Map, left:   Brian Lamb's ever-regenerating gift to the Republic, C-SPAN, produced this Electoral College map for students of the electoral process.  http://www.c-spanclassroom.org
 
JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW
Co-host: Larry Kudlow, CNBC senior advisor; & Cumulus Media radio
 
Hour One
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 1, Block A: Bill Whalen, Hoover Institution, in re:
Fox News map* of electoral votes: HRC 260; JDT: 170.  Winner must have 270.  Trump has all the ammo on key issues; I don't know what Mrs C’s message is. Trump is in the driver’s seat; will he have the discipline and knowledge of issues; and to handle Mrs C in a gingerly fashion? 
Mrs C could shed FL, IO, OH, and still win; is in a better position than Mr T.   Three debates coming up. . . .  Ninety minutes of klieg lights and extreme energy expenditure. Her health has become a major issue. 
Mrs Clinton’s strengths: she has a resume, a CV in politics that Trump doesn't. “I’ve built consensus across Party lines; I can solve problems
Mr T’s strengths: he does not have that CV, isn’t part of the problem; he solves business problems. 
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The race across the battleground states has tightened considerably, according to Fox News projections released Tuesday.
While Clinton still has the overall Electoral College advantage, the Fox News Electoral Scorecard shows the race between Clinton and Donald Trump becoming more competitive in New Hampshire, Colorado and even Minnesota – and Trump gaining the edge in Iowa. 
                  New Hampshire is now rated as “toss-up,” after previously having been rated a “lean” Democrat state.
                  Colorado also is now rated as “toss-up,” after previously having been rated “lean” Democrat.
                  Minnesota is now rated as “lean” Democrat, after having been rated “solid” for the Democrats.
                  And Iowa is now rated as “lean” Republican after having been rated a “toss-up.”
In New Hampshire, both campaigns are fiercely fighting for the state’s mere four Electoral College votes. Clinton had held a lead in the state, but Trump looks to have closed the gap.
Clinton also had long looked to be comfortably ahead in Colorado, but she failed to lock the state down. Her campaign even pulled down TV ads in the state. Clinton still has some advantages in the Centennial State, but polls show a tightened race – one recent poll showed Trump ahead.
* http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/20/fox-news-electoral-scorecard-...
 
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 1, Block B:  
Mrs C has economic warmed-over leftovers from Bernie Sanders; Mr T has a real temperamental problem: can he be presidential? Do not be a Berlusconi on the stage and mug for the cameras; be a Thatcher.   No shtick.  Be a gentleman!
He has a strong growth plan (a la JFK and Reagan); he needs to keep going back to that because it's the number-one issue.  She has a recession/stagnation plan.  Polls are so overwhelming in saying that the economy is the main problem – 64% say that, and nothing else comes close. 
Law and order, natl security, immigration?  He needs to know that he’s speaking to a different audience in the upcoming debate: national in scope and to a select number of independents who are still deciding.  . . . I'd tie immigration to natl security – how many hundreds were supposed to be deported but accidentally were given citizenship?
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 1, Block C: Steve Moore, chief economist, Heritage and economics advisor to Donald Trump, now in Memphis (just drove cross he soaring bridge rom Arkansas); in re:   Debate focus for Trump shd be economics, the economy, the [stagnation ] of the last decades; how most workers haven’t had a pay raise in that time. The heart of Mr T’s economic plan laid out last Thurs at the New York Economics Club was cuts to business taxes, to 15%, also assures a 15% tax, only, on small businesses. 
That, alone, could drive us back to 4% or 5% growth.  Best way to raise wages is to cut business taxes. Trump getting 70% of he GOP vote Also doing extremely well with Reagan Democrats: electricians. Pipefitters, many other skilled tradesmen.  . 
Also, union voters.   I say we can get 4% growth for five years—incl pro-American energy, reduce regulations, [jettison] Obamacare.  Growth solves a lot of problems. Will this attract overseas investment? I think so:   1. A 10% on capital stuck in foreign bank accounts, can't bring it back because of current 30% tax; we think we can raise $100 bil for Treasury but, more important, will generate huge investment into businesses in the US.   2.  Immediate expensing for businesses: as soon as you bld a plant or buy a computer you can write it off on the first day instead of over a decade or two.
Small-business Democrat are there – all there for the taking.
Deregulation and energy?  Trump wins a lot of blue collar, middle-class voters: $50 TRILLION of oil and gas resources der federal land. Hillary wants to do for O&G what Obama did for coal.   We need west-to-east pipelines, very badly.  Some NE states are buying Brent Crude from Europe, which is higher. We , although that’s iffy. need LNG terminals and refineries!
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 1, Block D: Larry Kudlow, sage of CNBC and WABC Radio; in re: The American economy. Taxes, d eregulation, growth. “American people vote their pocketbook.”  Up to half the American people will have voted by election day. 
Looking ahead nine months: a rebound from inventories, maybe; an maybe 3% but that’s iffy
All the major coincident indicators for Aug are down – mfrg, housing starts, all the others: all negative. Profits falling 
In Aug of 2o12 Jack Welch challenged the veracity f the BLS numbers.  Said it was a political fix to help Obama; I disagreed.  Today, it's a weak, stagnant economy.
No need for the Fed to raise rates right now; maybe under a new president.
 
Hour Two
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 2, Block A:  Stephen F. Cohen, Prof. Emeritus of Russian Studies/History/Politics at NYU and Princeton; also Board of American Committee for East-West Accord (eastwestaccord.com); in re:  The so-called Syria ceasefire:  US blames Russia for bombing aid workers; Russia blames US for attack on UN humanitarian convoy headed for the destitute people of Aleppo.
Agreement made: if for seven days conditions were met—ceasefire and humanitarian relief for Aleppo—then the US and Russia wd join and together wage war against various terrorists in Syria. 
NYT 15 Sept editorial expressed doubt abt the wisdom of US joining militarily wit Russia: “Pentagon officials refused to say if they’d comply with their part of the deal” – i.e., to obey Pres Obama.   Yike.   DoD openly says it may or may not obey the president if he pursues détente.
Reuters: Accuses Russia of attacking an aid convoy.  In war, one person’s crisp information is another person’s propaganda.   . . .
When American warplanes attacked Syrians not by accident, I refer to history: even though Eisenhower said he’d grounded the U2 spy plane, one flew over the USSR and was shot down. AN a dozen other such events.  When eh US is [in danger, so to speak} of achieving a detente with Russia, something inevitably happens to render that impossible.  Internal forces in each country, esp the US, will not permit it. 
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 2, Block B: Stephen F. Cohen, Prof. Emeritus of Russian Studies/History/Politics at NYU and Princeton; also Board of American Committee for East-West Accord (eastwestaccord.com); in re:  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKCN11Q1NR
Our Beirut bureau chief, Anne Barnard, has written about the Syrian Red Crescent and the risks its volunteers take to deliver aid to people on all sides of the war.
The convoy attack and the declaration by the military were the strongest signs yet of the gradual unraveling of a broader agreement between Russia and the United States aimed at restarting peace talks to end the conflict in Syria, which has killed an estimated 500,000 people and displaced millions.
The Times chronicled the seven-day cease-fire negotiated by Washington and Moscow — which back opposite sides in the conflict — through the observations of Syrians around the country. By Day 5, it was clear the agreement was unraveling.
At least 12 aid workers, unknown number of civilians killed in airstrike after Syria declares end to cease-fire   The Obama administration said the strike was probably launched by the Syrian government or Russia. It could spell the real end of the U.S.-Russia cease-fire agreement, which was intended to allow aid to reach Syrian civilians. / Obama hopes to rally world support at the U.N. to confront worsening refugee crisis  /  http://rbth.com/politics_and_society/2016/09/19/united-russia-wins-state-duma-elections-with-5428-preliminary-results_631115   (2 of 4)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 2, Block C:  Stephen F. Cohen, Prof. Emeritus of Russian Studies/History/Politics at NYU and Princeton; also Board of American Committee for East-West Accord (eastwestaccord.com).  (3 of 4)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 2, Block D: Stephen F. Cohen, Prof. Emeritus of Russian Studies/History/Politics at NYU and Princeton; also Board of American Committee for East-West Accord (eastwestaccord.com).   (4 of 4)
 
Hour Three
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 3, Block A:   W M Jones, University of Cambridge, in re:  Do you speak lion?    Science  26 Aug 2016: Vol. 353, Issue 6302, pp. 867-868; DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf8056  http://science.sciencemag.org/content/353/6302/867
Problems in biodiversity conservation tend to be highly complex, encompassing both biological and social systems and their interactions. Many have argued for multidisciplinary research in conservation, particularly a more effective engagement of the human sciences.  But even when multidisciplinary, research may not be able to deliver the insights needed to solve a conservation problem. Recent studies help to elucidate these challenges and show how research can be effective in underpinning conservation decisions.  (1 of 2)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 3, Block B:  W M Jones, University of Cambridge, in re:   Do you speak lion?     (2 of 2)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 3, Block C:   Lara M Brown, George Washington University, n re:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narberth,_Pennsylvania  ;  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryn_Mawr,_Pennsylvania  (1 of 2)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 3, Block D:  Lara M Brown, George Washington University, n re:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narberth,_Pennsylvania  ;  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryn_Mawr,_Pennsylvania  (2 of 2)
 
Hour Four
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 4, Block A:  Robert Zimmerman, behind the black, in re:  Mars rover update: September 20, 2016    Opportunity comes first this time because it actually is more interesting.  Opportunity   For the overall context of Opportunity’s travels at Endeavour Crater, see this post, Opportunity’s future travels on Mars.
Having several choices on where to head, the Opportunity science team this week chose took what looks like the most daring route, heading almost due east towards the floor of Endeavour Crater. In fact, a review of their route and the images that the rover continues to take suggests that the panorama I created last week looked almost due east, not to the southeast as I had guessed. I have amended the most recent overhead traverse image, cropped and reduced below, to show what I now think that panorama was showing. (1 of 4)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 4, Block B:  Robert Zimmerman, behind the black (2 of 4)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 4, Block C:  Robert Zimmerman, behind the black (3 of 4)
Tuesday  20 September 2016   / Hour 4, Block D:   Robert Zimmerman, behind the black (4 of 4)
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