Presidential Election Of 2016

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Cancer Crisis Raises Alarm For Supreme Court Future

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Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been on the Court for 27 years, and is a true icon with millions of fans and supporters of her brilliant liberal perspective on legal matters.

But now, at age 87, she has suffered again a bout with cancer, having survived colon cancer in 1999, pancreatic cancer in 2009, lung cancer in 2018, and pancreatic cancer again in 2019. Now, she is diagnosed with liver cancer, so this is her fifth bout with cancer.

Ginsburg has proved to be a tough lady, doing great sessions with exercise over the past generation, and recovering from conditions most would not have survived.

She is still able to do her job, and is determined to remain, but now, there is fear she might not be able to continue, and could, god forbid, die in office or be forced to resign this fall, giving Donald Trump another appointment to the Court, which would shift it to the far right, a true disaster.

Since Barack Obama was not allowed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party to replace Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, because it was an election year, by all rights, Trump should not be able to replace Ginsburg. Any appointment should be delayed to 2021. as it was delayed until 2017, when Neil Gorsuch took the Scalia seat, rather than Merrick Garland, the Barack Obama appointee to replace Scalia in 2016.

We must all pray that Ginsburg will, once again, fight and overcome this challenge, and remain on the Court until at least January 4, when the new Congress, hopefully with a Democratic Senate, begins, and the upcoming inauguration, hopefully, of Joe Biden to the Presidency, would occur on January 20, 2021.

Then, we will know that Ginsburg’s Court seat is safely in the hands of a liberal Justice, preserving the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg!

Joe Biden Should Seek To Win Strongly “Red” States, To Promote Democratic Strength, And Humiliate Donald Trump!

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There is a growing feeling of a Democratic “Tsunami” on the way on November 3, 2020, when the Presidential and Congressional Elections take place across the nation.

Indications are that Joe Biden is working hardest on convincing voters to support him in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the three “swing” states that Hillary Clinton lost by small margins.

If those three states switched from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, then the former Vice President would win the Electoral College.

But since there is no guarantee, it is important for Biden to work hard to win Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona as well, to allow for any slippage in the three states lost by Clinton by small numbers. So a lot of effort is going into winning those three states listed, as Biden is now comfortably ahead in all three, along with the other three.

If Joe Biden wins Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona it will be a massive victory, which is almost certain to insure that the Senate would go Democratic by more than the three minimum victories needed. And the House of Representatives would add to the Democratic margin gained in the midterm elections of 2018.

But the argument is why not also go for states that seem long shots–Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and Iowa, all of which would make Joe Biden a landslide winner by far?

And even further, why not try to win Kansas and Montana?

So if things go well, the Democrats could have the most massive victory for the Presidency since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, and could be a sign of a Democratic majority that would be long lasting!

The total humiliation of Donald Trump would be a wonderful event to witness!

Donald Trump Uses Independence Day To Promote A Culture War Rather Than Unite Us!

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President Donald Trump spent Independence Day promoting a culture war, rather than uniting us on our national patriotic holiday.

He demonstrated that promoting the retention of Confederate statues, monuments and symbols is more important than convincing Americans of the need to wear masks and promote public health and safety.

He applauds the law enforcement community and the military, while ignoring the horrible record of law enforcement toward racial minorities. He also claims that evidence of Russian payments to the Taliban in Afghanistan to kill American soldiers is a hoax, rather than stand up to Vladmir Putin as part of promoting national security and protection of Americans fighting overseas.

As with his Inaugural in 2017, Trump promotes darkness, pessimism, fear, conspiracy theories, and demonstrates his total lack of understanding of totalitarian leaders who undermine American democracy.

He does not even know what Fascism is, when he speaks about “left wing Fascism”, when any expert who is not a right wing extremist knows that Fascism refers to right wing totalitarianism, such as Benito Mussolini of Italy, Adolf Hitler of Germany, Juan Peron of Argentina, and Francisco Franco of Spain, among others. While all of them might at some point seemed to appeal to so called “Socialists”, all worked to undermine, persecute, and torture and kill those groups on the Left, all of which vehemently opposed them.

Donald Trump’s aim is only to divide and conquer, and to spread lies and deceit, including making his 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton out to be a monster, a crook, an extremely corrupt and tainted person, much like he is now attempting to portray Joe Biden as the same. And the reason for this is that both Clinton and Biden are connected to Barack Obama, which brings out the total, maniacal, and racist hatred of Trump for his predecessor.

Joe Biden Further Ahead In Polls For Early June Than Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, And John Kerry Were In Last Four Election Cycles

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We have all learned from history that public opinion polls are not always accurate, but it is impressive, at least for now, that Joe Biden is ahead of Donald Trump in all public opinion polls in early June, further ahead of Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton in 2016, Barack Obama in 2012 and 2008, and John Kerry in 2004 against their opponents.

It is clearly not a reason for those who support Joe Biden to become cocky, and even lazy about campaigning for him, and for encouraging others to vote in November.

But considering the first five months of 2020, with the impeachment trial; the CoronaVirust Pandemic; the collapse of the economy to depression levels; and the Trump decision to fire tear gas, pepper spray, and have two helicopters threaten peaceful demonstrators in Washington, DC, who were protesting the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, one has to believe that the polls likely are accurate against Donald Trump.

Trump’s New Attack Line In Desperation: “Obamagate”

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Donald Trump has spent his entire life attacking others, and lying incessantly, and now he is desperate, as he is behind in every national poll imaginable, including Fox News Channel polls.

So now, he is coming up with a new strategy, called “Obamagate”, a play on the Watergate Scandal under Richard Nixon.

Trump is claiming, without any valid evidence, that his candidacy was damaged by a plot of Barack Obama, and adding in his Vice President Joe Biden, who is now leading Trump in public opinion polls.

Never have we seen a President attack his predecessor so vehemently, and Trump is extremely jealous that Obama has a very high public opinion rating, and is rated number 12 in the CSpan poll of historians in 2017, and number 8 in the American Political Science Association poll in 2018, while Trump was rated two years ago as being in last place, number 44, under James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson!

This “Obamagate” farce will get nowhere, and Obama will continue to be rated high, while Trump will never escape the basement, as the worst President ever in our history!

The Potential Of Justin Amash To “Mess Up” The 2020 Presidential Election Is High

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Michigan Congressman Justin Amash, elected as a Tea Party Congressman in the Republican “wave” of 2010, went on to a ten year career, including heading the “Liberty Caucus” and being a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, an extreme right wing group that warred against Speaker John Boehner and his successor, Paul Ryan.

Amash went on to vote for the impeachment of Donald Trump in 2019, and to leave the Republican Party, and now he is an announced candidate for the Libertarian Party Presidential nomination.

Considering that Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party nominee received about 3.3 percent of the popular vote and 4.5 million votes in 2016, it is a concern whether Amash could perform at the same level in 2020, and whether it would harm Donald Trump or Joe Biden in the election.

Amash is complicated, as he supports the following that could bring over disaffected Democrats who wanted Bernie Sanders:

He voted against religious institutions being eligible for FEMA grants.

He supported gay marriage being left alone after the Supreme Court ruled in favor in 2015.

He has stated his opposition to political gerrymandering.

He voted against the reauthorization of the Patriot Act in 2011.

He voted against the Trump executive order banning migrating of people from seven majority Muslim nations.

He has stated his support of transgender American rights.

He has opposed building a Mexico Wall.

He has refused to support Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without agreement that there have been abuses that need to be addressed, while believing in the basic mission of ICE.

He has opposed US support of Saudi Arabia in its war against Yemen.

He has voted against any war against Iran by executive decision, only if Congress agreed by majority vote of both houses of Congress.

And of course, he has been a consistent critic of Donald Trump from the beginning.

So, while Amash is a big Trump critic, he could get disaffected Democrats who are not thrilled with Joe Biden, to vote for him, and that could be a decisive factor in his home state of Michigan and other “swing’ states!

Six Months To The Presidential Election Of 2020: A First Assessment

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With six months and three days until the Presidential Election of 2020, it is time to make a first assessment of the upcoming election.

This author has just published an article on History News Network under my blog “Ronald L Feinman” stating that this upcoming election is the most important since 1940, and one of the five most significant elections in American history, along with 1860, 1864, 1932, and 1940.

Donald Trump is reported going totally off the rails on this, the 75th anniversary of the suicide of Adolf Hitler, and it gets one to think about what may yet happen, as Trump is falling behind Joe Biden in every imaginable poll nationally, and in the “swing” states, including the crucial state of Florida with its 29 electoral votes.

If Trump loses Florida, where many senior citizens retire and are dying in the midst of this CoronaVirus Pandemic, there is no practical way for him to win reelection.

With the pandemic which he is refusing to deal with rationally, only thinking about his election, and willing to endanger any crowd that might gather in Arizona or Ohio in coming weeks, and also wanting children back in school even if it undermines and threatens the lives of their parents and grandparents, Trump is clearly on the road to a massive defeat in November!

So, subject to change, here is my assessment of the upcoming election:

Joe Biden will win the 20 states that Hillary Clinton won:

All 6 New England states and add the second district of Maine, which went to Trump in 2016–33 electoral votes

Middle Atlantic States of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, plus Virginia–72 electoral votes

Midwest States of Illinois and Minnesota–30 electoral votes

Mountain States of New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada–20 electoral votes

Pacific Coast States of California, Oregon, Washington State, and Hawaii–78 electoral votes

So the “base”, adding the second district of Maine to the total, is 233 electoral votes of 270 needed.

Adding to that are the crucial states that Hillary Clinton lost in the Midwest—Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania (really considered more Northeast but also considered in western section as Midwest)—46

That brings the electoral vote total to 279, enough to win the Presidency for Joe Biden.

However, the trend is strongly in favor of other states turning “Blue”, with the Second Great Depression upon us, along with the CoronaVirus Pandemic, and the reality that Trump policies have alienated many groups:

Senior Citizens

Suburban Women

College Educated

Lower and Middle Income Voters

Racial Minorities (African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans)

Jews, Social Justice Catholics, Mainline Protestants

Young People Under 35

Independents

Moderate Republicans

Conservative Intellectuals

Of course, one is not saying that all of these groups will vote “Blue”, but it seems highly likely enough will vote that way and cause a smashing defeat for Donald Trump!

So what other states seem likely to go Democratic, in some cases, by small margins?

In order as follows:

Arizona–11 electoral votes

North Carolina–15 electoral votes

Florida–29 electoral votes

Nebraska–2nd Congressional District–1 electoral vote

Ohio–18 electoral votes

Georgia–16 electoral votes

Iowa–6 electoral votes

Montana–3 electoral votes

Kansas–6 electoral votes

Texas–38 electoral votes

So my estimate at this time, six months before the election, is a maximum of 32 states and DC for Biden and 18 for Trump, and 422 electoral votes to 116 for Trump.

The 116 electoral votes for Trump in 18 states would be:

West Virginia 5

Kentucky 8

South Carolina 9

Alabama 9

Mississippi 6

Louisiana 8

Arkansas 6

Tennessee 11

Missouri 10

Indiana 11

North Dakota 3

South Dakota 3

Nebraska 4 (not including 2nd District)

Oklahoma 7

Utah 6

Wyoming 3

Idaho 4

Alaska 3

But actually, Missouri (10) and Indiana (11) could, by earlier history, surprise, and also vote against Trump and support Biden by small margins, meaning there could be 34 states and a grand total of 443 to 95 in the Electoral College for the Democrats!

Remember that Indiana voted for Barack Obama in 2008, and Missouri was always with the winner since 1900, except in 1956, 2008 (both by small margins of about 4,000 votes) and 2012 when the margin was larger for the defeated candidate, Mitt Romney!

So the exact parameters of the Donald Trump defeat are not final, but this would seem to be the maximum, as another nearly 4 million Americans today filed for unemployment, a total of about 30 million, one out of five workers in the nation, approximately, which would mean a 20 percent unemployment rate, and growing.

If it goes over 25 percent in coming weeks, it will be worse than even the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the American people soundly defeated Herbert Hoover in 1932, and elected Franklin D. Roosevelt!

And realize that the average family size can be considered probably a family of four although there are many households of fewer than four, but if one considers that as a statistic, that means one out of three people directly are affected by unemployment, an astounding 33-35 percent rate, unimaginable and horrific!

The next President will have a challenge on the level of FDR and Abraham Lincoln!


As America Goes Into Panic Mode, Tonight Is The Joe Biden-Bernie Sanders Debate!

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As America goes into panic mode, with the totally disastrous handling of the CoronaVirus Crisis by Donald Trump, tonight is the Joe Biden-Bernie Sanders debate on CNN, the last real opportunity for Sanders to attempt to overcome Joe Biden’s lead that was gained in the past two weeks of primaries in 20 states, with Biden winning 15 of the 20 contests.

Already, there are indications that many Bernie Sanders supporters will refuse to back Joe Biden, as many refused to back Hillary Clinton in 2016, contributing to the disastrous Donald Trump Presidency this past three years.

Even without the extremist Bernie supporters who act like children, not adults, insisting on what they want despite the vote of those who engaged in the primaries, Joe Biden seems to have gained independent, moderate Republican, suburbanites, white working class men, women, African Americans, and Latino support that can overcome the prima donnas, who are ready to destroy the ship if they cannot get what they want!

It will be crucial that Joe Biden perform well tonight to overcome the propaganda that he is demented, when we have a dangerous demented and corrupt President.

It is crucial, however, that no matter whether Biden or Sanders end up as the Democratic nominee, that an exceptional Vice President is chosen, as it is likely that either of them might not be able to finish the next term, just as it is likely that even Trump, if reelected, might not last to the end of the term in January 2025.

So the real choice this time is the Democratic VP successor or Mike Pence, and that should be a no-brainer!

The Massive Appeal Of Joe Biden Is Apparent

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Former Vice President Joe Biden has demonstrated massive appeal in the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination.

He has shown ability to win states without having done any advertising, public appearances, or spent money on a organized campaign.

He is expected to move further ahead this Tuesday in six primaries, ranging from Michigan to Missouri to Washington State.

Meanwhile, former opponents have endorsed Biden over Bernie Sanders, who has been unable to draw young voters to the polls in the numbers that were expected, and who has done less well in 2020 than 2016 in states that have already had their primaries.

The handwriting clearly seems on the wall, that Sanders is highly unlikely to become the Democratic Presidential nominee, unless he does a miraculous reversal of fortunes similar to what Joe Biden did in the past week.

Tonight’s South Carolina Democratic Presidential Debate A Turning Point

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It is clear that Tuesday night’s CBS South Carolina Democratic Presidential debate is a turning point, as Senator Bernie Sanders will have the tremendous advantage if he wins the South Carolina Primary this Saturday.

Sanders is self destructing, however, with his inability to stop praising Cuba under Fidel Castro, and the Chinese government of President Xi Jinping, ignoring their violations of human rights, while improving education and health care.

Sanders seems totally deaf to warnings that he must repudiate his past extreme leftist views on Nicaragua and the Soviet Union in the 1980s, as that is a guarantee to cause the loss of Florida at the least, and likely cause the industrial Midwest and the Southwest to run away from his candidacy, if he is the Democratic nominee for President.

How Sanders could win states that Hillary Clinton lost by small margins, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, is impossible to conceive.

Also, any hope of winning Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina, and come within striking distance of Texas, would be totally gone with a Sanders Presidential candidacy.

And Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada could be in danger, as well as New Hampshire and Virginia, all won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.

And this is without addressing the “democratic Socialism” label that Sanders embraces, and his unwillingness to fully explain how all of his ambitious programs, which sound great on paper, could possibly be achieved through Congressional action.

The importance of the federal judiciary and the Supreme Court is at stake, and the nation cannot afford more right wing judges and Justices if Donald Trump is reelected.

Hopefully, we will see moderates unite around one candidate to oppose Sanders after Super Tuesday next week, with the best bet now seeming to be Pete Buttigieg, unless Joe Biden has a major rehabilitation by voters in South Carolina and the 14 states of Super Tuesday.