October 2024 – We Built It Blog by Larry Jacob

TRUMP AT MSG. SUPPORTERS 20,000, NAZIS 0

As you all know, this past Sunday Donald Trump held a massive rally at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The concise headline in the NY Post summed it up perfectly, “A MEGA MAGA AT THE MECCA.”

Trump boldly decided to stage a massive rally in arguably the bluest of blue venues, NYC. This is the same NYC that virtually always votes for Dem candidates from the president on down to the City Council and for every office in between. This is the same NYC that hosted his Stalin-era “show trial” a few months ago on “trumped up” charges that resulted in a conviction, which will certainly be overturned by the higher courts.

According to multiple media reports the Garden was filled to capacity; plus, there were thousands more people outside who could not get in. Among the attendees were my grandson, Mason, and three of his friends. Despite the inane and execrable statements that have been spewed out by many Dems and their allies in the media regarding those who attended the rally I can assure you that my grandson and his friends are not Nazis. They, like all the other attendees are people who are fed up with the state of the country and believe that Trump will fix it.

According to Mason there was a wide cross-section of people of all ages, genders, and races with nary a Nazi in sight. Other eyewitness accounts published in multiple media outlets have confirmed this. For example, Lily Zuckerman, reported in the Post seeing several Jews wearing Stars of David and traditional Orthodox garb such as kippahs and black hats. She added that people were generally upbeat, vibrant, joyous, and friendly. More gaslighting by desperate and duplicitous Dems exposed.

Mason and his friends got up at 6:00 am, arrived at around 7:40, and reported there were already a goodly number of people there. The Post reported that some 2,000 people had been camping out for as long as 48 hours. The crowd was peaceful and in festive spirits. They waited outside several hours before the doors were opened, but they were able to get good seats inside. Much of the overflow that could not get in watched the proceedings from inside nearby restaurants and bars, but thousands more remained outside, content just to be part of the event. Once the proceedings commenced the crowds were raucous and enthusiastic but peaceful. The Post compared the atmosphere and enthusiasm to that seen for rock stars. Many fans had driven hundreds of miles and camped out for days to be a part of it.

As I said, there was a wide cross-section of people in attendance. But do you know what was missing from the rally? Nazis. There was nary a Nazi flag or swastika in sight. Speaker Hulk Hogan, in his blunt, bombastic manner, bellowed “I don’t see no stinking Nazis in here!” Do you know what else was missing? Protesters. One secret service agent was quoted as estimating the number of protesters at about 150, hardly a blip.

In a demonstration of unity, the program included speeches by a wide cross-section of supporters including allies such as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, former opponents such as Vivek Ramaswamy and RFK, non-political luminaries such as Rudy Giuliani, Hulk Hogan and Tucker Carlson, former Dems such as Tulsi Gabbard, VP nominee J. D. Vance, and the former First Lady, Melania (not a Nazi among them either). Indeed, in what world would one find Orthodox Jews and pro-Israel banners at a Nazi rally? Many of the speakers specifically defended Israel and criticized BH for the manner in which they have treated it.

The massive and enthusiastic crowd counteracted the claim by the Dems that he is unfit for office. In addition, columnist Piers Morgan characterized Clinton’s comparison of this rally to the 1939 pro-Nazi rally as “despicable” but consistent with the Dems “incessant and hysterical demonization” of Trump. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Trump led off his speech with the standard question, “are you better off today than you were four years ago?” Of course, that got the crowd fired up, because for 90% of us the answer is a resounding NO! Then, he covered the usual topics, such as the economy, the border, mass deportation of illegal migrants, reinstituting drilling for oil and gas, no tax on social security, tips, and overtime, and fighting crime. He introduced a new tax initiative – a tax cut for caregivers who look after family members. He introduced a new tag line, which I think will resonate. “Kamala broke it, but I will fix it.”

The Dems have gotten so desperate it’s pathetic. In every previous election in my lifetime each candidate had bona fide issues that he could run on. Voters might not agree, but at least there was something to discuss. This is the first election I can recall in which the incumbent, Harris, has had nothing bona fide to run on. She has been VP for four years and she has no accomplishments to point to. None.

The economy is as bad as at any time since the Great Depression. The border is wide open. Illegal immigrants are pouring in at will. (Presently, we actually have no real southern border.) Crime is skyrocketing and becoming more random, especially in the cities run by Dems. There are no longer any “safe, crime-free” areas. Due to “no-bail” laws criminals are often released from jail before the paperwork for their arrest has been completed. Moreover, they are often not even getting prosecuted due to “woke” DAs. Businesses and people have been abandoning the crime-ridden cities for more law-abiding locales. Those who have remained are afraid to go out. There are wars in the ME and in Ukraine, which are threatening to metastasize into WWIII. We have abandoned our allies and placated our enemies.

Even worse, the country is as divided as I have ever seen it. GOP vs Dem, progressive vs. conservative. Antisemitism is as overt as I have ever seen it. The atmosphere is almost as bad as it was under the Nazis in pre-WWII Germany. Colleges are being controlled by pro-terrorist, anti-Jewish administrators and agitators. Many Jews are afraid to identify themselves as Jewish. All of the foregoing has developed and spun out of control in the last four years under Biden-Harris. They have been unable or unwilling to deal with it.

So, I repeat, Harris has nothing positive to claim in her four years. So, what have she and her cohorts done? They have manufactured issues, and they have lied. “Trump” is a Nazi.” “Trump is Hitler.” “Trump’s rally at MSG is reminiscent of the infamous Nazi rally of 1939.” “Trump should be in prison.” “Trump is a threat to democracy.” “Trump wants to be a dictator. He will never leave office.” “Trump wants to outlaw abortions.”

Of course, none of these is even remotely true. The Dems know they are losing, possibly badly. They are desperate. They are flailing, trying to foment hate, division, fear and dissension. Personally, I find some of above characterizations as very offensive, particularly the references to Hitler and Nazis. Perhaps, Harris and her campaign are unaware of the Holocaust in which Hitler and the Nazis murdered six million Jews and millions of others. Every Jew, indeed, every Trump supporter, should be outraged.

The fact of the matter is that if anyone is antisemitic it is Harris and her cohorts given their tepid support of Israel and laissez faire attitude toward the bias being visited upon Jews at the present time. I have discussed this in detail in previous blogs.

If anyone is a threat to democracy it is these same power-hungry phonies. It was they who carried out a four-year deception against the American people by hiding Biden’s deteriorating cognition, thus allowing a president to remain in office who was unfit to serve. Who was actually running the country? We don’t know. Certainly not Biden. They should have invoked the 25th amendment, which had been enacted for this very situation. By not doing so they violated the Constitution in order to maintain their power and control.

I have noticed that whatever outlandish accusation the Dems make against Trump they themselves are guilty of it. For example, they say he is antisemitic and a threat to democracy, but those are traits that they have exhibited. It was they who threw a duly elected president and duly nominated presidential candidate “under the bus.” It was they who cast aside a candidate who had received 18 million primary votes in favor of one who had not received any. It was they who blocked a bona fide candidate, RFK, Jr., from pursuing his candidacy, and sought to keep Trump off the ballot in various states for no bona-fide reason. It was they who sought to imprison Trump on “trumped up” charges because they realized they couldn’t beat him fair and square. It is they who have fomented divisiveness and hatred even though they know it is likely to encourage some mentally and emotionally unbalanced person to try to assassinate Trump. It is they who have not provided Trump with sufficient Secret Service protection despite two previous assassination attempts and credible threats of others. And it is they who are trying any means, nefarious and otherwise, to hold on to power.

Conclusion

The polls still indicate that the race is very, very tight, both nationally and in the battleground states, but there are signs that that may not be the case. For whatever reason in every election the polls have underestimated Trump’s support. In both 2016 and 2020 Trump outperformed the polls in the actual election. Those polls reported him to be behind both Clinton and Biden. Yet, he won in 2016 and lost by a hair in 2020. Also, he is ahead of where he was on this date in those election cycles.

Additionally, one cannot ignore the large and enthusiastic crowds he attracts wherever he campaigns, even in a deep blue venue such as NYC. Harris’ crowds have not come close.

Finally, one can sense the desperation in the Harris campaign. For example, she agreed to an interview on Fox News where she knew she would not be able to get away with her normal evasive, non-answer answers. This was way out of her comfort zone, and it showed.

Finally, the Harris campaign has called out the “big dogs,” the Obamas and the Clintons, to help. They, too, know she is losing.

All that said, we all know that the only poll that counts is the one on ED. We’ve learned that lesson many times, most recently in the 1948 and 2016 elections.

So, GOPers, don’t be complacent. Your vote counts. The GOP needs to expand its majority in the House and flip the Senate. Trump needs a clear and decisive mandate in order to govern effectively.

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

October 29, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: donald-trump, history, hitler, holocaust, nazis, politics Leave a comment

THIS MONTH IN HISTORY – OCTOBER

October has had more than its share of significant historical events. Please see below:

10/1/1908 – The first Model T cars, designed by Henry Ford, went on sale.
10/1/1938 – German troops occupied the Sudetenland section of Czechoslovakia.
10/1/1949 – The Peoples’ Republic of China was founded with Mao Zedong as its leader.
10/1/1979 – The US formally turned the Canal Zone over to Panama.
10/2/1967 – Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American associate justice of the Supreme Court.
10/3/1863 – President Abraham Lincoln promulgated a proclamation designating the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving (later changed to the fourth Thursday).
10/3/1929 – The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes was officially renamed Yugoslavia.
10/3/1932 – Iraq gained its independence from Great Britain.
10/3/1974 – Hall of Famer Frank Robinson became the first African American to manage a major league baseball club (the Cleveland Indians). Later, he also became the first AA manager to be fired.
10/3/1990 – East and West Germany were united as the Federal Republic of Germany ending 45 years of separation.
10/4/1830 – Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands.
10/4/1957 – Russia ushered in the Space Age as it launched the first satellite, named Sputnik.
10/5/1908 – Bulgaria proclaimed its independence from the Ottoman Empire.
10/6/1927 – “The Jazz Singer,” the first “talkie,” opened in NYC.
10/6/1928 – Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek became the president of the Republic of China.
10/6/1973 – The “Yom Kippur War” commenced as Egypt and Syria launched surprise attacks against Israel, which was busy celebrating the most sacred of Jewish holidays.
10/6/1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated.
10/7/1985 – Palestinian terrorists seized the cruise ship, “Achille Lauro,” and threatened to blow it up if their demands were not met. They infamously murdered an elderly wheelchair-bound passenger, Leon Klinghoffer, by pushing his wheelchair off the deck into the sea.

10/7/2023 – Hamas terrorists perpetrated the worst attack on Israeli civilians since the Holocaust murdering, raping and terrorizing thousands of innocent women, children and elderly people.

10/8/1871 – The Great Fire of Chicago destroyed much of the city. Legend has it that Mrs. O’Leary’s cow started it by kicking over a lantern in her barn.
10/8/1918 – Sergeant Alvin York, arguably the US’s greatest war hero, single-handedly took out a German machine-gun battalion, killing and capturing nearly 150 enemy soldiers. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the French equivalent, the Croix de Guerre.
10/8/1998 – The House of Representatives voted to launch a formal impeachment inquiry of President Bill Clinton.
10/9/1962 – Uganda gained its independence from Great Britain.
10/10/1973 – Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned amid allegations of income tax evasion stemming from his tenure as Governor of Maryland.
10/11/1939 – Scientist Albert Einstein issued a warning to President FDR that Germany was seeking to develop an atomic weapon. His warning led the US to marshal its resources to develop its own atomic weapon (the Manhattan Project).
10/12/1492 – Christopher Columbus landed in present-day El Salvador, erroneously thinking he had found the elusive northwest passage to India.
10/12/1811 – Paraguay declared its independence from Spain.
10/12/1822 – Brazil declared its independence from Portugal.
10/13/1792 – George Washington laid the cornerstone of the White House.
10/13/1884 – Greenwich, England was established as the basic time zone from which all time is calculated.
10/14/1066 – The Normans defeated the English at the decisive Battle of Hastings, which resulted in the Normans’ conquest of England.
10/14/1912 – Former president Theodore Roosevelt was shot while campaigning for re-election, but he survived.
10/14/1947 – Test pilot Chuck Yeager became the first to break the sound barrier.
10/14/1964 – Martin Luther King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
10/15/1991 – Following several days of contentious hearings regarding allegations of sexual harassment against a former aide, Anita Hill, the Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
10/16/1701 – Yale University was founded in Killingworth, CT as the Collegiate School of Connecticut.
10/16/1793 – French Queen Marie Antoinette, known for her extravagance and contempt for her subjects (“Let them eat cake.”), was beheaded.
10/16/1853 – The Crimean War (Russia, England and France vs. the Ottoman Empire and parts of present-day Italy) began.
10/16/1995 – Louis Farrakhan led the Million Man March on Washington.
10/17/1777 – The Colonial Army defeated the British at Saratoga in what many historians believe was the turning point of the Revolutionary War.
10/17-25/1944 – The US succeeded in decimating the Japanese Navy at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which was the largest naval battle in history.
10/18/1945 – The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial commenced with indictments against 24 former Nazi leaders.
10/19/1781 – English General Cornwallis surrendered to the Colonial Army at Yorktown, VA. marking the end of the Revolutionary War.
10/19/1987 – This day was dubbed “Black Monday” on Wall Street as stocks plunged 508 points or 22.6%, the largest one-day decline ever.
10/20/1818 – The US and Great Britain agreed to establish the US-Canadian border at the 49th parallel. The 5,525-mile border is the longest in the world between any two countries.
10/20/1944 – General Douglas MacArthur, who upon fleeing the Philippines in 1942 to escape the Japanese Army boldly asserted “I shall return,” returned as promised.
10/20/1968 – Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of President John Kennedy, married Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
10/21/1805 – The British Navy defeated the combined naval forces of France and Spain at the Battle of Trafalgar, obviating the threat of their invasion of England.
10/21/1879 – Thomas Edison successfully tested an incandescent lamp.
10/21/1915 – AT&T transmitted the first successful transatlantic radio voice message (Virginia to Paris).
10/22/1962 – President Kennedy warned Americans of the existence of Russian missiles in Cuba. The so-called “Cuban Missile Crisis” was probably the biggest threat of nuclear war during the Cold War.
10/23/1942 – The British Army led by General Bernard Montgomery launched a major offensive against the German Afrika Corps, led by General Erwin Rommel, at El Alamein, Egypt. Montgomery’s victory marked a major turning point in WWII.
10/24/1931 – Notorious Chicago gangster, Al Capone, was sentenced 11 years in prison for income tax evasion.
10/24/1945 – The UN was founded.
10/25/1854 – 673 British cavalrymen took on a Russian force in the Battle of Balaclava. This famous Crimean War battle was immortalized in a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson entitled “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”
10/26/1881 – In the infamous shoot-out at the OK Corral the Earp brothers and “Doc” Holliday defeated the Clanton Gang.
10/26/1825 – The Erie Canal, the first man-made waterway in America, opened for business.
10/27/1904 – The NYC subway system opened with a run from City Hall to West 145th Street as the first underground and underwater system in the world.
10/27/1978 – Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat shared the Nobel Peace Prize.
10/28/1636 – Harvard University, the oldest university in America, was founded in Cambridge, MA, funded by donations provided by John Harvard.
10/28/1846 – The ill-fated Donner Party departed Illinois for California.
10/28/1918 – The Republic of Czechoslovakia was founded by combining three provinces that were formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire – Moravia, Slovakia, and Bohemia.
10/28/1919 – Prohibition commenced as Congress enacted the Volstead Act.
10/28/1962 – Russia agreed to halt the construction of offensive missile bases in Cuba and dismantle existing bases, thus ending the Cuban Missile Crisis.
10/29/1929 – The stock market “crashed” ushering in the Great Depression.
10/30/1938 – A radio broadcast of H. G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” without commercial interruption caused widespread panic, as many people thought that Martians had actually invaded Earth.

10/31/41- The sculptures of four US presidents on Mt. Rushmore was completed. Can you name them? (See below).

10/31/50 – Earl Lloyd became the first AA to play in the NBA (Washington Capitols).

10/31/84 – Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandhi was assassinated.

BIRTHDAYS – Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi – 10/2/1869; Rutherford B. Hayes (19th President) – 10/4/1822; Frederic Remington (artist)- 10/4/1861; Chester A. Arthur (21st President) – 10/5/1830; Robert Goddard (“Father of the Space Age”) – 10/5/1882; George Westinghouse (engineer and inventor) – 10/6/1846; John Lennon – 10/9/1940; Eleanor Roosevelt – 10/11/1884; Mary Ludwig (aka Molly Pitcher (Revolutionary War heroine of the Battle of Monmouth, NJ) – 10/13/1754; William Penn (founded the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which bears his name) – 10/14/1644; Dwight (Ike) Eisenhower (WWII commanding general and 34th President) – 10/14/1890; Lido Anthony (Lee) Iacocca (auto industry executive) – 10/15/1924; Noah Webster (teacher and journalist who compiled the first dictionaries) – 10/16/1758; Oscar Wilde (Irish playwright and poet) – 10/16/1854; David Ben Gurion (“Father” of Israel) – 10/16/1888; Eugene O’Neill (playwright – “The Iceman Cometh”) – 10/16/1888; William O. Douglas (associate justice of the Supreme Court) – 10/16/1898; John Birks (Dizzy) Gillespie (jazz musician) – 10/21/1917; Pablo Picasso (artist) – 10/25/1881; Hillary Rodham Clinton – 10/26/1947; James Cook (English explorer) – 10/27/1728; Theodore Roosevelt (26th President) – 10/27/1858; Dr. Jonas Salk (polio vaccine) – 10/28/1914; Bill Gates (Microsoft) – 10/28/1955; John Adams (2nd President) – 10/30/1735; Emily Post (arbiter of etiquette) – 10/30/1872; Admiral Will (“Bull”) Halsey (WWII fleet commander) – 10/30/1882.

Quiz answer: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

October 28, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: history, politics, war 2 Comments

2024 WORLD SERIES, PART 2. QUIZ

The second part of my 2024 WS blog will be a quiz to test your knowledge and recollections. I realize that my readers have a wide disparity of WS knowledge. Some follow baseball very closely and are very knowledgeable, others not so much, which made it somewhat challenging to construct a fair quiz. My apologies if you find it too hard or too easy. As always, no peeking at the internet and no using Seri.

When was the first WS played? (a) 1885; (b) 1895; (c) 1903; (d) 1911
Who won the first WS? (a) NY Yankees; (b) Boston Pilgrims; (c) Cincinnati Reds; (d) Pittsburgh Pirates
The WS was contested every year since its inception except twice. Once was in 1994 due to a players’ strike. What year was the other occasion? (a) 1904; (b) 1919; (c) 1920; (d) 1942
To which team did the Black Sox lose? (a) Cincinnati Reds; (b) NY Giants; (c) Chicago Cubs; (d) Philadelphia Phillies.
Besides the Yankees which is the only team to win three WS consecutively? (a) St. Louis Cardinals; (b) NY Giants; (c) Boston Braves; (d) Oakland A’s.
What year was the first WS game that was played at night? (a) 1963; (b) 1971; (c) 1977; (d) 1979.
What is the only MLB team never to appear in the WS? (a) LA Angels; (b) San Diego Padres; (c) Colorado Rockies; (d) Seattle Mariners.
The Yankees have won the most WS – 27. Which team has won the 2nd most? (a) Dodgers; (b) Cardinals; (c) Giants; (d) Braves
Which Dodger made the last out in Don Larsen’s perfect game in 1956? (a) Gil Hodges; (b) Al Gionfriddo; (c) Dale Mitchell; (d) Sandy Amoros?
What was the first year the WS was televised? (a) 1946; (b) 1947; (c) 1948; (d) 1949
Who was the only player from a losing team to win the WS MVP? (a) Bobby Richardson; (b) Yogi Berra; (c) Whitey Ford; (d) Warren Spahn.
For whom is the WS MVP named? (a) Henry Aaron; (b) Babe Ruth; (d) Ted Williams; (d) Willie Mays
In the 1969 WS won by the Mets over the Orioles which player made the last out? (a) Brooks Robinson; (b) Boog Powell; (c) Mark Belanger;(d) Davey Johnson.
In game 7 of the 1946 WS won by the Cardinals, Enos Slaughter famously scored the winning run from first base on a single. Who was the Red Sox player who held the ball for a second allowing Slaughter to score? (a) Bobby Doer; (b) Johnny Pesky; (c) Dom DiMaggio; (d) Ted Williams.
Four players have won the WS MVP twice. How many of them won it for two different teams? (a) 1;(b) 2; (c) 3; (d) all 4).
When the Mets won the WS in 1969 who was the MVP? (a) Donn Clendenon; (b) Tom Seaver; (c) Jerry Koosman, (d) Cleon Jones
When the Mets won the WS in 1986 who was the MVP? (a) Mookie Wilson; (b) Darryl Strawberry; (c)Jerry Grote; (d) Ray Knight
When the LA Dodgers won the WS in 1959 who was the MVP? (a) Sandy Koufax; (b) Charley Neal; (d) Duke Snider; (d) Larry Sherry.
In the 1960 WS, which was perhaps the oddest WS ever played (The Yankees won three games by a combined score of 38-3 but lost four close ones.) who hit the series winning homerun in game 7? (a) Dick Groat; (b) Bill Mazeroski; (c) Roberto Clemente; (d) Bill Virdon.
Who was the only athlete to play in both the WS and the Super Bowl? (a) Bo Jackson; (b) Deion Sanders; (c) Brian Jordan; (d) Drew Henson.

Bonus question for you baseball savants: When Babe Ruth famously “called” his homerun in the 1932 WS against the Cubs who was the Cubs pitcher?

Quiz answers: 1. (c); 2. (b); 3. (a); 4. (a); 5. (d); 6. (b); 7. (d) 8. (b); 9. (c); 10. (b); 11. (a) (1960); 12. (d); 13. (d); 14. (b); 15. (b) (Corey Sieger and Reggie Jackson); 16. (a); 17. (d); 18. (d); 19. (b); 20. (b)

Bonus question answer: Charley Root

October 24, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: baseball, los-angeles-dodgers, mlb, ny-yankees, world-series Leave a comment

2024 WORLD SERIES, PART 1

The 2024 World Series, featuring the LA Dodgers and NY Yankees will commence on Friday, October 25. This will be the 12th meeting between these two storied franchises but the first one since 1981. The Yankees have won 8 of the previous 11 meetings, but the Dodgers won the last one 4-2.

Baseball, which until recently was known as the National Pastime, is no longer the most popular sport in America. Most surveys place it second behind football, or even further down the list. However, there is something about the sport that still resonates. It gets in your blood. It is part of the fabric of America. Who can forget their first game of “catch” with their father or their first game? For many of us the WS holds a special place in our memories. For many years the games were played during the day while fans were in school or at work. I can remember many a time when I raced home from school to catch the end of a WS game.

This year we are undoubtedly getting the most preferred WS matchup. There are various superstars on both teams – Ohtani, Betts and Freeman on the Dodgers and Judge, Soto, and Stanton on the Yankees. Fox, which is televising the series, will be happy because this matchup will feature the aforementioned superstars, the two biggest markets, and it will get the highest ratings maybe ever. International ratings will be very high also, especially in Japan because of Ohtani and Yamamoto.

The Dodgers’ franchise was born in 1883. It joined the newly organized National League in 1890. Before being known as the Dodgers, the team was known, at various times, as the Atlantics, the Bridegrooms, the Grooms, the Superbas, the Robins, and the Trolley-Dodgers (a reference to the complex maze of trolley cars that existed in Brooklyn during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The name, Trolley-Dodgers, was shortened to Dodgers in 1898.

The Dodgers have been pioneers in many areas. For instance, they were the first team to:

1. appear on tv (1939),
2. wear helmets (1941), and
3. most significantly, play an African American (Jackie Robinson in 1947).

In addition, I would be remiss if I did not mention that the team employed the same announcer, Vince Scully, for a record 67 years. Many people consider Scully to be the best baseball announcer ever and having watched and listened to him for most of those 67 years, I would be hard-pressed to argue with that assessment.

During the 1940s and 1950s the teams faced each other in the WS six times in the eight-year period between 1949 and 1956. It almost seemed like a preordained annual event.

I was fortunate to attend game 2 of the 1956 WS with my father. As an 11-year-old it was huge thrill. To this day I have a more detailed recollection of that game than of games I saw only weeks ago. For instance, I remember the Dodger starter, Don Newcombe, got knocked out early. The Dodgers fell behind 6-0, but they rallied to win 13-8. Duke Snider, my favorite Dodger, hit a crucial homer. As an added bonus initially, the game was postponed because of heavy rain. It was made up the next day, so I got to miss two days of school.

The Dodgers of that era, aka “The Boys of Summer,” had very strong teams with several Hall of Famers, but they just couldn’t beat the Yankees in the WS. The Yankees weren’t necessarily better, they just played better in the WS. After each loss frustrated Dodgers fans would lament “wait until next year.” Finally, in 1955 “next year” came, and the “Bums” as they were affectionally known prevailed in seven games. The next day the headline in the NY Daily News boldly proclaimed, “Who’s a Bum?!” That was the only championship the Dodgers won in Brooklyn.

The NY Yankees were founded in 1903. The original owners, Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchased the franchise rights to the defunct Baltimore Orioles, no relation to the present-day team, moved it to NY, and renamed it as the NY Highlanders. It is believed that the name was chosen either because of the team’s location in Upper Manhattan, or in recognition of the team president’s Scottish-Irish heritage.

The media was not enamored of the name because it was too long for headlines. Some newspapers took to calling them the “Invaders.” Eventually, the press began calling the team the “Yankees.” The name became official in 1913.

At the time the NY Giants were the dominant team in NY. The two teams became fierce rivals, which was exacerbated by the bad blood between the National and American Leagues. The NL was the older, more established league. The AL was the upstart. Despite this animosity, between 1913 and 1922 the Yankees played in the Polo Grounds as tenants of the Giants.

The Giants remained the dominant team in NY until the Yanks acquired Babe Ruth in 1920. From then on, the Yanks became the dominant team we all know. The team moved into their own stadium in 1923.

The NY players and their fans became very familiar with each other, especially in Brooklyn. In those pre-free agency days, the players did not make much more money than most of the fans. Many of them lived in the same neighborhoods; their kids went to the same schools. Some even had winter jobs in the area. Some of my friends who grew up in Brooklyn knew players personally; their kids were also friends and played with each other.

During this period fans were treated to classic moments such as Jackie Robinson stealing home in Game 1 in 1955 and Don Larsen’s perfect game in game five in 1956. In the WS despite the presence of superstars often it is the role players that have emerged as heroes. For example, Sandy Amoros was a little-used bench player for the Brooklyn Dodgers, who made a game-saving catch in the 7th inning of the 7th game of the 1955 WS. Amoros was only in the game as a result of a “double switch” (remember in those days pitchers actually batted).

A photo of Robinson’s steal is on display at the Baseball HOF. To his dying day Yankees catcher Yogi Berra insisted he was out. In those pre-instant replay days, it was hard to know for sure. The umpire said he was safe, so he was safe.

As incredible as Larsen’s feat was it was enhanced by the fact that he was not a superstar pitcher like say Whitey Ford, Don Drysdale or Sandy Koufax. A perfect game by one of those pitchers would have been plausible, but Larsen was a journeyman. He pitched for seven teams in 15 years and had a career record of 81-91, although he had gone 11-5 in 1956. Furthermore, the 1956 Dodgers’ lineup was stacked with future Hall of Famers such as Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pewee Reese, Roy Campanella and a strong supporting cast. It was just an example of a pedestrian player catching “lightning in a bottle” in the WS.

In some 60 years of watching the WS I have been fortunate to witness several other memorable moments, such as Carlton Fisk’s 12th inning homerun just inside the foul pole in the 12th inning of game 6 in 1975, Reggie Jackson’s four consecutive homers in the 1977 WS, and Kirk Gibson’s game winning homerun off A’s closer Dennis Eckersley in game 1 of the 1988 WS. Jackson, whose feat earned him the sobriquet “Mr. October,” was an obnoxious loudmouth who upon first arriving at the star-studded Yankees boldly proclaimed he was the “straw that stirred the drink.” This was a direct insult aimed at the Yankees’ popular captain Thurman Munson, but Jackson didn’t care. He doubled down by adding that “Munson can only stir it bad.” But he had a flair for the dramatic, and he sure could hit. He fit in perfectly with the “Bronx Zoo” Yankees teams of the late 1970s. As I recall Jackson hit the homers in four consecutive swings against four different Dodger pitchers (one in his last at-bat in game 5 and then three in game 6. (Don’t fact-check me on this. A memory is a memory.)

Many of you will recall Fisk standing at homeplate watching his hit and waving his arms as if to “push” his homerun ball “fair.” Alas, the Reds won the WS the next day. So much for momentum.

Gibson wasn’t supposed to play. He was injured and could barely walk. Yet, he hit the homer and then literally limped round the bases. Then, there was iconic announcer Jack Buck’s famous call on the radio, “I don’t believe what I just saw.” To tell you the truth, neither did I.

Thanks to the current format in which three wildcard teams from each league make the playoffs it has become rare for the team with the best regular season record to win the WS. In this century it has only been done six times – the 2007 Red Sox, the 2009 Yankees, the 2013 Red Sox, the 2016 Cubs, the 2018 Red Sox and the 2020 Dodgers. That’s 25%, which is quite low. Why is that?

There are various reasons, but I maintain that the primary reason is the nature of the game, itself. Normally, it takes many games for the best team to assert itself. Even the best teams will lose 60 games over the course of the season. Even the best teams will suffer through short slumps where they could three or four in a row. With the current multilayer playoff format the ultimate winner will have to win three or four short series. It has become common for a team to slump at the wrong time and lose a short three or five game series to an inferior team. Then it’s Sayonara. This is the format the Lords of Baseball want. More playoff games mean more money. They don’t care. They will live with hottest team winning the WS rather than the season’s best team.

This year the Dodgers had the best record, so we’ll see if they can make it seven. This will be the first time in years that the teams with the best record in each league will be facing off in the WS, so whichever team wins will deserve it.

Conclusion

On paper we have two evenly matched teams each of which had the best record in their respective leagues. One team may get the upper hand and win in a short series. But I expect a long series with many memorable moments.

Dodgers in 7.

This was Part 1 of my WS blog. Part2 will be a WS quiz to test your knowledge and recollections.

October 23, 2024October 23, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: baseball, brooklyn-dodgers, los-angeles-dodgers, world-series, yankees Leave a comment

JEWS FOR KAMALA

I have made this point many times during the 2024 presidential election campaign, but it bears repeating. Why in the world would any Jew who is thinking objectively and who cares about Israel and the welfare of American Jews, vote for Kamala Harris? For that matter, why would they vote for any Democrat? After all, Dem pols are supporting Harris, or at least they are reluctant to speak out in contradiction of her antipathy toward Jews. I don’t get it; it’s inane; it’s not logical.

Perhaps, it is due to habit and inertia. They’ve always voted Dem; their parents always voted Dem; so, they continue the practice without giving it serious thought or analysis. In any case the Dems have abandoned the Jews and Jewish causes. They have not been loyal to you, so you no longer owe them your loyalty. Jews need to have an open mind.

Another reason is some voters, although they agree with Trump’s policies, despise him intensely on a personal basis and refuse to vote for him under any circumstances. That is just ridiculous, inane and fatuous. If Trump were to lose the election he would, of course, be disappointed. But he would not be devastated. He would merely return to his previous life as a billionaire entrepreneur and entertainer. We, on the other hand, would be saddled with the same policies we are suffering under now. Therefore, anti-Trumpers would be “cutting off their noses to spite their face.

Perhaps, a brief review of Harris’ actions and non-actions since becoming the nominee would be helpful and appropriate.

Among her staunchest supporters is the antisemitic far left wing of the Dem Party. It’s obvious that she is afraid of offending them. This includes “Squad” Congresswomen, such as AOC (NY), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Rashida Tlaib (MI), and Ilhan Omar (MN), among others. She knows she needs their support to win, and she will need their continuing support to govern. All have repeatedly expressed antisemitic and Anti-Israel attitudes. Furthermore, Tlaib and Omar are representatives of states that are Anti-Israel hotbeds. Harris needs those states’ electoral votes to win.
Publicly, Harris (and Biden, for their policies and actions have been interchangeable) have stated that they support Israel, and it that it has the right to defend itself. (Thank you, Captain Obvious!) However, privately they have continually acted to restrict Israel’s response to the horrific October 7, 2013 sneak attacks. From the outset they have advocated “restraint” and demanded “precision” in its deployment of weaponry. It’s all right for the terrorists to attack indiscriminately, but the Israelis have to demonstrate “restraint” and “precision?” This is wholly unreasonable. What do “restraint” or “precision” even mean in this context? Also, tell me what other country in the history of the world when attacked has been urged to show “restraint?” The answer is “none.” Did the US show “restraint” after Pearl Harbor or 9/11? Of course not. But BH expected the Israelis to do so after October 7.
BH threatened to withhold arms and support if Israel got too aggressive. In my view, the purpose of this was to placate their antisemitic far left wing and also Iran.
BH and their minions objected to Netanyahu’s war strategy, so they tried to force him to resign or call for new elections. They trotted out political chameleon Chuck Schumer to give “the speech,” which I discussed in a previous blog. This type of outrageous interference in the internal workings of another sovereign government is not appropriate with respect to an ally, particularly one that is our only reliable one in the volatile and strategically crucial Middle East. Perhaps, BH need a lesson in geopolitics.
BH insisted that a member of their administration sit in on Israel’s war cabinet meetings to suggest/approve strategies.
BH continue to refuse to recognize that Iran is the root cause of the terrorism extant in the ME and take corrective action against it.
BH have blamed a “significant deterioration” in the level of aid reaching the citizens of Gaza on Israel. They threatened to withhold aid if the Israelis did not allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Furthermore, they have long insisted that Israel not attack Rafah for “humanitarian reasons” even though there has been ample evidence that Hamas’ leadership was hiding there. Luckily, the IDF did not obey BH’s instructions. They attacked anyway. Douglas Murray, a columnist for the NY Post accompanied the IDF and filed an exclusive report describing the operation.
Lo and behold, a few days ago, we learned that the 10/7 mastermind, Yahya Sinwar, had been hiding in that very area. He had set up luxury accommodations for his family and him deep within the labyrinth of tunnels under the city. In his report Murray described it as a “Rafah rat’s nest.” He reported “for the past 12 months [Sinwar] had [been] scurr[ying] like a rat through the tunnels he [had] spent years building.”
In summary, he reported that the IDF found it to be well-stocked with food, medicine, and other provisions, including millions of dollars of cash that had been provided by the UN and had been earmarked for the Gazans. So, Sinwar and his family were living in relative luxury while the Gazans he and his men were supposedly “protecting” were starving. And all the while, the world had been criticizing Israel for keeping aid from the Gazans. How did he obtain all these goods? Either he stole them, or terrorist-sympathizing UN workers gave them to him. Either way, it is unconscionable.
In addition, the IDF ascertained that Hamas had been smuggling rockets, guns and other weapons through this area. Had BH been cognizant of this while they were telling the IDF to refrain from attacking this area? Who knows, but I wouldn’t put it past them. The IDF also found passports and UN IDs, which indicates that Sinwar was planning to flee, like a coward, to Egypt with assistance from the UN. This is further evidence of the UN’s sympathizing with terrorists over Israel.
This is just one of many examples of the UN’s blatant bias in regard to curbing terrorism in the ME. Another example is that since 2006 it has maintained a peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon to monitor the cease fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Recently, the NY Post reported that Hezbollah terrorists had dug a labyrinth of tunnels right under the noses of the peacekeepers which they had been utilizing to launch terror attacks in Israel. It described the UN as “worse than useless.”
Opponents of Israel have persistently accused it of “genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza. This accusation is not only inaccurate, but also it is inflammatory and dangerous. In point of fact, the Israelis have gone out of their way to minimize casualties, even providing advance warning of attacks so civilians could vacate the area. It is the Hamas terrorists who have shown a blatant disregard for Palestinian civilians by hiding among them and in hospitals and schools. The collateral damage means nothing to them. In fact, they want it for the optics. Unfortunately, this accusation has been accepted by many people. In a recent campaign speech Harris added fuel to the fire by stating that “[genocide] is real.” That was totally irresponsible. She should know better. She said it to rile up her base for votes. Afterwards, an anonymous campaign official attempted to clean it up, but she said what she said.
As I have written in previous blogs BH have basically ignored the ongoing displays of antisemitism against American Jews. They have done nothing to deal with the violence on college campuses, nor the surging rate of crimes against Jews. They have many options. For example, they could have demanded that the college administrators deal with the matter or else lose funding. The Federal government provides a significant amount of financial aid to these universities in the form of grants. It also has the option to initiate legal action. They could have weaponized the Justice Department, Homeland Security and/or the FBI to investigate the masterminds behind the protests.
Few people, think the protesters are all “students” who just happened to organize. In fact, according to a recently published study conducted by George Washington University Iranian agents have been “funding and fueling hate” on college campuses.
It is no surprise that Harris has met several times with Imam Mohammed Ali Fahiem, who has deep ties with the Iranian regime, is vehemently antisemitic and anti-Israel, and is one of the suspected leaders of the antisemitic program against American Jews.
In addition, they have done nothing to curb the overt and covert antisemitism against Jewish citizens.

CONCLUSION

Kudos to Israel for standing its ground against BH. Otherwise, we would have never found and killed Sinwar and discovered the duplicity of Hamas, the UN, and perhaps BH. This operation dealt a damaging blow to Hamas. I have often said the quickest way to rescue the hostages is to let Israel win the war.

Rather than criticizing Israel for its war strategy it should be admired for its determination to eradicate Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the rest of its enemies once and for all. In a sense it is fighting this war for all of us. Iran and the terrorists have been clear that they hate all “non-believers.” That includes all of us. If they were to succeed in annihilating Israel, they would not stop their aggression. Have we not learned anything from history?

Thankfully, there have been signs that the message is resonating with Jews. According to a recent poll by the Manhattan Institute Jewish support for Dems has been deteriorating. Currently, it is at 67%, which is the lowest in 40 years. By comparison 80% of Jews voted for Bill Clinton in 1992. The same poll reported that 86% of Jews supported Israel. Their chief complaint, according to Jesse Arm, chief of staff at the Institute was the Dem Party’s “tolerance” of the extreme criticism being levelled against Israel, notably calling it “genocidal.”

Anti-Trumpers, wake up. As I said above if you vote for Harris just because you hate Trump personally, you would onlybe hurting yourselves.

October 21, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: 2024-presidential-election, gaza, hamas, Israel, joe-biden, kamala-harris, politics, why-should-jews-support-harris 1 Comment

2024 ELECTION UPDATE – HARRIS LAYS AN EGG ON FOX NEWS

A few months ago, when the Dem Party leaders selected Harris as the nominee, I asserted that her political policies were extremely far to the left, and if the public were aware of them, she would lose in a landslide. According to multiple media reports, at the outset of the campaign some 70% of the voters were unclear as to her policies and voting record. Consequently, for most of the campaign the polls have reported the race to be extremely close, virtually a dead heat. l suggested that in order to win her election strategy should be to endeavor to keep these policies hidden. Therefore, her overall strategy should adhere to the following principles:

Say as little as possible.
When forced to speak to the media only do so with friendly journalists who would not press her or ask follow-up questions.
Limit her speeches to scripted comments and speak in generalities, rather than specifics.
Rely on the friendly media to cover up, omit or alter any faux pas.
When all else fails attack Trump and blame him for everything.

Conversely, Trump’s winning strategy was to somehow make the public aware of Harris’ far left policies. I believe that this strategy has been somewhat successful as more voters have become cognizant of Harris’ policies. The question is, is it enough.

For the most part Harris’ strategy was successful until recently. In the last week, however, it was becoming apparent that Trump had seized the momentum, which is very significant in elections. The Harris campaign had come to realize that she needed to change the narrative in order to regain the momentum. It decided that she should grant more interviews, including one with Fox News. It was a gamble, but it was one she had to risk. A few days ago, she participated in a one-on-one interview with Fox’s Bret Baer. Baer had a well-earned reputation of being fair but tough. Harris would have to be on her “A” game.

In a nutshell, she was not, not even close. Basically, she “laid an egg.” She was exposed before a huge audience. For many of them it was her first exposure to them. Rather than attract undecided voters, she turned them off.

My analysis of the interview is as follows:

Parts of it were painful to watch. From the outset Harris appeared to be uncomfortable, defensive and argumentative.
Baer was professional and respectful, but he did not let her get away with vague, general, non-responsive, and incomplete answers, which normally are her staple. Whenever she tried that he challenged her and asked follow-up questions in order to elicit an appropriate answer. Clearly, her inexperience with probing questions showed. She was not used to being challenged, and she didn’t handle it well.
The interview was short – only 26 minutes. At some point, Baer realized that the point of her rambling, “word-salad” responses was to “run out the clock.” He began to interrupt her answers in order to elicit meaningful information. In some cases, she snapped back a retort like “may I finish responding, please? Many times, they ended up interrupting and talking over each other.
There were several contentious topics, including immigration, the economy, relationship with Israel and Iran, and her relationship with Biden, among others.
Regarding immigration, she continually dodged questions regarding the Biden/Harris policies. She did not accept any responsibility for the disaster at the southern border. She failed to explain her failure as “border Czar” to solve resolve the “root causes” or even visit the border until it became apparent that the issue had become a major negative. She stubbornly declined to concur that halting construction of the border wall or terminating Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy were mistakes. She tried to deflect blame onto Trump for Congress’ failure to pass a comprehensive bi-partisan immigration bill, which she had championed. Baer interjected to explain that the bill would have made matters worse by giving the current policy the force of law and providing a “pathway to citizenship” for illegal immigrants presently in the US. That comment sparked one of the angry exchanges referred to above. She couldn’t or wouldn’t even disclose how many illegal immigrants had entered the country under her watch.
She refused to elaborate on the controversial matter of Biden’s competence, such as what did she know and when did she know it.
She offered no cogent plans on how to fix the economy, inflation or crime.
Many times, she went to her default answer, which was to blame Trump. At one point, she characterized him as “unstable and unhinged” and questioned his “mental competence to hold office.”
In a related matter Harris declined to attend the annual Al Smith Dinner. This is a non-partisan event hosted by the Catholic Diocese of NY. The goal is to raise money for various Catholic charities. Normally, it is attended by a cross-section of prominent politicians, wealthy executives, donors and members of the media. Attendance is considered a “must” for presidential candidates. Failure to attend is perceived as a “slap in the face” to Catholics. In the 90-year history of the event only one presidential candidate has ever declined to attend. That was Walter Mondale, the Dem candidate for president, in 1984. Coincidentally or not, in the ensuing election Mondale only won one state. Harris claimed she was campaigning, but the truth of the matter is she was already on thin ice with Catholics. She and her far left base are hardcore pro-choice and have been very critical of pro-lifers who have investigated and criticized what they considered to be Planned Parenthood’s “barbarism” toward women who choose to seek alternatives to abortion.

CONCLUSION

It was not a good week for Harris. Her campaign aides and allies in the media will likely try to spin it, but by any objective analysis her attempt to use the Bret Baer interview to widen her appeal had the opposite effect.

Likewise, Catholics will perceive her spurning the Al Smith Dinner as an insult.

All that said, the polls released in the last couple of days did not show any discernable movement. The race is still too close to call. Most everyone agrees it will be determined by the turnout for each candidate.

GET OUT AND VOTE!

October 18, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: 2024-presidential-election, al-smith-dinner-snub, donald-trump, joe-biden, kamala-harris, politics Leave a comment

2024 ELECTION UPDATE – LATEST TRENDS AND STATUS OF SENATE RACES

Heretofore, my major focus has been on the presidential race and rightly so. As I write this, the various national polls report Harris with a slight one-to-two-point lead. These polls are mostly irrelevant since the winner is determined by electoral votes, but they do provide some incite as to trends and momentum. Furthermore, they reveal why multiple media outlets have been reporting that the Harris campaign is very concerned, if not panicked. More on that below.

For example:

Harris has been leading Trump in the national polls, but lately her lead has been shrinking. For example, the most recent ABC/Ipsos poll disclosed Harris’ lead to be two points, down from six points last month; CBS News/You Gov reported Harris with a three-point lead versus four points last month; and RealClear reported 1.4% versus 2.2% just a few days ago. These may not seem like significant changes, but in such a close race one should be cognizant of the trend they indicate. Remember, in my last blog I described the significance of momentum in an election.
Multiple polls have reported that Harris is losing support among Blacks and Hispanics, particularly males. This is not surprising since as I have written in previous blogs these groups favor Trump’s policies over Harris’, especially with respect to the economy, crime and illegal immigration. The latest NY Times/Siena and NY Post polls reported that Dem support among Blacks has declined from 90% in 2020 to 78%. Similarly, support among Hispanics has declined to 56%. Even though the Dems have been trying to scare Hispanics with Trump’s “get tough” policies regarding illegal immigrants, including deportation, they are not buying it. Polls show that 67% of Hispanics born in the US and 51% born in another country don’t believe those harsh policies will pertain to them. Both of these demographics have long been bellwether Dem supporters, but both groups have come to realize that the Dems are no longer delivering on campaign promises. Their primary complaints are regarding the economy/inflation, crime and illegal immigration.
Prior to these surveys being published there were multiple media reports that Dems’ internal polls were indicating Harris was losing ground in the swing states and among Blacks and Hispanics. Political Journalist Mark Halperin denoted “there are a lot of really worried Democrats, and there are no really worried Republicans.”
Across all demographics Harris is polling better among women and Trump is polling better among men.
Multiple polls have reported that Trump is gaining in most of the swing states. The latest Redfield & Wilton survey of voters in GA and PA showed Trump to be up 1% in GA and 2% in PA. Again, although the margins are tiny and within the margin of error, they indicate a significant improvement compared to 2020 when Trump lost both GA and PA in tight races. These results are another indication of the shift in momentum towards Trump. If these leads hold up on ED and Trump also wins the other states in which he is currently leading, he will win the election.
According to the NY Post more people who voted for Biden in 2020 have gravitated to Trump than to Harris. This is somewhat surprising since Harris, like Biden, is a Dem. Perhaps, it is an indication of the realization that Harris is a weaker candidate than Biden was in 2020. In the crucial states of PA and GA Trump is beating Harris in acquiring formerly Biden voters 12% to 6% and 13% to 11%, respectively. Again, this might not seem like much, but given the extremely tight races in those states, it is significant. Voters in both states identified the economy/inflation as their primary concern.
Multiple media outlets have reported that Biden has been providing only tepid support for Harris. Apparently, he is resentful of the manner in which he was replaced by Harris. He feels he is still the better candidate, and his candidacy was sabotaged. For example, he has declined to attend some of her campaign events, and he was seen wearing a “Trump 2024” cap at a recent campaign event. Jason Meister, a strategist on the Trump campaign was blunter, saying “Biden is intentionally enacting revenge on Kamala for knifing him in the back.”
Harris, whose campaign strategy had been to say as little as possible and only grant interviews with “friendly” journalists has recently agreed to appear on Fox News to be interviewed by Bret Baer. Baer will be fair, but it will not be a “softball” interview. She will likely have to explain her policies, in detail, including why they have changed since she became the nominee. This could be problematic for her, so I can only conclude that she is afraid, maybe even “panicked,” that she is losing. Prospectively, she may be forced to grant additional interviews outside of her comfort zone.
The Senate could be a major issue. In my view, it is essential for the GOP to gain control of it in order to prevent the Dems from blocking legislation or even impeaching Trump like they did after the 2016 election. Presently, the Dems have slight control over the Senate – 51 (including two independents) to 49. Therefore, the GOP has to flip a net of two seats to obtain control (one if Trump were to win). According to multiple media reports West Virginia is virtually a “lock” due to Joe Manchin’s retirement. Montana is a good possibility as well. However, the Dems have a chance to flip Texas, where Ted Cruz is clinging to a narrow lead, and Nebraska. There are several other close races as well, so we’ll see what happens.

CONCLUSION

The presidential race remains tight. There are many states, including the swing states, where the polls report the margins to be very tight, well within the margin for error. The GOP has the momentum, but a lot can happen in the next few weeks to change the outcome. The GOP cannot be overconfident. Get out and vote!

October 16, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: 2024-election, black-voters, donald-trump, hispanic-voters, joe-biden, kamala-harris, politics Leave a comment

2024 PRESIDENTIAL UPDATE. MO FAVORS TRUMP.

Historically, momentum has proven to be a powerful force in elections. Often it is unrecognized or undervalued in the polls – until Election Day when the underdog who has been behind in the polls pulls an unforeseen upset. That is one of the axioms behind the famous expression that “the only poll that counts is the one on Election Day.” In recent history two examples of this phenomenon were Harry Truman defeating Dewey in 1948 and Donald Trump defeating Clinton in 2016. On the rare occasions when this occurs the winners are jubilant; the losers are shocked; and the “experts” are confounded. Who can forget the post-election visage of a grinning Truman holding aloft an early edition of the next day’s Chicago Daily Tribune boldly proclaiming, “Dewey Defeats Truman.”

Presently, all the polls indicate that the election remains very close as it has been for several months. In the national poll, which is essentially meaningless, the latest Guardian poll reports Harris ahead by two points 48% – 46%. It’s worth noting that the Guardian’s previous poll had Harris up by 4%, so Trump would appear to have some momentum.

More importantly, let’s consider the seven swing states that will actually decide the election – AZ, GA, MI, NV, NC, PA, and WI. The latest Emerson and Real Clear Politics polls are consistently reporting that Trump has a slight one or two-point lead in AZ, GA, NV, NC, and PA, and the two are tied in MI and WI. This represents an improvement for Trump compared to the 2020 election and earlier 2024 polls, another hint that Trump is gaining momentum.

Pollster Matt Towery, Insider Advantage, noted that Trump is gaining with African Americans and Hispanics due to the economy and immigration issues. Hispanic citizens, in particular whose forebears emigrated legally, resent the illegal immigrants’ “jumping the line.” This is the opposite of what the Dems no doubt intended with their open-door policy. Ironically, the Dems are being “hoisted on their own petard.” Towery added that the Administration’s inadequate response to hurricanes Helene and Milton was another negative.

Pollster Robert Cahaly (Trafalgar Group) denoted that the polls may be undervaluing Trump. He speculated that there may be a “hidden vote” for him. Other polls may differ very slightly but taken as a whole the polls are indicating that Trump appears to have the momentum.

There is palpable pessimism among the Harris supporters. One senior Dem source apprised the NY Post that the Dems were “not in a Blue Wall panic… but they were concerned.” MI Dem Rep Elise Slotkin acknowledged “we have her underwater in our polling.”

Below please find what I consider to be the key recent developments based on multiple media reports:

Trump is on the right side of the issues that voters have opined concerns them the most in this election – the economy, inflation, the border/illegal immigration, crime and security. The numbers with respect to these issues speak for themselves and cannot be explained away by the Dems with vague generalities, platitudes, and anti-Trump utterances.
The electorate is gradually becoming cognizant that Harris’ reluctance to disclose her specific views on the issues is because she is hiding them in order to get elected. Her real views as expressed over her entire political career prior to becoming the nominee are so far to the left as to be downright scary. Even though she has given a few tv interviews recently with friendly journalists she has not acquitted herself well. She is still prone to giving rambling, non-responsive answers. In her recent interview with 60 Minutes a few of her answers were so embarrassing that the network had to edit them before showing them on tv.
Based on polls in the swing states Trump is gaining among men, particularly Black and Hispanic men. Traditionally, Dem candidates have held decisive edges with these groups, but there are signs of much concern this year. For instance, recently the Harris campaign has launched ads aimed specifically aimed at Black and Hispanic men. Various observers, such as TX Rep Wesley Hunt, are predicting that Trump will have “the highest male Black vote of any Republican president[ial candidate] in modern history.” According to a recent NAACP survey 25% of Black men under 50 disclosed they would vote for Trump. This may not seem like much, but it represents a sizeable increase over previous election cycles.
As a further indication of the extent of the Dems’ concerns regarding the above trends former President Obama in a recent speech actually lectured Blacks that it is “not acceptable for Black men to support Trump.” In addition, he asserted (incorrectly) that Black men are opposed to Harris based on her gender. I don’t believe that this insulting, demeaning and highhanded attitude will help the Dems with male Blacks.
Moreover, local radio host Dan O’Donnell reported to the NY Post that the Harris campaign has taken the unusual tact of targeting Blacks in Philadelphia by advertising on hip-hop radio stations in the area.
The NY Post reported that Black men such as Rafael Smith, a former Harris supporter from MI, has switched to Trump because he feels the Dems have taken his and other Blacks’ support for granted “just because [Harris] is a woman of color.” He said “I don’t really think they’re looking at what she has done within the last 3 1/2 years…”
Another implication of concern among Dems is the appearance of former president Bill Clinton. The so-called “Big Dog” has commenced campaigning in NC and GA.
Harris has committed to participate in a town hall interview on October 23 that will be hosted by CNN. As we all know, a town hall format is not exactly in her wheelhouse. In my view, this is a further illustration of her concern that her campaign is flailing.
Trump has expressed his views and intentions on the issues very clearly. For example, he will not “pussyfoot” around with illegals, particularly those who have committed crimes against Americans. He states that his Administration “will either ‘put these vicious and bloodthirsty criminals in jail or get them the hell out of our country.’ ” He has even floated the idea of invoking the seldom-used Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which authorizes the president to “apprehend, restrain, secure and remove [those who] are deemed a threat to the US during wartime.” This language may be extreme or even illegal, but it resonates with those who are sick and tired of illegal aliens strutting into the US unrestrained and then preying upon US citizens.
Trump has made other promises that show he is cognizant of voters’ major concerns. For example, he will “drill, baby drill;” he will deal more aggressively with Iran; and he will support Israel more strongly in its war against Iran and its terrorist proxies. He will not tax overtime pay or tips; he will eliminate the double taxation being levied against Americans living and working abroad; he will make interest on car loans tax deductible; and he will extend the Trump tax cuts that are scheduled to expire in 2025. These will primarily benefit middle class and working-class voters, which counters the Dem’s claim that his policies favor the wealthy.
Despite multiple credible plots reported against him and two actual assassination attempts the government has still not acceded to all of the Trump campaign’s requests for enhanced security. Some Trump supporters have seriously questioned why, insinuating it may be part of a sinister assassination plot to leave Trump exposed.

CONCLUSION

As I said above, it appears that Trump has grabbed the momentum. He knows it; the Harris campaign knows it; you know it; and I know it. Just look at the substantial and enthusiastic crowds he draws wherever he goes. Just look at the signs of concern or even panic in the Harris campaign as delineated above.

Whether it’s due to a bias in the polling or the reluctance of some supporters to admit they will be voting for Trump, remember his appeal was undervalued in the polls in both 2016 and to a lesser extent in 2020. One caveat is that the election is far from over. A lot can happen between now and ED to swing the election, but at the present time it’s looking good.

October 13, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: 2024-presidential-election, barack-obama, bill-clinton, donald-trump, kamala-harris, politics Leave a comment

COLUMBUS DAY

On Monday, October 14, we will celebrate Columbus Day, which is a holiday to honor the man who “discovered” America. But did he? More on that later.

Federal offices and most banks will be closed, so there will be no mail delivery (although national parks will be open). On the other hand, financial markets and most schools will be open. Many cities and towns will hold their traditional Columbus Day parade, including NYC for the 80th year. If you’re planning to drive into midtown on Monday, don’t. There will be many street closures, and the usual heavy traffic will be especially brutal.

CD has been celebrated in the US since 1792. Originally, it was celebrated on October 12, the date on which Columbus made landfall. FDR proclaimed CD a national holiday in 1937. In 1971 pursuant to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act the date was changed to the second Monday in October where it has remained ever since.

In recent years Columbus and CD have become controversial. Many Native American and other activist groups have denoted his brutality toward the indigenous peoples he encountered, particularly in the West Indies. Some states, such as Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, and South Dakota, have authorized alternate holidays, such as Fraternal Day and Indigenous Peoples Day in protest. Others don’t celebrate it at all. According to Pew Research presently, only 16 states plus the territory of American Samoa still celebrate the holiday exclusively as Columbus Day.

For hundreds of years the conventional wisdom was that Columbus discovered America in 1492. Most of us know the basics of the story. Columbus was born in Genoa, which is now part of Italy, in 1451. According to Wikipedia the precise date is not known. He went to sea at around the age of ten and travelled extensively from the British Isles to the West African coast.

By the late 1400s the spice trade between Asia and Europe had become extremely lucrative. The problem was it took too long to travel between the two locations. Either ships had to sail around the “horn” of Africa or caravans had to travel overland through central Asia. Both routes were arduous and dangerous. Columbus became convinced he could find a quicker route. Time meant money, even in the 15th century. He was seeking a “Northwest Passage” to Asia, which would enhance the spice trade between Europe and Asia. His idea that he could find it by traveling west was generally considered radical and unrealistic.

At the time, most people believed the world was flat, and that if one sailed too far west the ship would simply fall off the edge of the earth. It was not until the 16th century, thanks primarily to the research of Copernicus and Galileo that the scientific community generally accepted the notion that the earth was spherical, not flat, and that it revolved around the sun, not the other way around. Columbus “pitched” his idea all over Europe seeking a sponsor. He was subjected to laughter and ridicule until King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain decided to take a chance on him. He set sail in August of 1492 with three ships – the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

On October 12 he made landfall in the current-day Bahama Islands. He named the indigenous people “Indians,” as he thought he was in India. Of course, he was wrong, but the term Indians to identify Native Americans has “stuck.” As colonial Governor of the area he became known for his extreme brutality toward the indigenous people. It was so bad that eventually he was removed from his post.

Eventually, Columbus would make three subsequent voyages to Central and South America. He never set foot in any part of North America. And he never did find the elusive Northwest Passage.

Based on new evidence, it is now generally accepted that Columbus did not “discover” America as we were taught in school. He did not “discover” anything. He was not the first person to set foot in America, not even close as you will see below. What he did accomplish was to make Europeans aware of the existence of a “New World,” which was chock full of unimaginable riches. His successful voyages ushered in a new era of exploration, exploitation, conquest, colonization and war that would last for centuries. He was not the first, but one can argue that he was the most significant.

So, who did “discover” America?

According to historian Michael Bawaya, editor of the magazine, American Archaeology, the original settlers of the NW arrived about 15,000 years ago. At that time the Bering Sea, which separates modern-day Siberia from North America, was more shallow than it is now. In some areas, there was an actual land-bridge. According to the US National Parks Service the land-bridge “played a vital role” in the spread of flora and fauna between the two continents. Animals such as mastodons, wooly mammoths, Arctic camels, horses and various species of fish and birds moved freely over the land-bridge establishing migration patterns that persist to this day. Of course, humans followed as they went where the food was.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of settlements in and around Clovis, NM that are some 11,000 years old. DNA evidence suggests that these inhabitants were the direct ancestors of some 80% of ALL indigenous peoples in the Americas.
According to voanews there is ample evidence that the Vikings inhabited Newfoundland and other parts of eastern Canada as early as circa 1100. Two leaders of these intrepid Viking explorers were Leif Erickson and his son, Eric “the Red.” They did not establish any permanent colonies, but there is ample evidence that they used the area as a winter settlement to make repairs to their boats and “ride out” bad weather.
There is evidence that Chinese and/or Polynesian explorers made their way to parts of South America well before Columbus.

CONCLUSION

In summary, I believe Columbus deserves credit (and blame) for introducing the New World to Europeans and all that followed, but it cannot be said that he “discovered” it. As indicated by his harsh treatment of the natives he was not perfect; none of us is. But I am not a proponent of “revisionist history” as advocated by many on the “left.” Therefore, I do not believe CD should be “canceled.” In my view, Columbus, regardless of his well-documented personal faults, deserves credit for his extensive and significant historical impact, and should continue to be recognized with a holiday in his memory.

October 11, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: american-history, christopher-columbus, Columbus Day, history Leave a comment

THE RECENT ESCALATION OF ANTISEMITISM

In the past couple of years I have posted several blogs detailing the state of antisemitism both in the US and the world at large. I believe that the one-year anniversary of the brutal and heinous surprise attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023 is an appropriate time to review and update the issue. We are all familiar with the repulsive details of those heinous terrorist attacks and the resultant war. There is no need to repeat it all here. One might say the attack was Israel’s 9/11.

Rather than generating sympathy for the victims the attack seems to have unleashed a level of antisemitism not seen since the 1930s and 1940s. Below please find my analysis of the root causes of this, citations of some of the numerous examples, and a warning to American Jews.

Without repeating what I have posted in some detail in previous blogs suffice to say that the root causes of antisemitism go back some 5,000 years. Jews have always been perceived as being “different,” different religion, different God, different day of worship, different appearance, and different customs. People tend to mistrust and even hate those who are different.
Throughout history Jews have been persecuted (e. g. the Spanish Inquisition, the pogroms of Russia and Poland, and of course the Holocaust.
Until the advent of the State of Israel in 1948 Jews did not have a land of their own, a land where they would be safe and secure. Wherever they lived they were subject to the whims of that country’s rulers.
Many, if not most, rulers were not welcoming. Some were even downright hostile. Others would tolerate Jews for a time. One reason was that in times of strife, for example, a plague or a famine or other misfortune Jews would provide a handy scapegoat. By blaming the Jews rulers would be able to distract the masses from their own culpability and their own miserable existence. For instance, Jews co-existed in harmony and prosperity in Germany for some 500 years before the rise of the Nazis who found them to be a convenient scapegoat for Germany’s post-WWI misery.
More recently, Jews have lived in the US in peace and prosperity since its founding. They have grown secure and complacent, and they are not aware that it can all be taken away. Many of them are oblivious to the depth of antisemitism extant in the US and the world in general. History has demonstrated that it can all be taken away either violently or gradually so that one would not notice until it was too late.
With respect to the war in the ME both the Jews and the Muslims consider Jerusalem and the surrounding area to be their “Holy Land,” and they have fought numerous wars for the control of it over thousands of years.
The Muslim terrorists dispute the validity of the State of Israel and want to obliterate both it and the Jews who inhabit it. They have made no secret about it. Hamas has included that goal in its charter. Furthermore, that is the meaning of the chant “from the river to the sea, the Holy Land will be free.”
On the other hand, the Jews are determined to destroy Hamas, Hezbollah and the other terrorist groups as a fighting force decisively once and for all.
The Israelis don’t want a ceasefire at this time. They are winning, and they want to finish the job. They know that if they don’t, they will just have to fight another war in the future, and another, and another, and another. Eventually, they may lose one, and then it would Sayonara.
Neither side is in favor of the much-ballyhooed two-state solution. Hamas would not honor any ceasefire anyway. They would just use it as a chance to regroup and rearm for the next war.
The smart strategy for BH would be to support Israel 100%, get out of its way, and let it finish the job, but as one can see it is not doing that. I believe it is either out of ignorance, a desire to placate the antisemitic left wing of the Dem Party, or a combination of the two. In addition, they lifted the Trump sanctions against Iran, which very effective. Iran was practically broke. Instead BH’s policy has provided it with untold billions of dollars of oil money that it is using to fund the terrorists. That is an ill-advised policy, geopolitically, economically and militarily. Israel is our only dependable ally in the volatile and strategically critical ME. BH’s policy has actually lengthened the war and endangered the lives of the hostages.
BH have urged Israel to show “restraint” in its response. They have provided Israel with only tepid support to avoid offending the radical left wing of the Dem party.
Incredibly, the bulk of world opinion is against Israel. It was the one that was brutally attacked, yet most of the world’s sympathy has been directed toward the Palestinians. Obviously, that is because of antisemitism. In the history of the world Israel is the only country that was attacked that was then urged to show restraint or even standdown.

That brings us to the main subject of the blog, the alarming expansion of antisemitism in the US and the world. There are a plethora of examples of this, but I will only cite a few to illustrate my point.

Recently, the NY Post reported that 61% of American Jews claim they have “faced bigotry” since last October 7.
According to a recently released survey by the National Opinion Research Council at the University of Chicago 3.5 million Jews have reported that they were victimized by antisemitism in some manner during the past year. This includes violent crimes such as rape and assault and threats such as targeting synagogues, homes and/or businesses with swastikas, graffiti and the like.
Approximately 25% of the respondents expressed fear or reluctance over identifying themselves as Jews, for example by wearing particular clothing or jewelry.
Roughly 40% of college students responded that they felt “uncomfortable” or unsafe at a “campus event.”
Nearly 30% felt that they had been “excluded from a group or event.”
The Anti-Defamation League disclosed that there have been in excess of 150 occasions of “physical assault,” approximately 1,840 instances of “vandalism” and about 8,000 incidents of “written or verbal abuse” against Jews in the past year. Approximately 1,200 of these incidents occurred on college campuses. To put these numbers in some context they represent a 200% increase over the prior year. 200%!
If you know your history you will recognize this as being reminiscent of what occurred in Germany in the 1930s and early 1940s.
What I have described has not been limited to the US. The UN has long exhibited feelings of antisemitism. The membership includes many Islamic countries that have long been sympathetic to the Palestinian or even terrorist viewpoints. Moreover, recently French President Emmanuel Macron has been advocating cutting off arms shipments to Israel. It is important to understand that there are only 15.8 million Jews in the world whereas the Muslim population is 1.8 billion, and a goodly number of them live in the US and various European countries where they wield some political influence. Even though relatively few of them are radicalized, I believe most of the moderates are still sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.

CONCLUSION

The heinous nature of the October 7 attacks should have generated some sympathy for Israel and Jews in general. In fact, as demonstrated above, the opposite has occurred. It has unleashed latent, covert antisemitism, which I believe has always been lurking just below the surface, like an inactive volcano, waiting to explode. The outpouring of blatant, overt antisemitism in the last year is no coincidence.

BH have done nothing to quell the antisemitism either on college campuses or in general. Nor has Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish. They have not pushed back against politicians like Ilhan Omar who have continually expressed antisemitic views. They have not provided support to the US Jewish community. They speak in vague generalities and platitudes, but as I keep saying, actions speak louder than words.

Schumer’s case has been particularly disturbing to me. He is one of the most powerful and influential politicians in the country. He represents NY State, which is heavily Jewish. He, of all people, should be advocating for Israel and the Jews. Instead, he has done the opposite by criticizing Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s prosecution of the war, even calling for him to resign. As I wrote in a previous blog in my opinion, his actions have been despicable.

In my view, the main takeaway from the current climate is that we Jews are not as safe and secure as we think we are in the US or anywhere else. This is no time to be complacent. We have an election next month. Historically, a majority of Jews has voted for Dems, and for the most part they have delivered. However, the BH administration has not supported Jews. They have not been loyal to us. Why should we continue to be loyal to them. When Trump was president, he was a staunch supporter of Israel. In addition, he has exhibited the conviction and strength of character to support Israel regardless of world opinion and to stand up to the antisemites extant in the US. In my view, it is time to switch and vote for the GOP.

October 7, 2024 by webuiltitblog Tags: antisemitism, donald-trump, gaza, Israel, joe-biden, kamala-harris, palestine, terrorists Leave a comment

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