Month: August 2016

Three Women Of Multi Racial Heritage Running As Democrats For US Senate And Favored To Win

Ronald Leave a comment

Three women of multi racial heritage are running as Democrats for the US Senate, and are favored to win their races.

These three women are:

Tammy Duckworth of Illinois
Kamala Harris of California
Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada

Duckworth has a Chinese mother and white father and was born in Thailand; Harris has an Indian mother who migrated from India and a father of Jamaican heritage; Masto is a Latina of Mexican heritage.

All three are superbly qualified, and would bring to the Senate the first women of multi racial background, of other heritages than White Anglo Christian or Jewish.

Duckworth was severely wounded in Iraq, losing both legs and damaging her right arm, and is a true hero. She served in the Illinois and US Department of Veterans Affairs, and has been a Congresswoman from Illinois for the past four years.

Harris served as District Attorney of San Francisco and is now California Attorney General.

Masto was Attorney General of Nevada from 2007-2015.

Masto will have the toughest race, while Duckworth, and especially Harris, seem certain to win at this juncture.

The US Senate would become much more diverse and representative if these women are fortunate enough to be elected.

Jimmy Carter Surpasses Record 13,000 Days In Retirement As A Former President!

Ronald Leave a comment

As of five days ago, August 25, 2016, former President Jimmy Carter has been in retirement for 13,000 days!

Carter passed former President Herbert Hoover on September 9, 2012, as the longest retired President.

Carter will finish 36 years in retirement by Inauguration Day, January 20, 2017.

His political career before the Presidency and in the Presidency was a total of 12 years–four as a State Senator, four as Governor of Georgia, and four as President.

Carter will be 92 on October 1, and if he lives another 18 months, he would have lived longer than any President including Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, except maybe George H. W. Bush, who is about four months older, and already 92 years of age.

Carter has had cancer in the past year, but is in remission, and seems in good shape, considering his age and cancer diagnosis.

By having lived so long, he has become a legend in many ways.

Let us wish him more years of health and contribution, as he has already set a record for accomplishment as a former President, which has been a model for Bill Clinton, and for when Barack Obama is retired in 2017!

The Mountain And Desert West America Going “Blue” For the Future, Following The Pacific Coast States!

Ronald 3 Comments

There are growing indications that much of the Mountain and Desert West part of America is going “Blue” for the future, following the Pacific Coast states of California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.

Already, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada are leaning in that direction, and it seems inevitable that Arizona will join that group of states soon, and also Montana may join in that move.

The states of Wyoming, Idaho and Utah are less likely to do so, but growing Hispanic-Latino and Asian American population in much of the Mountain and Desert West makes Democratic gains in both Presidential elections and state elections much more likely over the next decade.

In the controversy over Hispanic-Latino population growth, many might be surprised to learn that Asian American population is growing at a faster clip in the West, and just as Hispanics and Latinos tend to do, Asian Americans–whether Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi–as well as others, tends to vote Democratic.

The nativism appeal of Donald Trump and the general Republican party line is a warning sign to these Asian American groups, and history reminds us of the discrimination visited in the Western states against particularly Chinese and Japanese immigrants and citizens in the American past.

The Alienation Of Millennial Voters Endangers Voter Turnout Which Could Undermine Democratic Party And Progressive Values

Ronald 4 Comments

Depending on which public opinion polls one follows and believes, it might be true that many millennial voters are “turned off” by the present election contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and might vote in large numbers for Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson or Green Party nominee Jill Stein in November. Or they might just stay home and not vote at all.

Millennials, defined as those under 30, but also sometimes including those under 35, are hostile to the “Establishment” and the normal way of dealing with politics and government, as represented by the stalemate, gridlock, and paralysis so common in recent years in Congress and in state governments, as the two major political parties refuse to work together and cooperate for the nation’s future.

The problem is that the present situation seems likely to be perpetuated, as the House of Representatives, at the least, still seems likely to remain Republican, maybe with a smaller margin, while the US Senate may go Democratic by a few seats, but not enough to avoid filibusters by the minority. So new people might be in charge, but the overall situation is unlikely to lead to the real possibility of progress on major domestic problems, and controversy over foreign policy may be further enhanced.

The danger is that alienation may bring about the possible election of Donald Trump, which would be a national nightmare, and undermine the Democratic Party and progressive values, including the future direction of the Supreme Court.

The nation can ill afford the possibility of a “loose cannon” with the backing of extremist right wing forces, termed the “Alt Right” by Hillary Clinton this week in a Reno, Nevada speech, gaining power and promoting ideas and programs that would undermine the Bill of Rights; promote confrontation and conflict between races, ethnic groups, and different genders and sexual orientations; and put the nuclear codes in the hands of a dangerous man who could undermine our relations with foreign allies and provoke war due to his lack of discipline and mental stability.

As We Have Oldest Combination Of Presidential Candidates In History, A Look Back At Three Candidates Younger Than TR And JFK!

Ronald 4 Comments

At a time when we have the oldest combination of Presidential candidates in history, with Donald Trump being past 70, and Hillary Clinton to be 69 in October, let’s take a look back at three Presidential candidates who lost, but were all younger than Theodore Roosevelt, our youngest President at 42 years and almost eleven months when he succeeded the assassinated President William McKinley in 1901; and these three Presidential candidates also, therefore, younger than John F. Kennedy, our youngest elected President, who took the oath at 43 years and almost eight months.

Our youngest Presidential nominee of a major party in history is William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, a former Congressman, who ran as the Democratic nominee for President in 1896 and 1900, when he was younger than TR or JFK. Bryan was 36 and 40 when he ran his first two of three Presidential races, and had he won, he would have been inaugurated 15 days short of his 37th and 41st birthdays.

Our second youngest Presidential nominee was John C. Breckinridge of Kentucky, who was Vice President at age 36 under President James Buchanan from 1857-1861 but was actually 35 at the time of his election. He was the Southern Democratic nominee in 1860 at age 39 although he would have been 40 at the time of the inauguration, running against Republican Abraham Lincoln, Democrat Stephen Douglas, and Constitutional Union nominee John Bell. Breckinridge served in the US House before being Vice President, and later was part of the Confederate government and army during the Civil War, and later served in the US Senate from Kentucky.

Thomas E. Dewey of New York sought the Presidency for the first time in 1940, when he was 38, and serving as Manhattan County District Attorney, but was thought to be too young to be taken seriously. But in 1944, in his first of two Presidential campaigns, when New York Governor, he ran on the Republican Party line against Franklin D. Roosevelt, running for his fourth term as World War II was nearing its last months. Dewey would have been inaugurated about two months short of his 43rd birthday, had he won in 1944, making him about a month younger than TR when he became President.

Dewey was favored in his second round of Presidential candidacy in 1948, when he lost in an upset to Harry Truman, after all public opinion polls projected an easy win but at that point he would have been two months short of 47, at the time of inauguration.

Immigration Turned California From “Red” To “Blue” State, And Is Now Doing It To Nation, Destroying Republican Party’s National Future!

Ronald Leave a comment

In 1994, California Republican Governor Pete Wilson promoted the passage of Proposition 187, to bar any services to undocumented or illegal immigrants, including education, health care and other social services in the Golden State.

It passed, but divided the state, and ultimately, was declared unconstitutional in 1998, and was never put into effect, but its long term effect was to destroy the Republican Party in California, with the only statewide office holder since then being Arnold Schwarzenegger, himself a celebrity and an immigrant as Governor.

The Republican Party has been decimated in the state legislature and in Congress, and the state has been steadily “Blue” in Presidential elections ever since, even though the state had had a long history of conservative Republicans in office, headed by Ronald Reagan, but including others before and after his time as Governor of the state.

So the Democrats have a great edge in national elections, with the automatic 55 electoral votes of California insuring a Democratic advantage for the Presidency.

But the Republican Party nationally has not learned from this, and instead has alienated both Hispanic and Latino Americans, and also Asian Americans, and in the last election, both groups have gone Democratic with more than 70 percent support, and probably higher in this next Presidential election.

There is a very good chance that North Carolina, Georgia, Missouri, Indiana, Arizona, and even eventually, Texas, will go “Blue” either this year or certainly by 2020 or 2024, and when that happens, the Republican Party nationally is doomed in its efforts to win the White House for the long term.

So Donald Trump’s nativism is the disaster equivalent to what Pete Wilson did a generation ago to the largest state in the Union.

The old saying is: “As California goes, so goes the nation!” Nothing more true can be said!

Odds Are Heavy That Democrats Will Regain Senate Majority In November: Crucial For Future Of Supreme Court

Ronald 10 Comments

With Hillary Clinton running strongly, it seems likely that the Democrats will regain control of the US Senate in this fall’s elections.

The Republicans must defend 24 seats to the Democrats total of 10 seats.

They seem certain to win New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin at the least, and only have one seat in Nevada in danger of being lost to the Republicans.

The Democrats have a good chance also in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Missouri and Arizona.

Of course they will not win all of these seats, but if they gain five and do not lose Nevada, they have 51 members of their caucus, and if they win 4, with Tim Kaine as Vice President, they will gain the majority.

However, having more members is crucial to help promote the future of the Supreme Court, which is likely to have several new members over the next few years.

Right now, many Republicans are running ahead of Donald Trump, so it may be that the Democrats will have trouble gaining more than a minimum majority, but the situation is very fluid, and no clear cut prediction as to the makeup of the Senate next year is possible yet, with 75 days to go until the election.

Possible Scenarios Whereby Donald Trump “Could” Be Elected President On November 8!

Ronald 3 Comments

It seems clear that Donald Trump has very little chance to be elected President on November 8, 2016.

However, there are possible scenarios whereby the “impossible” could occur, god forbid.

What are they?

1. America experiences a horrific terrorist attack similar to September 11, and the population panics and votes for Trump, as if he has a magic potion to stop terrorism. However, after September 11, there was unity around George W. Bush, so hard to judge the reaction of the American people.

2. Hillary Clinton suddenly is burdened further by release of emails from her private server in a manner that makes her looks horribly scandalous and corrupt to such an extent that it changes public opinion and polls dramatically in a short time.

3. Hillary Clinton suffers a serious health crisis, rumored but not true, but if it happened, it could harm her campaign.

4. The Trump supporters turn out to be mostly hidden, unwilling to indicate they would vote for him, and suddenly we become aware that millions of more people are Trump supporters on Election Day, something highly unlikely but conceivable.

5. Hillary Clinton supporters, so confident that she cannot lose, choose not to vote, to stay home, and therefore her vote totals are much less than thought to be likely.

6. A massive economic collapse, such as in September 2008, occurs, and causes harm to the image of Barack Obama, and indirectly, his party’s nominee, Hillary Clinton.

7. Massive voter fraud occurs, and blockage of people attempting to vote happens, by intimidation and threats in Democratic strongholds, with Trump groups of white supremacists appear at polling stations, and are not stopped by local police. We know that voter fraud is usually rare, but has happened more in Republican won elections than Democratic won elections over a long period of time, and Republican Secretaries of State in many states have done everything possible to block voting by minorities and the poor, and even though federal courts have intervened to stop this, there still is the possibility of trouble ahead that could harm the Hillary Clinton political campaign.

Roger Ailes (Fox News) And Stephen Bannon (Breitbart News): This Is The “New” Donald Trump?

Ronald 11 Comments

The much hailed “new” Donald Trump is going to be far worse than the “old” Donald Trump, who insulted everyone and everything, and showed unmatched levels of racism, nativism, Islamophobia, and misogyny, and refused to condemn those who are anti Semites and anti gay.

With Roger Ailes, formerly of Fox News Channel, but now banned by them because of sexual harassment and worse; and Stephen Bannon of Breitbart News, an extremely anti Semitic, anti gay, misogynistic website far worse than Fox News Channel, now working to rebrand Donald Trump, the extremism displayed by Trump is only going to get worse.

The man is showing signs of insanity and or dementia, and large numbers of Republicans and conservatives are backing away from him, and as the public opinion polls plummet for him, he is bound to become more desperate and obnoxious and unstable by the day.

Already, he is now trying to appeal to African Americans and Hispanics, as if they have any reason based on his statements and business dealings with them to believe anything that comes from his mouth.

Trump must think that people are that stupid and clueless as he wants to imagine, but actually for all those people who support him, despite the fact that his mean spirit and narcissism should turn everyone off, one has to wonder about common sense and basic decency, which seems not to exist for Trump supporters.

Trump “Pivot”: Appealing For African American And Hispanic Votes, While Not Repudiating Racist Supporters. This Is A Pivot?

Ronald 1 Comment

Donald Trump is suddenly trying to convince people of decency that he is not a bigot, a racist, a nativist, by appealing to African American and Hispanic voters, after 14 months running for President advocating bigotry, racism, and nativism, and NOT repudiating the support of racists, including David Duke and other white supremacist individuals and groups.

Trump is a total phony, who finally realizes he is losing the election in a massive way, and is trying to change the result, without any real commitment to doing anything that would benefit either African Americans or Hispanics.

Trump is suddenly telling us that if he was President, in four years he would win 95 percent of the African American vote, when right now he might win ONE percent of their vote.

And suddenly, he is saying that the issue of the “deportation force” for eleven million illegal, undocumented immigrants was “to be determined”, when he has advocated a harsh deportation and the building of a wall for 2,000 miles across the Mexican border.

Does any intelligent person really believe that Donald Trump gives a damn for any minority person, other than gaining his or her vote?

This so called “pivot” is a joke, not to be taken seriously by anyone!

Has Trump gone before any African American or Hispanic group or audience? The answer is NO, and it is odd that he would talk about a change before an overwhelmingly white audience which supports him, and could not care less about what happens to any minority group of Americans, as they endorse his bigotry, racism, and nativism.

When Trump formally repudiates hate groups in an open way, which will not happen, then we might start to consider his sincerity, his “pivot”, but even then, his record on race and ethnicity, even in his business dealings before becoming a Presidential candidate, makes it clear he is not to be trusted or believed one iota!