremes.

We have read the transcripts of the July 25, 2019 phone call between Trump and Zelensky. Two passages supposedly form the basis for the entire impeachment project. First, Trump asks the Ukrainian President about interference in the 2016 election:

“I would like for you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say Crowdstrike...”

and then asks about possible corruption:

“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution...Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution, so if you can look into it...it sounds horrible to me.”

If anyone can tell us what is impeachable about this, we would appreciate it. Second, if you can find a quid pro quo in the transcript, please tell us the page, and line.

Thanks.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


NO, TRUMP CANNOT SERVE TWO MORE TERMS

12/21/2019

(As an aside, it has very long been an editorial position of NMPJ that the 22nd Amendment should be repealed.)

A reader has sent us a meme (shown below) being posted by hard-core Trumpistas and Tea Party people. The meme insists that if Trump is not removed from office that a "quirk" in the law will allow him to be elected two more times.

This is patently untrue. There is no quirk. Trump cannot run two more times.

The 22nd Amendment says that no person can be “elected” more than twice. There are circumstances in which a president can serve up to ten years, but Trump doesn't qualify for that. Only someone who has "succeeded" to the office can possibly qualify to serve beyond eight years.

As an example: If someone (like then-Vice President Gerald Ford) were to "succeed" to the presidency, then it’s possible to serve up to 10 years.

However, if President Ford had defeated Carter in 1976, he would not have been eligible to serve more than that one elected term. This is because he had served more than two years as president PRIOR to his first election to the office.

If Ford had taken over from Nixon on January 20, 1975 (instead of August 9, 1974) he would have been eligible for the 1976 term and also for the 1980 election as well.

However, Trump, having been elected once already, is only eligible for one more election. And there is nothing, no quirk, in any kind of “impeachment” law that overrides the 22nd Amendment.

WARNING ABOUT INTERNET MEMES

Remember: An astounding percentage of memes or "internet stories" are partially or entirely false.

However, everything you read on NMPJ is accurate (unless it is obvious parody). You can depend on us.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 
 
 

MORE DUMBASSERY from THE RPNM. YOU CANNOT BE TONE-DEAF in YOUR MESSAGING

12/20/2019

Anissa Galassini Ford Tinnin, who has already established a record for involvement in email theft and anti-Republican campaigning, is the apparent author of an email sent out by the Republican Party of New Mexico which the Democrats will undoubtedly use against the GOP.

While, quite properly, criticizing Congressman Ben Ray Lujan (indicting him was all well and good) Tinnin goes on to write:

"...we must all work hard to change the complexion of our Congressional delegation."

It is only responsible to have an editing and review process. Regardless of intent, political parties and candidates cannot be tone-deaf.

Because of Tinnin’s record, whether it was (yet another) mistake or (yet another) example of incompetence Steve Pearce needs to take drastic action immediately for the sake of the Republican Party.


 


BUTTIGIEG JUST LIED

12/19/2019

He said that Trump called “unfavorable press” the enemy of the people. But Trump didn’t say that. He said that “Fake News” Media—those who create deliberately false stories—are the enemy of the people.

And they are.

Democrats and media types continually edit or amend Trump’s statements. Then they repeat what they regard as the “new, improved” versions they wish he had said. After several months, many people believe Trump uttered the fake quote rather than what he actually said.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


TRUMP’s JOKE INAPPROPRIATE

12/18/2019

[Warning: Based on the messages we have received so far, and the total posts, about half the readers believe the entire country should be assholes to each other all the time—no matter what the subject matter. But, encouragingly, a stubborn other half of readers believe we should be able to separate political views and arguments from basic moments of human life and death.]

We will continue to count.

LINDSEY GRAHAM is CORRECT:

Trump’s jokes about John Dingell are not funny. In fact, they’re stupid. And childish.

We have said it before—Trump has been a successful President, but if he loses the 2020 election it will be his own fault.

If he loses, it will probably be very close—and probably, in the same way, he scraped by in 2016—by a few thousand votes in a couple of crucial states.

If that happens it will be a few thousand of the non-ideological, independent, low information voters who ended up just not liking someone who talks like an a-hole, and makes fun of the dead, and jokes about people being in hell.

He won’t stop because his ego is bigger than his desire to win.

(We know that Trumpistas will disagree—that’s automatic. But—as we’ve pointed out a hundred times—the Trumpistas aren’t going to decide the election. And they aren’t the target audience.)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


A NEW NICKNAME for DANIEL GOLDMAN

12/17/2019

The impeachment hearings should produce a new, well-earned nickname for the Democrat counsel, Daniel Goldman: “Chicken Little.”

When questioned as to how certain subpoenas appeared—those that demanded the private phone records of House members and reporters—Goldman said he didn’t know—that they, essentially, fell from the sky.

“The records just appeared,” he said.

Goldman was clearly lying to keep from embarrassing Adam Schiff or Goldman himself. We believe he should have been pressed further on that testimony.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Yvette Herrell Published Poll, and it Doesn’t Look very Good—For Her! Troubles in CD 2 for the GOP? (Part 2 of 3). Misdirected Efforts by House Republicans, Lack of Focus on their Own Team.

12/16/2019

Herrell's Poll

Republican congressional candidate Yvette Herrell published a poll last week, purportedly to boost her campaign. But as we looked at it, we think she may not have analyzed it that closely.

Conducted by The Tarrance Group, a respected Republican polling company, the survey showed Herrell leading Claire Chase 43% to 13%, with Chris Mathys at 12%. While that seems to be good for Herrell, on closer examination there are some problems for Herrell.

Keep in mind that Herrell is the reigning nominee of the party, and as such she has had massive publicity for nearly two years—based on her year-long campaign in 2018 and throughout 2019 based on the publicity surrounding voting irregularities in Doña Ana County. Understanding that, consider these observations:

1) Herrell is polling only 43%.  And keep in mind that this is with her name recognition is at 84%, while Chase and Mathys probably have only around 15% name recognition (it wasn’t published).  In that context, for Herrell to be that far below 50% has to be a fairly bad sign for Herrell. It is a clear indication that Republican primary voters are not that happy with her as a choice for 2020.

2) And consider the above observation in light of Trump’s whopping 93% approval rating among these same 450 Republican primary voters.

3) 17% of these likely Republican primary voters have a negative opinion of Herrell. More than one in six. That’s not good. Why would that many Republicans—77 of them out of 450—be saying they view her negatively?

Frankly, if we were running the Herrell campaign, we would not have published this information.

Bottom Line on the Poll:

Herrell pummeled here two opponents in the weeks leading up to this poll. With Chris Mathys, she received the unlawful assistance of the Republican Party of New Mexico to attack him. With Chase, she attacked her with a strong advertising campaign on television, radio, social media, and in print media advertising and newspaper stories.

Yet, what happened? Herrell is only at 43% and has a negative rating of 17%. While there is little doubt the attacks on Chase and Mathys hurt their standing—for now—the attacks don't seem to have been nearly as effective as Herrell wanted them to be.

Additionally, the attacks appear to have raised Herrell’s own negatives—piling on to the reputation she developed with her attacks on former Republican state chairman Monty Newman last year, attacks that were perceived to be unfair.

Other CD 2 Issues

We have received quite a bit of input from current and former State House Republicans, upset with the approach the Republican House Caucus is taking in the 2020 battle for control of the legislature.

Namely, key legislators are—again—weirdly focusing on the US House race in CD 2 rather than concentrating on trying to win back the New Mexico State House.

One state rep told us:

“I’m frustrated as I can be. This is exactly what these guys were doing in 2018, running around trying to drum up endorsements for Yvette Herrell, getting involved in a primary and not focusing on their only real job, which is taking care of our numbers in the House.”

The complaint rings true, based on the highly-publicized effort led by House Minority Leader Jim Townsend of Artesia to round up endorsements.

Our records indicate that in late 2017 and early 2018, Townsend worked assiduously on his fellow representatives, eventually rounding up something like 22 House Republicans to endorse Yvette Herrell, including such luminaries as the former Speaker. 

What the fascination was we don’t know. But many now-defeated ex-representatives are alarmed that Townsend is again focusing on a federal race that has nothing at all to do with trying to gain—or even hold onto—the state house seats that have become so scarce on his watch.

“He’s doing the same damned thing,” said another rep.

This time around, however, our reports are that Townsend has been able to secure only five endorsements for Herrell. Although another report has it at six.


Coming Soon: (CD 2, Part 3 of 3) Complaints about the “Gang of 8,” the RPNM’s Controlling Clique and their Bad Advice to Innocent Political Actors.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


THE DEMOCRATS NOW HAVE ONLY ONE ARTICLE of IMPEACHMENT LEFT on the TABLE; THE SUPREME COURT ESSENTIALLY ACQUITS TRUMP on the SECOND ARTICLE of IMPEACHMENT—GIVING DEMOCRATS a GREEN LIGHT to VOTE “NO.”

12/15/2019

We have read the articles of impeachment—they consist of only 8 pages, with only a few words on page 9. The first article is titled “Abuse of Power.” What will happen with that we don’t know.

Article II however, is called “Obstruction of Congress.” It deals with subpoenas the House has issued to executive branch officers. It claims that when:

“Trump directed Executive Branch agencies, offices, and officials not to comply with those subpoenas...President Trump thus interposed the powers of the Presidency...and assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the ‘sole Power of Impeachment’ vested...in the House of Representatives.”

Trump, however, has long-since gone to court over this issue, arguing that such subpoenas are a matter for the judiciary to decide—meaning the House is jumping the gun.

Well, just two days ago, SCOTUS agreed with Trump: it announced it would hear the president’s argument—made in similar cases.

This court action has the effect of converting Article II into something of a joke. SCOTUS is essentially saying to the House:

“We will decide who is right (possibly 45, 60, or even 90 days from now) on the questions of executive privilege. What you say at this point is irrelevant.”

WHAT WILL THIS DO to the FLOOR VOTES?

Two Democrats voted “No” on the original inquiry. With regard to Article I, it appears there may be between as few as 3 or 4 “No” votes to perhaps as many as 8 or 10. No one knows at this juncture.

However, regarding Article II, we are now wondering how the SCOTUS decision to hear the case will be received. It’s certainly possible that upwards of two dozen or more Democrats may interpret the Court’s action as a clear signal that the charges (at least right now) are Quixotic—and that voting “Aye” while the Court has already said “it’s out of your hands” will make them look foolish.

That being the case, we would not be surprised if Article II ends up being defeated on the floor.

Such an event would, of course, be a major psychological and optical victory for Trump.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


TELEMUNDO, UNIVISIÓN, y MÁS

12/14/2019

Many voters are concerned about the long-term influence of America’s “mainstream” networks, websites, and newspapers. They see not only the bias, which has existed for years, but the relatively new phenomenon of open, unabashed, enthusiastic political advocacy—all of it to the Left or extreme Left.

The concern is that the mass media, including such entities as the New York Times, Bloomberg, Vox, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and MSNBC, will continue to affect the thinking of the already heavily indoctrinated members of Generation Z and the Millennials—not to mention the influence on older generations.

As many conservatives, moderates, and even centrist liberals have observed, it is unquestionable that this kind of influence is dangerous to logical thinking and dispassionate, intelligent political discourse.

However, we have to tell you that it is massively worse for the immigrant communities from Latin America. NMPJ monitors the major Spanish-speaking television networks. Immigrants—legal and illegal—are usually grossly unfamiliar with the polity, undergirding laws, and political history of the United States, which is massively different from that of their home cultures.

But to make matters worse—much worse—they fall into dependence on television networks which grotesquely distort the political reality of their new home country.

It is difficult to explain to the English speaker just how outrageous the “journalism” of the Spanish-language networks truly is.

Let’s put it this way: Telemundo and Univisión make MSNBC look like the Wall Street Journal—maybe even the WSJ editorial page. They make CNN look like a meeting of a Republican women’s club.

The long-term—or even mid- and short-term—effects are most likely going to be disastrous, not only for even halfway limited government, but for any form of restraint on the very most Leftward impulses of the most extreme partisans of the land.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


DEMOCRATS STILL STRANGELY UNAWARE THEY ARE INDICTING—Wait for it—THEMSELVES!

12/13/2019

Elizabeth Warren is the latest to do it. After taking a big lead in early November, she’s dropped like a stone in Democrat polls over the past 4 weeks since she “clarified” her “Medicare for All” costs and budget.

But—she says—it’s SEXISM !

Wait, who is answering the polls for this primary race? Hint: It isn’t Republicans.

And the media, who are cheering their asses off for her—as they do ALL Democrats (except maybe Tulsi Gabbard)—are saying the same thing!

S-o-o-o-o??, she’s blissfully clueless that she is saying her fellow DEMOCRATS are sexists. And the media are too dumb to realize they’re doing the same thing!

IT DOESN’T STOP THERE

Kamala Harris has died on the vine. Her standing in Democrat polls went to zero. What did she say her fellow Democrats (the only ones answering the pollsters during the nomination process) are guilty of? Two things—count ‘em:

1) Racism and 2) Sexism

(And the media—who have also cheered their asses off for her—say the SAME THING!)

Keep in mind: There’s not a Republican in sight.

AND IT STILL DOESN’T STOP THERE

Cory Booker—He can’t get any Democrats to pay any attention to him. What does he say the reason is? He’s boring? He’s dumb? He talks in clichés and total bullshit?

No! None of that! No, his fellow Democrats are —wait for it—RACISTS! (Keep in mind: There’s not a Republican in sight—they aren’t participating in this big show.)

(And the media—who have also cheered their asses off for him—say the SAME THING!)

AND, AND, IT STILL DOESN’T STOP THERE!

Pete Buttigieg can’t get any black Democrats to support him. So, what’s the problem?

Wait for it—it’s because he’s—he’s, he’s Gay!

Yep! They say it’s those evil black Democrats— “homophobes” all of ‘em! Who knew?

(And the media—who have also cheered their asses off for him—say the SAME THING!)

The Democrat Party: according to their own candidates—and the media who cheer their asses off for all of them (except maybe Tulsi Gabbard)—is chock full of:
1) racists 2) sexists, and 3) homophobes*

We are not making this up. You CAN’T make this up. Eventually, they’ll either 1) realize they are indicting themselves, or 2) they’ll figure out a way to blame their internal polling on Republicans, or 3) —don’t count this out—they’ll say that “Russian bots” are responsible for messing with their polls.

Meanwhile, it’s sort of hilarious.


* Homophobic is a frequently-appearing word that is used incorrectly 100% of the time—and is never actually used in a way that matches its definition—we employ it here only because the media use it all the time.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


HOPE for BRITAIN? NMPJ is following the Parliamentary Election taking place today in the United Kingdom.

12/12/2019

We are hopeful that the Conservatives and Prime Minister Boris Johnson can win not only a majority (326 of 650 seats) but a sizeable majority so as to be able to finally follow through with the British people's decision to exit the European Union and the increasingly overreaching and nonsensical European Parliament.

34 million British subjects went to the polls 3½ years ago and shocked the establishment as well as all of Europe by voting decisively, 52-48 to leave the EU. Despite that, vigorous opposition from the Labour Party and other parties, as well as the British media has resulted in roadblock after roadblock on the road to Brexit.

In addition to thwarting the will of the British people, The Labour Party is, most unfortunately, infected with a virulent strain of anti-Semitism.

Unlike New Mexico where the polls close at 7 PM, polls are open in Britain until 10 PM---providing 15 hours of voting.

Our hope is for a Conservative victory---and a victory for the British people.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCIL RUNOFFSFINAL—UNOFFICIAL—RESULTS

12/11/2019

The Republican candidate whose signs were stolen wins the runoff election. Democrat sign-stealing efforts go unrewarded at the polls.

District 4 Council candidate, Republican Brook Bassan, has defeated perennial Democrat candidate Ane C. Romero. (A Romero campaign supporter was caught stealing signs early this morning. Romero defiantly refused to condemn the act. Now she’s lost.)

In District 2, incumbent Democrat Isaac Benton defeated fellow Democrat Zachary Quintero. Quintero made a massive gain since the first round last month, but it wasn’t enough.

FINAL UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

District 2?

Isaac Benton 2,929 (52.2%)?
Zachary Quintero 2,680 (47.8%)?

District 4?

Brook Bassan 4,186 (53.5%)?
Ane Romero 3,644 (46.5%)?

(10 of 10 Vote Centers reporting)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


HILARIOUS VIDEO: DEMOCRAT ACTIVIST MAKES A BIZARRE CASE for VANDALISM and THEFT in ALBUQUERQUE — on behalf of a Democrat city council candidate.

12/10/2019

(watch this follow-on 90-second video, as this Leftist activist outlines his “right” to steal)

THIS IS WORTH 90 seconds of your time—it’s actually very amusing:

“I stole five signs...so let’s say that’s $100 worth of speech...a donation to Ane Romero campaign? ... Yeah, you could call it that. That’s what I’m calling it...not everyone has money to throw at campaigns. Stealing campaign signs is my free speech...”

Democrat candidate Romero (Ane Romero 4 ABQ) had an opportunity to denounce the theft—which would be the right thing to do—but instead decided to double down with vandalism, denouncing the matter as a “hoax.” Much to the surprise of her supporter no doubt—who is on video. (Also shown below.)

Click Here:  https://www.facebook.com/100003119645061/posts/2573142836133013?d=n&sfns=mo


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


A STRANGE NEW STANDARD: Get out of Jail Free—By Seeking Democratic Nomination for President

12/09/2019

Regardless of one’s position on the impeachment matter, one odd new standard is being established and is being overlooked by everyone:

Becoming a presidential candidate makes that person exempt from investigation.

Explanation: Presumably, ANY president could lawfully inquire as to whether an improper (or even unlawful) relationship existed during a previous administration—specifically between a family member of a vice-president and a foreign entity—that peddled executive influence in exchange for money (lots of it).

However, IF anyone in that family has announced as a candidate for president, those same questions are immediately converted into “unlawful” questions. And if they are asked, they become a basis for impeachment.

If Biden had chosen not to run (as was very possible—he made that decision in 2016) he (and his son) would be under proper scrutiny for influence peddling. But his candidacy—and his candidacy alone—allows the House majority party to declare all such questions “impeachable.”

His 2020 “candidacy”—according to Democrats—is the only possible explanation for concern about 2011-2015 influence peddling. This is their conclusion—even though an average citizen might conclude: “No, I’m interested in this potential bribery, regardless of whether the family has someone run for president.”

In other words, the very same questions, which would not only be proper but in the public interest, become “illegal” based only on Biden’s decision to run for president.

LESSON LEARNED: Declaring for president is the new “Get out of Jail Free” card. (Provided, perhaps, that you must be a Democrat candidate.)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


"The United States was at peace with that nation..." — Franklin Delano Roosevelt, December 8, 1941

12/08/2019

REMEMBRANCE DAY for 2,403 AMERICANS*

It is also A TIME TO REFLECT on the QUESTION of HIROSHIMA and NAGASAKI

Like the whack-a-mole game in an arcade, the revisionists—and oftentimes totally unrepentant Japanese, including “professors” and teachers—are forever popping up. They try to make the case to themselves first, and also to the United States and the whole world, that they—Japan—are the “victims” of World War II. All this, despite the fact they are the one, singular, grotesquely racist and unrepentant people on the face of the earth.

Japan, through its politicians, “historians,” teachers, professors, and apologists, have never owned up to their barbarism, which including acts that not even the Nazis had committed. And they have taught their succeeding generations NOTHING of their war crimes, aggression, and inhumanity.

Instead, like the whack-a-mole, their lying and misrepresentations are clearly planned forever. They hope that at some point there will be no one to counter their claims, at which point their version of “history” will triumph.

YES, DROPPING THE BOMB ON JAPAN WAS A GOOD DECISION:

Why you should never give it a second thought for the rest of your life.

Dropping the bomb saved 40 million lives—more than 90% of them Japanese. It was not the mythical, wild guess “one million” casualties that talking heads attributed to Truman’s motivation. It was 40 times that.

Enough already. Here are the facts:

In 1945, Japan had a population of 72 million people. The Japanese military still had 4.5 million men on the home islands. Additionally, there were 31.5 million men and women in the "home force." They had all been thoroughly indoctrinated (yes, totally brainwashed) to be just as fanatical as everyone else in this strange, oddly hostile country.

Japan is still, quietly, a racist homeland, whose denizens still teach their children that they were "victims" in World War II, and that America, the British, the Dutch, and the Chinese were the actual “aggressors.”

On Okinawa (and previous campaigns) the Japanese had not only fought to almost the last soldier, but had also lost 30% of the civilians on the island. These were people ethnically closely related to the Japanese whom they had brainwashed into believing that Americans were going to murder them all, rape the women, et cetera.

On the home islands, things were going to be much much worse.

A HISTORY and a RECORD of DYING to the LAST MAN

Based on all the previous campaigns—from Tarawa, to the Solomons, the Marianas, the Gilberts, the Philippines, the Aleutians, and all the way to Okinawa—the Japanese had established a clear record of not surrendering.

A typical campaign would end with 5,000 dead and 17 taken prisoner. Or perhaps, 10,000 or 12,000 killed, and maybe 114 somehow surrendering. Their death toll as a defending force was always well beyond 99% of their strength.

The Japanese government had spent years preparing for an invasion of their islands. They had trained EVERYONE—old men, boys, women, young girls, old women—the works. They had all of them believing the allies would brutalize, rape, torture, and inflict all manner of death and worse.

In a conventional warfare invasion of Japan scenario, we must assume the Japanese would have lost over 25 million soldiers and auxiliaries dead, plus another 12 million non-combatant civilians.

Forget about the two A-bombs. It is vitally important to remember that plain old conventional fire-bombing killed five times as many Japanese as the A-bombs did—and was vastly more "cruel." But no one whines about that because it's not as emotional a subject as "nukes."

The 37 million people wiped out may be a low estimate, but it is a logical estimate. If you think that's high, you need to understand that the total losses in the Soviet Union were over 40 million—and they were not fanatics. And the estimate for the Japanese could be low. Very low. If they had succeeded in getting total buy-in, which was not by any means out of the question, the total Japanese deaths could have been 60 million or more.

ACTUAL ALLIED LOSSES

American losses would have been far beyond the "one million casualties" often thrown around as a cliché. They probably would have exceeded 3 million and possibly as many as 5 million. (That doesn't include the British who were committed to the invasion as well—or the Soviet Union for that matter who were by then prepared to participate too.)

The bottom line is the Japanese weren't going to surrender—they almost refused to surrender even after both bombs were dropped 6 and 9 August 1945. They finally did so 8 days after the first bomb hit. But they reached that momentous decision only after enormous consternation—and after a coup attempt.

Without the bombs, Japan was prepared to fight forever, never surrendering, retreating into the hills, mountains, and the most remote areas of their islands.

The bombs saved a minimum of 40 million lives. The Japanese (and silly Americans too) need to shut up about it.


* 2,008 Navy, 218 Army, 109 Marine Corps, 68 civilians.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


HOLY COW! H-O-O-O-O-O-LY COW!

12/07/2019

During the "three professors" hearing, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz showed that the “highly acclaimed” “objective and scholarly” Democrat star witness “perfessers” are all big-time heavily partisan Democrat activists and donors.

As Gomer Pyle would say:

“Sheezam! Surprise, surprise, surprise.”

We wondered why they were already coming off that way, mimicking the exact wild-eyed accusations and conclusions of Adam Schiff.

Perfesser Pamela S. Karlan, in particular, over and over, sounded like an a- - hole.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


MAN BITES DOG! The Kamala Harris Debacle

12/06/2019

The Democrat Party and the Mainstream Media have issued joint statements indicting the Democrat Party and the entire Democrat primary electorate for blatant racism and sexism!

In the wake of the collapse of the Kamala Harris campaign, the unanimous verdict from all Democrat consultants and pundits, together with the talking heads on NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, and CNN is this:

“We Democrats are the most racist voters in all of America. Kamala could not get traction, based purely on the fact that she is black and a woman—a double whammy for racist and sexist Democrats.”

This has been repeated for some 48 hours, with some media types and Democrat consultants only now kind of beginning to realize what it is they’ve actually been saying.

For much of America, it has been comical to watch and hear—the Left indicting itself, completely unwittingly and obliviously.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


EVEN MORE WEIRD PRACTICES and HABITS

12/06/2019

Why do all the Democrats in Congress have to try to glom onto the military service of their fathers, uncles, grandparents, or—in some cases—ancestors?

Do they really perceive that their questions or diatribes are somehow more credible or more weighty and persuasive because they can cite the military service of their parents or ancestors?

They are just plain weird.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


MORE WEIRD THINGS in the IMPEACHMENT HEARING

12/05/2019

Have you noticed that the Democrat committee members read scripted questions to the three Democrat lawyers? And that the Democrat lawyers were reading—or clearly reciting—prepared answers for those questions that have obviously been provided them ahead of time? And that their questions were accompanied by choreographed video and graphics?

So weird. And, well, phony. All of it belies the notion of an investigative hearing.

At least Professor Turley (who is also an anti-Trump Democrat) and the Republicans who were questioning him are engaged in real-time, thinking-on-their-feet dialog. They were asking and he is responding to actual in-the-moment questions.

Strange that the Democrats believed everything had to be rehearsed and scripted.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


PAMELA S. KARLAN: An Ass for All Seasons

12/04/2019

A woman who is both insultingly pedantic and embarrassingly ignorant.

How great can the Stanford Law School really be? If Pamela Karlan is any example, it can’t be all that great. Like so many people who have been grossly over-promoted—or who have gotten positions based on grotesque abuses of affirmative action or some sort of quota—Karlan is embarrassingly pedantic.

As if reasonably well-read Americans didn’t already know it, Karlan felt it her duty to “teach” us that our Constitution does not permit titles of nobility. Though most of us learned that by the 4th Grade, Karlan was beaming with pride as if she were repeating a real gem of a factoid, or a key whiz-bang line out of one of her Third-year law school lectures.

As if that weren’t embarrassing enough, Karlan then said:

“While the president can name his son ‘Barron,’ he can’t make him a baron.”

Wow! How monumentally stupid! Karlan does not even know that the president’s son’s name is not “Baron.”

 

She can neither spell nor reason well. Barron has nothing to do with the word “baron.” And she is a “distinguished professor” at Stanford University. Heaven help us.

Later, when she pretended to apologize, she couldn’t even do that. She issued another version of the “modern apology” — “I’ll apologize (grudgingly) but Trump should apologize.”

Politicians use the modern apology, which is no apology at all. And maybe that’s correct for Karlan, as she is every ounce the politician. One thing for sure—she’s no jurist. God help Stanford.

To be fair, the Harvard University law professor and the North Carolina law professor were equally unimpressive. All three of them were overt activists who provided nothing that was even remotely scholarly.

What ripoffs law schools must be today! We can hope that they are at least teaching how to do wills and powers of attorney because they’re certainly not teaching any Constitutional law.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


REGARDLESS of your View of IMPEACHMENT

12/04/2019

The Democrat professor Jonathan Turley has shown himself—despite his opposition to Trump—to be a vastly superior lawyer and jurist to the other three Democrat professors.

Turley is dispassionate, scholarly, balanced, and constantly referring to historical and legal precedent.

The other three Democrats sound almost identical to Adam Schiff: wildly angry, pissed-off, and determined to “get rid of” Trump—and procedures, precedence, the law, and history are not even worthy of a mention, much less reference.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


OKAY, BOOMER! See this video. And you will see why the future of the GOP is fairly bleak.

11/30/2019

(And the same would hold true for any other right of center, or even center-right party that might emerge.)

Here is the video:  https://bit.ly/2Mp27wc

Sadly, it does reflect the reality of Millennials, Gen Z, and even Gen X in America. And it demonstrates the tragic and devastating malpractice in the field of education in the United States over the past three generations. While extremely damaging to young children in both primary and secondary schools, this malpractice has had its MOST DEVASTATING effects in post-secondary education.

And within that highest level of educational instruction, the MOST extreme consequences have been observed at the most prestigious colleges and universities—the ones which impart "credentials" of the highest order, if not necessarily greater knowledge or understanding of the subject matter—where tuition exceeds $50,000 per year. (The ones that parents will go to jail for—just to get their children in.)

Want to see what you get for that money? Watch the video.

[NOTE: This video is not from one of the "credential" schools, but was taken at the State University of New Jersey. However, the "thinking" reflected in the video is the same, if not somewhat less violent or aggressive than that which takes place at Ivy League schools or the more prestigious schools.]

MANY of us DID NOT NOTICE

We were oblivious for too long about what was happening—quite systematically and institutionally actually—in the American educational system. But the video below, while not representing "all" Millenials, Gen Z, or Gen Z cohorts, does, in fact, represent the indoctrinated "thinking" of millions of Americans now in the electorate. That is to say, "They walk among us and they vote." They have been ill-served through the silent and unnoticed adoption of textbooks written by ideologues and the instruction of teachers, who have been victims themselves.

It appears that among the current generation, just entering the electorate—Generation Z—perhaps as many as 75 to 80% of the cohort hold the views "articulated" in the video. For Millenials, the figure is probably 55 to 65%. Among the Generation X cohort, the "belief system" is probably between 40 and 55%. (And, yes, it's almost certain that 20% or more of Baby Boomers have converted themselves into thinking like this.)

(For an example of how Millennials/Gen Z actually talk, go to approximately 3:10. For an example of the "comprehensive philosophy," go to about 6:00.)

Yes, the future does look fairly bleak for the Republican Party.

[DISCLAIMER: NMPJ does not endorse the producer of the video, and the last minute of the video should be ignored.]

THE GENERATIONS

Gen Z: Born approximately 1997 to the present day
Millennials: Born approximately 1981 to 1996
Gen X: Born approximately 1965 to 1980
Baby Boomers: 1 Jan 1946 to 31 Dec 1964
Silent Generation: Roughly 1928-1945
World War II Generation: 1901-1927
Lost Generation: 1883-1900 (Now extinct)


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


The True Story of Thanksgiving

11/28/2019

By Editor Emeritus and some-time, infrequent contributor, former State Senator Rod Adair

THE TRUE STORY of THANKSGIVING, November 28, 1621

After a harrowing, challenging year in which the total number of passengers on the Mayflower had been reduced from 102 to 53 by the numerous deaths in the terrible winter of 1620-21, the congregation (which was made up of Separatists, not Puritans) decided that a Thanksgiving celebration should be held for them and for their fellow travelers (who, in their view, may or may not have been saved Christians because they were most likely members of the Church of England).

The true Pilgrims lovingly and affectionately referred their fellow Englishmen as "strangers." (The names of all are provided below.**)

Exactly 398 years ago today at exactly 2:00 PM (EST—though it was then known locally as Wampanoag Time*) our Calvinist forebears gathered for the very first Thanksgiving Dinner with their Indian neighbors whom they had invited out of Christian charity and some concern that they were not eating properly.

(*The Wampanoag's time measurement system had been selected by a vote of surrounding tribes at a standardized time gathering in 1602, with delegates from the Narragansett, Nauset, Pocomtuc, Pennacook, Nipmuc, Mahican, and Massachuset tribes recognizing that their own systems were more primitive, and much less accurate.)

Indians Not on Time

The Indians showed up quite late, perhaps 30 minutes to an hour behind schedule. But the Pilgrims being a tolerant and non-judgmental people, carried on as if nothing had happened. Far be it from Calvinists to point out failings in others.

The Indians brought five deers (a correct rendering, as the Pilgrims were still speaking a good deal of Middle English) which they still had to dress out and prepare—an unpleasant task as we all know, which considerably delayed the proceedings even further.

But a ball was produced for the youths to pass the time—which they did. And it is from this first Thanksgiving Day ball game which we get the current tradition of football on Thanksgiving Day (largely because the 1934 owner of the Detroit Lions was a descendant of the Mayflower expedition and had long wanted to revive the tradition, which he did 85 years ago).

Beginning of the Feast

At last, when all was in readiness, a prayer of blessings was offered up—for all in attendance, including the Pilgrims as well as the assembled Strangers and Indians. And their prayers included the Anglicans and Catholics (both of whom the Pilgrims loved with all their heart, though they believed them to be lost, most likely) back home across the sea. From that prayer, emanating from these most ecumenical and forward-thinking Calvinists, we get the American tradition of religious tolerance, to be enshrined in the First Amendment only some 170 years later.

The entire crowd of 143 included the 53 surviving Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag warriors (yes, they’d only brought 5 deers with them, but of course the Pilgrims didn’t even bat an eye, didn’t whine about it — all in the Christian spirit of Thanksgiving). It was fortunate the Pilgrims had shot more than 50 geese, turkey, and ducks.

Shellfish Tradition no Longer Survives. Thanks be to God.

The record shows they also served shellfish. (NOTE: This was a “tradition” that was most fortunately abandoned later as it can result in violent vomiting caused by such things as raw oysters — resulting in a scene that could easily ruin an idyllic, Norman Rockwell setting).

The Pilgrims provided a vast array of vegetables, including onions (largely abandoned today); carrots (ditto); beans (if the chroniclers mean “green,” well, okay, but if “kidney” or “pinto,” well, largely abandoned today); pumpkins—more on that below; spinach, lettuce, cabbage, peas (all pretty much gone the way of the buffalo on T-day).

There was also corn — and this was a big deal because until a year earlier the Pilgrims had never even seen it before. It was also very weird because the English called virtually every grain “corn,” especially wheat. But when they actually were introduced to corn by the extremely famous Squanto, oddly enough he called it “maize.” (This is something the University of Michigan later, inexplicably, adopted as a “color.”) But at last the English had an actual foodstuff that linked up with a word they had been using all this time. Who knew?

But perhaps the biggest surprise of all was that over the course of the year the Pilgrims had produced corn syrup — and that allowed them to take the pumpkin and turn it into a pie — a concept totally unknown to the Indians. They also added spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg — which was remarkably generous since they cost approximately £1 per ounce—which in today’s currency is about $100,000.

No Potatoes, But Native Cranberries in Abundance

There were no potatoes — even though they were native to America and the Indians had tons of them — as the Pilgrims were suspicious of them. The Irish and Germanics later became enamored of them. And of course the Russians and Finns used them exclusively to produce vodka, which, as a "spirit" the Pilgrims would have condemned (though they themselves did drink barrels and barrels of beer). It is noted that so much Vodka is consumed in Finland and Russian today that its usage as actual food is of course virtually unheard of.

As for fruit, the Pilgrims did use the locally-found, brand new (to them) cranberry, confecting a sauce for the turkey. This led to an outcry from both the Indians and English alike about the “tartness,” which was agreed by all to be a problem. This, in turn, caused a massive demand for the importation of sugar — thus the beginnings of British plantations in the West Indies and an industry and sweet tooth that afflicts millions of Americans to this day with its accompanying obesity and derivative illnesses.

Pilgrim Tolerance

In any case, it was a successful meal, lasting some five hours into the night, the Indians famously being overcome with the effects of tryptophan, and becoming increasingly listless and drowsy, finally falling asleep to a man. But the Pilgrims were careful to cover them with blankets (after all it was Massachusetts in late November) and to not touch their arms at all.

This same schedule and the same sequence occurred for three consecutive days.

This kind of openly demonstrated trust and humanity touched the hearts of both the Indians and Pilgrims alike and ushered in nearly 400 years of peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between settlers and the native peoples of the First Nations — only to finally be marred in very recent times by demonstrations and clashes in North Dakota over a proposed pipeline.

Thus occurred the very First Thanksgiving, November 28, 1621. Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may God bless us, everyone!

** FAMILY GROUPS REMAINING ALIVE for the FIRST THANKSGIVING:

(On the voyage over, there had been 28 adults, 16 children, for a total of 44 True Pilgrims.)

THE CONGREGATION REMAINING: 21 True Pilgrims, plus 3 servants/wards (most likely not congregants)

ALLERTON: Isaac with children Bartholomew, Mary, Remember; and the Allerton servant William Latham • BRADFORD: William • BREWSTER: William & Mary with sons Love, and Wrestling; and their ward Richard More • CHILTON: Mary (13) • COOKE: Francis with son John • CRACKSTON: John (18) • FULLER: Samuel with nephew Samuel 2d • ROGERS: Joseph (17) • TILLEY: Elizabeth (15) • WINSLOW: Edward & Susanna with her sons Resolved White & Peregrine White; Winslow servant George Soule

STRANGERS REMAINING

Strangers: 23, plus 7 servants/wards

ALDEN: John • BILLINGTON: John & Eleanor with sons Francis and John Jr. • BROWNE Peter • CARVER: The Carver ward Desire Minter; the Carver servant John Howland; the Carver maidservant Dorothy. • EATON: Francis with son Samuel • ELY: Unknown adult man • GARDINER: Richard • GOODMAN: John • HOPKINS: Stephen & Elizabeth with Giles, Constance, Damaris, Oceanus; their servants Edward Doty and Edward Leister. • MULLINS: Priscilla • STANDISH: Myles • TILLEY: Tilley wards Humility Cooper and Henry Samson • TREVOR: William • WARREN: Richard • WINSLOW: Gilbert

EDWARD & SUSANNA WHITE:

An Object Lesson in Today's "Gay Marriage" Debate—Make it a Civil Ceremony

(Also, the following true story provides a history lesson which can be instructive to both libertarians and conservatives alike with regard to the considerable mess which has ensued in the wake of the so-called "Gay Marriage" uproar.)

Listed above among the true Pilgrims are the Winslow family, Edward & Susanna with her sons Resolved White and Peregrine White as having survived the first year. (Susanna, by the way, was one of only four adult women to have survived.)

Susanna's first husband, William White, had died almost exactly nine months earlier and Elizabeth Winslow, Edward's first wife, had died almost exactly eight months earlier, on February 21 and March 24, 1621, respectively. The surviving spouses Edward and Susanna then experienced something of a whirlwind romance (perhaps suitable for a fairly racy HBO Miniseries), somehow fell in love, and ended up marrying on May 12, 1621, 49 days and 81 days after the deaths of their spouses.

(The congregants, naturally, wanted to be able to help the newlyweds off on a two-week honeymoon — perhaps to the Caribbean, or a ski vacation in Vermont — but neither had been invented yet, plus no one had any money or transport. So, by all accounts they honeymooned right on site.)

HOW WAS THIS MARRIAGE POSSIBLE?

You may be thinking this was practically impossible because of the requirement of the reading of the Banns (for three consecutive Sundays) in front of the congregation as well as the publication of the same in the marketplace or local municipality. 

However, keep in mind that the Pilgrims at Plymouth were "Separatists" unlike those arriving in the follow-on landings within the next decade at present-day Boston, which was t be established about 40 miles to the north.

The newer arrivals were "Puritans," technically still affiliated with the Church of England, with hopes of finishing off its purification by eliminating the last of its more ghastly Romish habits.* (Pilgrims held out no such hope.)

The Pilgrims, therefore, viewed marriage as strictly a legal contract in the civil realm rather than a religious rite. This is because Puritans and other Protestants saw no biblical foundation for church control over marriage. Marriage was only established as a sacrament in the Roman Catholic Church in the 12th century, and Separatists viewed that phenomenon as a vain and un-biblical invention. So the marriage ceremony was performed by Governor William Bradford.
________________________________________
* It must be noted that when royal government control was firmly asserted in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630), marriage came under the purview of the state church (Anglican). This may be seen by libertarians and conservatives alike as a classic example of how the entanglement of church and state leads to coercion in the area of religious belief.

For the Pilgrims, because marriage was a civil contract, questions of inheritance were handled by the state rather than the Church. Edward Winslow who became a prominent leader within the colony, later paid the price for his civil marriage when he was thrown into a Fleet Street prison in London for 17 weeks for not following the church/state law.


** Plenary NOTE: While much of this account was true, it must be said that there is some embellishment, strictly for the purposes of adding color to the story. But any and all additions are well within the standards adopted by Hollywood when a movie provides the opening statement: "Based on a True Story." For example, all the embellishments are just as true as virtually anything contained in any Oliver Stone production, but also as true as the work of many other directors/producers, including those who have labeled their finished products "documentaries."


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 


Troubles in CD 2 for the GOP? Complaints about the “Gang of 8,” the RPNM’s Controlling Clique. The Gang of 8 Brought Down the New Mexico Republican Party. And Now, the Gang’s Favorite—Yvette Herrell—Attacks Claire Chase over Trump. But do these kinds of attacks make sense? (Part 1 of 2 Articles on CD 2)

11/26/2019

In 2018, Yvette Herrell was unable to hold the congressional seat vacated by Steve Pearce. Okay, so sometimes campaigns don't go well. So back to the drawing board.

But our question is this: Is the recipe for 2020  to attack and vilify all Republicans who supported someone other than Trump in the 2016 presidential primaries? (Even if that group includes Herrell?) Does this make sense on any level?

How is this a strategy for success against Xochitl Torres Small? Who came up with this plan? Is it really smart? Or is it just yet another prescription for divisiveness, defeat, and disaster conjured up by the same gang of disgruntled haters who brought us 2016 and 2018?

The Gang of 8

We have reported extensively on the ongoing disaster brought on by the Gang of 8* that seized control of the Republican Party of New Mexico following the 2014 election. That Gang was jealous of the near-miraculous accomplishments of then-Governor Martinez. Martinez had just finished raising some $3 million which she and her team used to finance a brilliant strategic effort that resulted in the Republicans capturing the State House of Representatives for the first time in 60 years.

The Gang couldn’t stand it, with their hatred for her overriding the best interests of the state—and of New Mexico.

So they took control, and decided to pursue a collection of personal agendas which has resulted in systematically and relentlessly driving the party into near-complete ineffectual irrelevance.

Their “efforts” and “management” resulted in immediately losing back the House to the Democrats. Then just two years after that, their ineptitude reached world-record levels of incompetence, culminating last November in the greatest electoral disaster the New Mexico GOP has ever seen.

YET, THE GANG GOES ON: ONCE AGAIN PUSHING YVETTE HERRELL

That Gang, however, along with their allies, specifically in Alamogordo, are akin to the energizer Bunny of destructiveness. They appear to be continuously and fanatically devoted to destroying as many other Republicans as they possibly can influence or reach. The “reverse Midas Touch” has perhaps never been more starkly identified.

In 2018, the Gang pulled out all the stops for State Representative Yvette Herrell, a Pearce acolyte, to succeed Pearce in CD2. This open interference badly split Lea County Republicans by turning off and permanently alienating several thousand GOP voters who favored former Hobbs Mayor Monty Newman. 

The Gangs’ meddling in Lea County were doubly inept in that 1) Lea County is the state’s strongest GOP county, and 2) the whole effort backfired as Herrell steadfastly refused to debate Democrat nominee Xochitl Torres Small, something Newman would not have been afraid to do. The Herrell team ran a bizarrely disorganized campaign and Herrell lost by a sizeable margin.

Now, the Gang has Herrell back in the Republican primary race for a second go. This time she’s apologizing for her campaign blunders in 2018, and pledging to debate and to do “all the things she failed to do in the last campaign.”

ATTACKS on CLAIRE CHASE

Rather than run a positive campaign to inspire and motivate the GOP base (complete with the appropriate mea culpas about the blowing the 2018 general election), the 2020 Herrell team has decided to try to destroy the nascent campaign of her only serious primary opponent, Roswell Republican Claire Chase.

They have hit upon the tactic of trying to use Chase’s opposition to Trump in 2015 and 2016. Herrell, for her part, is now claiming (in Orwellian-styled lingo) to have “always been for Trump,” without a single bit of support for that claim. The evidence suggests she was actually for Ted Cruz—and others—before she found it useful to claim she had “always” been for Trump.

Clearly, neither Herrell nor Chase was truly a Trump enthusiast. So what?

Are the 2015/2016 “Trump Questions” Really Fair? Or Relevant?

Or is it more relevant to be for Trump Now?

Okay, so Chase opposed Trump in the primaries four years ago, and didn’t vote for him in the primaries. So what?

That actually lines her up with the vast majority of all Republicans. When all the votes in all 50 states’ Republican primaries were counted, Trump had 14,105,993 votes. But 17,167,848 Republicans had voted AGAINST him. (Likely including both Herrell and Chase.)

That’s right: Even after all the other candidates had dropped out, and Trump was handed the final dozen or so primaries without opposition, when all the votes were counted Trump was still opposed by a landslide majority of Republicans!

And that was after all the other Republicans had dropped out. He had started out with only 24% and 35% in New Hampshire, and only 34% on Super Tuesday. Just before his last opponent dropped out, he was being opposed by some 60% of GOP voters!

So what if you are a Republican who didn’t make Trump your First Choice?

The point we are making is that it is not an unpardonable sin for Republicans not to have not supported Trump three years ago—so long as they didn’t vote for Clinton. (Otherwise, Trump would have left 17 million votes on the table, and would have lost in a landslide.)

So does Herrell’s Gang bringing all this up, and rehashing it, matter?

Does that make the 55.2% of Republicans who opposed Trump’s nomination “bad people”? Is that relevant 3½ years later? Or is the fact that 88% of Republicans now support Trump a more relevant data point?

Why is this Gang, this one group of people—who by the way were also among the 2016 Republican majority who wanted someone other than Trump—trying to get a little bit of hate going?

Do they foment divisiveness just for the sake of it? Did they not learn anything from their loss of the House in 2016? Or their historically catastrophic loss of almost everything else in 2018? Apparently not.

Herrell, presumably with the encouragement and the approval of The Gang, has now even started a separate stand-alone website whose sole purpose is to hate on Claire Chase.  Southern New Mexico Republicans can be forgiven if they ask: “That’s your campaign? That’s your rationale for being the choice to take on Xochitl?”


* The eight include the names, Harvey Yates, Ryan Cangiolosi, Andrea Goff, John Billingsley, Mark Murphy, Anissa Galassini Ford Tinnin, Rocky Galassini, and Stevan Pearce.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


TWO POINTS on TODAY’S IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS: 1. FIONA HILL TRIES TO PULL OFF A DISGUSTING LINK. 2. JIM JORDAN’S “LANDSLIDE” TALK

11/21/2019

1) FIONA HILL

Fiona Hill, because she has a British accent, clearly greatly impressed the mainstream media, who are easily wowed by such superficial factors.

But Hill did something truly reprehensible. She spoke of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which is a well-known anti-Semitic book. She spoke of it in faux professorial terms, as if she were talking to a high school freshman class, and acted as if she were discussing something that is little-known or obscure and that she’s some sort of monumental intellectual just because she knows about it.

Wrong. We all know about it.

The “Protocols” is a disgusting attack on Jews and Judaism. It has been discredited since its publication over a century ago. The only people who actually believe anything contained in the book are the leaders of the Islamic world—and Islamists throughout America. (Islam, oddly, is the only religion the modern Democrat Party defends, but we digress.)

Ridiculously, Hill tried to establish this outrageous claim:

 Anyone who criticizes the billionaire Democrat activist George Soros is equal to those anti-Semites who actually believe the      "Protocols of the Elders of Zion.”  In other words, because Soros is of Jewish heritage (even though he has long-since denied any belief in Judaism) if you attack him for his nefarious and fraudulent political activities, you are saying that you believe in anti-Semitic propaganda.

Anti-Soros = Anti-Semitic

What? This is nothing short of outrageously stupid. And it discredits her as any kind of scholar.

Imagine one of the Republican congressmen saying:

“Listen, you Democrats, if you attack Ronald Reagan, or Eisenhower, or Abraham Lincoln, (or Trump, for that matter) then that means you hate freedom and America and it actually means you are endorsing Hitler’s book “Mein Kampf.”

That would be stupid and groundless. Just like what Fiona Hill said. Her statements on this subject were probably the intellectual low point of the entire proceedings—and that is saying something, as there is stiff competition for that award. (How George Soros has achieved iconic status in the Democrat Party is unknown, but it's the subject for a later discussion.)

2) JIM JORDAN’S “LANDSLIDE’ LANGUAGE

Jim Jordan keeps repeating the dumbass statements by Trump that he won “one of the greatest Electoral College landslides in history."

This is not only untrue, it’s ridiculous, and it’s stupid to keep saying it. It also serves no purpose other than to establish yourself as someone who will tell tall tales.

In 2016, Trump got 304 Electoral votes, 34 more than the bare minimum necessary to win. Out of 59 presidential elections in US history, it was the 13th closest. It is absurd to call it a landslide—in fact, it’s kind of stupid in that it plays the audience as an ignorant lot. (They may be, so it may work, but it is still playing them. And it is morally wrong to insult your audience's intelligence just because you know you can, and get away with it.)

If Trump had lost Texas, he would have lost the election. Or, to use examples of states that were very close, if he had lost Florida plus one more state he would have lost the election.

The point is, Trump won the election in the Constitutionally-prescribed manner provided for in the Electoral College.

Period. He earned it. He won fair and square. That is a fact. There is nothing beyond that that can be gained by going ahead and lying about it. Or by inventing tales that make it sound more grandiose.

We don’t understand why people, including Trump, do this kind of thing. It only harms credibility, and does so needlessly.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


FLATULENCE CONTROVERSY: Swalwell Receives Subpoena from the Environmental Protection Agency

11/19/2019

[We don't approve of offensive language, and would not use this term ourselves, but others have used the term "Fart-gate" to describe this story.]

SWALWELL PASSES (considerable) GAS on LIVE TV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XK797-vj4k

Washington, DC (AP) Congressman Eric Swalwell has been alerted by the EPA that he must appear at a hearing later this week for violating new pollution guidelines. "It isn't just the Holsteins in dairies or the random Angus crossbreed in a pasture somewhere that has us concerned," said an EPA spokesman, "but human beings are increasingly becoming more and more of a concern, especially if people like Mr. Swalwell openly encourage this kind of behavior."

The EPA later issued a fact sheet noting that while there are 95 million head of cattle in the US, it must also be recognized that there are also some 325 million people. "It all adds up," said the white paper, "and this kind of thoughtless human behavior can have a debilitating effect."

An EPA employee who asked to remain anonymous went further, adding with a smirk: "And Mr. Swalwell's gas attack actually lasted longer than his presidential campaign."

For his part, Swalwell (not known for honesty) has denied the gas attack. However, according to national commentators [we refuse to watch it] the video shows considerable movement on his part to accompany what they say is an unmistakable noise.

Stay tuned to this channel for updates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XK797-vj4k


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 


THIS JUST IN: SECRET STUDY LEAKED — It Prompted the Entry of Deval Patrick and Michael Bloomberg

11/17/2019

A secret study has been leaked by insiders at the DNC, showing that the Chairman, Thomas Perez, authorized surveillance of Democrat front runner Joe Biden this past April.

The DNC study showed that Biden has been hiding, and did in fact again this spring, hide his own Easter Eggs. Successfully. Locating only 2 of 24.

When selectively leaked to Patrick and Bloomberg, they jumped in.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


IMPEACHMENT TAKEAWAYS: After 2 Days

11/16/2019

We see Campaign Ads Coming...

The Democrats may crank it up somewhat over next few days, who knows? But for now, we presume the Republicans have already captured several key moments within the hearings and they’ve already created about five devastating ads...

Question to Ambassador Taylor and Secretary Kent:

“Are either of you here to today to assert there was an impeachable offense in that call? Shout it out. Anyone?"

...two deer caught in headlights...dead silence, slight mumbling...lifeline anyone?

Question to Ambassador Yovanovitch:

“Do you have any information regarding the president of the United States accepting any bribes?”

“No.”

“Do you have any information regarding any criminal activity that he has been involved with at all?”

“No.”

Then there’s Chris Stewart’s question...

After both of Wednesday’s diplomats went really long and deep about how Ukraine and the rest of the world are incredibly corrupt and rife with bribery and extortion, Stewart plays to their vast knowledge of all the corruption in the world:

“Can you give me an example, anytime, where the Vice President shows up and demands that a specific prosecutor be fired and gives them a 6 hour time limit to do so? Are you aware of that ever happening in any other place?”

More deer in the headlights...

And an immediate realization that each was “hoist with his own petard.”


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


TRUMP SENDS ANOTHER DOOFUS TWEET

11/15/2019

TRUMP SENDS A DUMB TWEET DURING FRIDAY'S TESTIMONY

Every ambassador serves at the pleasure of the president. In fact, an ambassador is the personal in-country representative of the President of the United States. If he wants to fire one or replace one it’s his call.

In fact, presidents have fired ambassadors many many times throughout American history. So Yovanovitch has no basis for whining—and firing her is not grounds for impeachment.

Trump Hurts his Own Cause—Not because the Tweet is "Intimidating," but Just Because it's a Dumb Tweet

[NOTE: Let's dispense with the stupid media folly that the tweet "intimidated the witness". It could not have because she didn't know about it. She was busy testifying, not looking at Twitter! The only reason she even found out about it was because Adam Schiff read it to her.]

Trump hurt his cause for other reasons: Sending out an illogical and fairly stupid tweet served only to make her a sympathetic character. And also served to make yet another bad impression among that part of the electorate—the 8-10%—who will decide his fate.

While we are not Trumpistas, NMPJ believes the Trump Administration has been highly successful and that Trump merits re-election. That makes us a mere supporter of his re-election—in the same camp with many other Trump voters who are not Trumpistas.

The “Trumpista” segment is a different group, however. That group firmly believes—as we have heard in emails and texts hundreds of times—that he is “brilliant,” that he “thinks in 3-D,” and that he “plays chess while everyone else is playing checkers.”

In contrast to that, one of the many things that distinguish our viewpoint (and that of the simple Trump voter) from the viewpoint of Trumpistas is that we have long held that he is terribly awkward, ill-educated in history, and is remarkably inarticulate when not following the TelePrompTer.

Today he offered another example of behavior and communication that illustrates one of the differences between NMPJ/Trump supporters and the personally-devoted Trumpistas.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

WHISTLEBLOWER POLL: If the Republicans were trying to impeach Obama...

11/14/2019

WHISTLEBLOWER POLL:

If the Republicans were trying to impeach Obama, or anyone else, and had some sort of "whistleblower" stashed away...

WOULD THE DEMOCRATS/MEDIA BE ALL CALM ABOUT IT AND SAY NOTHING?

OR WOULD THEY BE "ON IT" NOT RESTING TILL HE/SHE WAS REVEALED?

 
10%Dems/Media would be quiet
 
90%They would DEMAND to know
 
READER REACTIONS
  • Frank Drinkwinre they would demand to know and for them to testify.
     
     
  • Cathie Hephner
    Cathie Hephner Where’s the ”This is BS” button? I need that one in order to vote.
    STUPID SURVEY!
     
    • New Mexico Political Journal
      New Mexico Political Journal Cathie Hephner What’s stupid about it?
      Stamped on your forehead, apparently.
    •  
  • PHY
    •  
  • Kyle Armstrong
    Kyle Armstrong Who cares who the whistleblower is anymore. It's all be corroborated.
    Tommy EstesTommy Estes Until proven otherwise, I dont believe there is a whistleblower, period. It's just a little too convenient for the democrats to base their entire case on 'the whistleblower said', yet never have to produce a warm body.
    •  
    • Tommy Estes
      Tommy Estes Nancy Capels I'm familiar. Here again, no evidence at this point.
    •  
  • Charles Morris
    Charles Morris The whistleblower is an American hero. He was true to his oath to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Based on the President's transcript of the call, the whistleblower's complaint, witnesses depositions and testimonies, it appears the president attempted to get Ukraine to investigate a political rival, and used a threat to withhold foreign aid as a leverage. While withholding foreign aid is almost certainly commonplace, using the office of the presidency in this manner is abhorrent. 
    Tommy Estes Tommy Estes Soo, biden gets a free pass, because he's running for POTUS? Doesn't work that way, despite what freak show the dems are putting on.
    • Charles Morris
    • Charles Morris Tommy Estes we aren't talking about former Vice President Biden, we are talking about current President Trump. When Biden was vice president the Republicans could have pursued him.
    •  
     
  • Jam Jones
    Jam Jones
    Image may contain: text
     
    Esther Rivera
  • Esther Rivera Jim Jones -- same BS another day. The first day of this kangaroo court was hearsay of hearsay and would never be allowed in a legitimate court of law. Katy Tur is CIA controlled mouthpiece.
     
  • Joseph Gonzales
    Joseph Gonzales They have nothing. This will be DOA before it even gets to the Senate. This is nothing more than an effort to weaken the President ahead of the election because the field of contenders is so weak and in some instances, crazy. A nothingburger as st. hillary likes to say.
     
  • Louise Riley
    Louise Riley 86 to 14 so far,, the smart ones are ahead, the rest,, well...
     
  • Fel Cohen
     
    Fel Cohen Anyone who has read George Orwell's 1984 would immediately recognize this as an alternate reality.

    "A society becomes totalitarian when its structure becomes flagrantly artificial: that is, when its ruling class has lost its function, but succeeds in clinging to power by force or fraud." ~ George Orwell
     
  • Teresa Coburn
    Teresa Coburn Dem's be quiet?? They would be protesting, marching, parading and rallying in the streets! hahahahahah??????
    • New Mexico Political Journal
      New Mexico Political Journal Teresa Coburn You are beyond correct! 1,000,000% correct. The media would also be completely out of their minds. It would be nothing short of pandemonium. 
  • Mike Dossey
     
    Mike Dossey Yesterday I had got back in my truck and on KVIA they had a comment by one of the republicans who I swear had tears in his eyes crying like a little bitch. Great job Rino's
    Delete, hide or report this
     
  • Bill Roark
    Bill Roark What is the fascination with the Whistleblower? Everything he revealed has already been validated by other witnesses with 1st hand information. Or is the real reason to try to intimidate other witnesses from coming forward? Is the GOP also still trying to find out the identity of Deep Throat too?
    • Juli Adcock
      Juli Adcock Are you familiar with what the 6th amendment provides for with regards to confronting one's accuser?
      Bill Roark
    • Bill Roark Juli Adcock Since the whistle-blowers statement has been validated by statements from people who first hand knowledge of Trumps crimes and Trump has already admitted the whistle-blower had only second or third hand knowledge of the events the whistle-blower is no longer the accuser. The whistle-blower is a hero who was doing his job. The whistle-blower statute contain (anti-retaliation) provisions that generally provide that employers may not discharge or retaliate against an employee because the employee has filed a complaint or otherwise exercised other rights provided to employees under the statute. Since Trump has already made threats against the whistle-blowers life the whistle-blower has every right to keep his identity secret. Any other claims are attempts at witness intimidation.
       
    • New Mexico Political Journal
      New Mexico Political Journal Bill Roark It is truly bizarre the degree to which people who hate Trump fall into repeating and parroting the Democrats' talking points that they just now invented. In an effort to try to limit the proceedings against Trump to a one-sided proceeding, the Democrats started telling their followers that the American tradition is simply to take one person's testimony, then get other people to "corroborate" and that is the end of the story. No cross-examination, no calling of other witnesses, no raising questions about the accuracy of the original witness's statements or that of anyone else. It's as if they believed they can fool Americans into believing that 243 years of American jurisprudence---and another 600-700 years of English common law traditions---are unknown in the country. And you know what? People like Mr. Roark prove that that is true, Americans are totally tribal now and combining tribal instincts with ignorance of our own history makes for a very dangerous situation.
       
    • Bill Roark
      Bill Roark New Mexico Political Journal I don't understand how you can blindly follow Trumps propaganda. He clearly has severe mental health issues. America is far more important than Trump.
       
    • Juli Adcock
      Juli Adcock America IS more important than Trump and any other political figure, which is EXACTLY why it is vital that the rights of confronting, cross examining and innocence until proven guilty are preserved for even those that are hated. That is part of the foundation of America that without it, America would no longer exist. As far as New Mexico Political Journal blindly following Trump, that is truly laughable. The idea that someone who disagrees with you blindly follows Trump is a leap of logic that defies imagination.
    • Juli Adcock
      Juli Adcock Bill Roark If you were accused of a crime, would you want YOUR trial conducted in the same manner?
    • New Mexico Political Journal
      New Mexico Political Journal Bill Roark We receive hate mail because we DON'T blindly follow Trump. But in any case, following the law is more important---though it is a principle that the Trump haters are willing to sacrifice. Very short-sighted.
      Bill Roark
    • Bill Roark Juli Adcock First of all if I were President I wouldn't commit a crime by putting my personal interests above my duties to the American people. I also wouldn't try to intimidate witnesses by threatening there safety. When are you going to realize you are aiding and abetting a criminal that threatens America. 
      Bill Roark
    • Bill Roark New Mexico Political Journal Trump's court filings claim he is above the law. Do you really want to live in a country where every newly elected President become Dictator In Chief for the next 4 years? https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../b8811be8-eaaa-11e9...
      Trump’s broad claims of executive immunity lead to criticism he is acting above the law
      WASHINGTONPOST.COM
      Trump’s broad claims of executive immunity lead to criticism he is…
    • ock Bill Roark Assertions are easy to make, but a whole lot harder to prove in a court of law no matter how many times people say it. Have you checked on what previous administrations have claimed for executive privilege and immunity? I think you'd be surprised at what has been done previous to this administration is not as "out of norms" as this opinion piece would have you believe.

Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 
 
 
 
 

IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS and THE ILLOGICAL BIDEN PARADOX NO ONE WILL QUESTION or DISPUTE:

11/13/2019

(No one except NMPJ, that is.)

NOTE TO READERS: Please provide answers, if you can

DEMOCRATS ARE NOW SAYING THIS:

If you are a Democratic presidential candidate, you cannot be scrutinized. Neither you or anyone related to you.

Here is how this works for the Democrats:

1) Joe Biden is a presidential candidate; therefore
2) He is termed a "rival" or an "opponent" of Trump; so
3) Any questioning of Biden about corruption is invalid;
4) Such questions arise ONLY because he is a "rival"
5) There can be no questions based solely on corruption;
6) It is impossible for corruption to be an actual concern

So, those conditions being in place, then (again, according to the Democrats)

Even though the following things may seem strange to the American people,

they CANNOT be discussed:

1) Hunter Biden not knowing anyone in Ukraine
2) Hunter Biden knowing nothing about petroleum
3) Hunter Biden not speaking a word of Ukrainian
4) Hunter Biden having no experience in anything at all
5) Hunter having NOTHING other than a father who is VP

BUT 6) Getting $50,000 per month for doing nothing

These concerns are ALL completely out-of-bounds to raise.

In fact, it angers the Democrats for ANY of these things to be raised. Why?

Democrats' Circular Answer: Because Joe Biden is a candidate for president. [Remember: He is a "rival." So all of these concerns must be raised only because of that status. They cannot be being raised because anyone with common sense can see the obvious corruption involved.

TRUMP's ONLY POSSIBLE MOTIVE

By virtue of Biden having filed for president, any inquiries about Biden's "weird" relationship with Ukraine are IMMEDIATELY dismissed because President Trump is--we are told--not asking about that "wrongdoing," or a potential "crime." NO. He can only be asking about a "rival."

IF BIDEN WERE NOT A CANDIDATE

This begs the question: If Biden had skipped the 2020 race, just like he did in 2016, would any questions about his (fairly obvious) corruption be legitimate? Of course they would be.

But Biden, because he is running for president, holds the ultimate "get-out-of-jail-free" card. The Democrats have ruled that ANY question about Hunter Biden or Joe Biden (shown below with Ukrainian oil execs) is automatically completely illegitimate and cannot be valid.

"Baseless," they say. And so do the media. They say the exact SAME WORDS as the Democrats. "Wholly without foundation." "Outrageous." "Totally Exonerated." "No Evidence."

Does all this really make sense?

Is it us or is it them? It's them, isn't it?


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


SANFORD QUITS PRESIDENTIAL RACE

11/12/2019

Republicans worried sick about where all of his massive support will end up now.

Former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford—aka App-Trail Mark—just now ended his presidential campaign, less than two months after announcing his bid to knock off Trump.

Sanford implied he would’ve swept to an easy nomination but for the impeachment crisis, saying:

“You gotta be a realist, and what I did not anticipate is an impeachment.”

This leaves three other Republicans in the race, Trump, plus Illinois congressman Joe Walsh, and former Massachusetts governor William Weld, who has run or threatened to run for office so many times he is now officially classified a “perennial candidate.”

Sanford’s alternate nickname is Argentine Mark. While serving as South Carolina governor in 2009, Sanford suddenly disappeared. His staff’s cover story was that Sanford was hiking the Appalachian Trail. But after exhaustive searches in Appalachia, Sanford turned up in Argentina with his mistress.

It’s unclear how his thousands (or possibly millions) of votes will be reallocated among Trump, Walsh, and Weld.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


UNDERSTANDING the WHISTLEBLOWER CONCEPT: What it is and What it is NOT. What is the 6th Amendment?

11/11/2019

The Concept of the Whistleblower

  • What it is and is NOT.
  • The danger of not understanding it.
  • A few words about the 6th Amendment
     

A “whistleblower” is someone who is afforded protection against losing his/her job for coming forth to provide evidence of wrongdoing. There is nothing in the whistleblower concept that indicates that such an individual is “anonymous.”

On the contrary, a government that accepts and uses evidence from an anonymous informant to prosecute wrongdoing need not protect an informant at all. After all, the informant is unknown. That being the case, why would such protection even be necessary?

Someone who can remain anonymous NEEDS NO PROTECTION—he or she is, by definition UNKNOWN.

MISUSE of WHISTLEBLOWER CONCEPT

If the Democrat/Media position on whistleblowers is correct, then US Government agencies could just begin to use 800 number lines, invite callers to “blow their whistles,” and then prosecute anyone they want based on anonymous messages.

The SIXTH AMENDMENT

Under the 6th Amendment, anyone accused in America has the right to:

  • be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation;
  • be confronted with the witnesses against him;
  • have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and
  • have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

The Democrats in Congress have thus far not only disregarded these fundamental concepts, they have shown aggressive contempt for them. This should be a very sobering moment for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation.

Trump may or may not have violated a law or committed some high crime, but whether he has or has not he must be afforded the same procedural protections afforded all other Americans.

Denying the Republicans the right of calling witnesses, or to cross-examine other witnesses represents a great danger to all of us, not just the minority in Congress, and not just Trump.

IN SUM

In our view, the Democrats and their media allies are attempting to change fundamental concepts about the American judicial system.

This represents a danger to civil liberties that extends well beyond any partisan political considerations. By ignoring basic components of due process, the Democrats are counting on the increasingly evident ignorance of millions of Americans, and, sadly, are also engaged in aggressively teaching ignorance to millions more.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


IMPEACHMENT: Some Wise Words. How Many of these Phrases Apply to the Current Crisis?

11/09/2019

This was written in the winter of 1788, but does it sound like today? You tell us.

We list 10 phrases written by Alexander Hamilton in Federalist 65.*

How many of these phrases do you perceive fit the current circumstances? Let us know your number. 

...the trial of impeachments...

1. "...They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated POLITICAL..." [Note: capital letters are from Hamilton, not NMPJ]

2. "...The prosecution of them, for this reason, will seldom fail to agitate the passions of the whole community,

3. "...and to divide it into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused.

4. "...In many cases it will connect itself with the pre-existing factions,

5. "...and will enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and interest on one side or on the other..."

6. "...and in such cases there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the comparative strength of parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt."

7. "...The difficulty of placing it rightly, in a government resting entirely on the basis of periodical elections, will as readily be perceived..."

8. "...most conspicuous characters in it will...be too often the leaders or the tools of the most cunning

9. "...[most conspicuous characters in it will...be too often [of]] ...the most numerous faction..."

10. "...[the most cunning] can hardly be expected to possess the requisite neutrality towards those whose conduct may be the subject of scrutiny."


* While Federalist 65 deals directly with the potential role of the Senate in a post-impeachment trial, it is also applicable as a means of evaluating the role and conduct of the House of Representatives in the indictment process, which is in fact "impeachment."


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Pat Rogers Writes NMPJ: There's More Credit to Go Around for the Defeat of Democracy Dollars.

11/09/2019

We received the following email from Albuquerque Attorney Pat Rogers, to whom we had credited the defeat of the so-called Democracy Dollars initiative, promoted by the progressive Left in the recently concluded Albuquerque municipal election.


Dear NMPJ:

Some high school pals sent me your recent Democracy Dollar article. I write, somewhat reluctantly, to give credit where credit is due.  Because I have done lots of other good things without any credit I admit I was tempted to leave the impression I whipped up on the Democracy Dollar advocates, single-handedly.

My old pals who commented about the article know me and remain convinced there must be more to the story. There is.

The Rio Grande Foundation, a free-market advocacy outfit in New Mexico, is responsible for the lion’s share of the $200 spent in opposition. The Rio Grande Foundation sponsored the first podcast against Democracy Dollars and that is still online at their site.  

They dreamed up the excellent website title:  “Go Fund Yourself”. Their website contains lots of background on the issue. Any of your readers interested in the details of the battle or the other free-market battles in New Mexico should check out the Rio Grande Foundation website.  

A worthy cause and source of information for anyone in favor of freedom and limited government.http://nowaynm.org/

Other individuals and the Bernalillo County Republican Party pitched in with letters to the editor and emails to friends.

The odds and forces aligned in favor of this latest bad idea from the coast were actually even more significant and one-sided than noted in the article.

The money that will be finally reported by the advocates of the wacky, wasteful scheme will be well over $550,000 because the leftist groups have yet to report the contributions and expenditures for the last days of the campaign, the time when the most dollars and time are usually expended.

More important, the usual suspects pushing this bad idea included OLÉ (formerly known as ACORN until a variety of illegal activities were exposed), Progress Now, Working Families, Common Cause and a host of the usual out-of-state coastal leftists that often don’t report accurately.

The last few days of the Democracy Dollar campaign also featured endorsements for Democracy Dollars by some nobodies named Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Andrew Yang, some Texas yahoo, and some others who should never be elected to any public office. Luckily their endorsements were ignored.

Thank you for your report on this significant victory for the taxpayers and voters. Occasionally, common sense prevails.  

Patrick J. Rogers


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


WHY WE MUST KEEP the ELECTORAL COLLEGE:

11/08/2019

Watch this short video and see what California’s massive POPULAR VOTE will lead to in the rest of America.

Remember: We are NOT a direct democracy. And Direct Democracy leads to a California.

 

Click here:  https://www.facebook.com/craigneil/videos/10214966635135435/

 


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


THE OFF-OFF-YEAR ELECTIONS. (Part 1 of a Series) What to think? What happened in New Mexico? Elsewhere? Is the Las Cruces Judge on the Up and Up? In this Issue we discuss "Democracy Dollars."

11/07/2019

The Demise of Democracy Dollars

Perhaps the biggest news of last Tuesday evening was the defeat of the progressive Democrats’ scheme called “Democracy Dollars.”

It was a plan that would provide everyone in Albuquerque with a $25 voucher (paid for by Albuquerque taxpayers) that each person could “donate” to the Albuquerque city council or mayoral candidate of his/her choice.

The proponents of the scheme, who are by and large Left-wing campaign consultants and so-called non-profit leftist activists, spent more than $550,000 to win the voters’ approval for what would have been a new source for an additional $14 million in public financing.

The proposal was riddled with loopholes and components that just screamed “fraud” and “scam,” but it had a nice name.

(Opponents pointed out that that name was highly misleading and that it should be called “Democrat Dollars,” since it was being pushed so hard by New Mexico’s dominant political party.)

Democracy Dollars Goes All Out—Leaving No Stone Unturned (and no turn unstoned)

The Democracy Dollars crowd pulled out all the stops: rallies on Civic Plaza led by far-Left Albuquerque politico Eric Griego, paid door-to-door campaigning, tons of mail, radio, television, celebrity endorsements, catchy slogans, and cool nicknames like "Burque Bucks." 

The money poured in from all over Left-wing America. They touted the support of the so-called "Common Cause" organization.

(The "common" in the name apparently comes from its "common," and in fact unanimous and unwavering support for every single Left-wing idea which is broached anywhere in America.) 

They had the support of the League of Women Voters, which, as we understand

it, have re-registered themselves as an active lobby for the Democrat Party. (We have yet to confirm that, so they may have held off on formal affiliation.)

One Lonely Opponent

Meanwhile, going up against more than a half-million dollars in advertising was the lonely voice of Albuquerque attorney Pat Rogers, and one or two other supporters who, combined, spent less than $250 (that’s right, two-hundred and fifty dollars).

Rogers published an Op-ed in the Albuquerque Journal excoriating the scheme and its flaws. He then went on a PBS show on KNME’s Channel 5 (which perhaps has 500-600 viewers in all of New Mexico) and calmly demolished the entire proposal, step-by-step. He spoke to a business forum, perhaps attended by 50 or 60 people, and he went on KKOB Radio 770 for an hour.

That was it.

The result?

                YES: 39,317 (48.7%)

                NO:  41,356 (51.3%)

Yeah, the Democracy Dollars crowd, despite enjoying a spending advantage of 2,200 to 1, actually managed to lose the election.

Go figure!


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Brit Hume on Twitter: After three years of tumult...

11/04/2019

it Hume Tweeted:

"After three years of tumult, public opinion is exactly where it was on election day 2016. Remarkable."
It was in response to this tweet by Peter Baker:

"New ?@NBCNews? ?@WSJ? poll finds that 49% support impeaching and removing Trump from office, while 46% oppose it, mirroring the 2016 popular vote results. Trump retains 91% support among Republicans. https://nbcnews.com/politics/meet-"the-press/nbc-wsj-poll-49-percent-now-back-trump-s-impeachment-n1075296

Our Take:

It didn't need to be this way. But there it is...

READERS' RESPONSE
  • Joe Schaller What's that saying about "Whoever controls the media/press controls...".
    • New Mexico Political Journal Nah, we don't think it necessarily "controls." The media have been strongly pro-Democrat, intensely (to an extreme) secular, and anti-US for several decades. While it is true that they have ratcheted that up exponentially over the past four years, there have been many things that Trump could have done to increase his support by 5 or 6 percentage points. But he simply would not do them. We certainly hope that a Democrat does not defeat him (or whoever the Republican nominee may be), and they appear to be trying to accommodate that preference, as they did in 2016. But if he does get beat he will share part of the blame.
    •  
    • Joe Schaller New Mexico Political Journal Yes, there's a price to pay for standing up to and exposing a corrupt and deep media as well as the deep state bureaucracy. Great rewards sometimes require great risk.
       
    • New Mexico Political Journal Joe Schaller We agree on that. But he could have done all of that and not have said all kinds of gratuitous things----things that no one or no thing compelled him to say. He has had tremendous achievements, arguably more than any president in the Post-War Era, but he has stepped on many of them, and has diverted the view of millions of Americans by needless (and oftentimes mindless) ad-libbing. Anyone else, with record employment for all demographic groups, excellent growth, improvements in all areas of foreign policy, and many other achievements, would be an absolute shoo-in. He has worked really hard on the side to leave the 2020 outcome in doubt.
      •  
    • Deewain Kimik New Mexico Political Journal that's a Snobbish Attitude.... You favor the polished politican who says the "Right" things and does nothing? Trump is just like every person that I have worked with. He talks like all of US... We get to talking and jabbing and joking around.... He sounds just like that.... Oh yeah.... We ALL Support Him...
      New Mexico Political Journal Deewain Kimik You work with unusual people. We don’t run into anyone who says “I’m a genius. I’m the smartest individual in the country. I’m brilliant. Nobody can do any of these things except me.” And on and on. (Well, we do know some folks like that, but they were in, like, maybe, the 6th Grade.)
    •  
    • Charles Richards New Mexico Political Journal, I am more impressed with what he has accomplished, in the midst of all this DemoSocialist turmoil, than I am with the gratuitous self aggrandizement. And not trusting the established bean Counters, I don't respond to their polls. Let them be surprised, and better yet, embarrassed, by the outcome.
      Trump is who he is, but the bottom line is, they don't like him. Those that have been there for 16 or more years, and led us to the pickle we found ourselves in, before Trump. And yes, maybe the Dems can find a banner carrier in that mess of candidates to challenge Trump. But I am so far unimpressed, and we will just have to wait and see.
       
    • Joe Schaller New Mexico Political Journal Your describing Trump, "I'm a genius etc...". Doesn't that describe Congressional Democrats, RINOs, and deep state bureaucracy/media? Hasn't Trump proven that after over 100 years of the progressive swamp he is the FIRST to match their arrogance and pomposity with one difference - he IS the smartest, and HAS done what is needed.
      Deewain Kimik New Mexico Political Journal Can't change people's unhinged hate of another person so I'll leave you to your jihad
    • New Mexico Political Journal Joe Schaller and Deewain Kimik: Just so no innocent readers are left confused with your comments and assume we have posited ANY of the things you have posted: We make none of your arguments. You are free of course—as everyone is—to create all manner of straw men then turn in on them and whip ‘em good, but they are “opponents” and arguments of your own making, not ours. (Just making the record clear for honest readers.
       
      •  
    • Joe Schaller New Mexico Political Journal Hold on there. I quoted you. "We don’t run into anyone who says “I’m a genius. I’m the smartest individual in the country. I’m brilliant. Nobody can do any of these things except me.” " . . I'm not trying to quibble. I made a valid point about the abuse of power and attitude of our Congress over the past 100 years. Who's worse, Trump or Congress? I say Trump is outmatching their attitude since he can back it up with results. They created the snobbish swamp aristocracy, not he.
       
      • New Mexico Political Journal Joe Schaller No one we know of disputes the poor performance of Congress and the swamp. That’s why we would like to see Trump concentrate on trying to persuade a majority of the American people that he can make improvements over what we have. But he refuses to try to do that. He prefers to speak to crowds of 18,000 super fans that he had at “hello” and will always have — rather than try to win over the 11,000,000 in the murky middle who will decide the outcome.
        He doesn’t need you—the hard-core Trumpistas. And he doesn’t need us (for entirely different reasons)—the Trump Administration supporters.
        Unless he can draw the inside strait again (and he might, who knows?) he probably needs to improve his vote from 45.93% — again when you get that small a percentage it has to break perfectly in each state.
        He refuses to try for those.
      •  
    • Joe Schaller New Mexico Political Journal There's many like me who didn't vote for him yet are thrilled at the prospect of voting for him this time. One thing I'll never believe, is any poll.
      •  
    • New Mexico Political Journal Joe Schaller That would be a mistake.
      Joe Schaller New Mexico Political Journal Back to my original point, the leftist media has enough impact on people's perceptions to create a good ten percentage point swing in nation-wide elections. If you don't consider that to be an indicator of "control of the masses, the minds, the culture" (as the sayings go), that would be a mistake. Also, if you think a selected few answer poll questions honestly, that would be a mistake. Margin of error is always to the left, particularly nowadays.
    • New Mexico Political Journal Joe Schaller Alrighty then.
    •  
    •  
  • Frank Drinkwinre Is that the same polls that predicted Killary Clinton was going to blow Trump out of the water election day?
     
    • New Mexico Political Journal Frank Drinkwinre The averages of the polls actually forecast 48% for Clinton and 46% for Trump. She ended up with about 48.15% and he got about 45.93%. So they were not inaccurate—as many try to repeat. The lesson learned is that national polls that are only concerned with sampling that will reflect the likely national popular vote outcome are not determinative. They should have had very intense, high N surveys of the ten most closely contested states. Had they done so they would probably have seen that the race was “too close to call.” In 2016, Trump pulled off the equivalent of drawing three cards to an inside straight. He may do that again—we hope he does (the Democrats are disasters for our future)—but anyone who believes this is cut and dried is whistling past the graveyard.
       
    • Diana Sue Yum-Bucher New Mexico Political Journal and those results take into account the insidious voter fraud that made her appear to get a higher percent of the vote.
       
  • Sam Massey Bret who? Never heard of him.??
    Keith Coleman Phony outrage and tumult
  • Sara Bryan Democrat have no policies, no candidates & no chance - must impeach or cheat another way to win!
  • Deewain Kimik Well let's see...

  • https://www.facebook.com/100040343.../posts/146335300054580/
           New Mexico Political Journal Deewain Kimik, Your link does not link to anything at all. Just FYI.
 

Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


DON’T FORGET TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK TODAY!

11/03/2019

Commemorating the ultra stupid Texas “Clock Boy” hoax that bewildered so many Democrats—Obama invited the perpetrator, Ahmed Mohamed, to the White House, believing that he was some sort of budding “scientist” or “genius-like engineer.”

What is forgotten is that Mohamed’s father the creatively-named Mohamed Mohamed (it seems his family ran out of name ideas) tried desperately to make money out of the entire ordeal, filing a half dozen lawsuits.

He lost them all. Not only that, they were all dismissed with prejudice. Ultimately, the Mohamed Mohamed Mohamed crowd has to pay all the legal fees, amounting to some $200,000.

[Note: The judicial system is so heavily stacked in favor of the “lawsuit culture” that you have to be way way way beyond egregious to the point of supreme ridiculosity in order to have to pay the defendants’ legal fees and costs. So this was an extremely ridiculous hoax dreamed up by the Mohamedans.]

The motion to dismiss was filed by lawyers from the American Freedom Law Center. The appeals court not only affirmed the dismissal but affirmed the award of nearly $200,000 for attorney’s fees and costs, including AFLC’s $67,238.50 in legal fees at the trial level and $130,000 in conditional legal fees for the appellate work.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


THIS JUST IN: BETO’s NEW GIG

11/02/2019

 


DOÑA ANA COUNTY UPDATE: The Republican Party of New Mexico Takes Action!

11/01/2019

New Mexico Republicans can be glad that the RPNM is now acting to ensure election integrity—albeit too late to save at least 70 ballots. Nonetheless, Steve Pearce is to be commended for taking action.

In response to our article, the RPNM swung into action late this afternoon. They filed suit against the three entities we had identified for them as having acted unlawfully:

  • The Doña Ana County Clerk
  • The Secretary of State
  • The Absent Voter Precinct Board

With Las Cruces mayoral candidate Mike Tellez as the plaintiff, they went into district court in Las Cruces. We are proud to share highlights of this RPNM press release as they read almost verbatim from our article:

REPUBLICAN PARTY of NEW MEXICO and LAS CRUCES MAYORAL CANDIDATE SUE STATE OVER ABSENTEE BALLOTS

The Republican Party of New Mexico and Las Cruces mayoral candidate Mike Tellez have filed suit against New Mexico’s Secretary of State, the Dona Ana County Clerk and the County’s Absent Voter Precinct Board. The RPNM and Tellez claim the defendants are ignoring a 2019 law that requires absentee voters to provide their name, address and date of birth.

The lawsuit charges that The AVPB had been instructed by the County Clerk, who herself was acting on the advice of the Secretary of State Maggie Oliver, to count the ballots despite at least one of the three qualifications missing. The suit claims the defendants did nothing to fix this problem.

The Republican Party and Tellez are asking the court for an injunction to stop the counting of absentee ballots. The RPNM has learned at least 70 of these ballots have at least one of the three necessary pieces of information missing. The Plaintiffs want the ballots sequestered until a ruling.

The Party is also asking for a declaratory judgment to clarify the meaning of the 2019 changes to the statute. It wants the court to set a uniform statewide standard for qualifying and counting absentee votes for this non-partisan election and future ones. While this local election is non-partisan, there are many registered GOP voters in Dona Ana County.

“What’s happening in Dona Ana County is wrong and setting a bad precedent for future elections. Our Party must stand up to this. People who vote illegally are hurting the integrity of the system. We as a Party must raise a red flag when we see people ignoring voting laws,” said Steve Pearce, RPNM Chairman. “It’s our duty to call on the State to fix these problems.”


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Doña Ana County Clerk Violating State Law Again in 2019. Republican Party of New Mexico is Doing Nothing to Stop the Cheating.

11/01/2019

In the current local election taking place in Doña Ana County, the Doña Ana County Clerk, claiming to be acting on instructions from the Secretary of State, is—once again—violating state law.

Despite explicit direction given by the state legislature, Doña Ana County is once again accepting absentee ballots whose outer envelopes do not provide the identification information a voter must provide in order for his or her ballot to be accepted and counted. The outer envelope of a returned absentee ballot must show:

  • The voter’s name
  • The voter’s registration address
  • The voter’s year of birth
  • The voter’s signature

In other words, to vote by absentee ballot a voter must provide the same information that the early voter or the Election Day voter must provide as a condition for receiving a ballot. (Outer envelope shown at right.)

In the CD2 race last year, the Doña Ana County Clerk accepted hundreds of ballots which were missing one or more of the mandatory requirements shown above.

This past March, the state legislature passed legislation making it crystal clear (it was already clear but being ignored) by inserting new, unmistakable language mandating that the information identifying the voter had to be included for a ballot to be accepted.

What has the Doña Ana County Clerk Done?

She has ordered that ballots with missing signatures, years of birth, and other omissions be accepted. Not only has she accepted the ballots, she has had the Absent Voter Precinct Board:

1)  open the outer envelopes (where the missing information is supposed to be attached)

2)  remove the inner envelopes—the ones with the actual voted ballots; and

3)  separate the inner envelopes from the outer ones, so it is now impossible to verify the voter

She has comingled all the ballots. This means it is impossible to tell legitimate, law-abiding and lawful voters casting legal ballots from those who don’t fit that category.

There are several categories of voters whose ballots may not qualify—that’s one of the principal the reasons for the existence of the Absent Voter Precinct Board. Some of those categories are:

  • Voters who are qualified electors, but ineligible to vote in a particular district or contest
  • Individuals who are committing vote fraud
  • Voters whose names or addresses are being used by others who are committing fraud

By ignoring the law and by eliminating the role of the Absent Voter Precinct Board, the County Clerk—with the authorization of the Secretary of State—has created yet another New Mexico “goat roping” and substituted that for a legal election in which established lawful voting procedures are to be used.

[PLEASE NOTE: A decision taken by the Absent Voter Precinct Board to reject a ballot is not final and does not finally exclude anyone from voting. Instead, a rejected ballot is set aside and treated in much the same way as a provisional ballot. The voter may ultimately be able to show that his or her ballot should count--by providing a signature or correct information, etc., in which case the mailing envelope shall be opened and the ballot shall be counted.]

Where is the Republican Party of New Mexico?

The above-referenced violations of election law are setting the stage for the 2020 Presidential Election year in which all congressional seats, a US Senate race, and the entire New Mexico legislature will be contested.

And here we have the same violations committed by the same people in the same city and county where the 2018 violations took place.

We have it on good authority that State Chairman Steve Pearce was notified of these ongoing violations, but did nothing. As a result, no injunction was filed and this morning the ballots were finally opened and comingled, despite the illegality of the entire procedure.

If these kinds of violations are allowed to continue, then not only do Republicans have no hope whatsoever of seeing a Republican presidential candidate carry New Mexico, they have very little chance of winning all the other elections.

What Does the Applicable Law Say about Absentee Voting?

1- 6- 8. Mailed ballot envelopes.

C. The reverse of each official mailing envelope shall contain a form to be executed by the voter completing the mailed ballot. The form shall identify the voter and shall contain the following statement: "I have not and will not vote any other ballot in this election". The official mailing envelope shall contain a space for the voter to record the voter's name, registration address and year of birth. The envelope shall have a security flap to cover this information.

1- 6- 9. Mailed ballots; manner of voting; delivery methods.

A. When voting a mailed ballot, the voter shall secretly mark the mailed ballot in the manner provided in the Election Code for marking paper ballots, place it in the official inner envelope and securely seal the envelope. The voter shall then place the official inner envelope inside the official mailing envelope and securely seal the envelope. The voter shall then complete the form on the reverse of the official mailing envelope, which shall include a statement by the voter under penalty of perjury that the facts stated in the form are true and the voter's name, registration address and year of birth.

6- 14. Handling mailed ballots.

A. At any time after mailed ballots have been sent to voters and until the fifth day before the election, the county clerk may convene an election board to meet during the normal business hours of the office of the county clerk to qualify the mailed ballots that are returned. Before opening an official mailing envelope, the presiding judge and the election judges shall determine that the required information has been completed on the reverse side of the official mailing envelope.

B. If the voter's signature or the required voter identification is missing, the presiding judge shall write "Rejected" on the front of the official mailing envelope. The judge or election clerk shall enter the voter's name in the signature rosters or register and shall write the notation "Rejected- - Missing Signature" or "Rejected- - Missing Required Voter Identification" in the "Notations" column of the register. The presiding judge shall place the official mailing envelope unopened in a container provided for rejected ballots.


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


REFORMATION DAY

10/31/2019
A single Act of Courage took place 502 years ago today, one which led to what is probably the most significant event of the Millenium. It had the most profound effects in every realm of human endeavor and experience: spiritual and religious, political and economic, cultural and demographic.

Though too few citizens are familiar with its significance, it also played a decisive role in the founding of what was to become the United States of America, as well as its subsequent Constitution, political structure, polity, and culture.

It was on October 31st in 1517 that a German monk named Martin Luther, a professor of theology, nailed to the door of Wittenberg Church his 95 theses protesting the medieval church’s sale of indulgences.

It was a single day and single act of bravery that forever changed the history of the world. The celebration of Reformation Day has been the yearly practice for many New Testament-based Christians since the 16th Century.

Today however, this great day and date, even among evangelical Christians, is almost completely overshadowed by the overtly pagan practices in celebration of the “Eve of All Saints Day,” better known as “Hallowe’en.”

Don’t get us wrong—all of us hand out candy and carve pumpkins too—we just wanted to encourage reading among however many readers we have who may not be familiar with this history, or who’ve never studied, contemplated, or understood the far-reaching power and influence of the Reformation.

Meanwhile, Happy Hallowe’en!

Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 
 
 
 

MORE PROOF of TRUMP’s ABUSE of POWER

10/30/2019

He's giving a Medal of Honor to a Green Beret, but NOTHING to Hunter Biden for his 30 days’ solid service in the Navy Reserve before being discharged for failing a drug test.*

Hunter later went to New Mexico Tech and became an expert in Petroleum Engineering. He then parlayed those skills into huge million-dollar “consulting fees” as an international expert. (Wait. No. He just used Clintonesque pay-to-play techniques.)

(*Credit to Ann Coulter for finding this factoid.)


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Why Pelosi was NOT Among the Democrats Who Were Informed of the Plan to Kill Him.

10/29/2019

This is—very sad to say—how far the Democrats have sunk. Previous Democrats, like Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, or Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson, or Senator John F. Kennedy, would have safeguarded US secrets. 

But in the modern Democratic Party there is no one left who will not leak classified information for partisan political purposes.

READERS' RESPOND

  • Juli Adcock The president made a wise decision not to tell them and doncha know that they're eating their hearts out over it.
    TENOR
  •  
  •  
    Frank Drinkwinre Communists
    Jan Hinkle Adam isn't doing his job.
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • Jackie Sanders We the people can't trust democrats ! They hate our America , and our freedom
    Nolan Gonzales Did they get Baghdadi nuf said now next
  •  
  • Billy Dalton Interesting Read...??
    LET THEM GO AHEAD AND IMPEACH TRUMP ... HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS THEN...... CHUGGA CHUGGA CHOO CHOO
    By: Hyram F. Suddfluffel, PhD, (Political Science)

    I have a degree in Political Science, and I am a card-carrying Libertarian. I've been studying politics and political history for the past 30 years. My specialty is U.S. Presidents. That said, I hope that the House of Representatives impeaches Trump. Let me tell you what will happen next!

    1. The House can pass articles of impeachment over the objections of the Republicans and refer to the Senate for trial.

    2. The Senate will conduct a trial. There will be a vote, and the Republicans will vote unanimously, along with a small number of Democrats, to not convict the President. Legally, it will all be over at that point.

    3. However, during the trial, and this is what no one is thinking about right now, the President's attorneys will have the right to subpoena and
    question ANYONE THEY WANT! That is different than the special counsel investigation, which was very one-sided. So, during the impeachment trial, we will be hearing testimony from James Comey, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Bruce Ohr, Glenn Simpson, Donna Brazille, Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, Christopher Steele, Hillary Clinton, John Brennan, James Clapper, and a whole host of other participants in this whole sordid affair and the ensuing coverup activities. A lot of dirt will be dug up; a lot of truth will be unveiled. Finger pointing will occur. Deals will start being made, and suddenly, a lot of democrats will start being charged and going to prison. All this, because, remember, the President's team will now, for the first time, have the RIGHT to question all of these people under oath – and they will turn on each other. That is already starting.

    4. Lastly, one more thing will happen, the Senate will not convict the President. Nothing will happen to Trump. Most Americans are clueless about political processes, the law, and the Constitution. Most Americans believe that being impeached results in removal from office. They don't understand that phase 2 is a trial in and by the Senate, where he has zero chance of conviction. Remember, the Senate is controlled by Republicans; they will determine what testimony is allowed -- and *everything* will be allowed, including: DNC collusion with the Clinton campaign to fix the election in favor of Hillary, the creation of the Trump dossier, the cover up and destruction of emails that very likely included incriminating information. They will incriminate each other for lying to the FISA court, for spying and wiretapping the Trump campaign, and for colluding with foreign political actors, especially George Soros. After the Senate declines to convict the President, we will have an election, and Trump will win. It will be a backlash against democrat petulance, temper tantrums, hypocrisy and dishonesty. Even minorities will vote for Trump, because, for the first time, they will see that democrats have spent 2+ years focused on maintaining their own power, and not doing anything at all about black murders in Chicago, homelessness, opioids, and other important issues that are actually killing people. And, we will spend the following four years listening to politicians and pundits claim that the whole impeachment was rigged.

    So let's move on to impeachment.

    Annie D. Cook He didn't tell you Nasty Nancy because you would have leaked it....traitor


    Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

    Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Albuquerque Republicans Left Defenseless by the State Republican Party. Democrats and Radical Groups are Pouring in $ Thousands—Attacking Albuquerque Republican Candidates. Meanwhile, “Democracy Dollars” (also known as “Democrat Dollars”) May be Coming to Albuquerque.

10/28/2019

Republicans in Albuquerque are getting outspent $500,000 to $0 by outside groups. That’s not a typo, nor an exaggeration. 

Back in the day, under previous leadership—including former State Chairmen Allen Weh and Monty Newman, along with Governor Susana Martinez—the Republican Party of New Mexico (RPNM) recognized how important municipal elections could be.

And the Republican National Committee has long preached the need for a “bench”, an all-out effort to attract Republican candidates for local offices, school boards, etc. (Just as Democrats have—it's where people like Martin Heinrich came from.)

In those days, the state party spent money in municipal races, targeting specific precincts, trying out different messages, with different demographic groups and interest groups, seeing where the vote trends were migrating in the Democrats’ favor while identifying places where Republicans might have opportunities to make inroads. And—most important—targeting campaign messages in support of those Republican candidates who were willing to put their names on the line.

This kind of attention to detail, combining tactical thinking and strategic planning, paid big dividends. In Heather Wilson’s last congressional campaign, her 861-vote margin of victory (105,986 to 105,125) was directly attributable to precise targeting in decisive Albuquerque precincts.

It was based on crucial information that had been gleaned by the state party from its activity in the previous year’s city election.

Today’s RPNM? Nothing Happening at All. Leaving Republican candidates on their own.

Unfortunately for Republicans, those kinds of skills and expertise no longer exist within the RPNM.

Today, the current Republican Party of New Mexico is doing nothing at all while Democrats spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to elect their candidates. 

In addition to the $500,000 they have reported spending on the ground, California radical environmental groups are even pouring in cash. KOAT recently reported that “two California-based environmental advocacy groups have contributed a total of $50,000 to help support a City Council candidate

who is running her campaign off of your tax money.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

 "It's not illegal but it definitely does not look good,” said Paul Gessing, president of the taxpayer watch group Rio Grande Foundation. “It is a lot of money coming into a city council candidate from outside our state."

Candidate Maurreen Skowran has received $40,000 in taxpayer money for her campaign. “Public records show that the Sierra Club, based in Oakland, California and Green Advocacy Project located in Palo Alto, California, both donated $25,000 to a separate political action committee with the express purpose of helping Skowran.

Trudy Jones, Skowran's opponent, is calling foul.

"This is skirting around the system,” she said. “It is blatantly skirting the system.”

RPNM response: Crickets chirping in the evening silence.

DEMOCRAT DOLLARS—Things are about to get a lot Worse!

If the progressives’ most recent scam—the ballot question they have named “Democracy Dollars”—ends up passing, Republicans are in for a lot worse. The real name for the proposal that is on the ballot should be “Democrat Dollars.” If passed, this initiative would provide each “resident” (not just registered voters) with a voucher worth $25. That could amount to some $14 million in taxpayer dollars being diverted to political campaigns.

The term “resident” makes everyone eligible—all ages, citizen or non-citizen, convicted felon or not, temporarily here or not. Albuquerque is a sanctuary city and its increased population of non-citizens will simply give OLÉ more “voters” (legal or not) to round up and skim money from.

The ballot measure is being supported by sleight-of-hand “contributions” being transferred from pot to pot to pot by the likes of “ABQ Democracy Dollars,” the Left-wing front group that goes under the name “Common Cause,” the so-called “Working Families Party,” and OLÉ—the new name for the infamous “ACORN” group, the Obama-led organization that registered hundreds of thousands of fraudulent voters, and whose members ended up in jail.

These groups have reported having over $450,000 as of mid-October.  

Where is the Republican Party of New Mexico on all of this? Nowhere. The Democrats are playing Chess, while the Republicans are playing “who threw paint on the wall of our building” and other ridiculous diversions. (The answer, by the way, is a couple of Pearce-Tinnin recruits.)  

Democrat Dollars is such a bad idea that the progressives may have an uphill battle getting it approved by voters. But the progressives are smart in pursuing the ballot measure aggressively—because they understand that even if "Democracy Dollars" were to fail, their Left-wing city council candidates will be benefiting from the massive investment in voter turnout that is part of the ballot measure push.

In other words, they may get some Lefties elected even if the ballot measure fails.

CONSEQUENCES?

It takes a certain amount of courage to run for public office—to expose oneself to criticism, unfair attacks by both opponents as well as the media, and the potential humiliation of losing, or losing very badly at the ballot box. For Republicans in places like Albuquerque, all those risks are doubled—with the city migrating steadily leftward.

In other words, if there’s any place where the state Republican Party organization needs to show support and encouragement it is the Duke City. You can't leave candidates hanging out to dry.

By being disorganized, and completely unaware and uninterested in city elections, and leaving Republican women and men exposed to unrelenting attacks and overwhelming spending from a united hard-Left coalition, the Republican Party of New Mexico is forever discouraging intelligent, dedicated Republicans from running for office.


Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


Cowboys for Trump Under Needless Investigation? Seems Likely All is Okay—Given that his Treasurer is a Very Experienced Hand

10/25/2019

The Alamogordo Daily News has reported that the "Cowboys for Trump" is supposedly under investigation by the State Auditor, Brian Colón. This has to do with supposedly questionable travel reimbursements surrounding a trip made by the organization's leader, Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin. 

There has been much upheaval and consternation both in the local newspaper as well as on social media, no doubt causing a good degree of anguish within the Cowboys for Trump circle. Griffin, for his part, has engaged in very reasonable, indeed much-praised lobbying and advocacy in support of his constituents.

Regarding mismanagement by the federal government on such issues as the federally-sponsored infestation of wolves, poor forest management, and a whole host of property rights issues, Griffin articulates the views of not only Otero County residents but also those of rural New Mexico at large.

Activities Must be Presumed Legal: Long-Time Republican Leader is Griffin's Treasurer

The Daily News quotes Griffin: 

Griffin said after consulting with Otero County's attorney and manager about possible violations of established travel requirements, it was the "right thing to do." The money returned to the county was first donated to Griffin from area businessmen, according to an Oct. 18 Facebook post on the Cowboys For Trump page.

We are bewildered at the suggestion there is a problem, mainly because Griffin's financial adviser and the treasurer of his only campaign account has been steeped in the ins and outs of political committees for some 30 years.  
 
His treasurer is Rocky Galassini, the long-time de facto leader of the Republican Party of Otero County. Galassini has also led the county's Republican Women, as well as a series of splinter groups she has created to compete with the official Republican organizations during those periods of time when the regular Republicans have deposed her. 
 
Galassini is the individual who recruited Couy Griffin for the job of County Commissioner and she became his treasurer and financial adviser. With her three decades' experience in politics, it is not only reasonable for Griffin to believe Galassini knows what she is doing, it is inconceivable to us that she can have steered him down a path of questionable conduct, let alone any suggestion of illegality.
 
After all, her daughter, Anissa Galassini Tinnin, is the Executive Director of the Republican Party of New Mexico. Given Galassini's day-to-day oversight of Griffin's campaign account, as well as
 
her close and immediate connections to tons of expertise in the persons of both the Chairman and Executive Director of the State Republican Party, we have to presume that Mr. Griffin has a significant defense and explanation for what may well be entirely appropriate arrangements and activities.
 
After all, the Galassini's have reviewed all 13 of Griffin's campaign reports and have advised him now for years. He has no doubt trusted their advice and counsel. It seems incomprehensible that they could leave a political newcomer exposed to such criticism and attacks.
 
We certainly hope that is the case. Otherwise, because Griffin supports Trump and also a number of conservative New Mexico causes, the Left and their allies in the media will seize on any matters about which they can try to discredit him. For our part, should any such blame game occur, it would seem unfair that the political novice should be the one to shoulder it. 

Email us (at nmpj@dfn.com) with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.


Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

 

 

 


FINALLY, An INTELLIGENT PRO SPORTS TEAM. Celebrate a Championship without Politicizing Every Single Thing in the World.

10/20/2019

 Lesson Learned: Just Celebrate a Championship without politicizing every single thing in the world.

The St. Louis Blues Honored at the White House

The St. Louis Blues visited the White House this pastTuesday to be honored for winning The Stanley Cup, and not a single player or member of the Blues organization boycotted the event, sat down, rolled around on the ground, cried out loud, claimed to be demonstrating for some cause (he had never mentioned before in his life) or offered to share his wisdom regarding foreign or domestic policy.

In short, it was a group of intelligent and talented players—probably averaging about 20 IQ points higher than any NFL team—with the team management probably 50 IQ points higher than their counterparts among the owners of football teams.

https://twitter.com/stlouisblues/status/1184569703613763585…

READERS' REACTIONS 
Leo Hinojos Protest is as american as apple pie, why do you conservatives hate our american values so much?
NMPJ: We have never said anything about the right to protest. We do believe in propriety however.
  • Larry Powell Leo Hinojos I do not believe HATE is as American as Apple pie. Perhaps that is where your visual perception, fails to grasp ??
    Leo Hinojos Larry Powell agreed hate is not american, thank you for bringing up another example of how conservatives do not follow american values.
  • New Mexico Political Journal Leo Hinojos You have a major disconnect from American values just as the more newly-minted “progressives” such as AOC and you have a disconnect from traditional Democratic liberals like Alan Dershowitz, or Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Both liberals and conservatives believe in the traditional Constitutional role of protest—“for redress of grievances”—in the appropriate venue. The civil rights marches of MLK and many other demonstrations in the public square to show objections to real or perceived governmental wrongs is one thing—and those are highly cherished. However, the marring of events that are purely rote civic rituals or recreational activities which bear no relationship to any governmental action or role is not something embraced by either liberals or conservatives.
  •  
  •  
    Jerry Loeb Go suck a lemon, Leo Hiney
    Leo Hinojos New Mexico Political Journal wrong.
  •  
  • Leo Hinojos https://www.theroot.com/mlk-would-never-shut-down-a.../amp
     
    MLK Would Never Shut Down a Freeway, and 6 Other Myths About the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter
    THEROOT.COM
    MLK Would Never Shut Down a Freeway, and 6 Other
    •  
  • Leo Hinojos People like you would have sided with the British and demanded that we ask the king for permission to stage the Boston tea party.
    New Mexico Political Journal Leo Hinojos We are not saying you have reading comprehension issues. We don’t know. However, you are quarreling with your own straw man arguments. Not with us. We have explicitly acknowledged the propriety of marches. But show us one time where MLK or any other intelligent leader tried to interrupt the Pledge of Allegiance, or the National Anthem, or a ballgame, or a concert, or any kind of family outing or recreation venue.
    Take your time. We’ll wait.
  • Larry Powell Leo Hinojos people like me Leo hae a low tolerance level. I would not have waited for the Tea Party. People like me Leo have a hard time biting my tongue, so I have a really hard time telling you want I think of you in street terms.
  • Leo Hinojos New Mexico Political Journal show me where some one is doing those things now, you can't.
  •  
  • Ron Hebert What an absurd attempt at spin.
    Eubie Butt Nailed it!?
    Anthony Chavez What does IQ scores have anything to do with this? And does the hockey team have any people of color on it? 
    Kyle Armstrong The only black guy seems missing from any pictures.
    NMPJ: There are no black players on this particular team. (Plus, most people are not obsessed with identity politics.)
    •  
  • Lavern Morsbach I love our President! He is doing a great job!
    Jam Jones I wonder why the teams only African American player isnt in any of the pictures..
    NMPJ: There are no black players on this particular team. (Plus, most people are not obsessed with identity politics.)
  • Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

    Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


IDENTITY POLITICS DOMINATES ALL DEMOCRAT DEBATES: One last thought on Democrat Debate #4. Compared to Nikki Haley

10/19/2019

Every component, every possible aspect of the ugliest conception of IDENTITY POLITICS absolutely dominates every single Democrat Debate.

In fact, it dominates every single meeting, every single aspect, and every single component of the Democratic Party itself.

The Democrats View of Society is this

"Any and all members of any demographic group must think the same and vote the same. All blacks think alike. All Hispanics think alike. You must vote the same."

Last Tuesday’s debate was filled with statements that indicated the Democrats’ ideological certainty that “all women are wildly enthusiastic supporters of abortion on demand up to actual birth.”

To Republicans, especially Republican women, all of these concepts are not only intellectually vapid, they are also wildly racist, bigoted, and stupid.

NIKKI HALEY

Perhaps no one better represents the independent, thoughtful approach to issues taken by Republican women than Nikki Haley.

Image may contain: 1 person, text
READERS' RESPONSES
  • Juli Adcock I hope more people discover that the Democrat policies are not just anti-woman, they are anti-human, which includes the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of humans and civil society. They have a culture of death.6
  • Joe Schaller Their identity politics is not the "content of character" MLK espoused. If he were alive today he would take Dems to the woodshed.
    Joseph Gonzales I'm Hispanic. And I will never vote for democrats.
    •  
    • New Mexico Political Journal Exactly. We understand this sentiment intimately.
       
  • Mike Dossey Why is it the feminist party refuse to lift the lid for equality.

    Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

    Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


CNN Working Hard to Assist Democrat Debate Participants: More About Democrat Debate #4

10/18/2019

IN THE DEMOCRAT DEBATE #4, which took place this past Tuesday, October 15

The CNN "moderators" actually posited a question to Joe Biden like this:

CNN: Trump has totally lied about you and your son regarding your son’s work in Ukraine and China. Do you have anything to say about that?

Biden took that softball and knocked it out of the park, effectively saying:

"Yes. It’s exactly as you have accurately described it. All those accusations are completely untrue. We have done nothing wrong. You need to focus only on Trump—that’s where all the corruption is."

It was hilarious for its obvious and embarrassing bias. 

CNN should have just responded: 

"Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Three bags full, sir."

READERS' RESPONSES

  • Kelly Adams It got Hunter out of rehab for a day to do a disastrous interview.
    Gerry Maestas I still wish a prominent Republican would explain to folks how the system works. Going after the "billionaires" and corporations sells to the low-information voter but it's not the answer to the economy. Corporations is where pension funds and 401s for today's workers are invested. Redistribution of wealth is the byword for Dems. They don't mention going after millionaires, thank heaven, or I''d get caught there.....kidding, of course, as with Hillary. The only thing I'm really serious about is all 7 commandments.…
  • Paul Bogart Lmao
  • Dallas Searcy Hunter Biden : I did nothing wrong and I won't do it again!
  • Joseph Gonzales I think CNN has discredited itself as a "news" organization. I just can't take anything they say seriously.
  • Troy Barrile It’s sure is easy to catch them lie! Just listen to the border patrol! And then listen to CNN!! Fake news
  •  
  • Heath Grider Not sure why we like to vilify people for using the connections we make in life. That's pretty much how jobs are gotten. From burger king to the top. Humans capitalize on their investments. *shrugs
     
    • New Mexico Political Journal Heath Grider Exactly. The Clinton Foundation donations by foreign governments and international actors were of the same stripe—just people living out the connections they had made in life. Criticism of those contributions by those who were unduly suspicious of them seems terribly unwarranted.
       
    •  
      Heath Grider New Mexico Political Journal so basically, "RUSSIA " again?

      New Mexico Political Journal Heath Grider We are agreeing with you, or at least attempting to. The connections in life donations to the Foundation came from China, Indonesia, all of Latin America, several European nations, nations of the Pacific Rim, and many players in the Middle East, subcontinent, and East Asia.

       


      Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

      Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican

       

       

       

       

       



ANSWERING KAMALA HARRIS: More fallout from Democrat Debate #4

10/17/2019

In the debate, California Senator Kamala Harris stated that neither Kavanaugh nor anyone else could name a single law that tells a man what he can or cannot do with his body.

We disagree. Here are some examples:

  • Every single drug law is a law that tells men (and women) what they can do with their bodies.
  • Every single anti-suicide law does the same thing.

And we would also add "the draft," which one reader (shown below) pointed out was another way in which the government can and has exercised total control over men's bodies.

The thing about the word "body"

What people won’t admit is that abortion is not just about a person’s body—as if it were dealing with a tumor, or a cyst, or a boil—but that one other actual person is involved. No one tells this obvious truth.

READERS' REACTIONS

  • Wendy Van Epps And if the left were for equality under the law, then a man should be able to force a woman to have an abortion because there's no "equality" in only a woman having the option to kill her kid.
     
    •  
      Leo Hinojos Wendy Van Epps um no, the boy should be able to abort all responsibilities to the child though, and not be liable for child support. No one should be allowed to force anyone to have a medical procedure.
       
    Kevin Deal Selective Service which all men are forced to submit to the federal government for draft purposes tells a man exactly what will happen to his body should he be drafted.

  • https://www.sss.gov/Registration/Why-Register
     
    Selective Service System > Registration > Why Register
    SSS.GOV
     
  •  
    Heath Grider Mrs. Harris has incarcerated her fair share of people for exercising their individual liberty by choosing to ingest drugs. Even cannabis back when politicos got a pat on the back for pretending to be afraid of a plant as opposed to getting ridiculed like they do now.
     
  •  
    Leo Hinojos Life begins at first breath according to the bible
     
  • Troy Barrile Wish you would write about the government taking away pain meds from people who really need them! And us old hurting people have to suffer because of the druggies!

    Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

    Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


 


Observations on Democrat Debate # 4 (On 15 October). Part 1: Mayor Pete Goes all Macho on Beto.

10/16/2019

Ooooooh, Mayor Pete suddenly went all masculine and macho with Beto. What’s with that? (It was gratuitous—totally unnecessary in context—so it makes one wonder what he’s thinking.)

Here's the Context

Former Congressman Robert Francis O’Rourke (aka "Beto") said on the debate stage Tuesday night that Americans who refuse to turn over banned semiautomatic rifles under his mandatory gun buyback program would be met with unspecified “consequences,” a stance which drew major pushback from his fellow Democratic contenders.

The Texas Democrat didn’t get into much more detail, but made clear that police would exercise force to confiscate weapons banned under his plan, the most sweeping gun control proposal offered by any Democratic presidential candidate.

“If someone does not turn in an AR-15 or an AK-47... then that weapon will be taken from them,” O’Rourke said. “If they persist, there will be other consequences."

Reaction from fellow Democrats

Every candidate who addressed the issue on Tuesday evening supported additional restrictions on the sale of so-called assault weapons, but none went as far as O’Rourke. And his proposal prompted a harsh rebuke from others, especially South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Mayor Pete goes:

“Congressman, you just made it clear you don’t know how this is actually going to take weapons off the streets.”

And then Buttiigieg suddenly came with this totally out of the blue:

 “I don’t need lessons from you on courage, political or personal."

Whoa, momma! That's some kind of studly talk there. You half expected Pete to immediately follow up with something like:

"And I'll whip your ass right here on this stage!"

The point is Pete's response was all out of proportion to anything that Beto had said. Beto had not lectured to Pete at all, much less challenged him about his "courage," political or personal. It was clearly just totally gratuitous, clearly designed for effect. He went on to make a more cogent Left-wing talking point:

The problem is not other Democrats who don’t agree with your particular idea of how to handle this. The problem is the National Rifle Association and their enablers in Congress, and we should be united in taking the fight to them.”

One more note: We respect Buttigieg's military service, but we can't help but think that Mayor Pete is milking his military service for all its worth—and possibly in a manner that is somewhat over-the-top: it appears he always tries to present himself as if he were some kind of Special Forces on-the-ground, hand-to-hand battle fighter like an Army Ranger, Navy SEAL, or an infantryman.

But, we suppose, that is the natural inclination of politicians. 

READER REACTIONS

  • Kurt Pittsenbargar Maybe he cut the soy out of his diet.
    Fel Cohen Two bottom tier Dems looking for the last dollars they can sqeeze out of their donors.
  • Greg Carlisle Is he the husband or wife in his situation? Just wondering.
    •  
    • NMPJ:   We have no idea how these things work. Nor do we concern ourselves with people's sexuality. 
      •  
  • Jerry Glen Wagoner Pete is certainly twice as smart as Beto.
  •  
                                       Dave Ferguson and at least half as convicted!!
     
    Sam LeDoux Well Pete is a veteran, Beto is a loser.
    •  
      New Mexico Political Journal We know of no evidence suggesting that veterans put on some sort of "front" or engage in any overt histrionics.
       
  • Lisa Christensen There’s 2 words that def don’t belong in a sentence with Pete or Robert-masculine or macho.    

 


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions, and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


TONIGHT’s DEMOCRAT DEBATE: AND OUR CURRENT ODDS

10/15/2019

Well, here we are, with only 141 days left until the Iowa Caucus, and 149 days till the New Hampshire Primary. Of the 27 Democrats who declared for their party’s nomination, 8 have dropped out, and 19 remain. Of those, the Democratic National Committee has decided that only 12 can be on the stage tonight.

The most recent Real Clear Politics average has Biden in the lead with 29.4%, followed by Warren (23.4), Bernie (15.6), Buttigieg and Harris both at 5.2, O’Rourke (2.6), Yang (2.4), Booker (1.6), Klobuchar (1.6) Steyer (1.4), Castro (1.0). Bennett (0.8), and Gabbard (0.8). However, Bennett did not qualify for tonight’s debate, while Gabbard did.

We are on record for many months now as having said that neither Elizabeth Warren nor Joe Biden will be the nominee. We know that goes against the grain, but we have stated our reasons. We also go against the conventional wisdom in believing that Bernie Sanders was not eliminated due to his heart attacks.

We are not saying he is going to win the nomination, but we believe he’s still in it. Our view is that the nominee will emerge from the pack (like betting the field in craps. Biden is probably like betting on 7, and Warren more like betting 8 or 6. But we digress).

As we get closer and closer to Iowa and New Hampshire, the odds increase dramatically that one of those in the pack, maybe in the back of the pack, will speak out about the obvious weaknesses of the frontrunners (discussed below). It could happen as early as tonight. The only constraint would be among those who see themselves as vice-presidential candidates and who will be more reticent to attack their future "running mate."

OUR UPDATED THUMBNAIL SKETCHES

Joe Biden:  As we said some eight months ago, he won’t make it. While he has recently been seriously harmed by the Ukraine business, and the obvious corruption involving his son, we have always believed that his garrulousness—the single word that best describes him is “garrulous”—will play a role in his downfall. It’s just a matter of time until he utters something catastrophic. It could happen tonight. Odds: No Line.

Elizabeth Warren:  As we noted almost exactly a year ago, her fake Indian story will ultimately destroy her. And since then it has gotten worse: It’s been shown that she has repeatedly lied not only about how much she used her “Native American” status to advance herself, she’s also been caught in lies about losing a job because she was pregnant. She won’t make it. Odds: No Line.

Bernie Sanders:  We still believe he could emerge. He has a loyal following, and many people believe in socialism, especitaly in the Democrat Party. Odds: 7-2

Pete Buttigieg:  He’s smart. He pretty much only wants to talk about his sex life, but he’s articulate when he (almost always factually incorrectly) addresses issues. He’s able to speak to issues in ways that appeal to Democrats. But mostly he just likes saying, “I’m Gay.” Odds: 5-1

Kamala Harris:  She’s not done. She’s been to the mountain top, or near the summit, seen the other side, then slipped and rolled back down the defilade side. But she got a taste, and she’s hooked. She may be the one to again take on Biden, or Warren. Odds: 5-1

Robert Francis O’Rourke:  Toast City. A real joke. Odds: 750-1

Andrew Yang: Intriguing still. But too easy to lampoon. Odds: 50-1

Cory Booker:  Megalomaniac and narcissist, consumed by his own fascination with himself and his brilliance. Odds: 30-1

Amy Klobuchar:  One of those from the field who could conceivably catch a spark. Odds: 15-1

Tom Steyer:  Never count out anyone who can spend a billion dollars or buy whole elections. He also has a real niche within the Democrat Party. Odds: 25-1

Julian Castro:  Whining bawl bag of a candidate. Comes across as way too harsh. Can’t quite get the right tempo or style. Odds: 75-1

Tulsi Gabbard:  We’ve always kind of liked her. Don’t get us wrong—she takes pretty much just as lunatic a position on virtually every single issue. But she has real style. And she may be best suited to make the comments that take down either Biden or Warren from their artificially lofty perches. Odds: 10-1


Biden Denies Any Wrongdoing. Media Salute Smartly, and Say: Yes Sir!

10/14/2019


Well, this pretty much takes care of THAT issue.

“We did absolutely NOTHING wrong, and we won’t ever do it again. So there. So let’s get back to the Trump impeachment thing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Email us with your feedback, comments, questions and ideas.

Intelligent Political Discourse—for the Thoughtful New Mexican


The CANADIAN GENERAL ELECTION DEBATE: Near-Riot Conditions. The "Talk-Over" Kings and Queen

10/13/2019

There is a certain amount of absurdity in the debates among the six candidates vying to become the next Prime Minister of Canada.

No moderator will stop the candidates from talking over each other. You can’t hear a word any the candidates say. They make US debates look relatively civilized by comparison.

What is it about the parliaments and political traditions of all the [de facto] British Commonwealth nations that make their political discourse so damned rowdy?

We have reviewed the debate among the 6 party leaders fighting to become the next prime minister. The election is 8 days from now, Monday, 21 October.

We could hear enough to determine that several candidates mimic the very same clichés and catch-phrases used by their US equivalents.

The Green Party candidate, Elizabeth May, the (frankly ridiculous) current Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the New Democrats’