Bush, Senate GOP finance team shake-up
By Burgess Everett
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is interviewing candidates for a new finance director for 2016, a GOP source said on Monday.
Claire Holloway Avella, the NRSC's current finance director, will begin maternity leave on Wednesday, and the group is still looking for a replacement. In the interim, Les Williamson, who had been a top finance aide to Jeb Bush's presidential campaign, will join the NRSC's staff to help shore up the group's fundraising.
Williamson, who also worked as an NRSC finance staffer last year, will also begin as a senior adviser to the finance department on Wednesday. A Bush spokeswoman said Williamson left the campaign in October and has been "assisting Jeb delegates in raising money for their ballot access efforts."
An NRSC aide said group officials are interviewing several candidates for a permanent finance director position as they prepare for a difficult campaign to defend their 54 seat majority, including several races in blue and purple sates. Republicans are defending 24 seats in 2016; Democrats are defending 10.
Another former NRSC official, Heather Larrison, is Bush's finance director, and while several GOP sources said she would be a logical permanent replacement atop the NRSC's finance department, a senior Bush campaign official denied that Larrison has any plans to leave the Bush campaign.
Within GOP circles, Larrison and Williamson were credited as major factors in the GOP's 2014 Senate takeover and success followed them to Bush-world, where the presidential candidate emerged as a fundraising powerhouse last summer only to slump later in the polls.
The NRSC has been consistently outraised by its Democratic counterpart in 2015, with Democrats pulling in $12 million more in contributions than the NRSC through November.
"Despite Democrats being in the minority, the DSCC outraised the NRSC 9 out of 11 months so far this cycle posting strong totals in comparison to the Republicans' lackluster numbers," said Sadie Weiner, a spokeswoman for the DSCC.
But the NRSC went into December with a slight cash on hand advantage and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is saddled with millions in debt from the 2014 losses.
January 04, 2016
Angry White female...
Who's angry? White, female Republicans
By Nick Gass
The Americans most likely to say they find themselves feeling more angry at the news in 2015 than in the previous year skewed white, Republican and female.
That's according to the results of a new NBC News/SurveyMonkey/Esquire online poll released Sunday, which found that differences in race, party identification and gender account for differences in what produces the most angry reaction.
Overall, 49 percent of all respondents said they found themselves feeling angrier at the headlines. That share is higher among whites (54 percent) and lower among African-Americans (33 percent) and Latinos (43 percent).
Women were more likely to say current events made them get angry — 53 percent said that, compared with 44 percent of men. Women were more likely to express frustration over police violence against unarmed blacks and campaign finance abuses, while men were more likely than women to be angry about same-sex marriage and global warming.
Among Republicans, 61 percent said the past year of news made them more angry, while just 42 percent of Democrats responded that way. More than three in four Republicans and two in three Democrats said they get angry at least once a day. Shown a series of fake headlines, 80 percent of Republicans said the headline "Congress: More Dysfunctional Than Ever" made them angriest, while 84 percent of Democrats were most touched off by the headline "Cop Shoots Unarmed Black Man." The headline that struck a nonpartisan chord of anger: "CEO Resigns: Admits Massive Consumer Fraud" (80 percent for Republicans, 83 percent for Democrats).
On the issue of immigration, 73 percent of Hispanics and 63 percent of African-Americans said immigrants strengthen the country, compared with 43 percent of whites.
Asked about police violence against unarmed African-Americans, nine in 10 black Americans said they felt very angry when they heard about another incident, while seven in 10 white Americans reported feeling the same way.
By Nick Gass
The Americans most likely to say they find themselves feeling more angry at the news in 2015 than in the previous year skewed white, Republican and female.
That's according to the results of a new NBC News/SurveyMonkey/Esquire online poll released Sunday, which found that differences in race, party identification and gender account for differences in what produces the most angry reaction.
Overall, 49 percent of all respondents said they found themselves feeling angrier at the headlines. That share is higher among whites (54 percent) and lower among African-Americans (33 percent) and Latinos (43 percent).
Women were more likely to say current events made them get angry — 53 percent said that, compared with 44 percent of men. Women were more likely to express frustration over police violence against unarmed blacks and campaign finance abuses, while men were more likely than women to be angry about same-sex marriage and global warming.
Among Republicans, 61 percent said the past year of news made them more angry, while just 42 percent of Democrats responded that way. More than three in four Republicans and two in three Democrats said they get angry at least once a day. Shown a series of fake headlines, 80 percent of Republicans said the headline "Congress: More Dysfunctional Than Ever" made them angriest, while 84 percent of Democrats were most touched off by the headline "Cop Shoots Unarmed Black Man." The headline that struck a nonpartisan chord of anger: "CEO Resigns: Admits Massive Consumer Fraud" (80 percent for Republicans, 83 percent for Democrats).
On the issue of immigration, 73 percent of Hispanics and 63 percent of African-Americans said immigrants strengthen the country, compared with 43 percent of whites.
Asked about police violence against unarmed African-Americans, nine in 10 black Americans said they felt very angry when they heard about another incident, while seven in 10 white Americans reported feeling the same way.
Billy-Bob animal refuge
GOP candidates call for end to armed standoff at Oregon refuge
By Nick Gass
Republican presidential candidates on Monday called for an end to the armed siege at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, denouncing the use of violence and general lawlessness, with some hinting that they should be occupying another federal facility — prison.
Speaking to reporters in Iowa, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he hoped that the protesters would step aside, adding that "our prayers right now are with everyone involved in what's happening with Oregon, and especially those in law enforcement that are risking their lives."
"Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest, to speak our minds. But we don't have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threaten force and violence on others," he said. "And so it is our hope that the protesters there will stand down peaceably, that there will not be a violent confrontation."
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio decried the occupation as "lawless" and urged those involved in the standoff to pursue what they wanted through more lawful, constructive means.
"You can’t be lawless. We live in a republic," Rubio told Iowa radio station KBUR. "There are ways to change the laws of this country and the policies. If we get frustrated with it, that’s why we have elections. That’s why we have people we can hold accountable."
At the same time, Rubio said that he agreed the federal government controlled too much land in the Western United States but that "no one should be doing it in a way that’s outside the law."
Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he had not heard about the standoff, according to an exchange reported by an NBC News journalist. However, one of his campaign's senior strategists did tweet about the incident on Sunday. "I know a good federal compound for Bundy and his gang: a U.S. penitentiary," John Weaver wrote.
It wasn't just GOP campaigns coming out against the protesters. The criticism transcended party lines, with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) echoing Weaver.
House Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blasted the occupiers' assertion that they wanted the land returned to the people of the state.
"Return it to the people? The people have it right now," Reid exclaimed, according to accounts of his speech.
The group that began its occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge over the weekend includes Ammon and Ryan Bundy, sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who himself led an armed standoff against the federal government in 2014 over land rights.
"It is the people's facility owned by the people, and it has been provided for us to be able to come together and unite and making a hard stand against this overreach, this taking of the people's land and resources," Ammon Bundy said in an interview aired earlier on MSNBC. Over the weekend, Bundy said the occupiers would be prepared to stay "for years."
At a news conference later in the day, Bundy announced that the group occupying the property wished to be called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom.
"We intend on going to work and assisting the people of Harney County in claiming their rights, using their rights as free people," Bundy told reporters.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who met with Cliven Bundy in Nevada last year, said that he was "sympathetic" to the cause but disavowed violence, according to a Washington Post reporter's tweet.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called the standoff a "local law enforcement" matter, adding, “We’re hopeful that situation can be resolved peacefully and without violence."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also weighed in on Monday, saying its leaders were disturbed by protesters' scriptural references. "While the disagreement occurring in Oregon about the use of federal lands is not a Church matter, Church leaders strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles," the church said in a statement.
In this dispute, militia members took to the compound to protest the jail sentences of two Oregon ranchers sentenced to additional terms for arson for two separate incidents in 2001 and 2006. Both ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr., 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, were convicted three years ago, with the father spending three months in prison and the son a year. Both planned to report to prison without incident on Monday in California.
By Nick Gass
Republican presidential candidates on Monday called for an end to the armed siege at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, denouncing the use of violence and general lawlessness, with some hinting that they should be occupying another federal facility — prison.
Speaking to reporters in Iowa, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said he hoped that the protesters would step aside, adding that "our prayers right now are with everyone involved in what's happening with Oregon, and especially those in law enforcement that are risking their lives."
"Every one of us has a constitutional right to protest, to speak our minds. But we don't have a constitutional right to use force and violence and to threaten force and violence on others," he said. "And so it is our hope that the protesters there will stand down peaceably, that there will not be a violent confrontation."
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio decried the occupation as "lawless" and urged those involved in the standoff to pursue what they wanted through more lawful, constructive means.
"You can’t be lawless. We live in a republic," Rubio told Iowa radio station KBUR. "There are ways to change the laws of this country and the policies. If we get frustrated with it, that’s why we have elections. That’s why we have people we can hold accountable."
At the same time, Rubio said that he agreed the federal government controlled too much land in the Western United States but that "no one should be doing it in a way that’s outside the law."
Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he had not heard about the standoff, according to an exchange reported by an NBC News journalist. However, one of his campaign's senior strategists did tweet about the incident on Sunday. "I know a good federal compound for Bundy and his gang: a U.S. penitentiary," John Weaver wrote.
It wasn't just GOP campaigns coming out against the protesters. The criticism transcended party lines, with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) echoing Weaver.
House Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) blasted the occupiers' assertion that they wanted the land returned to the people of the state.
"Return it to the people? The people have it right now," Reid exclaimed, according to accounts of his speech.
The group that began its occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge over the weekend includes Ammon and Ryan Bundy, sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who himself led an armed standoff against the federal government in 2014 over land rights.
"It is the people's facility owned by the people, and it has been provided for us to be able to come together and unite and making a hard stand against this overreach, this taking of the people's land and resources," Ammon Bundy said in an interview aired earlier on MSNBC. Over the weekend, Bundy said the occupiers would be prepared to stay "for years."
At a news conference later in the day, Bundy announced that the group occupying the property wished to be called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom.
"We intend on going to work and assisting the people of Harney County in claiming their rights, using their rights as free people," Bundy told reporters.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who met with Cliven Bundy in Nevada last year, said that he was "sympathetic" to the cause but disavowed violence, according to a Washington Post reporter's tweet.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest called the standoff a "local law enforcement" matter, adding, “We’re hopeful that situation can be resolved peacefully and without violence."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also weighed in on Monday, saying its leaders were disturbed by protesters' scriptural references. "While the disagreement occurring in Oregon about the use of federal lands is not a Church matter, Church leaders strongly condemn the armed seizure of the facility and are deeply troubled by the reports that those who have seized the facility suggest that they are doing so based on scriptural principles," the church said in a statement.
In this dispute, militia members took to the compound to protest the jail sentences of two Oregon ranchers sentenced to additional terms for arson for two separate incidents in 2001 and 2006. Both ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr., 73, and Steven Hammond, 46, were convicted three years ago, with the father spending three months in prison and the son a year. Both planned to report to prison without incident on Monday in California.
Pro-ethanol
Pro-ethanol group to stalk Ted Cruz across Iowa
By Shane Goldmacher
DES MOINES, Iowa — Ted Cruz arrives Monday for his first Iowa trip of 2016, but he won't just be battling Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. He'll been fending off the state's influential corn lobby.
As Cruz kicks off a six-day bus tour across the state, his critics in the state's ethanol industry will be trailing close behind in a RV. They're hoping to highlight the Texas senator's opposition to a federal mandate that ethanol be mixed into gasoline at each of Cruz's planned 28 stops.
"We're going to be turning out all of our allies," said Eric Branstad, the son of longtime Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstad and the state director for America's Renewable Future. The group supports the so-called the Renewable Fuel Standard, which Cruz has vocally opposed. “Iowans can’t trust him and we have a duty to let them know why.”
In addition to trailing Cruz's bus, the group is buying newspaper, radio and digital ads to shadow Cruz, and launching robo-calls to Iowans a month before the caucuses. At one point the group considered having someone dressed in a giant corn-on-the-cob costume stalk Cruz across the state. The idea was ultimately scrapped.
"We thought about bringing 'Captain Cornelius' but ultimately that's not something that we're doing," said spokeswoman Majda Sarkic of the mascot the corn-growing industry has used previously.
Other pro-ethanol forces have hit Cruz, as well. A group called the Iowa Progress Project, run by Nick Ryan, who also works for a super PAC supporting Mike Huckabee, has aired $200,000 in anti-Cruz TV and radio ads over the issue.
The fact that Cruz has topped recent Iowa polls despite his opposition to the renewable fuel standard has the corn-industry nervous. The issue has long been perceived as a third-rail of Iowa politics and the agriculture industry here wants to keep it that way.
In 2012, two politicians who supported the standard, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, finished atop the pack. Those who didn't, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, finished far behind. And in 2008, Barack Obama backed the standard in his primary against Hillary Clinton.
America's Renewable Future has vowed to mobilize tens of thousands of caucus-goers next month.
“Ted Cruz’s policy in the White House would be as its always been for him — devastate Iowa’s farmers and its economy in order to pad the pockets of the oil industry,” Branstad said.
Cruz's allies have attacked the fuel standard as a handout for "Big Corn." “The Governor of Iowa is a Big Corn cheerleader, and his son is running a SuperPAC hitting Cruz for not bowing to worship Big Corn," Cruz supporter and former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli wrote to supporters last week. "Tsk, tsk."
By Shane Goldmacher
DES MOINES, Iowa — Ted Cruz arrives Monday for his first Iowa trip of 2016, but he won't just be battling Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. He'll been fending off the state's influential corn lobby.
As Cruz kicks off a six-day bus tour across the state, his critics in the state's ethanol industry will be trailing close behind in a RV. They're hoping to highlight the Texas senator's opposition to a federal mandate that ethanol be mixed into gasoline at each of Cruz's planned 28 stops.
"We're going to be turning out all of our allies," said Eric Branstad, the son of longtime Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstad and the state director for America's Renewable Future. The group supports the so-called the Renewable Fuel Standard, which Cruz has vocally opposed. “Iowans can’t trust him and we have a duty to let them know why.”
In addition to trailing Cruz's bus, the group is buying newspaper, radio and digital ads to shadow Cruz, and launching robo-calls to Iowans a month before the caucuses. At one point the group considered having someone dressed in a giant corn-on-the-cob costume stalk Cruz across the state. The idea was ultimately scrapped.
"We thought about bringing 'Captain Cornelius' but ultimately that's not something that we're doing," said spokeswoman Majda Sarkic of the mascot the corn-growing industry has used previously.
Other pro-ethanol forces have hit Cruz, as well. A group called the Iowa Progress Project, run by Nick Ryan, who also works for a super PAC supporting Mike Huckabee, has aired $200,000 in anti-Cruz TV and radio ads over the issue.
The fact that Cruz has topped recent Iowa polls despite his opposition to the renewable fuel standard has the corn-industry nervous. The issue has long been perceived as a third-rail of Iowa politics and the agriculture industry here wants to keep it that way.
In 2012, two politicians who supported the standard, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, finished atop the pack. Those who didn't, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, finished far behind. And in 2008, Barack Obama backed the standard in his primary against Hillary Clinton.
America's Renewable Future has vowed to mobilize tens of thousands of caucus-goers next month.
“Ted Cruz’s policy in the White House would be as its always been for him — devastate Iowa’s farmers and its economy in order to pad the pockets of the oil industry,” Branstad said.
Cruz's allies have attacked the fuel standard as a handout for "Big Corn." “The Governor of Iowa is a Big Corn cheerleader, and his son is running a SuperPAC hitting Cruz for not bowing to worship Big Corn," Cruz supporter and former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli wrote to supporters last week. "Tsk, tsk."
No Joy for Jules Verne boats...
There is a cruel reality that sets in when you run out of runway and that’s exactly what happened this morning aboard Spindrift Racing, the 130-foot long (40-meter) trimaran in search of the Jules Verne record. The reality set in aboard IDEC Sport a few days ago when they knew that it would be impossible to close the gap between their position and the finish off Ushant on the west coast of France in the time that they had left to break the record, but aboard Spindrift 2 things were different. Until the last few days that still had a chance of breaking the record but the combination of a ridge of high pressure directly in their path and some stormy seas ahead the crew made the tough decision to stop sailing in record setting mode.
The gig is up. Banque Populaire V will retain the record of 45 days, 13 hours, 22 minutes, and 53 seconds set back in 2012.
The message on Spindrift’s Facebook page reads as follows; “We are 2,200 nautical miles from the finish line off Ushant and we are on our 43rd day at sea.” They would have to close that distance at an average speed of roughly 36 knots in order to break the record. Their Facebook post continued. “Although the crew have battled incessantly, closing the gap by more than 700 miles in the last three days, we still remain 170 miles off the pace.” The pace they are referring to is where Banque Populaire V was at the same time into their record setting circumnavigation. In addition to the almost 200 mile deficit it was the weather that did them in. A ridge of the Azores High has blocked their direct route with violent storms closer to the French coast forecast.
Between the two weather obstacles it will be all but impossible to get to the finish in record setting time. Spindrift skipper Yann Guichard released a short statement saying “We have not given up, but although the record is no longer attainable, the adventure continues. Our goal is, of course, to complete the circle of this voyage around the world and to cross the finish line off Ushant.”
Truthfully Banque Populaire V’s record pace was more ahead of Spindrift Racing than behind. There were a few occasions, especially in the early days where both Spindrift and IDEC Sport were well ahead of the record, but the Southern Ocean was not kind. More specifically the proximity of ice, which was further north than normal, forced both boats to sail a longer distance than Banque Populaire V. Despite the extra miles sailed, Spindrift 2 rounded Cape Horn with a sizable lead over the record holder but that lead faded quickly in the fickle winds off the South American coast.
And then you run out of runway. There is the finish line, an imaginary line that runs from the Créac’h lighthouse on Ile de Oessant (Ushant Island) to Lizard Point on the southwest corner of England. And there is the clock. End of story. It’s a tough ending but let’s not forget that the record is held by Loick Peyron, probably the most experienced sailor alive.
He and his crack crew had their own fair share of problems but they sailed an impeccable circumnavigation and so for now their record stands and it’s going to be a tough one to beat.
– Brian Hancock.
The gig is up. Banque Populaire V will retain the record of 45 days, 13 hours, 22 minutes, and 53 seconds set back in 2012.
The message on Spindrift’s Facebook page reads as follows; “We are 2,200 nautical miles from the finish line off Ushant and we are on our 43rd day at sea.” They would have to close that distance at an average speed of roughly 36 knots in order to break the record. Their Facebook post continued. “Although the crew have battled incessantly, closing the gap by more than 700 miles in the last three days, we still remain 170 miles off the pace.” The pace they are referring to is where Banque Populaire V was at the same time into their record setting circumnavigation. In addition to the almost 200 mile deficit it was the weather that did them in. A ridge of the Azores High has blocked their direct route with violent storms closer to the French coast forecast.
Between the two weather obstacles it will be all but impossible to get to the finish in record setting time. Spindrift skipper Yann Guichard released a short statement saying “We have not given up, but although the record is no longer attainable, the adventure continues. Our goal is, of course, to complete the circle of this voyage around the world and to cross the finish line off Ushant.”
Truthfully Banque Populaire V’s record pace was more ahead of Spindrift Racing than behind. There were a few occasions, especially in the early days where both Spindrift and IDEC Sport were well ahead of the record, but the Southern Ocean was not kind. More specifically the proximity of ice, which was further north than normal, forced both boats to sail a longer distance than Banque Populaire V. Despite the extra miles sailed, Spindrift 2 rounded Cape Horn with a sizable lead over the record holder but that lead faded quickly in the fickle winds off the South American coast.
And then you run out of runway. There is the finish line, an imaginary line that runs from the Créac’h lighthouse on Ile de Oessant (Ushant Island) to Lizard Point on the southwest corner of England. And there is the clock. End of story. It’s a tough ending but let’s not forget that the record is held by Loick Peyron, probably the most experienced sailor alive.
He and his crack crew had their own fair share of problems but they sailed an impeccable circumnavigation and so for now their record stands and it’s going to be a tough one to beat.
– Brian Hancock.
Too easy
Romney: Bush-Clinton matchup 'would be too easy for the Democrats'
By Nolan D. McCaskill
Mitt Romney once told Jeb Bush that the former Florida governor couldn’t beat Hillary Clinton in a general election.
Romney, the Republican nominee who challenged President Barack Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign and who last year weighed mounting another bid, expressed that notion in a private meeting with Bush in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah, last January, according to Romney's comments to The Washington Post.
“Jeb, to be very honest, I think it’s very hard for you to post up against Hillary Clinton and to separate yourself from the difficulty of the W. years and compare them with the Clinton years,” Romney recalled telling Bush, referring to former President George W. Bush’s administration.
A Clinton-Bush election “would be too easy for the Democrats,” Romney told the Post.
“I like Jeb a lot,” Romney continued. “I think he’d be a great president but felt he was unfairly but severely burdened by the W. years — and when I say the W. years, it’s not only what happened to the economy, but the tragedy in Iraq.”
During their Jan. 22, 2015, encounter, Romney said, Bush responded that he was going to run a campaign about the future, not the past.
“I didn’t say anything at that point,” Romney remembered. “But as he left, I said to myself, ‘Gosh, in my opinion, it’s not going to be as easy to make that separation as I think he gives the impression it will be.’ One of the few things I predicted that turned out to be true.”
Bush has tried to distinguish himself from his brother and father, two former presidents, unveiling a “Jeb!” logo for his 2016 campaign that excludes his famous surname. But other candidates have invoked George W. Bush’s presidency and the Iraq war throughout the campaign in attacks on Jeb Bush, and the former Florida governor has leaned heavily on his family’s network to bolster his slowing fundraising.
By Nolan D. McCaskill
Mitt Romney once told Jeb Bush that the former Florida governor couldn’t beat Hillary Clinton in a general election.
Romney, the Republican nominee who challenged President Barack Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign and who last year weighed mounting another bid, expressed that notion in a private meeting with Bush in a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah, last January, according to Romney's comments to The Washington Post.
“Jeb, to be very honest, I think it’s very hard for you to post up against Hillary Clinton and to separate yourself from the difficulty of the W. years and compare them with the Clinton years,” Romney recalled telling Bush, referring to former President George W. Bush’s administration.
A Clinton-Bush election “would be too easy for the Democrats,” Romney told the Post.
“I like Jeb a lot,” Romney continued. “I think he’d be a great president but felt he was unfairly but severely burdened by the W. years — and when I say the W. years, it’s not only what happened to the economy, but the tragedy in Iraq.”
During their Jan. 22, 2015, encounter, Romney said, Bush responded that he was going to run a campaign about the future, not the past.
“I didn’t say anything at that point,” Romney remembered. “But as he left, I said to myself, ‘Gosh, in my opinion, it’s not going to be as easy to make that separation as I think he gives the impression it will be.’ One of the few things I predicted that turned out to be true.”
Bush has tried to distinguish himself from his brother and father, two former presidents, unveiling a “Jeb!” logo for his 2016 campaign that excludes his famous surname. But other candidates have invoked George W. Bush’s presidency and the Iraq war throughout the campaign in attacks on Jeb Bush, and the former Florida governor has leaned heavily on his family’s network to bolster his slowing fundraising.
Psychology
A Psychologist's Open Letter to U.S. Voters
A research-backed guide to picking the next president.
Craig Malkin PhD
Dear Fellow Voters,
I've been watching all of the presidential candidates with great interest—and deep concern. Concern for us. Concern for the fate of our country. Concern for our world.
As an expert on narcissism, I'm not especially worried that narcissists might make it to the White House. According to research(link is external), they've always been(link is external) there. And that shouldn't scare us anyway, because, just to be clear: Being a narcissist is not a diagnosis(link is external). It never has been. Narcissists are people higher in narcissistic traits than the average person, and while they may or may not be disordered, they all share one thing in common: They feel special(link is external). Some feel special enough to lead a nation, in fact.
What we should be far more concerned about is not whether politicians are narcissists—most are(link is external)—but how healthy(link is external) they are. And that's where you come in.
You have the power to shape the future of this country.
Politicians are groomed by us—by our applause, by our polls, by our votes. Whatever you seem to love or hate, they'll embrace or reject. So be careful what you applaud or attack. It matters what they—and all the little future leaders watching them—think you want in a leader.
That's why this isn't another rant about Donald Trump being a narcissist because:
1.Did you really need an expert to tell you that?
2.We don't need another article or book about obvious narcissists, because apparently we're pretty good at recognizing(link is external) them already.
Instead, I offer a guide, based on research, for what keeps leaders healthy, so you can applaud the right behaviors, and, I hope, punish the dangerous ones.
People high in healthy narcissism(link is external) inspire without undermining. They lead with conviction not cruelty. They bring out the best(link is external), not the worst, in the people around them. That's who we need leading the nation.
So here are some dos and don'ts:
1. Do applaud careful reflection.
Please, for everyone's sake, stop making politicians worried, on either side, that changing their minds when they have new information will be viewed as a weakness. Ditch the reflexive and empty attacks on "flip-flopping." When someone gives careful reasoning behind changing their position, it's not weakness; it's strength. It's called thinking. Weakness is barreling into a brick wall because that's the direction you first chose to head in, and, dammit, you stay the course. Want to know who worries most about seeming infallible at all costs? Extreme (unhealthy(link is external)) narcissists.
2.Don't applaud insults.
Here's a dead giveaway that extreme narcissists use to cover their insecurities: Putdowns(link is external). Like the schoolyard bully who beats people up to feel stronger, extreme narcissists hurl insults when they feel threatened; they name call, insult, denigrate. It's not clever and it's not mature. Therapists have a name for it: Emotional abuse(link is external). It doesn't belong on the playground, and it certainly doesn't belong in the White House
3. Do applaud feelings.
The world's going down in flames for sure if we choose unflappably stoic—that is, insensitive—leaders who never seem to shed a tear or get choked up over anything. Leaders who never seem openly moved by the plight of victims. Who disparage crossing party lines to offer or accept a hug in times of crisis that can, and should, bring the nation together. Extreme narcissists are emotion-phobes because they don't trust(link is external) people to support them—a problem called insecure attachment(link is external). So they rarely show sadness, fear, loneliness, worry, shame, or guilt. They just get angry, or attack, or become, you know, stoic. We don't need someone who constantly collapses in tears, but if you want good leaders, be aware that emotion is a basic job requirement.
4. Don't applaud manipulation.
Disordered narcissists betray three telltale signs: empathy-impairment, entitlement, and exploitation(link is external). If someone openly brags about paying others to do their bidding, then they don't view people as fellow human beings, but as chess pieces. And it's only a matter of time before you become a sacrificial pawn. Blatant manipulation isn't a guarantee that someone has narcissistic personality disorder(link is external), the most extreme form of unhealthy narcissism, but it sure is a terrible sign.(link is external)
5. Do applaud collaborative behavior.
Extreme narcissists don't like to be influenced because it makes them feel weak. It's the same reason they flee any hint of vulnerable feelings. They don't trust that anyone will be there for them. So instead of working with others, they get combative(link is external) and argumentative, and shout people down. They talk when they should listen. They're so invested in seeming perfectly self-sufficient that they dread listening to anyone else—another giveaway of extreme narcissism. It's only a matter of time before they grow deaf to what we, as a nation, are feeling.
6. Don't applaud black-and-white thinking.
We need leaders who can see the nuance in situations, who don't collapse the world into simple categories. In mental health, black-and-white thinking is known as a "cognitive distortion,"(link is external) not a great habit in a leader. Extreme narcissists love to divide the world(link is external) this way because they never have to feel vulnerable. They can flee, or label anyone who makes them feel unsure of their special status as "enemies," while cozying up to everyone else who bows to their will as "friends." Be very careful that you don't punish leaders for seeing the gray around them. People who think this way eventually draw up a list of enemies; and one day, you may find yourself on it.
7. Do applaud apologies.
We all make mistakes. But extreme narcissists are so addicted to feeling special, often by seeming perfect, that they can't admit(link is external) to even the simplest errors, let alone apologize for hurting others. Thanks to us, many politicians have gotten it into their heads that, somehow, saying they're sorry or acknowledging their missteps makes them appear weak—unless they're forced by impeachment. Hence the deplorable habit of making excuses for the most egregious behaviors. What keeps people from slipping into disorder is the capacity to repair relationships, whether the bond is with their partners or a nation. Put someone in office who can do that, please. Cheer for the candidate who can say "I'm sorry" without the pressure of a court order.
8. Don't applaud evasiveness.
Extreme narcissists excel at shallow, vague, and glib responses, especially the extroverted(link is external) types who seek power. Their speeches are all "show" with no substance; bluster without the details to back it up. No matter how confident the speaker, this kind of leadership isn't going to help anyone, except perhaps the narcissist. The devil is in the details—or in this case, in the lack of details.
9. Do applaud curiosity.
Smart leaders, and I've met a few, actively explore. They ask good questions. They don't always have answers and they let you know that. Their strength lies in their conviction that they'll solve a problem, not the certainty that they already have. They keep investigating the world if they're not sure where Russia is on the map. Beware the leader who's more invested in appearing to have all the answers than in asking the right questions. It's a sure sign that someone's more concerned with feeling special (link is external)than with helping you.
It's up to you, America. Narcissists will always be drawn to politics. But you have the power to make sure the narcissist in the Oval Office, or in any other elected office, isn't so addicted to feeling special that they forget the needs of the people who put them there in the first place.
P.S. Don't forget to vote!
Best,
Dr. Craig Malkin
A research-backed guide to picking the next president.
Craig Malkin PhD
Dear Fellow Voters,
I've been watching all of the presidential candidates with great interest—and deep concern. Concern for us. Concern for the fate of our country. Concern for our world.
As an expert on narcissism, I'm not especially worried that narcissists might make it to the White House. According to research(link is external), they've always been(link is external) there. And that shouldn't scare us anyway, because, just to be clear: Being a narcissist is not a diagnosis(link is external). It never has been. Narcissists are people higher in narcissistic traits than the average person, and while they may or may not be disordered, they all share one thing in common: They feel special(link is external). Some feel special enough to lead a nation, in fact.
What we should be far more concerned about is not whether politicians are narcissists—most are(link is external)—but how healthy(link is external) they are. And that's where you come in.
You have the power to shape the future of this country.
Politicians are groomed by us—by our applause, by our polls, by our votes. Whatever you seem to love or hate, they'll embrace or reject. So be careful what you applaud or attack. It matters what they—and all the little future leaders watching them—think you want in a leader.
That's why this isn't another rant about Donald Trump being a narcissist because:
1.Did you really need an expert to tell you that?
2.We don't need another article or book about obvious narcissists, because apparently we're pretty good at recognizing(link is external) them already.
Instead, I offer a guide, based on research, for what keeps leaders healthy, so you can applaud the right behaviors, and, I hope, punish the dangerous ones.
People high in healthy narcissism(link is external) inspire without undermining. They lead with conviction not cruelty. They bring out the best(link is external), not the worst, in the people around them. That's who we need leading the nation.
So here are some dos and don'ts:
1. Do applaud careful reflection.
Please, for everyone's sake, stop making politicians worried, on either side, that changing their minds when they have new information will be viewed as a weakness. Ditch the reflexive and empty attacks on "flip-flopping." When someone gives careful reasoning behind changing their position, it's not weakness; it's strength. It's called thinking. Weakness is barreling into a brick wall because that's the direction you first chose to head in, and, dammit, you stay the course. Want to know who worries most about seeming infallible at all costs? Extreme (unhealthy(link is external)) narcissists.
2.Don't applaud insults.
Here's a dead giveaway that extreme narcissists use to cover their insecurities: Putdowns(link is external). Like the schoolyard bully who beats people up to feel stronger, extreme narcissists hurl insults when they feel threatened; they name call, insult, denigrate. It's not clever and it's not mature. Therapists have a name for it: Emotional abuse(link is external). It doesn't belong on the playground, and it certainly doesn't belong in the White House
3. Do applaud feelings.
The world's going down in flames for sure if we choose unflappably stoic—that is, insensitive—leaders who never seem to shed a tear or get choked up over anything. Leaders who never seem openly moved by the plight of victims. Who disparage crossing party lines to offer or accept a hug in times of crisis that can, and should, bring the nation together. Extreme narcissists are emotion-phobes because they don't trust(link is external) people to support them—a problem called insecure attachment(link is external). So they rarely show sadness, fear, loneliness, worry, shame, or guilt. They just get angry, or attack, or become, you know, stoic. We don't need someone who constantly collapses in tears, but if you want good leaders, be aware that emotion is a basic job requirement.
4. Don't applaud manipulation.
Disordered narcissists betray three telltale signs: empathy-impairment, entitlement, and exploitation(link is external). If someone openly brags about paying others to do their bidding, then they don't view people as fellow human beings, but as chess pieces. And it's only a matter of time before you become a sacrificial pawn. Blatant manipulation isn't a guarantee that someone has narcissistic personality disorder(link is external), the most extreme form of unhealthy narcissism, but it sure is a terrible sign.(link is external)
5. Do applaud collaborative behavior.
Extreme narcissists don't like to be influenced because it makes them feel weak. It's the same reason they flee any hint of vulnerable feelings. They don't trust that anyone will be there for them. So instead of working with others, they get combative(link is external) and argumentative, and shout people down. They talk when they should listen. They're so invested in seeming perfectly self-sufficient that they dread listening to anyone else—another giveaway of extreme narcissism. It's only a matter of time before they grow deaf to what we, as a nation, are feeling.
6. Don't applaud black-and-white thinking.
We need leaders who can see the nuance in situations, who don't collapse the world into simple categories. In mental health, black-and-white thinking is known as a "cognitive distortion,"(link is external) not a great habit in a leader. Extreme narcissists love to divide the world(link is external) this way because they never have to feel vulnerable. They can flee, or label anyone who makes them feel unsure of their special status as "enemies," while cozying up to everyone else who bows to their will as "friends." Be very careful that you don't punish leaders for seeing the gray around them. People who think this way eventually draw up a list of enemies; and one day, you may find yourself on it.
7. Do applaud apologies.
We all make mistakes. But extreme narcissists are so addicted to feeling special, often by seeming perfect, that they can't admit(link is external) to even the simplest errors, let alone apologize for hurting others. Thanks to us, many politicians have gotten it into their heads that, somehow, saying they're sorry or acknowledging their missteps makes them appear weak—unless they're forced by impeachment. Hence the deplorable habit of making excuses for the most egregious behaviors. What keeps people from slipping into disorder is the capacity to repair relationships, whether the bond is with their partners or a nation. Put someone in office who can do that, please. Cheer for the candidate who can say "I'm sorry" without the pressure of a court order.
8. Don't applaud evasiveness.
Extreme narcissists excel at shallow, vague, and glib responses, especially the extroverted(link is external) types who seek power. Their speeches are all "show" with no substance; bluster without the details to back it up. No matter how confident the speaker, this kind of leadership isn't going to help anyone, except perhaps the narcissist. The devil is in the details—or in this case, in the lack of details.
9. Do applaud curiosity.
Smart leaders, and I've met a few, actively explore. They ask good questions. They don't always have answers and they let you know that. Their strength lies in their conviction that they'll solve a problem, not the certainty that they already have. They keep investigating the world if they're not sure where Russia is on the map. Beware the leader who's more invested in appearing to have all the answers than in asking the right questions. It's a sure sign that someone's more concerned with feeling special (link is external)than with helping you.
It's up to you, America. Narcissists will always be drawn to politics. But you have the power to make sure the narcissist in the Oval Office, or in any other elected office, isn't so addicted to feeling special that they forget the needs of the people who put them there in the first place.
P.S. Don't forget to vote!
Best,
Dr. Craig Malkin
Comet Catalina
Saturnian satellites
What looks like a pair of Saturnian satellites is actually a trio upon close inspection.
Here, Cassini has captured Enceladus (313 miles or 504 kilometers across) above the rings and Rhea (949 miles or 1,527 kilometers across) below. The comparatively tiny speck of Atlas (19 miles or 30 kilometers across) can also be seen just above and to the left of Rhea, and just above the thin line of Saturn's F ring.
This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 0.34 degrees below the ring plane.
The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Sept. 24, 2015.
The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1.8 million miles (2.8 million kilometers) from Rhea. Image scale on Rhea is 10 miles (16 kilometers) per pixel. The distance to Enceladus was 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers) for a scale of 5 miles (8 kilometers) per pixel. The distance to Atlas was 1.5 million miles (2.4 million) kilometers) for an image scale at Atlas of 9 miles (14 kilometers) per pixel.
Here, Cassini has captured Enceladus (313 miles or 504 kilometers across) above the rings and Rhea (949 miles or 1,527 kilometers across) below. The comparatively tiny speck of Atlas (19 miles or 30 kilometers across) can also be seen just above and to the left of Rhea, and just above the thin line of Saturn's F ring.
This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 0.34 degrees below the ring plane.The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Sept. 24, 2015.
The view was obtained at a distance of approximately 1.8 million miles (2.8 million kilometers) from Rhea. Image scale on Rhea is 10 miles (16 kilometers) per pixel. The distance to Enceladus was 1.3 million miles (2.1 million kilometers) for a scale of 5 miles (8 kilometers) per pixel. The distance to Atlas was 1.5 million miles (2.4 million) kilometers) for an image scale at Atlas of 9 miles (14 kilometers) per pixel.
NGC 6052
This image, taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on board the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows the galaxy NGC 6052, located around 230 million light-years away in the constellation of Hercules.It would be reasonable to think of this as a single abnormal galaxy, and it was originally classified as such. However, it is in fact a “new” galaxy in the process of forming. Two separate galaxies have been gradually drawn together, attracted by gravity, and have collided. We now see them merging into a single structure.
As the merging process continues, individual stars are thrown out of their original orbits and placed onto entirely new paths, some very distant from the region of the collision itself. Since the stars produce the light we see, the “galaxy” now appears to have a highly chaotic shape. Eventually, this new galaxy will settle down into a stable shape, which may not resemble either of the two original galaxies.
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