Presidential Debate

Donald Trump Is Committing Political Suicide Every Day, As Joe Biden Lead Grows Rapidly

It is clear now that President Donald Trump is committing political suicide every day, as Joe Biden’s lead grows dramatically.

Biden’s lead had been about 6-8 points just a few weeks ago, but now it is as high as 14-16 points.

If that actually happened on November 3, and probably will not occur to that extent, Joe Biden would win in territory such as Ronald Reagan in 1984, or Theodore Roosevelt in 1904.

Trump has caused his own demise by his horrific debate performance; by his intention to destroy health care for 20 million people; by his inaction on COVID 19 all year; by his behavior when in Walter Reed Medical Center and then when he came back to the White House last night; and now rejecting any further negotiation on COVID 19 relief of tens of millions of Americans, including stimulus checks for the unemployed, help to small businesses, and aid to industries, such as airlines and restaurants, causing a downturn on the stock market today.

It is clear that Donald Trump is maniacal now on his medication, and is a danger to national security, and yet, Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet are unwilling to invoke the 25th Amendment, so the nation teeters and totters with no one in charge of the ship of state!

Tonight’s First Presidential Debate: The Middle Class Guy Vs The Phony Billionaire And Bully

Former Vice President Joe Biden enters tonight’s first Presidential debate in Cleveland against President Donald Trump in a position of strength. He is far ahead in most state polls, including in the Midwest where Hillary Clinton lost the election in 2016.

Biden is the middle class guy who has had struggles and tragedies in his life, much like the vast majority of Americans. He possesses naturally great compassion, empathy, decency, and tons of government experience as US Senator for 36 years and as one of the two best Vice Presidents in American history, alongside Walter Mondale.

Biden comes in with public opinion polls showing great strength for him among college educated voters of both genders; suburban women; African Americans; Latinos except for Cubans; Asian Americans; Jews; Social Justice Catholics; mainline Protestants; moderates; Independents; young voters; and a small sliver of Trump voters in 2016 who realize Donald Trump is a phony billionaire and bully!

Putting Biden in the Oval Office will give us a President with more background knowledge and expertise than any President when he entered the Presidency—more than Lyndon B. Johnson or George H. W. Bush.

Biden knows world leaders and can restore US foreign policy so that foreign allies can against trust our government.

Biden can restore much of the damage done to our domestic infrastructure and our government agencies that are so necessary to continue the advancements of the New Deal, Great Society, and the later accomplishments of Presidents of both parties from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama!

We will have a President who does not lie 20,000 times in three and a half years;

who will not ignore medicine and science;

who will pay his fair share of taxes;

who will not cheat on his wife with other women;

who will pick judges who understand that originalism is the wrong approach to law;

who will work to cross the aisle when possible, instead of constant insults and bullying of opponents and critics;

who will have a Vice President, Kamala Harris, who gives us confidence should there ever be an emergency;

who will restore faith in our basic values of democracy and freedom;

who will bring back honor and decency to the Oval Office;

and who will support total exposure of all crimes committed by the present incumbent of the White House!

Jon Huntsman’s Major Opportunity: Saturday Night’s South Carolina Foreign Policy And National Security Debate

Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is reaching his major opportunity in Saturday night’s Presidential debate in South Carolina, as the topic is limited to foreign policy and national security.

As stated many times in the past, Jon Huntsman is EASILY the most qualified of all the GOP candidates for President, when it comes to expertise and knowledge and depth in foreign policy and national security issues.

As Ambassador to Singapore and Ambassador to China, and as a trade negotiator, Jon Huntsman has superb experience in foreign policy, and particularly where it most matters, in Asia, which will be the center of world affairs in the 21st century, particularly regarding China, the nation with one fourth of the world’s population.

No one else can come close to matching Huntsman, who also can speak Mandarin Chinese.

Few people who have ever run for President have the credentials of Jon Huntsman in foreign policy, so this is his opportunity to separate himself from the pack and start to gain in the polls.

if he does not do well tonight, and/or improve his standing in polls in the next couple of weeks, after being at one or two percent all along, then, sadly, Huntsman is finished as a major factor in Republican politics!

First Impressions Of GOP NBC-Politico Debate: Big Winners Are Huntsman And Romney; Big Losers Are Perry, Bachmann, And Paul!

The debate over the debate tonight at the Reagan Library has begun, and there will be many different views of how the eight Republican candidates for President performed. What follows is this blogger’s view of events in ranked order:

BIG WINNERS–Jon Huntsman and Mitt Romney
BIG LOSERS–Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul
NO IMPROVEMENT–Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain

Already, the author has heard Rachel Maddow say that Jon Huntsman lost an opportunity and is now thrown to the wayside. He could NOT disagree more! Huntsman was, in my view, very solid and substantial in his answers, seemed very Presidential more than anyone, and since he is lowest in the polls, has gained the most, and it should reflect itself in the polls over the next few days. If it does not, then it condemns the Republican Party to certain defeat, as Independents and moderates should be very impressed with his performance!

Mitt Romney also did very well, refuting Rick Perry in a solid and effective way, and showed a calm demeanor, as he demonstrated that being a moderate conservative, as Huntsman is, is the best road to victory for the GOP! The question, as with Huntsman, is whether Republicans will feel the same, and if they do not, then the party is doomed to a terrible defeat in 2012, instead of a good chance for victory with either Huntsman or Romney!

Rick Perry, the frontrunner in the polls the past two weeks, came across as defiantly extremist in his stated views, not bending at all, and yet having trouble defending the horrible record of governance in Texas in so many different ways! If there is any common sense, Perry should lose his front runner status, but we shall see, as a Perry candidacy would move the GOP so far to the RIght that they would lose in a massive way in November 2012!

Michele Bachmann slid further in performance, and was not at all inspiring or convincing, and is now obviously in rapid decline as a serious factor!

Ron Paul may have his followers, but he came across as totally extreme in his libertarian views, and way outside the mainstream. His suggestion that air conditioning be removed from troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that would cause their rapid return home, is one of the whackiest and craziest statements ever made in a Presidential debate at any time!

Newt Gingrich came across as very bright and knowledgeable, but did not improve his status as a person from the past, out of office for 13 years, and not to be seen as a serious candidate for the White House!

Rick Santorum may have improved slightly in his performance, but still cannot be regarded as a serious candidate. The fact that he is the only candidate to have served in the US Senate, as well as the US House of Representatives, is certainly a plus, but still there are too many negatives and shortcomings in his candidacy to take him as a likely nominee!

Herman Cain came across as what he has always been–a BLAH candidate, unimpressive, and having no clue as to how to run a government, so his performance was lackadaisical!

So the big winners in my mind are Huntsman and Romney, but I welcome commentary by those who read this blog, as the debate continues over who the GOP nominee for President might be!

The Republican Division On Afghanistan Policy: Could It Affect 2012?

The Republican Party is bitterly divided over foreign policy as the Presidential campaign develops.

Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman have both called for cutting back US involvement in Afghanistan, and may be, theoretically, to the left of President Obama in this regard.

At the same time, Tim Pawlenty came out today for a hard line view on that war, joining the camp of John McCain and Lindsey Graham in calling such a viewpoint of Romney and Huntsman “isolationist”!

Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann have also sounded “isolationist”, with Paul for sure, and Bachmann speaking in that fashion at the recent Presidential debate in New Hampshire.

Who would have thought that foreign policy would divide the GOP, when many believed it was domestic policy, the budget, taxes, and spending that would dominate?

But, actually, it is the spending for the war in Afghanistan, and the involvement in Libya, which is causing the rift in the party, as House Republicans, led by Speaker John Boehner, are pushing a resolution challenging our involvement in Libya under the War Powers Act, something that McCain and Graham have bitterly denounced, and want modified, which may happen!

So this just complicates the battle for the Republican Presidential nomination, and for the Presidential Election of 2012!

Chinks In Mitt Romney’s Armor

Mitt Romney, the frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination, has some chinks in his armor, that are starting to be noticed.

Romney is applauded as a great businessman, but most of his economic accomplishments in business came from cutting employees and saving money to make more profit.

Also, as Governor of Massachusetts, his state was dead last in employment growth coming out of the 2001-2002 recession, and the growth in his four years was only one percent, as compared to five percent nationally.

Also, Romney made a mistake in his debate remarks this past week, in referring to the people of Afghanistan as “Afghanis”, which is the name of their currency. The people of Afghanistan are known as “Afghans”!

This reminds one of John McCain constantly talking about Czechoslovakia in 2007-2008, when that nation broke up amicably in 1993 into the Czech Republic and Slovakia!

Of course, anyone can make mistakes, or have negative developments in his record, but the point is that Romney has a long list of shortcomings, all of which will certainly be exploited by his opponents for the nomination, and by Barack Obama, if Romney indeed is the nominee of his party for the White House!

Tim Pawlenty And “Co-Conspirators” Mitt Romney And Barack Obama

Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is striking out in his Presidential campaign, rapidly becoming the second Republican in the race to implode, after Newt Gingrich.

Pawlenty was critical of Romney on “Obamney Care”, as he calls the former Massachusetts Governor’s health care plan, in a Fox News interview.

But then, in the New Hampshire Presidential debate, when given an opportunity to say the same thing to Romney face to face, Pawlenty came across as weak and ineffective, as he refused to do just that.

This past few days, Pawlenty has been trying to undo the damage, but instead he has made things worse.

His new statement is that Romney and Obama are “co-conspirators” on health care!

What a ridiculous and preposterous statement, and all it does is make it ever harder for Pawlenty to make progress from the depths of public opinion polls, where he resides, and is unlikely to emerge from!

Mitt Romney: Will He Sell His Soul To Be President?

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney may be in the lead in public opinion polls for the Republican Presidential nomination, but it is clear that many Republicans are desperately seeking for someone else, whether it is Governor Rick Perry of Texas or Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey or others.

The Tea Party Movement does not like Romney, and neither do evangelical Christians who are suspicious of Romney’s Mormon faith.

Plus, Romney’s health care plan causes discontent, and the feeling that he does not really relate to Republicans voters, or in reality, maybe to ANY voters!

The latter is shown by his insensitive comment in New Hampshire that he is unemployed too, said as a joke to unemployed people he was meeting with. Could he truly commiserate with them, when he has at least $200 million personal fortune behind him?

Also, he made a comment not much noticed right after the New Hampshire debate, but recognized in the aftermath. Romney criticized the federal intervention by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the days after the floods and tornadoes in the Midwest in April and May. He termed the intervention and spending as “immoral”, said FEMA should be privatized, and declared that deficit spending to help the victims made no sense at all, and burdened future generations with extra debts!

If we pursued what Romney has now advocated, it would mean only wealthy, well connected people would be guaranteed food, shelter, clothing, and protection if a disaster struck. How moral is it for someone to be so heartless and unconcerned about the tragedy of natural disasters?

This is Tea Party Movement extremism to the level of crazy and loony, and is obviously Romney’s attempt to appeal to the extreme right wing of his party, but if he were to win the nomination and become President, would he really pursue such narrow minded views, defying the history of the United States regarding the “general welfare” of the population, as enunciated in the “Elastic Clause” (Article 1, Section 8) of the Constitution? Romney NEEDS to clarify this matter, as an issue to consider regarding voting for him to be our President!

The Extreme Radicalism And Looniness Of Michele Bachmann: A Real Threat To America’s Future!

Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann gained a lot of attention by her performance in the Republican New Hampshire debate last Monday.

Many people are starting to notice her, and many social conservatives are ecstatic about her, and think she might have a shot at the GOP Presidential nomination.

Before we go any further along the road to President Michele Bachmann, let’s look at her record of statements and actions!

1. She said in 2004 that the LION KING was promoting gay propaganda. She is extremely anti gay, despite the fact of having gay relatives.
2. She claimed that many jobs would be created if the minimum wage was abolished, something that clearly is preposterous.
3. She asserted that “intelligent design” was supported by Nobel Prize winning scientists, a total falsehood.
4. She stated that carbon dioxide is not a dangerous gas, while it is well known that in large amounts, it is causing climate change.
5. She accused Democrats in Congress of being anti American and called for an investigation of their backgrounds, a new McCarthyism.
6. She advocated that her constituents refuse to fill out the 2010 Census, until she realized that if that was done in her Congressional district, she would lose her seat, as her constituents would not be counted as part of the population.
7. She has stated the belief that talk show host Glenn Beck could solve the issue of the national debt.

Is anything else necessary to say about Michele Bachmann?

She is crazy, loony, against anything that would improve the lives of the middle class or poor people, an ally of the corporations and the religious right, a mean spirited bigot whose attractive looks belie the truth: She would be a total disaster for America’s future!

The Republican Lies About The Obama Economic Record!

The Republican Presidential debate in New Hampshire last night demonstrated the GOP ability to lie and deceive gullible voters!

You would think that Barack Obama walked into the Presidency in good economic times, and that George W. Bush left him a positive legacy!

Of course, George W. Bush left the worst economy to his successor of any President since Herbert Hoover left the Great Depression to Franklin D. Roosevelt!

The facts are as follows:

1. The economy has come out of the depths it was in in 2009, although the level of economic growth has slowed up in recent months.
2. Over 2 million private sector jobs have been added in the past 15 months, not enough certainly, but compared to the 750,000 jobs a month being lost at the end of the Bush Presidency and the early months of the Obama Presidency, it is certainly a good sign.
3. The stock market has improved, whereby half of the lost household wealth has been regained.
4. The auto industry has revived from its low point, when we almost lost the entire domestic auto market, which would have led to far worse conditions in the Midwest and South, where most of the auto factories are located.
5. Housing is the big area of lack of improvement, with home prices and home construction still declining. Of course, the nation’s leading banks are major culprits in this regard, refusing to give mortgage loans and trying to foreclose illegally on many properties!

The point is that there is no magic potion by government and the private sector to restore the economy quickly, and the Republicans have come up with no strategy or plan to create jobs or revive the economy, deciding that just attacking President Obama is enough.

And cutting taxes and spending is just the old Herbert Hoover concept, which only made the Great Depression worse!

Do we really want to go back to Herbert Hoover, as Tim Pawlenty proposes, and to believe that miraculously there will be five percent growth annually for the next decade?

It is time to put up or shut up, meaning that the GOP leadership in Congress must stop talking and attacking, and start producing results in cooperation with President Obama, instead of just working to undermine him and making the economy worse!