Since it’s nearly Thanksgiving, I’m grateful that Pres. Trump has ordered the General Services Administration to work with the incoming Biden administration in an orderly transition.
Trump has a habit of pushing things to the brink and then pulling back. It has worked for him several times in negotiations both with Congress and with foreign governments. But the transition intransigence was getting really old and it was past time for Trump to relent.
The handwringing and hyperventilating by some Democrats and the establishment news media over Trump staging a coup were vastly overwrought. Even Trump knows when to quit.
He also can’t hold out much longer in challenging election results. Joe Biden will become president and Trump will be an ex-president.
The big question remaining for Trump is how strong a hold he will have on the Republican Party, if he chooses to do so, and whether he will run again in 2024. If he remains active and attempts to have maximum influence, it will complicate things for Republicans, especially those seeking the presidency in 2024.
One thing Republicans have yet to figure out is how to keep the Trump base active and passionate, while also winning support of moderate Republicans and independents, especially suburban women. I haven’t yet seen a prospective presidential candidate who can do both. It is a major test ahead for Republicans and it will provide a lot of fodder for political pundits.
Say goodbye to Val Hale. The Herbert administration has announced a virtual retirement open house for Val Hale, the long-time executive director of the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). Hale has served for nearly 6.5 years in the position, enjoying great success in building Utah’s economy.
Hale recently announced that he and his wife have accepted a public affairs missionary assignment for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Los Angeles. His last day at GOED will be Jan. 8, 2021.
His virtual retirement open house will be held on Dec. 3 from 4-4:30 p.m. Go to utahgoed.info/val to watch as Gov. Herbert, Gov.-elect Cox, and Chief Justin Harding provide remarks. Val will then share his thoughts as he concludes his professional career. Those unable to join the virtual open house on Dec. 3 can participate by sending Val an email message at [email protected], or leave a message for him his personal Facebook page or the GOED Facebook page.
New pandemic health order. The Utah Department of Health has released a new public health order to replace the order that expired Monday at midnight. The new order will go into effect Tuesday, Nov. 24, and will remain in effect until Dec. 8 unless otherwise modified or amended. View the full order HERE.
Good read. Trump isn’t the first person to try to change the outcome of a close presidential election. Alexander Hamilton really did attempt to steal the election of 1800. Read about it in Governing magazine.
Parting Shot. Denmark has nearly eliminated cases of Down syndrome. In 2019, only 18 Down syndrome children were born in the entire country, compared with about 6,000 in the United States. The reason is that Denmark offers all pregnant women Down syndrome screening, and of those who get a Down syndrome diagnosis, 95 percent choose to abort. The Atlantic recently published a lengthy article about the ability for parents to choose what kind of child to have, or not have – the power to decide what kind of life is worth bringing into the world. One genetic counselor asks: “If our world didn’t have people with special needs and these vulnerabilities, would we be missing part of our humanity?”
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