America - Just 3 More Weeks, Then the Fun Really Starts

I have said it before and I will say it again, I have never seen a thing like this Presidential Election. I feel like all that acid I took in the 60s is causing flashbacks and that I have stumbled into some sort of alternate reality. That would be a comforting thought compared to the reality of what is happening.

We have story after story of Hillary and her crew acting in blatantly unethical, and frequently completely illegal fashion, and her lead in the polls keep growing. There is no need to enumerate her crimes. If you watch the news, you have heard the stories and if you have not, you have no business voting; just stay home and watch your favorite reality TV show.

On top of this, the woman had obvious medical issues and now, leaked emails from Leon Podesta, one of her chief campaign officers show him doubting her sanity. In one he said she sometimes does not seem to know what planet she is on.

And, you can top that with the stories coming out that several State Department officials did not want to work with her because of her temper problems. Yet, her lead grows.

We now have proof that her campaign sent bogus demonstrators to Trump's rallies to cause violent disruptions. And, still, her lead grows.

Donald Trump continues to be his own worst enemy. Time after time, he gets sidetracked by personal vendettas. All he had to do was stick to 2 issues, jobs and homeland security. That's all. Instead, he responds at great length to any and all attacks on his problems with women, his tax issues, his bankruptcies, and his problems with fellow Republicans. He could direct the conversation by simply not responding at length over these foibles, and shifting the conversation to issues.

I do not like Donald Trump. I find him only slightly less loathsome that Ms. Clinton.  But, I will vote for him, because I find his crimes somewhat less heinous. I will also vote for every Republican on the ballot, in hopes that they will stop her plans. Gridlock is much better that what she has in mind.

However, it is looking very possible that both the House and Senate will be Democratically controlled after this farce of an election. If so, God help us all. This used to be a great Nation.

The Debates, Part 2, or the Continuing Search for a Marginally Competent President

I really find politics terminally boring, but today I have to write about the debates again. This morning, I turned on the news, never a great idea, and was greeted with Donald Trump ranting about how strange this years elections are. He seemed amazed that Carson keeps claiming he once stabbed someone while authorities keep saying 'no, he didn't.' In other words, a Presidential candidate is being defensive about the commission of a felony. Normally, the commission of said felony would be the issue, but Ben is upset because others say he didn't do it. Let's be clear. The felonious act isn't the problem, the false claim of guilt is. This is totally upside down.

 

The even stranger thing is that 'The Donald' is acting as the voice of reason. Why is this buffoon even running? And how, in the name of all that is Holy, is he near the top of the polls. This is a man who is most famous for yelling 'you're fired' on his idiotic TV show. This supposed business genius has, here and there, gone bankrupt, yet we are to trust him with the management of the country. I can just imagine him in a high level conference with Vladimir Putin. Imagine the reaction when he screams, 'Vlad, you're a loser. You're fired.' Putin is not known for his sense of humor and Russia does still have a nuclear arsenal.

 

Then we have the rest of the pact. Jeb Bush has turned on his former protégé and dear friend Marco Rubio in hopes of grabbing enough points to save his failing campaign. Mike Huckabee is whining that he doesn't get enough time in the debates which is true and not surprising, given his miniscule poll numbers. Then we have Ted Cruze who seemingly is loathed by other politicians who are forced to work with him. He is polling fairly well, probably because voters remember his stirring reading of Green Eggs and Ham during a Senate Filibuster.

 

On the Democratic side, things are even stranger. Bernie Sanders is still polling well and still refuses to go after his opponent, leading me to believe that the American public just likes him because he looks like a kindly Grandpa. And in Ms. Clinton we have a candidate who quite possibly will have to campaign while occasionally making court appearances to defend herself against multiple felony charges.

 

People, there has to be a better way to pick the man or woman who will, at least in theory, be the most powerful person on Earth. Either that or we just admit the whole thing is a dog and pony show and that we are run by a few corporate heads. The latter is the truth but, we are a Nation that clings to past illusions like Linus clings to his security blanket in the old Peanuts comic strip. Oh well, at least I got that out of my system. Next time, I'll write about something of interest. I'll try to leave politics alone for a while. Promise.                                                                            

The Presidential Debates, or the Great American Follies

 We are currently being overwhelmed by political debates, or so we are told. Let us be clear about something. Two people, taking opposing sides, in a formal discussion of an issue, is a debate. What we are getting is a bulk rate press conference. Get a bunch of candidates, most of whom have less chance than Homer Simpson of being elected President, put them at the mercy of some network reporter, and let them have at it. That seems the plan.                                  

In such a format, there is no time for anyone to say anything of substance, not that anyone of the group was going to do that. All you wind up with is a bunch of sound bites and a lot of sniping and grandstanding. The moderator has little chance of maintaining control and they generally seem to have little interest in getting down to matters that really concern the potential voters. Instead, they pick up on small points that can be inflated into controversy and seem to goad the participants into getting down to personal attacks. No one comes out looking good and usually the person with the biggest mouth is considered the winner. Thus we have the specter of Donald Trump continuing his reality TV show in the White House. At least the show would be guaranteed a four year run.    

On the Democratic side, well, why are they even wasting their time? Does anyone in their right mind really believe that Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Socialist, can beat Hillary Clinton? The Democratic Party might well win the election if they just announced that since Hillary was a done deal, they were going to forego the debates. Maybe they could fill the time that has been allotted those debates still scheduled by agreeing to air episodes of the Flintstones. It would be a lot more entertaining and just as informative.                                                                      

The debates are not something that we have to have. The Constitution (does anyone still remember that document?) does not demand them and not every election has seen them. The first I remember was between Kennedy and Nixon and it was fascinating. Both men were knowledgeable. neither engaged in personal sniping, and important issues were discussed in some detail. Now we have twelve on a stage and not a one of them is able to present a coherent discussion of any issue. America, is this really the best we can do?