Some quick thoughts on the 2024 race

 It’s been a long time since I last posted here, just a shade over 3 years in fact. But it’s a presidential year, and it’s shaping up to be historic in a lot of ways, so I thought I might weigh in on current events. So without further adieu, let’s wade right in:

1. Joe Biden did the right thing by dropping out. Anyone who has watched him closely over the last year or so could see he wasn’t well, if they’re honest. He clearly suffers from dementia. The question for me is, WHY did the people around him allow him to stand for re-election? He clearly wasn’t up to the stresses of a second term, and they should have told him so. Still, he showed himself to be a class act by doing what was best for the nation instead of stroking his own ego. Trump would NEVER have done that.

2. The Biden situation shows exactly why we need age limits on those running for elective office, both for members of Congress and for the presidency. Any politician aged 70 ans older should be required to pass a cognitive screen annually. No exceptions.

3. Kamala Harris just might win this race. I originally thought she was too unlivable. But I seriously underestimated the excitement she generated. Democrats are energized, and if they turn out in large numbers in November, it won’t even be close, since Democrats outnumber Republicans 2 to 1.

4. I love Harris’s selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Here’s a guy who is truly middle-class. He’s not a millionaire like so many in Congress.. He has a military background. He is unabashedly progressive, but he has successfully improved the lives of millions in his state through programs like providing free meals for school children and free college tuition. He has a history of being bipartisan. And perhaps best of all, he knows how to handle the media. Overall, a brilliant choice.

The election is now less than 100 days away, but with Biden’s exit and Harris’ ascension, I finally have real hope that Trump might actually lose and finally be relegated to the dustbin of history. Let’s hope so. This is a race that Democrats just can’t afford to lose.

The GOP is dead, and they have no one but themselves to blame

The GOP is officially dead. There, I said it. OK, so I know that people have been predicting the death of the Grand Old Party for decades, but this time, it's really true, and there's no coming back. 

   How can I be so certain? Well, yesterday, Feb. 13, 2021, The Senate voted to acquit former President Donald Trump AGAIN, this time on charges that he incited the deadly Jan. 6 riots through a speech he gave urging his supporters to "march to the Capitol" and to "fight like hell." But wait, Trump supporters say, how can Trump be responsible when there's proof that this insurrection was being planned BEFORE Jan. 6? To that, I say, Trump's incitement didn't BEGIN on Jan. 6, 2021, it climaxed on that date. 

The truth is, Trump has been priming the pump for just such an event for months, if not for years. He did it by urging supporters not to trust the mainstream media, not to believe what they saw with their own eyes, but only what HE said. He did it by convincing millions of Americans that November's election was illegitimate, that it was, in fact, stolen. And finally, he did it by urging his supporters to march on the Capitol and to "fight like hell, or we won't have a country anymore."

The evidence of Trump's guilt was overwhelming, both through his speech on Jan. 6, and in his own words over the past four years. The evidence was right in front of them, in black and white, as it were, and still they voted to acquit. Which brings me back to my original point: The GOP is officially dead. Why? Because Trump needed to be removed once and for all from the national stage. He needed to be barred from ever being able to hold public office again, and Republicans failed to do so. Through their negligence, they have now left him free to roam the backfield, and to work against them. And believe me, he will.

Who thinks that Trump won't find a way to go after the Republicans who both voted to impeach, then vote to convict him? Who thinks he won't try to start his own party where he can be center stage? The main attraction? If that happens, it will only harm Republicans' future electoral prospects. Trump won't be drawing voters away from Democrats, after all. He'll be drawing votes away from the Republican base. And if that happens, the GOP will be vastly weakened as a national force. It could be years, if not generations, before Republicans win another national election. Of course, this all could have been avoided if they had just voted to convict a man who was clearly guilty of the crime he was accused of. But they refused, more interested in saving face than in doing what was clearly the right thing. And so, here we are. 

Clearly, the best thing that could happen at this point is for one of the multiple cases pending against Trump to bear fruit. All it would take is ONE felony conviction, and Trump would be barred, not only from ever holding public office again, but from even having the right to vote. That might seem like a long shot to some, but clearly it is the best we can hope for, since congressional Republicans clearly lack the intestinal fortitude or the moral clarity to do the right thing, not only for their own party, but for the country as a whole.

GOP faces long road ahead in life after Trump

 It's now been four days since our long national nightmare came to an end with the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States. So far, there have been very few surprises. Biden has started doing exactly what he said he would do during his campaign. He's signed a national mask mandate requiring people to wear masks on federal property. He has halted the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the useless and ill-advised border wall. And he's rejoined he Paris Climate Accords, among other things. In short, he has moved swiftly to reverse some of the most egregious and dangerous decisions of the past administration. That's great news. What's even better news is that it finally feels as if this country is  back on the right track, as if there's an actual adult in charge and making decisions.

   With the Democrats firmly in control of both Congress and the White House, it raises an interesting question, though. Specificlly, what's next for the GOP? Can the Party of Lincoln now move past the stain of Trumpism and maintain its place as a viable national party? That, unfortunately, is yet to be seen.

   My best guess at this early juncture is that a long and nasty civil war is in store for the GOP. It could last for years, if not generations. On one side, you have the "establishment Republicans," folks like Mitt Romney and the late, great John McCain, who, while conservative, basically uphold the traditional Republican values of fiscal responsibility, smaller government and lower taxes. On the other, you have the firebrands, the diehard Trumpers. These include people like Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Jim Jordan of Ohio. These people are both amoral and vicious. They long ago sold their souls and whatever principles they might have once have held in the greedy pursuit of raw, unadulterated power. They are immune to both truth and facts. And they have shown absolutely no evidence that they are going to fade away quietly, even though Americans soundly rejected them and Trump in the 2020 election. That makes them extremely dangerous.

   So what happens now? In an ideal world, every one of Trump's allies in both the House and the Senate would be voted out in two years and sent home to face their constituents. Barring that, it seems appropriate to me to move to expel them from from their seats, then bar them from ever serving in government, or from benefitting from their connections by becoming lobbyists. These are the people, after all, who coddled Trump and supported his  incompetence for four years. Worse, they actively worked to overturn November's election results and the will of the people. And by refusing to convict Trump during his first impeachment last year, by leaving him in place to continue to wreak havoc,  they are, in no small part, at least somewhat responsible for the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. In my mind, because of their willingness to collude with a madman, they have lost the right to continue to serve in their positions of power and influence.

   A much more likely scenario, I think, is that Trump's supporters will eventually be driven out of the party by the establishment Republicans. If that doesn't happen, then they will leave and start their own party. There's already talk of a new Patriots Party, or perhaps a MAGA Party spearheaded by Trump himself. Can they succeed in this scenario? Maybe. After all, they already have a built in base of 74 million hapless, gullible Americans who were willing to support Trump in 2020. That's impressive, no matter which way you lean politically. But then, have we ever really had a successful third party, one that really lasted? We've certainly had attempts, including the Bull Moose Party in the early 1900s founded by the extremely popular former president Teddy Roosevelt. More recently, we had the Reform Party founded by eccentric billionaire Ross Perot after he drew 19 percent of the vote in the 1992 election, the best ever for a third party candidate. Both of these insurgent parties, coincidentally, lasted one, maybe two, election cycles at most, before they imploded due to in-fighting, or to their founders bowing out and returning to civilian life. 

   Both the Bull Moose Party and the Reform Party were built on the strong personalities and popularity of their founders. Once they weren't there to hold things together, their parties fell apart. And that's the problem with the current third party scenario. Trumpism isn't built on any real, definable principles. Trumpers, after all, HAVE no real principles to fall back on. Instead, Trumpism is built on the strong personality and enduring popularity of Donald Trump, at least among his base. It is, for all intents and purposes, a cult of personality. Once Trump tires of the hard work needed to build and maintain his party and his movement, I don't see him sticking around. And what happens then? Where does that leave his base? His most ardent supporters? I'll tell you where. Out of the mainstream and in the political wilderness.

   It's possible for the GOP to survive Trump, of course. But to do so is going to take a heartfelt apology to the American people for supporting Trump and his incompetence for four years. It's going to take some real soul-searching, a purging (or at least marginalization) of its most extreme voices, and a recommitment to the core principles that made the party great to begin with. Can they do that? Are they willing to do the hard work necessary to rebuild out of the wreckage left by Trump? At this point, only time will tell.

Some thoughts on the inauguration of Joe Biden

It was 12 years ago when I sat and watched the historic inauguration of Barack Obama, as he became the nation's first black president. I was excited then, as the historic nature of the day wasn't lost on me. On that day, this nation's possibilities seemed limitless. Today, for the first time since that historic inauguration, that sense of excitement, of endless possibility, returned. 

   No, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is no Barack Obama. He lacks the personal charisma that Obama carries so effortlessly. He's not exciting. He's not young. In fact, he's the oldest person ever to assume the office, at 78 years of age. What he is, though, is what this country desperately needs right now: a thoroughly decent man who is utterly sincere in his desire to heal this country and to put us back on the right track. He is, in effect, the "anti-Trump."

   Four years ago, I warned anyone who would listen that Trump would be a disaster as president. It gives me no great satisfaction to have been proven correct. The truth is, Trump will go down in history as the single worst president we've ever had. Worse, even, than Richard Nixon, who was caught up in the Watergate scandal, and who was forced to resign in disgrace. Don't believe me that Trump is the worst ever? Think I'm just overreacting, or simply being a partisan "Never Trumper? Consider the evidence. In the last four years, Trump has:

1. Destroyed or severely damaged longstanding alliances that have been in place for decades

2. Undermined the public's confidence in our news media by introducing the term "fake news" into the public lexicon and declaring it "the enemy of the people." 

3. Further fractured an already divided nation by fostering, in fact encouraging, an "us vs. them" mentality.

4. Given shelter and encouragement to the dregs of our society, including white supremacists and neo-Nazis.

5. Badly bungled the response to the Covid-19 pandemic by downplaying its severity, ultimately resulting in 400,000 needless deaths.

6. Refused to concede defeat, and incited a riot among his followers in an effort to overturn the election results and thwart the will of the voters.

6. And perhaps, worst of all, completely destroyed the Republican Party by once and for all exposing its utter corruption and incompetence. It's hard to imagine where the GOP goes from here, or how it even begins to recover any semblance of the moral authority it once held. My sense is, that if the party is to survive, the Trump loyalists will have to be driven from the party, or they will have to simply form their own party. One thing is certain, though. The Republican Party cannot survive with Trump's supporters as part of their coalition.

   Biden faces a tough road ahead as he assumes the presidency, and it remains to be seen how much of his agenda he can accomplish, even with control of both houses of Congress. But you know what? That doesn't even really matter in the long run. The truth is, if Biden can bring this country together, if he can begin to heal some of the deep divisions that have scarred this country during he past four years, and if he can begin to restore some sense of calm, some sense of normalcy, then his presidency will ultimately be judged a success, no matter what else he accomplishes.

Future of GOP looks bleak with Trump in White House

What is the ultimate future of the GOP? That is a question that’s definitely worth considering, especially with Trump continuing to squat in the White House. Can the Republican Party, which has been a major force in American politics since the days of Abraham Lincoln, ultimately survive the Age of Trump? Sadly, I think the answer is “No.”

   Why take such a pessimistic view? After all, we’ve had “bad” Republicans before. Both Richard Nixon and George W. Bush spring immediately to mind. We’ve survived them. Heck, we even survived Nixon, who was shown to be complicit in a criminal coverup and one of the worst scandals in American history — Watergate. So why shouldn’t we, and by extension, the Republican Party, survive Trump?

   To begin with, Trump is different from any president we’ve ever had — and not in a good way. Never have we had a president who lies so egregiously and so frequently. There’s an old joke that goes, “How do you know when a politician is lying?” Answer: His mouth is moving. But with Trump, it’s no joke. It is literal truth. It seems that every time he opens his mouth, Trump lies. He simply can’t help himself. And Trump doesn’t just lie about big things. He lies about small things, too. Worse, he engages in total flights of fantasy, wild-eyed conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact, much less truth. This is the man, after all, who spent eight years questioning Barack Obama’s American citizenship and demanding to see his birth certificate. 

   Trump is also the most amoral president we’ve ever had. It’s not just that he is immoral. Heck, Bill Clinton was immoral. Trump simply has NO morals. Zero. Trump is the first person to occupy the White House in my memory who simply has no core beliefs at all. He simply spouts whatever moral platitudes that will make him popular, or that will further whatever twisted agenda he is trying to advance. He is, simply put, a con man.

   Trump is a racist and a misogynist. He is a malignant narcissist who is totally incapable of empathy. This is bad enough, and it makes him a vile, disgusting human being. But what makes it worse is that he has normalized these vile traits and galvanized the scum in our society who hold these beliefs, also.

   So why is the Republican Party ultimately doomed? Because they have, thus far, refused to do anything about the cancer who is Trump. In fact, they have done everything in their power to prop him up. They have, as a party, supported his vile views and his dangerous agenda. They have sold the soul of their party in the name of absolute power and laid bare the hypocrisy inherent in decades of moral pronouncements. How can Republicans come back from that? How can they reclaim their moral integrity and move the party back from the political fringes toward the middle, where the majority of Americans reside? Simply put, they can’t.
   The best hope the GOP has at this point is that the more moderate and thoughtful among their membership will be able to wrest control from the radicals who are now controlling the party. Firebrands like Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, former Congressman Trey Gowdy of South Carolina and yes, even Sen. Lindsey Graham, a close friend of the great John McCain, need to be drummed from the party, or at the very least marginalized so they don’t exercise quite so much influence. Until the adults in the room manage to reassert control and guide the party back toward the political mainstream, I don’t see the Republican Party being much more than a fringe party in future years, if it doesn’t just die altogether. That would truly be a tragedy.

As tempting as it might be, now not the time to impeac

Almost since the day he took office, there have been rumblings about impeaching Donald Trump. Of the 45 people who have occupied the White House since our nation’s founding, there is no one I can think of who deserves such a fate more. But now is not the time for such a drastic action, no matter how tempting it might be, or how satisfying.

   Let’s look at the case for impeachment: Donald Trump colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election. Now, to be fair, there are plenty of people who would argue that conclusion. And after a two year investigation, Robert Mueller, despite his best efforts, was unable to prove it conclusively. What we know, however, is that there were at least 10 questionable contacts between Trump’s surrogates and the Kremlin. We know that Russia offered dirt on Hillary Clinton to the Trump campaign, which his own son accepted gleefully. And we know that people around Trump lied about their contacts with Russia. Those people include his former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Paul Manfort, the chairman of Trump’s campaign. So question: If there was no collusion, why lie about those contacts? Food for thought.

   Apart from the collusion, we also have Trump’s illegal payments to porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up his affair with her. We have audio taped evidence that Trump not only knew about those payments, but that he authorized his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to make them. It could be argued that this was a personal matter, and that such things aren’t grounds for impeachment. But consider the fact that when former President Bill Clinton’s affair with intern Monica Lewinsky was uncovered in 1998, Republicans pushed ahead with impeachment. If an affair was grounds for impeachment then, what makes this any different? To see Republicans justifying this today when they  screamed about public morality then is simply hypocrisy at its worst.

   Another reason for impeachment? How about obstruction of justice? To be fair, in his report, Mueller said he could neither prove nor disprove obstruction. But again, consider the evidence. We know that Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey over the Mueller investigation. He has admitted this himself. We know that he asked Justice Department officials to drop the investigation into Michael Flynn’s lies to Congress. And my goodness, we know, through hundreds, if not thousands of Trump’s own tweets, that he did everything in his power to derail and discredit the Mueller investigation. If that’s not obstruction, what is?

   Finally, perhaps the best, and most urgent reason for impeachment, is Trump’s own blazing incompetence. It’s one thing to be inexperienced. Let’s be honest. Very few people are totally prepared to become the single most powerful person in the world, with all its awesome responsibilities. Most people compensate by surrounding themselves with “Washington insiders,” people with decades of experience in federal government. As bad as he was, even George W. Bush did this, and the nation survived. But not Trump. Not only will he not admit what he doesn’t know, but he has actively surrounded himself with people who not only want to dismantle the very departments they are supposed to lead (hello, Betsy DeVos), but who are as incompetent as he is. And the result, as expected, has been catastrophic.

   Clearly, impeachment is warranted in this case, but now is not the time for it. Why? Well, to begin with, because it has zero chance of succeeding. As long as Republicans control the Senate, there is no way they would vote to convict Trump. Not only would it embarrass their party, but let’s be honest. They are too morally compromised to ever do the right thing They have willfully ignored Trump’s crimes for the past two years. They have justified  and excused his complete lack of morals, despite spending decades casting themselves as the party of “traditional values.” And the refuse to admit that he is incompetent and a danger to the republic, despite a mountain of evidence. To convict Trump, they would have to admit that they were wrong all along, and there’s simply no way that would happen.

   Another reason for waiting on impeachment is that it would only further divide an already hopelessly divided nation. Consider what happened in 1998, during the Clinton impeachment debacle. Our country was humiliated as the leader of the free world was dragged through the mud, and our country with him. Our reputation on the world stage was tarnished, and it still hasn’t fully recovered, two decades later. 

   Now, consider the current political climate. We are hopelessly divided in the death spiral of an “us” vs. “them” mentality. Trump’s supporters are allergic to facts. No matter what you show them about Trump, they simply refuse to admit that he’s anything other than the savior of a nation. What do you think would happen if Trump were impeached, or worse, convicted and removed from office? There have been threats  of a civil war if Trump were to be removed from office. As far-fetched as that might sound, it’s not as far-fetched as we might think. Trump supporters are NOT reasonable people.
   Finally, perhaps the best reason for waiting is the very real possibility that it might backfire. Again, consider the Clinton impeachment. Republicans were so sure of themselves. Then, when they failed to convict Clinton, it actually had the opposite effect. Clinton actually became even MORE popular. Americans sided with him, and Republicans actually damaged their party and ended up losing the upcoming midterms. As incredible as it might sound, there’s a real possibility that the same thing could happen here. Trump’s supporters are already rabid. This would only serve to galvanize that support, and Trump might very well end up winning in 2020. That would serve no one’s best interest, especially not this country’s.
   I know Democrats are desperate to get rid of Trump. And who can blame them? It would be an indescribable pleasure to see him handcuffed and frog-marched out of the White House. But now is a time when discretion is the better part of valor. If we are willing to sit back and be patient, it is inevitable that Trump will trip himself up. And when he does, he will finally get the justice that is long overdue, the cancer will be excised from our government, and the country as a whole will be better off.

Catching up on the sorry state of things in America

It’s been almost two years since I last updated this blog. Have I somehow lost my passion for all things political? No. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Why has it been so long since I last posted here? Simple. Because I have found other avenues for expressing myself. Since Trump seized power two years ago, I have found countless “hidden” groups through social media filled with literally thousands of like-minded people. It’s these groups to which I have gravitated, and it has been  immensely satisfying.
   Still, I started this blog over a decade ago as an outlet for my thoughts and ideas. It has been a source of unspeakable joy, even if no one — or at least very few — people have read it. With that in mind, let me attempt to play “catch up” and give some thoughts on our current mess in Washington.
   To begin with, I hate to say it, but “I told y’all so.” I’ve been saying since Trump first came down the escalator in 2015 that he would be a disaster if he won. Now, over two years in, I’m sad to say that I’ve been proven correct. This gives me no joy.
   On Thursday, Attorney General Bill Barr finally released a redacted version of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s long-awaited report on Trump-Russian collusion during the 2016 presidential election. As expected, Trump and his syncophants are claiming total vindication, since Mueller found no cause to charge Trump (I will never refer to him as president) with a crime. The report also left the question of whether Trump obstructed justice unanswered, though he did specifically say that he couldn’t vindicate Trump on this question. Of course, Trump’s claims of vindication are completely untrue.
   Let’s take a look at what’s actually in the report. We know that Russia made a concerted effort to unduly influence the 2016 election. This has been proven conclusively. We also know that even if Mueller couldn’t find “smoking gun” evidenc of a conspiracy to collude, that there were at least 10 suspicious contacts between Trump’s inner circle — including Michael Flynn and his campaign chairman Paul Manafort — and the Kremlin. We also know that the Russians offered the campaign dirt on Hillary Clinton, which Donald Trump’s son enthusiastically accepted. This, of course, was the reason for the infamous Trump Tower meeting. Finally, we know through Trump’s own words and actions that he did everything in his power to discredit and derail the investigation. Now, maybe none of this rises to the legal standard of collusion. Maybe there’s no way that Trump’s actions meet the legal definition of obstruction. But there’s an old saying that “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” and it seems to me that there’s plenty of evidence that the institution of the presidency is not only smoking, it’s downright ablaze.
   Apart from the whole collusion mess, Trump has been a downright embarrassment. For the first time in our history, we have a someone squatting in the White House  who doesn’t read. We have an interloper who prefers to get his news from one source, and one source only — Fox News. This is a network which is less about honest reporting and more about being a propaganda machine for Trump and his minions within the Republican Party. And we have someone who would rather spend his days  watching the flattering coveratge of himself than actually governing.
   And what happens when he actually does attempt to govern? Well in the past two years, he has managed to insult and alienate every single one of our traditional allies. He has created a false “crisis” on our southern border and convinced a significant portion of the population that we are being overrun by criminal aliens — gang members, rapists and murderers. The truth? The vast majority of people attempting to come here are from impoverished Central American countries and are attempting to create a better life for themselves and their families. Earlier this year, he shut down the government in a fight over funding for a border wall that has zero chance of stemming the tide of people crossing our border illegally. Why? Because the vast majority of people coming to this country do so through legal ports of entry. The vast majority also come here legally initially and simply overstay their welcome. I don’t know a wall in existence that can stop that.
   Finally, and most damning, Trump has completely divided this nation. Where we once had honest policy disagreements, today, we are divided among “us” and “them.” Those who support Trump, and those who don’t. Instead of being able to have civilized policy discussions about what’s best for our country, we have descended into the gutter of “scorched earth” politics. Today, it’s all about victory at any cost and gaining and keeping power, country be damned. And who loses with all this infighting? Average Americans, that’s who.
   Let me be frank. Trump is a cancer that slowly killing the Republican Party. He has moved the party so far to the right that it’s going to be downright impossible for them ever to reclaim the middle ground. He has corrupted the party and made a mockery of  its long-held ideals. And he has forever exposed the hypocrisy inherent in its moral pronouncements and in its decades-long alliance with the Religious Right.
   It’s been said that Trump’s rise was the result of people being tired of “politics as usual.” It’s been theorized that his supporters WANTED him to go to Washington to blow things up. Well he has certainly done that, and we are all the poorer for it. The truth is, the sooner Trump is removed, the sooner the adults in the room reassert control, the better, and safer we, and the world will be.

We need world's help to fight N. Korea

    Sometimes, I really hate it when I'm right. Six months ago, when Donald Trump was inaugurated, I predicted that he would get us in a nuclear confrontation within six months. It took slightly longer, but it gives me no pleasure to report that this confrontation appears to be imminent.
   On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that North Korea has now developed a nuclear device small enough to be placed in a missile. Combine this alarming news with recent reports that North Korea has now developed a missile capable of striking the mainland of the United Sates, and everyone should be very, very nervous. True to form, Trump reacted like the school-yard bully he is and threatened to rain "fire and fury" down on North Korea. For its part, North Korea has threatened to strike Guam with a missile. A couple thoughts:
   This is a time when we need a thoughtful, measured response. Instead, we're stuck with a school-yard bully, a man-child with access to this nation's nuclear codes and no idea what he's doing. This is no time for the "cowboy diplomacy" made famous by George "Dubya" Bush. This is a time when we need to be leaning on our allies. The question is, how many allies do we really have left?
   One of the worst things Trump has done since taking power is to alienate many of our traditional allies. He's insulted them. He's failed to affirm that we stand with them (this one is specific to NATO). He's shown himself to be utterly ignorant of world affairs and our role in them. He has withdrawn us from some key treaties and wants to renegotiate some key trade agreements. He has, in effect, moved to isolate us from the rest of the world. So how can we now expect those allies to come to our defense when Trump has basically provoked this confrontation with North Korea with his thoughtless schoolyard taunts?
   Remember the fist Gulf War? That war was successful largely because we had the world on our side when confronting Saddam Hussein. After 9/11, we had the goodwill and support of the entire world. And while the younger Bush was reckless with his talk of being "with us or against us," even he knew how far he could push things. Even he managed to build a coalition, even if it wasn't as solid or as big as the one built by his father.
   Unfortunately, Trump knows no such boundaries. He honestly believes that we can win this battle through our military might alone. In his mind, we don't need the rest of the world. That is a very dangerous mindset. While it is true that we are the world's sole remaining superpower, it's also true that we can't win this battle alone. Our confrontation with North Korea will ultimately affect the rest of the world. And we need the world's help if we are to have any hope of containing this growing threat. We can only hope that Trump's ignorance and ham-handed foreign policy haven't made that impossible.

GOP has lost moral high ground on Trump

Recently, it's become apparent that many Republicans are beginning to have "buyer's remorse" when it comes to Donald Trump. They are beginning to realize too late that Trump is racist and incompetent, and that he really doesn't know what he's doing. Many now are beginning to seek safe political cover. To those people, I say, tough. You made your bed. Now, you have to lie in it and accept the consequaences of your inaction.
   Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is the latest in a growing number of Republicans who are beginning to speak out against Trump. Recently,  Flake penned an op-ed piece in Politico, in which he argued that the GOP is in denial about Trump. Add to that some recent actions in the Senate, including passing tough new sanctions against Russia (opposed by Trump), acting to make sure Trump doesn't fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the failure of Senate Republicans to repeal Obamacare, and it's clear that Republicans are starting to realize what a grave mistake they made in nominating Trump last summer. Good. Better late than never, I suppose. But the question remains: Where were these people six months ago? Where were they on Jan. 20, when we swore in the most incompetent president in American history?
   It's encouraging to see that Republicans are finally coming to their senses. Maybe they will finally give up their love affair with the extreme right and move back toward the political middle, where the majority of Americans reside. But let's be clear. Republicans have no right to claim any kind of moral high ground in all this. After all, you can't embrace a loudmouth, xenophobic racist like Trump and claim any kind of moral high ground. You can't knowingly embrace his blazing incompetence -- something that was blindingly obvious to anyone who was paying attention during the campaign -- then claim that you were duped or otherwise misled. Republicans knew exactly what they were getting in Trump. They simply didn't care. They were so determined to beat Hillary Clinton, so blinded by their hatred of her and her husband, that they were willing to make a deal with the devil (in a manner of speaking). And now, they are reaping what they have sown, and they're trying to protect themselves.
    Voters shouldn't let them get away with it. In 2018, they should sweep the Republicans out of power and return Congress to Democrratic control. Then, we should get serious about impeaching Trump for colluding with Russia and general incompetence and put our government back in the hands of competent adults. It's not too late to right the ship of state. We have a chance to put an end to this nightmare. The question is, do we have the will?
 

Trump's lack of accomplishments actually a good thing

Donald Trump has now been in the White House for a little more than six months, so it seems like a good time to look back and ask, what has he accomplished so far? If we're honest (and despite what his most ardent supporters claim), the answer is not very much.
   Trump claimed recently that he's signed more bills so far than any president in history. That's simply not true. Sure, he's signed a gaggle of executive orders repealing a bunch of Obama era regulations and restarting the XL pipeline, among other things. But let's take a look at the major promises he made on the campaign trail:
Health care: This is perhaps his biggest failing. Trump promised Americans that he would repeal President Obama's signature legislative achievement on his very first day in office. So far, that hasn't happened. In fact, not only have Republicans been unable to repeal Obamacare, it's become very clear that they have no real plan to replace it with, and that they never had a plan. It's become clear that they only used the issue to win votes and gain power. The problem is, once they achieved that goal, they had no idea what to do next. In the meantime, thank goodness, Obamacare survives.
The Wall: So far, this has failed to materialize. And despite the fact that the number of deportations has increased and DREAMers are now being deported, it's not even on the radar. There's been no discussion about funding. And there certainly has been no more discussion about Mexco paying for the wall. For right now, at least, it's a dead issue.
Muslim ban: This has met with only limited success. His first attempt was roundly rejected when it failed to take into account people who were here legally. He tried again, and this time, met with a very narrow definition of success. The ban was allowed to go into effect, but it is far from what he wanted, since it allows almost all manner of relatives to come into the country instead of the very narrow definition that he tried to implement originally. The overall impact is that very few people are actually kept out, and that's a good thing. And the existing ban still faces legal challenges.
Jobs: This was perhaps the one thing that put him over the top. And yet, it also has been proven to be all smoke and mirrors. Right before the election, it was announced that Trump had cut a deal with Carrier to keep jobs in Indianapolis. This was touted as evidence of Trump "going to bat" for the working class. Now, we know that very few jobs, if any, were actually saved. In fact, Carrier just announced that 600 people would soon be laid off in two waves. So how many jobs did he actually save? Consider also his answer for putting Americans back to work. Trump wants to put steep punitive tariffs on goods coming into this country. The idea is two-fold: keep foreign-made goods from flooding the market and encourage people to buy American. Sounds good, right? Except that our trading partners have already said that they would respond by placing steep punitive tariffs on American goods coming into their countries. Which would, of course, wreak havoc on our economy. Keep in mind also that China, who buys more American-made goods than anyone in the world, holds trillions of dollars in U.S. debt, and the folly of this move becomes apparent. If China is angered and decides to call in those markers, the U.S. economy would crater and would likely never recover. So how is this a good idea again?
   The truth is, Trump has accomplished very little in his first six months. And while that would normally be cause for concern, in this case, I say good. I hope it continues. Because the less he accomplishes, the safer we, and the world, are.

Trump supporters deserve our scorn, not sympathy

One almost has to feel sorry for Trunp supporters, and the GOP in general. Every day, it seems a new scanadal  surfaces that they have to defend, or there's fresh new evidence of  Trump's breathtaking incompetence. The latest evidence of this is seen   in recent reports that Trump's son, Don Jr., took a meeting with a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin because he thought she had information damaging to Hillary Clinton. This is just the latest in a growing mountain of evidence that Trump and his campaign did, in fact, collude with the Russians in trying to throw the election to Trump. Of course, even when faced with incontrovertible proof of collusion, the GOP continues  to deny that there's anything amiss. "There's nothing to see here,"  they continue to say. "This is all just made up poppycock in an attempt to damage the greatest president since Reagan. This is FAKE NEWS."
   In the first place, let's be clear. There's no such thing as "fake news," at least not in the sense that Trump is using it, Just because you don't like a story doesn't make it fake. Just because you don't agree with something you read doesn't make it fake, Facts are facts, And denying their existence just because you don't like them doesn't make them any less true. Now, granted. It must be hard to be a Trump supporter. Just the sheer number of scandals and missteps that need defending must be exhausting. It's almost enough to make you feel sorry for them, until you begin to take a closer look at Trump's (and the GOP's) agenda.
   Take the GOP's doomed effort to repeal and replace Obamacare. This may be the single meanest piece of legislation I"ve ever seen. Among other things, it would undo the gains of the last eight years in the number of people with access to health care. More than 20 million people would be knocked off the rolls, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It would once again allow insurance companies to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions. And perhaps, worst of all, it would allow insurance providers to charge older Americans (read, those who can least afford it) up to five times more than younger Americans. This shouldn't be called "repeal and replace." It should be
called what it is: "Repeal and restore" (as in restore the old, broken system we had before). Or better yet, "the Ebenezer Scrooge Act of 2017" (You know, as in, 'If there be poor people, then let them be about the business of dying and reduce the excess population.'"
   Or take the administration's controversial Muslim ban. Trump and his supporters are playing this off as a way to ensure national security. That's disingenuous, at best. Consider that one of the biggest sponsors of international terrorism -- Saudi Arabia -- isn't on the list. Or that Trump himself has called this a Muslim ban. Let's call this what this is: This is racist fear-mongering at its worst. And the worst part is, it does nothing to make us any safer. For those who defend it, it calls into question whether you are, in fact, racist, or whether you are just willfully ignorant.
   I think CNN commentator Van Jones hit the nail on the head Electikon Night when he observed that Trump's victory was a case of "whitelash," that it's a reaction against eight years of Obama -- the nation's first black president. This nation is changing, It's becoming more diverse. And there's a segment of the population that feels threatened by that. Trump's victory (if you can call it that, since he actually lost the popular vote by almost 3 million votes) is the last stand of a dying social order. Maybe it's understandable that people would be freaked out by this. After all, change is never easy, especially such a seismic shift. But no matter which way you slice it, there's no excuse for supporting such a hateful, ignorant man as Donald Trump, or for willfully spreading and maintaining that ignorance.

Trump trying to sabotage his own presidency

With Donald Trump in the White House, the ghosts of Watergate have come back to haunt a whole new generation. First, we saw Trump fire his FBI director. He didn't fire him because of some grave moral failing or because he broke the law. He didn't fire him because he was incompetent. No, he fired him because of his continuing investigation into Trump's treasonous ties with Russia. This was, of course, at first flatly denied by Vice President Mike Pence, but it was later confirmed by Trump himself. And it harkens back to "The Saturday Night Massacre" during the Watergate scandal, when Nixon fired the special prosecutor looking into the whole Watergate mess.
   That's just coincidence, you say? Well, consider this. Trump recently admitted in an interview that he might have taped conversations in the Oval Office. Again, Nixon did the same thing. In fact, those Nixon tapes became the crux of a legal battle which ultimately drove the final nail into the Nixon presidency's coffin. And now Trump is admitting doing the same thing? I'm sorry, but that's more than just coincidence.
   If I didn't know better, I"d almost say that Trump is doing everything he can to sabotage his own presidency. It's almost like he ran for president on a whim, or to satisfy his own, massive ego. He never planned on winning. Only people liked what he had to say. They ate it up, and suddenly, he found himself leading in the polls. Trump was too proud to bow out, so he kept going. And to everyone's shock, he actually won. Now, he actually has to do something. He actually has to govern, and he's in over his head.
 Now, any smart person would have admitted their error and resigned, turning government over to people who actually know something about government. But not Trump. Trump is too arrogant to ever admit that he doesn't know everything. So, unable to get out of his own web, he has set about trying to sabotage his own presidency, hoping that Congressional Republicans will do him the favor of putting him out of his misery
   Only they won't. Because Congressional Republicans are just as trapped as Trump himself. To impeach him, as he already so richly deserves, would be to admit that they made a mistake, that they threw their support behind the wrong guy. That shows a serious lack of judgment on the part of the GOP. And so, they will continue to slavishly support him, even as their party founders around them.
   The GOP survived Watergate in the 70s, and even came out stronger. But as many parallels as there are between our current mess and Watergate, there are also some key differences. Watergate was a simple matter of a president lying to cover up his own knowledge of a criminal act. That's bad enough. In Trump, we have a leader who is openly and gleefully incompetent. We have a leader who has no knowledge of this nation's Constitution and an open admiration for dictators. And we have a leader who has flirted with abandoning our nation's democratic principles in favor of a more authoritarian approach to governance. Trump is a cancer on the GOP. He is slowly strangling the life out of the party, and I predict that if we survive the next four years -- and that's a big if -- it will be a long time -- if ever -- before this country elects another Republican president

GOP will come to regret 'going nuclear'

Talk about your boneheaded political decisions. Last week, Republicans in the Senate pulled the trigger on the "nuclear option," changing Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster. And why did they exercise such an extreme option? To make it possible to confirm Donald Trump's first pick for the Supreme Court, Neal Gorsuch, with a simple majority vote, despite staunch Democratic opposition. The Republicans won this round. They got their guy. But one wonders if Senate leadership really sat down and thought this all the way through. Their victory is a hollow one, at best. Yes, they got their guy. But I believe they will come to regret "going nuclear" in the long term.
   The problem with "going nuclear" is that it has far-reaching and permanent implications. Right now, the GOP is assuming -- rather arrogantly, I think -- that they will ALWAYS have control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. History has shown this not to be the case. At some point, probably in the not-too-distant future the way things are going, Democrats will regain control of Congress and the White House. And what happens when they do? What happens the next time there's an opening on the Supreme Court and the Democrats nominate someone the GOP finds objectionable? By "going nuclear," the GOP will have eliminated its own ability to stop the nomination, or even to really mount a challenge. Talk about "cutting off your nose to spite your face." By ?going nuclear," r Republicans have, in effect, neutered the system of checks and balances that is designed to weed out unqualified or undeserving nominees. This isn't the way the system is supposed to work.
   And for whom did they take such a radical step? They did all this for Neal Gorsuch, a judge who is certainly qualified, but who is also undeserving of this lifetime appointment. We're talking about a judge who has routinely ruled against workers' interests in favor of big corporations. In his most famous case, he ruled against a trucker who was fired after choosing to save his own life instead of freezing to death. That not only shows a serious lack of good judgment, but a lack of basic human decency and compassion. Is this really someone we want sitting on the nation's highest court, possibly for decades?
   The decision to exercise the "nuclear option," in addition to being incredibly short-sighted, also exposes one of the key symptoms of what is wrong with our political systtem today -- the inability, or unwillingness, to compromise. Members of the Senate might have worked this out if they were willing to move off dead center and actually meet in the middle somewhere. They might have worked this out if they had take n their responsibility seriously and actually considered Gorsuch based strictly on his qualifications. But, no. Republicans were so anxious to "stick it" to Democrats and get their way that they "went nuclear" without considering the long-term implications of that action. There's no denying they won this round. But there's no doubt that they will ultimately come to regret taking such an ill-advised action.

Trump wants American dictatorship

It's been some time since I've updated this blog, and a lot has happened in the three-ring circus that is the Trump administration. Two things stick out to me, and I think bear comment.
   Several weeks ago, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer held a press "gaggle" instead of a formal press conference. This isn't, by itself, unusual. This is a fairly routine occurrence. What made this one unique, though, was the manner in which it was conducted. Instead of opening the event to the media at large, Trump's people handpicked the media outlets that were allowed to attend, with the idea that those lucky few would share the information with the rest of the unwashed masses in the mainstream media. Predictably, the lucky few that were allowed to attend were primarily made up of conservative news outlets and those who had been friendly to Trump and his ideas. This was wrong. In fact, it was downright unAmerican and should concern us all if we truly value our freedom.
   What Trump is trying to do, in his ham-handed, not-so-subtle way, is control the flow of information that gets out to the American people. I guess he figures if he can't control the torrent of negative information that's pouring out about his administration and its incompetence, he'll simply limit those who can have access to that information to those people and media outlets that agree with him.
   This whole thing smacks of Hitler and the Third Reich. What Trump is doing is engaging in straight up propaganda. It's no wonder that he's such an unabashed admirer of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Trump is doing his best to set up his own American dictatorship. Don't believe me? Well, consider the latest in what is already an impressive line of scandals in just his first six weeks.
   Last week, Trump accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of having his offices in Trump Tower wiretapped. Predictably, like most of Trump's claims, he offered absolutely no proof to back up. To his credit, though, he has played it to the hilt, even calling for an investigation into the matter.
   It's not unusual that Trump would buy into some far-fetched, paranoid conspiracy theory. Remember, he spent years fanning the flames of the crackpot "birther" movement against Obama. Since taking the White House, he has claimed widespread voter fraud when it became apparent that he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. He has also claimed that he achieved the largest Electoral College victory since Reagan, despite clear evidence to the contrary, and that he drew the biggest Inauguration Day crowd ever. Again, this is is easily debunked. Clearly, Trump lives in his own world, complete with his own facts that bear no resemblance to the reality occupied by the rest of us.
   This would almost be funny if it weren't so serious. You see, Trump's wild, unsubstantiated allegations might indicate that he's severely mentally unbalanced, in which case he has no business being president or having access to the nuclear codes. Or maybe he has a more sinister motive. Perhaps he's crazy like a fox and has been playing us this entire time. Perhaps his wild allegations are designed to distract us so we don't notice what's really going on. Or perhaps he's conditioning us by blurring the lines between truth and lies. If he can convince us that we're being lied to by the mainstream media, while at the same time lying openly and brazenly, we'd no longer be able to tell what was truth and what wasn't. This would allow Trump to do whatever he wanted and to do it openly, then to disavow knowledge of the whole thing. And by the time we caught on, it would be too late,.
   Maybe, like Trump, I'm being paranoid. I certainly hope so. One thing I can say with certainty, though, is that Trump is just as dangerous as I originally feared. I believe he's is attempting to pave the way for an American dictatorship. The evidence of that fact is right in front of us, if only we have eyes to see it.

Trump's Cabinet as unprepared as he is

It's been just under a month since Donald Trump was inaugurated, and already it's clear that he is in over his head, that he is, in fact, incompetent. What's worse, he has appointed a Cabinet that is as unprepared, as incompetent as he is. Traditionally, the Cabinet is supposed to advise the president. It is supposed to be made up of experienced people who are experts in their particular area of expertise. These people are supposed to be able to hit the ground running. More important, they are supposed to be able guide the president, especially when the incoming president has no federal government experience. Appointing these kinds of people worked well for Ronald Reagan. It worked well for Bush the Younger. So now we have Trump, who has turned conventional wisdom on its head. Instead of appointing knowledgeable people to help him, he has appointed people who either know nothing about the department they're supposed to lead, or who are philosophically opposed to those departments. Consider:
  Betsy Devos: Our new education secretary has never taught in a public school. She has never had children in a public school. She is totally  unfamiliar with the issues facing public education. In fact, she has spent her adult life trying to destroy public education in the name of "school choice." Which makes her the perfect choice for her new job, right?
   Rex Tillerson: Our new secretary of state spent the last 40 years working for ExxonMobil. For the last several, he has been CEO of the oil giant. Tillerson has no government experience at any level. He has no diplomatic experience. Like Trump, he has questionable ties to Russia. So, of course, we make him our nation's top diplomat. Perfect.
   Dr. Ben Carson: Once a top neurosurgeon, then a presidential candidate, now, the designate to run Housing and Urban Development. With all due respect, what in the world does he know about either housing or urban development? Oh, nothing? Well, then, he's the perfect choice to lead such an important department.
   Rick Perry: Trump's choice to lead the Department of Energy. When he ran in 2012, Perry named this department as one of the three he would eliminate if he were elected. Once he was tapped to be Energy Secretary, he showed his ignorance by thinking that he would be traveling the world touting the benefits of oil. Yep. First he wants to eliminate the department, then he proves he has NO IDEA what his new job even entails. This, of course, makes him the perfect person to lead the department.
   Is anyone else seeing the pattern here? These are the people who are supposed to actually run the government. More important, these are the people who are supposed to advise Trump, to show the political outsider the ropes. And yet, they're just as inexperienced as he is.
   We're in trouble, folks. I don't know how to put it any plainer than that. Far from appointing the "best and brightest," Trump has assembled possibly the most incompetent Cabinet ever seen in American history. What's worse, the Senate is utterly failing in its role of "advise and consent." Instead of challenging his nominees and rejecting the ones who are clearly unqualified (read, all of them), they are blithely rubber stamping them. This is dereliction of duty, and Congressional Republicans should be held accountable in 2018. That is, if we even make it that long.

Trump's Muslim ban will make us less safe

Donald Trump continues to show why he is the least qualified person ever to occupy the White House. On Friday, he signed an executive order banning residents of seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States. Those countries are Iran, Iraq, Libya Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. Predictably, the order created chaos worldwide, as people found themselves either turned back before the could board planes headed for the U.S. or detained once they reached American soil. In at least a dozen cases, people who had legally been granted entry to our country found that access denied. Among those was a man who had risked his own life acting as an interpreter for U.S. troops in Iraq. Another man was detained after he came here trying to rejoin his wife and young child who are already here. And this doesn't even take into account those who have lived here peacefully for years who were denied reentry after they left the United States to go visit family living in other countries. Trump, of course, defended his order by saying it was necessary to protect Americans and keep terrorists out of our country. But he is wrong on every count.
   To begin with, the United States already has a stringent process in place for vetting potential immigarants. On average, it can take up to two years before someone who has applied for a visa can obtain one, sometimes longer. During this time, the potential immigrant is subject to all manner of background check, from criminal to financial. And if you want to talk citizenship, there are several lengthy steps that must be taken, from obtaining a green card, to becoming a permanent resident alien to finally obtaining full citizenship. During this process, they continue to be vetted. They must learn the basics of our history and how our government works. They must pass a test. Then, and only then, are they granted full citizenship. So Trump's action is unnecessary
   Another problem with Trump's action is that it is blatantly unconstitutional. Why? Because it singles out people based solely on their religion. It is illegal under federal law to discriminate against people based on their religion. And this action goes against both the spirit and intent of this law. Trump's action also fails to take into account that it's not only the Muslim extremists who are our enemies. Anyone remember Timothy McVeigh? He was a homegrown terrorist who killed 168 men, women and children. How about Eric Rudolph, the Olympic bomber? The point is, we have enemies everywhere. And not every enemy we face is a Muslim.
   Finally, there's the inconvenient fact that Trump's action will do nothing to keep us safe. Consider the fact that the 19 hijackers on 9/11 hailed from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others. None of these countries is on the "banned" list, and yet their citizens perpetrated the greatest act of terror ever seen in this country. So why aren't they on the list, along with the seven "banned" countries?"
   Some might say that Trump is simply fulfilling one of his campaign promises. That might be true, but the truth is, his action is nothing more than window dressing. It will do nothing to keep us safe, as there are many countries that sponsor terror that remain unaffected. And let's not mention the fact that this move will only further anger the governments in the Middle East, many of whom already don't like us or trust us. Add the fact that this ban will likely end up being used as a recruitment tool for future terrorists, and it becomes obvious that instead of making us safer, Trump has actually made us less safe. And it is our country and its citizens who will ultimately pay the price.

Early days of Trump administration hardly encouraging

It hasn't been quite a week yet since Donald Trump was inaugurated, and already there are signs that we're in deep, deep trouble. Since taking office, Trump has signed executive orders restarting both the Keystone and Dakota pipelines, endangering women's health by banning federal funding to international organizations that perform abortions, or even provide information about the procedure, and ordering the construction of a wall on our southern border. To top it all off, on Wednesday, Trump announced that he would launch an investigation into alleged voter fraud in last fall's elections, in which he claims three to five million people voted illegally.
   All of these actions are troubling. They show a man who is so afraid to put his ideas to a vote before Congress that he would rather govern by executive fiat. And isn't it interesting that we have yet to hear one peep from Republicans about executive overreach? But the action that is most troubling to date is his call for an investigation into alleged voter fraud
   There are several problems with the proposed investigation. First, there is absolutely no proof that any kind of voter fraud ever took place. None. So, we're going to ask the Justice Department to divert time and resources (not to mention taxpayer money) investigating something for which there is no proof that it ever took place. Talk about your government waste.
   Second, this investigation will only serve to undermine the legitimacy of our entire electoral system, as well as the legitimacy of Trump's own victory. Trump believes that the three to five illegal voters all voted for Hillary Clinton. And what if the investigation proves him right? That would mean that Trunp lost the popular vote, not by three million votes, but by six to eight million votes. And what would that mean for the number of electoral votes he supposedly won? You see where this leads? It could destabilize the entire system.
   Trump doesn't care about that, though. The only reason he's concerned at all about voter fraud is because he (and his massive ego) can't tolerate the FACT that he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton. He can't tolerate the fact that more people preferred her to him, that she was the real people's choice. And so we're going to waste government time and money chasing after one of Trump's fantasies.
   This is the problem with Trump. He is a malignant narcissist who lives in his own, parallel reality. He can't stand the thought of losing or of being proven wrong. He can't even tolerate a whit of criticism. And now he holds the job where everything he does is going to be criticized from one quarter or another? Geez. It's going to be a long four years.
   People keep telling me that I need to sit back and give him a chance. And I'm trying. I really am. But his actions so far give me little hope that the next four years will be anything but a complete disaster.

It's the end of the world as we know it

Normally, Inauguration Day is a day for celebration in America. It is is a day for feeling patriotic, for feeling proud that we are able to have a peaceful transition of power, no matter how contentious the election was before it. Today, I am  able to feel none of those things. Today, I only feel sad and apprehensive. I'm sad that Americans got it so wrong in selecting Donald J. Trump to be our next president. And I am truly apprehensive about what the future holds for America with Trump in charge.
   There's so much wrong with Trump that it's hard to list it all here. The man is an incurable narcissist and a liar. He's a man with no core beliefs of his own. He's willing to tell Americans whatever they want to hear, with no intention of ever keeping any of his promises. In short, he's a con man. And we were so desperate for change that we actually bought into his spiel.
   But it's worse than that. Trump is ignorant. He's the least educated president in the history of the nation. Trump has no working knowledge of domestic issues or economics. He has no knowledge of foreign affairs. And worst of all, he apparently has no knowledge of or respect for our Constitution. This, of course, raises the question: How can he be expected to support and defend the Constitution when he obviously has never read it?
   Trump's defenders point out that all he needs to do is surround himself with good people to help guide him. It worked for Reagan, they say, and it can work for Trump. Here's the key difference: Ronald Reagan was a man of deep principle. He actually took his job seriously and strove to find the right people to advise him. Apparently, not so with Trump. Look at his Cabinet picks so far. They either know nothing about the departments they've been tapped to lead (hello, Ben Carson), or tthey're philosophically opposed to those departments (here's looking at you, Rick Perry). This is utter madness.
   I suppose it's true that we can survive Trump, just as we survived George W. Bush before him. The problem is that Trump himself is such an X-factor. You're never quite sure what he's going to do. Hell, I'm not sure HE even knows what he's going to do. And his tendency to follow his gut instead of listening to his advisers means that he might get us into a sticky situation with no plan for getting us out of it. One thing is for sure. Trump has changed the political landscape forever. Let's just pray that our country is capable of surviving that change. As of this moment, I have my doubts.

Similarities between Hitler, Trump are striking

This might sound a bit extreme, but the more I watch the continued success of Donald Trump, the more I'm reminded of the rise of Adolf Hitler in 1930s Germany. Now, before you dismiss me as just another frustrated Trump opponent, consider the ways in which the men are undeniably similar:
   1.Both men are racists and fearmongers who have singled out specific groups: Hitler had the Jews. For Trump, it's Mexicans and Muslims. Trump has accused Mexico of sending "rapists and murderers" to our country. He has called for a ban on Muslims coming to this country and supports the creation of a Muslim registry. Hitler forced Jews to wear the Star of David. The creation of such a registry would only be a high-tech version of the same thing.
2. Hitler promised to make Germany great again after the humiliation of World War I. Trump, too, is promising to "Make America Great Again:" Now, granted, unlike postwar Germany, our economy isn't in shambles and our currency isn't worthless. But like Hitler, Trump is playing on the anger and frustration of the electorate. He is appealing strictly to people's emotions and counting on those emotions to override their logic. He is encouraging the idea that America has somehow grown weaker and lost the world's respect. And like Hitler, he has positioned himself as the savior, the only one capable of restoring that strength and giving us back that respect, at the point of a gun, if need be.
3. Trump believes in torture: Trump has said repeatedly that he would bring back water boarding and other forms of torture because "torture works." Hitler had his concentration camps where unspeakable acts of torture and human degradation were committed. Enough said.
4. Like Hitler, Trump can't stand any kind of criticism and wants to silence any opposing voices: Hitler had Joseph Goebbels and his propaganda ministry, who controlled every piece of information fed to the German people. Trump said recently that if elected, he would rewrite the libel laws to make it easier for politicians to sue the media. This, of course, goes against decades of U.S. Supreme Court precedent protecting the media and insults both the spirit and intent of the First Amendment, which guarantees a free press, something vital to a healthy democracy. There can be only one reason for such a move: To intimidate the press and attempt to silence opposing voices, in fact, any voice but his own. This is the move of a dictator.
5. Hitler had his soldiers swear loyalty to him. Trump is asking the same thing of his supporters: It was reported recently that at one of his rallies, Trump had those in attendance swear to turn out, rain or shine, to vote for him. Does this not sound eerily similar to those oaths required of Nazi soldiers?
   Now, I'm not saying that Trump is Hitler, or that he will bring about a second Holocaust. But it's clear that both men share similar ideologies and that he has borrowed heavily from Hitler's playbook when it comes to gaining power. It's important that we're aware what he's doing. If we simply ignore what's right in front of us, history might very well repeat itself.

Why Trump doesn't really want to be president

I don't believe Donald Trump really wants to be our next president. I've said before that Trunp doesn't really believe the garbage he's spouting. So why does he persist in running for the nation's top job? In this, I agree with my wife: I think he's trying to make some twisted point that our electoral system is irreparably broken. He's trying to prove to us that our votes no longer count, that the presidency is bought, not elected.
   Trunp is an incurable egomaniac, and perhaps part of him does believe that he does have the answers for fixing our country's problems. But in his heart of hearts, I don't believe he really wants the job. And why would he? Consider: Trump is a billionaire, worth at least $4 billion. The presidency only pays $435,000 a year. Not bad, but Trump has more than that in his couch cushions. Why would he willingly take such a huge pay cut? If Trump wins, he will have to divest himself of all his massive holdings and give up control of his empire, at least for the next four years. I just can't  really see him doing that. And really, why would he?
   Trump is a control freak. He's used to getting his way, to having people ask "how high?" When he says, "jump." If he becomes president, he's going to learn quickly that he can't run the country the same way he does one of his businesses. He's going to have to learn to work with Congress. He's going to have to learn that he won't be able to do everything he wants. He's going to have to learn to compromise. And given his "my way or the highway" personality, I just can't see that happening.
   Trump is making a mockery of our electoral system, and if he wins the nomination, he'll make a mockery of the general election, and maybe even the presidency. To Trump, this whole thing is some kind of game, some sort of twisted reality show. To borrow a term I heard recently from some comedian, it's "Celebrity Select-A-President." To Trump, winning the presidency is some kind of challenge. This whole fiasco is the ultimate feather in his cap. It's designed to stroke his already massive ego.
   The best case scenario I can see if Trump wins is that he will soon tire of the job, the constant scrutiny and the criticism. In that case, let's pray that he selects well when it comes to picking a Vice President. Another possibility is that his candidacy will be the mirror the GOP needs to realize that they have drifted too far to the right and it will cause them to pull the party back toward where it truly belongs: in the political middle. If that happens, perhaps this misguided exercise in ego won't have been a complete waste after all.