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.