Notations On Our World: On #Iran....

Tehran @ Night

Iran just celebrated its' 37th year of Revolution.      This is as almost 99% of the so-called reformist candidates for the Assembly of Experts were disqualified by the Guardian Council.    This includes the Grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Hassan Khomeini.   The role of the Assembly of Experts (with responsibility for Nominal Supervision of the Supreme Leader (Supreme Guide) of the Revolution) is becoming ever so paramount as rumors of Khamenei's ill health continues to persist.

The official instagram account of Jamaran (which is Mr. Khomeini's Official Channel and supported wit) lambasted the disqualification as it came out squarely on the side of the President, Mr. Rouhani and Mr. Rafsanjani.   Mr. Rafsanjani has said he would be announcing his slate of preferred candidates within the next 24 hours.   It is part of the challenge within the ruling establishment of Iran as profound challenges mount that our team has been assessing as elections loom.     Jamaran also reported about the warm greetings Rafsanjani received while "among the crowds".       This is as there continues to be a concerted effort to stifle Social Media Engagement throughout the Country.

The revolution began with a promise--and despite all the public stance taken, it appears that the promise is yet to be realized.  We could not help but wonder about this thought from Walt Disney as Iran decides:

This is as we remember the leaders of the Green Movement who are still in detention and all the prisoners of conscious who continue to be harassed and detained.    



Notations From the Grid: On #Syria

The Reality of Syria Today As Depicted by The Econmist KAL 

As our team is on the "Prowl" on Syria and the latest (especially as we saw a report on Al-Monitor about speculation on Turkey invading Syria), we could not help but share the latest depiction of the tragedy in Syria that underscores how tough it all is.    This is as the Guardian just reported that 11.5% of the people have either been killed or injured--that's not including those who are refugees:

Report on Syria conflict finds 11.5% of population killed or injured https://t.co/zOabxJZQAQ

— The Guardian (@guardian) February 11, 2016

Notations On the World: On The Aftermath of #NewHampshire (Cont'd)

Our team has been in receipt of outreach from all the top tier candidates today.    We have also been assessing the aftermath and thought that this interesting snapshot from the Fortune's Allan Murray was worth noting.   As we went to press, Carly Fiorina has dropped out and there are hints that Chris Christie will do the same.

The candidate field is s starting to "whittle down", but the campaign will continue onward and it will not be over for a while yet.    South Carolina will be another battle ground to see who will be left standing.  

   

February 10, 2016

Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump trounced the opposition in New Hampshire. Trump won twice the votes of John Kasich, his nearest opponent; Sanders beat Hillary Clinton by more than 20 percentage points. Here are six takeaways from the nation's first primary: Trump and Sanders are the front runners, and could well win their parties' nominations. Trump just has to keep doing what he's been doing; Sanders has to show he can win black votes. Expect him to spend a lot of time with black people in the coming days. Rumors of Jeb Bush's demise were premature. "Establishment" Republicans - Kasich + Bush + Rubio + Christie + Fiorina - won half the vote in New Hampshire. Kasich was the surprise leader of the group, but Bush has the resources to prevail, and by beating Rubio, he kept himself alive. Expect him to keep handing out toy tortoises. A different Hillary will emerge from this primary race - one who is far less moderate and far more committed to economic and social justice than before. This is not just campaign posturing; elections have real consequences. Michael Bloomberg is preparing his independent campaign. Big wins by Sanders and Trump were all the encouragement he needs. He may wait to see if South Carolina changes the race's momentum, but he can't/won't wait long. The odds are still against an independent candidacy, but a Trump-Sanders race would create the best opportunity since Teddy Roosevelt. The Pacific trade deal is in deep trouble. Opposing it is the one thing Trump and Sanders agree on, and neither party can be quick to reject that message. Even a post-election lame duck effort would risk inciting voters' wrath. Wall Street and Big Pharma are in trouble. The populist uprising won't quickly subside. Hillary Clinton's rousing concession speech showed they will be top targets. If a Republican wins the White House, he should make Chris Christie attorney general. Christie's takedown of Marco Rubio in Saturday's debate, which destroyed the Rubio candidacy, was worthy of Perry Mason.