Red State/Blue State

If someone waking from a deep freeze just saw that tape where Trump was bragging off the record about the way he treated women, grabbing them by the crotch because they "let you do it", it would seem that so many red flags are raised that they would immediately conclude it as disqualifying for any candidate for higher office. It goes without saying that women are not objects, or something lesser to be grabbed and treated as toys or groped simply because someone believes themselves immune from the rules of polite society, an ethical code of conduct or common human decency. It was obvious that Trump couldn't handle even the small amount of power that is bestowed on a Hollywood TV Reality star. Why would anyone think that this person could handle the immense power and pressure that the highest office in the land entails? That does say something about the voters. Voters didn't vote simply for change, they voted for the strong man who didn't just fall to the top...

In school, there was a class called P.A.D. It stood for Problems in American Democracy,   and this was supposed to be a newer version of the old Civics classes given to high school students. There are several problems to be sure in our 21st century version of democracy. One major problem is the media. The problem lies with the role of the media in elections and also in the role of the free press in questioning our leaders and elected officials. With history as a guide, we see the problems that arose in the lead-up to the Iraq war. History has been repeating itself with this 2016 election. If you recall the excitement after 9/11, when the media couldn't hide their delight in becoming"embeds" in the military invasion of Iraq, this was problematic at the time. I remember watching the BBC to get some type of rational coverage and perhaps some questioning over why we were invading this country. But if the networks see a ratings boom, they don't question the whys or ...

The following is a list of Pro's & Con's from a moderate leaning Democrat who didn't vote for Trump. The purpose of this blog is to be able to state opinions that are contrary to the norm. Even within the Democratic Party base and platform, there's plenty to criticize. And friends on the Right also concede that their party leaders have not been honest or scrupulously geared towards doing what is right for the American People at all times. Their own petty party interests have too often intervened on both sides of the aisle. And now we have been gifted with a President Donald Trump. It's not a scenario I would have envisioned to solve the many massive problems that we face in our American Democracy. But there it is. We are saddled with Trump for four years. Here's a short list of the Pro's & Con's from the viewpoint of the loyal opposition: The Pro's Some of Trump's Policies are ones that Dems agree with- Infrastructure...

This is looking more like a hostile takeover of the government than anything else at this stage. And with Trump's total disregard for the press, for protocol or for "PC" behavior, this is going to be treated as a takeover of the Government process. And to many, that would be a good thing. There's always a double-edged sword to anything that is radical or considered a disrupter or agent of change. In this case, we have the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Trump. The Good: He's not a traditional conservative. His daughter is a registered Democrat. These things may bode will for possible bi-partisan cooperation that hasn't' been seen in a long time in Washington. Trump wants to do a massive Infrastructure spending bill  that should help promote growth and stimulate the economy to create jobs. Obama had requested this and was shot down by GOP Lawmakers who didn't want to give him any win that would help his legacy, even if it meant screwing the Ameri...

…And now for something completely different. We are now seeing the complete amnesia that comes over the press and the Congress from time to time. They happened to conveniently forget that George W Bush was the last Republican President, and kept invoking Ronald Reagan. And then they forgot that eight years ago, the economy was on the brink of collapse. They forgot that Bill Clinton left office in 2000 with a huge surplus that was turned into a deficit. And they forgot that Al Gore did indeed win the Popular Vote in 2000. Another fact that will be glossed over in the annals of GOP and Trump world. Hillary will win the Popular vote by perhaps a million votes over Trump. Yet she will not serve as President. So off we go. Meaning that the media will blithely and bravely follow this guy off the bridge and we must not let the normalization of Donald Trump continue. He must be called into account for a) The 12 + women who have charged him with sexual misconduct; b) The Trump Universi...

The Dems are getting ready to do a true autopsy to discover why things went so wrong. One minute, they were sitting on top of the world, poised to take the White House as well as the Senate and other key races across the country. Now, they are in the wilderness, struggling and leaderless and alone. Well, the party has a lot of soul searching and there's much to be said about getting a more cohesive message, marketing it to all the people, and holding our leaders accountable. But to be honest, the Democrats had a lot of help this cycle to get them out the door. The media played their part well. They don't like Hillary, and it showed. Most of the commentators began their interviews with, "Why is Hillary so unlikeable? and "Why can't she put this e-mail scandal behind her?" It's one of those - When did you stop beating your wife- kind of conundrums that played out for the entire election season. And then there were the foreign players, the Wikileaks...

Well we heard a lot about the angry white voters. But when you saw the Hillary supporters, they looked like they were walking on air. And after the shock has worn off, it's fair to say that now everyone is pissed. The angry white voters are still angry, and will be angrier still when they find out that the guy they voted for is a big wind bag full of hot air who is likely to implode at any time. But now, the other half of the country is equally angry. They feel the system is rigged. The FBI interfered in the Election, and the federal government did nothing to stop it. The KGB and Russian operatives worked for Trump and nobody lifted a finger or barely said a word of outrage because it helped the GOP. And now the right wing machine controls everything. The Revolution that Bernie talked of, in some ways a metaphorical one, seemed to be perhaps inevitable, but avoidable in the short term. Now it's not looking that way. The media reports this is the sixth/seventh/eighth….day...

This one hurts. It’s been hurting and I predict it will for a long time In 2000,  I lived through Bush v. Gore, and almost lost some friends over that one. Then Bush started two wars, and I was so devastated when Kerry conceded in 2004, I spontaneously burst into tears. It hurt, but the feeling that the country had let me down was a deep and pervasive emotion that underscored the pain. Then, there was Obama and Hope and Change. We thought perhaps the country had reached a turning point. That after Obama, there was no way it could even be a CLOSE decision to elect a misogynistic, known serial predator and a lying, bullying narcissist like Donald J. Trump. Yet here we are. It’s a feeling of disbelief each day like waking to a bad dream. The Media has fallen in line, like the lemmings they are, as they follow the GOP sheep who are being herded into the false normalcy of Trump-mania. But the good news is that the loyal opposition doesn’t have to fall in line. We can call out...

We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater after this election. Those who haven't done so, please go to HillaryClinton.com and find out what kind of programs the Democratic Party and Progressives have been pushing for the past twenty or thirty years. There is an amazing array of 21st Century ideas to choose from going forward. Having said that, we are well aware that there has been a Tsunami and the shake up from the ground level up has been severe in Democratic Leadership circles. But as we well know, the grass roots are the most vital places to begin as we move forward. And here's where we go Bold . But don't make the mistake of dropping the core values and key policy plans that Clinton and others worked decades to build. We know that Donald Trump was a marketing expert. He has little other expertise other than a propensity to get his name in front of the media and a good ear for telling people what they want to hear. Hence, you can fool most of the people s...

Here is something that I've noticed. The fact is, most of the Hillary supporters were very upbeat and happy before the Election. And the mood for most Trump voters has always been some kind of perpetual gloom and doom attitude towards everything. They walk around perpetually convinced that Armageddon is near. Well, now that the Apocalypse has occurred (at least in Blue America), we need to take a deep breath, take a few steps, and look at the Big Picture from 10,000 feet. 1. Trump has to deliver: On all those promises, both real and totally unrealistic that he made during the Election. And although I understand that he is not a "normal" candidate, and we have much to worry about, he now has to perform. And as Mario Cuomo said, " You campaign in poetry. But you govern in prose ". Meaning when it comes down to brass tacks, he must go back to the same old Republican Dogma that has made up the GOP for the past forty years. Tax cuts for the rich, trickle-dow...

Here's a look at what might have been. Hillary Clinton's website provided the clues to how she might govern if elected.  She and her campaign had envisioned a mass groundswell of support from the Obama Coalition, plus women's votes, minorities and working middle class voters, religious voters and even some Republicans who would make up this new Democratic Coalition. But it was not to be. Even though she did win the popular vote, as Al Gore did, she couldn't convince enough middle class blue-collar voters to join her ticket. The Media, along with the FBI, Voter Suppression provided by the GOP, and some outside help from Putin and the KGB did their part to help bring her down. But now we are left with the what-if scenario. If Hillary had been elected, this might have been possible. She talked and wrote about: * Wall Street Reform: With all the talk surrounding her e-mails and corporate coziness and paid speeches, Hillary had laid out a comprehensive plan to t...

What a week! What an Election Shocker! What a ride! Those who live in Red State America are either happy or angry, but still convinced that the outcome was fair and just and right. Those who live in Blue State America now see the dark and dangerous world that  Trump described. There is panic and fear and some who have taken to the streets. It's a bit premature for that, as Mr. Trump hasn't been sworn in yet! But the warning signs,  which include his rhetoric, his past behavior and his shady business practices don't bode well for the future of the Republic. This seems to be some kind of test of our strength as a nation to see if we can survive Donald J Trump. The Constitution, the right to assemble and to protest, free and fair elections and the optimistic view of most of the visionary leaders who must guide us in this Brave New World will all come into play. The problem with some of this is that we don't actually have free and fair elections. With the d...

And now for something completely different….The Revolution has begun. We've heard enough about the angry white voters who put Trump in. Now, there's another story to tell. Not only of the Bernie supporters and the minorities in this country, but the rest of the Democratic base that has seen dissatisfaction in the rank and file and a growing split in the party loyalty. If the left isn't united to face what is coming, and we know there is a storm coming that will hit like a Tsunami, then we will always be on the losing side. The message isn't simply about change. It's a message of hope and optimism that has been the story of America. It was Reagan's story. It was Obama's story. That was the message that we fought and the one we hoped would prevail. Hillary said, "He's shown us who he is, now we have to show the world who WE are." We did. We heard Hillary talk of Love trumping hate and being Stronger Together. And then there was Trump. T...

The man on top of the mountain did not fall there - Anonymous What historians will say:  My prediction would be that this was a turning point in American History. The division of America into Red States/Blue States was definitely felt as the new war between the states with this election.  It's a Change Election without Hope . Obama's Hope & Optimism  is still on display as he struggles to make it through this transition period. Our own friends and family differences are showing us to be more starkly divided as a nation than ever before. Trump's America is a dark and divisive one The Tea Party gave us the tea leaves for this changing American landscape. They showed us who they were, and now the time to act is at hand. One of the most interesting comments came from Mike Barnacle on Morning Joe…who noted that we are moving from the last vestiges of the Industrial Revolution, an age of mechanization and into the Technological Revolution.  ...

We are experiencing an exercise in Political Science. In that the message that was Bernie's and Trump's, that of middle-class America losing ground, living through the Great Recession, and the continuing Income Inequality, has somehow been lost in this closing chapter of the race. The Message has been buried in the Media. The media's culpability has lifted Trump, by giving him basically free air-time. The Experiment: Trump has no ground game. (Note: But the RNC Does!) Clinton & Women: The story seems to be buried that this would be the first Woman elected President. And if elected, then it would be women who bring her home… The Never-Trump Movement: has not gone away. These are not Democrats, they are loyal Republicans. The Violence and Racism that have come out of the wood-work and into the daylight from the Alt-Right of America. The Criminal Element: when you hear screams of "Lock her up" and other ugly messages from the Trump ralli...