Any thought that these two things are correlated, or that either of them is correlated with the 2016 campaign, is roundly denied by Institutional Democrats.

To steal a trope from Chris Hayes, Thing 1-

New Poll Shows ‘Deep and Boiling Anger’ Towards Political Establishment Still Widespread
by Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams
August 25, 2019

If you’re feeling anger the political system being rigged to benefit those at the top, a new poll reveals you’re far from alone.

Released Sunday, the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that 70 percent of Americans said they felt “angry because our political system seems to only be working for the insiders with money and power.” That figure, based on polling conducted Aug. 10-14, is barely different from the 69 percent who said they felt that way in an October 2015 poll.

“Four years ago, we uncovered a deep and boiling anger across the country engulfing our political system,” said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, which conducted the survey with the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies. “Four years later, with a very different political leader in place,” said Horwitt, “that anger remains at the same level.”

Other questions asked by the pollsters reveal more pessimism.

Sixty-seven percent said they do not feel confident that our children’s generation will face a better life than ours; that’s up from the 61 percent who felt that way in 2017.

Respondents’ views of race relations were grim as well.

The poll finds that 60 percent believe race relations are bad in the nation. That view was expressed by 56 percent of whites, 81 percent of African Americans, and 61 percent of Hispanics.

Since President Donald Trump took office, 56 percent said race relations have gotten worse. While 47 percent of whites felt that way, 86 percent of African Americans and 74 percent of Hispanics said race relations worsened under Trump.

Views on the issue were markedly different under Trump’s predecessor.

In November 2011, 19 percent said race relations had gotten worse under then-President Barack Obama; 13 percent expressed that view in January 2009.

Some of the new poll’s other findings indicate less gloom.

It also shows that 57percent of Americans expressed satisfaction with the state of the U.S. economy. Sixty-nine percent also expressed satisfaction with their person financial situation. Despite those views, more than half—56 percent—said they felt “anxious and uncertain because the economy still feels rocky and unpredictable,” causing fears about being able to pay bills.

‘A deep and boiling anger’: NBC/WSJ poll finds a pessimistic America despite current economic satisfaction
By Carrie Dann, NBC News
Aug. 25, 2019

The political and cultural upheaval of the last four years has divided the country on ever-hardening partisan and generational lines, but one feeling unites Americans as much as it did before the 2016 election.

They’re still angry. And still unsettled about the future.

The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll finds that — despite Americans’ overall satisfaction with the state of the U.S. economy and their own personal finances — a majority say they are angry at the nation’s political and financial establishment, anxious about its economic future, and pessimistic about the country they’re leaving for the next generation.

“Four years ago, we uncovered a deep and boiling anger across the country engulfing our political system,” said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, which conducted this survey in partnership with the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies. “Four years later, with a very different political leader in place, that anger remains at the same level.”

The poll finds that 70 percent of Americans say they feel angry “because our political system seems to only be working for the insiders with money and power, like those on Wall Street or in Washington.” Forty-three percent say that statement describes them “very well.”

That’s almost exactly the percentage that agreed with the same statement in October 2015, when the presidential election was being upended by the anti-establishment message of then-candidate Donald Trump.
…
Republicans report feeling somewhat less angry than they were almost four years ago, but that optimism has been offset by an uptick in anger from other groups typically more aligned with the Democratic Party.

In 2015, 39 percent of Republicans and 44 percent of Democrats said a feeling of anger at the political establishment defined them “very well.” Now, it’s 29 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of Democrats — a 10-point swing for each party, in opposite directions.

Those who are more likely to say feelings of anger describe them “very well” since 2015 include women under 50 (48 percent, up 10 points since 2015), African Americans (46 percent, up 5 points) and Hispanics (49 percent, up 11 points).

“The question that decides the 2020 election may no longer be ‘are you better or worse off than you were four years ago?’ but instead ‘are you as angry as you were four years ago?’” said Horwitt. “And if that’s the question, the answer is a deafening yes.”

Thing 2-

Biden’s support dramatically drops him into three-way tie: poll
By Tana Ganeva, Raw Story
August 26, 2019

The crowded Democratic primary is slowly winnowing down, with Jay Inslee, Seth Moulton and John Hickenlooper all dropping out.

So far, former Vice President Joe Biden has led in the polls; a likely result of name familiarity. But a new poll suggests that Biden might not be the best choice for Democrats going into 2020, reports the Hill.

A new Monmouth University Polls shows Biden dropping below 20 percent popularity with Democratic and Democrat-leaning voters. In June, he polled at 32 percent.

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are at 20, suggesting a three-way race that might be tighter than had been assumed.

The rest of the Democrats trailed far behind, with Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) polling at 8 percent and Mayor Pete Buttigieg tied for fifth place with Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) at 4 percent.

New poll shows Biden falling badly, three-way tie for Democratic lead
By Max Greenwood, The Hill
08/26/19

Joe Biden’s support in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is slipping, according to a new survey from Monmouth University Poll that shows the former vice president dropping below 20 percent.

The survey showed Biden with support from 19 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters nationally, a double-digit decline from Monmouth’s most recent poll in June when he led the pack with 32 percent.

Now, the dynamics have changed, according to the Monmouth survey. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the primary field’s top progressive candidates, are each at 20 percent, putting them in a statistical tie with Biden and indicating a tightening three-way race.

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) was a distant fourth in Monday’s poll, with 8 percent. Her level of support was unchanged from Monmouth’s June survey.

South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who has registered among the top contenders in polls for months, is now tied for fifth place with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) at 4 percent.

Only four other candidates — former tech executive Andrew Yang, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) and bestselling author Marianne Williamson — garnered support form more than 1 percent of respondents in the poll.

Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, said the latest survey results suggest the race for the Democratic nomination is entering a new phase.

“The main takeaway from this poll is that the Democratic race has become volatile,” Murray said. “Liberal voters are starting to cast about for a candidate they can identify with. Moderate voters, who have been paying less attention, seem to be expressing doubts about Biden.”

But instead of gravitating toward a lesser-known but more centrist-minded alternative, moderate voters “are swinging more toward one of the left-leaning contenders with high name recognition.”

Indeed, Biden has lost support among Democrats who identify as either moderate or conservative. In June, roughly 40 percent of those voters said they backed Biden’s bid for the nomination. Since then, that number has dropped to 22 percent.

There are signs that moderate and conservative Democrats are beginning to gravitate toward Sanders and Warren. Sanders saw his support among those voters jump from 10 percent to 20 percent over the past two months, while backing for Warren rose from 6 percent to 16 percent.

Since June, both Sanders and Warren have gained support overall, according to the Monmouth poll. Sanders gained 6 points in the latest survey, while Warren picked up 5 points.

At the same time, Warren has seen a noticeable uptick in favorability, climbing from 60 percent in May to 65 percent in August. Biden, on the other hand, saw his favorability drop from 74 percent to 66 percent during the same time period.

Only things in the middle of the road are stripes and dead Armadillos.

Cody’s Showdy revisits QAnon after a copyright takedown of the original

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

So Unindicted Co-conspirator Bottomless Pinocchio spent a lot of time at the G7 promoting Doral (which he owns and will charge top dollar for) as the site of next year’s G7. It’s not quite a done deal yet but the fix is in.

Do you remember the scandal, waaay back in July, about the “Shadow All-Star Tournament”? Allow me to refresh.

Strip club to host golf tournament at Trump resort in South Florida
By David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post
July 9, 2019

Doral, Fla., is scheduled to host a golf tournament Saturday put on by a Miami-area strip club, which will allow golfers to pay for a dancer to serve as their “caddy girl” while they play at the president’s club.

The “Shadow All Star Tournament” is organized by the Shadow Cabaret, a strip club in Hialeah, Fla. Emanuele Mancuso, Shadow Cabaret’s marketing director, said in a telephone interview that this was the first time the club had held a tournament at Trump Doral.

The Trump name and family crest are displayed prominently in the strip club’s advertising materials, which offer golfers the “caddy girl of your choice.”

Mancuso said the strip club did not intend to send a political statement by choosing Trump’s resort. Rather, he said, the choice was for luxury. These golfers are VIPs, Mancuso said. “They deserve a VIP environment.”

Mancuso said there would be no nudity at the resort. On the course, he said, the caddies would wear pink miniskirts and what he called “a sexy white polo.” Afterward, however, the golfers and the dancers would return to another venue — the cabaret itself — for what he described as a “very tasteful” burlesque show, which could involve nudity.

“They’re going to be clothed the whole time” at the golf course, Mancuso said. “At the venue is different.”

In a statement, the Trump Organization confirmed the event is happening and said it was for a “worthwhile cause” — a Miami children’s charity. A spokeswoman said the company had not approved the tournament’s advertisements before they were published.
…
It offers packages that claim to combine hotel rooms at Doral with services at the strip club: a $1,000 “VIP Upgrade,” for instance, includes three days at the hotel and “1/2 Hour VIP Room + Bottle @ Club.”

Mancuso, the cabaret’s marketing director, said the first event connected with the tournament will be a reception at the cabaret on Friday night.

“If you enroll before the 10th [of July], you are able to pick out your caddie girl,” he said. “Everybody that enrolled after the 10th, they’re going to have an auction” that night.

Mancuso said the dancers would drive a golf cart and not carry golf bags as some caddies do. “They’re actually going through training, most of the girls,” to be able to advise players on golf shots, he said.

Mancuso said the tournament would benefit a basketball-themed charity called Miami All Stars. Online advertisements for the tournament also include logos for the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA.

Carlos Alamilla, the charity’s director, said his group serves about 40 youths in Miami. “We provide everything. We provide fitness, nutrition, basketball and academics,” he said.

The charity’s website says it is “a non-profit organization under the laws of the State of Florida.” However, Franco Ripple, a spokesman for the state, said Tuesday that it is not registered as a charity in Florida. Alamilla did not immediately respond to questions about why his organization’s name was missing from state records.
…
Alamilla said it gave him pause to affiliate his charity with an event put on by a strip club: “It doesn’t jive with what we do, you know.” He said he also dislikes Trump because of the conditions in which his administration is detaining migrant children. “He’s contrary to everything we believe,” he said of the president.

Still, Alamilla said, he decided to accept the money — but also ban his charity’s child clients from attending.

“None of my kids are going to be participating in your event,” he said he told the organizers. But, he said, “if we can get some help, you know, for our programs starting now . . . it would be okay.”

Also some stuff about what a money pit Doral is.

The “Tournament” was quickly canceled after it became public but I strongly advise next year’s G7 participants to bring a UV light and some disinfectant.

Those familiar with my writings know I’m an Atheist, but I’m not a militant one. You can believe whatever silly stuff you like, twice before breakfast even, and I fundamentally don’t care. If pressed and Clio informs me I might be tempted to share some facts that may help you evaluate your beliefs, or the beliefs and practices of other faiths, but I’m not looking to proselytize.

You’ll also know that I have an opinion about the credibility of Mormonism (they hate it when you do that but “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” doesn’t scan very well). If you’ve forgotten, it’s- not very.

Mormonism is a clear intellectual product of the 19th Century. There is a new faith, Scientology, that is just as distinctly rooted in the 20th and is reminiscent of Mormonism, not in sketchy ties to Christianity (Mormonism discards practically all of the Bible and re-writes the rest so it’s virtually unrecognizable), but in rapid growth, power over it’s members, and power in politics.

Right now in several areas Scientology enjoys very favorable treatment from local and State authorities and they have been so far successful in thwarting investigations of questionable practices and tax evasion from the Federal government.

One of the political strengths of Scientology is that they have a disproportionate number of “celebrities” past and present of whom prominent examples are Tom Cruise and Will Smith. I will admit I have enjoyed movies by both those people, but I’ve also watched films funded by Steve Mnuchin.

As you will recall, Unindicted Co-conspirator Bottomless Pinocchio had a distinct lack of “Star Power” at both his 2016 Convention and 2017 Inaugural. I won’t say it was laughable, but people did laugh.

Leah Remini was raised a Scientologist and broke with the church in 2013 (I’ll point out her Wikipedia entry is a hotly contested battleground between Scientologists and, well, everyone else).

I’ve seen Scientology and the Aftermath and I find the testimony and evidence compelling. The presentation is well organized, informative, and entertaining. I highly recommend it. I must say that it didn’t have much that I personally found new and unusual but I’m told I pay more attention than most.

This is mostly an interview, you can find another summary here at Raw Story. I’ll follow the conventions of The Daily Beast and bold the questions.

The whistle-blowing host of A&E’s ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’ on the end of her show, its many disturbing revelations, and what’s next.
by Marlow Stern, The Daily Beast
08.26.19

“It’s important that people hear what goes on in Scientology when a crime is committed, and how the victims are blamed for what happens to them,” says Remini. “That’s Scientology technology, to say, ‘When have you raped somebody in a former life’ or ‘What have you done to receive that?’ It’s never, ‘Wow, you’ve been raped or molested, we need to contact the police.’ You’re not allowed to report crimes outside of Scientology. If you do, you are labeled an enemy, and they will come after you and try to destroy your life.”
…
In a wide-ranging conversation with The Daily Beast, Remini opened up about the end of Scientology and the Aftermath, her frustration over shelved episodes, and what’s next in her quest to expose an organization she calls “a dangerous cult that’s hurting people.”
…
I’m not paying for the show and I’m not a lawyer. They vet these shows up and down, and for whatever reason—or reasons—certain shows had to be shelved. Yes, we have binders and binders of legal threats from Scientology and their lawyers, and there were 441 letters written from Scientology to our advertisers, and they’re picketing outside of A&E and crying “religious bigotry.” This is what they do with their time.
…
What did those shelved episodes explore?

One episode was important because it was about the directives of Scientology’s “Fair Game” policies, which are probably 1,000+ policies on how to destroy people who speak out against Scientology, how to infiltrate government agencies, how to lie to the police—and how to lie to the authorities in general. They got away with it, and have been getting away with it. Another episode was, we had a family member who reached out to us who wanted to check in on her uncle, because she hadn’t seen him for 30 years and he was up at the Gold Base, where they are holding the senior executives of Scientology, and her doing a welfare check launched an attack from Scientology, because doing a welfare check on any member of Scientology is seen as an act of war—as I did with Shelly Miscavige. They sent PIs to this woman’s house—she was a grandmother—to scare her, and for some reason we couldn’t air this episode. They didn’t give me an answer, but to me, there’s no good answer. It’s very difficult for me to listen to these people’s stories who are trying to be active and go against what Scientology is telling them to do, and then have to say, “For some reason, we just couldn’t air the episode.”

Ok. That part was a bout Scientology in general. Here comes the political bit.

We’ve reported on this a bit as well but there’s this weird trend of people with strong ties to Scientology getting very close to members of the Trump administration.

Very close? Very close?! No, close! Close, babe. Close. Donald Trump has tweeted about [Scientologist singer] Joy Villa, a person who’s infiltrated the White House. Yes!

There’s also Greg Mitchell, a lobbyist who’s done a lot of work for the Church of Scientology, who met with Vice President Mike Pence. And there were two big Scientology donors in Jim Bridgeforth and Tom Cummins, of American Power & Gas, who recently met and posed for pictures with President Trump.

Yup. They should do some research. There’s a policy in Scientology dealing with the public image—this is also under the Fair Game stuff—and it’s to infiltrate real churches, control governments, control government agencies. This is all part of the policy of Scientology, which is to infiltrate to take over. They have no idea what they’re dealing with, and I’m disappointed that they’re not seeing through Joy Villa’s bullshit. I mean, you only need to look at her social media to see whose [political] side she was on before, she wears that Trump dress, and then she gets her failing career going. This is all part of the game of Scientology. Scientology hopes to take over our government.

You also have people out there like Greta Van Susteren. I don’t think a lot of people know that she’s a high-ranking Scientologist, and she’s out there conducting sit-down interviews with President Trump and other high-ranking officials in his administration.

Big-time! She’s a big-time donor to Scientology and she’s OT VIII. That’s the top of the Scientology bridge!