The Morning Dispatch: The Iowa Caucuses Are Just 10 Days Away

Plus, updated reporting on the nuclear modernization funding battle.

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Happy Friday! With impeachment managers continuing to make the House’s impeachment case to the Senate, we thought today would be a good day to look away for a minute at the state of the 2020 election—particularly the Iowa caucuses, now less than two weeks away! But if you want a flavor of the day’s proceedings, this closing argument from Rep. Adam Schiff gives you the Democrats’ case in less than nine minutes.

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • While the Chinese government continues to offer reassurances about the spread of the coronavirus, its actions send a very different message. Officials blocked travel to and from—and in—Wuhan, ground zero for the outbreak. Public transportation was suspended in other major cities as well, contributing to increasing anxiety among the public. 

  • The annual March for Life takes place today in Washington and across the country, with pro-life advocates congregating on the National Mall to demonstrate against the continued existence of legal abortion in America. President Trump plans to address the event in person, a presidential first.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ryan Woods

    The “Mayhem” guy on the Allstate commercials has to be up there. Among the recent additions: https://youtu.be/zjD6Z9dKGqs

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    Kevin Durant?

    “The gimmick has worked wonders for the brand in recent days. Our request of you: Send us the best (or worst) ad campaign or brand mascot you can think of.”
    ———————————
    This discussion begins and ends with ‘Puppy Monkey Baby’

    For second place however, I’m going to nominate the GEICO lizard. I have actually fumbled the remote because of how urgently I was trying to mute that stupid snake with arms. I don’t know what it is, maybe the accent, but the AFLAC duck is terrific, so it is possible to pull off the anthropomorphic thing

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      Kevin Durant?

      (admittedly I am biased towards the AFLAC duck because he is generally exasperated and he cheats at golf which is very identifiable)

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    Caleb Keen

    The fact that the "Missing Obama Voter" is statistically very likely to be black means the topic is a minefield that few journalists want to touch for fear of running afoul of a broad swath of the Left's pre-approved opinions on what it's permissible to say re. any topic that can be correlated to the subject of race. What's the point in 'investigating' a topic where the only result that one is allowed to identify is voter suppression? If little evidence for said suppression exists, much less enough to justify the outcome that millions of Obama voters didn't vote in 2016, then it's hard to justify the time/expense pursuing the piece because of the inevitable backlash that will result in publishing any other take. Just take a look at the comments on the Tweet embedded in today's morning Dispatch for a flavor of the pain that awaits even mentioning the topic in public.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Caleb Keen

      https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/01/packer-hitchens/605365/

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    2. Avatar photo
      CynthiaW

      Excellent remarks, Caleb Keen. It will be interesting to see whether the "missing Obama voters" will turn out for Joe Biden in the general election. Are they racist if they don't?

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    Earl King

    This is the Impeachment from hell. Nothing has changed since the House Hearings. All the information is the same. For those of us who mistrust most politicians motives this still appears to be what it was months ago. A highly partisan attempt to achieve what Democrats have wanted since the 2016 election. I'm sorry I do not share the outrage of the Never Trumpers and Democrats at a pause of 5 weeks nor the concern of corruption nor the concern of Hunter Biden unusual arrangement. I am curious as well. Apparently Ukraine was largely unaware of the pause, no evidence of a strong arm pressure, no statement but the Ukraine Parliament passed anti corrupt laws. Is politics smarmy? You bet. Do Presidents wield their power to benefit themselves? You bet. We are watching the majority House wield its power. This was inevitable and its likely they'll do it again if Trump is reelected...

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      Caleb Keen

      I'm curious about your position here because it's not the first time I've heard someone describe the events leading to and resulting in impeachment unimpressive because all politicians are corrupt at heart. You seem to be saying that all politics really 'is' is the pursuit of power for it's own sake, and all politician's motives can be reduced to a desire for power independent of any consideration of the public good. The House dems are out for power, Trump is out for power, whatever it's all the same - and it's regrettable. You use the word 'smarmy' which I'm reading to imply you think it's not upright or less than good. Is that fair enough?

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    CynthiaW

    My daughter thinks Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is super cute. She's also a sportsball fan, so I'm sure she enjoyed his humor, as well.

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      CynthiaW

      Also (as she said in a text at an inappropriate hour of the overnight - I need to mute my phone at bedtime), Rep. Schiff did a really good job on that presentation.

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