Tag: donald-trump

TRUMP VERDICT – WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR AMERICA?

So, the Trump “show” trial is over, and predictably, Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts. I’m not going to discuss the nuts and bolts of the trial itself. Anyone who has been following it is fully cognizant of how it was rigged and why. The real issues are what it does it portend for America’s justice system? Will it remain fair and unbiased, or will politics and influence play a decisive role? What does it portend for America? Will there be equal opportunity under the law? Will the Bill of Rights and the Constitution apply equally to everyone or just a chosen few?

These are not hyperbolic questions. These are very real and serious issues. Read on for my opinion of these matters.

Today, the far-left progressives and the Trump-haters are rejoicing. I don’t know how many of them really think Trump was guilty of anything or whether or not he got a fair trial, but to them it doesn’t matter. To them the end justifies the means. Now they can paint Trump as a convicted felon. Many of them probably think he should be sentenced to prison for 100+ years or worse. These people are being short-sighted and are missing the main point.

In my view, there are two transcendent issues here:

  1. If the powers-that-be can do this to Trump they can do it to any of us. If one were to say or do the “wrong” thing prospectively he could suffer the same fate. Any trial lawyer will tell you that even if you are innocent defending yourself can easily bankrupt you and, ruin your life and your family’s. Few of us have the financial resources, influence and mental and emotional toughness that Trump has. If they were to target the average citizen, they can easily break him.
  2. The real goal was and is to taint the 2024 presidential election. Make no mistake about that. The Dems are hoping that branding Trump as a convicted felon or even incarcerating him will cause some voters to vote for someone else. They don’t care about the obvious sham of a trial. They don’t care if it is reversed on appeal, which according to most legal experts, is likely. Their plan is that such reversal will occur after the election, after their man has won. The only saving grace is that this is so obvious to most of us it will likely backfire. Indeed, according to Fox News and various other media outlets since the verdict Trump’s campaign has already received $40 million in donations, and these were small donations, which indicate widespread support. Today, in his speech Trump stated that a new poll showed a 6% jump in support, but we’ll see what additional polls tell us over the next few days.

CONCLUSION

I am not a lawyer. I am not an expert on the appellate process. But, like most of you I do have common sense and a sense of right and wrong. If I were a member of Trump’s legal team I would not sit back and wait for the slow-grinding NY appeals process to play out. As I said, that would not remedy the matter until after the election. I would figure out a way to get this matter into the federal courts, ideally the Supreme Court, before the election. I recall that in the 2000 election the SC reviewed the Florida “hanging Chad” issue on an expedited basis, so there is precedent. As I said above, this decision transcends NYC; it impacts the entire country. His team is highly competent and highly paid. Figure it out. I would presume they are planning to do just that.

This is the first of many blogs I will publish on this matter over the next few months as developments unfold. Stay tuned.

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TRUMP IN THE BRONX

A few days ago, Donald Trump ventured to campaign in hostile territory where Republicans traditionally fear to tread. Where did he go? Russia? No. China? No. Iran? No. He went to The Bronx. He was criticized for it by many Dems, notably AOC who in my opinion should just shut up and mind her own business. The Bronx comprises a large part of her Congressional district, but throughout her tenure in Congress she has focused her energies on national matters while doing very for her constituents.

But back to Trump. Guess what. He received a rousing welcome. Tens of thousands showed up to hear him speak, and tens of thousands more tried to get in but were relegated to overflow areas. Many Bronx residents who were interviewed by the media allowed as they felt ignored by the Administration and expressed appreciation that he demonstrated cognition of their needs, and problems.

[Quiz questions: (1) What is the etymology of The Bronx? (2) Why is it referred to by The Bronx?

The conventional wisdom in political circles has been that it is a waste of time, money, and resources for GOP presidential candidates to campaign there. Traditionally, The Bronx is among the bluest of the blue areas. For example, in 2020 Biden got almost 90% of the vote there. Why go into a hostile environment? However, Trump is fearless and confident. Moreover, he anticipates a close election and refuses to concede any area. He will not be dissuaded by the possibility of a hostile reception. He has also campaigned in “blue” New Jersey and yesterday he spoke at the Libertarian Party’s national convention. He received a rousing welcome in Wildwood, NJ and a mixed reception from the Libertarians. He wants to bring his message to a broader audience. His attitude is that New York and other traditionally “blue” areas may be “in play.” Indeed, the latest polls show that Biden’s lead in NY is down to single digits.

If you place credence in polls, in my opinion, the 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in American history. The latest few polls have indicated that Biden and Trump are in a virtual dead heat nationwide. However, as you know the presidency is decided by separate state results, not a national vote. Typically, each party is “guaranteed” to win certain states, and the election turns on the results in the so-called battleground states. This cycle these battleground states are Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. As I write this blog according to RealClear Politics and most other polls Trump is leading Biden in all of them except Wisconsin in which the two are tied. Therefore, Trump would seem to be in the driver’s seat.

However, there are a few caveats to keep in mind. (1) Trump’s margin in most of those is only a few points, well within any margin of error. (2) In any election the actual turnout is decisive. Grassroots organization and early turnout are crucial, and in recent elections the Dems have exceled in those areas. (3) The effect of independent candidates RFK and Jill Stein is unpredictable. Even if they only garner a few percentage points that could swing a few key states and hence the election. (4) As in any election a last-minute event, such as a terror attack, economic disaster or a devastating hurricane, could swing matters.

CONCLUSION

Biden has been insisting the polls are wrong. Of course, that’s what the projected loser always says. I don’t think he is totally wrong. Like I said, I don’t think they are inaccurate at this point in time, I just think there are many more external factors that could affect the election this year than is normally the case.

Biden may be right regarding the accuracy of the polls but not in the way he thinks. The enthusiasm for Trump whenever and wherever he speaks compared to that for Biden may indicate that the polls are actually underestimating Trump’s lead.

Quiz answers: (1) The name is derived from Jonas Brunck, a Swedish immigrant who established the first European settlement in the area. (2) The Bronx is named after the Bronx River. It has been customary to precede the names of bodies of water with the article “the.” Sometimes the “t” is capitalized; sometimes it is not.

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ANARCHY AND ANTI-SEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

The anarchy we have been witnessing on college campuses is not merely about antisemitism. It is not merely about Israel. It is not merely about the Palestinians. It is not merely about the war in Gaza. It may have begun as such. But it has metastasized into a war on America itself. The anarchists are flat-out announcing their evil and sinister intent by displaying signs with words such as “death to America.”

Yes, these anarchists, for that is what they are, are out to destroy America, itself. They are not “demonstrators.” They are not “protesters.” Those characterizations are way too benign and grossly misleading. They are criminals and anarchists pure and simple. They have trespassed on school and city property; they have threatened students, primarily but not exclusively Jews, and have prevented them from attending classes. Just listen to the chants “death to America” and “we are Hamas.” That tells you all you need to know, and we’d best pay attention. This is not just about Jews, Israel, the Palestinians, or the hostages. Their aim is broader and more sinister. It is to destroy America, itself.

One thing we should have learned about Hamas, Hezbollah and all the other radical Muslim terrorist groups by now. Their hatred is not limited to just Jews. They also hate Christians, Blacks, Hispanics, women, gays and anyone else who is not a “true believer,” even Muslims that are not of their particular sect. Wikipedia lists seven different Muslim sects – Sunni, Shia, Wahabi, Salafi, Berelvi, Sufi and Deobandi. Each one hates all the others, and they have been at each other’s throats for centuries.

If the terrorists get the chance, they will slaughter all of us. Non-Jews beware and heed the famous words of Martin Niemöller who was a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s. His famous quote regarding the Nazis was true then, and it is still true today regarding radical Muslim terrorists.

“First, they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then, they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist. Then, they came for the Jews,
and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then, they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

These riots are not spontaneous. They are well-planned and well-coordinated through social media. Many of the rioters are not even students. We know this because many of those arrested have produced identification that shows they are in their mid or late 20s. It may have started as a student protest, but it has been hijacked by anarchists, and the authorities need to treat them as such. The truth of the matter is that we have no idea who most of them are. We don’t even know if some of them are even US citizens. Some of them are likely illegals who crossed the open southern border; some of them could very likely be foreign-based agitators looking to foment trouble. We need to stop treating them as misguided, misinformed, rowdy students.

Where are our leaders? Where are the presidents of these universities? Moreover, where are our elected leaders – President Biden, Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, and Chuck (the “”Chameleon”) Schumer to name a few? None of them has taken any effective action. To my knowledge, none has even condemned the riots.

Biden refuses even to address the matter. He wouldn’t even answer a question about it at his last press conference. He seems oblivious to the entire matter. It makes me wonder if in his cognitively-challenged state he even knows about the riots. In my view, Biden’s lack of attention to these riots is not an anomaly. It is eerily consistent with his ignoring the loss of American lives resulting from his hasty, ill-advised withdrawal from Afghanistan, his lack of empathy for all those murdered by illegal aliens, his ignoring the East Palestine tragedy for a whole year, his failure to empathize with the families of slain police officers, and many other tragedies.

Hochul and Adams have been nowhere to be found. They appear to be overwhelmed and incapable. The worst, however, is the Chameleon. It is one thing for the others to exhibit a lack of support and empathy for Israel and the Jews, in general. But Schumer is Jewish, and he represents a heavily Jewish constituency. Moreover, he is the Senate Majority Leader, one of the highest-ranking politicians in the country. He has enormous influence. Unfortunately, all we have gotten from him are empty platitudes and “The Speech.” Frankly, his attitude disgusts me. I wrote a whole blog about him a few weeks ago, and I don’t want to waste any more time and space on him at the present time. (Full disclosure – some governors, notably Governor Abbott in Texas and Governor DeSantis in Florida, have taken effective action, but they have been the exceptions.)

It is clear to me that the Dems are trying to walk a fine line to avoid offending the radical left wing of the Dem Party in an election year. They are willing to sacrifice America and Israel, our one reliable ally in the volatile and strategically critical ME to win an election. So far, that strategy has been backfiring as they have been offending all sides. All of them have shown a total lack of leadership at a time when we need it desperately. Instead of addressing the matter, they waste time, energy and money trying Donald Trump on bogus, politically-motivated matters. The longer they sit on their hands and ignore the problem the worse it will get.

Conclusion

For those of us who know our history these riots are eerily similar to those in Germany in the 1930s. Those, too, were ignored, and we all know how that turned out.

So, what can we do? What should we do?

In no particular order, I advise the following initial actions:

  1. Prompt decisive action.
  2. Biden and Congress should express clear, unequivocable support for Israel and condemn the rioters’ actions.
  3. Biden should reiterate that the State Department has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, and anyone who claims to be a supporter, or worse, a member will be prosecuted. If they are a student, their school will suspend and/or expel them. If they are here on a visa or illegally they will be deported.
  4. The federal government has the hammer. It should use it. If these riots were aimed at any other group – Blacks, Hispanics, women, or gays, for example, the government would have cracked down immediately. But with respect to Jews, it doesn’t seem to care.
  5. The governors should consider utilizing state troops to restore order.
  6. Donors should strongly consider cancelling further donations (as a few have done already).
  7. Pressure should be brought on the presidents of these universities to resign immediately.
  8. Schools should investigate whether radical tenured professors who support terrorist groups can be terminated for cause.
  9. Perhaps, schools could require all students to view a tape of the October 7 massacre and even the concentration camps of the Holocaust in order to gain an appreciation of the horror of those events and gain some perspective.
  10. Parents don’t get a free pass either. Any self-respecting parent whose kid is spouting such hateful antisemitic garbage should be horrified. I don’t think they raised their kids that way; at least, I hope not. Also, they should reconsider if they want to continue to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for these universities to “educate” their kids.

The deterioration of America’s social and moral fabric as exhibited by these riots is most shocking to me. Our college-age kids may be well educated, but many of them are ignorant of history, are devoid of common sense and a sense of right and wrong, have a distorted view of current events, and are easily manipulated by social media and radical professors. It should be shocking to you as well. We’re talking about America’s future leaders. I hope and pray that it is not too late to repair the damage.

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TRUMP “SHOW” TRIAL – WHY WE SHOULD ALL BE WORRIED

In my view, it’s important to understand that the Trump “show” trial in NYC is not just about Trump’s guilt or innocence of the crimes for which he is on trial. In a sense, we are all on trial. If the government can prosecute Trump in the manner in which this trial is being conducted it can do so to any of us. I’ll explain below.

Most of us realize that the charges are “trumped up,” (pun intended). Most of us realize that the main purpose of the trial is to keep Trump bottled up in the courtroom to hinder his ability to campaign. It is voter suppression of the highest order. If he is convicted and imprisoned that would be the frosting on the cake for the Dems. More on that later.

In following the pretrial proceedings, I feel like a fell asleep and woke up in Soviet Russia circa 1930. “Show trials” with a predetermined outcome were common in that era, and they still are in totalitarian regimes all over the world. Lavrenty Beria, the most notorious and most ruthless head of Russia’s secret police under Joseph Stalin, no slouch himself when it came to ruthlessness, was fond of saying “show me the man, and I’ll show you the crime.” That catchy statement epitomized the manner in which Stalin and Beria operated. In my opinion Alvin Bragg, the NYC DA, is a “Beria-wannabe,” even though he probably doesn’t have the foggiest notion of who Beria was.

Why do I say that? Bragg campaigned on a promise to “get Trump.” (Show me the man.) He has spent his entire tenure as DA hunting for a crime to prosecute, all the while ignoring real crimes in NYC. The best “crime” he could find was an eight-year-old misdemeanor state crime that had already exceeded the statute of limitations. No matter. Somehow, Bragg managed to bootstrap it into a felonious federal crime. (I’ll show you the crime.) That would have been a neat magic trick worthy of Harry Houdini if it weren’t of highly questionable legality.

It is important to note that both Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus Vance, and the Justice Department, neither of which is a fan of Trump’s by the way, had declined to prosecute for various reasons. But that has not deterred Bragg from fulfilling his campaign promise. He is akin to the fictitious Ahab pursuing the big white whale in Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick.

I don’t want to get embroiled in a debate on the merits of the case, or whether or not Trump is guilty or innocent. There is a bigger, more serious issue in play here.

Of course, I am not an attorney, and I will not pretend to be one. Put aside the fact that you may hate Trump personally. That is irrelevant. Under that pesky document known as the Constitution everyone is entitled to a fair trial regardless of the crime. Certain aspects of this case bother me, and they should bother you as well. Most independent observers realize that they are depriving Trump of a fair trial and the voters to decide our next president in a free and fair election. For example:

  1. The case is primarily about politics, which is just plain wrong. That is not how our legal system is supposed to work. The timing of the trial during an election campaign is highly suspect.
  2. The venue is NYC which is as “blue” as it gets. In 2020 Trump got some 15% of the vote there. Most New Yorkers hate Trump for whatever reason. It is highly doubtful that he can get a fair-minded jury out of that pool. In point of fact, there have already been suspicions regarding the objectivity of a few of the jurors.
  3. Juan Merchan, the judge on the case, is clearly biased. He is an admitted Trump-hater. It appears he was selected for that very reason. Moreover, his daughter is a senior executive at a law firm with close ties to Joe Biden and other high-level Dems. Due to that clear conflict, he should have recused himself.
  4. Merchan has required Trump to be in court physically every day. This requirement could have and should have been waived. The obvious ramification of this ruling is to preclude Trump from campaigning.
  5. Merchan has issued a gag order against Trump, but not against any other parties including the prosecution and potential witnesses. This has likely tainted the jury pool, the chosen jurors and public opinion.

Conclusion

The state’s obvious goal is to deny Trump a fair trial, secure a wrongful conviction, hinder his campaigning, and steal the upcoming election. This is a new form of voter suppression. As I said, this is an attempt to deprive the public from determining our next president. A few fair-minded commentators such as Alan Dershowitz and Stephen A. Smith, lifetime Dems and not Trump supporters, have criticized this strategy. They want to see the Dems beat him fair and square, not this way. Furthermore, many legal scholars, such as Dershowitz and Greg Jarrett have opined that any conviction would likely be overturned on appeal after the election. Bragg and his cohorts won’t care. They probably even expect a reversal. They probably know that Trump’s not guilty of the crime for which he is on trial. But at that point, the damage will have been done.

A “show trial” such as this is not supposed to happen in the US. As I said above, “show trials” have long been a characteristic of countries ruled by dictators. In the US we have the protection of the Bill of Rights. The Constitution mandates that the accused is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. Trump’s rights have been trampled. He has already been tried and convicted by the state and the media. The infamous Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century were more equitable than this trial.

To their credit most voters realize this, especially those who have been bullied by the authorities (e.g. “driving while Black”). They see right through this strategy. Consequently, the Dems’ strategy has backfired. The polls show Trump is more popular than ever. For example, according to The Hill and Emerson College national polls Trump is ahead of Biden by three points. More importantly Trump is maintaining small margins in most of the swing states that will really decide the election. Once again, the average voter is showing we are not as dumb as the so-called elites think we are.

In the beginning I said there was a bigger issue here than just this trial. The issue is if the state can prosecute Trump just because it doesn’t agree with his politics, if it can trample on his constitutionally guaranteed civil rights, it can do so to anyone. Even if the accused is innocent, it costs a substantial amount of money to defend oneself, and very few of us have the financial resources that Trump has. As I said, in a sense we are all on trial here.

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I’M NOT VOTING FOR TRUMP

Thanks to loyal reader, David, for providing the idea and much of the information for the following blog.

I am not voting for Donald Trump, the man, in the 2024 presidential election. I don’t hate the man as many others do. I don’t know him. I have never met him, but based on what I have seen and observed over the years it is likely that if I did get to know him, I wouldn’t like him personally. He would not be my choice for a dinner companion or any other type of social encounter. He can be abrasive, rude, abrupt, and arrogant. Over the years he has had a plethora of clashes with many people including, subordinates, business associates, and the media, among others. These types of qualities do not exactly endear him to many people on a personal level. No, I would not vote for Trump, the man.

However, I AM going to vote for the following policies and, by extension, the man who I deem best able to enact them.

  1. Support and defend the Constitution, especially the first and second amendments.
  2. Secure and defend our borders against illegals who we have no idea who they are, where they came from, and their intent. Contrary to what the Dems and the media tell you most of them are NOT asylum-seekers. Many of them are from countries that are our enemies and/or sponsor terrorism and comprise the dregs of society from those countries – criminals, terrorists and other undesirables.
  3. Finish the border wall, reinstitute the “remain in Mexico” policy and deport illegal aliens that break our laws. Until and unless they become citizens they are guests in our country, and they should act as such.
  4. Crack down on the importing of illegal, deadly drugs, such as fentanyl, which are killing tens of thousands of us.
  5. Crack down on the Mexican cartels who essentially control the Mexican government and act with impunity on both sides of the southern border.
  6. Terminate human trafficking and other human rights violations.
  7. Crack down on sanctuary states and cities.
  8. Be the president of all the people, not just some of the people.
  9. Do away with the runaway wokeism and other inane and misguided far-left policies that have been plaguing our country and tearing apart our social fabric.
  10. Stop treating illegal aliens better than our own citizens.
  11. End censorship of differences of opinion, especially on social media.
  12. Restore the traditional justice system. Make the Justice Department treat everyone equally under the law regardless of social status, economic wealth, color, religion, or political persuasion.
  13. Make us feel safe again by refunding the police, ending “no-bail” laws, and demanding that local DAs actually prosecute crimes and judges sentence the guilty to prison.
  14. Appoint judges and SC justices that will follow the constitution.
  15. Resume drilling for oil and gas in order to restore our energy independence and eliminate our dependence on our enemies.
  16. Replace the current administration’s “America last” policy with an “America first” policy.
  17. Stand up to the leaders of foreign countries who are threatening us (e.g. Russia, China, and Iran), disrespecting us and taking advantage of us (e.g. NATO allies and Mexico).
  18. Reinstitute unwavering support for Israel, our sole reliable ally in the critical, dangerous and mercurial Middle East.
  19. Protect our critical industries by equalizing tariffs and preventing the export of jobs and manufacturing.
  20. Support our military and our veterans.
  21. Crack down on the anti-Semites and antisemitism that is running rampant in our schools and in our society, in general.
  22. Reverse the US’s current downward spiral and make us proud to be an American again.
  23. Secure the future of America for our children and grandchildren.

CONCLUSION

These are tall orders. They will not be easy to accomplish, particularly since the entrenched powers in Congress and government will resist by any means possible to safeguard their turf.

Of all the candidates which one is most capable of accomplishing the foregoing? We know the answer, because he did it already in his first term. The policies he has been espousing are precisely the ones we need and want now. Biden and his administration have had their chance, and they have f**ked it up royally.

In a recent poll people were asked to name the most significant accomplishment of the Biden administration. What was the winner? Was it the economy? No. Was it the border? No. Was it crime? No. The winner was “nothing.” That’s right, “nothing.” So, if you voted for him in 2020 are you happy with the result, or do you have buyer’s remorse?

My advice is to ignore the bloviators and spin doctors in the media and elsewhere. Your decision in 2024 should come down to the answer to one simple question. There is no deep analysis needed. “Are you better off today than you were in 2020?”

So, don’t vote for Trump, the man. Hold your nose, swallow your pride, ignore your personal feelings, and vote for Trump’s policies. Ignore what he says. Ignore his character flaws. Focus on his policies. He succeeded before. He can do so again.

Your children and grandchildren will thank you.

–

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2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – TRUMP VS BIDEN

Trump and Biden are now the presumptive nominees of their respective political parties. Although anything can happen in politics in all likelihood they will become the official nominees at their respective party’s conventions this summer.

In my view, the 2024 presidential election will be extremely contentious. The campaign will include a surfeit of obfuscations, exaggerations and lies, even more so than usual. It is virtually axiomatic that all politicians are guilty of the above to some degree. We all know this. We don’t like it, but we accept it. A politician who tells the absolute truth all the time, like Jim Carrey’s character in the movie Liar, Liar, would never get elected.

That said, I maintain that voters should ignore all the bloviations, exaggerations and promises by the candidates and reported by the media. After a while, it all becomes so much “white noise” anyway. Promises are meaningless. Most of them never come to pass anyway. Rather than listening to what they say or promise focus on what they’ve done or haven’t done. You will find that that will clarify matters.

We can do this because in 2024 we have a very rare situation. Both candidates have actually served a term as president. Therefore, we don’t have to guess. We don’t have to predict. We can see what they’ve each done or not done as president. According to Wikipedia, Trump is only the 7th former president to run again after having left office, the first to do so since Herbert Hoover in 1940. (Only one of the previous six won – Grover Cleveland.)

The best way to analyze this election is to ask yourself that age-old question – are you are better off today under Biden’s presidency than you were four years ago under Trump’s. For example, is your quality of life better or not? Do you have more money or not? Are you able to provide for your family better or not? Regardless of what the government says, in your personal experience are prices of the necessities you buy, chiefly food, gas and shelter, higher or not? Has inflation impacted you or not? Do you feel crime is on the rise or not? Do you personally feel safer or not? Do you think the world is safer or not? Are you more or less satisfied with the US’s relationship with our friends, notably Israel, and our enemies? Do you feel the justice system is more equitable or not? Are your children’s and grandchildren’s schools educating them better or not? If you are Jewish do you feel the level of antisemitism is greater, lesser, or the same? If you are Black do you feel opportunities are better, lesser or the same? If you are a legal immigrant are you happy with special treatment of the flood of illegal immigrants that have entered the country or not? These are just some of the questions you should ponder. Your answers will make it obvious for whom to vote.

Don’t pay any attention to real or perceived personality flaws. They are largely subjective anyway. Like I said, follow your objective analysis. If you feel you and the country are better off under Biden than you were under Trump vote for Biden regardless of his cognitive status and legal issues. On the other hand, if you feel you and the country were better off under Trump then vote for him regardless of his abrasive personality and legal issues.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion, the answer to all of those comparisons strongly favor Trump. Do I like him on a personal level? I don’t know him. Never met him. But if I were to know him personally, I probably wouldn’t like him. But I say so what? Who cares? We’re not voting for senior class president. It’s not a popularity contest. We’re not going to “hang out” together. We don’t have to like him. We just have to think that he will improve things. Moreover, if you know your history you know that many of our best and most popular presidents had serious physical and/or personality flaws that were hidden from the public. Today, due to the internet and social media virtually nothing is hidden.

Furthermore, let’s not ignore the empirical evidence. We saw what Trump did as president pre-Covid. The economy was booming. Unemployment was at record lows for all ethnic and gender groups. We were energy independent for the first time in over 70 years. There were no wars. Our enemies feared and respected us. Our border was secure. Yes, some people were put off by his mean tweets and abrasive personality. Well, strap on your “big boy pants,” hold your nose and deal with it!

On the other hand, Biden’s record speaks for itself. His supporters perceive him as a nice old man. Many of them choose to ignore his cognitive decline and his nefarious, if not treasonous, activities. They voted for him in 2020 and will likely do so again. My question to them is how is that decision working out for you? I repeat, focus on what the candidates do or don’t do, not what they say or promise.

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FECKLESS JOE AND THE STATE OF THE UNION

Tonight, President Biden will deliver the annual State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, members of the Cabinet (except for one “designated survivor), and the justices of the Supreme Court. The SOTU is required by the US Constitution, Article 2, Section 3, Clause 1, which states that the president shall periodically “give to the Congress information of the SOTU and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

George Washington delivered the initial SOTU to a joint session of Congress on January 8, 1790. For most of the next 100 or so years presidents fulfilled the constitutional requirement merely by submitting a written report to Congress. Then, in 1913 Woodrow Wilson commenced the current practice of delivering the SOTU in person. Later, with the advent of television and streaming the address has been delivered live throughout the entire country and much of the world.

Traditionally, the president uses this opportunity to review his administration’s accomplishments, outline what he hopes to achieve prospectively, and foster unity among the voters. In this case, however, I wouldn’t count on it. As I have written many times I cannot think of any positive accomplishments by the Biden administration. Moreover, I doubt that he will be able to achieve any in the remainder of his (hopefully only) term. Finally, the notion that he will unify the country, or even try to, is a joke. On the contrary, thus far his administration has done everything to demonize and criticize Republicans and, in particular, Trump and his supporters.

Those of you who have been paying attention over the last three years are cognizant of the following Biden lowlights, and I apologize for wasting your time by repeating them here, but for those of you who have been drinking the Dem Kool-Aid below please find a brief summary:

  1. Opened the border to virtually anyone who wants to enter the US. Millions have entered in the last three years. We don’t even know the identity of these people, how many there are, where they’re from or their intentions. What we do know is they done significant damage to our country economically, politically, criminally, and socially. And that doesn’t even address the real threat of terrorism they present. The negative ramifications of this action are incalculable and will be long-lasting.
  2. Suspended the production of oil and gas. Succinctly put, this took us from energy independence to energy dependence and in the process damaged our economy. Additionally, it has propped up the economies of many of our enemies, such as Russia and Iran. As a result, Russia has used its oil revenue to prosecute the war against Ukraine, and Iran has been able to finance terrorist activities in the Middle East and elsewhere.
  3. Created massive inflation through profligate spending. Don’t believe the government’s publicized inflation numbers. Anyone who has bought groceries, filled up their car’s gas tank, or tried to buy or rent a home knows they don’t reflect reality. We’re being gaslit.
  4. The evidence of his and his family’s corruption continues to grow. It’s getting to the point where only his most ardent supporters can deny their guilt of corruption and maybe even treason. In my view, he has been the classic “Manchurian candidate.”
  5. There are wars and conflicts all over the world. His weakness has encouraged Russia to invade Ukraine, Arab terrorists to attack Israel in the most heinous fashion, and China’s saber-rattling vis a vis Taiwan. The botched exit from Afghanistan was a disastrous embarrassment and caused the loss of hundreds of American lives. Furthermore, his tepid support of Israel should make every Jew very uncomfortable.
  6. The rise of crime due to the proliferation of “no bail” laws and woke DA’s reluctance to prosecute crimes has made all of us unsafe.
  7. He has done nothing to curb the very disturbing rise of anti-Semitism in the country and indeed the entire world. He has not taken any action, not condemned it, not even spoken out. I am not saying Biden is an anti-Semite, but his lack of support for Israel and Jews makes one wonder. Based on the foregoing, it is beyond me how any self-respecting Jew could vote for him.

It has taken over three years, but voters are finally catching on. All the polls speak loudly and clearly. Voters are beginning to realize that “the emperor [really] has no clothes.”

  1. According to the latest NY Times-Sienna poll Two-thirds of voters say the country is “heading in the wrong direction.”
  2. The latest CBS News/You-Gov poll has revealed that only one-third of voters think Biden’s presidency has been “excellent” or “good.” Some 61% of voters say he is “too old to be an effective leader.” It’s not just his chronological age. Many people have been lucid and effective well into their 80s. Contrary to what his supporters say, anyone who has seen Biden speak or even move around can readily see he is declining cognitively. It brings to mind the old Groucho Marx joke: “Are you going to believe what I tell you or what you see with your own eyes?”
  3. Despite the Dems’ and their supporters attempts to discredit Trump with bogus claims, even to get him disqualified from the ballot in some states voters are not being fooled. In fact, these false claims have served to boost Trump’s popularity. People are coming to realize that what’s being done to him could easily be done to them. Presently, the latest polls indicate that he leads Biden in every battleground state. This has led to widespread panic among the Dems. Some believe Biden may be replaced on the ticket, possibly at the convention.

CONCLUSION

I believe that tonight’s SOTU speech will be very interesting. I am anxious to see how Biden conducts himself. I’m not interested in what he says so much as how he says it. The pressure is on him to be articulate, cogent, coherent, and lucid. How will he justify his record? Will he attack Trump and his supporters? How many “Pinocchio’s” will he get. Who will deliver the opposition rebuttal, and what will he or she say?

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