NEWS AND OPINION:
Well, it’s happy birthday time for President Biden, born Nov. 20, 1942 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Naturally, the news media is marking the occasion.
“If President Biden’s birthday Monday is anything like his last one, he’ll eat a cake quietly with family and hope nobody else notices,” noted the Wall Street Journal editorial board in an op-ed published Sunday.
Curious? Here are a few more headlines from the last 48 hours.
“As Biden celebrates his birthday, candles on the cake are adding to a problem” (National Public Radio); “Biden’s 81st birthday highlights biggest liability for 2024” (Bloomberg News); “Biden’s looming 81st birthday creates health, age concerns amid 2024 White House bid” (Fox News); “Joe Biden turns 81 years old; Running for re-election in his condition is an act of profound selfishness” (The Wall Street Journal); and “A not so happy birthday for Biden” (Politico).
RON SEEKS ‘THE REAL NIKKI’
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appears to be upping the clout of his presidential campaign, particularly when it comes to rival GOP candidate Nikki Haley. There’s a new “microsite” to consider.
“Nikki Haley is not the conservative she pretends to be, so the Ron DeSantis for President campaign is launching a new microsite shining a light on the real Nikki Haley. The site will allow Republican primary voters to see for themselves that Haley has supported every liberal cause under the sun,” the DeSantis campaign said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“There’s a reason Nikki Haley is running away from her record and refuses to take tough questions from the media – she can’t risk exposing her liberal views on issues most important to conservative voters,” it advised, adding a plug for the new site.
“Get the facts on Nikki Haley’s real record,” the statement said, directing the curious to TheRealNikki.com.
“Republican voters deserve to know the truth about Haley and her liberal record, which looks more akin to someone competing for the Democratic nomination,” the campaign declared.
NIKKI HAS HER SAY
The aforementioned Nikki Haley also has a word or two for the competition.
“It’s a dark, dark time for Ron DeSantis — and we’re not talking about the recent time change. Between lighting $100 million on fire and dropping precipitously in the polls, it’s looking awfully grim for the DeSantis campaign. Expect him to get even more desperate and deranged in his attacks on Nikki Haley,” her campaign said in a written statement, also shared with Inside the Beltway.
The campaign pointed out that Ms. Haley recently made a significant $10 million ad buy, has won “70-plus prominent endorsements in Iowa” and is enjoying some promising popularity poll numbers.
“Poll after poll after poll after poll after poll is showing Haley surging in New Hampshire and destroying President Joe Biden in the general election,” the campaign said.
Find more details at NikkiHaley.com.
THE DELIVERY ALTERNATIVE
Those who love Thanksgiving Day but dread preparing for it are in luck. “Dinner-to-go” is very much the viable option, and the business is national in scope.
Good Housekeeping magazine has identified the “22 best places to order a Thanksgiving dinner to go” on a national basis. Country Living magazine has named 21 alternatives. NBC’s “Today” show came up with 24.
They range from Popeyes, Trader Joe’s and IHoP to Harris Teeter, Harry & David and Boston Market.
“You can save time and money by picking up dinner from a restaurant near you,” counsels Good Housekeeping.
THE LONELY LIFE
Do we live in a lonely world? Some officials believe this is the case — and have acted on that belief.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has created a new Commission on Social Connection — “to address loneliness as a pressing health threat, promote social connection as a priority and accelerate the scaling up of solutions in countries of all incomes,” according to a statement earlier this month.
“Co-chaired by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and African Union Youth Envoy Chido Mpemba, the Commission consists of 11 leading policy-makers, thought leaders and advocates. Running for three years, it will analyze the central role social connection plays in improving health for people of all ages and outline solutions to build social connections at scale. The commission will consider how connection enhances the well-being of our communities and societies and helps foster economic progress, social development, and innovation,” the statement said.
“Social isolation – having an insufficient number of social connections, and loneliness – and the social pain of not feeling connected, are widespread. Contrary to the perception that isolation and loneliness primarily affect older people in high-income countries, they impact the health and well-being of all age groups across the world,” the statement continued.
“One in four older people experience social isolation and the rates are broadly similar in all regions. Among adolescents, between 5–15% experience loneliness, according to research findings. However, these figures are likely to be underestimated,” the organization said.
The commission, supported by a secretariat based at WHO, will hold a two-day, inaugural leadership-level meeting from Dec. 6 to 8.
POLL DU JOUR
• 52% of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire have “definitely decided” whom they will vote for in the upcoming New Hampshire presidential primary.
• 47% of women and 55% of men agree.
• 35% say they are currently “leaning” toward a certain candidate in the primary.
• 33% of women and 36% of men also agree.
• 12% say they are “still trying to decide” whom to vote for in the primary.
• 15% of women and 9% of men agree.
• 2% don’t know or are not sure whom they will vote for in the primary.
• 4% of women and 0% of men agree.
SOURCE: A CNN/University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll of 994 likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire conducted Nov. 10-14.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin, on Facebook at HarperUniverse.
