Carl Cannon’s Morning Note
Good morning. It’s Friday, Dec. 22, the day of the week when I share a quotation intended to be informative or uplifting. The Colorado Supreme Court’s 4-3 decision to remove a front-running presidential candidate from the ballot under the guise of saving democracy brings to mind the notorious quote from an anonymous U.S. military officer, spoken to Vietnam War correspondent Peter Arnett: “It became necessary to destroy the town in order to save it.”
But it’s three days before Christmas so that can’t be the quote of the week. For that, I’ll turn to another U.S. military officer — one who became the first U.S. president.
First, though, I’d direct you to RCP’s front page, which contains the latest poll averages, political news and video, and aggregated opinion pieces ranging across the ideological spectrum. We also offer the usual complement of original material from our stable of columnists and contributors. Recent highlights include the following:
Straw Poll Shows Young Trump Supporters Want Tucker or Vivek as VP. Perhaps it’s no surprise that Turning Point USA voters back the former president, but RCP White House correspondent Phil Wegmann reports that their picks for the #2 job were a bit more unexpected.
After Telework Surge, Federal Buildings Remain Largely Empty. RCP national correspondent Susan Crabtree examines the latest surveys of government office occupation rates and what the vacancies are costing taxpayers.
New “Test of the News.” Regular contributor John Maxwell Hamilton likens James Bennet’s recent article on the New York Times to a similar project a century ago, one that “led a nationwide improvement” in journalism.
Trump Colorado Case: Right Analysis, Wrong Outcome. Lanny Davis, another regular RCP contributor, contends that those who oppose the candidacy of the former president should beat him at the ballot box rather than in the courts.
Harvard’s Board Takes Us for Fools. In a guest column, Peter Wood predicts that the Ivy League plagiarism scandal is far from over.
Will Your Sons and Daughters Fight in Central Europe? In an op-ed, foreign policy expert Shea Bradley-Farrell asks us to weigh our commitment to foreign wars that burden our already struggling economy and security.
The Right Way To De-Weaponize the FBI. The Heritage Foundation’s Mike Howell suggests changes to a bureau that is increasingly partisan and polarized in its targeting of so-called domestic terrorists.
Prosecutorial Reforms for Political Trials. In a guest op-ed, K.S. Bruce offers a detailed strategy for maintaining election integrity when a politician running for office is charged with a crime.
Rocky Mountain High: Why Trump Should Love the Colorado Ruling. Tim Donner, a former Republican candidate for the Senate, asserts that the former president’s latest legal roadblock could be a blessing in disguise.
What Do Climate Change, DEI, and Integrity Have in Common? At RealClearDefense, retired U.S. Army major general Joe Arbuckle suggests that military officers choose to toe the politically correct lines to the detriment of their character.
Advent and Christmas at the Vatican. And at RealClearPolicy, Callista Gingrich describes the beautiful traditions of the season and how reflecting on their mysteries can enrich our holidays.
On Dec. 25, 1751, George Washington, who was not yet 20 years old, sailed aboard a ship called Industry from Barbados back to America. Here is the entry from his diary:
“Christmas Day fine clear and pleasant with moderate sea tho continuance of the Trade [winds] …We dined on an Irish goose … beef and etc. and drank a health to our absent friends.”
That is what I intend to do this weekend — and I hope you will, too. And that is our quote of the week.
Carl M. Cannon
Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics
@CarlCannon (Twitter)
ccannon@realclearpolitics.com
