Tag: donald-trump

THE UNOFFICIAL PRESIDENT

Quick question. Who is the president of the US at the present time? I don’t mean the legal president. Obviously, that is Joe Biden. I mean to whom, is the world actually looking for leadership? Who has been representing the US at meetings with key politicians and world leaders at which future policies are being formulated? Who is representing the US at ceremonial events, such as the reopening of Notre Dame? Who is the person journalists want to interview regarding future US policy? To whose home have world leaders, billionaires and other influential people been making pilgrimages, to show support and curry favor? Whose Florida home has been dubbed the “Winter White House?” Whose opinions now matter? Hint: it’s not Biden.

In my opinion, we have not had a real functioning president for some time, perhaps since 2020. Biden has generally been unavailable. He works a very short day, when he works at all. I don’t recall the last time he gave a real press conference and took real questions as opposed to prearranged cream puff questions from preselected journalists. His typical discussions with journalists have been very brief as he is walking to or from Air Force One or Marine One. Often, they are unintelligible over the noise of the engines. When he does deign to speak to the media his comments are often inane and fatuous.

VP Kamala Harris is no better. Since the election she has been largely incognito as well. I have not seen her talking to the press, other world leaders, politicians or anyone for that matter. In short, neither Biden nor Harris has been “presidential” at all. If not the president or VP, who is running the government? Who is addressing our critical issues of which there are many? Who is reassuring our allies and protecting us from our enemies? Many of us have long suspected it is some hidden cadre of unelected “deep staters,” but no one really knows for sure. In my opinion, since the election it has gotten even worse, and that, my friends, is very scary.

I submit that President-elect Donald Trump has edged into this vacuum and in many ways, he has been acting as the unofficial, de facto president. It was he that French President Macron invited to the ceremonies of the re-opening of Notre Dame. It is he who has met with the presidents of Mexico and Canada to formulate prospective immigration policy. It is he who has held preliminary discussions with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky regarding peace in its war with Russia. It is he who has dispatched envoys to the ME to discuss possible parameters for a settlement. It is he who has threatened Iran with repercussions if it continues to foment terrorism. It is he who has been in demand for interviews regarding prospective US policy. And it is he who is already influencing the actions of Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel and other regimes even though he will not be inaugurated until January 20, 2025. Everyone knows there will be a new sheriff in town shortly, and no one wants to get on his bad side.

I have not seen a president-elect wield this much power and influence in my lifetime. Some may not like it, but I and many others find it refreshing and reassuring. Trump has a huge mandate, and he is already working on it. Many observers have already acknowledged this. For example, according to NBC News, not exactly a friend or a supporter of Trump’s “[he] is already acting like he’s president.” Similarly, Politico, another frequent critic, has acknowledged that the “Trump movement is a powerful expression of democracy.”

Journalist Miranda Devine has been harshly critical of Biden and Harris and their administration. In her opinion Biden has become a “PINO,” president in name only. There is a double meaning. PINO is an abbreviation for “Pinocchio,” which refers to Biden’s longtime habit of lying, exaggerating and plagiarizing.

CONCLUSION

It has been said that one of the ramifications of Trump’s landslide victory was to terminate the influence of the so-called “Five Families” of our political system (another double meaning). We have been under the influence, in one way or another, of the Bidens, the Bushes, the Obamas, the Clintons and, to a lesser extent, the Cheneys for decades. Trump has managed to vanquish them all. In 2016 he wrested the GOP nomination from Jeb Bush and then he defeated Hillary Clinton in the election; Liz Cheney’s association with the Lincoln Project and the since denigrated committee that “investigated” the “January 6” incident exposed her as a bitter, vindictive, has-been and led to her defeat in 2022; Dick Cheney has, in Trump’s words, devolved into an “irrelevant RINO;” and in 2024 he defeated Harris who was handpicked by Obama, Clinton and others to continue the Obama-Clinton legacy.

Additionally, Obama’s recent speeches have exposed him. He is no longer the slick orator who mesmerizes his listeners. He seems to have lost his touch. During the campaign many black voters did not appreciate his lecturing them to vote for Harris. Furthermore, in his most recent speech he accused the GOP of doing what the Dems, in fact, have done, e. g. rigging elections and weaponizing the justice system.

The American public has wised up to them. Their time has passed. Devine put it succinctly; they’ve been “consigned to the ash heap of history.”

Trump will bring a breath of fresh air to America, a new attitude. Trump will make us proud to be an American again. Trump will “make America great again.”

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NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW…EXCEPT THE BIDENS

All politicians lie, obfuscate, exaggerate, and omit certain information. Otherwise, they would never win an election. Most of us are cognizant of this and accept it. We may not like it, but we accept it.

Some examples to illustrate my point: (1) FDR and his aides hid his polio from the public. (2) JFK hid a plethora of diseases. Despite his slim, athletic-looking physique and skill at sports such, as sailing and golf, he suffered from a variety of health issues, including spinal problems, osteoporosis, and Addisons’ disease, which damaged his adrenal glands and caused fatigue, digestive difficulties, low blood pressure, severe allergies and urinary tract infections. In fact, he was probably one of the unhealthiest presidents. (3) LBJ continually disseminated false and incomplete information regarding the Vietnam War. (4) During his campaign Bush the elder famously asserted “read my lips. No new taxes.” Of course, once in office he did just that. (5) Bush the younger dragged us into the war with Iraq based on the “certainty” that Saddam Hussein possessed “weapons of mass destruction.” Such weapons were never found and probably never existed. (6) Most politicians engage in questionable deals with people seeking favor or influence.

Yes, we are aware and accept a certain amount of the foregoing. We may not like it, but we regard it as a “cost of doing business,” if you will.

However, the Bidens have taken these activities to a whole new level. They have been aided and abetted by a biased mainstream media for the past nine years. Moreover, they have benefited from a huge legal double standard. Those of us who get our news from legitimate sources such as Fox News have been aware of this. The “Kool-Aid drinkers” among us have probably not been and may still deny it. At this point, the mountain of proof of their corruption is evident to all those who care to look. I could write an entire book about this, and someday someone will likely do so. But for purposes of this blog, below please find just the highlights or, rather, the lowlights.

Trump was not supposed to win the 2016 election. Supposedly, it was Hillary Clinton’s “turn.” The Washington insiders had it all planned out. Clinton would serve two terms, continue the Obama-Clinton agenda, and then hand it over to another Dem Party politician. When Trump declared his candidacy, most of us were shocked and skeptical. Few people took him seriously. We figured he was on a lark and would soon get tired of the process and withdraw. He fooled everyone. He dominated a crowded and weak GOP field, won the nomination, and then, shockingly, upset Clinton in a very close election. Suddenly, the entrenched “deep staters” panicked. Trump was a “wild card,” a “fly in the ointment,”, a “monkey in the wrench” who could not be controlled. He had pledged to “drain the swamp.” They feared that he would. He was a threat to the entrenched, powerful “deep staters.” He had to be thwarted.

We all know what happened next. In an effort to besmirch his character and hinder his presidency Trump’s enemies conjured up a series of “crimes.” Some of them included the “Russia hoax” and “dossier,” the mischaracterization of the phone call to Ukrainian officials, the FISA warrants, calling him a “fascist,” “Hitler,” and a “threat to democracy,” and the two impeachment trials, among many others. Their goal was to damage his reputation, foil his presidency and/or get him out of office. As we know, eventually they succeeded. In 2020 Trump lost to Biden in a close election,

When he declared for the 2024 election their plan was to prevent him from winning at all costs. First, they sought to keep him off the ballot in some states. When that failed, they conjured up criminal cases. As a convicted felon they figured he would be incarcerated or, if not, so severely damaged that he would lose the election. They subjected Trump to such an unending spiel of hateful rhetoric that some deranged person shot him and came within a hair of assassinating him.

As justification for attacking a sitting president and later a former president seeking re-election, they continually spouted the mantra “no one is above the law.” How many times have we heard that from Dems over the last several years? Incidentally, now that Trump has won the election isn’t it funny how all these criminal cases have withered away?

Meanwhile, the Bidens were and still are involved in a plethora of illegal activities including bribery, corruption, influencing-peddling, human trafficking, and possibly espionage. Much of the evidence has been hidden or destroyed, so we are unaware of the depths of their crimes. Likely, we will never know everything, but what we do know is bad enough. Again, there is way too much to discuss in a simple 1,500-word blog. If you doubt me, I suggest you follow the late Casey Stengel’s advice and “look it up.”

There is ample evidence that Hunter Biden has been the point-man for these activities. In addition, there is ample evidence that Joe Biden has been deeply involved. The whole point of these schemes was to sell access to Biden first as VP then as President. Like the mafia capos he, the “big guy,” has been getting a “taste” of every deal. Moreover, it appears that other Biden family members may also be involved.

The media has protected the Bidens. They have not pursued these stories, most notably Hunter’s infamous laptop and “pay for play” deals and Joe’s Biden’s declining cognitive abilities. During the 2020 election they denigrated the contents of the laptop as “Russian disinformation.” The cash payments to Hunter were swept under the rug. The media aided and abetted Biden’s campaign strategy of avoiding the public as much as possible. Had those matters been made public Trump would likely have won the election.

And now, we come to the current Biden-family malfeasance – THE PARDON. I will stipulate that all presidents issue pardons as is their right under the Constitution. However, the scope of Hunter’s is unprecedented and excessive. Most pardons are issued to convicted persons who have already served some or all of their sentence. Hunter’s covers not only the tax fraud and gun convictions that we know about, crimes for which he has pled guilty but not yet served a day in prison, but also any and all crimes between 2014 and 2025 that he may have committed. Basically, it is an unlimited get-out-of- jail-free card. So much for “no one is above the law.”

Before the election Joe had continually asserted that he would not pardon Hunter. Many of us knew better. It was a virtual certainty that he would do so. So, the announcement did not surprise us, although the scope of it did. I would not be surprised if he issues pardons to other family members and cohorts as well as himself before he leaves office. His intent is to bury all of his family’s prior nefarious activities, and that would be the only way to do it.

Donators and other supporters who believed in Joe were shocked, disillusioned and even despondent. Even the DOJ was reported to have been surprised. They all had taken Biden at his word. CA Governor, and Presidential hopeful, Gavin Newsome, who has consistently supported Joe, told reporters “I’m disappointed, and I cannot support the [pardon].” The outspoken James Carvill, who has been brutally honest about the ill-advised direction of the Dem Party, in general, and the 2024 campaign, in particular, was irate. He railed that “Biden’s delusional self-belief, mendacity and corruption [have] wrecked the country and now, on his way out the door, [he’s] wrecked his party.” He added, “it’s hard to see his extraordinarily broad pardon for his son and the lies he told about it as anything but self-preservation.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Many donors and other supporters, who apparently believed his denials, felt betrayed, not just by the pardon but also by the campaign’s missing $2.5 billion. No one seems to know where it went, or if they do, they are not saying. Many of them, particularly the myriad of small donors, feel they were “ripped off.” The Party has some repair work to do there.

As justification, Joe claimed Hunter, being the President’s son, was “singled [out]” for harsher treatment. Most people recognize that as an outlandish lie. In fact, the opposite has been true. Merrick Garland, the president’s own AG has had hands-on involvement in the case. In addition, the DOJ has bent over backwards to protect the family and otherwise impede the IRS’ investigation. It has consistently blocked any evidence that could have led to Joe’s involvement. Furthermore, it slow-walked the prosecution of some of the more egregious crimes to allow the statute of limitations to lapse.

In their testimony under oath Joe Ziegler and Gary Shipley, the two IRS whistleblowers, disclosed that they had produced “mountains” of evidence that Special Council David Weiss failed to follow up on. Furthermore, there have been numerous similar cases where ordinary citizens without Hunter’s connections have been penalized to the full extent of the law.

Mark Scarsi, the federal judge who was about to sentence Hunter, also scoffed at Joe’s claim and strongly criticized the pardon. He commented that “the Constitution provides the president with broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons …. but nowhere does [it] give the President the authority to rewrite history.” Finally, Scarsi denoted that “11 different Article III judges appointed by six different presidents, including [Joe], [have] considered and rejected the defendant’s claims [of harsher treatment].”

CONCLUSION

Based on the evidence that has come to light Joe’s corruption and influence peddling can be traced back to his years as VP and, quite possibly, to his time as a Senator. He once described himself as “the poorest man in Congress.” Recently, Forbes valued his net worth at $10 million. Not bad for someone who has lived exclusively on a public servant’s salary for 50+ years.

The revelations of the past several years have shattered Joe’s reputation as an honest politician who was a champion of the working class (“Joe Sixpack”). According to columnist Michael Goodwin writing in the NY Post these revelations of family-wide influence peddling “proves” that “he’s been corrupt for decades.” Goodwin added that “those who refused to consider the possibility that Joe personally profited from the $20 million foreign sources paid his son and brother [despite having no useful experience or expertise] … simply refused to see the evidence.”

His pardoning of Hunter was the crowning touch of the demise of his reputation. In my view, the problem was not the pardon, itself. It can be argued that he was within his rights to pardon his son. Rather, it was the extent of it (11 years encompassing acts for which Hunter had not even been accused) and the fact that Joe continually lied about it. As I said, many of his allies and supporters had believed his denials, and they were shattered and disappointed. At the moment, Joe’s standing within the Dem Party and indeed the country as a whole has sunken to a new low. As I said, in my opinion Hunter’s pardon is only the beginning. I expect Joe to pardon any and all others who were complicit, both family and non-family.

In the words of pollster Nate Silver Joe has been unmasked as a “selfish and senile old man.” Longtime chief of staff Ted Kaufman once labeled him as “an equal-opportunity disappointer.” In my opinion, the extent of his corruptness rivals that of any other president in history. We may never know the true extent of it.

At some point, Trump will undoubtedly issue pardons to certain people whom he feels have been imprisoned unjustly. The Dems will howl, but they will have no basis for complaining. Now anything goes with respect to presidential pardons. Biden has established the precedent.

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TRUMP TRANSITION UPDATE

In a previous blog I posted that following his election Donald Trump has hit the ground running. He is very mindful of his mandate and that there is much to be done in a very short time while the GOP has control of both houses of Congress. There is no time to waste. The extensive public support he has now can melt away quickly like a summer snow.

There are limitations as to what he can accomplish prior to his inauguration on January 20, 2025. Nevertheless, in a few short weeks he has already achieved more than any other President-elect I can recall. In my view, this is due primarily to (1) his tireless work ethic and (2) his reputation that he says what he means and means what he says. Friends and adversaries alike know that Trump has the hammer, and he will not be afraid to use it. This is a radical change from the current administration.

Some of his actions have been disclosed to the public, but others have been accomplished privately behind the scenes. Below please find a description of some of the more significant ones:

  1. He has already filled out most of his proposed cabinet and key advisors. Some Dem senators may attempt to delay approval of a few of them, but historically very few presidential-elects’ nominations have failed to be confirmed.
  2. One nomination that has engendered controversy is RFK, Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. He has been criticized for his assertion of a link between certain vaccines and autism. However, he is a strong advocate of improving the overall health of Americans through their diets. He maintains that many of our foods contain too much sugar and preservatives that are banned in other countries.
  3. The issue that has received the most attention is illegal immigration. In the last few years, the southern border has generated the most attention and deservedly so, but Trump has been focusing on the northern border as well. He has already met with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s President Justin Trudeau. Both have been less than cooperative with respect to this issue under the Biden-Harris Administration, but after meeting with Trump both have undergone a radical change in attitude. Sheinbaum has agreed to halt the flow of immigrants through Mexico. She assured Trump that various illegal migrant caravans heading toward the border “are being taken care of in Mexico.” This is very significant. Obviously, the most effective way to curtail illegal immigration is to prevent them from reaching the border in the first place. In addition, she agreed to cooperate with the US to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the US. Trudeau has also agreed to cooperate. As I write this it has been reported that he is enroute to Mira Lago to discuss the immigration issue with Trump in more detail.
  4. Apparently, the major reason for this attitude adjustment was Trump’s threat to levy a 25% tariff on those countries’ exports to the US unless they agreed to cooperate to eliminate illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs such as fentanyl. Some (including President Biden who awoke from his months-long slumber to advise Trump to “rethink it”) have criticized his proposed use of tariffs, but those critics miss the point. The imposition of tariffs is a bargaining chip, nothing more. Trump would only employ them as a last resort, but in my opinion, he won’t have to. Again, they know he says what he means and means what he says.
  5. As I reported in a previous blog the CDC has reported that in the last three years fentanyl has been responsible for an average of 75,000 fatalities per year. I maintain that this is directly attributable to Biden-Harris’ failure to control our borders. Trump has also addressed this issue with China, which is generally acknowledged to be the major source of the drug. He has threatened China with a 10% tariff on imports should it fail to cooperate.
  6. Part of Trump’s plan to identify, arrest and deport illegal migrants will be to utilize local law enforcement. According to the Wall Street Journal the plan is to deputize them in accordance with Federal law 287(g) to act as “immigration agents.” This law was passed in 1996 during the Clinton Administration. It had been phased out in recent years, but Trump intends to resurrect it. Local law enforcement personnel would be used to “question and detain” suspected illegals during the performance of their normal duties and coordinate with ICE. This would greatly enhance the efficiency of identifying, detaining, processing and deporting illegals.
  7. The first priority for deportation will be criminals, drug dealers, terrorists and others would do harm to America. I fail to see how anyone could oppose that plan. There is a plethora of them to keep ICE and Homeland busy.
  8. Border Czar Tom Homan has stated repeatedly that he will brook no interference from officials in sanctuary jurisdictions in carrying out his duties. The laws, public opinion, and the power of the federal government are on his side. He has reiterated that those who harbor illegals or interfere in any way are committing felonies and will be dealt with accordingly.
  9. As reported in the NY Post and elsewhere Trump intends to declare a “national emergency” and utilize “military assets” to assist in the effort to deport illegal migrants.
  10. A federal appeals court has blocked the Biden-Harris Administration from removing razor wire fencing along Texas’ borders and buoys that Texas had placed in the Rio Grande to prevent illegal migrants from crossing into the US.
  11. Venezuela has been a particular problem. According to the NY Post in excess of 800,000 Venezuelan illegal migrants have entered the US during the Biden-Harris Administration. Many of them are members of the brutal prison gang, Tren de Aragua. This gang has been a scourge. It is extremely violent and has been responsible for a considerable amount of violence and criminality against US citizens. Venezuelan authorities have refused to accept deportees. This is unacceptable. Trump and Homan have vowed to force them to do so by employing of additional sanctions and/or withholding aid. The US has the ability to “crush” Venezuela economically, and the threat of doing so should convince Venezuela to accept the deportees.
  12. Perhaps, Trump’s most ingenuous appointments were Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy as co-heads of a new Department of Government Efficiency. This department will be charged with identifying and eliminating “waste, fraud, and mismanagement” in the federal government. They expect to trim “trillions” of dollars. That goal may be too ambitious, but the idea is sound. Most people believe that this type of review is long overdue.
  13. Suddenly, with Trump on the horizon, Hamas and Hezbollah have become more amenable to negotiated settlements. They are mindful of how he destroyed ISIS during his prior term, and they fear and respect him (unlike the current administration). Once Trump takes office, resumes drilling, and begins to squeeze Iran economically and financially, H and H will lose much of the support of their sponsor. Then there will be a good chance to end the ME wars and secure the return of the hostages.
  14. Florida Governor Ron De Santis has to appoint someone to fill Marco Rubio’s Senate seat. DeSantis is taking his time. There are a copious number of candidates. Some of the qualifications he is said to be looking for is a person who is “strong on immigration and border security, will take on the entrenched bureaucracy … and reverse the nation’s fiscal decline.” Lara Trump is a possibility, but there are many others as well.

Conclusion

According to multiple media reports Trump’s victory has uplifted the outlook of the public, in general. People have expressed confidence that he will solve the nation’s problems that have plagued us for four years. One indication is that, as reported by CNBC and other media outlets, shopping volume has increased dramatically, particularly in “red” states.

It is refreshing that we will finally have a president that will simply get things done. Once again, America will be the pre-eminent power in the world economically and militarily. Once again, America will be respected by its friends and feared by its enemies. Once again, America will be great again.

As I have said, Trump is fully cognizant that he has to act with alacrity while his party still controls both houses of Congress and enjoys the overwhelming support of the people. History tells us this honeymoon period will not last long, at most, until the 2026 midterm elections. As Trump likes to say, “we’ll see what happens.”

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PRESIDENTS’ QUIZ

Some of you have been requesting a quiz. So, here it is. You know the drill.  No peeking at the internet.  No asking “Alexa” or “Siri.”  Good luck.

  1. Upon his inauguration Donald Trump will become president # (a) 42, (b) 43, (c) 45, (d) 47.
  2. Who was the only president to serve in both WW1 and WW2?  (a) Harry Truman, (b) Dwight Eisenhower, (c) Douglas MacArthur, (d) John F. Kennedy
  3.  Each of the following served as generals in the US Army, EXCEPT: (a) Theodore Roosevelt, (b) Franklyn Pierce, (c) Benjamin Harrison, (d) Andrew Johnson.  Bonus – There were 12 in total.  How many can you name?  See below.
  4. Only two presidents are buried in Arlington National Cemetery, JFK and who else? (a) Eisenhower, (b) Jackson, (c) Taft, (d) Teddy Roosevelt.
  5. Donald Trump will be the second president to serve two terms non-consecutively. Who was the other? (a) Grover Cleveland, (b) James Buchanan, (c) Teddy Roosevelt, (d) Chester A. Arthur.
  6. What was Lady Bird Johnson’s real first name? (a) Eugenia, (b) Claudia, (c) Alice, (d) Mary
  7.  Who is the longest-lived former president?  (a) George Washington, (b) George HW Bush, (c) Jimmy Carter, (d) Ronald Reagan
  8.  Who was the oldest president on his inauguration date? (a) Jimmy Carter, (b) Ronald Reagan, (c) George HW Bush, (d) Joe Biden
  9. Who was the only president who never got married? (a) Andrew Johnson, (b) Warren Harding, (c) James Buchanan, (d) John Quincy Adams.
  10. Who is the only president to have also served as Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court? (a) Woodrow Wilson, (b) James A. Garfield, (c) Benjamin Harrison, (d) William Howard Taft
  11.  Who was the first president for whom “Hail to the Chief” was played? (a) John Tyler, (b) George Washington, (c) Andrew Jackson, (d) FDR.
  12.  Which president’s wife was the first to be dubbed “First Lady?” (a) John Adams, (b) Thomas Jefferson, (c) James Madison, (d) James Polk
  13. Who was the only president to serve in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812? (a) James Monroe, (b) John Quincy Adams, (c) Andrew Jackson, (d) John Tyler.
  14.  Who was the only president to serve as president and vice president without being elected to either office? (a) Gerald Ford, (b) John Adams, (c) James Monroe, (d) Martin Van Buren
  15.  Who was the first president to live in the White House? (a) George Washington, (b) John Adams, (c) Thomas Jefferson, (d) James Madison
  16. Who was the shortest president? (a) John Adams, (b) James Monroe, (c) James Madison, (d) John Quincy Adams.
  17.  Who was the first president to be born an American citizen? (a) Andrew Jackson, (b) George Washington, (c) James Buchanan, (d) Martin Van Buren
  18.  Who had the shortest tenure as president? (a) James K. Polk, (b) William Henry Harrison, (c) Rutherford B. Hayes, (d) Samuel Tilden
  19.  Who was known as “Old Kinderhook?” (a) Franklyn Pierce, (b) Chester A. Arthur, (c) John Tyler, (d) Martin Van Buren.
  20.  How many presidents have died in office? (a) 6, (b) 8, (c) 10, (d) 4
  21.  How many presidents were elected despite having lost the popular vote? (a) 4, (b) 5, (c) 6, (d) 8.
  22.  FDR won four terms as president.  How many VPs did he have? (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3, (d) 4.
  23. Who was president during the War of 1812? (a) James Madison; (b) John Adams; (c) Thomas Jefferson; (d) Andrew Jackson
  24. Which state is the birthplace of the most presidents? (a) NY; (b) Ohio; (c) PA; (d) Virginia
  25. Which of the following presidents’ faces is NOT carved on Mt. Rushmore? (a) Thomas Jefferson; (b) Teddy Roosevelt; (c) FDR; (d) George Washington

ANSWERS: 1. (d); 2. (b); 3. (a); [ Washington, Jackson, Zachary Taylor, Franklyn Pierce, Andrew Johnson, US Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, William Henry Harrison, James Garfield, Chester A. Arthur, Benjamin Harrison, Eisenhower] 4. c;  5. (a);  6. (b);  7. (c) (100 and counting);  8. (d) (Biden,78);  9. c;  10. d;  11. (a);  12. (c) (President Zachary Taylor referred to Dolley Madison as “First Lady” when he eulogized her at her funeral.)  13. (c);  14. (a);  15. (b);  16. (c) (5′ 4″); 17. (d);  18. (b) (32 days); 19. (d) (That was the derivation of “okay” or “OK”);  20. (b); 21. (b) ( John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison, George W. Bush, Donald Trump – 2016); 22. (c) (John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, Harry S. Truman); 23. (a); 24. (d) (8); 25. (c)

Well, there you have it. How did you do?

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TRUMP HITS THE GROUND RUNNING

As we all know, on January 20, 2025 President-elect Donald Trump will be riding into office on a humungous red wave. He didn’t just win the 2024 election in a squeaker. He won it in a landslide. He garnered 312 electoral votes; he won the popular vote with over 74 million votes, the first time a Republican has done so since 2004; he won all seven swing states; his Party gained control of the House with a projected 222 seats; and it held its majority in the Senate. All in all, the voters have given him a huge mandate to enact his policies.

To his credit, Trump has not been wasting any time. He has been moving with alacrity to assemble his team.

As I write this the key appointments are as follows:

Secretary of State – Marco Rubio; Secretary of Defense – Peter Hegseth; Head of Homeland Security – Kristi Noehm; Department of Government Efficiency (New) – Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy; Ambassador to Israel – Mike Huckabee; National Security Advisor – Mike Waltz; Head of the CIA – John Radcliffe; Border Czar – Thomas Homan.

Some of these will require Senate approval, but I don’t anticipate any problems. Each of these persons share two commonalities: (1) they are very capable; and (2) they share Trump’s vision for America.

For example, Homan is a former head of ICE and has some 30 years’ experience as a policeman and in border enforcement. He has vowed to institute deportations of illegals starting with criminals, cartel members, gang members, and suspected terrorists. He will use the full powers of the federal government to compel Sanctuary Jurisdictions to obey the law. He told Fox News ICE would conduct “well-targeted, planned operation[s].”

Hegseth has a most impressive background. He is currently a major in the Army National Guard. He has degrees from Harvard and Princeton. He has served tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He is a strong proponent of “America First,” and of replacing “wokeism” with meritocracy in the military.

Trump hasn’t been sworn in yet and some of our enemies have signaled a change in attitude in anticipation. As reported in the NY Post, Qatar has expelled Hamas leaders whom it had been sheltering; the Taliban issued a statement that it is “hoping for a new chapter” in its relationship with the US; Russia is ready for a “dialogue;” Hamas is calling for an “immediate end” to its war with Israel; and the latest caravan of illegals has turned back. These developments, if true, are most encouraging.

CONCLUSION

The election results were very clear. Americans want massive changes in their lives, and they trust Trump to provide them. Everyone, our friends, our enemies, the illegal migrants, the wokers, everyone, has gotten the message. At the present time Trump has a rare opportunity to act with near impunity. He must “strike while the iron is hot.” History tells us this opportunity will not last long.

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THE BLAME GAME

And so, it begins. That didn’t take long. Just a few days after the election and the Dem Party and its supporters have already begun to point fingers. The blame game is in full swing. They’re all stunned by Trump’s resounding victory. They wonder, how could this have happened? How could so many people have voted for the “fascist,” “racist,” “misogynistic,” “Hitler-reincarnated” Trump?

Incredibly, they have no idea. It’s Harris’ fault; no, it’s Biden’s fault; no, it’s the Party power brokers’ (PBs”) who wield the real power behind the scenes fault; no, it’s the donors; no, it’s the Obamas; no, it’s the Clintons; no, it’s the media. Well, in my view, if they’re looking to ascribe blame, they should all look in the mirror. They’re all right and they’re all wrong.

The last few days of listening to Dems supporters’ meltdowns have actually been entertaining. For example:

  1. CNN anchor Jake Tapper requested that a staffer show him a graph of the states in which Harris had outperformed Biden by in excess of three percent. The staffer showed him a blank gray map.
  2. The View‘s co-host Sunny Hostin simplistically blamed “uneducated white women” for Harris’ defeat.
  3. NYS Governor Kathy Hochul and Trump prosecutor Leticia James, rather than focusing on cooperating with Trump to resolve the state’s copious serious problems, vowed to pursue “potential federal legal threats to reproductive freedom, gun safety laws, and other key issues.” Huh?
  4. NBC’s “Morning Joe” concluded that Harris’ defeat was due to “misogyny and racism from minority voters.”
  5. Late night comedians Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert, and I use the term loosely, who host shows that few people bother to watch anymore, acted like their best friend had died.
  6. AOC blamed “sexism” and warned “scary time[s]” were ahead under a Trump presidency.
  7. Al Sharpton dismissed and denigrated male blacks who had voted for Trump as “racists.” Huh?
  8. Writing in the NY Times columnist Peter Baker opined that America is “not ready for a woman in the Oval Office.”
  9. “Woke” colleges, such as Harvard and Columbia, cancelled classes or established “coping rooms” for distraught students. Puhlease!
  10. Several prominent “wokers” have speculated that Trump will retaliate against them personally. News flash. He has no intention of wasting his time on you. For one thing, you’re not that important. In addition, he has much more pressing matters to address, and his stated intent is to unite, not retaliate, a concept that is foreign to you.

As I said, these people are way out of touch and in denial. They believed their own propaganda.

In my opinion:

  1. The PBs stuck with Biden for too long. It was an open secret that his cognitive abilities were in a steep decline. The evidence was right there for all to see if they just cared to look. His family knew it; his staff knew it; the media knew it; the donors knew it; and eventually, most significantly, the electorate knew it (the ones who were objective, anyway). His decline had become noticeable in 2021, but the specter of COVID gave him a plausible reason to run his campaign largely hidden from public view. Rather than do its job the media aided and abetted him. No outsiders knew “the emperor had no clothes.” For those who know their history it was reminiscent of FDR and his staff’s hiding his polio affliction from the public. They should have realized that his decline would become known at some point, but they arrogantly believed they could hide it and if it were to come out, they could manage it.
  2. Biden’s disastrous debate with Trump was the watershed event. It caused a massive panic among Dems. Biden was exposed before the whole world as a fumbling, bumbling, mumbling, stumbling shell of his former self. Suddenly, just three months before the election, the secret was out. He was no longer a viable candidate. He needed to be replaced both as a candidate and as president or else Trump would surely win.
  3. The Dem Party PBs (who had really been running the country) were in a real quandary. Stubbornly, Biden refused to step aside. His attitude was he had swept the primaries fair and square garnering over 14 million votes. At the convention the delegates had made him the unanimous choice as Dem nominee. He had beaten Trump once; he could and would do it again.
  4. According to that pesky document known as the Constitution the only way to replace him legally would have been to declare him unfit for office under the 25th Amendment. But that would have meant a long, drawn-out public process that would have severely damaged the campaign. That was a nonstarter. They needed a new candidate, and fast.
  5. Finally, the PBs decided to force Biden to withdraw and replace him with Kamala Harris. It was nothing less than a coup perpetrated by, among others Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck (the “Chameleon”) Schumer, key donors, and probably other undisclosed PBs. In their view, it had to be Harris. As VP she was already in place in the campaign, and she was only person who could access the hundreds of millions of dollars of accumulated campaign funds.
  6. It didn’t matter that as a presidential candidate in 2020 she had been so bad that she had had to drop out before the Iowa caucuses. It didn’t matter that she had not won a single electorate vote. It didn’t matter that she had only been chosen as VP because Biden needed a running mate who was a black woman. It didn’t matter that she had been such an incompetent VP that there had been discussions to replace her on the 2024 ticket. It didn’t matter that she was the most far-left senator, a genuine died-in-the-wool Socialist, even further to the left than admitted Socialist Bernie Sanders. The PBs forced Biden out and shoe-horned her in. It was a coup, plainly and simply.
  7. The hope was to hide her real views from the electorate and rely on the mainstream media and the perceived widespread hatred of Donald Trump to carry the day.
  8. To make a long story short, it worked for a while, until it didn’t. Harris was a terrible candidate, and she ran a terrible campaign. She couldn’t hide from her 20 years of far-left policies; she couldn’t separate herself from Biden’s disastrous four-year record; and she was on the wrong side of every issue that mattered to the electorate – the economy, the border, crime, and security, to name a few. In the end her only viable strategy was to gaslight voters by avoiding interviews. She continually flip-flopped her policies to the extent that voters didn’t know her true beliefs, and they didn’t trust her.
  9. It didn’t help matters that she chose another Socialist, MN Governor Tim Walz, as her running mate over PA Governor Josh Shapiro. The pick was not viewed as a wise strategic choice since PA was a swing state that Shapiro, as VP nominee, would likely have carried for the ticket. It was widely viewed as a sop to the far left, antisemitic, pro-Muslim wing of the Party. With his “baggage” and buffoonery Walz turned out to be a negative factor. He even lost his home county to Trump.
  10. Perhaps, the happiest Dem today is Biden. Reports are that he is “giddy” over Harris’ decisive loss and views it as vindication and revenge for his forced removal. It doesn’t matter that he likely would also have lost, and perhaps worse.
  11. The primary problem for the Dems is that were out of touch with the voters. Their arrogance was boundless. They were living in their own insulated world. They were focused on abortion, pronouns, DEI, and name calling while voters cared about the economy, immigration and crime. They should have taken the time to mingle with the people. Go to malls. Take to the streets. Go to diners. Go to small businesses. Converse with ordinary people. Ask them questions. Listen to their answers.
  12. Voters no longer trusted the media; they no longer listened to elite politicians, entertainers or sports heroes who thought they knew what was good for them and did not hesitate to tell them so. They realized that these people knew less about their daily life struggles than they did. Moreover, they didn’t care about them. They arrogantly characterized regular people as “deplorables,” “racists,” “misogynists,” or “garbage.” They lived in a different world that was insulated from the hard life issues everyone else faced. They didn’t have to worry about putting food on the table, gassing up the car, paying the rent, or saving for their kids’ education, etc. They lived in gated communities with private security. They traveled in private jets. When was the last time Beyonce or George Clooney went to a grocery store or gassed up their car? Beyond their ignorance and indifference, they lectured the ordinary folks as to how they should live and what was good for them.
  13. Trump and the GOP listened and learned. For example, he perceived that all working and middle voters, whites, black and Latinos all had the same concerns and fears, which have been described numerous times by me and many others. He intuited that Hispanic citizens were just as opposed to illegal immigration as the rest of us. Rather than seeking to divide us as the Dems were, he sought to unite us. His points resonated, and we saw the result.

That was why the Dems lost and lost so thoroughly.

The first step to correcting a problem is to acknowledge it. As I write this, the Dems are still in denial.

CONCLUSION

Trump did not win a squeaker. It was a massive landslide. He won over 300 electoral votes; he won the popular vote by some five points, he carried the Senate; he likely will carry the House; he made historic inroads into traditionally Dem voting blocs such as blacks, Hispanics, Jews, and young people. In essence he expanded the base of the GOP. He forged a coalition of working class, middle class and minority voters that could last for a long time. It is comparable to what FDR accomplished for the Dems in 1932.

This dramatic shift to the right was confirmed by commentator Patrick Ruffini who characterized it as “unprecedented in the modern era.” Remarkably, Trump accomplished all this despite being subjected to eight years of non-stop misinformation, outright lies, harassments and impeachments, not to mention two assassination attempts.

As I said, today, the Dem Party is in disarray and disbelief. It has been hijacked by the small but vocal far left, woke, antisemitic, Pro Muslim, wing of the Party. Where are the moderate Dems? They need to speak up. The moderates in the Party need to jettison that radical element and return to the mainstream or else it will lose its relevance as a major party.

As for the GOP, it now faces the difficult challenge of governing. The electorate will expect it to solve all the problems that they have inherited from the Biden Administration, and, as we all know, there is a long list. Otherwise, it will lose credibility, and there may very well be a reckoning in 2026 and 2028.

It will not be easy. Once the Dems get over their shock and get organized, they and their media allies will resist. The lies, harassments and half-truths will return. Already, there have been rumblings. Trump and the GOP have to act quickly and decisively.

Note: in that vein, today he announced that Susie Wiles, the brilliant architect of his campaign, will be his chief of staff. Wiles, the daughter of former NFL player and announcer Pat Summerall, is the first female to hold that powerful and prestigious position. It appears to be an inspired choice. Kudos to her.

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2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PREDICTION

This will be my final 2024 presidential election blog before the big day. (I can hear the wild cheering in the background.) If you are like me, regardless of your preference, you will be happy to get all the excessive and extraneous chatter over with and get on with the real voting. Talk is cheap; play the game.

Most prognosticators predict that this will be a very close election with the winner too close to call. That may be true, but I submit it is a coward’s way out. I will show no fear and make a prediction. Feel free to disagree. I would welcome your comments.

My analysis is as follows:

  1. According to most of the latest polls Harris has a slight lead in the national vote, which the Dems almost always win. That is informative but largely irrelevant, although it is worth noting that her lead is much slimmer than that which is normal. It is the electoral votes of the individual states that count. Many people think that is unfair, but there are various historical reasons for that, which I have discussed in previous blogs. In any event, it is what it is.
  2. There are seven “swing” states that will decide the election. Excluding those states, I have calculated that Harris is leading and likely to win in states totaling 241 electoral votes. Trump is leading and likely to win in states totaling 204 electoral votes.
  3. The aforementioned swing states are MI (15 electoral votes), NC (16), AZ (11), GA (16), PA (19), NV (6), and WI (10). Those states represent 93 EVs. All the latest polls report Trump and Harris to be tied or within the margin of error in all of them, except for AZ where Trump has a four-point lead.
  4. Because of those poll results prognosticators are loath to make a definitive prediction. They are hedging their bets.
  5. I, however, have no such reservations.
  6. I will go out on the proverbial limb and predict that Trump will win, and the EV total may not even be close. Why? See below.
  7. I have doubts as to the accuracy of the polls. In the last two elections they have significantly underestimated Trump’s support. In 2016 he was several points behind Clinton, and he won in what was considered a big upset. In 2020 he lost to Biden by a “hair,” but he still outperformed the polls.
  8. Trump has drawn tremendously large, enthusiastic crowds wherever he has gone. For example, at MSG in deep blue NYC he drew 20,000 inside the arena and untold thousands more outside. In my view this is irreconcilable with the polls, and it is the main reason why I doubt their accuracy.
  9. According to multiple polls Trump is drawing significantly more support among blacks and Hispanics, which traditionally have been strong Dem supporters. This is another harbinger that I don’t believe is being reflected fully in the polls.
  10. Normally, the Dems gain a sizeable advantage in early voting. That forces the GOP to play “catch-up” on ED. Often, due to the vagaries of weather or other unforeseen circumstances, that gap has been too much to overcome. During this election cycle the GOP has emphasized EV, and the results have been very encouraging.
  11. In NC I think the impact of hurricane Helene will be very significant, particularly in the western part of the state. Thousands of people lost everything, and the Feds’ response and support was terrible. In addition, this event is very recent and should be fresh in their minds.
  12. Regarding PA I don’t think many people will be deceived by Harris’ inconsistent position on fracking, which is crucial to the state’s economy. They realize she is gaslighting them. In addition, Dem Senator John Fetterman, who is monitoring the campaign in PA very closely, has characterized the level of Trump’s support on the “stump” as “astonishing.” He also thinks that Elon Musk’s support will be a considerable plus for Trump.
  13. As always, turnout will be the key, but based on the foregoing analysis I predict that Trump will carry AZ, G, NV, NC and PA. Those 68 EVs would bring his EV total to 272 and a narrow victory.
  14. I am less certain about MI and WI, but he could carry them as well, which would bring his EV total to 297, which would constitute more of a mandate.
  15. Let’s not overlook the Senate. The GOP needs to flip a net of two seats to gain control. According to CNN there are several Dem seats that are vulnerable. With Joe Manchin retiring WVA is a “lock.” Montana and Ohio are strong possibilities. Other possibilities are MI and WI, particularly if Trump were to win those states.
  16. Individual House races are unpredictable, but in my view the GOP should retain control.

Conclusion

If I am right the GOP should have sufficient control to enable Trump to enact his policies. Furthermore, the government would not have to deal with phony impeachments or other distractions.

If I am right, it will be time to TAKE OUT THE TRASH AND DRAIN THE SWAMP!

One disquieting thought. As we all know, the country is very divided. We can debate whose fault that is, but the fact remains that supporters of the losing candidate will likely contest the results. The closer the election, the stronger the likelihood of that occurring. That would be their right, but let’s hope any such protests are peaceful.

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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!

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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:

  1. Say as little as possible.
  2. When forced to speak to the media only do so with friendly journalists who would not press her or ask follow-up questions.
  3. Limit her speeches to scripted comments and speak in generalities, rather than specifics.
  4. Rely on the friendly media to cover up, omit or alter any faux pas.
  5. 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:

  1. Parts of it were painful to watch. From the outset Harris appeared to be uncomfortable, defensive and argumentative.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. There were several contentious topics, including immigration, the economy, relationship with Israel and Iran, and her relationship with Biden, among others.
  5. 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.
  6. She refused to elaborate on the controversial matter of Biden’s competence, such as what did she know and when did she know it.
  7. She offered no cogent plans on how to fix the economy, inflation or crime.
  8. 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.”
  9. 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!

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.”
  4. Across all demographics Harris is polling better among women and Trump is polling better among men.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.”
  8. 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.
  9. 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!

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