NEWS AND OPINION:
The focus is on Milwaukee this week, site of the 2024 Republican NationalConvention and a load of media coverage. Next month, however, attention will likely turn to Atlanta — site of “The Gathering 2024.”
Here’s the focus.
“Join leading conservative voices from across the nation in Atlanta in August as the right fights to take back Washington,” said an advance notice of the event, which takes place Aug. 8-10 at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead.
“This year’s theme — ‘Taking Back Washington. Rebuilding America’ — exemplifies the pivotal role GOP leaders must take in tackling the issues America faces. Panel discussions among invited guests will focus on exploring these leaders’ perspectives and visions on protecting America’s future,” the notice said.
“Radio host and conservative political commentator Erick Erickson will once again host an exclusive conference that brings together members of Congress, state governors, state attorneys general, candidates, conservative thought leaders, and engaged citizens from across the nation,” the notice said.
“There is a real chance for Republicans to take back all of Washington. Now, it is important to ask the thought leaders of the GOP and the Right what it will look like for America as they rebuild and grapple with our debt. I’ll spend time, individually, with these thought leaders asking them questions to find out their vision for the future,” Mr. Erickson said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
The guest list includes Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, former Vice President Mike Pence, Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida, plus Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt. More details are available at the conference’s EventBrite page.
THE VANCE PRESS
The news media are fixated on Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, the new vice presidential running mate of Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Here are a few headlines of note from the tumultuous last 24 hours:
“Are Republican voters ready for the nerdy radicalness of J.D. Vance?” (Politico); “Here’s how much J.D. Vance is worth” (Forbes); “Behind the Curtain: Why J.D.?” (Axios); “JD Vance on Trump asking him to be VP: ’A moment I’ll never forget’” (Fox News); “J.D. Vance is now heir apparent to the MAGA movement” (The Economist); “J.D. Vance said dinner with elite CEOs fueled his political evolution” (Business Insider); “I’m from the same place as JD Vance and there’s nothing to celebrate now that he’s Trump’s VP” (The Independent); and “J.D. Vance once compared Trump to Hitler. Now they are running mates” (Reuters).
The media also like to rush things along when possibilities are percolating in the political world. One headline tells all: “Kamala Harris is ready to debate J.D. Vance, Biden campaign says,” The New York Times said. Fox News, Axios and The Hill were also among the news organizations exploring that possibility.
TAKING THE PLUNGE
Marriage has a distinct political dynamic, according to some complex new research from Gallup.
“Analysis of nearly a century of Gallup measurement of Americans’ marital status shows that after decades of little partisan difference, a gap in the marriage rates of Republicans and Democrats cracked open in the 1980s and has widened in the past quarter century. Although demographic differences between Republicans and Democrats and changes in economic conditions might account for some of this, differences in attitudes about the importance and benefits of marriage — with Republicans valuing it more than Democrats — appear to be the much bigger factor,” the pollster said in a new analysis.
It’s complicated.
“For 40 years during the middle of the 20th century, Gallup recorded little difference in the marriage rates of middle-aged Republicans and Democrats — those of the prime marriage ages of 30-50. But a gap emerged in the 1980s as the rate fell rapidly for Democrats but much less so for Republicans,” the analysis stated.
“Democrats and independents are now much less likely than Republicans to believe that marriage leads to happiness, whereas the three groups’ views were similar in previous decades. Likewise, Democrats are much less likely than Republicans to reject the idea that marriage is outdated, and this too has changed since the mid-1990s. These trends in attitudes align with other current evidence that Democratic and independent parents see marriage as less valuable to the quality of domestic relationships and are less inclined to want their children to marry when they get older, compared with Republican parents,” the research later said.
Explore these findings at news.gallup.com; the research is titled “When and Why Marriage Became Partisan.”
ADVICE ON THE WAY
A forthcoming book, “The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” will arrive Aug. 20 from War Room Books, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing. The author is Joel B. Pollak, senior editor at large and in-house counsel at Breitbart News, and also editor of Breitbart California.
“Joel Pollak presents a roadmap for a post-conviction Trump administration, charged with a mandate for sweeping reform. Pollak offers more than just wishful policies; he outlines a strategic program of action to harness Trump’s energy for real change — and a set of executive orders and actions that can be carried out on Day One,” the publisher says in advance notes for the book.
“The Agenda is a passionate call to arms for those who champion bold leadership and decisive action,” the publisher said.
The book also features a foreword by Steve Bannon.
POLL DU JOUR
• 70% of college students in the U.S. say “threats of violence” should be censored by the U.S. government.
• 53% say “hate speech” should be censored by the government.
• 47% say “racial slurs” should be censored.
• 42% say “advocating the overthrow of the United States government” should be censored.
• 40% say “libel and slander” should be censored.
• 39% say ”pornography” should be censored.
• 32% say “flag burning” should be censored.
• 20% say ”blasphemy” should be censored.
SOURCE: An American Council of Trustees and Alumni “College Pulse” survey of 3,026 U.S. college students conducted online May 10-June 19 and released Monday.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook @HarperUniverse.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.