Inside the Beltway: Progressives tout their ‘badass women activists’

NEWS AND OPINION:

One particular New York Democrat rumored to have serious presidential aspirations has a date in the nation’s capital Wednesday.

“Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will join a group of badass women activists, commentators and leaders for an uncensored, no-holds-barred live show to call out the dangerous threat to the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion posed by Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court,” report the organizers of the “Rise Up for Roe Show,” a 10-city national tour now under way and running through the end of August, with Washington as its next stop.

Looks like the “badass” activist could be a new political entity now in circulation, perhaps a continuation of the “nasty woman” movement of not so very long ago. The “Rise Up for Roe” events have the support of, among many others, Chelsea Clinton, Sen. Elizabeth Warren — a Massachusetts Democrat also said to have an eye on 2020 — and actor Debra Messing, who advises potential participants to these events to “be loud, be mad, be unavoidable.”

But back to matters at hand.

Ms. Gillibrand will be joined at the event Wednesday by Symone D. Sanders, a CNN political commentator and former national press secretary for Sen. Bernard Sanders’ presidential campaign; officials from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, MoveOn.org and other groups; and Lauren Duca, a Teen Vogue columnist.

“This is not about politics. It’s about power. And it’s about white men who want total control over women, especially women of color. Brett Kavanaugh is the face of frail white masculinity at its worst,” advises Jess Morales Rocketto, political director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, who will also be in attendance.

THE PRO-LIFERS HAVE A SAY

Pro-life conservatives from the Faith & Freedom Coalition report they have “flooded” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with public comments urging the Trump administration to adopt the “Protect Life Rule” and cut all taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood.

And the numbers? The nonprofit shared 86,000 comments, “dramatically outpacing the pro-abortion left who managed to send just 56,126 comments opposing the new rule,” according to the organization’s count.

“Faith & Freedom members and supporters from across the country stepped up to the plate,” says executive director Tim Head. “Planned Parenthood and the activists and media that support them are well-organized and well-funded, but Faith & Freedom members took them head-on — and beat them at their own game.”

WHAT THE GOP CAN LEARN FROM TRUMP

Though he’s been in office 19 months, President Trump maintains his intensely personal way of connecting with voters at rallies which are more family meetings than campaign events. Republicans preparing to do battle with political foes can learn from such things.

“The GOP’s problem isn’t its president. The problem is its message. Trump is the sun around which the solar system of American politics operates. You can’t outshine him,” writes New York Post columnist Salena Zito, who urges these GOP hopefuls to push local rather than national issues.

“Republicans can’t just be pro-Trump. They need to thread the needle, reaching out to people from educated and upscale suburbs possibly put off by the president’s rhetoric while continuing to embrace his new populist coalition of blue-collar and non-regular GOP voters,” the columnist says.

“To identify with your voters is to be present with your voters. Every Republican House candidate running should be on the ground in their district, discussing local issues and refusing national cookie-cutter ads made by people who have never set foot on their Main Street. Whether it’s the suburban mom or the blue-collar worker, voters will be willing to listen and connect with a candidate who makes them feel part of their community — and part of something bigger than themselves. That’s why Trump won in 2016 and forged his coalition in the first place.” Ms. Zito advises.

THE TRUMP POLLS CONTINUE

President Trump continues to bypass the press through his muscular social media presence. He also continues to skirt around pollsters when appropriate by simply conducting his own polls. The latest offering, circulated via his re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee, seeks to clarify the most pivotal voter concerns in the midterm elections.

Among the questions, verbatim from the poll: “Do you believe it’s important for Republicans to stop caring what the media says about them?” “Do you think outside groups have too much control over local elections?” “Does the President’s endorsement of a candidate matter to you before you vote?”

And a few more: “Do you believe President Trump should continue calling out the media for fake news and liberal bias?” “Do you want President Trump to throw his support behind true conservatives who have the courage to fight for our principles?” “Do you think President Trump should focus on our positive vision of putting America First and let the Democrats continue their vile, negative attacks?”

FOXIFIED

For the 31st consecutive week, Fox News Channel continues its reign as the most watched network in the entire cable realm, besting such non-news rivals as HGTV and Discovery. Fox News also claimed 17 of the top-30 telecasts on cable TV. It has been the No. 1 cable news channel for over 16 years according to Nielsen Media Research; Fox draws 2.2 million prime time viewers compared to 1.7 million for MSNBC and 992,000 for CNN.

Let’s not forget veteran media analyst Howard Kurtz this week; his “MediaBuzz” was the most watched cable news program of all Sunday, with 1.3 million total viewers.

Things are also happy at Fox Business Network, outpacing CNBC for the 26th consecutive week with a 19 percent advantage over the rival network. “Varney & Co.” has been tops in its time slot for over a year. “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” “Mornings with Maria,” “After the Bell,” “The Evening Edit with Elizabeth MacDonald” and “Making Money with Charles Payne” also dominate the ratings in their respective time slots.

POLL DU JOUR

• 77 percent of U.S. employers use social media and online networking sites to research job candidates.

• 58 percent of that group seek information that supports a candidate’s qualifications for a job.

• 57 percent have found information that caused them not to hire a candidate.

• 50 percent look for a professional “online persona.”

• 22 percent seek a reasons not to hire the candidate.

Source: A CareerBuilder/Harris survey of 1,000 hiring managers and HR professionals conducted April 4-May 1 and released Aug. 9.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin