Tag: donald-trump

DT PICKS JT AS VP

Donald Trump didn’t waste any time. He could have kept us in suspense a day or so longer. He could have maintained the drama and uncertainty a bit longer. But he chose not to do so. He had made up his mind. He knew whom he wanted, and as is his nature he acted decisively. As most of you know by now, he picked Ohio freshman Senator J. D. Vance as his running mate. As is customary, the convention delegates then approved him by acclimation.

Some observers were a little surprised. Vance was on Trump’s short list along with Florida Senator Marco Rubio, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, biotech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and some others. Each of them would have brought pros and cons to the ticket. Eventually, it came down to Burgum and Vance. In the end, he went with Vance. Was Vance a wise choice? Will he help Trump, hurt him, or have no discernible effect? In the recent past there have been examples of candidates for president being elected despite their choices for VP (FDR in 1944, Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, and Bush, the elder, in 1988). In my view, it depends. Vance brings both pros and cons to the ticket. See below for my analysis.

Vance’s life story is, in many ways, a microcosm of the true “American Dream.” It is an embodiment of how one can, through hard work, determination, and perhaps a little luck, rise above the circumstances of his birth and achieve greatness. It’s a cliche, but in his case it is true. There have been many examples of this. As they say, “only in America.”

He was born on August 2,1984 in Middletown, OH. His birth name was James Donald Bowman. Later, he was adopted by his mother’s third husband, and his surname was changed to Hamel.

His beginning was as bad as it gets. His family was very poor. He suffered through a terrible childhood plagued by violence and abuse. His father was not in the picture. His mother suffered from drug addiction. His parents divorced soon after his birth, and he was raised primarily by his maternal grandparents whom he called “Mamaw’ and “Papaw.” He recalled, “I grew up poor in the Rust Belt in an Ohio steel town that ha[d] been hemorrhaging jobs and hope for as long as I can remember.” There was never enough money for food and other necessities. He recalled his Mamaw often had to “negotiate” with social services personnel for extra food. Yep. It doesn’t get any worse than that. Yet, Vance exhibited the strength, courage and fortitude to overcome it all.

Upon graduating from high school Vance enlisted in the Marines. He served in Iraq first as a combat correspondent and later in the Public Affairs section. He characterized this period as the “defining chapter of [my] life where [I] first developed a sense of purpose.”

After he was discharged, he attended Ohio State University from which he graduated Summa Cum Laude in two years. Then, he attended Yale Law School where he was editor of the Yale Law Journal and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. Upon graduation he married and adopted his grandparents’ surname of “Vance.” He had a very successful business career in technology and venture capital, and he wrote a best-selling book based on his upbringing called Hillbilly Elegy, which was also made into an Academy Award-nominated movie starring Gabriel Basso, Amy Adams and Glenn Close.

Politically, Vance is generally viewed as a conservative, which should appease the right wing of the GOP, although I’m not sure how the all-important independents will view him. For example, he has been opposed to abortion and same-sex marriage. Moreover, until recently he was sharply critical of Trump. In fact, he was an avowed “never-Trumper.” He went so far as to characterize Trump as “reprehensible,” cultural heroin,” an “opioid of the masses,” a “cynical a**hole, and “America’s Hitler.” He denigrated his policies as ranging from “immoral to absurd.” However, after observing Trump’s record and accomplishments as president he abruptly changed his opinion, and he became a strong supporter. He endorsed Trump way back in January 2023.

Politically, he has since exhibited some similarities to Trump and also some differences. For example, he is an advocate of a strong, secure border and is a strong supporter of Israel. On the other hand, as I mentioned above, he has expressed opposition to abortion and same-sex marriages.

If elected Vance, 39, would become one of the youngest VPs ever. The youngest was John Breckenridge who was 36 when he took office in 1821. A bit of trivia: he would also become the first Ohio native to be elected to the office since Charles Dawes in 1924 and the first VP since Charles Curtis to sport facial hair (1929-1933 under Herbert Hoover).

Vance is married with three children. His wife, Usha Chilukuri is an accomplished attorney who was a classmate at Yale Law School and who has clerked for Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts.

CONCLUSION

Vance was a bold choice for VP. I believe he brings both pros and cons to the ticket. As I said, his life story is most inspiring. It is an embodiment of the American Dream. As political commentator David Graham wrote in The Atlantic “he brings youth and intellect to the Republican ticket.” As Catherine Lucey and John McCormick opined in the Wall Street Journal he “offers Trump a natural successor to his MAGA movement. Trump had often said that this would be a critical element of his choice for VP.

On the other hand, there is much in his background for the Dem and Dem-supporting “spin doctors” in the media to attack, and they will definitely do so. They always do, and they are very effective at it. Their primary targets will likely be so-called “women’s issues” such as his early stance on abortion and same-sex marriage. Earlier in his career he was strongly opposed to abortion. He has since moderated his stance on the issue. He now characterizes it as a “state issue,” but the Dems will still attack him on it as it is probably their best (only?) issue. Additionally, they will gleefully repeat his early characterizations of Trump as listed above.

Yes, this was a bold choice by Trump. Despite all the recent negativity surrounding the Biden campaign and the well-publicized panic among many Dems who want him to withdraw, this is still a close election. My analysis of state-by-state polls reveals that Trump is currently ahead in states totaling 300 electoral votes, however, many of those margins are very narrow and within the margin of error. Also, it is still very early in the campaign, and history tells us that a lot can happen and often has happened between now and Election Day.

In summary, I believe Trump could have made a safer choice, one which would have been harder for the Dems and their allies to attack, but bottom line, I think Vance is a solid choice who will be efficacious to the ticket.

Whether or not that translates into victory remains to be seen. As always, the decisive factors will be organization and turnout. In 2020 and 2022 the Dems excelled in these areas, particularly in early voting and ballot harvesting. The GOP did not. The Trump campaign has to match the Dems in these areas, or it could very well lose.

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TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT

Yesterday, July 13, Donald Trump and America, itself, dodged a major bullet, both literally and figuratively. Yesterday, as most of us know, Mr. Trump was very nearly assassinated while giving a campaign speech in Butler, Pa, a small city located just north of Pittsburgh. According to live tv and various news reports the would-be assassin’s bullet grazed Trump’s right ear and missed killing him by a mere millimeter or two. (For those of you who are not well-versed in metrics a millimeter is approximately 1/25 of an inch.) On replays one can see that Trump fortuitously turned his head just before the bullet struck. After being shot he reacted immediately, ducking down out of sight below the level of the lectern. He was immediately surrounded by secret service agents and hustled off-stage with blood dripping from his face to a waiting vehicle, which then left the area immediately. Otherwise, I would be writing a very different blog today.

Despite the exigency of the situation Trump managed to take a moment to assure everyone he was okay. He said he heard a “whizzing sound,” and a shot and immediately felt the bullet pierce the skin of his ear. He immediately was cognizant of what was happening and ducked down showing quick reflexes and awareness. As he was hustled off-stage, he raised and pumped his fist. The crowd responded with chants of “USA, USA.” Later, Saturday night he sent an email in which he vowed “I will never surrender.” Also, despite everything he managed to extend condolences to the family of the spectator who had been killed.

Reaction from witnesses, the media, law enforcement agencies, politicians and world leaders was swift and copious. Investigations will be conducted by various law enforcement agencies including, among others, the FBI, secret service, Homeland Security, Congress and Pennsylvania state and local agencies. Obviously, at this time any and all investigations are in preliminary stages and fluid.

Below please find a sampling of the current status based on multiple reports:

  1. The secret service is conducting an initial investigation. In the words of the late Desi Arnaz it will have some “‘splaining to do.” It gets kudos for its prompt reaction after the shooting, but it appears to have failed to secure the perimeter adequately. More on this later.
  2. The FBI will be taking the lead on the investigation among law enforcement agencies.
  3. The would-be assassin has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pa. Somehow, he was able to perch on a rooftop of a building a mere 100 yards from where Trump was speaking. Secret service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi disclosed Crooks was able to get off “multiple shots” before he was neutralized. An “AR-style” semiautomatic rifle was recovered from the perch. At this moment his motive and weather he was a “lone wolf” or part of a group conspiracy is unknown.
  4. George Bivens of the PA State Police stated the agency is following up several “suspicious occurrences.” The most troubling one is that multiple witnesses had reported to police seeing a person on the roof of a building just outside the security perimeter prior to the shooting. Moreover, they said they had advised police officers, but no action was taken.
  5. Various spectators described a “bloody, chaotic and confusing” scene and reported hearing multiple shots, as many as eight.
  6. Multiple former and current FBI agents told reporters it was very concerning that Crooks was able to perch so close. They added that the SS “really needs to answer that question.”
  7. Steve Moore, a retired FBI supervisory special agent and experienced “counter sniper” offered a chilling assessment regarding assassinations that the “secret service has to be right every single time,” but “the bad guys only have to be lucky or right one time.”
  8. Last night after being released from the hospital Trump returned to his home in Bedminster, NJ. He confirmed the GOP convention, which is scheduled to begin this week, will proceed as planned.
  9. A plethora of both domestic and foreign government officials and politicians, including, among many others, President Biden, Merrick Garland, J. D. Vance, Marco Rubio, Doug Burgum, Lloyd Austin, Chuck (the “Chameleon”) Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Kamala Harris, Mike Johnson, Nikki Haley, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, Israel’s President Benjamin Netanyahu, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have expressed support.
  10. In the wake of the shooting a Biden campaign official told reporters the campaign would be “pausing” television ads and outgoing communications as quickly as possible.
  11. As a result of the shooting law enforcement spokespersons were asked if they were aware of any additional security threats. They responded they “don’t currently believe” that there are any at this time.
  12. Yesterday’s attempted assassination of Trump was not a singular event in American history. It reminds one of other assassinations and attempted assassinations in American history such as Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, JFK, and Ronald Reagan. Also, let’s be mindful of the fact that presidential candidate RFK, Jr., whose father and uncle have both been assassinated, has requested and inexplicably been denied secret service protection.

As shocking as yesterday’s attempted assassination was it should not have come as much of a surprise. In my opinion, this election has been the most contentious in recent memory. It has progressed way beyond the traditional politicking that normally characterizes elections. Many Dems and their supporters view Trump as more than just a political opponent. They have portrayed him, ignorantly and inaccurately to be sure, as evil, a reincarnation of Adolph Hitler. They hate him with a passion that strikes me as irrational. They view him as someone who, if elected, will be a dictator, never leave office and “destroy democracy.” (This is ludicrous and delusional on its face. He has already been president and he did leave office in 2020 when he lost.)

These characterizations are not limited to fringe elements. He has been portrayed as such by many in the mainstream media, both on television and in the press. Many of his opponents have vowed publicly their intention to “stop Trump” at all costs. The vitriol has been so extreme that it has spawned a term to describe it – “Trump derangement syndrome, or TDS. Consequently, one should not have been so surprised that some disillusioned, misguided wacko decided to take matters into his own hands.

This all began in 2015 when Trump first declared his candidacy for President. It has continued through his first term as president and the post-presidential period. Initially, Trump’s opponents attacked him with false or exaggerated claims of everything from being anti-women, antisemitic, anti-Black and anti-Hispanic to consorting with Russia and China. Then, they tried to impeach him multiple times for the flimsiest of reasons. Then, when he declared for a second term, they indicted him on false or exaggerated criminal charges in heavily “blue” venues with the intent of tying him up in court to prevent him from campaigning, convicting him and even imprisoning him. Each of these was and is being exposed as vicious lies.

These attacks have increased in volume and intensity during the current campaign, reaching a crescendo in recent weeks when it has become apparent that Trump is winning the election, and perhaps winning by a considerable margin in electoral votes. Trump is winning not just on the issues. His opponent, President Biden, has finally been exposed as a cognitively-deficient shell. During the presidential debate the Biden facade came crashing down. The entire world came to see what many of us have known for years, namely that he is an empty vessel, an “emperor with no clothes.”

As I have written in previous blogs, after covering for him for several years his supporters both in the Dem Party and the media are now in a full-blown panic. The Washington D. C. so-called elites, aka the “swamp,” which, though not elected to any office, have essentially controlled government policy for decades feel their power about to slip away. Their disingenuousness and lying have been exposed, and if Trump were to win could be exposed further.

The down-ballot Dems who are running for re-election in the Senate and the House now see their chances of winning diminishing rapidly. They perceive that Biden’s coattails are rapidly morphing into “anchors.” To them, a Trump presidency is bad enough; the prospect of the GOP gaining control of Congress as well is unthinkable.

As a result, the Dem Party is badly split and not just politically between the far-left wing and the moderate wing. There is an additional split between those who want Biden to withdraw and Biden and his supporters who want him to stay. Biden, himself, has been insisting he is “not going anywhere.” The former group has been working both overtly and covertly to replace Biden. The main impediments are (1) Biden controls all the campaign funds as well as some 1,200 delegates who voted for him in the primaries and (2) the Dems do not have a suitable replacement who can beat Trump. (I discount Harris, the logical choice, who has been a very unpopular and ineffective VP.) Moreover, the “dump Biden” people are operating under a short deadline. Early voting will begin in several states in some 60 days. Many persons will be voting for Biden, so any replacement candidate will lose those votes. To top it all off, the Biden camp and the Obama camp have never liked each other and do not trust each other.

In my opinion, if Biden hangs tough the Dems will be stuck with him. I love the irony. They propped Biden up and forced him to pick Harris as his VP. Now they are stuck with the two of them. As the saying goes, the Dems are being hoisted on their own petard.

CONCLUSION

I anticipate a long and exhaustive investigation. I expect the media to be all over it. The SS, FBI, Homeland Security, and PA state and local police, among others, will be trying to deflect responsibility and blame others. The SS, in particular, will be under the microscope for failing to secure the perimeter adequately. I would not be surprised if “heads roll” there. In my opinion, it will be one big s**t show.

In view of the foregoing, in retrospect we should not be surprised at yesterday’s attempted assassination. The media and many Dems and their supporters have criticized and vilified Trump relentlessly for seven years. They have characterized him not as a political opponent who is entitled to express his contrary views but as “evil,” a “Nazi,” and “Hitler.” In doing so, they have, intentionally or not, incited and encouraged violence against him. It was inevitable that someone would try to assassinate him sooner or later. In fact, I would not be surprised if there were further attempts. I expect the danger of further violence to rachet up as we get closer to the election. I am not the only one who thinks so. Many others have expressed the same opinion to me. Furthermore, according to his close advisors even Trump agrees. There are a lot of deranged people out there who will want to settle political differences not with a vote, but with a bullet.

This is not how we do things in America. This is not what we are about. We are supposed to be a nation of laws governed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Somehow, gradually we have lost our way. We need to find it again before it is too late.

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THE FAILURE OF THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA

We expect or even accept that most politicians will be disingenuous and partisan. Some will even be corrupt. We may not like it, but that is the nature of the beast. However, our expectations are very different with respect to the media.

In order for our system of government to function as the Founding Fathers intended it is essential to have a strong, vibrant, honest and independent media. In particular, we, the people, rely on having the benefit of a media that will ferret out and expose lies, corruption and criminal activities committed by our elected officials. Many of us have been cognizant of the fact that over the last few years most of the media, with few exceptions, has not only been lax in fulfilling its purpose it has been actively biased in its coverage. It has ignored, suppressed, distorted, and outright lied about many stories that would have reflected negatively upon Dems and, in particular, President Biden.

On the other hand, much of the media has perpetuated lies and exaggerations with respect to its coverage of Donald Trump. In at least one case I maintain that the media’s actions likely affected the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. It doesn’t get more serious than that. I will explain below.

To be sure, there have been other times in our history in which the media has “protected” presidents by not disclosing certain health issues and/or character flaws to the public. In recent history, I can recall three such examples, but I am sure there have been many more:

  1. JFK was just 43 when he was elected president in 1960. Tanned, handsome, vibrant and athletic he always projected the picture of good health. In reality, he suffered from a variety of debilitating illnesses the extent of which was kept from the public by the media. For instance, he suffered from various spinal problems and osteoporosis that caused chronic pain; he had Addisons disease, which damaged his adrenal glands and resulted in fatigue and other maladies; and he suffered from frequent urinary tract infections. According to historian Robert Dallek he took as many as a dozen medications to deal with these issues. Additionally, he was a chronic womanizer. Did these impair his ability to function as president? Possibly.
  2. FDR suffered from polio most of his adult life beginning when he was a young man. Basically, he was confined to a wheelchair and could only walk or even stand up with the assistance of braces, crutches or an aide. The media downplayed his infirmities and in the days before the advent of television the public was largely unaware of his condition. Had the public known his chances of a successful political career would have been severely hampered.
  3. During the last year of his presidency Woodrow Wilson was basically incapacitated due to a series of strokes. Unbeknownst to the general public his wife and his personal physician basically managed the presidency in his stead. The media did not report this. Some might view this as a parallel to Biden’s situation.

So, the media’s protection of Biden is not unique, but the extent of it has been significantly more excessive. For example, for the past several years the mainstream media has acted as a strong advocate for Biden and the Dems. It has suppressed or distorted a never-ending series of negative stories, such as his cognitive decline, Hunter Biden’s laptop, millions of dollars in hidden funds received from China, Russia, and several other countries, his weak and overaccommodative attitude toward our enemies such as Iran, Russia and China, his failure to secure our borders, his poor economic policies, and his failure to address crime. Contemporary journalists have assiduously avoided disclosing or investigating these matters either through laziness or reluctance to uncover anything negative with respect to Biden.

On the other hand, as I mentioned above it has created, abetted, embellished and suppressed false stories against Donald Trump, such as, among many others, “trumped up” impeachment trials, the Russia hoax, FISA warrants, January 6 insurrection, 2020 election interference, the NYC “show” trial, and worst of all Hunter Biden’s laptop. Their intense hatred of Trump is so deep it borders on the irrational, hence the term “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” They would rather damage America by propping up a cognitively-deficient Biden than see Trump in the White House.

I have discussed each of these, in detail, in previous blogs, and I see no need to repeat myself. The most egregious of these was the suppression of Hunter’s laptop. The Dems, the media, the FBI and various social media outlets all participated creating and perpetuating the lie that it was a hoax. After the 2020 election when the truth was uncovered a goodly number of those who had voted for Biden disclosed that had they been aware of the truth they would have voted for Trump. The election was so close that that may have swung the election. Of course, we’ll never know.

Now the liberal/woke media is trying to gaslight us with two additional preposterous stories.

  1. If elected, Trump will be a dictator. He will never leave office. Well, HELLO! Trump has already been president. We have seen him in action. He did not act like a dictator, and upon losing re-election he did leave office.
  2. In view of the SCOTUS’s recent decision regarding presidential immunity they are attacking the integrity of the Court and its members. They are saying that Trump will run amok even employ death squads such as Seal Team Six to assassinate opponents. This is inane on many levels. Those who are predicting this are ignorant, delusional, and merely grasping at straws to inflame the public. SCOTUS acted within its constitutional authority. Its decision limited immunity to “official” acts and left it to the lower courts to determine what is “official” on a case-by-case basis.

Now in the wake of Biden’s disastrous performance in last week’s debate his cognitive decline, which most of the media has been hiding from voters, has become undeniably evident. Those voters who have been getting their news from Fox News were not surprised. Fox has been reporting this for years, even before the 2020 election. It is now obvious to all who watched the debate that all of Fox’s expose stories over the last several years are true, and those who denigrated them have been exposed as either partisan liars or incompetents. On the other hand, those voters who have been getting their news from other media outlets were shocked. Even media outlets, reporters and so-called Dem insiders professed to be shocked, although most should have known or at least suspected.

Now, that we have all seen that “the emperor has no clothes,” so to speak, numerous Dems and their allies are piling on, to wit:

  1. The staffers who prepped Biden for the debate are being blamed for not having prepared him properly. Biden never fires anybody but expect some or all of them to be relegated to a lesser role or reassigned.
  2. Carl Bernstein who, along with Bob Woodward, exposed the Watergate scandal in the 1970s has been a staunch supporter of Biden. He has consistently denigrated any stories of Biden’s cognitive decline and exaggerated Trump’s issues negatively (often characterizing them as “worse than Watergate”) playing on his Watergate fame to give credence to his opinions. Now, embarrassed that he missed this issue, suddenly he is piling on. For instance, he advised CNN that Biden’s horrendous debate performance was not unique. He claims that there have been “15 [-] 20” similar occasions in the past 18 months. Nice of him to exposé this now after the whole world has seen it with their own eyes. Clearly, Bernstein is not the same reporter he was during Watergate. Probably, other reporters who cover the White House knew as well. Too bad they did not exhibit the professional integrity to tell the American people earlier.
  3. Biden-excusers such as the NY Times, Axios and Politico are suddenly reporting on Biden’s weaknesses such as lack of stamina and limited schedule. Too little, too late. Where were they four years ago? According to Axios Biden is only “dependably engaged” from 10 am to 4 pm. If true, that is most frightening. Being president is a 24/7 job. Crises can and do occur at any time.
  4. Various Dem congressmen have called for Biden to “step aside as the presumptive nominee.” Those running for reelection are particularly concerned (as they should be). Biden’s “coattails” have morphed into “anchors.”
  5. Multiple “former officials” in the Biden Administration have “expressed doubt” that Biden could go “toe-to-toe” with the likes of Putin in his “present condition.”
  6. Politico has reported that Biden refuses to take advice from all but a small, select group. Moreover, he cannot abide bad news. He is prone to tantrums and to chewing out staffers who bring him any. As a consequence, they rarely and reluctantly tell him anything negative. Obviously, this impairs his ability to make informed decisions even further.
  7. Comedians on late-night talk shows have begun to mock Biden as they used to do with other presidents.
  8. To me, all of the above are indications that the Dems realize he is losing and want to replace him.
  9. One of the few exceptions is “Morning Joe” Scarborough, a leading sufferer of TDS. He has forfeited the last shred of his integrity by declaring “this version of Biden intellectually, analytically is the best Biden ever.””

CONCLUSION

The mainstream media’s lack of integrity has been disgraceful. At times, its sycophantic behavior has more closely resembled what we see in an autocracy rather than in a democracy. They have allowed their blind, irrational hatred of Trump to prevent them from fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities.

    Now, the Dems are in a major quandary. They are panicking because their presumptive nominee has been exposed as not medically competent to be president. A faction of the Party would like to replace him even though to do so would effectively disenfranchise the millions who voted for him in the primaries many of whom still support him.

    Biden has steadfastly refused to withdraw voluntarily. His wife and family are supporting this for their own selfish reasons. However, the pressure is mounting.

    Based on the primary results Biden controls virtually all of the delegates. These delegates are staunchly loyal to him. Getting them to support another candidate would be a very cumbersome, if not impossible, process. Each state has its own election laws and procedures to navigate. Moreover, it is almost unheard of for even one delegate to renege on his pledge on the first ballot, much less a majority of them. Also, Biden controls a substantial amount of campaign funds. The only replacement candidate to whom these funds could be transferred is VP Kamala Harris. Unfortunately, she is very unpopular with most Party insiders, donors and voters for reasons that I outlined in my last blog.

    In my estimation, none of the other possible candidates would do any better than Biden. History tells us that it is still early in the campaign, and things could still change. But, at the present time, it appears that the Dems are stuck with Biden for better or for worse.

    One final comment – Ignore the often-published national poll numbers, which have consistently reported a narrow percentage point difference between Biden and Trump. It’s the Electoral College that matters, and my analysis has disclosed that if the election were held today Trump would garner 310 electoral votes to Biden’s 195 with 33 in a tie. That is why the Dems and their supporters have been so panicked.

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    BIDEN-TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH

    The 2024 Biden-Trump debate has been consigned to the annals of history. In many respects it was a real game changer. I think it will resonate among political historians for a long time (either famously or infamously depending on one’s political preference). In my lifetime I have watched many presidential debates, and I have never witnessed one so decisive. Frankly, at times, I was almost embarrassed for Biden.

    Already certain significant patterns and trends have emerged. It is important to realize that the debate was only a few days ago, and generally speaking the full ramifications of it will not be apparent for a while. However, some immediate patterns have emerged, which I will list below as my considered opinion, with which, as always you are free to agree or disagree.

    A plethora of polls and opinions have been published in the last few days. All of them have had negative implications for both Biden and the Dems. For instance:

    1. I could not find any publication or commentator that thought Biden won the debate or even performed well.
    2. Most polls’ results were consistent with the Democracy Corp poll of Dem-leaning voters many of whom described Biden as “confused,” “frail,” and exhibiting “dementia.”
    3. As I reported in my previous blog even media Dem stalwarts such as CNN, MSNBC and the NY Times were in a panic and were calling for Biden to step aside.
    4. John Levine, writing in the NY Post, put it succinctly opining that “Trump crushed Biden.” Although “crushed” may be a rather strong characterization virtually every poll concurs that Trump won, as do I. For example, a poll taken by Schoen Cooperman Research found that 51% felt Trump had won the debate compared to 34% for Biden.
    5. Even more foreboding, 50% of respondents in the same poll said that based on the debate they would be more likely to vote. Guess for whom those persons would be voting.
    6. Other polls reported similarly dire news for Biden. For example, a CBS poll disclosed that 46% of Dem registered voters and 72% of all registered voters felt Biden does not possess the “mental and cognitive health to serve as president” and should not be running. The top three reasons given were his age, decisions he might make as president, and his record as president.
    7. Ominously, the negativity increased among those who actually watched the debate.
    8. According to a Morning Consult poll 60% want Biden to withdraw and be replaced. I will evaluate possible replacements below.
    9. Some respondents replied that Biden’s poor performance was even worse than they expected. Probably, those were persons who got their news from one of the many media outlets that continuously hid or minimized Biden’s deficiencies. Most Fox viewers were not surprised.

    Normally, I am not a proponent of fact-checking. All politicians bend the truth at times, particularly under the pressure of a debate. However, Biden told some outright lies that were too egregious to ignore.

    For example:

    1. “I’m the only president this century that doesn’t have any – this decade – that doesn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world.” He forgot about the 13 soldiers who died during the ill-advised, ill-planned, and ill-executed withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. We also left behind an untold number of native Afghanis who had worked for and with us who we had at least a moral obligation to take out plus billions of dollars of military weapons and equipment.
    2. “The US Border Patrol union endorsed me.” The union debunked that immediately and emphatically with a posting on X. “To be clear. We never have and never will endorse Biden.”

    Dem party members, fund raisers, and supporters are in a quandary. Many of them are extremely distressed at the prospect of a Trump presidency. They hate him with a passion. Their hate is irrational. There is a term for their feelings. It’s called “Trump Derangement Syndrome or TDS. They truly believe he is evil. Some of them have referred to him as a Nazi. Some have even extended those characterizations to Trump supporters. I have never seen anything like it. Even Richard Nixon, as unpopular as he was by the opposition, did not engender such extreme feelings.

    They put all their eggs in the Biden basket, and now they don’t know what to do. They are in a bind. Biden is insisting he will not drop out. Any alternative candidates were dissuaded or precluded from campaigning. As a result, there is no viable alternative to Biden. The one positive news for Biden was that another poll released by Data for Progress failed to identify any possible replacement that would do better than him. That’s good for Biden but bad for the Dem Party.

    VP Harris’ poll numbers are worse than Biden’s. She has been exposed as ignorant, incompetent and lazy and has no accomplishments on her record as VP. Newsome is young and vibrant, but he would have to run on his dismal record as governor of California. His far-left policies have virtually bankrupted the state. Buttigieg would have to defend his spotty record as Mayor of South Bend and Transportation Secretary. Michelle Obama insists she is not interested. Hillary? Please!

    CONCLUSION

    Most everyone agrees that this election will be crucial for the country’s future. The country is in trouble. It is sharply divided almost down the middle politically, socially and economically. Many feel the media is sharply biased and the scales of justice are tilted. Furthermore, supporters of each candidate have exhibited an intense dislike for the other one. Feelings are so extreme that most people are loath to even engage in meaningful political dialogue lest they evolve into arguments or even fights. For most people the answer to the standard question “are you better off today than you were four years ago is a resounding “no.”

    As I said, the situation is very fluid. Stay tuned for future developments.

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    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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