Despite the initial reaction a stable-minded person would likely take away from the headline, it is a good thing that ABC News and other MSM have dropped their pretense and shallow-efforts to retain their open secrets.
In this example while lamenting the outcome of the recent U.K. election that saw the socialists and leftists crushed by conservative and pragmatic voters, ABC is concerned the American people may end up similarly interfering in media objectives for the 2020 U.S. presidential election.  The problem they discover is this pesky concept called “freedom”.

(Source)

Consider this argument from the article: “One of the things that we’re always very cautious about is everyone looking at Russia. But actually, we should be looking at the party and political dynamics closer to home and how domestic actors are using the platforms and manipulating the systems to spread information or misinformation that’s favorable to their political stance.” 
I mean seriously.  Can you imagine a world where U.S. politicians easily spread information favorable to their political stance.  Oh.My.God… The outcome is almost unimaginable…. People, allowed to think for themselves.  Yikes, the horror of it.
(more…)

Most CTH readers are aware the RNC and DNC are literally private clubs with the ability to do anything they want regarding rules & by-laws inside their respective organizations.  As such both republicans and democrats can do whatever they want to determine their candidate. Understanding this opaque process was one of the cornerstones to figuring out how the RNC controlled the nominee outcome in 2012 and their failed attempt in 2016.
Here’s an interesting perspective on the likely DNC nominee looking at the procedural processes within the 2020 democrat national committee rule changes.  No super-delegates (in round one) and no winner-take-all rules for state delegation distribution.

.
Despite the challenges to scour through the details of party rules and regulations, it would be nice if more media spent time on this aspect of elections. Ultimately it is the club rules, and the candidate’s ability to use or overcome those rules, that is the best predictor of who will succeed in the nomination process.
(more…)

From all the crew here at the The Conservative Treehouse, we wish you the best new year ever. Over the years you have laughed and cried, celebrated and prayed with us, not only for our country, our President, and many events that have brought this rag tab bunch together in mutual interest, but for each other and our families.
We wish you the very best today and every day to follow, and appreciate the fact that you are here with us.
Some of us believe in New Year’s Resolutions and some don’t. In the past I have devoted a lot of time to coming up with too many things to put on my list. These past years I have greatly pared it down to a few things.
(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Stephanie Grisham Twitter @StephGrisham45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Incredible.  Continuing a legacy of transparency and availability the People’s President stops to hold an impromptu presser upon arrival for the Mar-a-Lago New Year’s eve celebration.  [Video and Transcript Below]
Dressed in formal attire with our stunning First Lady Melania Trump beside him, President Trump responds to a variety of media questions.  WATCH:

.
[Transcript]  THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Happy New Year. Happy New Year. We’re going to have a great year, I predict. I think it’s going to be a fantastic year. We had the best economic year, I think, in our country’s history. And I think we’re really set for additional growth and jobs and everything else. It’ll be great.
Kevin?
(more…)

I have long felt that life is like a series of links in a chain. You might be driving down the road and you hear a song on the radio, or see a picture, and you feel a memory…. Something that reminds you of a different time and place than where you are right now.
You reflect.
The memories you consider remind you of a totally different time in your life. Perhaps you lived in a different place. Perhaps you were surrounded by different people. Perhaps a different job or completely different friends.
You recognize those memories were constructed like frozen moments in time. They become individual links in the chain in your life.
We never actually realize, in the immediate moment, when one link closes and another link begins. But when we look back, we can clearly see distinct points where things changed, the link closed, and a new link began. The links are only visible in reflection.
(more…)

First, the explanation from former CIA Director, current U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo:

.

Does this “escalation” have a familiar feel about it?
(more…)

Earlier today, via Tweet, President Trump announced the ‘phase-one’ agreement between the U.S. and China will be signed January 15, 2020.

As U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer previously stated this very challenging agreement will be the first-ever attempted trade deal between a state-run economy and a free-market economy.   It will take time to see if communist China will actually follow-through on the terms and conditions.
Ambassador Lighthizer noted the principle challenge is generating an enforceable set of standards -within a written agreement- between a totally controlled communist economic system (China) and a free-market system (USA). No other nation has ever tried, and there is no preexisting trade agreement to facilitate a mapping. What Lighthizer was/is constructing will be what all nations will start to use going forward. This is historic stuff.
(more…)

President Trump responds to the domestic and foreign alignment of provocations.

President Trump doesn’t have too many options here.  However, he’s a much more cunning adversary than the Deep State has faced previously.  Strategically a good decision to head-off those carrying the banners in the war parade.  Secretary Pompeo, Secretary Asper, Joint Chiefs’ Milley have an alignment of domestic interests well organized.
Resounding applause will be heard from The State Department, the Pentagon, the CIA, Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, John Bolton, Tom Cotton, Adam Kinzinger, Mark Levin, Mitt Romney and a host of well positioned senators, soon to be jurists….
The domestic warning was akin to ‘we can create a Benghazi, watch‘.  POTUS takes the energy from the threat, uses a little judo adding his own energy, and controls the outcome.
“Happy New Year” is akin to “Relax, I got this“…. So now we watch.

(more…)