NewsNation Chief Washington Anchor and On Balance host Leland Vittert was a foreign correspondent for four years in Jerusalem. He gives you an early look at tonight’s 7 p.m. ET show.
Something is Happening in New Hampshire
Nikki Haley is all in on New Hampshire and trending up. The Real Clear Politics average puts her in a very solid second place but still 25 points behind Trump.
- 25 points in five weeks is very possible.
- If she can capitalize on her moment:
- Moments equal exposure.
- Law of politics: Nothing helps a good product more than good advertising/exposure. Nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising/exposure.
- Evident in this cycle: Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy who both got big exposure and it killed their moments.
- The media wants nothing more than to get behind a non-Trump candidate.
- She has the “woman factor.”
- Unlike female Republican candidates (Michele Bachmann and Carly Fiorina) of the past, Haley appears to have the right amount of likability, confidence and swagger.
- At the townhall last night, Haley said, “I have never lost a race. I’ve said that then, I still say that now, I’m not gonna lose now.”
- Even if she isn’t the nominee… could a Vice President Haley energize the Trump-skeptical Republicans — and even independents — who believe she would moderate and normalize Trump’s crazier side?
- Remember, Trump picked a no-name governor from Indiana because he needed help with getting the vote from Evangelical Christians.
Thought bubble : We stand by our prediction that the Democrat side of the ticket still hasn’t been decided and will be more interesting.
The great play-by-play man Al Michaels famously said he doesn’t root for a team during games — “The only thing that we as announcers root for is high drama.”
Finally, we have real drama in the 2024 Republican race.
DEI is in a Fight for Its Life
Erica Pandey (@erica_pandey) of Axios reports the anti-DEI movement is expanding and winning – but powerful forces won’t let it die.
- Their answer – expand DEI.
- California Governor Gavin Newsom might agree with that plan – speaking about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: “It’s not anti-woke…What he really means is anti-Black.”
As DEI falls apart, Boston’s mayor holds a Christmas party for only non-white members of the city council.
It’s Not Just Universities With Problems
- Andrew Goldberg writes in Newsweek: “My Son Faced Antisemitism. His School Tried to Buy Our Silence.”
- In the article he says a boy “proceeded to say: ‘We must exterminate the Jews!’ to (his) son on a regular basis at school.”
- School did nothing and it got worse. The school tried to force a settlement agreement with the family, but, the father writes, “If we agreed to the terms, we’d be obligated to be silent about the ‘facts and circumstances’ of what happened to our son. In other words, I, my wife, and most importantly, our 12-year-old son could never speak about the antisemitism he endured and how he was bullied.”
- Watch tonight: Goldberg joins us to discuss some of the incredible efforts and expenses paid to protect his son from bullies.
Pressure Mounting on Israel
The White House reportedly put a hold on M16’s for Israel’s border communities to defend themselves against an Oct. 7-style attack. Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) of Axios reports the Biden administration worries the guns will be used by Jewish settlers in the west bank (which have a concerning record of violence against Palestinians).
- Bottom line: This is the first warning to Israel with teeth that U.S. support is conditional and that failure to follow White House directives will result in cuts from aid.
- Suddenly Biden, Antony Blinken and Kamala Harris’ comments about protecting civilians take on new meaning, although it’s unclear what they want Israel to do differently rather just wanting the criticism from the Left to end.
- Harris appears most worried. Eugene Daniels (@EugeneDaniels2) and Holly Otterbein (@hollyotterbein) of Politico report she’s pushing the White House to show more sympathy for the plight of Palestinians.
- Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby admits Israel does more to protect civilians in Gaza than the U.S. military did in past conflicts.
- That’s not enough for Biden’s staff. Many hid their faces last night outside the White House holding a sign that read: “President Biden, your staff demands a cease fire.” They were widely slammed including by former Obama official Brett Bruen, who said, “Not at all appropriate. You have a policy issue, raise it in a meeting. You work at the White House.”
Democrats in Congress also want Biden to shorten the leash on Israel even more. They are angry about a plan to send 14,000 tank shells to Israel on the basis of an emergency.
The two-state solution fallacy is a big problem for Biden.
- We’ve heard a lot from the White House about the day after the war being the time to confront hard truths. Less than one in four Palestinians want a two-state solution.
Worth watching: This video from the IDF purports to show Hamas gunmen walking out of a hospital surrendering.
- Remember all the “both-sides” comments by the Associated Press, New York Times and BBC about whether Hamas hides in hospitals.
Good Question: Why Are There No Calls for a Cease-Fire in Ukraine
John Daniel Davidson (@johnddavidson) writes in The Federalist, “We Need an Immediate Ceasefire in Ukraine, not Israel.”
- We’ll be talking about that tomorrow.
Hamas Threatens America, Planned Attacks in Germany
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said, “Now it is our nation’s turn to pressure the Americans to stop this war. We need violent acts against American and British interests everywhere as well as the interests of all the countries that support the occupation.”
- Suddenly all the reports of terror watch lists suspects coming across the Southern border have new meaning.
- Germany arrested three alleged Hamas members accused of planning attacks against Jewish targets there.
- Watch tonight: Chad Wolf, former acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, will discuss the threat of an Oct. 7-style attack in America.
Tune into “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C on NewsNation. Find your channel here.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation.