Author: Ronald

Major Moment: Joe Biden Confronts Voter Who Challenges His Age And His Son Hunter Biden

Ronald 8 Comments

Yesterday was a major moment in the Presidential campaign of 2020, with Joe Biden confronting an Iowa voter who challenged his age and his son, Hunter Biden.

Biden answered in a very appropriate manner, and gave this blogger renewed confidence in his candidacy, after many doubts earlier.

Biden has gone through the worst tragedy anyone could experience, the loss of a son, Beau Biden, which clearly put him into a period of depression, and Biden has known what tragedy is, with the loss in 1972 of his first wife and their daughter in an auto accident, in which both Biden sons, Beau and Hunter, were seriously injured.

Joe has been a survivor, but has also shown his humanity and compassion as a result of these tragedies in his life, including his aneurysm that nearly killed him in 1988, requiring brain surgery.

One could wish that Joe was younger, but in comparison to Bernie Sanders and Michael Bloomberg, both around the same age, with Bernie 14 months older and Bloomberg nine months older, this author would still prefer Joe in the White House.

Joe needs not to defend his son Hunter, as when one looks at the careers of Donald Trump’s sons and daughter, and how they have used their father’s name and reputation to benefit themselves, there is no need for Joe to defend his son.

As far as the concern with Joe’s age, as with the other two future octogenarians, it would still be preferable to have a younger nominee, such as Pete Buttigieg, but at this point, while this author likes Pete, it will ultimately be up to the voters in the next few months as to whether youth is preferred over age and experience.

Any concerns about Joe’s ability to perform against Trump now seems laid to rest after the way he handled this Iowa voter.

And as far as what if something happens to Joe in the White House, it could not be worse than with Donald Trump, and the same basic concern is there for Sanders, who suffered a mild heart attack, and Bloomberg, as no one can guarantee health.

That makes, however, the smart choice of a Vice President ever more urgent, no matter who the Democratic nominee is in 2020!

Bribery, Abuse Of Power, Obstruction Of Justice, Defiance Of Congress All Impeachment Appropriate Charges Against Donald Trump, Along With Violation Of Emoluments Clause In The Constitution

Ronald 1 Comment

The view of this author and blogger, especially after watching the four constitutional law professors today in the House Judiciary Committee hearing, is that Donald Trump should be brought up on impeachment charges on five counts.

Bribery or Attempted Bribery involving the President of Ukraine to do Trump’s bidding, and interfere in the Presidential campaign of 2020.

Abuse of Power, shown in innumerable circumstances and cases.

Obstruction of Justice, regularly utilized.

Defiance of Congress, including refusal to allow testimony by executive branch officials.

Violation since Day One of Trump’s Presidency of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, barring any profit while serving as President.

So there should be five counts, with only one needed as enough to impeach, but with all justification, the case against Donald Trump is many times stronger than that against Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, and at least triple what it was against Richard Nixon,

Kamala Harris Withdrawal From Presidential Race Changes The Equation

Ronald 1 Comment

It was surprising that California Senator Kamala Harris withdrew from the Democratic Presidential competition yesterday, something no one could have predicted would happen so early.

Senator Harris said that money took her out of the race, as she is not a billionaire, and that brings up the issue of the absolute necessity to do something to prevent the future political scene only being based on personal wealth, as with Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer, who should not have the ability to compete simply based on their personal wealth.

The need for a turnover of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision of 2010, and the passage of another equivalent McCain-Feingold Act is urgent.

For right now, Harris’s withdrawal changes the equation, giving potential new life to New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and former San Antonio Mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, as otherwise, there will be no diversity to the Democratic debates coming on December 19 in Los Angeles, plus the future debates in the early months of 2020.

And the question also arises as to where Harris staff will gravitate, with the possibility of them going to South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg or Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, as the most likely campaigns that may gain such support.

Donald Trump Declares War On The Poor, Sick, Disabled, Children, Elderly

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Donald Trump is increasing his cruel war on the poor and elderly, with intentions of cutting Food Stamps, and cutting regulations on nursing homes.

As the top one percent continue to accrue more wealth exponentially, Trump is making clear what his agenda is for the nation if he wins reelection.

Take food out of the mouths of poor people, including children and the sick and disabled, and allow nursing homes to mistreat the elderly, by providing no oversight as to conditions of health and safety!

What could be more obscene than that, but actually, just added to the long list of crimes and human rights violations of the Trump Administration. This includes the horrific separation of migrant children from their parents at the border, without any tracking of where the separated families are, and causing, therefore, likely permanent separation, even of infants from their mothers.

Trump should face trial in the Hague, Netherlands, for violation of basic human rights, as he has committed crimes against humanity, including his support of war criminals that he has given pardons to, against the advice of the military themselves!

South Carolina Primary: Why Do African Americans In That State Favor Joe Biden Over Kamala Harris And Cory Booker?

Ronald 5 Comments

One of the great mysteries of the 2020 Presidential campaign is the massive support in public opinion polls for Joe Biden in the South Carolina primary coming up in February.

Biden has a mixed record on race, considering that he opposed school busing in the 1970s, and was a cosponsor of a tough crime bill in 1994, which led to a large number of African Americans being incarcerated, some unjustly, by a very harsh piece of legislation.

It seems Biden’s support may be due more to the fact that he served as Vice President under President Barack Obama, and yet Obama has purposely not endorsed his former Vice President.

Right now, Joe Biden is not doing well in public opinion polls in Iowa or New Hampshire, so South Carolina, with its large African American population, may be his ultimate life line.

But the debate is why are not Senator Kamala Harris of California and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey doing well in South Carolina, as one would have thought?

And also, will the other African American candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, late in entering the Presidential race, perform any better than Harris or Booker?

Donald Trump Impeachment Trial Could Affect Democratic Presidential Contest,With So Many Senators Unable To Campaign During Trial

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The upcoming Donald Trump impeachment trial is likely to have an effect on the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

Since it is likely to be held in January, a month before the Iowa Caucuses, New Hampshire Primary, South Carolina Primary, and Nevada Caucuses, the six Senators (Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Michael Bennet) who are candidates for President will be unable to campaign, on days of the trial.

They are required to sit in their Senate seats and listen to the testimony, without speaking, and cannot choose to do otherwise, as it would be against protocol.

If it stretches through the whole month of February, they will not be able to campaign in the 14 states scheduled to vote on Super Tuesday, including California, Texas, Virginia, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee, among others.

That should help such candidates as Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Steve Bullock, Tulsi Gabbard, Tom Steyer, Michael Bloomberg, and Deval Patrick.

Whether the impeachment trial will ultimately change the dynamics long term of the race will be interesting to see if it evolves.

Kamala Harris, Julian Castro, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker: All These Candidates On Free Fall

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California Senator Kamala Harris, former San Antonio Mayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker are all in free fall as Presidential candidates.

Raising money, doing well in polls, and stirring media interest has been very difficult, and unless the situation changes drastically in the next two months, it could be some of these potential candidates may not survive to the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary, and certainly not beyond then.

Any of these candidates could still, theoretically, be in the running for becoming the Vice Presidential choice of the Presidential candidate, of course.

But it is reaching the time when the number of candidates needs to dwindle down dramatically, in order for the Democrats to have competitive candidates debate in a smaller group, and in a more serious in depth manner.

The Death Of Truth: Facts Are Facts, Despite Right Wing Attacks

Ronald 2 Comments

America is in a sad time, when we have extremist Right Wing Talk Radio, Right Wing websites, and Fox News Channel creating fiction as truth.

If left up to them, we would have the death of truth, but facts are facts, despite the right wing constant barrage of propaganda, worthy of a dictatorship, not a democracy.

Errors are made by the major news media, but most of the time, what they report is factual and accurate.

When someone says do not trust the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, and CNN, along with lesser sources of mostly accurate news, the response must be to act vehemently in the face of those who wish to manipulate and lie and distort and divide America, and undermine its Constitution and Bill of Rights.

If not for the Washington Post and New York Times in particular, back in the era of Richard Nixon, Watergate would never have resulted in his resignation.

So hopefully, the readers of this blog are intelligent and educated enough to dismiss the right wing media, as pure propaganda and lies, and not to be trusted or believed.

Thanksgiving Day A Day To Be Thankful For In Many Ways

Ronald 1 Comment

Today is Thanksgiving Day, and we have a lot to be thankful for.

We are thankful that we have a democratic system of government, where there is accountability for one’s behavior in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

We have violations in our history much too often, but the Constitution and Bill of Rights have ability to be utilized to counteract such violations.

Thank goodness that the Democrats won the House of Representatives in 2018, and are putting Donald Trump’s feet to the fire, no matter what happens in the US Senate.

The Republican Party is sealing its long term doom if it continues to back the lawlessness and corruption of Donald Trump.

Donald Trump, no matter what happens in 2020, will have his historical reputation in tatters, as his lack of ethics, morality, common decency, and concern for those less fortunate, guarantee his condemnation in the long run of history.

While neither political party is ideal or perfect, the Democratic Party is triumphant in the long run of history for having concerned itself with the advancement of average Americans from FDR to LBJ to Barack Obama.

There is plenty of room for improvement, but the Republican Party of Lincoln, TR, and Ike is long gone, and the GOP stands condemned for its lack of concern for average Americans since the inauguration of Ronald Reagan onward.

The Battle For The Moderate Center Among Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg

Ronald 1 Comment

It is becoming clear that the battle for the Moderate Center in the Democratic Party looks as if it is down to Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Michael Bloomberg.

So two old guys who would hit 80 in their second year in office or a guy who would reach age 40 in his second year of office!

The trend seems toward Pete, who is gaining nationally, and in Iowa and New Hampshire, while Joe will probably not triumph until at least South Carolina, and Bloomberg is expecting his media advertising to insure he will do well on Super Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the women in the race, particularly Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris, have slipped, while Amy Klobuchar is gaining slightly, but still not a major factor at this point.

Of course, trying to predict what will happen in February and March in late November-early December is not reliable, but it is all part of the fun of watching a Presidential race!