HAIL TO THE SNIFFER-IN-CHIEF!

        Donald Trump’s performance in the second presidential debate confirmed the impression of viewers of the first debate that of the two candidates he is the only one who is qualified to step immediately into the role of Sniffer-in-Chief. There is no argument on that point from his opponent, Hillary Clinton.
        He is also to be complimented for the fact that his performance exceeded all expectations.
The bar was at floor level.
        Then, too, he didn’t glaringly self-destruct this time, as he did in the first debate; ergo, according to Fox News, he won.
        Surely his supporters must have been pleased with how skillfully their hero avoided answering every question he was asked, and how clever he was at talking without ever saying anything, a tactic he has developed to perfection. What is even more remarkable, he does it so easily and unconsciously that his supporters are not even aware of it! How much more exciting they find his irrelevant

FUTURE BLOG POSTS

✔RSA=s basketball rules (six?)

The Last Time  Ameasuring life by the routine things we do (shaving, showers. Visits, , whatever.
Our last trip to Cooperstown, our last movie, Margie=s last visit to Peggy her long-time manicurist. Usha, her long-time hairdresser.  Our last meal together The last time she cut my cut
The amount of time spent doing certain everyday things like shaving and other ablutions.

The ??? of Grief (evolvement, changing, ?? ) (title)  ALingering Grief@ (title?) About how grief is a year later, or sixteen months later, depending upon when I write it.

Sweetheart of the Nassoons No. 6 and beyond

More Kudos and Catcalls (MSNBC now showing commercials without the sound - Engineer asleep at the switch? And still cutting some short. Happens frequently) May be happening on other channel, but I haven't noticed it.

✔Scott Walker for President? Commentators talking about him. Have they forgotten who he is and what he stands for and what kind of governor he was?

50 Shades of Gray - Not my kind of movie. Not my understanding of sex. Not my understanding of  love. What it says about American womanhood and manhood, our culture, our values, our morality, our spirituality (or about the sulture, values, etc. of those who flock to see the movie)
Amaerican voyeurism (wanting to watch other people=s sexual activity). Should be intimate, private, etc. The irony of naming the leading male character AChristian@

Owen Young (my article for Chicken Soup of the Soul)

Quotes from books (or short passages)

Violence (language, music, art, gun advocacy, etc)

Racism (black and white - I=ve been the target of black racism

✔The Elephant in the Room: Guns!

THE EXPLOSIVE POWER OF A PREGNANT PERIOD

        Mr. Trump thought he could put this issue to rest before the first presidential debate. He was wrong! He has only made matters much worse, arousing a firestorm of criticism from the news media. In reversing one lie, which was the cornerstone of his political campaign, he told two more blatant lies. He accused Hillary Clinton of starting the birther movement and he claimed credit for ending it!

        Donald Trump made his big announcement yesterday morning: “President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period!”
        That spoken "Period" was important. It meant:

        “I’m not going to say anything more. Period!”
        “I’m not going to tell you why I am making this announcement at this time. Period!”
        “I’m not going to tell you why I changed my mind. Period!”
        “I’m not going to admit I was wrong for claiming that Barack Obama was not born in the USA   and hence is not legally qualified to be President. Period!”
        “I’m not going to apologize to President Obama for repeating that falsehood for years. Period!”
        “I’m not going to apologize to the American people for lying to them about this. Period!"
        “I’m not going to apologize to the press for deceiving them into thinking they were coming to a  press conference this morning, instead of a marketing event for my new hotel and a political rally at which I would trot out some retired service vets to sing my praises. Period!”

DON’T BACK DOWN, HILLARY!

No need to apologize, Hillary!

       It was very gracious of you to apologize for your comment that half of Trump supporters belong in “your basket of deplorables.”
        I don’t think you needed to, however. In the first place, you applied that term to only half of them—a generous estimate. It was, moreover, an accurate designation, though you could have used a much stronger word. It is indeed deplorable than ANYONE could support a candidate like Donald Trump.
        You were not insulting their occupation, or their educational level, or their status in life, or their political party, as Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence, accused you of doing. You were deploring their behavior, their vulgarity, their racism, their sexism, their homophobia, their nasty insults, their obscenities, the dangerous threats they have directed at you at every Trump rally. You have every right to deplore not just the failure of their leader and his surrogates to curb or condemn such behavior, but their actual encouragement of it. I deplore the fact that the other 50% are putting up with it if not condoning it with their enthusiastic applause or their silent acquiescence. How magnanimous of you to let them off the hook!
        You have every right to deplore the media’s coverage of your comment. Your opponent lies or says something outlandish every time he speaks. He insults the President of the United States and his entire administration, he insults Congress, he insults our military leaders, he insults Mexicans, Muslims, women, everyone. You make one perfectly justifiable comment, and the Trump campaign twists it to make it sound as if you insulted all Republicans, which you did not. And now some of the pundits are pondering whether it could cost you the election! That’s deplorable!
        So don’t back down, Hillary. The context of your remark was perfectly clear, and the commentators should have been applauding you instead of criticizing you. They reveal their own deplorable sexism. You made a distinction that you had every right to make. The behavior of most Trump supporters is deplorable. The obnoxious behavior of many of them is deplorable and the fact that many more of them can’t see through Donald Trump is also deplorable.
        And what is especially deplorable to me is the fact that you had to be the one to say something the media should have been pointing all out along. Why do they let Trump and his supporters keep on repeating the same old lies, the same old charges of which you have been exonerated long ago? Why do they let Trump and his spokespersons ignore the findings of the FBI investigation and keep harping on your e-mails?
        It’s more than deplorable. It’s despicable!

THE UGLY AMERICAN

Sieg Heil!

        No wonder Donald Trump admires Vladimir Putin.
        Putin is a dictator, and that's how Trump views himself as President. He speaks and acts as if the United States of America is an autocracy. He speaks only in the first person: "I will fix it. . .” “I will build the wall. . . “I will bomb the (expletive) out of them!". . . "I will do . . . whatever it is." . . . “I . . . I . . . I . . ." He never mentions the Senate or the House of Representatives except to disparage them.
         Dangerous Donald has neither the character, nor the competence to hold that office, and he lacks the temperament to be the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces. It is time for the media to start holding him accountable for his outlandish statements and his outrageous lies aboutPresident Obama and Hillary Clinton. They need to challenge him and his surrogates, when they say things that are simply not true, and they are doing it all the time.       
        Trump even looks like a dictator. When he strides onto a stage, with his jutting chin and haughty air, he reminds me of Benito Mussolini. I keep waiting for his subjects to give him a stiff arm salute. How can they support such an arrogant buffoon, who hasn't the least clue about what it means to be President?
        The cable networks also need to stop airing Trump's campaign speeches, when he has nothing substantive to say. He keeps spewing out the same old malarkey, to use Joe Biden's colorful word. With his crude language and abusive manner Donald J. Trump is the supreme example  of The Ugly American.
         When will his more reasonable supporters, if there are any reasonable ones, wake up to reality?    

DANGEROUS DONALD TRUMP

Donald J. Trump

       The Commander-in-Chief  Forum tonight was no contest. Hillary Clinton hit it out of the park. She answered every question thoughtfully, thoroughly, and well.  Most of Donald Trump’s answers roamed all over the place. Secretary Clinton was detailed, specific, and to the point. He was superficial and at times even incoherent. By the time Mr. Trump finished some of his answers one could easily have forgotten what the question was. She was articulate, knowledgeable, thorough. Trump revealed his ignorance, and in his case ignorance is not bliss; it is downright dangerous!
        Most importantly, Hillary Clinton was presidential. Donald Trump was his pompous, boastful, outrageous self. He praised Vladimir Putin and disparaged Barack Obama, saying that the President had reduced our military leaders to rubble. He most inappropriately accused those who had given him and his team the intelligence briefings of revealing their dissatisfaction with President Obama's policies. He showed he had no awareness whatsoever as to how the promotion system in the military works, acting as if he as President could appoint his own generals and admirals! He criticized our military leaders for not confiscating Iraq's oil fields at the end of the war, an action that would have been a serious breach of international law. Those are just a few of his egregious comments.
        Will their respective performances change their favorability polling numbers with the voting public? We'll have to wait a few days to find out. The pro-Trump hard core panelists thought their candidate won the night. Nothing “The Donald” says or does ever dampens their enthusiasm for him, and conversely nothing Hillary Clinton says or does changes their negative opinions of her. I can't help feeling, however, that more undecided voters will be leaning toward Hillary after watching tonight's forum.

THE "NEW" TRUMP IS THE SAME OLD TRUMP

The same old Trump

        Donald Trump and his surrogates have been using what I call the Karlrovian tactic: accusing their opponent of all the things of which they themselves are guilty. So we hear Trump calling Secretary Clinton mentally incompetent, a liar, unfit to be president, lacking the demeanor, knowledge, and leadership to be Commander-in-Chief, etc, etc.
        How can any reasonable person take anything Trump says seriously? His speech writers are trying to make him sound more "presidential," but does anyone think that Trump can ever stop being Trump? He now presents himself to his overwhelmingly white audiences as deserving of the African American vote, but most black voters are too smart to fall  for Trump's platitudes. They see right through his phony claims and promises.
        The "new" Trump is still the same old Trump. Lord help us all, if he should ever become P.resident of the United States!
       

HILLARY IS THE TRUTHFUl ONE!

Peter Daou

        I have repeatedly said that  Hillary Clinton did not lie about her emails and have given my reasons for believing that.  How satisfying now to read an article that substantiates the rationality for that conviction.
        The article, entitled Hillary Clinton Did Not Lie About Her Emails, was written by Peter Daou, with help from Melissa McEwan. A participant in two presidential campaigns, Daou was an adviser to Hillary Clinton and to John Kerry. He is the CEO of  Blue Nation Review (BNR).
         Hillary did not lie. It is her accusers who are being disingenuous.
        

MORE TROUBLE FOR TRUMP

        If you have not heard Tony Schwartz being interviewed within the last few days, you have missed a major news story. I cannot imagine why there has not been much more attention paid to it. What he has to say about Donald Trump is really scary.
        Who is Tony Schwartz? He is the man who actually wrote The Art of the Deal, the book Donald Trump is constantly boasting about. Schwartz's name appears on the cover as the co-author with Donald Trump, but you need to hear what he has to tell about that. 
        After remaining silent for thirty years, Schwartz has felt compelled by his conscience to speak out, because he is horrified by the thought of Trump's becoming President of the United States. In the view of Mr. Schwartz, Donald Trump is a "pathologically impulsive and self-centered" sociopath.
        But I'll let you read about it for yourself. My son Andy has sent the following link to all his Facebook friends. Click here to read Jane Mayer's devastating article in "The New Yorker" magazine. 
        That are reports that Mr. Schwartz may be facing a lawsuit from the Trump organization, but he is much less concerned about being sued than he is about the danger of a Donald Trump presidency. After hearing him being interviewed at length on this whole matter, I am convinced that he would have no trouble proving who the real author of  The Art of the Deal is! 

THE REAL HILLARY

Hillary Rodham Clinton

       Why do so many people dislike and distrust Hillary Clinton, while others admire her immensely? 
        In case you have not yet seen it, here is the most thorough answer to that question I have yet read. This article by award-winning on-line columnist and Editor-in-Chief of Vox, Ezra Klein, is one that serious voters should read, regardless of their present feelings about Mrs. Clinton, and irrespective of their current inclinations concerning the forthcoming presidential election.
        The author tries to understand what he calls “the gap” between Hillary’s admirers and her detractors. It is a lengthy article but well worth the reading. When you have finished it, I think you will want to pass it along to your friends. I am indebted to my son Woody for sending it to me.
        Mr. Klein appears often on television and I have always enjoyed his political analysis. After reading this recent article, I am even more impressed.
        To access the link, click here: Understanding Hillary.

REPUBLICAN WITCH HUNT AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON CONTINUES

FBI Director James Comey testifies before the COC

        The Republicans are not giving up their witch hunt against Hillary Clinton.
        They were enraged that FBI Director James Comey, after his department’s exhaustive investigation and despite his criticism of Secretary Clinton’s and her associates’ handling of their email, did not find that any charges of criminal activity were in order. Their mistakes were “extremely careless” but unintentional.
        That was not good enough for the Congressional Republicans, who were hoping for if not expecting a different outcome. So they immediately turned their attack against Mr. Comey, a highly esteemed public servant with impeccable credentials. The hastily called hearing before the Republican controlled Congressional Oversight Committee backfired big time. Not only did the FBI Director refute their insinuations and outright charges that Hillary Clinton was being treated more leniently than anyone else would have been, he said in effect that to indict her would be to treat her more harshly than anyone else and totally unprecedented.
        Mr. Comey stated that Secretary Clinton had never lied to the FBI, nor did she intentionally do anything to jeopardize the security of the United States. Those who have followed the email story know that she admitted that setting up a private server for her convenience was a mistake for which she was sorry, even though she never thought it was improper at the time.
        Despite the FBI’s report, Mrs. Clinton continues to insist that she did not send or receive classified information while she was Secretary of State. How, then, do we reconcile that repeated statement with the findings of the FBI investigation? One possibility is that there could have been

TRUMP IS STILL TRUMP

A Very Spotty Leopard Indeed

        Call it wishful thinking, call it blind loyalty, call it naivety, call it sheer stupidity, call it what you will, for anyone seriously to think that Donald Trump’s speech on Tuesday represented any kind of instant metamorphosis in the Republican nominee is utterly ridiculous.
        It was ludicrous to hear Joe Scarborough on his program the next morning hail the speech as a turning point for a candidate whose arrogance, vulgarity, and superficiality have been disgustingly evident from the very start of his campaign.
        Trump was reading from Teleprompters a speech most of which others had written for him, quoting from the usual discredited sources. He was less awkward using the Teleprompters this time, and it will be interesting to see if he uses them more often in the future. Maybe, but I have a feeling we haven’t seen the end of the real Donald Trump, who will have a hard time keeping on script.
        Of course the Republicans were delighted to hear their nominee launch his barrage of lies about Secretary Clinton. They have been applauding their candidate’s more “presidential” persona and predicting that this new line of attack will generate the kind of financial support he needs to compete in the general election.
        But the fact remains that a leopard can’t change its spots (see Can a Leopard Change Its Spots?leopard), and Donald Trump is still Donald Trump, a very spotty leopard indeed.

SHAME ON YOU, REPUBLICANS!

       The historic sit-in of the Democrats that is continuing in the House of Representatives as this article is being written is a powerful reminder of where the blame should be placed for the failure of Congress to deal with gun violence.

        Throughout the current campaign, political commentators and the public in general have been speaking derogatorily but erroneously of the ineptitude of our Ado-nothing@ Congress. It has been not Congress but the Republicans in Congress who are to blame for the Federal Government=s failure to deal with gun violence, immigration reform, our crumbling infrastructure, and other pressing problems.

         It is outrageous that Speaker Paul Ryan has refused to allow a reasonable gun legislation bill with recommendations approved by more than 90% of Americans to be put to a vote in the House.

         In the wake of the worst mass shooting in our nation=s history, for any elected official to refuse to act immediately on desperately needed measures to reduce gun violence is inexcusable. Shame on you, Republicans!

         You are the ones to blame for the problems we are facing in America. How clever of you, and how dishonest of you, to try to pass the blame to President Obama, or the Democrats, or anyone else. You have blocked every progressive piece of legislation that has come before you, refused to cooperate with your counterparts across the aisle, and criticized the President for taking executive actions within his authority to deal with the problems you refused to address.

        The Democrats who are protesting your obstinate and I must say cowardly refusal to deal with gun violence are putting you to shame. How can you live with yourselves?

        Again I say, shame on you!
PS    And with respect to gun legislation, shame on you few Democrats, too, who for fear of your pro-gun constituents have sided with the Republicans on this issue.  

STILL FANNING THE FLAME

Bernie is still fanning the flame.

        In his live stream message to his followers tonight Bernie Sanders gave them no reason to want to support Hillary Clinton.
        If the interviews afterward with some of those who had gathered in groups to listen to the telecast are any indication of how his constituents are feeling, it is obvious that they are still enthusiastic about keeping "the revolution" alive, while some may be naively nourishing a vain hope that Senator Sanders can still somehow pull off a win at the Democratic National Convention.
        Regardless of whatever realistic acceptance they may be secretly harboring of the fact that their candidate was soundly defeated in the primaries, they exhibited no enthusiasm whatsoever for getting behind Secretary Clinton. Maybe it is too early to expect that of those who are still "feeling the Bern," especially when their leader is still fanning the flame.
        But it is not too early for Senators Sanders to change his rhetoric. His message tonight was just  another campaign speech, a kind of composite of all his other speeches. We've heard it all before.  Except for two or three brief reference to his recent meeting with Secretary Clinton, with whom he had to point out that he still has strong differences, and the need to defeat Donald Trump, there was nothing in his message to persuade his followers to think differently about his former Democratic opponent, of whom he had been so consistently critical.
        If the Senator from Vermont really does want to see Donald Trump defeated, he needs to change his tune. I was hoping it would happen tonight.
        It didn't.

MY MOST MEMORABLE MUHAMMED ALI MOMENT

        Muhammed Ali was buried yesterday in Louisville, Kentucky.
       The world has been remembering his remarkable life and mourning his death. Everyone who ever met him has a special story to tell. I never met Ali or even saw him in person, but I followed his amazing career, watched many of his fights on television, laughed at his antics, had mixed emotions about his changing his name and switching religions, was impressed by his sense of justice and principled stand against the Vietnam War, and admired his many contributions to humanitarian causes.
        But for me the most memorable moment of Ali's storied career was not the famous "rumble in the jungle" and his stunning knockout of George Foreman, nor any of his other victories in the ring, nor any of his quotable rhymes or defiant statements. For me it was his lighting of the Olympic flame at the start of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. 
        His participation in the ceremony had been a carefully guarded secret, and when he appeared on the elevated stand where the light was to take place, visible to all on the huge screens, held high the torch in his trembling hands, and then lit the Olympic flame, as his entire body was shaking from his advanced Parkinson's disease, the roar of approval from the momentarily stunned spectators was deafening. I suspect that among the millions around the world who were watching the event on television, many were struggling hard to hold back the tears.
        I was one of them.

HOW ABOUT IT, BERNIE!

Senator Bernie Sanders

        I know you are a sincere, totally committed, genuinely concerned public servant. You have a passionate sense of justice, and you care deeply about the glaring inequalities to which you have called our nation’s attention. You have been an articulate champion and an electrifying spokesperson for the causes you believe in, and have tapped into the critical idealism and the dissatisfaction with the status quo of many Americans, including especially the younger generation.         
        But it’s time for you to face the facts. If you really mean what you say about preventing Donald Trump from becoming the next President of the United States, why do you continue to attack the person who will be opposing him in the general election?
        Of course, you think that person should be you, not Hillary Clinton, notwithstanding the fact that she is leading you in pledged delegates, in total delegates (including super delegates), and in the popular vote count by some three million votes! That figure doesn’t include Secretary Clinton’s primary wins in Nebraska and more recently in Washington, a fact which you and your supporters conveniently overlook, when you boast about your big wins in those two states.
        Only 26,299 votes were cast in the Washington caucus, which you won by an impressive 72.7%, representing 12,019 voters. Compare that with the more than 660,000 voters who participated in the Washington Democratic primary, in which Hillary bested you by six percentage points and some 40,000 votes! Fortunately for you, the delegates had already been awarded, but you lost your bragging rights for that state, the majority of whose voters actually favor Mrs. Clinton over you!
        The same thing is true about Nebraska. You won the caucus by 14.2%; Mrs. Clinton won the primary, representing far more voters, by 19%! Again, fortunately for you,  the delegates had already been awarded in the caucus,  Maybe you shouldn’t complain so much about the “rigged system”!
        You keep pointing out that some polls are showing you with a bigger favorability lead than Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. That’s your main argument for thinking her super-delegates should switch over to you. Given her strong lead among voters and pledged delegates, plus the fact that you have not yet been subjected to the kinds of attacks she has had to endure from Republicans as well as from you and your surrogates, or the kind of scrutiny she has received from the media,  such a transfer of loyalty would be totally unreasonable and unfair. With all due respect for your desire to be President, you haven’t yet been through the vetting mill, and for all the enthusiasm of your young supporters, you haven’t earned the right to represent the Democratic Party, of which you have been so critical.
        So, how about it, Senator Sanders, why not do the right thing for the country and for your adopted party, and throw your support wholeheartedly behind the person who has actually won the right to be the standard bearer of the Democratic Party and who many people feel is far more qualified for the office of the presidency than any other candidate from either party —maybe ever!

[PS to my readers: For one of many lists of Hillary Clinton's qualifications click here and of her accomplishments click here.]
   

HILLARY CLINTON'S SEMINAL ADDRESS

June 2, 2016 - Hillary Clinton delivers foreign policy address

       Hillary Clinton knocked it out of the ball park this week with her deft demolishing of Donald Trump’s presidential qualifications, character, and demeanor. In her address on Thursday she masterfully used her Republican opponent’s own words against him, leaving scant room for rebuttal.   
        And to any reasonably objective observer what a contrast she presented between her own intelligent, decisive, rational style and the bombastic, barbarous, bullying braggadocio of the self-proclaimed multi-billionaire.
        While defining Mr. Trump as unqualified and unfit to be President of the United Sates, Secretary Clinton was herself quite presidential in her bearing and in the content of her message. Her remarks were substantive, specific, and well documented. Despite his screaming accusations to the contrary, fact-checkers have verified the accuracy of Hillary’s quotes from his speeches and interviews.  
        Republican commentators along with Trump himself predictably labeled Mrs. Clinton’s address a political campaign speech rather than a foreign policy statement, as it was billed to be. It was clearly both, political in that she was distinguishing herself from her Republican opponent, and foreign policy related because in pointing out the serious adverse consequences of her opponent’s expressed views, she was indicating her own positions on those issues. 
        The Hillary haters faulted her for not referring in her address to what they consider to be her own failings as Secretary of State, but the charge is ridiculous.
She feels no further need to defend herself against the false accusations of her opponents, nor was that ever the purpose of her address. Mrs. Clinton was on the offense and she had every right to be. Her purpose was to distinguish herself clearly and completely from Donald Trump and that she did most effectively.
       Secretary Clinton’s address was by no means a routine or ordinary political speech. It was seminal! It represented a turning point in the current presidential campaign. That is already evident in the way Donald Trump himself responded to her withering denunciation. His arrogant, blustering style was on full display and will continue to be whenever he speaks from now on. Every time he opens his foul mouth he illustrates Mrs. Clinton’s point: Donald Trump is not fit to be President of the United States!

DID ANYONE NOTICE?

        Hey, did anyone notice? Hillary Clinton won the Democratic primary vote on Tuesday in Nebraska by a sizeable margin over Bernie Sanders.
        Neither candidate won any delegates, as they had already been awarded on the basis of the caucus held on March 5, when Senator Sanders won by double digits.
        But this was an important “moral” and symbolic victory for Secretary Clinton, for it further confirmed not only that she does better than her opponent in primary elections, but that she was actually the more popular candidate in a state her opponent had won!
        Hillary’s win throws a bit of a wet blanket over Bernie’s bragging rights, as it raises the question of how much larger her already substantial vote margin might be if all of the caucus states he won had had primaries instead of caucuses.
        Bernie’s victory in West Virginia yesterday fueled his desire to keep his campaign going full speed, even though his path to victory got even narrower, despite the win. The chances of his winning all the remaining states by the huge margins needed to catch up to his opponent are practically nil. If he wins less than 65% of the vote in any state, he loses ground!
        But Bernie will get the headlines this morning and keep on fueling the false hopes of his supporters. Hillary won Nebraska yesterday, but did anyone notice?
        I bet Bernie did!

A TIME OF TESTING

        The integrity of Republican leaders is being tested, indeed that of all Republicans.
        How many of them are willing to put the good of the country ahead of their Party loyalty? Some have already failed the test. They know that to have Donald Trump in the White House would be a disaster for our nation. Yet they are switching their allegiance to him, in many cases despite their previous strong opposition to him.
        Meanwhile the Trump “reality show” roars on. The “Stop Trump” movement failed miserably. What a sad commentary on the I.Q. of today’s electorate that so many Americans can be completely bamboozled by such an unqualified, bullying braggart. It is disgusting to watch, and the consequences are frightening to consider.
        The media deserve a large share of the blame for the Trump phenomenon. Why have they not held this pompous peacock accountable for his wild words and baseless claims? Will they start doing so, now that he has become the Republican nominee and the danger to our country and to our reputation among the other nations of the world is frighteningly real?
        This is a time of testing for every political commentator, and indeed for every American. Our core values are at stake —freedom, justice, truth. It is a time of testing for our entire nation.
        And the rest of the world is watching.

CAN A LEOPARD CHANGE ITS SPOTS?

The Presumptive Republican Nominee

        There has been much speculation about whether or not Donald Trump will start “acting more presidential”and begin speaking substantively about his policies regarding the issues facing our nation, now that he has become the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party.
        I watched him make one unsuccessful stab at doing so, when he tried awkwardly to deliver a speech from a prepared manuscript with the aid of a teleprompter. He was out of his element, and he could not constrain himself from departing from the text and reverting to his usual blustering, repetitive style.
        But here’s the problem with Mr. Trump: even if he could “act presidential,” that’s what it would be —an act! Being presidential is not something you pretend to be. You are or you are not presidential, and he is not!
        Can he hide his vulgarity, his bigotry, his arrogance, his mammoth ego? I doubt it. Why should anyone believe he would stop insulting people, and telling lies, and revealing his ignorance about foreign relations and domestic affairs and how the Federal government works?
        Can a self-serving deal maker suddenly acquire the art of diplomacy? Can an incessant braggart reflect the grace of genuine humility? Can a man who sounds more like an aspiring dictator than a presidential candidate comprehend the meaning of SERVANT LEADERSHIP?
        Can a leopard change its spots?   

STILL FEELING THE BERN?

Still drawing the crowds ---but for how long?

        Bernie Sanders is still drawing large crowds, but how long will that last?
        Three factors might result in a decline in those numbers. College classes will be over soon. It will be interesting to see what happens when the students are dispersed for the summer.
        The second factor is the decreasing viability of the Sanders campaign, as people begin to accept the reality that there is realistically no chance of his winning the nomination. Will he be able to maintain the same level of enthusiasm?
        Senator Sanders has raised a remarkable amount of money and spent far more than his Democratic opponent, but still another reality is that people are not inclined to support a loser. At some point Senator Sanders and his surrogates will have to stop pretending he has a chance. How will that impact his fundraising efforts?
         The pundits have offered many projections regarding the Democratic race for delegates.
For another recent analysis that appears to be fairly objective click on the link below:
         https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-sanders-comeback-would-be-unprecedented/

IS BERNIE FEEELING THE BURN?

Is Bernie feeling the burn?

         I have been on a long hiatus, having to attend to other priorities. I'm sorry about that, as there have been things to write about every day.
        But I had to take a moment to call attention to Robin Alperstein's recent article that is causing quite a stir on social media. Its title is reason enough for Senator Sanders' followers to hurl their Bernie bombs at the author. But truly open-minded or undecided voters will find it quite revealing.
         It's a lengthy piece but well worth the reading, because it is the most comprehensive critique of Bernie Sanders I have yet seen. Whether or not one agrees with the author, one needs to give serious attention to what she has to say.
          Senator Sanders' record has received very little scrutiny and his ideas and claims have not been  vigorously critiqued thus far in the campaign. He has been given a pretty smooth ride by the media. He has been rightfully commended for attracting huge turnouts at his rallies and for energizing the younger generation and engaging many new voters in the political process.
          But does he have the bearing and the personality to be President, or the political skills and  proven record to work with a divided Congress to achieve his objectives? Before you answer,
click on the link below and read Alperstein's entire article, then decide for yourself.
  https://medium.com/@robinalperstein/on-becoming-anti-bernie-ee87943ae699?curator=MediaREDEF#.h715619a

THE BERNIE FAD

       It’s no wonder Hillary Clinton lost the New Hampshire primary, given the way her opponents and the media have treated her.
        With respect to the younger generation, she is confronted by a phenomenon that is predominantly irrational and hence difficult to combat; I call it political fadism. It’s the herd mentality. To young people Bernie Sanders has become a political rock star. He has struck a nerve and is playing it for all its worth. When asked why they like Bernie, they repeat back his campaign diatribes. It is no matter that his promises are unrealistic and lacking in substance. He is saying what they like to hear. It’s no matter that he cannot possibly deliver on his promises and that he has no real plan to pay for them, just the claim that he will make Wall Street and the wealthiest 1% of Americans pay for everything. And, don’t forget his admission there will be a tax increase on the middle class.      
        Here’s why I call the Bernie Sanders phenomenon a fad. It’s not “cool” for any young person not to be for Bernie. I admire those young people who have gone against the crowd, who can think for themselves, and who can stand up against the taunts and jeers of their peers. There is no reason that given the similarities of the two Democratic candidates on most major goals, there should be such a one-sided split in their preferences.
        Nor is there any rational reason why young women should prefer Bernie over Hillary. Some young women will, of course.  But why an overwhelming majority, given the incredible record of Hillary Clinton on women’s issues? Gloria Steinem was criticized the other day for saying that girls are just doing what the boys do. What she said was right. There is no logical reason why many if not most women of all ages should not want to vote for Hillary. She, not Bernie, is the one who has championed their rights for years. It's the herd mentality!
        Young women are defiantly declaring that Hillary has no right to expect their vote simply because she is a woman. She would agree! It’s not because she is a woman; it’s because of all she has done for women throughout her professional life. She has earned their support!
        The pundits are correct in praising Bernie Sanders for raising and stressing the issues of income inequality and campaign finance reform. But they are wrong to accuse Hillary of speaking to those issues simply because of Bernie. She rightly was not going to let him claim ownership of her own convictions. And by the way, who is influencing whom now? Bernie is now talking about issues he never mentioned earlier in his campaign. He touched on everything imaginable in his lengthy victory speech in New Hampshire tonight. He sounded like Hillary Clinton, only much more bombastic.
        Now it’s on to South Carolina and Nevada, and Bernie knows he has to make inroads into the black community. So notice how his campaign rhetoric has changed! He has already convinced some blacks to switch their allegiance to him.
         The press and Sanders’ supporters are accusing Hillary of taking the black vote for granted. What an unfair and ridiculous charge! She is smart enough not to take any demographic constituency for granted, but she has a right to count on her black friends to support her. She has every right to hope they will remember how hard and how consistently she and her husband have fought against racial injustice and what a champion she has been for minority rights, and women’s rights, and human rights.
        I will be sad, terribly sad if Hillary doesn’t win the Democratic nomination and go on to win the presidency. I would feel as if our country had missed a golden opportunity to choose a most  capable and amazingly well qualified person, who is highly respected throughout the world. It’s time to break the gender barrier, and she has the right temperament and the capability to be that person. It’s time for a woman in the Oval Office. It’s time for Hillary!    
         I don’t want a revolution. I want genuine reform. I don’t want to tear everything down. I want to build on the accomplishments of the current administration and work on the challenges that are yet to be met. There is a place for an independent rabble rousing socialist in the Senate. Bernie Sanders has served well in that role. It is easy for a politician who is not beholden to any party to attack “the establishment” ---the establishment of which he is part, by the way. But how can he aspire to lead a party he has never belonged to?  Yes, he caucused most frequently with the Democrats, but he hasn’t really walked in their shoes.  There’s no question that Bernie is a smart politician and an effective rabble rouser. 
        But that’s what bothers me. I don’t want a rabble rouser in the White House.

IT'S TIME FOR HILLARY!

        Of all the presidential candidates, Republican and Democratic, Secretary Hillary Clinton is in my opinion by far the most qualified, the best prepared, the most articulate about the major issues confronting our nation, the most detailed in her proposals, the most widely known and respected internationally, and the most presidential in her bearing.
        She has been fighting for worthy causes and championing human rights her entire professional life. She has demonstrated her outstanding leadership capabilities time and again, and she has proven her ability to get things done. Having served eight years as a former First Lady, she is well acquainted with the role and the routine of  the White House;  as a former United States Senator she knows the workings of Congress; and as a former Secretary of State she has exceptional diplomatic and leadership skills. She knows State government as well, having spent nearly twelve years as First Lady in the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion.
        Everyone knows how important is the role of the President’s spouse. What an asset Bill Clinton will be to Hillary and to the nation in that role. Hillary has already shown, however,  that she is her own person. She is not intimidated by anybody, including Bill, but she will value his experience and advice. What a team they will make!
        It is so exciting to think of having our first female President. And what a worthy representative of that gender she will be. One of the things I admire the most about Hillary is that she has withstood the insidious attacks of her opponents and the unwarranted and unfair insinuations about her “trustworthiness” and “likability.” The way her motives have been impugned, no matter what she says, is despicable, and a glaring example of the sexist attitudes she wants to eliminate..
        The best testimony to her character is the strong loyalty and enthusiastic devotion of her friends and colleagues and the esteem in which she is held by those who know her best. Before she announced her intention to run for President, she spent many weeks traveling the country and listening to people. She wanted to know their concerns as well as their hopes and dreams. People who are aware of her record know, and people who meet her and who hear her speak soon learn, that she has their best interests at heart.
         Hillary’s chief Democratic rival, Senator Bernie Sanders, as well as the current front runner in the Republic campaign, Donald Trump, are both talking about a “movement” (Bernie sometimes uses the word “revolution”). They are both right.  America is indeed ready for a movement, but one led by a different kind of leader, one who can and will really make a difference, a person who will champion women’s rights, and children’s rights, and gay rights, one who know that Black lives matter, one who knows the urgent need for criminal justice reform and tax reform and immigration reform and campaign finance reform, one who will preserve and improve, not repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, who is skilled in dealing with the intricacies of foreign policy, who is familiar with and prepared for the usual as well as the unpredictable responsibilities of the Oval Office, one who already knows and is known and respected  by the leaders of other nations, one who has the gravitas, the personality, the communication skills, the judgment, and the bearing to assume on day one the presidency of the most powerful nation on earth.
        Yes, we do need a movement ---a Hillary Clinton movement! It's the right time (and it's about time!) for a woman President! It's time for someone who can and will build on the accomplishments of President Obama, one with proven ability to get things done and to bring people together across ideological lines to work toward mutually beneficial objectives, one who balances idealistic goals with realistic pragmatism, one who wants to move America forward by building on the good things from the past. It's time for a genuine public servant and a proven leader.
        It's time for Hillary Clinton. She is the right person to be the next President of the United States.

BOTH HILLARY AND BERNIE HAVE EVOLVED

Sen.Bernie Sanders and former Sec. of State  Hillary Clinton

        Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have criticized each other for changing their positions on certain issues. So have the Republican contenders in their debates.
        Voters need to distinguish between flip-flopping, which is bad, and evolving, which can be good or bad, depending upon how a candidate has evolved and what the candidate’s position is now. It is perfectly appropriate for a candidate to change his or her position as circumstances change. What reasonable person has not been willing to change his or her mind on the basis of new information?
        The question is not where a candidate stood on a given issue “back then,” but where he or she stands now, and why. The question is not when a candidate made up her or his mind on a given issue, but how and why one has come to believe what one believes now. What were the circumstances that influenced his or her decision?
        The candidates have a right to ask each other why they changed their minds, when that is the case, but they should stop criticizing each other for doing so, unless they disagree with where their opponent stands now.
        Neither Senator Sanders nor Secretary Clinton is a flip-flopper, but the positions of each of them on certain issues have evolved. Good for them. They now agree idealistically on many if not most issues. Again, good for them! They disagree less about what is idealistically desirable than they do about what is pragmatically possible. So now we need to hear a really substantive debate on how they expect to achieve and pay for their respective goals.

THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES

        In the idealistic world of Horatio Alger one can strive and succeed. That’s the theoretical advantage of our capitalistic free enterprise system.
        Because competition is an essential part of the system, there will inevitably be losers as well as winners. When the winners become so successful and powerful that they can stifle competition, restrain trade, and control the system to the detriment of consumers, then the Federal government steps in and passes regulatory legislation like the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, the Federal Trade Commission act of 1914, and the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
        Under the communistic system free enterprise is abolished and the government controls and runs everything. In between these two diametrically opposed economic systems there is socialism, which is characterized by "the collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods" (Merriam-Webster). Those who are alarmed by the exigencies of the capitalistic system might find some aspects of socialism attractive.

        Bernie Sanders has called himself a Socialist, more recently a Democratic Socialist. He has struck a nerve with younger voters in his narrowly focused campaign diatribe against “Wall Street” and the wealthiest 1% of Americans. In every speech he hammers on the same theme, and in every debate he manages somehow to work that theme into his response, no matter what the question. There is no doubt his message has caught hold, because his campaign is surging, according to the latest polls. Americans should indeed be concerned about the disappearance of the middle class and the growing gap between the ultra wealthy and the swelling millions who fall below the poverty line. 
        Senator Sanders has yet to spell out the concrete details of how he expects to achieve his idealistic goals, however, other than his general promise to make the wealthy and major corporations pay their fair share of taxes. Tax reform is desperately needed, but shouting for it and actually achieving it are not at all the same. Supporters of his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, are quick to point to her ability to get things done. So it comes down to a choice between an angry idealist and a determined pragmatist, a dreamer and a doer.
        As the debate continues, here is a question Senator Sanders should be asked: “Do you, as a socialist, believe in the free enterprise system?” Voters should be interested in his reply! A negative response would spark a firestorm among those who view free enterprise as a sacred part of the American heritage. On the other hand, even a qualified affirmative reply would force him to deal with the paradoxical nature of success (its limitations and its excesses) in a competitive economic world.
        Capitalism has its flaws, but is Sen. Sanders ready to replace it with his own socialistic economic system?  And do his idealistic but perhaps naive adherents realize what they are really supporting? They had better take a closer look at the emperor’s new clothes!