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Republican Presidential Candidates And The Outside World: Who Is Legitimate?

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In the midst of all the tumult and drama surrounding the Debt Ceiling Crisis, the lowering of the US credit rating by Standard and Poor’s, and the Stock Market gyrations this past week, it would seem as if only the economy matters to most Americans, an understandable viewpoint, but a dangerous one!

We must remember that the President of the United States is not just the leader of this country, but the number one world leader, and therefore, his or her credibility on an international scale really is significant and crucial!

So when one looks at the four finalists in the Republican Presidential contest, as the author earlier today assessed it, one must see the dramatic differences between the so called Establishment Republican Mormon candidates (Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman), and the Tea Party Republican evangelical Christian candidates (Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann).

Romney has the record of having operated the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, requiring diplomatic skills to make it the success it was.

Even more so, Huntsman has been the Ambassador to Singapore in the time of President George H. W. Bush, Deputy US Trade Representative under George W. Bush, and Ambassador to China under Barack Obama, therefore having tremendous foreign policy training and experience.

Rick Perry has NO foreign policy experience, and comes across as a bully type who would throw his weight around in foreign affairs with his swagger and arrogant manner, in a way that would make George W. Bush, often called a “cowboy” in foreign affairs, look civil and diplomatic by comparison!

And Michele Bachmann also has ZERO foreign policy experience, and a loose, no holds barred way of speaking, that would totally antagonize the outside world!

Both Perry and Bachmann would be a danger in world affairs through their lack of experience and judgment, and with their Christian evangelical roots, would promote a war on Islam, that would make the nightmare of Iraq and Afghanistan in the past ten years look like a minor blip in international affairs! They would conduct themselves as Christian crusaders, something we do NOT need if there is to be peace and diplomacy with an outside world which Is not going to accept American imperialism and dominance!

So the foreign policy issue may seem minor now, but in a campaign of Barack Obama against either Perry or Bachmann, it would be a tremendously important issue, and a blessing to Obama!

With Huntsman in particular, and Romney lesser so, Obama would have more difficulty on this issue, as well as generally all matters, including the economic difficulties we now face.

So for Barack Obama, a dream fulfilled would be Perry or Bachmann as his opponent, while Huntsman or Romney could be his greatest nightmare!

The Transportation Infrastructure Crisis In America’s Future

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The United States became the nation it is today because of the development of transportation infrastructure, highlighted by the transcontinental railroad system in the middle and late 19th century, and the interstate highway system of the middle and late 20th century, along with the growth of cities and mass transit.

Now, a century and more later, with growing population and the aging of the infrastructure, there is a dire need for renovation and rehabilitation of our transportation network, but the cost will be substantial, and the trend is toward delay and avoidance of the responsibility of our government at all levels to deal with the essential rebuilding and expansion of our transportation network.

With the Republicans in control in the House, it seems as if there will be major cuts in spending on infrastructure, estimated to be a one third cut on interstate highways and mass transit, and attempting to end federal support of the Amtrak train system in the Northeastern United States.

It is estimated by experts that $1 trillion needs to be spent on maintenance and growing demand with increased population, and this does not include the estimated $2 trillion necessary to rebuild roads, bridges, water lines, sewage systems, and dams that have reached the normal level of longevity. These estimates do not even include the cost of air transportation investments for the long term future.

The US is way behind investment in the area of infrastructure, as compared to Russia, China, India, and Brazil, and the economic competition of the future will be shaped by decisions made now, often in a short sighted momentary way, to our tremendous need for investment in large amounts.

Are we again to wait until there is a literal short term crisis to react to the reality of what needs to be done? Is the answer just to patch up with band aids, rather than to face the responsibility of dealing with the future now, rather than later, when it will be more expensive?

The reality is that lack of action will cause state and local governments to raise sales and property taxes to deal with what the federal government has reneged on, and it will also lead to more privatization of services, which will also cause much higher taxation down the road, no pun intended!

There is an old saying that applies here: “Penny wise, Pound foolish”!

Mormon Vs. Mormon: The Real Battle For The Republican Presidential Nomination of 2012!

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This morning, at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, former Utah Governor and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman announced his candidacy for President, and made it clear he wanted to mount a high level campaign without personal attacks, but just arguing that he can do a better job than his former boss, President Barack Obama. He plans to focus on New Hampshire and Florida as the way to gain an early lead in the race against Mitt Romney, his major rival.

Huntsman begins his campaign with many assets: good looks, good speaker, nice family, outstanding record and popularity in Utah when he was Governor of the state, knowledgeable in Mandarin Chinese, great experience in foreign policy in Asia in his role as Ambassador to China and Singapore as well as being a missionary in Taiwan, business background in his billionaire father’s chemical business, and image of being a moderate in a field of extremely conservative opponents except for Mitt Romney, a fellow Mormon.

Huntsman’s negatives are that in a right wing party he is a moderate by comparison; is also seen as very much a clone of Mitt Romney, but with less public exposure; he is, like Romney, a Mormon; and he worked for President Obama, and now wants to criticize him in a gentlemanly manner after having raved about his leadership, and the fact that he worked for Obama is seen by many as a reason to reject him.

It seems to the author with Huntsman recently repudiating the Obama Health Care reform, the Economic Stimulus of 2009, stating his opposition to abortion, and asserting he supports the privatization of Medicare proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan, all points that upset the author and led to his statement a few weeks ago denouncing Huntsman’s changes of heart, that he has lost credibility.

And yet, Huntsman could very well bend on these statements, as all politicians do, and is still saying he believes in climate change and global warming, and supports civil unions for gays.

In other words, Huntsman is not preferable to Barack Obama, but among all Republican candidates, he offers the best hope for someone who will be, if elected, acceptable within the mainstream, but with a critical eye on his evolving views.

It is said that Barack Obama is most concerned about Huntsman, and it is clear that Mitt Romney is also very concerned about Huntsman.

Face the facts: Huntsman has the backing of “Establishment” Republicans led by the Bush family, and by implication, Senator John McCain, and Romney is seen as unacceptable to them.

So Huntsman has some major advantages, including in addition, being almost a generation younger then Romney (13 years) and being “newer” as compared to Romney who ran and lost the nomination in 2008, and gained the enmity of both John McCain and Mike Huckabee, his major rivals.

So, the contest may well be Mormon Vs. Mormon, unless the evangelical Christians are able to stop both dead in their tracks, to the detriment of the Republican Party!

Ron Paul Wins Straw Poll At Republican Leadership Conference In New Orleans, But Guess Who Placed Second?

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Texas Congressman Ron Paul, a favorite of the libertarians in the Republican Party, scored a major triumph at the weekend Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, by winning the straw poll conducted by the group.

Of course, that does not translate into realistic support for the nomination of his party, which overwhelmingly disagrees with much of what he advocates.

But more interesting is the fact that former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, recently Barack Obama’s Ambassador to China, who did not attend the conference and is an unannounced candidate for President until early in this upcoming week, ended up a solid second in the polling!

Huntsman seems to be the favorite of the so called “establishment” wing of the party, and had a recent meeting with President George H. W. Bush, who seems to be impressed with Huntsman.

So although still not well known, it becomes more apparent that Huntsman is seen now as the major competitor to front runner Mitt Romney for the Presidential nomination, a thought that has been expressed by the author numerous times!

Ignorance Of American History Pervasive Among American Students! But The Same In World Civilizations and Science!

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A new national study demonstrates what has long been known: America’s students are terribly ignorant and clueless about American history–its personalities, principles, accomplishments, and failures! This was demonstrated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, called America’s Report Card.

22 percent of fourth graders, 18 percent of eighth graders, and 13 percent of high school seniors showed real understanding of the concepts and the important facts and principles of our nation’s historical tradition.

But it is not just American history, but also understanding of world civilizations and foreign lands that is a problem.

Also, the knowledge of science is abysmal, with many students having no understanding of the physical and biological sciences, with religion having a greater hold and acceptance than the realities of science, so that there are millions of young Americans who have no understanding of evolution or the natural sciences and climate change.

Very small percentages go into the sciences or engineering or technology fields, forcing American companies to recruit students from India, China and elsewhere to fill their needs for trained scientists.

With the emphasis on basic reading, writing, and math skills, but without very good returns even on those subjects, America’s children are being cheated out of what is MOST important: a broad General Knowledge base by the time they have left high school in America!

Jimmy Carter, North Korea, And Food As Issue Of Human Rights!

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Former President Jimmy Carter hast just returned from a visit to North Korea, which is suffering from a famine considered one of the greatest of modern times.

Carter reports that people are eating tree bark, grass, and leaves because of tremendous shortages of food, causing mass loss of life.

North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong Il, has refused to cooperate with the six party talks attempting to negotiate an end of his nuclear threat to his neighbors. These nations include the US, Russia, China, South Korea, and Japan.

As a result, the Obama Administration is refusing to ship food stuffs to North Korea, despite the massive famine conditions that exist there.

Carter is criticizing that decision, stating that politics should not be connected to food supply availability, and that this action is a violation of human rights.

This is a very interesting viewpoint, and it gives one food for thought, no pun intended.

Should a nation use the weapon of basic human needs as a way to push a nation which has its people suffering, but has a recalcitrant government?

The tendency of the author is to agree with Carter, that the United States should immediately make food stuffs available, and stop making it a political issue. The people of North Korea are victims already of a terrible government, but the world should not abandon them and allow mass loss of life if they can have some input to prevent that!

The “Dark Horse” To Watch In The GOP Presidential Race: Jon Huntsman Of Utah!

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Anyone who is paying attention to the GOP Presidential race knows that there is great dissatisfaction with the field of candidates.

Either they are highly controversial and divisive figures such as Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Donald Trump.

Or else they are such long shots that are “unknowns” such as Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, and Buddy Roemer.

Or they are candidates who have been around before, and are seen by many as uninspiring, including Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee.

Or they are newcomers who are seen as having potential, such as Tim Pawlenty and Jon Huntsman.

There is also Ron Paul, who excites the libertarian wing of the party, but has no chance to be the nominee.

And then, there are those who imagine that Chris Christie, the “bully” Governor of New Jersey, somehow can translate his tough guy image to the national scene.

In reality, other than Mitt Romney, who has many issues to deal with, but is seen by many as the best candidate, it is, as the author has said many times, Pawlenty and Huntsman who are the best alternatives, but in many ways, Huntsman is much more interesting.

Former Ambassador to China under President Obama, and former Governor of Utah, where he came across as a moderate, Huntsman is much more charismatic than Pawlenty. He is very handsome, dynamic, has the experience in China which makes him appear strong on foreign policy, and could be much more appealing in a two man race against Obama than any other candidate. He is truly the ultimate “dark horse” in the race, and this weekend, he is in South Carolina delivering the commencement address at the University of South Carolina. He is said to be ready to enter the race next month, and seems to many the most interesting person in the race.

Being a moderate on most issues, a Mormon like Romney is, and having worked for Obama in China, are all negatives to many, but don’t bet against him surviving a long way in the Presidential race and keeping it interesting!

Watch Jon Huntsman and read up on him, as he should be a major factor in the political race for 2012!

Three Internal Struggles Within The Republican Presidential Race: Business Experience, Mormonism, And Being From Minnesota!

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The upcoming Republican Presidential race has three potential major conflicts.

The first is between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and real estate mogul Donald Trump, over the issue of business experience, both having it, but Trump declaring that his business background is far superior to that of Romney. Additionally, Trump is bragging about his greater financial assets, as compared to Romney, but no one should feel sorry for the size of Romney’s fortune!

Secondly, Romney and former Utah Governor and Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman both are Mormons, which could make an interesting race on that issue, but could actually hurt both of them with evangelical Christians, who see Mormons as part of a cult, and not Christian!

Thirdly, former Governor Tim Pawlenty and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann both come from Minnesota, and that could create a major complication for Pawlenty, as more excitement centers around Bachmann as a rabble rouser in the party establishment and among Tea Party Movement people!

In the long run, the more serious candidates are probably Romney and Pawlenty, so the problems of Trump, Huntsman, and Bachmann make their quest for the GOP nomination all that much more difficult!

The Donald Trump Phenomenon: It Can Only Hurt The Republican Party And Help The Democrats!

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Real estate mogul Donald Trump is on a tear, exploiting the “Birther” conspiracy theory about Barack Obama, and he has now surged in some polls to a lead in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2012.

Despite his multiple business bankruptcies, his three marriages, and his tendency to “shoot from the hip” with ridiculous and reckless statements and assertions over many years, Trump is suddenly taking all of the oxygen out of the air in the Republican Party.

Trump is becoming more ridiculous and even stupid as he marches on, now claiming, much like Congressman Ben Quayle of Arizona, son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, did in his campaign for Congress last year, that President Obama is the absolutely worst President in American history!

For Trump to make such a claim, and say Obama has now surpassed former President Jimmy Carter as the worst President ever, shows his absolute ignorance, as if he had studied history, he would well know that there is a long list of Presidents, mostly before and after Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency, that are FAR worse than either Carter or Obama! In fact, in the first estimate of Obama a year ago, he was rated in the top fifteen of the Presidents, while Carter was rated above at least twelve Presidents, putting him in the second tier of three rankings of the Presidents! And Carter seems certain to move up over time, not down to the bottom five or ten, as some like to state, which shows their total lack of knowledge and understanding of the history of the Presidency!

Also, when Trump was asked how many members there are of the House Of Representatives, he was annoyed and refused to answer, a sign that he did not know, putting him in the same camp as being stupid and ignorant as Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, and Rick Santorum, all of whom have shown they have no clue about any facts or details of our nation’s history!

Why should Donald Trump be expected to know anything other than how to make money, fire people on his television show, and look for constant publicity, since, after all, he inherited his wealth, and has never known what it is to be an ordinary American, who has to worry constantly about staying above water economically?

Rather than study and know the issues, Donald Trump would rather talk about telling China off, seizing Iraq oil revenues, and create constant controversy with his loose mouth?

And get this: Trump is now threatening that if he does not win the GOP nomination for President, he might run as an Independent in the 2012 election, and that with spending up to $600 million of his own money, that he could win the White House! In other words, he would buy the job, much like Rick Scott did in Florida”s Governorship race!

But the difference is that the Electoral College, often much maligned, prevents such a possibility, and NEVER has and NEVER will an Independent be able to win the White House! Ross Perot spent $62 million of his fortune, received 19 percent of the vote, but won no electoral votes in 1992! And Theodore Roosevelt, the much beloved former President, ran as a Progressive in 1912, and won only six states and 27 percent of the votes, and 88 electoral votes, an all time high, but nowhere near winning the Presidency! And this was not just anyone, but rather Teddy Roosevelt!

So stay ignorant and stupid, Donald, and spend your money on your own ego, help the economy in so doing, get your publicity and attention that you constantly need, destroy the Republican Party which is doing a good job by itself in doing so by flirting with the Tea Party, and help Barack Obama, supposedly the worst President ever, to win reelection and continue his great leadership of the nation for another four years!

Donald Trump And The Presidency: How Can His Behavior Be Explained?

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Real estate mogul Donald Trump has always been a showboat, always looking for attention, whether good or bad!

Here is a man who is a billionaire, has had his own television show for 10 years, has had three beautiful wives, four wonderful children, and has had public renown for his entire adult life!

But he also is a person who has obviously poor family values, with two divorces; and has been bankrupt several times!

So one wonders how is he to seen as a potential President, with his low moral values and poor business record?

And how is he to be seen seriously, when he has no tact, no diplomatic skill, and seems to think that if he is President, he can just tell China and other nations to behave, and that they will just bend to his attacks? More likely, he could cause international crises if he acts belligerently in public discourse, and the last thing we need is to become engaged in wars because of loose mouths!

And how can anyone take Trump seriously when he has decided to pursue the “Birther” myth about Barack Obama, when in his heart of hearts, he KNOWS that the whole concept is ridiculous, and that President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii!

Trump has lost all credibility by his big mouth toward China and his stupid claims about Obama, and yet he is arrogant enough to think that IF he spends up to $600 million of his own fortune, that somehow he can be elected President!

And the fact that in new polls, Trump ends up second behind Mitt Romney, and ahead of Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and others, is more due to his public celebrity and his constant need to draw attention to himself, even if he sounds totally ridiculous!

The best advice for Donald Trump is the following: Forgo the Presidential race, and spend the $600 million helping the poor, the sick, and the needy in this country!

Also, work on making sure your third marriage survives, and that your business dealings work out properly so there are no more bankrupcies on your part, so that you don’t evade responsibility for your financial dealings yet another time!

And also, Donald, speak to a psychologist and a psychiatrist regarding your constant need for attention, as it has gone way beyond the norm for someone who has had such a charmed life as you have had!