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Many political analysts may have assumed that the sun was setting fast on Joe BidenJoe BidenThe Memo: Trump tests limits of fiery attacks during crisis Sanders when asked about timeframe for 2020 decision: 'I'm dealing with a f---ing global crisis' Biden holds sizable lead in new Hill/HarrisX 2020 poll MOREs presidential aspirations following a series of well-publicized gaffes and doddering speeches. But with large victories on Super Tuesday, subsequent endorsements from a raft of his former adversaries and more wins last week, including in Michigan, suddenly Biden appears poised to soon become the anointed Democratic candidate to challenge President TrumpDonald John TrumpDe Blasio calls on Trump to deploy military to set up hospitals in New York Hillicon Valley: Facebook launches portal for coronavirus information | EU sees spike in Russian misinformation on outbreak | Senate Dem bill would encourage mail-in voting | Lawmakers question safety of Google virus website Trump signs coronavirus aid package with paid sick leave, free testing MORE.

It is interesting to note that House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) campaigned hard for Biden and mustered the support that seemingly has set him up to clinch the nomination. Clyburn may have helped turn out the black vote in the Palmetto State, but if Democrats bank on their usual reliance on black voters to carry them across the finish line in the 2020 general election, the strategy very well could end in embarrassment.

It is, of course, ironic that the black vote is potentially a key deciding factor. The Democrats love to boast about the diversity within their ranks, but the two candidates left standing are two old white men. The question to be determined in the coming days is whether the nomination could go to the self-professed democratic socialist senator, Bernie SandersBernie SandersHillicon Valley: Facebook launches portal for coronavirus information | EU sees spike in Russian misinformation on outbreak | Senate Dem bill would encourage mail-in voting | Lawmakers question safety of Google virus website The Memo: Trump tests limits of fiery attacks during crisis Sanders when asked about timeframe for 2020 decision: 'I'm dealing with a f---ing global crisis' MORE (I-Vt.), or Biden, a former senator and vice president from Delaware. Biden leads in delegates but Sanders has yet to drop out of the race.

Once that has been decided, attention will shift to who will be the running mate on the Democratic ticket.

When it comes to black voters, many of them know exactly where they stand with President Trump and Vice President Pence. Despite laughable attempts by left-wing media to agitate black voters against the GOP, the truth is that black Americans have never fared so well as they have during the years of the Trump administration.

Over the past three years, the unemployment and poverty rates for African Americans hit all-time lows. During the same period, Republican supporters of Trumps agenda passed the revolutionary Fist Step Act, which has reunited many black families after Clinton-era policies unfairly targeted and punished them with lengthy prison sentences for non-violent crimes.

And President Trumps championing of Opportunity Zones has sought to pour unprecedented wealth into many historically black neighborhoods.

What have black voters gotten from Democrats during that same time? More of the tired pandering and insulting appeals to identity politics, which does little more than pay lip service to minority voters every four years. Voters of color are beginning to awaken to the scam, and Democrats are noticing.

It is for this reason that we should not be surprised if the Democratic nominee makes a desperate attempt to court black voters by choosing a black running mate. There has been talk of Biden considering Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisDemocrats introduce bill to promote mail-in voting amid coronavirus crisis Five Latinas who could be Biden's running mate Biden allies see Warren as potential running mate MORE (D-Calif.), who ended her own presidential campaign in December. Stacey Abrams of Georgia, who lost a 2018 bid to become governor, also has been thrown into the discussion. But the announcement of a black female candidate is not as universally compelling to the black community as many Democrats might think.

A recent poll from the Wall Street Journal found that almost 25 percent of black men approve of President Trump, while only 6 percent of black women say the same. Those numbers should be higher, but it shows us that black men are slowly but surely breaking free from the flawed notion that they must reflexively align themselves with the Democratic Party. The gambit of placating black voters has grown stale during a time when a Republican president is delivering real results that positively impact their lives.

With Sanders on the ropes and Biden poised to prevail as the Democratic nominee, expect to see lots of jockeying in the days ahead by ambitious black women looking to propel themselves onto a national ticket.

Democrats should think twice about this. After all, the main determinant of who is chosen as the Democratic vice presidential candidate should be his or her qualifications, not the fact that this person is female or a person of color.

The Democrats would do well to heed the words of Martin Luther King Jr. in his iconic speech describing his dream that his children would live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Armstrong Williams (@ARightSide) is the owner and manager of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the Year. He is the author of Reawakening Virtues.

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Democrats will go broke betting on black | TheHill - The Hill

Exit polling Tuesday night suggests a sizable amount of Democrats are ready to move on from the policies of former President Barack Obama and shift farther to the left.

In Obamas adopted home state of Illinois, at least 42% of Democratic voters expressed the desire to move on from the Obama years and choose a candidate who is more liberal, according to the Washington Times.

Only 37% of Democrats in Illinois said they wanted to return to Obamas policies.

The former president was more popular in the Florida primary, which was also held Tuesday. Of those who came out to vote, 43% said they would like a president with Obama's vision. However, 36% of voters said they want to shift even more to the left.

Over 50% over Democrats in Florida and Illinois said they support a government-run healthcare system for all similar to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanderss platform.

Fox News polling, which framed its question slightly differently, showed support for government-run healthcare was even higher at 71% in Illinois and 74% in Florida.

Sanders was unable to capitalize on that support for his healthcare plan, falling to Vice President Joe Biden in both states.

Obama has so far declined to endorse his former vice president for president, deciding instead to wait and see how the primary process plays out.

Following Tuesdays defeat, Bernie Sanders has little to no path to the nomination in terms of a delegate victory.

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Exit polling shows large percentage of Democratic voters want to move on from Obama policies and shift farther left - Washington Examiner

Donald Trump picked fights with Democrats on Tuesday even as he called for them to keep politics out of the battle against what he called, in a return to nationalist rhetoric, the Chinese virus.

As the White House prepares a massive stimulus package to counter the effect of the Covid-19 outbreak, the president gave an upbeat assessment of the economy, seen as critical to his political future, promising it would pop again soon.

Were going to win, he vowed.

That this crisis is taking place in an election year is impossible to ignore.

I watched the debate not too exciting, Trump said of last Sundays meeting between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. But what they said about me and weve done a great job when you talk about not being bipartisan, what they said about me.

He accused the Obama administration, in which Biden was vice-president, of making terrible and horrific mistakes in handling a swine flu outbreak in 2009.

Seventeen thousand people died, Trump told reporters at a coronavirus taskforce briefing. In fact the official death toll in the US was 12,469.

They shouldnt be criticising because weve done a fantastic job, Trump added, before airing a familiar grievance.

The only thing we havent done well is to get good press. Weve done a fantastic job but it hasnt been appreciated.

Even the closing down of the borders, which had never been done, and not only did we close them but we closed them early. The press doesnt like writing about it. So weve done a poor job on press relationships and I guess I dont know who to blame for that. I dont know, maybe I can blame ourselves for that. I will blame ourselves.

In a rare Oval Office address last week, Trump urged unity. But almost every day since he has attacked Obama, Biden or Democratic governors. He began Tuesday by going after governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.

He tweeted: Cuomo wants all states to be treated the same. But all states arent the same. Some are being hit hard by the Chinese Virus, some are being hit practically not at all. New York is a very big hotspot, West Virginia has, thus far, zero cases.

Trump added: Andrew, keep politics out of it

New York is now among the worst affected by the coronavirus. But at a press conference in Albany, Cuomo struck a conciliatory tone: I said to the president, who is a New Yorker I put my hand out in partnership. I want to work together 100%. I want your help. I need your help.

I think the president was 100% sincere in saying he wanted to work together in partnership, in a spirt of cooperation. The actions he has taken evidence that. His team are on it.

Trump also attacked Whitmer, seen as a potential running mate for Biden.

Failing Michigan governor must work harder and be much more proactive, he wrote. We are pushing her to get the job done. I stand with Michigan!

Whitmer shot back, seeking swift and clear guidance, tests, personal protective equipment, and resources. She went on to list measures taken in her state, a key election battleground.

At the White House, Trump insisted: I only do that when I have to respond. I watched her [Whitmer] on television. She said something that was false and therefore I did do that and I will continue to do that.

If theyre not going to play fair, because you know, they have the media on their side. I dont. I just have me. And if theyre not going to play fair, Im going to do that. If they are going to play fair, theres going to be nobody better than Donald Trump in terms of bipartisanship.

Trump also faced criticism for his use of the phrase Chinese virus. Congressman Ted Lieu tweeted: Theres a difference between saying a virus came from China versus calling it a Chinese virus. Asian Americans have already been assaulted because of this type of rhetoric.

Asked by the Guardian if he intended to continue using the phrase, Trump replied: China was putting out information, which was false, that our military gave this to them. That was false and rather than having an argument I said I have to call it where it came from. It did come from China so I think its a very accurate term.

More than a month ago, the World Health Organization director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the novel strain of the coronavirus had an official name, Covid-19, which should prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing.

A robust economy had been seen as Trumps strongest suit for re-election. Now he faces recession. Airlines are said to face a bigger crisis than after 9/11.

Trump insisted: If we do this right, our country can be rolling again pretty quickly. We have to fight that invisible enemy. I guess, unknown but were getting to know it a lot better.

He added: The best thing we can do is get rid of the virus. Once thats gone, its going to pop back like nobodys ever seen before, thats my opinion I think our economy will come back really rapidly. One day well be standing possibly up here, well say, Well, we won. Sure as youre sitting here, were going to say that. Were going to win.

Trump has claimed credit for banning travel from China early on but faced condemnation for not moving faster on widespread testing. Despite a long list of public statements in which he downplayed the threat, on Tuesday he made a startling claim: Ive always known this is a real this is a pandemic.

I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.

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Trump says 'keep politics out' of coronavirus then picks fight with Democrats - The Guardian

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

The Democrats, they do love their crises. And with coronavirus, its a match made in heaven: Democrats get a bogeyman with long-lasting legs to press everything from anti-President Donald Trump rhetoric to, unbelievably enough, climate change.

Fact is, if Democrats cared so much about the spread of the virus, theyd be on board with shutting borders, and shutting borders but quick.

Instead, theyre focused on calling out the Chinese or Wuhan coronavirus as a racist label, and painting anyone who dares call the coronavirus by its apt, factually-based Chinese tag as racist.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, weve seen not only the spreading of the virus but also a rapid spreading of racism and xenophobia, said Massachusetts Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley, in remarks delivered during a House hearing. This painful rhetoric has consequences. Restaurants across Bostons Chinatown have seen up to an 80 percent drop in business and I believe this has everything to do with the rapid spread of misinformation and paranoia.

That was after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Instagram Live called it straight up racism for people to avoid patroning that is, patronizing her districts Chinese restaurants, out of fears of coronavirus.

And that was right around the time Joe Biden, from the campaign trail, slammed Trump as a racist for calling the Wuhan virus a foreign virus that originated in China even though it did originate in China. In the Wuhan district of China, in fact. Thus the name: Wuhan coronavirus.

From Biden: Downplaying [this pandemic], being overly dismissive, or spreading misinformation is only going to hurt us but neither should we panic or fall back on xenophobia. Labeling COVID-19 a foreign virus does not displace accountability for the misjudgments that have been taken thus far by the Trump administration.

Well, one can dicker over this administrations response to coronavirus as one wishes. But what one cant dicker over is the obvious that labeling a foreign virus a foreign virus when it is indeed a virus that originated at a foreign spot seems a crucial step for the medical worlds investigations into the source, spread and containment process. It gives a starting point for tracking. And with coronavirus, the starting point is, drumroll please, the Wuhan district. In China. In the foreign country of China.

The only ones denying that are the Chinese.

Even The Washington Post admitted as much and in a story teaser on Google, wrote: Since the coronavirus outbreak began in China Click on the story, entitled Mapping the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. and worldwide, and that particular phrase is missing, no doubt because of the recent liberal panic to hide all traces of their own recent acknowledgements of truths theyre now trying to paint as racist and xenophobic.

But read further and theres this interesting bit:A majority of cases and deaths occurred in China, mostly in the Hubei province, where Chinese health officials said the new virus strain originated in wild animals sold at a market in the capital city of Wuhan.

Why is that so interesting? Because now the Chinese propaganda machine is in full swing, denying that the coronavirus originated in China.

Meanwhile, back on the liberal farm, Democrats are having a field day with Rahm Emanuels famous saying, You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. On that, the coronavirus is proving pure gold.

Universal health care is a must, Bernie Sanders wrote, in a USA Today opinion piece about the White Houses response to coronavirus.

We need to rejoin the Paris climate change treaty and prepare for future global health threats, Biden said, in his just-released plan to combat coronavirus.

Really?

Heres a thought to help control the spread of coronavirus as well as any other type of virus or disease that may come creeping into America in the future: Tighten borders. Test border crossers for diseases. Quarantine those who test positive or send em back from where they came.

328 Chinese nationals caught entering US illegally, one headline ran a few days ago.

328 Chinese Nationals Caught Trying To Illegally Enter U.S., another ran, also a few days ago.

DHS officials fear illegal border crossings may spread coronavirus, ran yet one more, in the same time frame.

You think?

The natural, logical response to a foreign virus is to tighten borders and control who enters.

But for Democrats its to toss race cards and sign a treaty on climate change.

Cheryl Chumley can be reached at [emailprotected] or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast Bold and Blunt by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter by clicking HERE.

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Democrats see coronavirus as just another crisis to exploit - Washington Times

Are Colorado Democrats overreaching this legislative session?

And the hits just keep on coming from our Democratic masters!

Not content with the wreckage of the 2019 legislative session after Democrats won every statewide office along with big legislative majorities in 2018 for the first time since 1936, Gov. Jared Polis and the Democratic leadership are again on the march.

Remember a few of these greatest hits from a year ago:

They thumbed their nose (or more accurately gave the middle finger) to Colorado voters when they imposed draconian regulatory actions to cripple the oil and gas industry and destroy thousands of jobs despite the fact voters overwhelmingly rejected a similar 2018 ballot proposal by a 55 to 45 margin.

They gave away Colorados presidential elector votes to California and New York under the deceptively named national popular vote and denied Coloradans the right to vote on this diminishment of our role in electing a president. But despite this, voters will get their say after all after a successful petition campaign to put this issue on the 2020 ballot.

They imposed a red flag gun confiscation law that stomps on due process and penalizes law-abiding gun owners who are presumed guilty until proven innocent.

And now theyre back!

Despite the drubbing Colorado voters gave Democrats in November when their Proposition CC to destroy our taxpayer bill of rights, TABOR, and increase taxes was overwhelmingly defeated, the governor and his legislative majorities are trying to surpass their 2019 performance.

While there should be a legitimate debate about the future of the death penalty that would include a statewide vote by all Coloradans, Democrats rammed a death penalty repeal bill through the Legislature, and it will certainly be signed by Gov. Polis. Why are Colorado Democrats so repulsed by the notion of directly listening to the voters through a statewide vote on such a fundamentally profound issue affecting our society and state?

Gov. Polis and majority Democrats have introduced a bill to create a public option health care program that will undermine private health insurance and drive up the costs of health care. This is nothing more than a back-door way to achieve the long-held goal of many Colorado Democrats to create a Bernie Sanders-style single-payer health care system even though Colorado voters overwhelmingly rejected such a proposal just a few years ago.

In yet another blow to rural Colorado, ruling Democrats are hellbent to eliminate private prisons in Bent and Crowley Counties that would kill precious jobs, drastically undercut the counties tax base and undermine funding for local schools.

Although there is a split among majority Democrats that has at least temporarily halted the passage of a family leave proposal, make no mistake that there is substantial sentiment within the caucus to impose expensive bureaucratic requirements on small businesses.

Consistent with their legislation to give away Colorados presidential elector votes without a statewide vote, Democrats now want to take away the direct election of the nine members of the University of Colorado Board of Regents.

Two members of the board are elected statewide and the other seven are elected one each from Colorados seven congressional districts. Colorado is one of just four states nationwide that elects the governing board of its flagship university.

Rather than continuing to entrust nearly 3.5 million voters to elect CU regents as our state has done since gaining statehood in 1976, Democratic House Speaker KC Becker of Boulder doesnt trust the voters with this responsibility. Speaker Becker would replace Colorado voters with an all-knowing and obviously much smarter group of 13 people to determine who is qualified and then submit a list of candidates to the state Legislature to make the appointments to the board.

The common thread that runs through so many of these overreaching actions by Colorado Democrats over the past two years is an arrogance that runs roughshod over the ability of Colorado voters to make decisions for themselves.

And the 2020 legislative session still has two more months to continue its destruction under Democratic control.

Some people in our state are claiming Democratic overreach aka, too many changes, too much, too fast. I have heard these claims before, and my response is only to ask, Too much for whom? Too fast on which pressing issue facing Coloradans?

In 2018, we heard the pain, frustration, and impatience of our constituents and put forth a clear, bold vision for Colorado a vision that decreases the cost of health care, uplifts working people, addresses climate change, and insists upon accountability throughout industry and government.

Voters made it clear that the status quo was no longer tolerable and that they desired to see our platform realized. Business-as-usual was decidedly rejected, and the Democrats were given responsibility to govern with majorities in the House, Senate and governors office.

With the people of Colorados endorsement, we hit the ground running.

Last session we enhanced air quality regulations, set goals for renewable energy, addressed student debt, expanded full-day kindergarten, and made health care more affordable. We enacted community protections by passing reasonable gun safety measures that provide avenues for law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from people who pose an imminent threat to themselves or others. We also passed equal pay for equal work and continued to implement common-sense justice reforms almost all with bipartisan support.

I successfully sponsored 36 bills in 2019 the vast majority of which had support from both sides of the aisle. Among them were bills to reduce the trend of mass incarceration, which disproportionately impacts communities of color and people suffering from behavioral health and drug addiction issues.

This is not overreach. This is sensible public policy, responsive to community needs.

Then, after a blockbuster year of meaningful change, a small but vocal fringe minority sought to undermine our progress by seeking to recall four legislators, including myself and Gov. Polis.

They made spurious claims, unsupported, inaccurate allegations, and professed that we no longer had the support of Coloradans. But after months of costly petition signature gathering accompanied by name-calling, fear-mongering, and sensationalism, not one recall succeeded. In fact, there was so little support, that none of the petitions could even get enough signatures to get on the ballot.

While our opponents were talking, we were listening. At doors, around kitchen tables, and in communities, we heard peoples concerns. The issues that kept coming up were reducing the costs of health care and housing, guaranteeing a quality education for every student, combating climate change, and ensuring economic justice and security for all hardworking Coloradans.

The reality is its still difficult for people to make ends meet and ensure the health of their families. Housing prices are still skyrocketing, health care is still simply unaffordable, and polluters are continuously poisoning our communities. Our schools and roads are still underfunded, and our residents still need clean air to breathe and water to drink. We still incarcerate and punish people rather than seek accountability of offenders and restoration for victims. And climate change is still an ever-present threat to our future.

At a time when federal policies, failures, and inaction threaten our livelihoods, institutions, and public health, Coloradans need more from their state elected officials, not less, and deserve decisive and collaborative action.

So, when I hear the question: Are Democrats overreaching?, my response is:

Where, how, and to whose disadvantage?

Because it is not the single mom who has to work two jobs to make ends meet. Its not the teacher who has to buy their own school supplies. Its not the student who quits college to help pay for family medical bills. It is not the hiker, biker, skier or river runner who watches the wild spaces they love deteriorate from abuse.

These Coloradans, and thousands like them, are tired of waiting. They are tired of gridlock. They are tired of excuses.

They need their leaders to come to the table to find bipartisan solutions to address the challenging issues and struggles they face every day. They need action and they need it urgently.

As Democrats, thats what weve done, and what well continue to do.

Dick Wadhams is a Republican political consultant and former Colorado Republican state chairman. Sen. Pete Lee, a Democrat, represents Senate District 11 in the Colorado General Assembly.

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POINT/COUNTERPOINT: Are Colorado Democrats overreaching this legislative session? - Colorado Springs Gazette