The Patriot Post® · Friday Short Cuts

From the Loony Left
“Folks often say, ‘Are you going to be able to work across the aisle with the Republicans?’ They are not trying to work across the aisle. They are literally trying to kill us. … They’ve been doing it in the black community, and they’re doing it even more so now with ICE.” —Florida Senate candidate Angie Nixon

“Donald Trump and [Florida Senator] Ashley Moody are causing so much harm to folks, and I feel like they’re legitimately trying to return us back to the worst chapters of our past, of our history.” —Angie Nixon

“I am a black woman with natural hair. I scare people just being my authentic self.” —Angie Nixon

“We’re already paying the costs of Medicare for All, right now.” —Angie Nixon

“I’m not an expert on [the Karmelo Anthony] case, but I know that there were no black members of the jury — and to me that’s the only evidence you need to really prove that the system is not working for black Texans.” —Texas Senate candidate James Talarico

“[Democrats] are very rarely talking about Donald Trump on the campaign trail.” —DNC Chair Ken Martin

Friendly Fire
“I think [Zohran Mamdani] talks out of both sides of his mouth. It seems like almost every day now he has to condemn some antisemitic attack that happened in New York. But at the same time, he is feeding red meat to those antisemites every day in New York.” —Florida Democrat Congressman Jared Moskowitz

From the Reasonable Right
“The end of August 2026 marks the fifth anniversary of this century’s biggest American foreign policy disaster: The Biden Afghanistan Bugout of 2021. … Biden ordered a withdrawal based on the calendar and not on battlefield conditions. ‘Completely out by 9/11’ is a sound bite, a political bumper sticker. It isn’t clear-headed senior leader strategic guidance for a military withdrawal from a complex war zone. … The chaos at Kabul International left the world with the impression U.S. forces are not thoroughly prepared for complex operations.” —Austin Bay

“A group of House Democrats recently issued a ‘Promise to America,’ explicitly rejecting socialism, backing law enforcement and expressing pride in the country. How many of the 212 House Democrats signed it? It wasn’t 200 or 150. It was only 10. Let that sink in. Ninety-five percent of House Democrats are afraid of putting their names on a document rejecting socialism, supporting law enforcement and declaring pride in America. Why? Because those ideas are a political death sentence in today’s Democrat Party.” —Gary Bauer

“America’s [healthcare] system has problems: high prices, maddening paperwork, uneven access and too little transparency. Reform it. Increase competition. Expand portable coverage. Give consumers price information. Strengthen the safety net for those truly unable to pay. But do not pretend government can abolish scarcity with a comforting name. Do Americans want taxes high enough to finance another $30 trillion in federal promises? Do they want Washington deciding what doctors and hospitals will be paid? Do they want British-style waiting lists and Canadian-style delays?” —Larry Elder

“Most young people are not attracted to communism because they desire dictatorship or political repression. They are attracted to ideals such as equality, fairness, affordable housing, universal opportunity and a belief that no one should be left behind. Many have grown up during financial crises, rising tuition costs, crushing student debt, unaffordable homes, stagnant wages and widening wealth disparities. They see billionaires becoming wealthier while many working families struggle to pay rent or afford health care. These concerns are real. Ignoring them only pushes young people further toward ideologies that promise sweeping solutions.” —Armstrong Williams

The Bottom Line
“More debt means more issuance, more issuance means higher yields, higher yields mean a bigger interest bill, & the interest bill is itself borrowed. This self-perpetuating cycle can only ever pick up steam. … Ultimately you can’t pretend to care about kids when you’re saddling them with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt immediately upon exiting the birth canal, merely so you can cut ribbons & hopefully get reelected.” —Tom Elliott