I have a moderately positive view of Josh Shapiro, as a moderate Democrat.
He’s pretty much a straight shooter, a guy (like former Gov. Ed Rendell) who’s usually willing to concede the other guy (meaning Republicans) might have a valid opinion or policy.
During the campaign, however, he apparently caught the swamp fever and joined many other Democrats in calling Donald J. Trump a threat to democracy, an existential threat, as you can see in this Inquirer story.
Well, maybe you can’t see it, but the headline tells you all you need to know — he condemned Trump and now he is going to have to sit down and talk to him.
Shapiro will work with Trump as long as it doesn’t compromise residents’ “fundamental freedoms.”
The Inquirer quoted “fundamental freedoms,” but not the rest of the sentence and my spidey sense in tingling. Why?
The Inquirer used the term “residents,” not “citizens,” and I think that is deliberate from the Open Borders Inquirer.
Let me explain. The Inquirer, along with almost all liberal newspapers, approves of Sanctuary Cities. In a Sanctuary City, a migrant arriving here illegally will not be removed by the city, nor will the city cooperate with ICE in removing them, even after they have been convicted of a crime. This is an extreme form of woke virtue signaling.
The reality is this: If a jurisdiction will not remove an illegal under any circumstances, that is Open Borders, meaning anyone who gets here, gets to stay here. That contradicts U.S. law.
Sadly, most Democrats ignorantly favor Sanctuary status, but that is beginning to change, such as in deep blue Chicago, where a 46% plurality wants to end it.
Trump’s No. 2 issue was illegal immigration (the economy and inflation were No. 1) and other polling indicates that immigration is very much in the national consciousness and most Americans are sick of the tide of illegals that became a tsunami under President Joe Biden.
So I worry about the key word “resident,” because that could mean anyone living here, and that would include illegals.
I don’t know how much of a fight Shapiro would put up to “protect” people here illegally, especially if Trump puts at the top of his deportation list convicted criminals, and the thousands of illegals who have been adjudicated and ordered to leave — but haven’t.
As a former attorney general, the state’s chief law enforcer, how could Shapiro refuse to cooperate with expelling criminals and those violating court orders?
For that matter, what would Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker do when the feds come knocking? That is a question I politely asked in a December 4 email to her press office:
“Given that NYC Mayor Eric Adams is asking City Council to reform the city’s Sanctuary City status, and given the turmoil and cost to other Sanctuary Cities, does Mayor Parker have any plans to change Philadelphia’s sanctuary status? I would request an explanation for either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”
Parker is a Mommy, but also a Mummy. I got no reply.
Parker is essentially a centrist, she is not a “defund the police” Democrat, but she may have fallen under the legality-free myopia expressed by former Mayor Jim Kenney and former Council President Darrell Clarke that Philadelphia is a “welcoming city,” and therefore even welcomes illegals.
I hope she has not.
Back to Shap.
Because I am a middleist, among my readers I have people from far Left to far Right.
Among the far Left there are the TDS — Trump Derangement Syndrome — sufferers who can never accept he has ever done anything right. Among the far Right (hel-lo MAGA), there are those who can never accept he has ever done anything wrong.
Among the former were the people like Shapiro who called him an existential threat to democracy. And a racist, anti-Semite, homophobe, sexist, xenophobic, a fascist, and even a pedophile.
When I hear that from the extremists, I observe, well, you are just a hater.
They always deny it.
My response? Why wouldn’t you hate someone so vile? Of course you would hate him.
How could you not?
I ask Shapiro, how can you agree to work on anything with a man who is a threat to democracy, a fascist, a Nazi? Where are your values?
And then I would ask Shapiro, “So don’t you think you got a little carried away? Don’t you think your remarks were intemperate? And bullshit?”
Look — anyone who reads me knows I do not avoid name-calling.
Sometimes it is completely appropriate, and deserved.
But the name should comport with reality.
In the case of Trump — and I am no fan — the name-calling became so bizarre, so much Chicken Little, that a majority of American voters decided to just ignore it.
Will this teach Shapiro and others to cool their verbal jets?
We have a pathetic group of elected officials plain and simple. Josh has proven himself not to be ready for prime time.
This is the nicest thing you’ve ever said about him.
Sorry, Stu, but Trump sat in the White House and did NOTHING for literally hours while his followers reigned havoc upon the United States Capital building on 1/6/2020 in an attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. He and his minions were in the White House CELEBRATING this violence; he encouraged their behavior on that day and on many other occasions via his vile rhetoric; and he now plans to pardon these creeps. Those FACTS alone make him a threat to Democracy. Add to it the FACT that he continues to claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him, something that has never, ever had a single morsel of supporting evidence.
My belief in those things doesn’t make me a evil leftist nor a person with so-called “Trump derangement syndrome.” No. It makes me someone with eyes and ears and the ability to reason deductively and differentiate fact from fiction. I’ve followed Trump for decades in Atlantic City and elsewhere. He has always been a creep.
You can throw all the whataboutisms you want at the end of this. That won’t erase the facts I mentioned here.
We will disagree on threat. Before the riot, he urged his people to match “peacefully” to the Capitol. I don’t believe he could have foreseen the riot. All the rest — delaying calling off the dogs, lying about what happened, he’s guilty of that, but that doesn’t make him a insurrectionist. I am VERY interested to see who and how many he pardons.
I will bet against a blanket pardon. I will also bet the Eagles are not in the Super Bowl.
I’m sick of you saying Trump didn’t provoke the riot because of one sentence about marching peacefully. Did you actually read the January 6th report or watch the hearings? People have been convicted and sent to jail with WAYYYYYYY less evidence of criminality. And yes, I have TDS. I despise the man. That doesn’t mean that he is NOT a dangerous psychopath.
And I am sorry you think your TDS allows you to creates facts. I watched and reported on the hearings. Maybe you have amnesia in addition to TDS. Show me ONE PERSON convicted for what they SAID rather than what they DID.
Freeze, Jeezus H Christmas you are a broken record. Say something original. I assume you are a lonely old man cursing the at the newspaper and your oatmeal every morning
Agreed 100% Stan! (The broken record comparison, that is. The rest, no comment or opinion).
Thank you Freeze, for your well thought out and well stated opinion, based on actual Facts. The right wingers calling YOU a broken record are truly morons. Not an intelligent comment from the lot. And then they throw in (like from Stan) the inevitable personal insult. Trump has brought out the worst in people. They are on the Trump diet…. Fa(c)t-Free, and guaranteed to shrink the Heart and Brain. Their drivel makes me nauseous.
The guy (Trump that is) hasn’t even taken office yet. I’m no fan, and have not, nor will I ever vote for a MAGA endorsed candidate, but give the guy a chance. Did he screw up in his first term? Sure! But this Trump 2.0 version appears to be headed for less chaos and more focus. While I’ll still despise his persona, he’s also bringing up some issues through his minions, from health, to economics, to environmental that should be revisited when someone new comes in. Let’s see where he goes on issues, including immigration, and see where it all lands before getting all huffy about it.
It’s like I have a twin.
Governor Shapiro got carried away during the presidential election. At first he thought he should be Kamala’s VP, it wasn’t going to happen. Now he thinks he will be the democratic 2028 choice for president. Fixing a hole in I-95 doesn’t make you ready for prime time. I understand he had aspirations for the White House since he was a Pennsylvania State Representative. I guess he forgot when you go for the top job and your own party doesn’t want you, they will chew you up and spit you out. Try getting back to doing the job you were elected to do in Pennsylvania, the people deserve that our tax money is paying your salary. Play nice with President Trump Pennsylvania voters helped put him over the top.
Josh is the governor of PA. He understands that this includes the effete brie and chablis crowds from Rittenhouse, the “influencers” on Instagram who schmooze with the “people who matter” and also extends to the guy who makes sure his teens belong to 4H, has a job that keeps him in a factory from sun up to sundown, and schmoozes with the hoi polloi at Scheetz or Wawa. Josh isn’t a political genius for nothing. I see him accommodating Trump when necessary. And as one of those right wing zealot crazies who also hate the idea of Sanctuary Cities but was repelled by the Trump talk against “illegals,” which I guess makes me a moderate-winged zealot, I love your insistence on being fair. Thank God you are still in the game, Stu.
Thanks, Chris. In my mind, Trump isn’t as bad as his tweets and speeches make him out to be. Self inflicted wounds, but he still should not be President. But he is. I hope he doesn’t F it up.
See that (pick a national name) over there, the one who sneaked across our southern border, then raped and killed a young woman? He deserves respect because he is a RESIDENT, according to Philadelphia’s POS newspaper. Josh Shapiro: not ready for prime time.
It is difficult for me to think that Shapiro ever wanted to be Harris’s running mate as anyone with common sense (plus he is somewhat politically savvy) knew from the get go that she was a big time loser as she has demonstrably shown. I am pretty sure it was reported that he took himself out of the running as he was wise enough to foresee that she clearly never had a shot regardless of how much $ she raised and wasted and how fruitlessly the mainstream and the Inky promoted her horrendous campaign.
Shapiro ran to Washington and wanted to be Kamala’s VP. He removed himself only after he was told he wasn’t the chosen candidate. He then went on tour to support Kamala Harris throughout the country. He will be a possible candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Everything he does politically from now on will be based on his quest for the 2028 presidency.
After NYC cooperates with Customs to deport illegals, where is the closest sanctuary city where they can flee for protection. The enormous costs to house, feed, medical care and education has taken its toll on NYC. Philly and PA should prepare for the illegals looking for protection. I hope our Governor and Mayor along with their emergency managers are prepared to these possible events. Also, I believe the Eagles have the best chance for a championship. They have the best Defense and running game. Defense wins championships.