October 12 Evening Edition

ABC7
— Columbus Day: Italian-American group holds rally, calls for Chicago to return Christopher Columbus statues
https://abc7chicago.com/community-events/italian-american-group-holds-columbus-day-rally/6963469/
— Illinois COVID-19: IL reports 2,742 new coronavirus cases, 13 deaths
https://abc7chicago.com/health/il-reports-2742-new-coronavirus-cases-13-deaths/6970678/
— President Trump tests negative for COVID ‘on consecutive days,’ physician says
https://abc7chicago.com/politics/trumps-doctor-president-tests-negative-for-covid-on-consecutive-days/6975805/

NBC5
— Sharp Divide Over Barrett Nomination Comes Into Focus as Local Leaders Weigh In During Hearing – Mary Ann Ahern
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/sharp-divide-over-barrett-nomination-comes-into-focus-as-local-leaders-weigh-in-during-hearing/2352899/
— Pritzker Offers Trump 5 ‘Exciting Places to Go’ in Illinois After President’s Tweet The Illinois governor publicly called out Trump for his work as president and his current place in the polls
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/pritzker-offers-trump-5-exciting-places-to-go-in-illinois-after-presidents-tweet/2352670/

FOX NEWS CHICAGO
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Protesters knock down Roosevelt and Lincoln statues in Portland – AP
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/protesters-knock-down-roosevelt-and-lincoln-statues-in-portland
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Historians have said Roosevelt expressed hostility toward Native Americans, once saying: “I don’t go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of every 10 are …” Protesters spray-painted “Dakota 38” on the base of Lincoln’s statue, referencing the 38 Dakota men Lincoln approved to have hanged after the men were involved in a violent conflict with white settlers in Minnesota.)

WGN TV
— Diversity Employment Day (DIERSEN: Democrat, Libertarian, Green, Independent, and RINO employers use Affirmative Action, Diversity, and Inclusion to not hire Republicans who are one or more of the following: law enforcement officers, Trump supporters, conservative, patriotic, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, non-poor, gun owners, Christian, Protestant, Italian American, German American, draft avoiders, and/or those whose ancestors have been in America for a long time.)
https://wgntv.com/community/diversity-employment-day-3/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— DuPage County Auditor: Candidates present their ideas, why to choose them and not their opponent
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/naperville-sun/ct-nvs-dupage-auditor-candidates-st-1014-20201012-aveh4q4apzffbhgypskpnqnw6q-story.html
— Kane recorder candidates focus on budget, customer service – DAVID SHAROS
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/ct-abn-kane-recorder-st-1013-20201012-5gwrx7yhabaexaxfa6g7ngrdti-story.html
— The pandemic left election officials scrambling for judges in March. But extra pay and a law that allows younger workers has them optimistic about Nov. 3. – DAN PETRELLA and KELLI SMITH
https://www.chicagotribune.com/election-2020/ct-illinois-election-judge-recruitment-coronavirus-20201012-ucx7rknsfzefxfbur2guqmj5ea-story.html

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Politicians renew call to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day “Today must be the last day our state recognizes Columbus Day as a state holiday,” state Rep. Delia Ramirez said. – Michael Lee (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, those whose ancestors immigrated more recently focus on getting rid of those whose ancestors immigrated earlier.)
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2020/10/12/21512802/indigenous-peoples-day-replace-columbus-day-illinois-state-holiday
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: A hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-hater says “Donald Trump was complicit in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Right-wing domestic terrorism doesn’t fester in a vacuum.”
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/10/12/21513347/michigan-right-wing-militia-kidnap-gretchen-whitmer-proud-boys-jesse-jackson

DAILY HERALD
— Suratwala v. Puchalski: Candidates differ on shrinking the size of DuPage County Board – Katlyn Smith
https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20201012/candidates-differ-on-shrinking-the-size-of-dupage-county-board

NORTHWEST HERALD
— ‘That’s like not believing in gravity’: Casten, Ives spar over COVID-19 relief, climate change in debate – Russell Lissau
https://www.nwherald.com/2020/10/12/thats-like-not-believing-in-gravity-casten-ives-spar-over-covid-19-relief-climate-change-in-debate/acdzxqa/

HERALD & REVIEW
— President Trump mentions Illinois in early-morning cascade of tweets – Nick Vlahos
https://herald-review.com/news/state-and-regional/president-trump-mentions-illinois-in-early-morning-cascade-of-tweets/article_e446b97b-0021-50de-b3a7-694798cda590.html

WIFR
— Pres. Trump coming to Janesville on Saturday – Nick Viviani
https://www.wifr.com/2020/10/12/pres-trump-coming-to-janesville-on-saturday/

ILLINOIS PATCH
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Half-Billion Spent On Recreational Marijuana In 9 Months Cannabis sales set another record in September, bringing total spending on adult-use cannabis to more than $530 million. – Jonah Meadows
https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/half-billion-spent-recreational-marijuana-9-months

ORLAND PARK PATCH
— Honoring Columbus Day and American tradition Columnist Ray Hanania looks at the misguided attacks against Christopher Columbus, Presidents Washington & Lincoln; and Orland Park myths – Ray Hanania
https://patch.com/illinois/orlandpark/honoring-columbus-day-american-tradition

ILLINOIS REVIEW
— JUDGE AMY CONEY BARRETT’S OPENING STATEMENT
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/10/judge-amy-coney-barretts-opening-statement.html
— 73% SAY RELIGIOUS FAITH SHOULD NOT BE A SUPREME COURT CANDIDATE’S DETERMINING FACTOR
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/10/73-say-religious-faith-should-not-be-a-supreme-court-candidates-determining-factor.html
— DI LEO: CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, AMBASSADOR OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
https://www.illinoisreview.com/illinoisreview/2020/10/christopher-columbus-ambassador-of-western-civilization.html

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump demands FBI focus on Antifa after riot declared in Portland – Jeff Mordock
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/12/donald-trump-demands-fbi-focus-antifa-after-riot-d/
— Trump comes back negative for coronavirus on antigen test, White House doc says – Tom Howell Jr.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/oct/12/trump-comes-back-negative-coronavirus-antigen-test/

GOPUSA
— Fauci Again Runs To CNN To Whine And Complain
https://www.gopusa.com/?p=96208

AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
— Why We Should Question The Narrative On Masks For all the science-signaling of its advocates, it’s fairly obvious that mask mania is a psychological affair. – BRIAN JONES (DIERSEN: Ever-increasingly, hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters hint/imply/argue/shout a) that to not wear a mask is to shout your support for Trump and b) that to wear a mask is to shout your hatred of Trump.)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/why-we-should-question-the-narrative-on-masks/

BLAZE
— DISGUSTING, TRAGIC: Portland rioters topple Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt statues in ‘day of rage’ against Columbus Day Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage – CHRIS PANDOLFO
https://www.theblaze.com/news/portland-rioters-topple-lincoln-roosevelt-statues

NEWSMAX
— Conservative Jeanne Ives Coming on Strong in Ill-6 – John Gizzi
https://www.newsmax.com/john-gizzi/ives-casten-rouner-nfib/2020/10/12/id/991560/

FEDERALIST
— Democrats: It’s Trump’s Fault We’re Burning Down American Institutions The left and the right agree that American institutions are under attack. They just disagree on what those institutions are and who’s doing the attacking. – Elle Reynolds
https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/12/american-institutions-are-under-attack-but-not-by-president-trump/

THE HILL
— Protesters arrested on first day of Barrett hearings – JUSTINE COLEMAN
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/520670-protesters-arrested-on-first-day-of-barrett-hearings

NEW YORK TIMES
— DIERSEN HEADLINE: Hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters love hate-filled Trump-hating Trump-haters who claim to ne religious, conservative, and/or Republican.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/12/us/politics/never-trump-republicans.html

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
— Trump gives update on when states that don’t vote for him are going to Hell – BRIAN NIEMIETZ
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-trump-new-york-california-illinois-hell-20201012-ykk5inisszfzdoj3qe6x2wl7ae-story.html

CONVERSATION
— Will German Americans again put Donald Trump over the top in the presidential election? – Martin LaMonica (DIERSEN: National origin discrimination is nasty. Religious discrimination is nasty. Government is nasty. Politics is nasty. I should write a book about those who have used the following against me the most: a) my being 100% German national origin, b) my being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran, and c) my living in Crete 1948-1972. I would focus on those who would not have taken adverse actions against me if I had shared their national origin and/or religion.)
https://theconversation.com/will-german-americans-again-put-donald-trump-over-the-top-in-the-presidential-election-146283

(FROM THE ARTICLE: German Americans paved Donald Trump’s road into the White House in 2016 through Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. This ethnic group barely receives attention in American media and politics. The Midwest, home to many German Americans, is a battleground for the 2020 presidential election. Will this inconspicuous group yet again cast the deciding votes in the upcoming election? The German American experience Forty-four million Americans claim German ancestry. They constitute a large white heritage group in the United States, and the largest by far in the Midwest. Between 1850 and 1890, Germans arrived in the millions to settle in the U.S. German American farmers and workers transformed the frontier wilderness into farmland and fueled the Midwestern region’s industrialization with manpower and entrepreneurial spirit. Politically, they were never a unified voting bloc. Many were freethinkers, fighting against slavery and for women’s suffrage. They founded newspapers and led labor movements. Others were leading Evangelicals, forming the Missouri Synod, one of the most conservative religious bodies of the country. For decades, political parties vied for the vote of this heterogeneous immigrant group. Things changed in the wake of two world wars. To avoid stigmatization, German Americans stopped speaking German, anglicized their German names and became outwardly more American than any other European immigrant group. As a result, most contemporary German Americans have lost an authentic connection to their cultural heritage. Unlike other ethnic groups, they do not collectively link their identity to political action. Yet, despite this low level of community organization and activism, German Americans show common voting patterns. ‘Ghost pain of the past’ Today’s German Americans are more conservative than their ancestors. Most counties of heavy German American heritage are rural and vote Republican. We conducted a post-election analysis of this group’s behavior in the 2016 election. After we looked at occupational distributions, we suggested in 2016 that the steady economic decline in agriculture and domestic manufacturing in the Midwest made German Americans receptive to populist messages with racist overtones, a view implied by other political scientists and sociologists. A new, empirical study suggests that German Americans’ support of Trump in 2016 was not a simple outcome of party affiliation and not primarily an articulation of racism. Rather, German Americans were enticed by Trump’s isolationist agenda, an ideological preference their communities had developed long before 2016. In fact, presidential candidates with policies of protectionism and anti-interventionism have consistently benefited from the German American vote. For example, in the 1992 race, third-party candidate Ross Perot opposed NAFTA and the first Gulf War. He shared many views on trade and foreign policy with Donald Trump and performed better among German Americans than among any other descendants of 19th-century immigrants. Interestingly, the tendency to support anti-interventionist presidential candidates even extended to Democrat Barack Obama. More successful than any Democrat in presidential elections in decades among German American voters, Obama put forth a prospective foreign policy agenda that contrasted sharply with that of John McCain, who stood for the continuation of George W. Bush’s unpopular wars in the Middle East. German American support for America’s first African American president reached close to 60% in many counties of America’s heartland, making it very unlikely that racism was the primary force behind the swing toward Trump in 2016 in these counties. Rather, this phenomenon shows a consistent attraction to isolationist candidates in these communities rooted in the first half of the 20th century. That’s when German Americans vehemently opposed U.S. military intervention in Europe while being forced to rapidly assimilate. But can past traumas influence voting behavior 80 years later? Research on the persistence of historical legacies such as the voting behavior in former slaveholding counties in the South shows that political attitudes indeed can be passed down over generations even while the experiential link to their origin is lost. It appears that German American attraction to isolationism is a ghost pain of the past. What will happen in November? Trump has been an isolationist president. He abolished NAFTA, withdrew from the Paris Agreement on climate change, pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal, started trade wars, snubbed military leaders and announced troop withdrawals from NATO allies. These decisions will increase his popularity among many voters who favor isolationist candidates, including German Americans. Nevertheless, we believe that Trump’s campaign faces a problem in attracting a similarly large number of German Americans voters this November. Expectations that isolationist policies would lead to greater prosperity in the Midwest were disappointed. Moreover, throughout Trump’s presidency, his record as an isolationist was overshadowed by his image as a racist. We believe that many of those German American swing voters, who voted for a noninterventionist Obama in 2008 and then were attracted by Trump’s isolationist agenda in 2016, are alienated by his incendiary response to police killings and the Black Lives Matter protests. A central tenet of isolationism is a strong desire to stay out of trouble through noninvolvement. This applies all the more at home. A growing understanding that the president’s actions did not deescalate but instead amplified violence and chaos on American streets will likely keep many German Americans from voting for Trump a second time.)

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.