The unique perspective and provocative opinions of Joe O’Neill
Quoteworthy
“The United States is becoming like Lebanon and other Middle East countries in two respects. First, our political differences are becoming so deep that our two parties now resemble religious sects in a zero-sum contest for power. … And second, as in the Middle East, so increasingly in America: Everything is now politics—even the climate, even energy, even face masks in a pandemic.”—Thomas L. Friedman,New York Times.
“It falls on all of us, regardless of our race or station—including the majority of men and women in law enforcement who take pride in doing their tough job the right way, every day—to work together to create a ‘new normal’ in which the legacy of bigotry and unequal treatment no longer infects our institutions or our hearts.”—Former President Barack Obama.
“Trump and (Steve) Bannon took a low-rent strand of conservatism—class-based, ethnic nationalism—that had always been locked away in the basement of the American right, and overturned the Reagan paradigm.”—David Brooks, New York Times.
“For the Trump campaign to turn Joe Biden into 2020’s Michael Dukakis requires the president to make Mr. Biden, not himself, the campaign focus.”—Republican strategist Karl Rove.
“(Harris) is going to be a great motivator for this ticket.”—Democratic South Carolina Rep.James Clyburn, the House Majority Whip.
“I still hope, especially with Kamala on the ticket, that the coverage of women running for president or vice president will be less sexist, less sensationalist and less trivializing.”—Hillary Clinton.
“Harris is American melting pot meets American dream.”—Ruth Marcus,Washington Post.
“Congratulations on being the Democratic Vice President nominee … All love and respect from the future president. It’s an honor to run against you.”—Kanye West.
“We are focused strictly on talking about how (Harris) completes the radical leftist takeover of Joe Biden.”—Tim Murtaugh, Trump campaign communications director.
“It’s not inconceivable that in 2024, America could have to choose between (Kamala) Harris and (Nikki) Haley for president. Which will it be, the Tamil Brahmin or the Sikh?—Tunku Varadarajan, executive editor at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
“A disappointment to conservatives.”—Vice President Mike Pence, on SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts.
“A payroll tax cut is the hydroxychloroquine of economic policy.”—Paul Krugman,New York Times.
“Alarmingly, across the nation we see the devastating effects of the president’s campaign to sabotage the election by manipulating the Postal Service to disenfranchise voters. … In a time of pandemic, the Postal Service is Election Central.”–Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in calling House lawmakers to return to Washington to block Postal Service changes that could make it harder for millions of Americans to vote by mail.
“I don’t know of any evidence that voting by mail would increase voter fraud.”—Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney.
“I feel like the Titanic. We have hit the iceberg, and we’re trying to make decisions of what time should we have the band play.”—Dr. Carlos Del Rio, infectious disease expert and member of the NCAA COVID-19 Advisory Panel.
“Having declared a state of emergency for the entire state on March 9, Gov. Ron DeSantis could sign an executive order, allowing mail ballots placed in the USPS mail stream prior to Election Day to be counted, even if they arrive after Election Day.”—Daniel A. Smith, chairman of the political science department at the University of Florida.
“Having video will provide clarity for everyone and will also hold all parties accountable.”—Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister, in announcing that deputies will begin wearing body cameras.
“We’re laser focused on Feb. 7.”—NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly, in reference to Super Bowl 55 in Tampa.