Trump must be furious!  In the dueling town hall meetings Thursday night, the ratings for Biden exceeded those for Trump.  Given that Trump lives for ratings this must really upset him.  No doubt, if he is ever asked about this, he will simply claim that the Nielsen ratings are inaccurate.  Or, even better, he will claim that several hundred thousand people were counted illegally in the ratings.  No doubt Trump will claim that he had the highest ratings regardless of the data.  Perhaps he can get Sean Spicer to speak on his behalf and make the case that his ratings were, in fact, higher.  As we all recall, Sean Spicer did such a persuasive job about the crowd size during Trump’s inauguration speech!!

On a more serious note, there is a headline this morning that reads, “Trump Could Face a Legal Reckoning,”¹ which details the legal problems that Trump could face should he lose the election.

“Without some of the protections afforded him by the presidency, Trump will become vulnerable to multiple investigations looking into possible fraud in his financial business dealings as a private citizen — both as an individual and through his company. He faces defamation lawsuits sparked by his denials of accusations made by women who have alleged he assaulted them, including E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who has accused him of rape. And then there are claims he corrupted the presidency for his personal profits.

As President, Trump has been able to block and delay several of these investigations and lawsuits — including a yearlong fight over a subpoena for his tax returns — in part because of his official position. Many of those matters have wound through the courts and will come to a head whether he is reelected or not.

But with the polls showing that Democratic rival Joe Biden is leading in the race, the stakes become much higher for Trump if he loses the election. A raft of legal issues, including a criminal investigation by New York prosecutors, will come into focus in the weeks after Election Day.”

I have made this case several times in previous posts arguing that, personally, I believe this is one of the biggest driving forces behind Trump’s seemingly desperate efforts to get reelected.  He knows that if he loses the election, he will be in serious legal jeopardy and the Trump ‘house of cards’ will very likely come crashing down.

Interestingly, at a rally in Georgia he made the statement that if he loses the election it would be so disappointing, he may have to leave the country.  Frankly, I think he might already have that ‘Plan B’ in mind but it has less to do with being disappointed than in avoiding the legal problems that he will likely face. 

An interesting thought exercise is to speculate where he might go.  The US has extradition treaties with over 100 countries but there are many that do not have such treaties.  However, the list of countries which do not have extradition treaties with the US is dominated by countries in Africa and the Middle East.  Those are highly unlikely choices for Trump given his denigration of blacks and Muslims.  Also, on the list are North Korea, Iran, China and Russia.  Even given the ‘love affair’ between Trump and Kim Jung Un, North Korea is probably not a good choice for Trump.  Iran is obviously out and even China would be a stretch given Trump’s attacks on China over the coronavirus.  So that leaves – drum roll – Russia!! 

I have stated before that it is my firm belief that if Trump thought he was in enough legal jeopardy that could land him in jail, he would escape to Russia.  I’m sure there are those that think this is just hyperbole and craziness.  I actually think it is quite within the realm of possibility.  Putin (and all of the other oligarchs) would welcome him with open arms.    Imagine, a former President of the United States, who has had access to the country’s most sensitive secrets taking refuge in Russia.   I just hope that if he and members of his family are ever indicted that the government takes appropriate steps to ground his plane, grab their passports and keep close tabs on them.   Sounds like a movie, doesn’t it?  Watch for the opening at a theatre near you!

On a more positive note, it appears like New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, will be reelected to a second term.   The young prime minister (40) has been lauded around the world for her handling of, not only the pandemic, but the terrorist shooting at two mosques in Christchurch which resulted in the deaths of 51 people, and the volcanic eruption at White Island which resulted in 21 deaths.  To date, the total death count in New Zealand from the coronavirus is 25 in a country of 5 million people.  (0.0005 percent) whereas the death count in the US is 215,000 in a country of 330 million (0.065 percent) (130 times higher)

While it is true that New Zealand is an island nation and it was somewhat easier to close its borders, it still required decisive action by the Prime Minister to deal with this crisis.  When this virus first surfaced, Prime Minister Ardern acted quickly and decisively to shut the country down and contain it.  And when a second outbreak started to emerge, she shut it down again.  Now, life in New Zealand is much back to normal – a recent rugby match was attended by 30,000 fans. 

I had the privilege of spending 5 weeks in New Zealand at the end of 2018 and it is a wonderful country filled with spectacular scenery and friendly people.  I would go back in a heartbeat.  And the people have now chosen to reelect a pragmatic, empathic, calm, charismatic and decisive leader for a second term.  We should be so lucky.

1. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/17/politics/trump-election-legal-reckoning/index.html

Since the Republican Party declined to publish a party platform outlining their policies after their convention this year, other than essentially, “Whatever Trump wants,” I figured that must be a preview of things to come.  Given Trump’s track record on living within the Constitution and the ‘Rule of Law’ I expect that he has a completely different interpretation of the Bill of Rights than most of the rest of us.  Below is my best guess as to Trump’s (and his toadies’) interpretation of the Bill of Rights that will become even more enshrined if Trump wins a second term. 

1. Amendment 1: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” unless such people oppose or criticize the President in which case the President shall be entitled to use all available means to silence them.

• Amendment 2: “A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed”, as long as such Militias support the President.  The NRA shall be the final arbiter in all firearm disputes.

• Amendment 3:  “No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war but in a manner to be prescribed by law” with the exception that all government and foreign visitors shall be quartered at properties owned by the President at prevailing market rates.

• Amendment 4: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things with to be seized.  In addition, the entire Executive Branch of the government is immune from any and all subpoenas for testimony or documents.

• Amendment 5:  “No person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.”  Further, nothing the President (or his family) says or does can ever be held against him or be the cause of any legal action during his lifetime

• Amendment 6: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.”  However, the President shall, with the complete support of the Department of Justice, have the right to exercise the entire judicial system at tax payer expesne in order to delay any and all legal actions he chooses.

• Amendment 7: “In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law,” with the exception of the President, in which case, no President can be subject to any suit or legal action during their lifetimes.

• Amendment 8: “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted,” except in the case of those persons deemed ‘enemies’ of the President in which case the Department of Justice shall hound, prosecute and harass all such individuals.

• Amendment 9: “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people,” except in cases where the President shall deem that such rights are a threat to him in which case, he will have the sole authority to suspend such rights.

1. Amendment 10: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. except in cases where the President shall deem that such rights are a threat to him in which case, he will have the sole authority to suspend such rights.

Please Vote!

What exactly is the purpose behind all of these in-person rallies that Trump insists on having in the midst of the worst health crisis of our lifetime?  It is highly unlikely that anyone who attends an in-person Trump rally is going there to be convinced to vote for Trump over Joe Biden.  I would wager large sums of money that 99% of the people who attend these in-person Trump rallies have already made up their minds to vote for Trump.  The remaining 1% are probably just curious, but, then, again you know what they say about ‘curiosity’ and ‘the cat.’

These rallies, even if held outdoors, are attended by thousands of people standing cheek to jowl with very few of them wearing masks, in complete disregard for the government’s own CDC guidance.  Given the statistics on the virus, there is a 100% probability that there are people at these events who are COVID positive and are helping to spread this happy little virus far and wide.  Recall, the President and his family contracted the virus even though they live in somewhat of a bubble. 

I read a quote in a news story this morning from a man at one of the rallies who was asked about his concern regarding the danger of contracting the virus and he said, “If I get it and die, then it’s my time.”  That is certainly the epitome of fatalism.  It is also truly ironic that so many of these same Trump fans are so anti-muslim, since throughout the Muslim community the term ‘In shallah’ is used constantly and means, “If Allah wills it.”   Of course, all of these Trump fans would be greatly incensed about anyone pointing out similarities between themselves and adherents to Islam, but there you have it.

The unfortunate thing about this type of fatalism is that it doesn’t take into account how one person’s actions can adversely impact other people.  If the gentleman who made that statement contracted the virus and died and that was the sole impact, that would be tragic but contained.  If that same gentleman, contracts the virus and passes it on to other people who might have chosen not to attend that rally, resulting in severe illness or the death of others, the costs of this fatalistic attitude are much higher.   

Many years ago, I was working in Saudi Arabia and my colleague and I had to make a trip from Jeddah to Yanbu up the west coast of Saudi.  We had a driver for the trip.  His name was Burani and he was from Ethiopia and a devout Muslim.  I will never forget this trip because, at the time, the road to Yanbu was a two-lane road and Burani insisted on driving very fast.  And when he would come up behind a vehicle that was going slower than he was, he would simply say, “In Shallah’, and pull into the oncoming lane without really looking to see if there was traffic coming the other way.  Fortunately, at that time, there was not a lot of traffic on this highway and, although we did have a couple of uncomfortably close calls, we did make it to Yanbu.  My colleague and I vowed that we would figure out a different way to make the journey the next time.

Burani was a very nice man.  He certainly meant us no malice but the fact is, his actions, put our lives at risk.  And these people who are attending these crowded rallies with no social distancing and no masks, are putting other people’s lives at risk – period.  They are no different than Burani.

So, getting back to why hold these rallies if they are really going to have little to no impact on people’s voting habits – there is only on plausible answer and that is because they make Donald Trump feel good.  As I pointed out in a previous post, he is addicted to this type of adulation.  It’s like a drug to him.

One would hope and expect, with millions of Americans suffering financially, and with hundreds of Americans dying every single day, that the President and his entire administration would be on full alert and mounting an ‘all-hands on deck’ effort to put a national strategy in place to fight this war and to focus on getting another stimulus package passed.  Instead, Trump is spending the majority of his time flying around the country to attend rallies where people’s lives are at risk and that will likely have very little impact on how people will vote.  And his Republican supporters are focused on ramming through the Supreme Court nominee rather than spending their time trying to pass anther stimulus package to really help the Americans and small businesses that are in desperate need of it.

It seems to me that Trump is driving America like Burani was driving our car.  Maybe we’ll survive – maybe we won’t.  In any case, I think it’s time for a new driver!  In Shallah!

The lady once stood proud and tall,
A beacon of hope and light for all.
Attempts to dim the torch had always failed.
The American spirit continuously prevailed.

She stands upon a solid base,
Truth and hope etched within her face.
Now assaults attack her heart,
As the country gets torn apart.

How long can the lady stand,
Amidst the strife across the land?
As principles and truth give way to greed,
And true statesmen are a dying breed.

The lady is trying to be strong
And stand steadfast in the face of all that’s wrong.
But each assault takes its toll,
And toppling her is for some a goal.

We can hope she will survive the storm
And there is once again a sunny morn’.
Americans must unite to prevent her fall,
So once again she will stand proud and tall.

MWM

In listening to the political ads that flood the airways these days, it struck me as I was listening to an ad for the Montana Republican Senate candidate for the seat currently held by incumbent, Steve Daines, that the mantra espoused by virtually all Republican candidates is pretty much the same – cut taxes to create jobs, support from the NRA for gun rights, support for ‘the Constitution’ by confirming conservative judges.   That’s it.  That’s the playbook.

My question is, “How the hell are those policies going to address and solve some of the most serious and existential problems facing this country today?”  Climate change is real and is a threat.  Health care, particularly amidst a pandemic, is a problem.  The Republicans offer nothing to replace the Affordable Care Act.  Given that the NRA is currently under investigation, I’m not sure that an endorsement from the organization is a plus.  And the whole hypocritical process that is being used to ram through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court should not be anything to be proud of for anyone with principles.

Let me start with ‘cutting taxes.’   The national debt has sky rocketed under Trump; and that was true even before the COVID crisis hit.  It is now at its highest level since just after World War II.   If you just do some simple math, ‘cutting taxes’ is an absurd way to address this problem.  The standard Republican argument is that if you reduce taxes that will lead to investments that will create jobs and that job growth will more than offset the tax cuts.  The problem is that this strategy will only work in limited situations.  For example, when Reagan took office, the tax rate for anyone making over $108,000 was 70%.  He cut that down to 28% for anyone making $18,500.  This along with a cut in corporate debt did help spur the economy.  However, it was also helped by a large increase in government spending which almost tripled the national debt during his presidency.

The whole economic theory behind ‘tax cuts’ is something called the Laffer curve.  The fact is, it is only applicable when the tax rates are ‘prohibitive’, generally said to be in the 100% to 50% range.  The current tax rates are well below that already so the whole theory behind the Laffer curves and tax cuts is not applicable.  But the Republicans continue to make this argument.  The only thing that will happen with further tax cuts will be to make the wealthy richer and add to the national debt.   The Republicans used to be the party that really cared about the national debt.  Where are all of those fiscal hawks now? I guess they must have had too many glasses of ‘Trump-ade’. 

Of course, NRA support is also a standard talking point for Republicans.  This is because everyone needs an AR-15, hand guns with high capacity magazines, and should not be subjected to any kind of background check.  Just because the CEO of the NRA is currently under criminal investigation seems to be of little concern to Republicans.  But all of that said, I am still having trouble understanding which of the large problems facing America this policy is going to solve.  Everyone gets to have a gun – whoopee!  Doesn’t do much for me – I already have firearms.  And I’m sure as hell not concerned about background checks given my career in the defense business and all of the clearances I had.  My guess is the government knows more about me than I know about me.  It doesn’t bother me and I’m baffled why that troubles people so much. 

Another big talking point of late has been the need to appoint conservative judges.  If you read Professor Richardson’s blog yesterday, you know that in spite of all of the talk about conservative judges and their impact on potential adverse impact on abortion rights, LGBT rights and the Affordable Care Act, what is really going on is a power grab by corporate America.   Corporations want to be able to run their companies however they want with as little regulation as possible.  The hope is that a conservative bench will roll back regulations.  Many of us remember having to read, The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair in high school.  I guess if the Koch brothers had their way, that’s the type of corporate freedom they would prefer.

Tax cuts might put a few extra bucks in Joe Average’s pocket today, but they will put lots of bucks in Richie Rich’s pocket.  Joe Average can own a wide assortment of guns – which perhaps he can pay for with his tax ‘windfall’.  Richie Rich doesn’t need a gun – he can hire people with guns.  Rolling back corporate regulations doesn’t do much for Joe Average but puts even more bucks in Richie Rich’s pocket. 

I guess I must be missing something.  I can’t see where any of these Republican policies are going to do anything to solve things like:  climate change; racial injustice; soaring student debt; widening gap between the rich and the poor; dwindling middle class; lack of affordable health care; a significantly increasing national debt; and Social Security and Medicare systems facing serious financial issues. 

The bottom line is that, in my opinion, there is zero creative thinking in the Trump Republican Party.   The country is changing.  The world is changing.  And the Republican Party is still singing the same old song.  There are some serious problems facing this country that will require innovative and bold thinking.  The Republicans have demonstrated to me that they are incapable of such thinking.  Perhaps if they spent as many brain cells trying to solve real problems as they do trying to figure out how to suppress votes, gerrymander districts and pack courts, the country would be better off.  But I guess they’ve made their choice.  Have another glass of Trump-ade!  Bottoms up!

Watching the President’s erratic behavior over the last couple of weeks, it struck me that, in some ways, Trump is acting like someone with a serious addiction problem.  He purportedly doesn’t drink and presumably doesn’t do drugs, with the exception of an occasional experimental cocktail of various pharmaceuticals designed to counteract the COVID virus, so what could manifest this kind of behavior.  I am no psychologist or psychiatrist but it seems to me he has an addiction to adulation and drama.   I did a little research and found an article in Psychology Today that addresses this very issue.

“Getting attention is necessary for life’s vital enterprises and can be the difference between life and death in a crisis. Therefore, not getting adequate attention can threaten the quality and sustainability of life. Thus, getting functional social attention is understandable. However, extreme attention seekers go to unhealthy lengths that are driven by emotional desperation.”

In her book, Too Much and Never Enough, Mary Trump (who is a trained psychologist), points out how Donald Trump’s mother, Mary, was sickly during most of Donald Trump’s childhood and unable to provide the type of motherly nurturing that most kids need.  Further, Fred Trump, Donald Trump’s father, was described by Mary Trump (the niece, not the mother) as a high functioning sociopath.  He was cold, distant and demanding and was also unable to provide the type of emotional support most kids need.

From very early on in his life, Donald Trump has craved attention and drama and I would argue that it is a type of addiction.  “The obvious answer is drama gets attention. However, it is more than that. Drama causes the pituitary gland and hypothalamus to secrete endorphins, which are the pain-suppressing and pleasure-inducing compounds, which heroin and other opiates mimic. Hence, drama eases the anxiety of wanting more attention than you are getting. Naturally, since drama uses the same mechanisms in the brain as opiates, people can easily become addicted to drama.  Like any addiction, you build up a tolerance that continuously requires more to get the same neurochemical effect.  In the case of drama, then means you need more and more crises to get the same thrill.” 

How else can you explain the irrational and completely unnecessary ‘parade’ around Walter Reed Medical Center when he was supposed to be quarantined?  How else do you explain the campaign event on Saturday with Trump speaking from the balcony to crowd which 1) was probably putting peoples’ lives at risk because there was no social distancing and 2) it was likely a violation of the Hatch Act for any government employee other than the President who helped set it up and participated in it.  How else do you explain his unwillingness to participate in a virtual townhall?  (Because there will be no adulation nor drama like the last debate).  How else do you explain Trump’s rambling rants when calling in to Fox News or Rush Limbaugh and actually calling for the arrest of his political rivals – drama!!  Trump thrives on it.  Everything Trump does is designed to draw attention to himself and create drama.  This election is just another example of Trump creating unnecessary drama to feed his ‘drug’ habit.

I think the majority of people in this country understand and want a return to some level of normalcy in the White House.   However, we have Republicans in virtually every state in the Union trying to do everything in their power to suppress votes in order to get this man reelected.  The governor of Texas put out an edict stating there could only be one drop off box for ballots in each county.  A Federal judged overturned that edict, but it was again challenged by the Republicans and the Appeals Court issued a stay of the Federal judge’s order for the time being so Texas is back to having one drop-off location for each county.  That is nothing other than a pure play for voter suppression.

Election procedures have been challenged in Pennsylvania and virtually every other ‘must win’ state for Trump.  Even here in little old Montana, the Republican Party challenged Governor Bullock’s directive stating each county could use mail-in balloting if they chose to because of the COVID crisis.  It got challenged all the way up to the Supreme Court when Justice Kagan finally killed the challenge (I hope!) 

Just think about all of the tax payer dollars and resources that are being squandered on these efforts when there is zero evidence of widespread fraud with mail-in ballots.  “Benjamin Ginsberg, a top Republican election lawyer who has represented four Republican presidential candidates, slammed President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud in a new op-ed saying it lacks evidence and is “unsustainable.””²

All of these Republican enablers are no different than drug dealers to Trump.  They provide the adulation and attention he craves so dearly and they are right there to help create and sustain the drama.  Trump needs it just like a junkie needs a fix or an alcoholic needs a drink.

The really scary thing is, just like addicts require more and more of something the longer they are addicted, Trump continues to require more and more attention and more and more drama to feed his habit.  If he is elected to another 4 years what shape might that take?  Will he actually arrest his political rivals and put them on trial?  Sound far-fetched?  Maybe not.  Will he start a war?  Sound far-fetched?  Maybe not.  Will he send more Federal troops into the streets?  Sound far-fetched?  Maybe not. 

Trump’s decision-making process is clouded by his addiction the same way that the decision-making process of an addict is not governed by rational thought.   If Trump doesn’t win the election, not only will he likely be facing legal problems involving his finances, but he will likely be going through withdrawal as well.  There is no other platform that will provide the same level of attention and opportunity for creating drama.  This makes Trump a very, very dangerous man right now.  Think that’s hyperbole?  Maybe not.  An addict may destroy themselves and perhaps their family.  In this case, Trump may very well destroy what was once a proud and respected country.  Think that’s hyperbole?  Maybe not.

Final Note:  For another scary read, I have included the link to Professor Richardson’s blog discussing the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett and what’s really at stake.

1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/obesely-speaking/201411/excessive-attention-seeking-and-drama-addiction
2. https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/09/politics/benjamin-ginsberg-trump-election-fraud-claims/index.html
3. Letters from an American  (Professor Richardson’s blog)

The craziness continues – thirteen men were indicted yesterday in an alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer and overthrow the local government. “The alleged scheme included plans to overthrow several state governments that the suspects “believe are violating the US Constitution,” including the government of Michigan and Whitmer, according to a federal criminal complaint.”¹ I ask again, what the hell is going on in this country?

“The arrests are likely to draw additional attention to the political tensions roiling the nation in the closing weeks of the 2020 election season, and underline warnings from law enforcement officials, members of Congress and groups that track extremism about the increasing threat of extremist and far-right groups. Whitmer at times has been the focus of extreme vitriol from far-right groups over her handling of the coronavirus pandemic.”¹

Trump and his administration always want to talk about the economy and the stock market as metrics that demonstrate they are doing a great job for America.  I dispelled that myth in a previous post and won’t belabor that here.  There are, however, other metrics that are quite telling about the Trump administration and one that Trump would prefer not to discuss – the rise in hate crimes and the rise in white supremacist groups during this administration.

During the Trump administration, white nationalist, far-right hate groups have grown 55%.² There were 155 such groups counted last year and that is over and above the ‘usuals’ like the KKK and the skinheads.  That should be a metric that is of concern to every American – at least every American who is not a racist.  Apparently, the individuals charged in the alleged plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer were members of the ‘Wolverine Watchmen’.   Apparently, a lot of these groups are very concerned about the changing demographics in the country and are driven by an ideology that this is a ‘white, Christian country’ and the changing demographics threaten that. 

In addition to the increase in white supremacist groups, there has also been an increase in hate crimes.  The FBI released a report at the end of last year that stated that hate crimes were at a 16-year high and part of that was an increase in hate crimes against Latinos.  I doubt if it’s a coincidence given Trump’s rhetoric about Mexicans and building ‘The Wall’.³

These metrics seem to fly in the face of Trump’s desire to bill himself as the ‘law and order’ president.  Unless, of course, in Trump’s mind he doesn’t see the rise in white supremacist groups and hate crimes as a ‘law and order’ issue?   He obviously doesn’t see all of the corruption around him as a ‘law and order’ issue.  I guess its only a ‘law and order’ issue if it involves protestors demanding a stop to systematic injustice in the legal system and the unwarranted killing of people of color by police officers.   So, like most everything in Trumpworld, ‘law and order’ is whatever Trump defines it to be.

In any case, most of us Americans who would like to live in a civilized, peaceful society without having to worry about governors being kidnapped and killed and heavily armed wingnuts storming government buildings, deserve an answer as to how this was allowed to happen under Trump’s watch.  That was somewhat of a rhetorical question because we all know why this has happened.  Donald Trump has not only allowed this to happen, he has implicitly and explicitly given these organizations license to come more out into the open and be more vocal, more visible and more violent.  His continued divisive, bigoted rhetoric just adds gas to this already smoldering fire.

During the last presidential ‘debate’, when he was asked to unequivocally denounce white supremacy, he waffled and then finally told the Proud Boys to ‘stand back and stand by.’  It is true a couple of days later, when backed into a political corner, he did try to denounce white supremacists.  However, it seems like the times that Trump has made such denouncements, they have been because of a backlash of comments that he originally made.   Condemning white supremacy just doesn’t seem to come naturally to him.  He only does it when he is forced to do it for political purposes. That should be very telling.

Governor Whitmer has been a frequent target of Trump’s Twitter wrath and insults.  It will be interesting to see if he contacts her or says anything to condemn the actions against her.   If I were a betting man …  Well, we’ll just see what happens.

It is a fact that white supremacist groups and hate crimes have increased during the Trump administration.  The data are from his own FBI and multiple other sources.  Is that a metric that we as Americans should be proud of?  Is this really the kind of country we want to live in?  Trump has not done anything but make this problem worse for the last four years.  What do you think will happen if he gets another four years?   Maybe next time a governor, Congressman, Senator or just innocent American citizens won’t be so lucky.  Enough is enough.

1. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/politics/fbi-plot-michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer/index.html
2. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/white-nationalist-hate-groups-southern-poverty-law-center
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/us/hate-crimes-fbi-report.html

In a recent post I talked about how the magazine, Scientific American, had made a presidential endorsement (Biden) for the first time in its 175-year history.  Yesterday, the New England Journal of Medicine published an editorial that was signed by all of its editors calling for the American electorate to vote the current administration out of office based upon their handling of the COVID pandemic.  In their words,

“This crisis has produced a test of leadership. With no good options to combat a novel pathogen, countries were forced to make hard choices about how to respond. Here in the United States, our leaders have failed that test. They have taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy,”…. “Anyone else who recklessly squandered lives and money in this way would be suffering legal consequences. Our leaders have largely claimed immunity for their actions. But this election gives us the power to render judgment,” the editorial says. “When it comes to the response to the largest public health crisis of our time, our current political leaders have demonstrated that they are dangerously incompetent. We should not abet them and enable the deaths of thousands more Americans by allowing them to keep their jobs.”

When you add to this the parade of senior government officials who have served in the Trump administration and former Republicans like, Gen. Colin Powell, who are abandoning Trump right and left and endorsing Joe Biden, you have to ask yourself why?  Why is it that all of these organizations and individuals are turning on this administration?  Everyone, even those that continue to support Trump, know in their gut why?  We are all tired of having an irrational liar for a president. Trump continues to damage America and there is no doubt that he has damaged America’s standing in the world.  It’s just that simple.

Another metric to gauge how toxic Trump has become is to just look at how Republicans down ticket are trying to distance themselves from him.  Here in Montana, several of the Republican candidates used to talk about Trump in their political ads and how they stood with President Trump.  I have not heard one ad in recent weeks in which a candidate even mentions Trump.  That’s pretty telling.

I’ve also noticed that I see more lawn signs here supporting the Democratic slate than Republican candidates.  In Montana, that’s pretty shocking.  I’m pretty sure that Trump will still take Montana and get our three electoral votes but there is definitely a political shift going on.  In 2016, when I rode my bicycle along Route 66 from Chicago to Albuquerque, NM (and then rejoined the group in California) I should have known something was afoot because I saw Trump signs all across middle America.   There is a political shift going on even there.  Iowa is viewed as a tossup this election.  Arizona could very well flip blue.  Even Texas is in play which is why the Republican party there is doing everything they can to suppress the vote.  Association with Trump has even put Lindsey Graham’s South Carolina Senate seat into play.  Lindsey Graham is one of Trump’s biggest supporters in the Senate and now he is fighting for his political life because of his association with and continued unquestioning support for Trump.

If Trump were doing such a great job, why would all of this be happening?  Again, the simple fact is – he has failed miserably across many dimensions as I pointed out yesterday.    Hopefully, the facts, data and truth will be strong enough to overcome the tidal wave of propaganda and lies which will lead to a new administration, and we can once again live in a country that is truly a beacon of light for the rest of world. 

I watched the debate between Kamala Harris and VP Mike Pence last night and it was certainly more in line with a ‘debate’ than the debacle between Trump and Biden.  I doubt if it changed anyone’s mind.  Each candidate got in a few shots.  I think that Harris certainly held her own and Pence was often on the defensive trying to defend Trump’s policies, particularly with respect to the coronavirus.

For me, the most troubling answer of the night was when Pence was asked what he would do if Trump loses the election and refuses to concede to Biden.  Pence basically side-stepped the question and that is troubling.  Trump won’t state categorically that he will accept the results of the election.  VP Pence will not make that statement.   Attorney General Barr has been increasingly talking about mail-in voter fraud, despite little to no evidence that it is a problem.  National Intelligence Director, John Ratcliffe, is selectively releasing previously classified information meant to benefit Trump in a politicization of the intelligence community that is unprecedented in American history.  And, Republicans around the country are using the courts to suppress voting efforts.   It all points to a concerted effort on behalf of the Republican Party (now the Trump Party) to get prepared to contest this election, regardless of the results.

Throughout Trump’s business career, his go to strategy was to sue people in order to wear them down, bury them in paper, and delay decisions in hopes that, in the end, people would just give up and settle.  He has used the same strategy in the White House.  Tax returns, documents, subpoenas for testimony of government employees – you name it, Trump has kept the attorneys very busy with this ‘sue first’ strategy.  We should expect no less with this election.  The bottom line is that the only real danger to this election is Trump and his coterie of toadies.   

My internet was out this morning. I’m a bit tardy. Better late than never.

Make America Great Again!  That’s what the hats say.  That’s what the bumper stickers say.  That’s what Donald Trump says.  He has been in office almost 4 years now and that should be long enough to have made some impact – positive or negative – on the country.   It seems logical to ask the question, “Is the country in better shape and are people better off than they were when Trump took office?” 

Trump loves to talk about the economy and the stock market so let’s start there.  The annualized rate of GDP growth under Trump through 2019 was 2.5%.¹ The GDP under Obama in his first term was 2.0% but he was coming off the crash of 2008.  In his second term it was 2.3%.  The fact is that Trump inherited a growing economy and his policies did very little to make it boom.  The GDP under Clinton’s two terms were 3.5% and 4%, respectively.  The GDP under Reagan’s two terms were 3.1% and 3.9%.  The facts are that the economy under Trump is not historically great.  And that was before the coronavirus.

“The US GDP shrank 9.1 per cent for the April-June quarter of 2020. This is the largest quarterly decline since the series began in 1947, even as the market expectations were much lower than the actual number. The GDP contracted at a 31.7 per cent annualised rate in the given quarter.”² When you take in what has happened to the economy as a result of the pandemic, the GDP performance under Trump is way worse than 2.5%.  

I’m sure there are those of his supporters who would counter that you can’t blame Trump for the coronavirus and its impact on the economy.  While, on the surface that is true, if he is running his reelection campaign based upon a strong economy, one would think that tackling the pandemic would be the first order of business – rather than just pretending it doesn’t exist or will just magically go away.

Let’s turn to the stock market, another of Trump’s favorite metrics to talk about.  I cited these figures in a previous post but they demonstrate that the returns on the S&P have not been ‘historic’ as Trump likes to claim.  Clinton (210%); Obama (182%); Eisenhower (129%); Reagan (117%); Truman (87%); HW Bush (51%); Johnson (46%); Trump (43%).³ Trump continuously talks about how he has made a huge economic impact on the economy – the facts do not bear that out.  If the economy was part of the ‘MAGA’ promise – we’re still waiting.

Unemployment was another favorite topic that Trump liked to talk about, particularly before the pandemic when, and it is true, unemployment rates were at historic lows.  However, we need to deal with reality and the here and now and right now, “Friday’s jobs report will be the last look we get at the American labor market before the election. Economists expect an unemployment rate of 8.2% — only slightly less than in August — which would be the highest jobless rate on record (going back to World War II) as Americans head to the polls.”⁴  Now, not only is the jobless rate terrible, Trump just pulled the rug out from under the negotiations for the stimulus package that millions of Americans were counting on due to their unemployment.   Make America Great Again – we are still waiting.

The COVID-19 virus continues to ravage this country, seemingly unchecked.  Over 210,000 Americans have died and there is still no national strategy to combat this enemy.  There is no national testing strategy.  And the Trump administration continues to ignore medical and scientific advice which has not only cost American lives but is having an adverse impact upon the highest levels of our government.  We are the laughing stock of the world.  The richest and most powerful nation on the planet is stumbling around like the Keystone Kops trying to deal with this.  Make America Great Again – we are still waiting.

Trump really doesn’t talk much about international relations but the fact is that this country is no longer viewed with the same respect that we once had.  Trump has disparaged and alienated many of our closest allies while he continues to cozy up to people like Kim Jung Un and Vladimir Putin.  This is not making America Great Again; this is making America alone in a very complex and dangerous world.

As I recall, Mexico has not paid for a wall.  Instead, Trump has tried to reallocate funding (our tax dollars) that was dutifully approved and appropriated by Congress for other things.  I am sure there are those who think that Trump’s continued war on immigrants is a good thing.  Given that almost everyone in this country, with the exception of the indigenous people, are people whose relatives immigrated to this country during one generation or another, it’s hard to comprehend the disdain for immigrants.   Frankly, I think in some people’s eyes (and most certainly Trump’s) the slogan, Make America Great Again, is really code for ‘Make America Predominantly White Again.’   In any case, we’re still waiting for ‘The Wall.’

There are also the deep divisions in this country that have been greatly exaggerated since Trump took office.  Is this really making America ‘great?’  Congress is so partisan that it is essentially gridlocked like traffic during rush hour on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles.  The racial tensions in this country are significantly worse than when Trump took office.  I would be hard pressed to identify one thing Trump has done to try to unify the country since he took office.  Make America Great Again – when Trump took office, we were the United States of America.  Now we are the Divided States of America! 

And then there is the lying.  The current President of the United States continuously lies.  Not little white lies – giant, provably false statements – day after day.  Trump is a con man.  He is a salesman and the product that he is selling is Donald Trump.  Is America really great when the Commander in Chief is a serial liar and everyone knows it?

Make America Great Again – let’s hope that we have the opportunity to do that.   From my perspective, Trump has failed America like he failed in his businesses.  And if he is reelected to another four years, I think ‘Make America Great Again’ will turn into ‘The Decline and Fall of the American Empire.’

1. https://www.axios.com/presidents-economy-gdp-trump-5d042c64-ace6-4904-8602-40003f917719.html
2. https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/which-top-economies-have-suffered-worst-gdp-fall-due-to-covid-19/story/414683.html
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/07/23/historical-stock-market-returns-under-every-us-president/#649ea702faaf
4. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/01/economy/september-jobs-report-preview/index.html

I am so appalled and disgusted, once again, by the absolutely irresponsible and selfish behavior of our president, and of the Republican Party who are trying to force the Supreme Court nominee through come hell or high water, that I’m not sure I can even find the words to write.  I keep asking myself – how did we get here?  This is not the United States of America that I thought I knew.  This is not patriotism and ‘love of country.’  These are nothing more than selfish actions to stroke personal egos, fulfill personal agendas, and retain power by whatever means required.  We are looking more and more like just another third world dictatorship each and every day.

Does anyone really think that Trump will remain in quarantine at the White House?  I would bet huge sums of money that he will not.  The question is how many more people will he infect with his recklessness?    He doesn’t care.  Everyone around him is expendable except for perhaps his family and sometimes I wonder how quickly he would throw any of them under the bus to save his own ass.

And the Senate, under Mitch McConnell’s leadership and with Lindsey Graham heading up the judiciary committee, is willing to actually put peoples lives at risk to force through this confirmation vote for Amy Coney Barrett.   The Senate vote cannot be done virtually or by proxy so all of the senators will have to be present for this vote.  And three Republican senators (that we know of so far) have tested positive for COVID.  Keep in mind that many senators are well up in years and now they are going to be forced to go into a room with people who have been infected.   This is all about Mitch McConnell’s personal ambition to confirm as many conservative judges as possible and this Supreme Court nominee is the cherry on top of the sundae.   If people get sick or worse, die, I guess McConnell and Trump think its worth it.   Just more collateral damage.  Oh, well.

Of course, no one should be worried because before returning to the White House, Trump tweeted that people shouldn’t be afraid of COVID!  That should really help persuade people to follow the CDC guidelines about wearing masks, social distancing, not attending crowded events, etc.  I wonder if the 210,000 dead Americans and their families would agree that COVID is not something to be afraid of.  The irresponsibility is staggering.

It’s easy for Trump to say things like ‘don’t be afraid of COVID’ because he has immediate access to a world class hospital, Walter Reed, and a team of doctors looking after him.  Not to mention the fact that there are extensive medical capabilities within the White House itself.  Let’s see a show of hands – how many of you have significant medical capabilities at your home and have a team of doctors available 24/7?  No one? Now there’s a surprise.  Most of us have a first aid kit, a few Band-Aids, some Tylenol and our doctors work regular hours so if things go south for any of us, it’s off to the emergency room with countless other poor souls.  And with COVID cases rising in a majority of states, the prospect of some hospitals getting overwhelmed is a reality.  So, tell you what, Mr. Trump, you provide me with the same kind of access to medical care you have, I will be happy to turn down the fear factor. 

How is it that the United States of America, the most powerful and richest country on the planet, can have 4% of the world’s population and more than 20% of the COVID deaths?  More people have died of COVID in the USA than in any other country in the world.   I reiterate, more people have died of COVID in the USA than in any other country in the world.   There is zero excuse for this.  We have the resources to mount a full-fledged war against this virus.  What we don’t have is any leadership and that was demonstrated in spades over the last few days.  Trump has not taken this virus seriously since the very beginning and his behavior over the last few days shows that he is still not taking it seriously. 

One can only hope that this Trump nightmare will be over in a few weeks and even if its not over, we can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel in January.  Anyone or anything would be better as president.   I changed my mind from what I said yesterday – Mr. Ed is back in the running!  At least then we’d get the front end of the horse.