This is probably the biggest week of the election. Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will face off in the first (and probably the only) presidential debate of 2024. It's also one of Harris's few unscripted appearances, raising the stakes.
What do I think will happen? I've been saying the debate doesn't matter -- that Harris's supporters will simply see the debate they want to see, and will focus on male/female dynamics. Trump supporters, too, will overlook any of his mistakes.
But Harris has a lot at stake. If she comes across in a presidential manner, she could shore up what looks (at the moment) to be slightly sagging support. If she fails, she will likely boost Trump's momentum. There won't be second chances.
Based on past debates, I think she will do fine. She has considerable presence onstage, and will come across as officious and dignified. She has no doubt been practicing her talking points and will deliver them. So I don't foresee collapse.
However, I have not been particularly impressed by anything she's done so far this election cycle, and her few unscripted moments -- such as the one CNN interview with Tim Walz -- have been rather uninspiring, to say the least.
But we'll see.
We will also look at the Middle East -- as Israel reaches the seven-month mark in its war against Hamas. A week of protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fizzled -- but the major challenges remain.
Special guests:
Curtis Houck - managing editor of NewsBusters, Media Review Center
Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi (Res.) - founder and director of IDSF
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What a week it was for President Donald Trump -- and what a week it's going to be, as we prepare to celebrate the 249th anniversary of the United States. From the BBB to Iran, to the jobs numbers later this week -- so much news!
We'll focus -- unusually so -- on a recap of recent events, just because they have been so profound -- but we'll also look ahead to things to come.
Special guests:
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio -- on California gas prices and Gavin Newsom
Bradley Jaye -- Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the BBB
Carrie Severino -- Judicial Crisis Network, on recent SCOTUS decisions
James Rosen -- Newsmax White House correspondent, on the media
Frances Martel -- Breitbart News foreign editor, on Iran and Israel
Alan Dershowitz -- lawyer and author, on Iran and antisemitism
Tune in: SiriusXM Patriot 125, 7-10 p.m. ET, 4-7 p.m. PT
Call in: 866-957-2874
This week's portion is about the rebellion of Korach against Moses. The story is a powerful lesson about the role of good leaders -- and the unique challenges they face, as it is human nature to question why others should have authority.
Korach's rebellion fails because it is ultimately based on personal interests, even though it uses the language of common grievance. Moses prevails because he remains true to his faith even when confronted by a crowd.
We have seen a lot of "Korach" lately in my particular political world, as a cohort of "talkers" has tried to challenge the Republican "establishment" over support for Israel. They lost badly this week because their protests was empty.
It's never a good idea to bet against Israel, or against God. My advice to those tempted to join such rebellions is to search their own hearts, and ask if they are acting out of conviction or out of some other motive, perhaps conformity.
There is another lesson in Moses's reaction. When God says he will ...
A new phenomenon has appeared over the past several months, which burst into full view during the recent "12 Day War": the so-called "woke right," a small but vocal group of anti-Israel commentators and podcasters.
We are talking about a small minority of people -- only about 6% of Trump supporters, according to one recent poll. But they are prolific on social media, and are therefore believed to be somewhat influential.
Some of these voices used to be avowedly pro-Israel, but turned against the Jewish state in recent months. Often, their changes of heart are ascribed to antisemitism, but usually that is too simplistic an explanation.
It is true that a few have used antisemitic language and themes. In some cases, these commentators had been targeted previously by left-wing Jewish groups like the Anti Defamation League for cancelation for stating conservative ideas. Once targeted in this way, they became more hostile to Jews, and to Israel, because they felt they had been attacked first -- which they had been, ...