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.