Author: Ronald

The Donald Trump Impeachment Trial Helps Promote Moderates Over Progressives In Democratic Presidential Competition

Ronald 9 Comments

Last night’s Iowa Democratic Presidential Debate added “steam” to the belief that moderates are gaining over progressives, based on performance, and also on the reality that the upcoming Donald Trump impeachment trial will “bench” the two leading progressives, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, along with Amy Klobuchar and “forgotten” candidate Michael Bennet, giving the edge to Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg.

For a few weeks, beyond Iowa and probably including New Hampshire, those Senators will be unable to campaign in person, a major disadvantage.

It could be that it will have no effect on Iowa or New Hampshire, but the feeling is growing that it might be that a ticket will emerge of Joe Biden for President, with his experience, knowledge, and likability, running with Mayor Pete for Vice President, from the Midwest heartland, and making a major step forward as an openly gay Vice Presidential nominee .

Experience, youth, and likability, all in one ticket!

At the same time, a ticket of Biden with Amy Klobuchar, or a ticket of Pete for President and Amy for VP or vice versa would be fine, too!

The Caucus-Primary System In The Future Needs To Be Reformed

Ronald 18 Comments

The Caucus-Primary system for Presidential elections needs to be reformed, as it is clear that having Iowa and New Hampshire go first, with both being totally lacking in diversity, is not a system for the long term.

The argument could be that California and Texas should go first, as they are very diverse and together have about 20 percent of the national population.

Add states such as Wisconsin and Virginia, and that would be a good start toward a system that would be much more amenable to the promotion of racial and ethnic diversity in a nation that will be majority non white in a generation. Therefore, it would be more reflective of reality, and allow minority candidates a better chance to survival in the process.

It is sad that Kamala Harris, Julian Castro, and Cory Booker have been forced out of the Presidential race for the Democrats, due to lack of financial support. Hopefully, the future can be different.

Iowa Presidential Debate Crucial As Caucuses Are Three Weeks From Today

Ronald 3 Comments

The Democratic Presidential debate on Tuesday night is crucial as the caucuses near us three weeks from today.

The latest polls indicate close to a four way split, with only five points between first place finisher Bernie Sanders and fourth place finisher Joe Biden.

It is clear anything could happen on February 3, and it could dramatically influence New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada later in February.

We must remember that Jimmy Carter in 1976 and Barack Obama in 2008 went on to the Presidency after winning iowa in those years.

A win in Iowa could lead to victories in New Hampshire and onward, and that, if occurring, could have a dramatic effect on Super Tuesday, when 14 states, including California and Texas, the two largest, vote in primaries and caucuses on March 3.

A failure to end up at least in third place in Iowa would likely be the death knell of a candidacy.

And yet, even Amy Klobuchar, who is not seen seriously right now, but being from neighboring state Minnesota, could surprise us, having visited all 99 counties in Iowa.

So Tuesday’s debate will be a test of how she can perform, along with how Joe Biden will fare, and also whether Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, numbers one and two, treat each other. Additionally, whether Pete Buttigieg, now third in most polls, can compete against his older and more experienced rivals.

How the debate is judged by media will certainly have a dramatic effect on the likely voting lineup on February 3.

But an additional potential influence on what happens in Iowa and New Hampshire is the upcoming Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump, which will force Sanders, Warren and Klobuchar off the campaign trail, possibly giving an edge to Biden and Buttigieg.

Give Credit To Michael Bloomberg, Using His Fortune To Help Defeat Donald Trump, If He Does Not Win Democratic Presidential Nomination

Ronald 15 Comments

It is great news to hear that Democratic Presidential contender Michael Bloomberg has decided, that if he does not win the nomination, he will use part of his fortune to help defeat Donald Trump.

For any candidate, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, to decide to reject such support would be totally stupid, even with their commitment to wish to tax multi millionaires and billionaires, and to refuse corporate support.

This is not a time to “play games”, as the urgency is to remove the cancer of Donald Trump from the Presidency, with all of the tremendous damage he has done in both domestic and foreign affairs, and also in his appointment of nearly 200 federal judges, that if added to further, will totally undermine all of the good work done by Presidents and Congresses in the 20th and early 21st centuries.

In fact, billionaire Tom Steyer should also agree to contribute massive amounts of his fortune, on a smaller scale than Bloomberg, to the Democratic effort to excise Trump from office, and hold him legally accountable as a private citizens for his sins and transgressions, which are massive in number and depth!

Only 3 Presidents Did Not Seek Reelection, And Only 5 Failed To Gain A Nomination To Run For Reelection

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A historical investigation of Presidential reelection efforts shows only three Presidents, who survived to the end of their term, chose not to attempt to run for reelection:

James K. Polk in 1848

James Buchanan in 1860

Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876.

Five Presidents who did not survive to run were:

William Henry Harrison, elected in 1840, dying in 1841.

Zachary Taylor, elected in 1848, dying in 1850.

James A. Garfield, elected in 1880, dying in 1881.

Warren G. Harding, elected in 1920, dying 1923.

John F. Kennedy, elected in 1960, dying in 1963.

Five Presidents wished to run for reelection, but failed to gain a nomination on any party line:

John Tyler in 1844

Millard Fillmore in 1852

Franklin Pierce in 1856

Andrew Johnson in 1868

Chester Alan Arthur in 1884

Two Presidents chose not to run after succeeding a President due to death, only having one full term:

Calvin Coolidge in 1928

Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968

A Day Of Presidential Statistics: Four Times With Six Living Presidents, and Six Times With No Living Predecessor President

Ronald 5 Comments

Some interesting Presidential Statistics on Presidents:

Specifically, the four times we have had six Presidents alive at the same time and also six times with no President alive other than that one serving? So here goes:

Six Presidents alive:

March 1861 to January 1862—Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln —320 days until death of Tyler.

January 1993 to April 1994—Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton—1 year 92 days until death of Nixon.

January 2001 to June 2004—Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush—3 years 137 days until death of Reagan.

January 2017 to November 2018—Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump—1 year 314 days until death of H. W. Bush.

Six living Presidents, no living predecessors:

April 1789 to March 1797—George Washington, no earlier President

December 1799 to March 1801—John Adams after death of Washington

July 1875 to March 1877—Ulysses S. Grant after death of Andrew Johnson

June 1908 to March 1909—Theodore Roosevelt after death of Grover Cleveland

January 1933 to March 1933—Herbert Hoover after death of Calvin Coolidge

January 1973 to August 1974—Richard Nixon after death of Lyndon B. Johnson

Ruth Bader Ginsburg And Jimmy Carter: Inspirations For All Decent People Who Care About What Is Best For America And The World!

Ronald 2 Comments

The news that Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has fully recovered from her fourth bout with cancer over 21 years–pancreas in 1999, colon in 2009, lung in 2018, and pancreas in 2020—is a moment to celebrate.

Ginsburg will be 87 on March 15, and Donald Trump would love to replace her on the Supreme Court with an extremist right wing choice, but Ginsburg is clearly not going anywhere, and will continue to be an inspiration for all decent people who care about what is best for America and the world!

Also, former President Jimmy Carter, now more than three months after his 95th birthday, an all time record for any President in longevity, has had many bouts with illness and injury, and is now more than four and a half years beyond diagnosis of brain and liver cancer, but in remission for four years. He also broke his hip and pelvis in 2019, but has recovered, and continues his good deeds that make his post Presidency the most creative and substantive we have ever seen.

America is blessed by the longevity of both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Jimmy Carter, and we can hope for both to be with us for many more years!

A Delicate Time, As Reaction Of Donald Trump To Attack On Two Military Bases In Iraq By Iran, Could Lead To Total War In Middle East

Ronald 20 Comments

Five days after the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by orders of Donald Trump, Iran has reacted by attacking two US bases in Iraq.

This could lead to total war in the Middle East, including Israel and Saudi Arabia leagued against Iran, but with Trump not getting unified support from usual allies, such as in NATO.

Trump could be responsible for World War 3, as likely, China and Russia and Turkey would be leagued against us and with Iran.

This evil man is disrupting the entire world, as he has in the United States, and he cannot leave office soon enough, but already, the damage he has done will reverberate for many years, likely for decades!

Iowa A “Free For All” One Month Out From Democratic Presidential Caucuses

Ronald 3 Comments

One month out from the Iowa Democratic Presidential Caucuses, and it is clear that a “Free For All” is developing, with any of five candidates seen as the potential first place finisher.

One poll shows a tie among Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg, but to think that next door Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar should be ignored is an unwise assumption, as she has just completed visiting all 99 counties in the Hawkeye State, and that could lead to a surprise as her stock seems to be rising.

Also, Elizabeth Warren cannot be dismissed, as she is a fighter, and really, anything could happen in Iowa.

At the same time, there is a growing feeling that Bernie Sanders could, in theory, win Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, all in February, and with his large financial base from ordinary citizens, he could be the Democratic Presidential nominee, if he does indeed sweep the first three states, as that could create momentum for Super Tuesday on March 3.

The Evangelical Michael Richards (Pence, Pompeo) Take Over American Foreign Policy

Ronald 19 Comments

It is now clear that Donald Trump’s Presidency has been hijacked by the two Michael Richards (Vice President Pence and Secretary of State and former CIA Head Pompeo).

It has been learned that they worked on Trump, convincing him to arrange for the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, and endangering the US position in the Middle East.

With the growing likelihood of war with Iran, the whole domestic and international scene is in disarray, because of the clear cut religious fanaticism of Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo, both dedicated evangelical Christians.

It shows the danger of evangelical influence on American politics has reached its peak, ironically under a President who had no real religious beliefs, except his belief in his own superiority.

And add Orthodox Jews and Israeli right wingers, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the mix, and we have the setting up of a “holy war” incited by religious fanatics in both Christianity and Judaism, against Muslim fanatics of the Shia minority, which wars against Sunni Muslims led by Saudi Arabia, which controls the holy sites of Mecca and Medina.

Fanatical religion has caused so many wars in human history, and is about to do so again, with two fanatical right wing religious freaks, both also part of the Republican TEA Party Movement a decade ago in Congress, in charge under non believer Donald Trump, who believes it will insure his reelection this November for a second term!