All eyes are on the French Presidential Election (Round #1) being held today.  There are multiple candidates but only the top two go to round #2.  Most predictions have Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron as the top two candidates.

UPDATE: 5:30pm EDT  Surprising most of the liberal punditry, and contradicting most of the earlier exit polls, Marine Le Pen has won the first round over her closest rival Emmanuel Macron (link):

Francios Fillon conceded and endorsed the political establishment favorite Macron.  Melenchon has refused to endorse anyone.  As expected the national runoff will be:

Marine Le Pen -vs- Emmanuel Macron

Similar to Hillary Clinton, Macron will carry the endorsement of the professional political class and all of the left-wing French media.  Similar to Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen will be running as an outsider against the entire political apparatus and the media machine.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sean Spicer Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Sometimes geo-politics can be funny and deserve a little snark in discussion. The International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank, are holding a conference in DC. this weekend.  Deplorable Secretary Mnuchin represents U.S. and Trump interests.

Amid the earlier G20 Summit the Trump effect ended up with changed language from the finance leadership.  Titan Trump’s election changed the way the IMF and World Bank globalists talk about international trade.   Bi-lateral and nationalism are no longer dirty words.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – International Monetary Fund members on Saturday dropped a pledge to fight protectionism amid a split over trade policy and turned their attention to another looming threat to global economic integration: the first round of France’s presidential election. (more)

However, funnier still is the resurfacing of a familiar face.  You might well remember former Mexican Finance Minister Augustin Carstens resigned as Mexico’s central bank chief just after the election of Donald Trump.   Well, apparently, the job of saving face for the changed approach of the IMF/World Bank is now squarely on Carsten’s shoulders.

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Today President Trump, together with first lady Melania Trump, presented a Purple Heart medal to Army Sgt. 1st Class Alvaro Barrietos during a visit to Walter Reed National Medical Center.

President Donald Trump presents Purple Heart award to Army Sgt. Alvaro Barrietos. First lady Melania Trump and wife Tammy Barrietos are behind

The soldier who received the Purple Heart — awarded in the name of the president to military members wounded or killed while serving — is Army Sgt. 1st Class Alvaro Barrietos.  Sgt. Barrietos suffered a serve leg injury while serving in Afghanistan. His wife, Tammy, attend the ceremony Saturday.

Trump thanks Barrietos and said that when he heard Barrietos would receive the medal he went to Walter Reed because “I wanted to do this myself.”  The medal is the oldest, continuous military award, dating back on 1917.

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The basic media opposition to President Donald Trump is so severe that most of their representative silliness is now ignored.  However, every once in a while, they goofiest of them find a way to push the scope of their Trump Derangement Syndrome to such a ridiculous level that it becomes noteworthy simply to ridicule the ridiculousness of it all.

Such an example surface from MSNBC and Rachel Maddow who twisted herself into a pretzel to find a way to blame President Trump for the protests in Venezuela.

At the 01:13 moment of this video, for ten seconds, it is possible to look through the stargate into bizzarro world. [Prompted, just hit play]

https://youtu.be/_7WYMl7Zc1Q?t=1m10s

 

…”there have been weeks, and weeks, and weeks of rioting and violent protests. And now today Venezuelans are enraged anew – by this brand new FEC filing from the White House“..

Yes, somehow, twisted though it may be, Baghdad Maddow is claiming the people on the street in Venezuela are protesting because the owner of Citgo donated to the Trump inauguration fund.  Folks, you just can’t make up this level of moonbattery.

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There is a massive psy-ops and social media propaganda campaign currently being pushed by the Venezuelan government in order to cover for their violent responses toward the average citizen in the country.  Liberal/Hollywood media are lax in covering the crisis because Venezuela represents a failure of their previously heralded socialist state.

What is continuing to happen in Venezuela is heartbreaking. Today Venezuela’s opposition march in silence honor a dozen people killed during protests demanding that the government of President Nicolas Maduro hold delayed elections and address a growing economic crisis. Watch:

Added STs
PLEASE watch, forward 2 @POTUS

We can’t sit by & do nothing
simply because Venezuela isn’t on anyone’s talking pt#SOSVenezuela? pic.twitter.com/auYIpHPf3K

— Из России с?MamaReg (@MamaReg2) April 22, 2017

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Twelve people have been killed in a renewed wave of demonstrations this month in incidents primarily involving security forces or armed civilians. Another eight were electrocuted in a looting incident that took place following a protest as people search for food.

No Comments #MarchaEnSilencio #Caracas #Venezuela pic.twitter.com/J8WTTjr8xY

— Laura Machado (@machadolarralde) April 22, 2017

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President Trump announces a rally in Harrisburg Pennsylvania for Saturday April 29th at 7:30pm.  In addition to being the 100th day of the Trump administration, it is also the same night as the self-congratulating White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington DC.

Too funny.  Subtle, like a brick through a window.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sean Spicer Twitter @PressSec

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †