Dear Jolters,
Pesach Sameach! To my brothers and sisters in Abraham. Happy Passover. All people of good will can cherish the celebration of freedom from enslavement.
Finally Edition of “It’s the Economy, Stupid.” It usually is, and without question was a principle motivator for Trump voters in 2016 — no jobs, limited employment opportunities, stagnant wages, shuttered factories, etc. were voter-resonating themes that the Donald hit relentlessly on the campaign trail. Why it then took him nearly three months to announce (last Friday) his chairman for the Council of Economic Advisers puzzles the heck out of many, myself included. But that said, conservatives should be commending the president for his choice: Keven Hassett, the chief economic guru at AEI and the always-wise National Review contributor who has been writing for the magazine for years. I might be a little eager here, because what we’d be commending is only President Trump’s intention to nominate Kevin, a conservative happy warrior, but let the celebration begin anyway.
Moe, Barry, or Curly? Turns out Putin’s stooge is The One We Have Been Waiting For. Rich Lowry’s new column hits Barry O right between the eyes: “It’s impossible to conclude anything other than that Obama was a Russian stooge, and not out of any nefarious deals, but out of his own naivete and weakness.”
More Celebrating. I’d like to wish a happy 5th birthday to Gatestone Institute, which, like NRO, is a daily must-read, especially for those who care about issues of free speech and Islamofacism. Each morning Gatestone (run by my dear friends, Nina Rosenwald and Mimi Perlman) publishes powerful pieces — by ace reporters and analysts such as Soeren Kern and Guy Milliere — that expose the chokehold Islam has on Europe, and the suicidal multiculturalism perpetrated by EU officials. And a heck of a lot more. Like the very troubling actions of General H.R. McMaster, President Trump’s national-security adviser. This important Gatestone report by Kern hits him hard for some troubling anti-Israel and pro-Iran personnel picks. If you’d like to follow Gatestone daily, sign up for its newsletter.
Even More Celebrating: Ian Tuttle has a terrific tribute to Norman Podhoretz and the 50th Anniversary of his acclaimed memoir, Making It.
Is Susan Rice’s chronic deception socio-pathological? Victor Davis Hanson asks today on NRO. And answers. It’s a doozie, but then, isn’t it always.
PBS Praises . . . School Choice? You read that right. Paul Crookston has a great piece on the new documentary, School, Inc.
Here, There, and Everywhere. Jay Nordlinger, traveling man, will be out West these next couple of days, sharing his wisdom, on behalf of the National Review Institute, at various venues. Tomorrow the author of Digging In will be talking about “Politics on Campus” at Claremont McKenna College. Then on Thursday Jay will be LA bound, discussing “Adventures in Journalism” at Cal State Fullerton (get complete details here, the fun starts at 1:30), and later, in partnership with the American Freedom Alliance, he’ll be at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel — you can sign up here.
Freedom Day: It’s coming. Thursday! Find out more about this now-annual effort sponsored by the National Constitution Center.
I’m betting Jim Geraghty is feeling very unthreatened as he basks in the sun on his private island getaway. Don’t worry Jimbo: You’re no Wally Pipp.
I’ll see you back here tomorrow, same Bat Time, same Bat Channel.
Best,
Jack Fowler
PS: Could there be a Fowler-penned Jolt with a mandatory NR Cruise promotion?