“How small‚ of all that human hearts endure / That part which laws or kings can cause or cure.” Oliver Goldsmith’s lines — written 260 years ago‚ with help from his friend Samuel Johnson — are worth remembering in an election year. But it’s tough. Congress and the White House are both up for grabs this November. An already single-digit Republican majority in the House of Representatives narrowed further last week when the seat formerly held by George Santos was won back by Tom Suozzi‚ the Democrat who held it before Santos. Donald Trump is convinced the Republican who tried to replace Santos wasn’t MAGA enough — while Trump’s foes say he’s the reason whenever the GOP fares poorly. And the GOP has a daunting loss record in recent years‚ forfeiting the U.S. House and Senate in 2018 and the White House in 2020‚ with Santos’s victory in a lately blue New York district a rare pleasant surprise in the otherwise lackluster 2022 midterms. The trouble with writing the Republicans’ obituary‚ however‚ is that the Democrats hardly seem healthier. President Joe Biden’s party did‚ after all‚ lose the House last time‚ and it holds only a one-seat majority in the Senate‚ though as long as Kamala Harris remains vice-president Democrats can control even a 50-50 Senate. But it’s no safe bet Harris will still be around a year from now — not the way the Biden-Harris ticket has been polling recently. Though certain Republican-leaning pundits as well as Democrats think Trump ought to be a weak‚ even hopeless nominee for the GOP‚ he polls better against Biden than he ever did against Hillary Clinton — and‚ of course‚ he beat her. It’s easy to say that isn’t so much a sign of Trump’s strength as it is of Biden’s shakiness. Yet what it does it tell us that no other‚ younger leader in either party has been able to challenge them? Democrats and Republicans alike have had plenty of choices in recent cycles‚ with presidential aspirants from a panoply of ideological and personal backgrounds. Republicans had Reaganite and libertarian options‚ moderate conservatives and culture warriors. Democrats had a Vermont socialist and a billionaire ex-mayor of New York among their alternatives to Biden in 2020. And not too long ago‚ both parties were actually following different agendas. The GOP was home of the Tea Party‚ Speaker Paul Ryan and 2012 nominee Mitt Romney. George W. Bush‚ self-styled as a “compassionate conservative” and an internationalist‚ was the temperamental and philosophical opposite of Donald Trump. If Barack Obama wasn’t so different from Joe Biden in substance‚ his symbolism — “hope and change” — sent a message radically different from today’s “Too bad‚ it’s me or Trump.” Yet other flavors of Republican and Democrat‚ even when they got a turn in power‚ traced much the same trajectory of rise and fall that the Trump and Biden parties are now on. The details and magnitudes differ‚ but the result after a few cycles was something close to partisan equilibrium. Every president since 1992 has lost the House to the other party during his watch. George W. Bush’s brand of Republicanism still fell short with the popular vote in 2000 and came within a Supreme Court decision of losing the Electoral College‚ too. Buoyed by patriotic feelings after 9/11 and in the early phase of the Iraq War‚ Bush won the popular vote in 2004‚ but by the smallest Electoral College margin of reelection in decades. A Bush succeeded Reagan after 1988‚ but 20 years later Obama succeeded George W. Yet the Obama coalition wasn’t the stuff of permanent majorities‚ either‚ so he lost the House in his first midterms‚ lost the Senate in his second‚ and turned the White House over to Trump at the end of his administration. The differences between Bush‚ Obama‚ Trump‚ Biden and other leaders both hopeful and hopeless are real‚ and they do matter at the ballot box. But there’s a larger pattern in American politics since the end of the Cold War that has held up no matter the differences between candidates and philosophies. Voters as a whole won’t give either party‚ or any set of ideologues‚ full‚ long-term control over their lives — not even enough control for coherent national policy in major areas like immigration and diplomacy. Americans prefer no consistent government‚ rapid-cycling anarchy‚ to everything the two parties offer: neither has made the sale. And if this won’t be the year that changes that‚ it’s time to look for something more appealing than either team has yet come up with — or else accept that governing‚ in any large sense‚ is for now impossible. We still need leaders‚ and wise statesmanship‚ but we might have to live without political consensus — and Goldsmith assures we can. Daniel McCarthy is the editor of Modern Age: A Conservative Review. To read more by Daniel McCarthy‚ visit www.creators.com

If Donald Trump is the threat to democracy that the late night comedy shows claim he is‚ you would think that The Daily Show’s Desi Lydic would put policy differences aside and support Nikki Haley‚ but you would be wrong. On the Thursday edition of the Comedy Central program‚ Lydic argued that‚ on some issues‚ Haley is worse than Trump and has some rather “unmoderate” positions on women’s issues‚ such as protecting the integrity of women’s sports. Lydic was condemning what she claims is a media tendency to portray any Republican who didn’t storm the Capitol or claim the election was stolen as a moderate‚ “Is Nikki Haley the moderate in the race? Because when you actually take a look at her policies‚ they aren't that different from Trump. She also wants to build the wall. She also wants mass deportations. She's also opposed to Obamacare and the Paris Climate Accords and‚ in fact‚ on abortion she's even more extreme than Trump.”     Clearly‚ Lydic needs to watch more of the media if that's what she thinks the media's definition of a moderate Republican is‚ but nevertheless‚ she further lamented that “she supports a national ban after six weeks before most women even know they are pregnant. At six weeks‚ the symptoms are fatigue and stomach issues and women can't take a pregnancy test every time they get bubble guts.” As Lydic tells it‚ Haley is a woman who doesn’t care much about women‚ “It's not that she doesn't care about women's issues‚ it's that she has a very unmoderate idea about women's issues are.” Haley was then shown at a CNN town hall from June 2023‚ declaring‚ “The idea we have biological boys playing in girls’ sports‚ it is the women's issue of our time.” An incredulous Lydic responded‚ “Really‚ Nikki? That's the women's issue of our time? Not abortion access or equal pay or even how to part your hair so teens don't bully you? I never thought I'd say this but Nikki Haley is so bad at knowing what women actually want‚ I think maybe her husband should order for her at restaurants.” Problems with the actual argument notwithstanding‚ if Lydic can’t even offer up a definition for the word “women‚” how can she possibly be upset they don’t receive equal pay or that Haley has a messed up idea of their most pressing issues?  Here is a transcript for the February 22 show: Comedy Central The Daily Show 2/22/2024 11:06 PM ET DESI LYDIC: Is Nikki Haley the moderate in the race? Because when you actually take a look at her policies‚ they aren't that different from Trump. She also wants to build the wall. She also wants mass deportations. She's also opposed to Obamacare and the Paris Climate Accords and‚ in fact‚ on abortion she's even more extreme than Trump.  She supports a national ban after six weeks before most women even know they are pregnant. At six weeks‚ the symptoms are fatigue and stomach issues and women can't take a pregnancy test every time they get bubble guts.  It's not that she doesn't care about women's issues‚ it's that she has a very unmoderate idea about women's issues are.  NIKKI HALEY: The idea we have biological boys playing in girls’ sports‚ it is the women's issue of our time.  LYDIC: Really‚ Nikki? That's the women's issue of our time? Not abortion access or equal pay or even how to part your hair so teens don't bully you? I never thought I'd say this but Nikki Haley is so bad at knowing what women actually want‚ I think maybe her husband should order for her at restaurants. So‚ most of her policies aren't more moderate than Trump and if you ask her‚ she as herself doesn't identify as a moderate. 

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Circe is an ancient Greek minor goddess who spends her days on X‚ chronicling the late-stage American empire and dispensing advice on life and love in the digital era. You can submit your advice questions to her directly at Circe @vocalcry. How do I hide my red flags until I'm deep into a relationship? One of my firmly held beliefs‚ passed down from an eccentric Slavic grandmother‚ is that every product has its customer. Instead of hiding your red flags‚ you should be letting them fly. In the throes of his torture session by O’Brien in "1984‚" Winston quips that “perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.” Given that we live in dystopian end times‚ what better source of wisdom to draw from than "1984"? In its most satisfying manifestation‚ a relationship should be a sanctuary in which you can freely be yourself and withdraw far away from the judgments and troubles of the world. And what better way to find that person who will accept you for who you are than to be as open about your flaws as possible? I don’t suggest you go around dumping on every stranger who catches your eye‚ but once you have established a mutual admiration‚ slowly start revealing the more unsavory parts of your character. Your vulnerability will build intimacy‚ which will serve as the foundation of your sanctuary. The last thing you want to do is to entrap someone in a cocoon of lies about who you really are because it will inevitably unravel and ultimately cause you more pain than being alone. So go ahead and embrace your shadow‚ lean into it‚ and trust the Fates. Unless‚ of course‚ you are a podcaster. Then you are probably going to die alone. What rituals do you think men and/or women should follow when they are in the part of their life looking for a partner? Do you think some rituals require us to find another with compatible rituals? Many people neglect or even actively avoid thinking about this when looking for a partner‚ but 80% of daily life consists of rituals. If you’re obstinate enough‚ you can survive a mismatch of rituals‚ though it often comes at the price of mental peace. It is worth identifying and seeking alignment on at least the “bigger rituals” that are important to you — religion‚ finances‚ severe dietary restrictions‚ and substance use. Secondary considerations‚ like bedtime‚ relaxation activities‚ and socializing needs‚ are less important. However‚ the more aligned they are‚ the more harmonious the relationship tends to be‚ and some compromise is inevitable. Beyond those‚ differences granular in scope‚ like whether someone shares your passion for Mongolian throat singing or drinking Chartreuse‚ are irrelevant and arguably even add a much-needed spice to a relationship that too much sameness can dull. If I may permit myself to mix metaphors‚ chemistry may be the spark‚ but compatibility is the glue that holds two people together. So while dating a psychedelics-abusing vegan circus acrobat may be exciting in the short term‚ it may not be a great idea in the long term if you’re a teetotaling carnivore with a 401(k). I loved Odysseus dearly‚ but our mismatch in mortality did cause a lot of friction in the relationship (to say nothing of his wife‚ Penelope). So don’t do what I did: Don’t shack up with a soldier who is passing through on his way home if your lot in life‚ like mine‚ is to be exiled on an island for eternity. How do I get my pit bull Bandit to respect women? Bandit is a classic case of nature overcoming nurture. He clearly comes from a broken home and was raised on the streets‚ and on top of that he has been influenced by too many Andrew Tate videos. We cannot expect Andrew Tate to be anything other than what he is because of his deep-seated abandonment and daddy issues‚ and Bandit is no different from his favorite influencer in this respect. His attitude toward women will probably never change‚ but you can limit his screen time so that he consumes less manosphere content and lead by the stick rather than the carrot by putting him in a timeout whenever he starts barking about what an alpha male he is. That way‚ even if he doesn’t respect women in his heart‚ he can at least respect them in his deeds. Also‚ next time‚ think twice before getting a pit bull — there’s a reason they’re illegal in the U.K. I am the father of a 2.5-year-old son. His mother and I have an amazing co-parenting relationship. We know that we made the right choice in separating. However‚ now I’m ready for the real thing. I've had several long-term relationships before that did not go the distance to marriage simply because I was not ready for it yet. But it's not just me any more. Now it's me and my son‚ so I'm not just choosing a wife but also choosing a stepmom. This is especially sticky because I want to have more children. So my question is this: How do I navigate these waters? How do I know if a woman is capable of loving my son when I meet her? Many on the right would tell you that you need to suck it up‚ marry the mother of your child‚ and make it work. However‚ life is often messier than a media sound bite‚ and I think this situation is salvageable. Many women who want to be mothers would rather marry a man who is “father material” and already has a child of his own whom they would raise than marry a man with questionable parenting qualifications. In that regard‚ you’re in luck. Finding a woman who is stepmother material requires the same filtering process as finding a woman who is mother material‚ but with the additional criterion that she be willing to accept your son as her own. Once you have filtered for maternal qualities in a woman‚ bring up the fact that you have a son early on‚ see how she reacts‚ and‚ if you eventually feel serious enough about her to introduce her to your son‚ watch how she interacts as she becomes comfortable around him. Does she treat him how you would like her to in the long term? Is she excited to interact with him? Does she go into “mom mode”? Does she ask about him when he’s not around? Women who want children usually find toddlers adorable — so if she’s not taking an interest in him early on‚ it’s unlikely to happen later. This may seem obvious‚ but openly discuss your vision for what your family will look like. She is not the right candidate if she shies away from this conversation. Your bigger challenge is navigating the dating market effectively — the person you’re looking for also has to be looking for you. Maybe the woman you see as your “perfect wife” would rather start with a clean slate and marry a man without kids‚ so you may have to be willing to make trade-offs. This is where you must think deeply about which qualities are most important to you (being a good stepmom) and on which you could be willing to compromise. You may meet a woman with her own child whom you will also have to raise as your own. Maybe she will have a quirky laugh. Or she may be a rare female specimen who spent her formative years on 4chan. Remember‚ she will likely be compromising by joining an existing family‚ so be willing to make some compromises on your end that you may not have initially considered. What is the way to be like Elon? If you have to ask‚ it’s already too late.

All-American‚ all-female swim star Riley Gaines traveled to San Francisco State University in April 2023 to speak about the importance of keeping women's spaces female-only. Enraged that the former NCAA swimmer was allowed to speak and desperate to prevent her from being heard‚ LGBT activists and other radicals worked feverishly to shut down the event. Gaines claimed she was ultimately assaulted‚ mobbed by hysterical protesters‚ and effectively held hostage in a room for hours. While Gaines apparently held out hope that the San Francisco State University Police might do something about the incident‚ she learned earlier this month that campus police have apparently suspended their investigation‚ writing off her concerns as baseless. "I guess audio‚ video‚ &; eyewitness evidence aren't admissible in SF‚" Gaines stated on X. What's the background? Blaze News previously reported that Gaines appeared at an April 6 Turning Point USA and Leadership Institute event at SFSU to discuss the invasion of female-only spaces by transvestites — the entry of the male swimmer formerly known as William Thomas into women's swimming serving as her prime example. Protesters allegedly organized by the university's Queer and Trans Resource Center bleated in the hallways outside the event but ramped things up when those who listened to what Gaines had to say began filing out of the classroom. — (@) According to Gaines‚ violent protesters busted into the classroom‚ turned off the lights‚ and assaulted her. Police had to escort her past the hysterical mob‚ which continued to pelt Gaines with vicious insults‚ such as "transphobic b****‚" along with various LGBT slogans. The athlete was taken to a safe room; however‚ the door was locked. As her escorts figured out a way to get Gaines clear of the mob‚ she defiantly turned to face them and their signs‚ which read‚ "Go the f*** home‚" "trans lives matter‚" and "trans women are women." — (@) Gaines reportedly ended up barricaded in a room with police protection for over three hours‚ during which time LGBT activists allegedly demanded money for her safe passage off-campus. Police announced around 11:36 p.m. that those remaining radicals waiting for Gaines were unlawfully assembled‚ then walked the female speaker off-campus. No arrests were made. After the incident‚ Jamillah Moore‚ vice president of student affairs at SFSU‚ thanked the protesters in a statement and underscored that "the trans community is welcome and belongs at San Francisco State University." No accountability Gaines told Fox News Digital this week that she recently wrote to the San Francisco State University Police Department about the incident "where I was held hostage." "Can you please let me know if you have completed your investigation?" Gaines wrote in a January email. "I wondered if you can share with me any conclusions you have reached regarding your investigation and whether any charges will be filed against the individuals who sought to threaten‚ intimidate and harm me?" "Is there a timetable concerning this matter? Is there any additional information you need from me?" added Gaines. A female officer who Gaines indicated was present at the incident responded in an email dated Feb. 2‚ "After a thorough investigation‚ the alleged charges in this case are unfounded and have been suspended pending further lead." According to the officer‚ campus police wrote to Gaines in June and July of last year "for a case follow up" but that such queries "went answered." Gaines told Fox News Digital she provided campus police with ample testimony and an official statement in April 2023 and was advised against duplicating her efforts. "We talked for multiple hours. I told them over and over and over and over and over again what had happened‚ which‚ all the while‚ both of the officers that I was talking to were there‚ so it is not like they didn’t know what happened‚" said Gaines. The officer reportedly requested in the Feb. 2 letter "any photos and/or videos you may have in your possession as well as the contact information for anyone who was present that may have digital evidence." "Please do so and the case may be further investigated‚" added the officer. The former NCAA swimmer made clear on X that there is plenty of media available to corroborate her claims‚ which campus police nevertheless suggested were "unfounded." The SFSUPD reportedly did not provide comment to Fox News Digital. Gaines figures the apparent reluctance to pursue the case will embolden radicals further. "This just encourages what happened to me to happen to other people because the precedent has now been set‚" said Gaines. "We don't see this happening to liberal speakers or to anyone with a dissenting viewpoint to that of my own." Gaines has received an outpouring of support in response to the news that the campus police have supposedly thrown in the towel. Charlie Kirk‚ the founder and CEO of Turning Point USA‚ wrote on X‚ "This is outrageous. San Francisco police have suspended their investigation into the assault of Riley Gaines when a violent mob HELD HER FOR RANSOM — as caught on camera! Our @TPUSA students at SFSU hosted Riley and would be more than willing to participate in an investigation." This is outrageous. San Francisco police have suspended their investigation into the assault of Riley Gaines when a violent mob HELD HER FOR RANSOM \u2014 as caught on camera! Our @TPUSA students at SFSU hosted Riley and would be more than willing to participate in an investigation. — (@) Actor and comedian Rob Schneider wrote‚ "Riley Gaines is a Heroine and a great example for ALL WOMEN! So of course the misogynistic Left ignores her and won't come to her aide and side with Men taking women's places in sports. Americans see through this sham and will end this nightmare soon!" Genevieve Gluck‚ the co-founder of the feminist publication Reduxx‚ stated‚ "This is a form of psychological abuse‚ it's gaslighting." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Today‚ at around 3:45 a.m. EST‚ a massive cellular outage swept the country‚ affecting hundreds of thousands of AT&;T‚ Verizon‚ T-Mobile‚ Consumer Cellular‚ Boost Mobile‚ U.S. Cellular‚ and Straight Talk users. “They say they don't think this was a cyber attack‚ but how did all of them go down at the same time?” asks Glenn Beck. To make matters even more suspicious‚ yesterday‚ Israel experienced a cyber attack conducted by Iran‚ according to Israelis‚ “and it was an attack on their cell phone services.” “Quite a coincidence‚” says Glenn. However‚ something else quite out of the ordinary happened yesterday as well. A new technology called Neuralink was announced. Designed by Elon Musk‚ Neuralink is capable of transplanting the “whole internet into your head.” “It’s the first real merging of man and machine‚ I think‚” says Glenn. “Elon Musk said Neuralink is active in the first person to have one of the chips implanted in their brain‚ [and] they have seemingly made a full recovery.” According to the Tesla CEO‚ this test subject is now capable of “[moving] the mouse around a screen just by thinking.” Interestingly‚ Musk has been outspoken about his fears regarding artificial intelligence. “He believes we cannot compete with AI unless we can merge with it” at least “until we can get off this planet‚” says Glenn‚ adding that Musk also has plans “to have a million people on Mars” by the year 2029. While the whole notion is a bit “creepy” for Stu Burguiere‚ he does see some potential benefits to Neuralink. “If he was able to take people with disabilities and all these these issues that have been unsolvable throughout all of human history and somehow figure out a way‚ through Neuralink or something similar‚ to solve that for all these people‚ it would be the greatest thing he ever accomplished by a long shot‚” he tells Glenn. To learn more about Neuralink and its capabilities‚ watch the clip below. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

When it comes to 4X strategy games‚ Civilization 6 is the undisputed king of the castle. While there’s a lot of fantastic options out there‚ such as Age of Wonders 4‚ Endless Legend‚ and the newly released Solium Infernum‚ Civ 6 remains a must-play for pretty much any strategy fan with a PC to hand. The good news is that the all-conquering Firaxis game is currently available to play as a free Steam game for the weekend‚ including both of its expansions‚ and it’s yours at a massive discount in a Steam sale if you enjoy yourself. Continue reading Steam’s 4X strategy game champion goes free‚ but just for a few days MORE FROM PCGAMESN: The best Civ 6 mods‚ The best Civ 6 civs‚ Play Civilization VI

How do you get to Steam Deck Desktop mode? While the Steam Deck is primarily a gaming device‚ it can do so much more if you step outside the safety zone of SteamOS. The Linux-based operating system is simple to navigate‚ and getting to it is easy. Entering Steam Deck Desktop mode grants you access to applications like web browsers as well as to the device's file system‚ but it's also a necessary step to install Battle.net on Steam Deck and other storefronts. So‚ whether you're looking to take a break from playing the best Steam Deck games or do some tinkering‚ it's something every owner of the best handheld gaming PC should know how to access. Continue reading How to get to Steam Deck Desktop mode MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

Mark your calendars‚ as it appears official details on the next gen AMD Zen 5 CPU range will be shared by the company itself this summer at Computex 2024. Mirroring her efforts two years ago‚ CEO Dr Lisa Su is set to take the stage at the convention once again and deliver the opening keynote of the show. Continue reading AMD looks set to reveal Zen 5 CPUs at Computex 2024 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Ryzen 7 7800X3D review‚ Best gaming CPU‚ Radeon RX 7800 XT review

What are the best Solium Infernum Relics? As with most RTS games‚ the road to victory in Solium Infernum is heavily based on the strength of your game plan. Set in the depths of Hell‚ the road to victory in Solium Infernum is also influenced‚ then‚ by just how scheming and conniving you can be - but a little help from some outside factors never hurt anybody‚ right? Solium Infernum Relics are items that grant a specific buff to the character holding them‚ and are locked in at the very start of the strategy game‚ the same time as you select your Archfiend. Each Solium Infernum Archfiend is automatically equipped with Relics that suit them‚ but you can change this to match your own playstyle. Choosing something entirely out of character for your Archfiend may even help lull your foes into a false sense of security - Solium Infernum is a game of deception‚ after all. Continue reading The best Solium Infernum Relics MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best strategy games‚ Best RTS games‚ Best upcoming games