The Lessons of 2016

The Hunger Games (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The year 2016 is coming to an end, and few people are going to mourn its passing.  But that doesn't mean the year didn't have a few lessons to teach us.  Such as:

Never underestimate the billionaire real estate mogul who gamed the political system and won the White House with a plan to make America great again.  Even if he is a rude and crude individual who promised to drain the swamp, only to restock it with other billionaires and retired generals.

If you're Hillary Clinton, never assume the keys to the kingdom will be handed to you, even though you won three million votes more than the other guy.  Never assume that Bernie Sanders supporters would automatically come rushing to your side once he quit the race.  And never assume the Russians or some hacker had anything to do with your defeat.

If you're the mainstream news media and you're still wondering why the billionaire real estate mogul got elected, look in the mirror.  You gave this man so much free airtime that he didn't have to spend a dime on political advertising.  Also, if you're one of those who bemoan the rise of fake news, don't be surprised if extreme conservatives complain that the MSN is capable of making stuff up too.

If you live in Flint, Michigan or anyplace else where fracking is a problem, don't drink the water.

If you live in North Carolina, make sure you know where your bathroom is.  And best of luck to the new Democratic governor, who had some of his powers stripped by the outgoing GOP governor.

If you live in places like Aleppo, Belgium, Orlando, or anywhere else terrorists and war struck this year, you have our deepest sympathies.  And that's all you're going to get.

If your name is Merrick Garland, you might as well forget about that Supreme Court nomination.

If you live in North Dakota and you have successfully protested against the construction of an oil pipeline that would go through sacred grounds, you know darn well that treaties are made to be broken.

If you are an African-American male, your chances of surviving an encounter with the police are about the same as the likelihood of officers getting convicted.

If you're British and you voted against your country remaining in the European Union, be careful what you wish for.

If you're President Barack Obama, you must be looking forward to being a private citizen again.

If you're Garrison Keillor, you should be taking it easy and writing books instead of reliving the past on cruise ships.  We hear the new "A Prairie Home Companion" is doing well, even if fewer radio stations are running the program.

If you're bothered by all the movies and TV shows that imagine dystopian societies, maybe they're trying to tell us something.

The Grim Reaper was the biggest pop star of 2016, escorting several music legends to their final exits.  Prince, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Merle Haggard, Leon Russell, Bobby Vee, Natalie Cole, Leonard Cohen and George Michael.  As Jim Morrison--who checked out at age 27--once put it:  "No one here gets out alive".  Here are some of the other notables the Reaper made visits to:

Antonin Scalia, Nancy Reagan, Morley Safer, Muhammad Ali, Wendell Anderson, Fidel Castro, John Glenn, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Alan Thicke, Ron Glass, Florence Henderson, Gwen Ifill, Robert Vaughn, Janet Reno, Tom Hayden, Agnes Nixon, Shimon Peres, Edward Albee, Phyllis Schlafly, Gene Wilder, Garry Marshall, Elie Wiesel, Alan Young, Janet Waldo, Doris Roberts, Patty Duke. Garry Shandling, Larry Drake, Keith Emerson, George Martin, Pat Conroy, Harper Lee, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Vanity, Abe Vigoda, Dan Haggerty, Alan Rickman, Rene Angelil, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds.

If you're wondering whether 2017 will be better or worse than 2016, you're not the only one.

No Holiday From Scandal

English: Logo for the University of Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Once again, the University of Minnesota's athletic department is the subject of scandal involving questionable sexual behavior.  This time around, it almost cost them a bowl game appearance.

Ten players from the football team were suspended by the University for allegedly taking part in the sexual assault of a young woman at a post-game party in early September.  Neither Minneapolis police nor Hennepin County attorneys could find enough evidence to charge anyone with a crime.  But the University's Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action report--acquired by KSTP-TV in Minneapolis and published on its website -- described what happened in great and sordid detail.

Because University officials, including President Eric Kaler and athletic director Mark Coyle (who had only been hired a few months after the last AD resigned due to a sex scandal), chose to hide behind state privacy laws to avoid talking about the case, the football team decided to take matters into their own hands.  They announced a work stoppage in support of their teammates, meaning they would refuse to participate in any football-related activities unless their demands were met, which included due process for the suspended players.  That meant not playing in the Holiday Bowl football game against Washington State, scheduled for December 27 in San Diego, California.

Now why on Earth would they give up a chance to play in a nationally-televised bowl game, the University of Minnesota's first in the state of California since 1962?

Then the players started reading the EOAA report, and to check the temperature of public support.  Once they found out the details, they also discovered that support was growing colder than the below-zero temperatures.  So the team ended its work stoppage just hours before the University had to give its answer to the Holiday Bowl committee, which is that they're going west.  After all, who wants to be seen as supporting violence against women?

Football coach Tracy Claeys, whose job status is already shaky because his team had an unimpressive 8-4 record this past season and has two years left on his contract, upped the ante with his tweet about how proud he was of his players taking a stand.  What happens in San Diego will go a long way toward whether Claeys coaches next season or not.

But enough about football.  Sexual assault is a big problem not just at the University of Minnesota, but at campuses across the country as well.  Young women who came to college to earn their degrees, and to experience life away from their parents, sometimes end up getting more than they bargained for.  They have to watch their backs when it comes to every man they come into contact with.  And when the worst happens, good luck trying to get anyone to believe your story if the man has a different view of what happened.  Especially if your attacker happens to be a star athlete who's bound for the pros, and the institute of higher learning you're part of is protecting him at all costs.

In announcing the end of their work stoppage, the Minnesota football players solemnly pledged to not only demand justice for their accused colleagues, but to also take a stand to reject sexual violence against women.  Now let's win the big game!

Well, the football team came to their senses before it was too late.  When are University of Minnesota officials going to come to theirs?

Transitioning Into Chaos

English: Donald Trump's signature. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since we last left you, President-elect Donald Trump has been holed up inside his Trump Tower office in New York, preparing to downscale to the White House come January 20, 2017.  He's been meeting with his transition team, ironing out who's going to be in his Cabinet (more on that later), and what happens to his business interests.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised about the legitimacy of Trump's victory.  While he may have won the Electoral College's vote, Democrat Hillary Clinton leads the popular vote by nearly two million.  Court-ordered recounts have been made in Wisconsin and Michigan, and they both show that Trump won by slight margins.  And the CIA concluded that the Russians might have interfered with the election to make sure Trump won.

But Trump doesn't care about any of this, and why should he?  This is the same man who hollered during the campaign that the election was being rigged.  Well, it was rigged all right--in his favor.

Trump's most notable accomplishment thus far was to convince Carrier, an air conditioner manufacturer, to keep some of its jobs from moving to Mexico from its plant in Indiana.  That's great, but it still means half of the jobs are going south of the border.  And Carrier, which has many government contracts, can't afford to offend the future President.  Trump has to learn that he can't save every job that's either being automated or going overseas.

While Trump has been trashing Alec Baldwin's portrayal of him on "Saturday Night Live" on Twitter, taking phone calls from the President of Taiwan that sets off diplomatic alarm bells in Beijing, and telling the world he isn't all that interested in getting a daily intelligence briefing because he says he's a smart guy, he's been packing his Cabinet nominees with corporate types, retired generals, far-right ideologues and former rivals.  They all seem to share Trump's disdain for climate change, trade policy, immigration and the Affordable Care Act.

Sometimes Trump makes a show out of his nominations, just like he used to do on TV's "The Celebrity Apprentice"  Take Secretary of State, for example.  The list of candidates read like a Who's Who of conservative politics--Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, David Petraeus and John Bolton.  Instead of those guys, Trump is reported to have chosen Rex Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil.  His being pals with Russian president Vladimir Putin is qualification enough for Trump, even if it scares the living daylights out of the rest of Washington.

At least Trump had the sense to hire women who aren't beauty queens to fill important positions in his administration  Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, has been named United Nations ambassador.  Betsy DeVos, charter school advocate and philanthropist, was picked to be Education secretary.  (Isn't this the Cabinet position Republicans always want to get rid of?)  Elaine Chao, who was Labor secretary under President George W. Bush, has been nominated to lead the Transportation department.  Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, is her husband.

All of these nominations have to be approved by Congress.  Some of the nominees raise questions about their stands on social issues, and how to implement Trump's most controversial policies here and abroad.  The hearings will also be a good test for how much push-back a Republican Congress gives the new President before ultimately caving in to him.

Barring an Electoral College miracle, Donald Trump will be sworn in as President in less than two months.  He will not have the mandate to do whatever it is he wants, but it doesn't really matter.  He could be the best President we've ever had, or he could be the worst.  He could also be the last, as far as anyone knows.  Our freedom and our future depends on it.

John Glenn (1921-2016): Space Pioneer

John Herschel Glenn Jr. (born July 18, 1921, in Cambridge, Ohio,) is a former American astronaut, Marine Corps fighter pilot, and United States Senator. He was the third American to fly in space and the first American to orbit the earth. This photo for his second space flight on October 29, 1998, on Space Shuttle Discovery's STS-95. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the early 1960s, the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union showed signs of boiling over.  Spy planes were shot down.  A dispute over control of Berlin led to a wall that divided the Communist East from the capitalist West.  And the presence of Soviet weapons in Cuba nearly caused a nuclear war.

There were also high stakes being played by the two countries above Earth.  The USSR launched the first satellite, and Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space.  President John F. Kennedy issued his call for man to land on the moon before the end of the '60s.  NASA responded by naming seven astronauts to represent the new Mercury space program.

One of those astronauts was John Glenn, a former marine test pilot who had flown missions in World War II and Korea.  On February 20, 1962, Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard the Friendship 7 capsule.  The trip took nearly five hours, and he orbited Earth three times. Upon his return, most of what was then called the Free World hailed his achievement, throwing him ticker tape parades and such.  Eventually, before the decade ended, the crew of Apollo 11 fulfilled Kennedy's challenge.

Glenn parlayed his space-hero image into a political career, representing his home state of Ohio as a U.S. Senator from 1974-99.  In 1984, he ran for President as a Democrat, but lost out to Walter Mondale.  Glenn also got caught up in the savings and loan scandal of the late 1980s, having accepted a bribe from financier Charles Keating.  Glenn and John McCain of Arizona were the only Senators exonerated as part of what became known as the Keating Five.

Glenn returned to space in 1998 as part of the crew aboard the shuttle Discovery at the age of 77, the oldest person to do so.  Once again he was celebrated for his achievement, although some grumbled that he got this opportunity as a political favor.

With the Cold War over and the moon having been conquered, there's talk of sending humans to Mars and possibly other planets by 2040.  This would not have been possible without the efforts of Glenn and the other Mercury and Apollo astronauts who helped pioneer space exploration.

John Glenn died Thursday.  He spent 95 years on this planet, and a few hours above it.  Now he'll be in permanent orbit.

Fidel Castro (1926-2016): The Dictator Next Door

English: The Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Español: El líder cubano Fidel Castro. Italiano: Il leader cubano Fidel Castro Français : Le dirigeant cubain Fidel Castro. 日本語: キューバの最高指導者であるフィデル・カストロ Português: O líder cubano Fidel Castro. ‪Norsk (bokmål)‬: Cubas statsoverhode Fidel Castro. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since New Year's Day 1959, the Cuban people had known only one leader.  A former baseball pitcher who once tried out for the Washington Senators, he threw curve balls at the United States by bringing his own brand of Communism to the Western Hemisphere.  He had been a thorn in the side of eleven U.S. presidents from Dwight Eisenhower to Barack Obama, blamed his neighbor to the north for an ongoing embargo, and nearly brought the world to nuclear war with the presence of Soviet missiles on Cuban soil.

Fidel Castro's run as Maximum Leader ended this past weekend at the age of 90.  While he was mourned in Havana, Cubans who long ago risked their lives to escape his regime to settle in the United States were celebrating in the streets of Miami.  The rest of the world's reaction was mixed at best.

Castro's lasting legacy depends on who you ask.  For some, he was a worldwide force for change against capitalist imperialism, seeking to export his ideas to places like Africa and Latin America.  For others, Castro was just another despot whose "revolution" devolved into extreme poverty for his people, jails and prisons filled with dissidents (if they weren't already killed), and using the Soviet Union to keep the Americans at bay.

The United States government did everything they could do to get rid of Castro, whether it was done clandestinely or not.  They tried to kill him, poison him, invade his country, etc., all to no discernible effect.  Castro would respond by using his lengthy nationally-televised addresses to denounce American aggression.  Meanwhile, his country was stuck in a time warp, as characterized by those well-maintained (because they had to be) 1950s-era cars made in Detroit.

Lately, though, there's been a warming of relations between the two countries.  Embassies have been reopened, and travel restrictions for Americans have been eased.  But economic sanctions have yet to be lifted.  And they won't be if President-elect Donald Trump and an anti-Castro Republican Congress roll back reforms as they have promised.

Castro gave up his presidency in 2008 due to declining health, turning it over to brother Raoul.  He now runs Cuba at age 85 with plans to step down in 2018.  Then what?  Will Communism survive the Castros, or is there another strongman (which the U.S. hopes is more to their liking) ready to take over?

What happened to Cuba under Fidel Castro's regime is for history to decide.  What happens after brother Raoul leaves is a matter of speculation.  Whatever happens, the Cuban people deserve a better fate.

Trump, The Week After

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 10, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the week following the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, a divided country is still trying to deal with it.  One half is still cheering the results, while the other is severely bummed and taking it to the streets.

President Barack Obama, in what must have been an awkward situation considering that he supported Democrat Hillary Clinton during the campaign, welcomed Republican Trump to the White House last Thursday to begin the transfer of power.  Both seemed to be on good terms, if photo-ops can be believed.  The President later expressed hope that the weight of responsibilities that come with this office might mellow Trump a bit.

Trump, despite the ugly rhetoric he had been dishing out during the campaign, did his best to soften his tone.  The President-elect now says he might keep some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, such as prohibiting insurers from excluding those with pre-existing conditions, instead of blowing it up.  As for that wall across the Mexican border?  Some of it might be just a higher fence.

But then Trump had to undo all that by naming Steve Bannon, a hero of the alt-right and white supremecist groups who ran the conservative Breitbart News site, to be his chief adviser.  This move justifies fears that the new administration will be catering to the more racist among us.  Calls for Bannon's removal will undoubtedly go unheeded.  Also Reince Preibus, who ran the Republican National Committee, will serve as chief of staff.

Despite promises of "draining the swamp", it looks like some members of Trump's Cabinet might be coming from the Washington establishment, as in names you never thought you'd hear from again:
Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani and John Bolton (who was United Nations ambassador under President George W. Bush) are all reportedly in the running for Secretary of State.

It also sounds like, despite nepotism laws, Trump's children are going to have a role in the White House. Already daughter Ivanka's been using valuable network TV time to subtly promote her $10,000 jewelry on CBS' "60 Minutes".  Besides turning over the family business to them, their father is pushing to let his adult children have a peek at some state secrets.

As for the Democrats, now's the time for soul searching.  Clinton lost the election despite winning the popular vote because:  (1) She and her party took the base for granted, failing to fully grasp the discontent among white voters and Bernie Sanders supporters.  (2) As Clinton herself admitted, FBI director James Comey's decision 11 days before the election to reopen the inquiry into her private e-mails was a big factor in her defeat.

It might not be until at least 2020 or 2022 before the Democrats regain power in Washington.  Unless Trump screws up big-time, he has the makings of a two-term President.

Trump has promised to be a president for all the people, and that there is nothing to fear.  Clinton and Obama have also said as much.  So why are we seeing demonstrations all over the country?  They may or may not be "professional protesters" egged on by the media, as Trump once tweeted, but they seem to believe they have the most to lose in the new administration.  Immigrants from other countries, Muslims, women, LGBTQs, African Americans, Latinos and anyone else who has been offended by Trump in the past have been marching down streets and blocking freeways to express their displeasure.

Meanwhile on social media, Trump supporters have been gloating over the devastation among Clinton supporters, calling them "crybabies", "welfare suckers" and other terms not worth repeating.  Offline, there have been incidents of intimidation, bullying and swastika sightings aimed at minorities.  If these supposedly mature adults could understand what the other side is going through, , maybe they wouldn't be so quick to commit this abuse of the First Amendment.

President-elect Donald Trump has been charged with the task of bringing the country together.  We'll believe it when we see it, and it's going to take more than saying "stop it" on TV to the bigots who are acting in his name.  As the Dixie Chicks would put it, we're not ready to make nice just yet.

America, Trumped

English: Donald Trump at a press conference announcing David Blaine's latest feat in New York City at the Trump Tower. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

President Donald Trump.

Let that sink in for a moment.

You just elected a man who has never held office, said horrible things about women and minorities, pledged to build a wall across the southern border to keep out Mexicans and other undesirables, alienated his own Republican party and world leaders (except maybe Russia's Vladimir Putin) to be the next President of the United States.

The votes haven't all been counted as of this writing, but Trump won enough states with significant electoral votes to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.  The GOP also took control of both houses of Congress.

For Clinton, the Democrats and all those who didn't care for Trump's misogyny, xenophobia and distrust of the political process, this was a complete blindside.  The former First Lady and Secretary of State won the popular vote but lost the election, just like Al Gore did in 2000.  But there will be no recount.  No 'hanging chads'.  And no last-ditch Supreme Court decision.  Clinton conceded Wednesday morning.

Trump won this election because of all the Howard Beales out there who were mad as hell and wouldn't take it any more.  They were angry at partisan gridlock in Washington, the rising cost and unpopularity of Obamacare, the jobs that had been lost to what they believe were bad trade deals with other countries, and their weariness with a quarter-century of all things Clinton.

Mrs. Clinton lost this election not just because of those pesky private e-mails that made her the focus of FBI investigations, but she also failed to take care of business in some of the states where she was favored.  Not only did she lose battleground states Ohio and Florida to Trump, but she also saw Wisconsin and Pennsylvania change from blue to red.  In her quest to become the first female president, no one seemed to realize that, after eight years of an African-American in the White House, people might not have been ready for a woman taking charge.

The media also shares the blame for Clinton's defeat.  Constant coverage of Trump along with his mistrust for polls that repeatedly gave Clinton the lead gave them a bad name.  It seems they didn't take into account the folks who voted for Trump despite their misgivings, but knew better than to share them with pollsters.

President-elect Trump will soon be taking the reins from President Barack Obama, who was once accused of not being a U.S. citizen by Trump.  He will be inheriting a divided country that believes he is unfit to serve, and is likely to undo nearly every bit of legislation Obama signed into law.  He will also pick a new justice for the Supreme Court.

Other than repudiating all the progress Obama made during his two terms, Trump's agenda is more or less a blank slate.  We don't know where he's taking us.  And we sure as hell don't know if the country's going to survive him.

Remember, America, you voted for Donald Trump to be your next President.  Now we must suffer the consequences.

Election '16: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Señalización de lugar de votación en California. 2008. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On the eve of the most important presidential election in our lifetimes--they say that every four years, but some elections stand out more than others--we have two candidates we have known about for decades via the almighty boob tube.  In the course of the last year or so, the more we've seen of them this campaign, the less we like.

Donald Trump, the real estate mogul whose brash talk and TV reality show skills won him the Republican nomination, is loud and obnoxious about his causes while most party regulars are bailing or can't be seen with him.  Women can't stand him because of his unflattering comments about them.  But he has his fans among mostly white males who are sick and tired of being passed over in the name of political correctness, and seeing their jobs moved overseas.

Trump has taken so many potshots at so many targets--women, minorities, the media--and responded to crises such as the release of the "Access Hollywood" sex tapes and his declining to release his income tax returns in such a way that would sink any other politician.  Because Trump is not a politician and has mostly self-funded his campaign, he can say anything he wants with the media lapping up every word.  And there's nothing the Republican Party can do about it.

Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee who has been First Lady, U.S. Senator and Secretary of State, has been a polarizing figure in and out of Washington for the past quarter century.  Yet she's managed to survive every political and personal scandal involving her and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.  She's been the subject of an FBI investigation into whether her private e-mails contained any classified information.  Twice.  And both times the FBI has chosen not to prosecute her because they couldn't find anything incriminating.

Still, the timing of the latest investigation--just days before the election--has eaten away at Clinton's once-huge lead over Trump, which is now down to a few points (though the networks tell us she has a comfortable advantage in the Electoral College).  Clinton's biggest challenge, besides the trust issue, is in not taking the states where she's leading for granted.  Why else is Trump and his running mate Mike Pence making last-minute stops in Blue states like Minnesota and Michigan if he doesn't think he has a chance to pull an upset?  Maybe the election results won't be as "rigged" as he thinks it might be if he wins.

Issues?  Are you kidding?  Give us more about Trump's alleged relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, building a wall to keep the Mexicans out and forcing them to pay for it, disputes with past beauty pageant contestants and others about his alleged treatment of them, and his grand plans to "Make America Great Again".  Give us more about what's in Clinton's hacked e-mails, Bill's talking out of turn at campaign appearances, and alleged financial improprieties at their "charitable" foundation.  The Islamic State and the economy can wait.

It's all too much for the average voter to take in.  But this is what happens when big money and brand name candidates come together, because no sane person wants to run for President.

Some of you who do not wish to see either Trump or Clinton in the White House will probably be voting for either Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, or Jill Stein of the Green Party.  Good luck with that.  Just don't be surprised if you end up getting blamed if the wrong person gets elected.

Now that everything's almost said and done, there's only one thing to do if you haven't done so already:  Go out to your polling place and vote for the one person you can tolerate the most for the next four years.

Bobby Vee (1943-2016): Midwestern Idol

Cropped image of a photo I had taken of myself and singer Bobby Vee in July 2001 following a concert in Red Wing, Minnesota. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Bobby Vee was the typical post-Elvis, pre-Beatles teen idol of the early 1960s, singing pop tunes about teenage love and loss.  He was also proof that a kid from the Upper Midwest really could hit the big time with guitar in hand, just as Bob Dylan and Prince would do later on.

Born Robert Velline in Fargo, North Dakota, he got his big break as a 15-year old on a February night in 1959.  Unfortunately, that also happened to be the night when Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were supposed to be playing at a ballroom in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota.  They never got there.  The plane that they went on crashed in a cornfield in northern Iowa following a show there, leaving no survivors.

Vee and his band, The Shadows, were the emergency replacements, having heeded the call from a local radio station asking for volunteers.  It must have been a heck of a show.  Soon afterwards, Vee was signed to Liberty Records.

From 1959-1970, Vee's songs were on the Billboard Hot 100 charts 38 times.  His biggest hit was "Take Good Care of My Baby", which was co-written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King.  It ran four weeks at Number One in the fall of 1961.  His other hits?  "Devil or Angel", "Suzie Baby", "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes", "Rubber Ball", "Run to Him", and "Come back When You Grow Up".

Vee's influence spread to The Beatles, who recorded two of his songs in their early years.  He also helped launch Dylan's career, having briefly employed him as a piano player for his band.  Dylan has also been credited for coming up with the name "Bobby Vee".

After his hitmaking days were over, Vee and his family resided in the town of St. Joseph, Minnesota, where he set up his own recording studio.  He continued to tour and record until he was diagnosed with Alzheimers in 2011, followed by his retirement.  Vee died Monday at age 73.

Bobby Vee's career began on what Don McLean's "American Pie" would memorialize as "the day the music died", which is inaccurate.  As long as there is music, Buddy Holly will always be remembered.  And so will Bobby Vee, one of Holly's biggest fans.

The Debate, Part 3: Stranded In The Desert

Trump Tower Las Vegas (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It seems only appropriate that the final presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump took place in Las Vegas.  Not just for all the gambling references one associates with Sin City (and where Trump just happens to own a hotel with his name on it), but for its proximity to the Nevada desert.

The debate at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Wednesday night began as a sober discussion on the issues of the Supreme Court's future, the Second Amendment and immigration reform, for which there were stark differences between the candidates.  It was an oasis compared to the scorching hot rhetoric from the first two debates, with Trump and Clinton sounding and acting like mature adults.  You could even let Grandma and the kids watch it.

It was all a mirage (and we don't mean the hotel).  We were yanked back into the desert by moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News when he started asking questions about the candidates' fitness to lead.  (Bedtime, kids!)  Trump repeated his claim that the election was rigged in Clinton's favor by her campaign and the news media, and refused to say whether he would abide by the results.  He also dismissed the statements of women (in numbers rivaling Bill Cosby's) who say that they were groped by Trump in the past, even though he said he has the "utmost respect" for women.

Clinton had to answer more questions about her handling of e-mails when she was Secretary of State:  What happened to them and her reaction to the hacked messages (courtesy of Wikileaks) of campaign staffer John Podesta.  She also asserted that the Clinton Foundation was more about charitable works than politics, which Trump didn't believe.  Clinton made her arguments in a more mature manner than Trump, who resorted to interruptions, talking over her and muttering what a "nasty woman" she was.

The debates are over, another new low for American politics.  But the election is not.  With more than two weeks to go, there is much fear and loathing on the campaign trail (to paraphrase Hunter S. Thompson) yet to come.  And maybe after the election, if Trump follows through with his threat to challenge the results.

For now, the American voter is left on the outskirts of Las Vegas with nothing on but a barrel, looking for someone to lead them out of the desert.  Or maybe just a ride out of town will do.

Double Down in St. Louis

English: This photo depicts Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The self-destruction of Donald Trump's presidential campaign continued Sunday night in St. Louis at the town hall-formatted debate, where the Republican nominee went low so many times against his Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton that you'd think he was scraping the bottom of the barrel.  Until you consider that in this campaign, it's more like a bottomless pit.

Having been caught on tape in a 2005 interview with the TV show "Access Hollywood" bantering with interviewer Billy Bush (who has since moved on to NBC's "Today", and who probably won't be back with the show until after the election--if at all) about women in a manner that might be considered sexual assault today, Trump began the debate by "apologizing" for his behavior before quickly changing the subject to how horrible the Islamic State is.

For good measure, Trump even brought in three of the women in Bill Clinton's life who allegedly had extramarital affairs with him to sit in the audience, which had the effect of neutralizing whatever wife Hillary had to say on The Donald's "locker room talk".

Later on, when moderators Anderson Cooper of CNN and Martha Raddatz of ABC News tried to get Clinton to explain why, in leaked e-mails concerning her paid speeches to Wall Street bankers, she flip-flopped on supporting trade deals, Trump kept interrupting and hovering over her like Frankenstein's monster.  He even acted the part of a real life monster when he claimed that, if elected President, he'd hire a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton's missing e-mails, then throw her in prison.

The actions of a desperate man, weeks away from certain defeat if the latest polls are correct (NBC News and the Wall Street Journal gave Clinton an 11-point lead):  Maximize the hurt caused by belittling everyone who isn't white, straight and male.  Threaten to throw your opponent in jail, as if this were a totalitarian society.  Interrupt and criticize members of the media, accusing them of being biased in favor of your opponent (of course, said members of the media are culpable for letting this happen).

Clinton won the debate, but that hardly matters.  Both candidates feigned interest in the "ordinary folks" used as props that made up the town hall meeting, who sometimes asked better questions than the moderators did.  Neither candidate distinguished themselves outside of mud slinging to win any new friends.

Trump has lost quite a few of his GOP supporters in the past few weeks.  Even more are bailing or at least distancing themselves after the sex tape was released.  And newspapers who have been endorsing Republican presidential candidates since forever are now switching to Clinton.  But Trump says he's in it to win it, ignoring pleas for him to get out of the race.

Hillary Clinton had better hope that Trump stays in the race too.  She leads in the polls, but there's still all those nagging questions about her trustworthiness.  If Trump did get out, the GOP might pick a candidate who's more competent by comparison.  That person might actually win.

Whatever happens to his campaign in the next few weeks, you can bet that both the Democratic and Republican parties will get together after the election to make sure that no one like Donald Trump ever runs for President again.

Running For Number Two

Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Usually, vice-presidential candidates like Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Governor Mike Pence of Indiana are chosen for their ability to be as bland as possible, and to stand up for the presidential candidates they work for.  When those candidates are Hillary Clinton (Kaine) and Donald Trump (Pence), there's an awful lot of explaining to do.  Considering the awkward positions Clinton and Trump have left their running mates in, their jobs are made much harder.

When Kaine and Pence met in their only vice-presidential faceoff Tuesday at a college in Farmville, Virginia, there were no real fireworks between the two other than talking over each other (mostly Kaine) and ignoring some questions put to them by moderator Elaine Quijano of CBS News. 

Both played their roles as surrogates to the hilt, although Pence had a harder time defending Trump's leaked 1995 tax returns showing a nearly billion dollar loss in casino investments while not having to pay taxes, as well as those 3 a.m. messages to a former Miss Universe claiming there's a sex tape.  All Kaine had to do was to assert that the Clinton Foundation, accused of profiting from political donations, is really a charity.

And when they weren't standing by their candidates, Kaine and Pence made pitches for presidential runs of their own in 2020.  Both had their own ideas about how to handle Russian president Vladimir Putin, and both had sharply different views on the ongoing abortion issue.

When the debate was over, both sides claimed victory as they tend to do in situations like this.  Except in Trump's case, he claimed credit for Pence's success.  It won't affect the presidential race any, because not many people give a hoot about who's running for vice president.  but since both Trump and Clinton will be in their 70s during the next four years, at least we know a little of what Tim Kaine or Mike Pence might be like as President should the worst happen.  Or Vice President should he ever be needed for ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

The Debate: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Trump

English: Trump International Hotel and Tower and the Chicago River (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The much-anticipated meeting of the minds between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump at Hofstra University in New York Monday night was watched by over 80 million TV viewers, the most in presidential debate history.  It didn't result in anyone's mind being changed, but it sure provided lots of insight into how long Trump and Clinton could go on without being rattled.

Both candidates squared off on several topics, rehashing all the talking points they've been honing on the campaign trail.  Neither of them engaged in any personal name-calling, unless you count the exchange over a former beauty pageant contestant and Rosie O'Donnell.

While Clinton was calm, cool and on-message for most of the ninety-plus minutes, Trump seemed to undergo a personal transformation not unlike a certain literary classic mentioned at the top of this post.  At first, Trump made his points about the economy and trade deals as if he were auditioning for Secretary of Commerce in a GOP administration instead of President of the United States--which his ego would never permit.

But then moderator Lester Holt of NBC News started asking Trump about why he wouldn't release his tax returns.  He started getting flustered and made excuses for how he's being audited by the IRS.  On the topic of race and the police, Trump kept repeating the phrase "law and order" as if it were a mantra.  He kept interrupting Clinton as if he were the obnoxious student who kept raising his hand in class to get his teacher's attention.

Trump seemed to fly off the handle when asked about finally admitting that President Barack Obama really was born in this country.  He also kept insisting that he was against the war in Iraq (just ask Howard Stern and Sean Hannity) when evidence proves otherwise.

On Clinton's part, she wasn't challenged much.  Holt asked maybe one question about her e-mails as Secretary of State, and nothing about the other things Republicans seem to accuse her of.  Even Trump thought better of making nasty comments about Clinton and her family's past.

If you were watching the ABC coverage of the debate (other networks might have done this too), Trump and Clinton were shown on a split screen for the entire time.  Trump was seen taking several sips of water and sniffling while Clinton didn't touch a drop.  Then he had the nerve to go after her on stamina.

Clinton won this debate, but not by much.  If there were any questions on the importance of keeping it together as a job requirement to being President, she answered them.  Trump did not.

But that doesn't mean the race is over, not by a long shot with more than a month to go.  Before the debate, Clinton had a slight lead nationally over Trump, but they're dead even in the so-called battleground states.  After the debate, she'll likely get a slight bump in the polls until the two meet again October 9 in St. Louis.

Maybe then we'll see which Donald Trump shows up.  If he shows up.

9/17/16

It's been 15 years and one week since planes filled with armed terrorists and doomed passengers hit the World Trade Center in New York, part of the Pentagon in Washington and a field somewhere in Pennsylvania.  Nothing like that has happened in this country since.  But there have been a lot of smaller attacks carried out by "lone wolves" who, while not actual card-carrying members of al Qaeda or the Islamic State, were "inspired" through the internet to commit crimes against Western society.

Just last weekend, there were three such incidents:  An explosive device was found along the route of a New Jersey marathon.  An explosion in New York City's Chelsea district resulted in 29 injuries.  Eight people were stabbed at a shopping mall in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

The two suspects identified in these incidents have been apprehended.  The man in the St. Cloud attack was shot dead by an off-duty police officer who just happened to be shopping at the mall.

Even though federal officials have yet to classify these incidents as acts of terrorism, these two men have already been tried and convicted by those who believe they have no problem distinguishing whether they were acts or not.  All they had to know was that the suspects had names that suggested they're not "from here".  The New York suspect is of Afghani descent, while the alleged stabber from Minnesota came from Somalia. 

In the past 15 years, being a Muslim has become a liability.  Despite insistences that they meant no harm and want nothing more than to live in peace and make positive contributions to this country, a sizable number of people see them only as murderers who want to destroy the American Way of Life and just want them gone.  Muslims are criticized for the way they live, dress, worship, and why they need special rules instead of assimilating into American culture.

Politicians are no help, especially in an election year.  Some who are running for office want to build walls, devise restrictive regulations on citizenship (on top of the ones that already exist) ind increase surveillance instead of helping the new arrivals settle in.  You want to weed out the bad apples, sure, but that doesn't mean getting rid of the whole bunch.

What's also needed is a way to reverse the thinking of younger immigrants, who became dissatisfied with their new country (not to mention their families) and want to strike back.  So they watch internet videos from ISIS and others, promising a wonderful afterlife if they'll just take up arms and kill Western citizens.

Fifteen years and two wars later, there appears to be no end in sight to the conflict between jihadists and the West.  However simplistic it sounds, we must remember that not every Islamist is a terrorist  and a murderer.  And not every American is a race-baiting, flag-waving, gun-toting bigot willing to declare open season on those who don't look like them.  We must be prepared to face down the ones who perpetuate the stereotype.

Unhealthy Politics

Hillary Clinton speaking at a rally in support of Barack Obama, Horsham, PA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

One of the most stressful jobs in the world is being President of the United States.  All the decision-making, the travel, the public appearances, and the crises one has to face.  It's like that when you're running for office, too.

That's why, if you want this job, it's important to be as healthy as possible for a four-to-eight year commitment.  For Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, neither of whom are spring chickens as they reach their 70s, this becomes a campaign issue because no one wants to see a President die in office.  By contrast, President Barack Obama just turned 55 years old.  But the years in the White House can take a toll on your health.

What brought this on was Clinton's being forced to lay low for a couple of days after being diagnosed with pneumonia, which became public only after she was filmed stumbling into her van following a 9/11 memorial service Sunday.   Before that, she was seen hacking away at campaign appearances

Both candidates have been reluctant to share their medical records, adding to voters' perceptions that neither of them are trustworthy.  For Clinton, it's the continued scrutiny over the lost e-mails from her stint as Secretary of State.  For Trump, it's his tax returns that he has so far refused to release.  Both think they're no big deal.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Clinton's doctor pronounced her "fit to serve" and that her pneumonia was the relatively mild kind.  Trump, meanwhile, went on the "Dr. Oz" TV show and declared himself fit to serve, though the medical records he gave Dr, Mehmet Oz say that he could stand to lose a few pounds.

This isn't the first time that Presidents have hidden their illnesses from the public.  Woodrow Wilson had a stroke.  Franklin Roosevelt had polio, but was never seen in public on crutches or in a wheelchair (if the public knew during the 1944 campaign that FDR had a few months to live, would they have given him a fourth term?).  John F. Kennedy was living with back pain and Addison's disease.

Political candidates, like most of the rest of us, keep going even though they're sick because they have to.  For us, taking even one day off might result in loss of employment, which is a big concern in an uncertain economy.  For politicians, any leave of absence might result in votes lost.

Clinton has been rumored to have all sorts of maladies, most of which have been unproven.  But lately, she's contracted a condition common to politicians and public figures alike (though it doesn't seem to have affected Trump much).  It's called Foot In Mouth disease.

Clinton usually takes the high road when it comes to Trump and his campaign statements.  But not this time.  During her talk at one of those private fundraisers, she referred to Trump's supporters as a "basket of deplorables".  Yes, it could have been said a lot more tactfully.

Trump, who has so far offended women, minorities and some of America's allies with his off-the-wall statements that got him to where he is now, begged to differ.  What Clinton called "deplorables" are to Trump nice, upstanding citizens from all walks of life who believe America needs to be great again.  Never mind that some of these fine folks might be alleged white supremacists, NRA members, and others hellbent on putting Clinton in jail for her alleged misdeeds.  Trump demanded and got an apology from Clinton, who has since modified the number of "deplorables"  to less than half.

The net result of all this?  Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a dead heat nationally (depending on which poll you believe), with Trump gaining ground in some battleground states.  But the real measure of the candidates' political health will be taken September 26, when the first presidential debate between Clinton and Trump is scheduled.  Until then, the prognosis is cloudy.

Oh Say, Can You Sit . . .

English: The Star Spangled Banner (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whatever we think of the "Star Spangled Banner", penned by Francis Scott Key as he witnessed the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 (or so the story goes), either as a stirring tribute to America's greatness, or as an outdated ode to to war and racism sung to the tune of an old tavern chantey, we usually sing along or lip-sync the words at public events.  Because it's Our National Anthem, dude.  What's to think about?

Well, Colin Kaepernick did think about it.  The San Francisco 49ers quarterback sat down when the anthem was played before their NFL preseason game last Friday against the Green Bay Packers.  His reason?  The song represents the oppression of minorities like himself (he is African-American), and putting your hand over your heart while singing just reinforces that message.

This has led to predictable outrage from all those flag-waving yahoos. election-year politicians and veterans of lost wars who are upset that Kaepernick actually used his Constitutional right to not play along with everyone else's patriotism.

Critics will point to Kaepernick making millions throwing a football for a living, being raised by white parents, and being on shaky ground with 49ers management for not playing as well as he once did.  Maybe by the time you read this, Kaepernick will have already moved on to another NFL job.  Or, because of this controversy, he could end up where Chris Kluwe did--out of football because of his activism.

Actually, Kaepernick did a brave thing.  If any of us sat down during the anthem at a public event, we'd be greeted with angry stares and death threats from patrons with two or three beers in them, not to mention scorn from social media, family and friends.  At least at home, you can mute the anthem on your TV, change the channel or leave the room. Or wait for "O Canada" to come on.  It's called peer pressure. folks.

Anthem behavior is not mandated by the NFL.  But if any other player tried to do what Kaepernick did, a couple of 300-lb. defensive linemen and a vindictive coach will likely set him straight.  As it is, most athletes would rather avoid getting political for the sake of their careers and their endorsements.

Some people wish pro sports would just stay out of politics and get back to playing games.  Too late for that.  The NFL and other leagues take money from the Pentagon in exchange for military flyovers, free passes for veterans and active-duty soldiers, and fake "reunions".  Baseball's seventh inning stretch has replaced "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" with "God Bless America".  Stand up to cancer?  No thanks, we'll sit.  The leagues would rather sell patriotism and pink ribbons than admit it has problems with athletes accused of domestic violence, or address the ongoing tragedies of gun violence and police brutality.

There have often been calls to get rid of the "Star Spangled Banner"  as the national anthem, but so far no one's come up with a better alternative.  Here's one:  Keep the song, but use it only for championship events like the Super Bowl and national holidays.

Better yet, how about everyone treating each other with respect when someone dares to stand out from the crowd?  We don't need to be lectured to about freedom and democracy.  And don't tell us to stand and pretend to sing something written 200 years ago that no longer makes sense today.  If we want to honor America, we can do it our own way.

The Trump Express Goes Off the Rails

English: Donald Trump at a press conference announcing David Blaine's latest feat in New York City at the Trump Tower. The photographer dedicates this portrait of Donald Trump to Tony Santiago, Wikipedia editor Marine 69-71, perhaps the most officially recognized and accomplished content contributor to Wikipedia, for his outstanding contributions to improving articles related to his Puerto Rican heritage. He is also a close friend. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It has now become clear that, with two and a half months to go before Election Day, Republican nominee Donald Trump's presidential campaign is a runaway train headed for disaster.  The gaffes, the bridges he's burned and his controversial policies have combined to make Trump toxic to all but a few supporters who still believe a businessman who's never held political office could solve their problems.

For one thing, any candidate can take potshots at the record of their opponent and/or the person currently running the country.  But Trump has gone for misinformation, misogyny, racism and any other tactic against Democratic challenger Hillary Clinton and her onetime boss, President Barack Obama, in an effort to prove that you really can do and say anything to get elected. Then he'll say 24 to 48 hours later that he was only kidding.  Please, leave the sarcasm to late night TV comedians, Mad magazine and bloggers like us.  Some examples of Trump's alleged humor include:

• Implying an assassination attempt on Clinton and whoever is her Supreme Court nominee, which he said would be taken care of by "Second Amendment people".  Trump later said that he meant the National Rifle Association and other gun rights advocates, but we heard him the first time.
• Trump claims that Obama and Clinton were the co-founders of ISIS.  Actually, it was President George W. Bush who unwittingly helped to create the Islamic State when he tried to withdraw U.S. military personnel from Iraq before he should have.  Here, Trump is no different than other Republicans with selective amnesia.  They tend to blame Obama and Clinton for the sun rising in the east, while conveniently forgetting that Bush left a big mess to clean up that continues to this day.
• Trump's foreign policy so far consists of building walls, being pals with Russian president Vladimir Putin and getting rid of trade agreements that he thinks don't make America better.  He's also come up with another way to screen for potential terrorists disguised as immigrants--by proposing an ideological test.
• On the same topic, Trump seems to believe that Clinton is not well enough to take on ISIS.  Is that another way of saying only a man can handle one of the most important jobs in the world?  Or does he know something we don't?
• Behind in most every poll since the GOP convention, Trump warns of possible election fraud in some places come November 8, and that he might challenge the results.  That is, if the GOP doesn't fix it for Trump first.

While Clinton's been saturating battleground states and NBC's Olympics coverage with her campaign ads, Trump has yet to spend a dime.  Why should he, with all the free media he's been getting every time he opens his mouth?  Lately though, just like any other politician who's trailing, Trump has been blaming the media for his problems.  Must be easier than looking in the mirror.

Naturally, Clinton doesn't mind all the attention being paid to Trump's foibles.  Just as long as less attention is being paid to her e-mail problems, the Clinton Foundation, and polls that say the former Secretary of State is almost as untrustworthy as Trump.

Trump's verbal shenanigans are causing Republicans to question their loyalty to the party.  Some are either staying home on Election Day, or doing what was once unthinkable--voting for Hillary Clinton.  But most will roll their eyes and vote for Trump, even if it means that congressional candidates are steering clear of him and might possibly lose the Senate.

There are some who say that Donald Trump never really wanted the job of President, that he's only in the race to promote his properties and TV shows.  But after two decades of Bill Clinton's scandals, Bush's wars and Obama's perceived ineffectiveness, Americans wanted someone who could rise above gridlocked politics, violence and general malaise and make things better again.   Bernie Sanders tried to be that person, but Hillary Clinton was too much to overcome.

Donald Trump could be that guy, too, if he could get his act together and take his destiny seriously.  Otherwise, this train's not bound for glory.  He'd better prepare for a crash landing.

The Wrath of . . . Trump

English: Donald Trump's signature hairstyle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

No sooner had the balloons dropped following Hillary Clinton's historic nomination speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, the Republican challenger Donald Trump inserted himself into the headlines again.

This time, it's what happened at the DNC the night before that set The Donald off.  Khizir and Ghazala Khan, Muslim-American parents of a soldier who was killed in the Iraq war, delivered an emotional speech before the convention in which they denounced Trump not only for his anti-immigration policies, but for running what they called a campaign of hatred.

Trump responded in tweets and interviews, asking why (A) husband Khizir spoke and not his wife (she said she was afraid of losing it on national TV, not because of some Muslim edict), (B) why he made "vicious attacks" against the GOP candidate, and (C) why the Democrats used the Khans as plants to make him look bad.  See, the Democrats wanted to prove that they could be as jingoistically patriotic as the GOP.

On the subject of sacrifice, the Khans and Trump seem to be on different planets.  The Khans believe their son made the "ultimate sacrifice" when he was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq.  Trump's idea of sacrifice apparently comes from spending millions of dollars on constructing buildings named for himself, and for being what the GOP likes to call a "job creator".  Neither Trump nor his children have ever seen military service.

Trump has been pilloried not only by Clinton and her fellow Democrats, but by other Republicans who are keeping him at arm's length and military families.  Despite this, Trump is fortunate that this is August and not November.  He's been known to put his foot in his mouth before when it comes to minorities, women and certain religions, but it works for him because that enables him to steal media oxygen from his opponents.  That's why he's the nominee.

Maybe in a few days, folks will forget about what Donald Trump said as the news media moves on to something else, and the Khans will become just footnotes in this campaign.  Unless Trump gets the urge to say something stupid again.

Trump vs. Clinton: History In The Unmaking?

Official portrait of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Donald Trump enters the Oscar De LA Renta Fashion Show, New York. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Serenaded by the female-empowering pop hits "Brave", "Roar" and "Fight Song", Hillary Clinton took her place as the Democrats' choice to succeed President Barack Obama Thursday night in Philadelphia.  It was a moment most of us thought would never happen in our lifetimes--a woman nominated for President by a major party.  Then again, that's the same thing we thought when Obama broke the race barrier eight years earlier.

Clinton's otherwise riveting acceptance speech was a mixed bag.  It was one part greatest hits compilation of her stump speeches, one part new material, one part acknowledging the contributions of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and his supporters in the campaign, and a generous helping of Republican nominee Donald Trump-bashing.  Yet the speech didn't knock the ball out of the park.  It was more like an inside-the-park home run.  Something's missing here, and we can't quite put our finger on it. 

Otherwise, the Sanders contingent was heard from, even though their candidate had already conceded to Clinton and encouraged his followers to support her in November.  But they just wouldn't let go, wearing yellow at the coronation and heckling Clinton.  If Sanders had stuck to being an independent and ran as a third-party candidate, Clinton would have been in real trouble.

The hacked e-mails that cost Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz her job as Democratic party chair, detailing some biases against the Sanders campaign, are being investigated by the FBI for a possible Russian connection.  Trump, as usual, found a way to exploit the situation by calling on the Russians to please pass along any of Clinton's e-mails when she was Secretary of State.  The next day, after the predictable uproar he created, Trump tried to get out of it by claiming he was being sarcastic when he said that.

Unfortunately for Trump, most Americans don't seem to understand what sarcasm is.  They're not even sure if he's kidding about some of the outrageous things he's said during the campaign.  Unless you're a late night talk show host, it's not smart for any candidate during an election year to make light of a serious issue.  But Trump, who has yet to learn how to act like a real politician, will get a free pass from the media because of his entertainment value.

So here it is, America.  For the next 100 days, you have to make a choice between two of the most unlikable candidates in modern presidential election history.  One is an independently wealthy man  with no political experience, and for whom there is no filter between his brain and his mouth.  The other is a woman who has been in public life for decades, is married to a former President, and now wants the job herself.  But she leaves behind a trail of scandal and questionable judgment that would have done in any other political figure, yet has somehow survived them all.

Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton.  Be brave, America. 

Democrats In Disarray In Philly

English: Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Congressman from Florida's 20th congressional district (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The bell has rung on the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.  Hillary Clinton is set to make history in a city full of it, becoming the first woman to accept a major party's nomination for President.

But first, the former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State has some fires to put out.

• Even though Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont has endorsed Clinton, it's still going to take some work to convince his supporters to go along.  Sanders won almost as many states in the primaries and caucuses as Clinton did, but it also seemed as if the deck was stacked against him.  Well, Sanders won a belated victory when Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned as chair of the Democratic National Committee.  Leaked e-mails (courtesy of Wikileaks) detailed how the party screwed Sanders and favored Clinton, which was long suspected anyhow.  The DNC blames the leaks on Russia, believing that its president Vladimir Putin and Republican nominee Donald Trump are best buds and want to steer the election his way.  Wasserman Schultz, meanwhile, has landed on her feet with a major role in the Clinton campaign.
• Clinton also has to overcome GOP and conservative skeptics who thought she got away with it when it came to those classified e-mails and what really happened at Benghazi--neither of which she was guilty of anything incriminating.  Look no further than the Republican convention delegates chanting "lock her up".
• Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia is Clinton's vice presidential pick.  He's moved up the political food chain having first been mayor of Richmond, then serving as governor of Virginia and currently its U.S. Senator.  Kaine sounds like a nice, enthusiastic guy who agrees with most (if not all) of  Clinton's positions.  But he's considered a safe pick, just like Trump's choice of Indiana governor Mike Pence.  Some pundits and progressives thought Clinton could have done much better with Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, or even with Sanders.

Most of all Clinton, with an unfavorable rating second only to Trump's, has to prove to the delegates and the voters on Thursday that she isn't in this just to chase history.  She needs to make the case  that, unlike Trump in Cleveland last week, America is not headed for an apocalypse and that better days are ahead.  Good luck with that.

The last time the Democrats convened in Philadelphia was in 1948.  That was the year TV carried extensive coverage of both parties' conventions for the first time.  Hubert Humphrey, then the mayor of Minneapolis, made his landmark civil rights speech.  Southern Democrats walked out of the convention because of the party's reversal on the segregation issue.  And President Harry Truman won the nomination despite negative numbers that rivaled Clinton.

Maybe Hillary Clinton and Harry Truman have something in common.

Chaos In Cleveland

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 10, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Melania Trump at the QVC Red Carpet Style Party, Four Seasons Hotel, Los Angeles, CA on February 25, 2011 - Photo by Glenn Francis of www.PacificProDigital.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Donald Trump accepted the nomination of the Republican Party as their presidential standard-bearer in Cleveland Thursday night, ranting and raving for more than an hour about being the 'law and order' candidate (insert cha-chung here), how he'd shake up the establishment in Washington, keeping immigrants from crossing the border, and other utterances of bluster that got him where he is today.

The Republican National Convention was not your usual choreographed snoozefest, not with The Donald involved.  Who needs to see protesters marching peacefully while being confined to one space blocks from Quicken Loans Arena, when we could watch delegates inside the hall snipe at each other as a political party comes apart at the seams?

• Senator Ted Cruz of Texas did himself no favors by getting booed off the stage for refusing to endorse Trump.  Whether it was because he thought Trump insulted members of his family during the primaries, or he's just positioning himself for a 2020 run,  Cruz showed what kind of man he was.  Oh, and the moment Trump walked into the arena near the end of Cruz' speech?  Pure political theater.
• Melania Trump's introduction to the public was marred by her lifting parts of Michelle Obama's 2008 speech during her own nationally-televised valentine to her husband.  It wasn't entirely Melania's fault.  Blame it on lazy speechwriting, which a Trump staffer all but admitted to.
• Democratic nominee-to-be Hillary Clinton's name was mentioned almost as much as Trump's or 'USA! USA!'.  Unfortunately for Clinton, it's in reference to the FBI declining to prosecute her for sending classified documents through her private e-mail server, for which the GOP delegates would rather string her up and throw her in prison.  "Lock Her Up", rather than "Make America Great Again", seems to be the theme of this convention.

Now that the chaos in Cleveland is over, it's the Democrats' turn in Philadelphia.  Unless Bernie Sanders and his fans can make things interesting, Clinton should enjoy a relatively peaceful and orderly week before making history of her own.  Right?

Downbeat In Cleveland

English: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH Français : Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The gavel just fell on the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, and the mood is anything but jovial.  Another terrorist attack in France, a failed military coup in Turkey, and another ambush on police officers in Louisiana will do that to just about any occasion.

Actually, the mood was set long ago when Donald Trump accumulated enough delegates to win the GOP nomination, and will claim his prize Thursday in a speech that should break all records for TV ratings.

Trump's unconventional approach to campaigning (so to speak)--lots of name calling, insults and stream of consciousness chatter about the issues--have alienated so many big-name Republicans that they've chosen to sit this convention out.  Only the delegates who are committed to other candidates are forced to sit inside Quicken Loans Arena, enduring all the pro-Trump speakers (mostly entertainers, athletes and Trump family members) and his fans wearing "Make America Great Again" hats.  Oh, they tried to force the convention to amend the rules so that Trump couldn't win on the first ballot.  But no dice.

Trump's choice to be his straight man/stooge (also known as Vice President) is Governor Mike Pence of Indiana.  Pence is more conservative than Trump on some issues, having previously backed Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.  The governor once signed a "religious freedom" law limiting gay and lesbian rights in the Hoosier State, until backlash from corporations and sports leagues forced him to retreat. He's also the Koch brothers' boy.  But the more we see Trump cutting off Pence in interviews and joint appearances, the more the presumptive nominee thinks he doesn't need a running mate.  That he did it only for Constitutional purposes.

Whatever happens in the next four days at the Cavaliers' basketball arena will determine how far the Republican party has sunk in its efforts to get behind Donald Trump.  It's up to him to convince the delegates--and the people watching at home--that the city of Cleveland didn't make another mistake by the lake.

Wendell Anderson (1933-2016): Governor of "The Good Life"

English: Wendell Anderson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wendell Anderson, who died at 83 this past weekend, was already well known before he entered state politics.  He played hockey for the University of Minnesota, then played on the United States team that won the silver medal at the 1956 Olympic Winter Games in Italy.

After more than a decade of service in the Legislature, Anderson was elected Governor of Minnesota as a Democrat (known here as the Democratic Farmer Labor Party) in 1970.  Once in office, he was responsible for creating an agenda of reforms in school financing, property and state taxes and the environment that became known as the "Minnesota Miracle".  Those improvements got him a Time magazine cover story in 1973, the one where he held up a fish besides the title "The Good Life in Minnesota".  That turned out to be the high point of Anderson's political career.

Then Senator Walter Mondale became President Jimmy Carter's vice president in 1976.  That gave Anderson the idea of resigning as governor, then having his successor Rudy Perpich appoint him to Mondale's old seat, which is what happened.

That power play (and not the hockey kind) resulted in the Independent-Republican (the name the state GOP chose at the time to distance themselves from the Watergate-era national party) sweep of all three major state offices in the 1978 election.  Anderson was defeated by plywood magnate Rudy Boschwitz for his Senate seat.  Dave Durenberger won the other seat from businessman Bob Short.  And Al Quie took over the governor's chair from Perpich.

Then Anderson settled into a relatively quiet life away from politics, which included stints as a University of Minnesota regent and as a political analyst for KSTP-TV.

Wendell Anderson was a popular governor for his time, but remains a cautionary tale of what happens when politicians take their popularity one step too far.

America in Black and Blue

The United States celebrated its 240th birthday recently with fireworks, Pentagon-sponsored salutes to the troops at Major League Baseball games, and heightened security at public venues prompted by terrorist attacks in Orlando and Istanbul.  Land of the free, home of the secure.

Then the real fireworks began.

• In Baton Rouge, Louisiana and near St. Paul, Minnesota, police officers shot and killed two African-American men who they say were allegedly packing concealed weapons.  The Louisiana man was apparently doing nothing more than selling CDs out of his car, as far as we know.  The Minnesota man and his girlfriend were stopped by police for having a broken tail light.  The rest of what happened, from the girlfriend's perspective, was shown live on the internet.
• In Dallas, Texas, during an otherwise peaceful demonstration to protest the shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota, five police officers were shot down by a man who supposedly said he wanted to kill as many white people as possible.  The suspect, who used to serve his military time in Afghanistan, got killed himself by way of a 'robot bomb'  that was used in the war.
• According to CNN, more than 300 people were arrested during a weekend of demonstrations across the country.  They took place on city streets, freeways, in front of the state governor's residences, etc.  Not all of them were peaceful, with some of the participants ending up in the hospital.

This is all part of the long-running saga that's been going on since the murder of Trayvon Martin and the disturbances in Ferguson, Missouri:  Misguided police officers who target African-Americans for even the most minor offenses.  No matter how much of a model citizen you are, if you take one step out of line, you're dead.  Or get sent to prison if you're lucky.

Not all police officers are trigger-happy racists, but there are enough of them to make everyone uncomfortable no matter who they are.  And using military-style weapons on Main Street, especially tanks and 'robot bombs', is not a good look.  This isn't Kandahar or Baghdad.

Just as law enforcement expects us to follow the rules put down by society, we expect them to treat everyone with the respect and dignity we deserve.  Having said that, how can they respect us if they know they're not going to be prosecuted for some of the reprehensible things that they do?

In 2016, we don't need al-Qaeda or the Islamic State to come over and kill Americans.  We can handle that job ourselves, thank you very much.  Every mass shooting, every racially motivated murder-by-cop, and every dollar sent to the National Rifle Association to make sure that Congress keeps the Second Amendment intact just adds to the perception that we never really left the Wild West.

As long as guns--its misuse by criminals and authority figures and racism remain facts of life, the potential for catastrophe remains high.  We need a real solution, and no more wasting time on prayers, flags at half staff, moments of silence and expressing condolences.  What's it going to take?

Happy birthday, America.  How many more?