Rahm Emanuel

Imagine A Presidential Election Battle Without Any Previous Candidates In The Race!

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The thought has crossed this blogger’s mind what it would be like if for once, just once, no one who had previously competed for the Presidential nomination of either party, nor had been a Vice Presidential running mate, became involved in the upcoming Presidential Election campaign of 2016.

Think of who would be eliminated from consideration:

Democrats (8)–Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Jerry Brown, John Kerry, Howard Dean, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich

Republicans (11)–Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, John Kasich

Who would be left to compete?

Democrats (13)–Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand, Andrew Cuomo, Martin O’Malley, Mark Warner, Corey Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Jay Nixon, John Hickenlooper, Brian Schweitzer, Deval Patrick, Rahm Emanuel

Republicans (13)–Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Peter King, Mike Pence, Rob Portman, Scott Walker, Brian Sandoval, Susana Martinez, Nikki Haley

One can wonder who would be competitive for the Presidential nominations, and who would galvanize support among the population and go on to be the nominees of the two major political parties!

We would have a true “donnybrook” situation, with anyone having the potential to be the nominees, “catch fire”, and go on to be the 45th President of the United States!

If this author was to venture an educated guess, one would come to the following conclusions:

Democrats–The major battle would be among Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Martin O’Malley and Mark Warner.

Republicans–The major battle would be among Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Mike Pence and Rob Portman.

The final battle would be between Warren and O’Malley for the Democratic nomination, and between Marco Rubio and Mike Pence for the Republican nomination.

The two finalists would be Martin O’Malley and Marco Rubio, with O’Malley being the winner and the 45th President of the United States!

This is due to the reality of the Electoral College, which strongly favors the Democrats to win the White House in 2016 and beyond, as the Northeast, New England, Upper Midwest, and Pacific Coast are strongly “Blue”, and most of the “swing states” are favored to go “Blue” as well, including Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Virginia, Ohio, and Iowa.

Florida and North Carolina would be more difficult for the Democrats, particularly if Rubio is the GOP nominee, but the electoral vote would still be heavily Democratic, even without those two states!

Top Three American Cities Now Have Jewish Mayors, A First, But Will New York City Elect Anthony Weiner To Succeed Michael Bloomberg In November?

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For the first time in American history, the top three cities in America will have Jewish Mayors.

We already had Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago, and now we have Mayor Elect Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, who has a Jewish mother, and a fafher of Spanish, Italian, and Indigenous heritage, which is why his name does not sound Jewish! Garcetti will also be the youngest Mayor of Los Angeles, at age 42, in the past century.

However, Bloomberg is finishing up his third and last term, and the only Jewish candidate who could succeed him in the Mayoralty is former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who was forced to resign over his exposure of x rated pictures on the internet two years ago.

Weiner is attempting a comeback, and has $5 million in his bank account, plus name recognition, although a lot of it might be seen as negative, because of the sex scandal which brought him to resignation.

Is there redemption for Weiner, as there was for former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who won back the former Congressional seat he held before he was Governor, and in the wake of his pursuit of a lover in Argentina, while married and having three sons?

It is hard to know at this point, as New York City can be a forgiving place, and has already as an announced candidate the Speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, a woman who is a declared lesbian and is married to her partner: and Bill De Blasio, the NYC Public Advocate, whose wife is African American, while De Blasio is white.

Certainly, there are some who would not like someone involved in a sex scandal; or a married lesbian; or a white guy married to a black woman! So there is plenty of room for outrage by people of different stripes, who do not like any or all of these situations.

But this is modern America, and NYC represents a microcosm of that America, and the issues of sex, sexual preference, and race will play out and, likely, elect one of these three individuals as the next Mayor of NYC, and if Weiner wins, again, we will have the top three cities in America with Jewish Mayors!

What An Inspiring, Emotional Night At The Democratic National Convention!

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It was hard not to be emotional about the speeches at the Democratic National Convention this evening.

There were so many good speeches, that it is hard to rank them, as they all hit home!

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro all did a magnificent job in their speeches!

Many of the above can be seen as potential future rivals for the Presidency in 2016 or beyond, with particular attention given to Booker, Castro, and O’Malley. There is a lot of “fresh blood” in the Democratic Party to follow Barack Obama, along with the “Establishment” figures, including Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden!

And First Lady Michelle Obama gave the best public speech ever delivered by a First Lady, including Hillary Clinton, and she made us all proud, that we are fortunate to have such a talented, brilliant First Lady available to help her husband when he needs advice, counsel, or just a friendly pat on the back or a hug, in difficult times!

The Presentation Of Future Democratic Presidential Possibilities At The Democratic National Convention

Ronald 2 Comments

Tonight, as the Democratic National Convention opens in Charlotte, North Carolina, we are seeing the presentation of future Presidential possibilities, giving them a chance to be noticed and judged by political observers and fellow Democrats.

Among those speaking are Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker; San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro, who is giving the keynote address; and Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.

Also speaking are former Florida Congressman Robert Wexler; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; Independent Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, a former Republican; Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former Chief of Staff to President Obama; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick; Lilly Ledbetter, the woman who is mentioned as the name on the Equal Pay Act for women; the brother of Michelle Obama and the sister of President Obama; and finally, the distinguished First Lady herself!

It will be an exciting evening for Democrats, and Independents alike!

Conservatives Question Why Mitt Romney Refuses To Release Tax Returns: What Does He Have To Hide?

Ronald 3 Comments

Mitt Romney is rapidly destroying any chance that he will be elected President by his refusal to release multiple years of his tax returns, which has become a common expectation for Presidential candidates.

It is not just Democrats or liberals and progressives who are demanding such information be provided, but also conservatives who hint that Romney MUST have something to hide!

This includes conservative pundits George Will and Bill Kristol; former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour; Alabama Governor Robert Bentley; former Republican National Chairman Michael Steele; and Republican strategist Michael Dowd.

Dowd called what Romney is doing as simple arrogance, a word that keeps on describing Romney, who seems to feel that he is “entitled” to tax breaks for a racing horse, and loves to brag that he has paid everything in taxes he has to, and not one penny more, as if it would be unpatriotic to avoid manipulating the tax law with accountants, as rich people tend to do with relish!

As Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former top adviser to Barack Obama said, the fact that John McCain saw 23 years of Romney tax returns and financial information, and chose to select Sarah Palin instead in 2008, is testimony as to time bombs ticking in his campaign, whether he ultimately releases the tax returns or not!

Two Landmarks Reached By American Politicians! Mayor Richard M. Daley and Senator Barbara Mikulski!

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As the year 2010 nears an end, two landmarks have been reached by political officeholders.

Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago has just passed the longevity in office of his father, Richard J. Daley, who served as Mayor from 1955-1976. Son Daley will be in office a few more months until his successor, likely Rahm Emanuel, former Congressman and Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, wins the election in February to succeed the retiring younger Daley.

Also, Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski is surpassing the record for longevity in office of the longest serving woman Senator, Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, who served 24 years in the upper body from 1948-1972, and since Mikulski has just been re-elected to a fifth six year term, she will be adding to the record daily.

Congratulations are in order for Mayor Daley and Senator Mikulski, both of whom have had a major impact on their city and the Senate, respectively!

Vice President Joe Biden On Way To Becoming Most Influential Vice Presidency In History! :)

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The Vice Presidency has been growing in authority and influence since the days of Richard Nixon in that office, the first Vice President to have a great impact on a Presidency.

After Nixon, Nelson Rockefeller, Walter Mondale, George H W Bush, Al Gore, and Dick Cheney added to the office in so many ways.

But it looks likely now that Joe Biden may eventually be seen as the most influential and powerful Vice President, even surpassing the role of Dick Cheney under President George W. Bush.

Originally a rival of Barack Obama for the Presidency, Biden is rapidly becoming more significant, particularly now that the Congress will be divided for the first time since 1987.

Biden, with his contacts on Capitol Hill, and good relations with members and leaders of both political parties, is the perfect person to negotiate for the administration, and comes across as a more “affable fellow” than Rahm Emanuel was, or really, any other person around President Obama.

Biden has been involved in the negotiations over the tax package, and also is working hard on the START Treaty that is soon coming up for a vote, and requires GOP support to pass with a two thirds vote.

Biden and Obama have truly bonded over time, and while Biden might not win every battle, as with Afghanistan policy, who can say that Obama will not eventually go Biden’s direction and lower our involvement in that forsaken nation?

Biden is totally loyal to Obama and a great team player, and he is proving to be a tremendous asset in so many ways.

And his big plus is everyone likes Joe, while many detested Dick Cheney.

Personality can get one far in politics, and Joe Biden has always been a “nice guy” who can get things done, and proves that it is not always true that “nice guys finish last”.

Turnover At The White House And In Congress: What Does It Mean?

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As we come close to the midterm elections next month, the Obama White House is rapidly changing personnel, with the departure of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (running to be Mayor of Chicago) being the most fundamental sign of change coming!

With much of the economic team leaving, and the expected departure next year of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and National Security Adviser James Jones, the President must figure out who he will call upon to replace many of his top team!

Obama must also decide what kind of relationship he will have with the Congress, particularly if the Republicans win control. But of course, a lot of it will have to do with how Republican leadership decides to treat him!

IF the Republicans decide to play “hardball” and issue subpoenas to investigate everything about the administration’s personnel and policies, then there will be partisan warfare and total stalemate and gridlock! 🙁

If the Republicans decide to promote repeal of administration policies, the President will fight, and has the ability to stop much of the negative actions with his veto!

If, on the other hand, the decision is to co-exist in many areas, then it is possible to have progress on the deficit, on social security reform, and on appropriate actions on terrorism!

If the Republicans become too obstructive, it could backfire on them, and lead to them losing control of either house of Congress in 2012, and help Obama win his re-election campaign, similar to Harry Truman in 1948 and Bill Clinton in 1996!

Of course, the level of success of the Tea Party Movement will have a major effect on the Republican party’s reaction to the administration over the next two years! So the potential takeover of the party by this right wing extremist movement could actually doom the party’s reputation and ability to succeed in power over the long run!

Whatever happens, the next two years will be very interesting and challenging, and will have a long range effect on the ability of the country to deal with its numerous domestic and foreign policy challenges!

Should Barack Obama Be Emotional, Or Be “Mr. Spock”?

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It is ironic that Barack Obama is being criticized by many for being unemotional in public, more like a “Mr. Spock” character, as in STAR TREK!

What is wrong with that? Do we really want a President who is raging fury, is crying in public, is losing his temper, using foul language, maybe even being physical as he “blows his stack”?

Have we forgotten Richard Nixon losing his temper, Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine “crying” when he was running for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 1972, Senator John McCain infamous for a furious temper and using foul language, and other examples of politicians acting inappropriately in public in the past?

Don’t we really want a President who is stable, secure, confident, and intelligent enough to come across as an “egghead”, an intellectual who gives dignity to the office, and has ability to act like a true leader should be–meaning NOT one of us, but better in statesmanship and human relations than the average person, who would be a horror as President of the United States!

Another factor to consider is IF President Obama was an “angry black man”, that would only terrify those who already fear the idea of the “angry black man”, particularly those white racists who see Obama as unacceptable, and privately are furious that an African American President can actually possess dignity and class, something that goes against their warped stereotype! 🙁

In other words, Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is fine for his position, but his well known temper, anger, and foul language would NOT be appropriate behavior for the Presidency.

So, President Obama, stay exactly the way you come across, as you are a credit to the dignity of the office of the Presidency! 🙂

The Hypocrisy Of Sarah Palin: Double Standard For Rahm Emanuel And Rush Limbaugh

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Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor and 2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee, rightfully criticized White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel for using the word “retarded” in reference to liberal Democrats who were speaking out against President Obama. She pointed out that it was a terrible thing to use that term when there are so many people with disabilities, including her baby son, who are wronged by such loose use of that term.

However, the fact that talk show host Rush Limbaugh went ahead and used the same term over and over again, was ignored, as Palin called on President Obama to fire Emanuel. This is stunning hypocrisy, as if it is important to make an issue of this matter, then it should apply equally to all who use it in public life, and particularly someone who utilizes the term over the public airwaves. Rahm Emanuel said what he uttered in private, a major difference over someone who has a radio audience of millions of people.

Is this surprising? Unfortunately, in the case of Sarah Palin, the answer is no. She uses every opportunity to play politics in a disgraceful manner. And although one cannot be sure of the veracity of the source, if one chooses to believe her ex almost son in law, Levi Johnston, she apparently used the term “retard” about her own son! Again, it cannot be verified for certain, but it does seem to fit her character, which is one of having no ambition except to advance and enrich herself!

Sarah Palin remains an embarrassment to John McCain, even if he is unwilling to repudiate or criticize her. The fact that she is still, more than a year after the election of 2008, a national figure of interest, is due solely to the fact that John McCain made an absolutely horrible choice for a running mate who could have been a heartbeat away from the Presidency, without any qualifications at all for the office!