"A Miracle on Pennsylvania Avenue"

My Blog readers know my site has been silent for some time. On August 27th my wife Peggy had a significant stroke (the night after my last post), and my life since then has been consumed with her recovery. Stroke recovery takes patience and good therapists, and I am pleased to say she continues to improve and hopefully will be coming home in a few weeks.

After this historical election I wanted to post a Blog, but just do not have the time. But a friend of mine sent me this after I asked him to be a guest Blogger.

By Robert Catalano

A Miracle on Pennsylvania Avenue:

On this day following Donald Trump's election to President of the United States, the tone of the nation reported through the usual media outlets is shock and disbelief.  The questions being asked around the opinion tables at CNN, that bastion of liberal political opinion disguised as real news and other mainstream media outlets, are beside themselves with shock.

This was not supposed to happen with Hillary Clinton leading in the major polls by as much as ten or more points for a while.  Donald Trump seemed to be making a fool of himself during the debates against Hillary and the Clinton campaign was into a major smear campaign against him.  Some media outlets were anticipating that Trump would undoubtedly drop out of the race with all of the baggage being reported against him.  Even the Republican establishment in Washington D.C. was pulling their endorsements and making statements that Trump was not electable.

What Donald Trump's opposition failed to recognize was the American people have had enough ultra-liberalism.  Four or eight more years of the same policies expressed by Obama through Hillary Clinton were unacceptable.  That factor coupled with the revelations about Hillary Clinton's disingenuous personality, consistent pattern of lying, the Clinton family pay-to-play schemes and the email scandal that she was unable to talk her way out of, sunk the Clinton ship. So in some ways it was not how well Trump performed, but how poorly Hillary and her campaign performed.

The media outlets appear to be in a dither now with the talking heads asking questions about Trump's plans for running the nation.  They must be in such shock that they are unable to remember Trumps campaign statements.  The essence of his plan has been reported to run our government like a business with key people in important positions.  He has promised to provide national governance that benefits our nation rather than the special interests that comprise the majority of the Democratic Party.

The future of America that our children and grandchildren will face is looking brighter today and looking forward, it is now all up to President-elect Donald Trump.

"Bottom Feeders"

Everyone predicted this would be a nasty campaign between Clinton and Trump and here we are before Labor Day and the campaigns have already moved down into the sewer with false comments and accusations that have nothing to do with programs or policies that might convince Americans to vote for them.

Trump calls Hillary a 'bigot' because of the Democratic party's treatment of minorities (especially blacks), by essentially "keeping them on the plantation' and dependent on the democratic entitlement policies. Hillary accuses Trump of being a 'racist', even putting out a video with a Ku Klux Clan member saying he supports Donald Trump and by insinuation labeling all Republicans as 'racists'; if Trump could get a communist to say he supports Hillary, would that make her and all Democrats 'communists'?  It's political bottom feeding at its worse.

It's disgusting on both sides:

From day-to-day it is hard to tell what Trump's policies are and they keep changing.  He makes a good speech then falls on his sword the next day and makes a completely stupid comment. I'm sure his handlers are frustrated because how do you make the 'Tasmanian Devil' a boring, disciplined politician like Hillary. But I don't think his passionate supporters will change their opinion of him.

And from day-to-day more and more information and emails keep coming out further showing what a corrupt politician and liar Hillary Clinton is (and has been). I am sure the Clinton campaign is in a frantic attack mode to do whatever they can to deflect the daily 'email' news away from all this corruption and towards the Trump campaign. But I also don't think her passionate supporters will change their position, and a complicit liberal main stream media has been highly effective in protecting her from close scrutiny while demonizing Donald Trump.

If this election were not so serious it would be funny to watch, but unfortunately it has turned in to a reality show and I am embarrassed to be a serious American voter. How the hell did we ever wind up with these two losers?

Having called them both 'losers', I believe that no intelligent person could vote for Hillary Clinton, who is indisputably the most corrupt and dishonest person we have ever considered as a presidential candidate. But...I guess you could say no intelligent person could vote for Donald Trump. Someone said recently voting in this election is like trying to decide whether to cut off your left or right arm.

But here is how I look at it - there is a chance Trump could be a good president, a chance he could be an average president, a chance he could be a mediocre president, and a chance he could be a bad president. But I believe he would appoint conservative or moderate Supreme Court judges and at least keep the Court in balance.

I believe there is a 100% chance Hillary Clinton will be a bad, corrupt President who cares about nothing but herself and not the American people. It is fitting that she wants to follow in Obama's footsteps who has been the same kind of President. But more importantly, she will appoint far left Supreme Court judges that could change this into another socialist country, which we might never recover from.

Maybe Julian Assange of Wikileaks will drop a 'Hillary bombshell' in November and solve the problem for all of us.

"Truth - sooner or later"

Someone once said that sooner or later no matter how much effort is put into covering the truth it always rises to the surface.

This election campaign is becoming more fun as we go along.  By all rights, after all of Trump's stupid comments and the fact that the media gives him 95% of the negative attention, Hillary Clinton should be running away with this election. I read today that after Trump's comment about gun rights last night, today's media devoted 15 times more negative reporting compared to Hillary. And this is after Judicial Watch was able to secure more emails exposing the 'pay to play' Clinton crime family operation. And yet the liberal media hardly covered it.

Today Julian Assange of Wikileaks in an interview with Netherlands TV 'hinted' that Seth Rich the DNC staffer murdered last month in DC might have been one of his sources. He did not say he thought Seth was murdered because he WAS a source, but said "Some sources take great risks".  Rich was shot twice in the back and his murder was listed as a 'possible burglary' although his wallet and cell phone were not taken.  Hmm...shades of Vince Foster.

Hillary's campaign has said that all these recent 'pay to play' emails released were between her staffers and Clinton Foundation staffers and she was not involved....right. These slimy Clintons keep denying, denying but sooner or later the truth will come out.

Why would Hillary wipe her server clean of 33,000 so-called personal emails? Why not just delete them like we all do, even knowing they still stay in memory. Ask yourself that question.  She says they were all personal; organizing Chelsea's wedding; scheduling her Yoga classes, etc. I can see where a lot of the emails had to do with such a magnificent wedding, after all it was the King and Queen of American politics and the wedding of their Princess Chelsea. And I guess you can spend a lot of time on email scheduling your Yoga classes, she certainly must have spent a lot of time on the internet trying to find XXL yoga pants. But ask yourself again, why wipe the server clean?...I think we all know why.

So strap in your seat belt this could be quite an election season. No one gives Trump a chance but what if Wikileaks or some other hacker releases some or all of those 33,000 emails and exposes the truth? How exciting this election could become. But don't count on the main stream liberal media, they are in the tank and will do whatever they can to cover the truth about Hillary. But truth sooner or later...

"The Folks v the Establishment"

This is a historic election in many ways. I cannot remember a time when the Democrats, the sitting President, the liberal main stream media, and the Republican establishment have all teamed up against an outsider who broke through the system, beat 16 opponents during the Republican primary and now has the political and media establishment in full attack mode against him. Are they worried?

Donald trump brings a lot of this on himself. The Khan speech during the Democratic convention was a classic scripted presentation to bait Trump. The Khans were very believable, and how could you not sympathize with them losing their son in Iraq, a captain in the military and a bronze star hero. But unfortunately the heart breaking story they told during the convention turned into an attack on Trump by the father, which was obviously scripted; it was a classic Democratic tactic. And Trump took the bait. He should have praised the family, and then just said that he didn't think their comments about him were fair.

During the Republican convention the mother of one of the CIA agents killed in Benghazi told the story about Hillary lying to her. The father of another agent killed during the attack confirmed it during later press interviews; he even had notes made on the spot proving that Hillary said "The attack was due to the video and we are going to put the man that made it in jail", this was after she had told her daughter and the president of Egypt it was a terrorist attack. The mother's speech got almost no attention from the media, while the Khan speech and Trumps response received 50 times the coverage. The message - Trump took the bait and the liberal media jumped. Hillary was smart by only saying; "The mother and father of the slain Benghazi heroes get my full sympathy, but they just misunderstood what I said", a complete lie, but the media bought it and the story was buried.

What makes this election historic is how Trump might possibly win with these 'headwinds' from every corner of the political and media establishment. When our President gets up in a nationally televised press conference with a foreign leader, and tells the Republican establishment not to support Donald Trump, that is unprecedented for a sitting chief executive, but it is not surprising coming from a despicable, classless, narcissist who cares about nothing but protecting his legacy because he knows Trump might destroy it.

No one really gives this outsider Trump a chance, but if somehow he does win, it will be a remarkable victory for the 'folks' and a finger in the eye of the establishment across the board, and could result in profound changes in our political system and media coverage. If he does not win, he will just become a blip in history along with Bernie Sanders and proof that Washington really does control all aspects of the political and media establishment in this country.  

"Passion"

Passion....or lack of it clearly describes the attitudes of voters this election. Donald Trump has passionate followers and no one will ever change their mind. He also has a large segment of the voting public that passionately would NEVER vote for him no matter who he is running against. And that says a lot since he is running against a serial criminal, yet the experts say he will lose in November.

Hillary is also facing head winds in the November election and there is not so much passion involved with her supporters. Like Trump there is also a large segment of the voting public that would NEVER vote for Hillary Clinton and plan to hold their nose and vote for Trump or not vote. On the support side I don't see much 'passion'; ask yourself how many people you have seen that passionately want Hillary to be President, many of her supporters just don't like Trump. I have a son who hates Trump and even jokes (I think) about moving to Canada if Trump is elected. I asked him what he was going to do if Hillary is elected, his response: "So what if we have another crook in the White House, that's not unusual". How's that for a ringing endorsement of Hillary.

Hillary's advantage is the entitlement society; millions rely on government assistance in the form of food stamps, welfare, housing assistance, Obamacare subsidies, free cell phone assistance...it is endless, and these folks will never vote for a Donald Trump or any other 'pro work' President. I'm not saying there are folks that don't need assistance, of course there are, but in my opinion not in the numbers on the government dole right now.

The Republican Convention was not filled with a lot of passion, although Rudy gave it a good shot. But it was a good convention in my opinion, the Cruz dust up and the Melania accusation of plagiarism were just speed bumps, but contrary to the liberal media calling it a food fight, I liked the many speakers and the message. In my opinion the story of the convention was Trump's family, especially his kids; what an impressive group. There is an old saying; "You cannot fake good kids"; they were intelligent, great speakers, classy, and not pretentious in any way. If Trump is smart he will have them all on the road during his campaign.

Mike Pence was a safe choice for Trump and adds the political experience needed. Today Hillary announced her VP choice; Senator Tim Kaine. When it comes to 'passion' I would color Pence gray and I would color Kain gray; so we have 'gray squared' VP candidates...plan on dinner out for the VP debate.

So now we go to the Democratic Convention where as one pundit described it "They will try to tear the skin off Donald Trump", and why not, that is what this bullshit we call politics is all about.    

Madam "Bobble head"

Bernie Sanders' speech endorsing Hillary in New Hampshire yesterday was a sight to watch. It was sad to see Bernie become such a political prostitute; I lost what little respect I had for him. And watching him go on about 'income inequality' with Hillary standing behind him; yes the same Hillary that made over $21 million the past several years making speeches to Wall Street and foreign entities jostling for future favors in her administration.

If you haven't seen his endorsement speech, check it out on You Tube. She stood behind Bernie with that Clinton smirk on her face and nodding 'yes' at every far left point he made. Someone actually counted the nods and they totaled over 400 during the Crazy Uncle's speech. A "bobble head" doll would have been envious.

Watching her with that smirk on her face I could imagine what she was thinking:  "You suckers thought I would be indicted but us Clintons can always slither out of these minor criminal acts...ha ha. And now Bernie is endorsing me, so I will go along with his program just to get votes from his followers. But when I get elected I will drop this crazy old man and his followers like a cheap pantsuit. I will never abandon those Wall Street and other major donors that I owe favors". 

This election season is depressing for many of us especially watching the blatant corruption shown by Obama, Hillary, Bill, Loretta Lynch, and even FBI Director Comey who after giving Hillary a 'get out of jail card', admitted to Congress the following day that she lied under oath many times, tried to hide emails, kept an unsecured server in her home, and was guilty of gross carelessness. This whole corrupt Obama administration has proven one thing - people thought the system was rigged in Hillary's favor and they were proven to be correct. Let's hope the voters will have the final say this November and sent this serial criminal in pantsuits packing and out of our lives.

"Brexit Analysis"

Those that have nothing else to do and read this Blog know that I am an expert on just about everything...especially if I have had a martini.

So let's analyze the implications of "Brexit" which is the majority vote of citizens of Great Britain to tell the EU to "stuff it" and Britain will again become a sovereign country. They will control their own borders and immigration, decide upon their own business and trade regulations, and basically make their own decisions based on what is best for their citizens. The vote was a complete surprise since most polls showed the "remain in the EU" vote ahead.

The general consensus by the pundits today is that uncontrolled immigration and failure of immigrants to assimilate and become "British" was the deciding factor. Could this be a trend in Europe? I traveled to Europe 1-2 times a year for 30 years during my career with business in many of the industrialized countries making up of the EU. When the EU was formed I was a skeptic having seen for years how these diverse cultures viewed each other. Germans thought the French were lazy and not industrious; the French thought the Germans were "barbarians"; etc. etc. So put 27 of those diverse countries in the same pot and I always thought it was a mixture that would not work.

Obviously immigration in Europe is a big issue particularly with the Mid-East being a chaotic mess and people fleeing to seek some kind of life. The EU, one of the industrial powerhouses of the west with basically open borders is straining under the pressure of millions of poor, uneducated, and unskilled people flooding their countries and most needing government assistance.

So the future may or may not result in other countries bailing from the EU. Donald Trump predicts they will. Is this guy smart or just lucky to be in the UK when all this came down today in his favor? I doubt it will make any difference in our election, but the timing was great.

So here is my analysis of the Brexit situation: I have no idea what is going to happen, but if the stock market tanks again Monday I am buying in because I still believe nothing can stop the USA productive machine in the long run.


P.S. Readers may note that I have two very intelligent "lurkers" that follow this Blog - John (Nighthawk) and Bob Catalano.  They normally respond within minutes to my posts with their opinions so they may be able to further clear up this "Brexit" situation  :-)  

"The Race to the Bottom"

The recent speeches by Hillary and Trump give us a preview of where this election season will be going once the conventions are over and the general election campaign begins. The candidates are going straight to the sewer of politics folks and we need to get ready for three months of pure bullshit that has nothing to do with the problems facing this country.

Hillary called Trump a thief, a 'griffter', dishonest businessman screwing his suppliers, mentally unstable', involved in 3500 lawsuits during his career, and not qualified to be President.

Trump called Hillary the most corrupt politician that has ever run for president, reminded us of her almost treasonous behavior while letting the Ambassador and his supporters be murdered while doing nothing, then blaming it on a video, trading millions of donations from countries for special favors once she becomes president, accepting millions for speeches from Wall Street while refusing to release transcripts of those speeches, and finally the only presidential candidate running for office that is under criminal investigation.

Even if half of these claims are true by each of these candidates, this great country has come up with two "bottom feeders" to run for the most powerful office in the world. I'm not sure we deserve any congratulations.

I cannot fact check the accusations against Trump and I am not really a supporter. But I have followed Bill and Hillary Clinton's careers for decades and if anything I would add many accusations to her and her husband's performance while in office. Let's not forget Whitewater, FBI files, Vince Foster suicide, all the women Bill has molested including his disgusting sexual dalliances in the Oval Office and I could go on. How the hell do we come up with these so-called leaders? It makes one feel that the average guy no longer has a say.

Having said all this I will hold my nose and do everything I can to see that Hillary is not elected and the Clinton's become a "black blip" in US history.

"What happened to our laws"

Am I the only one disgusted while watching these riots in Coasta Mesa, Albuquerque, and Anaheim showing people destroying police cars, breaking windows, and starting fires while the police watched? Some were arrested but it looked like dozens were breaking the law, not 'peacefully' protesting...and now we approach the Convention in Cleveland.

 People should be allowed to protest, it's their right, but if you destroy a police car or someone's property you have broken the law and you should go to jail. I commend the police for their restraint, but I also believe the neglect of the rule of law leads to anarchy. If you watched the videos, someone who was a Trump supporter could have been killed and some were injured as they just wanted drive home from the rally.

I was also disgusted to see many of the protesters flying Mexican flags. Call me a racist, but think about what would happen if you flew an American flag during a protest in Mexico City. What is ironic is that these folks have just reinforced Trump's campaign; he wants to enforce the laws of this country and stop the flow of illegals into this country. We are all descendants of immigrants but without some control this country will become chaotic and it showed in all these protests. 


California is a Latino majority and most are peace loving, but if they protest violently and fly Mexican flags, the progress they have made will be lost. More than 50% of drivers licenses last year in Ca went to illegal immigrants. I'm not a anti immigration person but we do have a country with borders and do we want to recognize these borders or not? Democrats seem to want an open borders country, some say to get more votes I hope that's not the case.

I am in the wine business so no one knows more that me how much vineyard workers are needed and that's why we need a guest worker program. Most illegals are here to earn money and would like nothing better that to make some money and move back to their home country.

Let me end this blog by asking a question - how many Conservatives do you see participating in violent protests? And let's see how many Conservatives protest violently this summer during the Conventions. 

"Fed up"

I have been traveling these past few weeks, driving across this beautiful country and had a lot of time to think. But all I can come up with is how fed up I am with the two candidates we have running to become President of this country. Out of 320 million people is this the best we can come up with?

Why have Donald Trump and (almost) Bernie Sanders received so many votes? Because the folks are angry and fed up - they are fed up with the Washington power structure not representing their votes, they are fed up with the liberal media trying to tell them how to vote, they are fed up with the cultural decline of this country, and they are fed up with the East Coast liberals thinking they are the "intellectuals" and the rest of the population are 'hayseeds' that can't think for themselves.

Well I have news for the so-called political/media power structure concentrated in the North East (and California), the folks are throwing you under the bus. I have said many times on this Blog that I am not a Trump supporter but I am a "never Hillary" supporter. Don't forget Bernie, he has also tapped into the folks that want to throw the establishment under the bus. Unfortunately he is running in a party that has a rigged primary election that planned a 'coronation' of Hillary before the election started. 

Isn't it interesting that the experts thought the Republican Convention would be chaos and now (most) Republicans, (reluctantly) are starting to support Trump. At the same time it looks like the Democratic convention may be chaos and according to some polls as many as 20% of Bernie supporters may vote for Trump. Hillary is a joke and many on the democratic side believe that. Here is my feeling about this election - we know what Hillary will do as President, we don't know what Donald Trump would do, but it would have to be an improvement.

Sadly this is going to be an election where for the first time in my life most voters will be voting for who they are 'against' not who they are 'for'. 

"All aboard the Trump Train II"

Well readers this will be a short Blog since I am leaving on a trip. If I get time I will Blog from the road, if not see you in a few weeks.

But I had to comment on the Trump Train which seems to be going full speed since my candidate Ted Cruz has dropped out. John Kasich says he will stay in the race, but that is like a Pop Warner football team trying to beat the Green Bay Packers, so I will not give him any more words in this Blog.

But it is time for Republicans to unite and direct our fire at Hillary Clinton because I still believe in the  'anyone but Hillary' mantra. The experts say Trump cannot possibly win; for those that promise to leave the country if Trump becomes president, I repeat my earlier comments; "Make sure your passport is up to date".

This guy has tapped into an anger in this country that may cross party lines. The experts say that the Democrats have the electoral advantage...I'm not so sure. I believe the next thing you will see is the Trump campaign leaking key appointments in the Trump administration, and he has a lot of  bench talent to draw from. If you compare Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Rudy Giuliani, and so many other Conservatives that have been in the background for years while Obama and his minions have tried to destroy this country to Hillary and her potential Administration, you may be surprised at what happens in the political arena the next few months...should be fun.

Signing off for a while.  John and Bob make your comments and keep this Blog posting going :-)

"Insanity and Socialism"

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result".  Some attribute this saying to Einstein. But it certainly makes sense.

AP reported today:  "Cities across Venezuela are increasingly agitated, as government offices closed their doors for the rest of the week in the face of a worsening energy crisis that is causing daily blackouts. Looting for food and fiery protests started spreading Wednesday in Caracas, as hundreds of angry voters lined up to sign a petition beginning the process of recalling the deeply unpopular President Nicolas Maduro. The socialist administration began imposing a four-hour daily blackout around the country this week to save electricity. Then, Maduro announced that millions of officials will now work only Mondays and Tuesdays, taking the rest of the week off in a bid to save electricity". (By the way these government officials will continue to be paid for the days they do not work, another cornerstone of a government controlled socialist society).

Ah yes, as Venezuela continues to mourn its hero Hugo Chavez the folks are not too happy. No food, no electricity, an oil powerhouse that cannot even supply gasoline to the few that can afford a car. The country is in chaos as they harvest the fruits of socialism. So following Cuba's example here we have another definition of insanity....trying socialism and expecting a different result.

But there is a silver lining in this story, now that Bernie Sanders has no chance to win the primary here in the US, the potential job openings keep coming. If the people in Venezuela are successful in overthrowing their President Maduro, maybe Bernie with his large unused campaign war chest should move there and try to convince the population to "Try socialism just once more, I know how to do it right". I wouldn't bet on that insanity Bern.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alberteins133991.html

"All Aboard the Trump Train"

For those of you that swore to leave the country if Trump becomes President, you may want to be sure your passport is updated and house ready to sell.

He has not been nominated yet, but the Trump Train is moving down the tracks toward that goal at a pretty good clip. After sweeping the Northeast, Indiana could be the deathblow for the Cruz/Kasich caboose. The so-called collusion by Cruz/Kasich is most likely a 'Hail Mary' that will have little effect. In my opinion for Cruz to team up with Kasich is like adding a proven loser to your team. Their strategy is to keep Trump from getting to 1237 delegates and then the 'establishment' can rise up and get rid of him in a contested convention...the way Trump is accumulating delegates that may be wishful thinking and the race could be over by then.

But there is still hope for you Trump haters, the experts say Hillary will destroy him in the general election, so don't put that house on the market yet. But I remind you that there were 16 Republican competitors, all the political experts, and conservative Republicans like myself that thought at the beginning Trump was just a 'flash in the pan' and doomed to extinguish quickly. Well here we are, and the 'flash' has turned into a wildfire that may burn all the way to Cleveland.

I am still not a Trump fan but he is a Phenom that has turned the political scene upside down and has the establishment wondering what the hell happened. I cannot imagine this country electing someone as disgusting as Hillary Clinton as our leader, and I am sure the Trump haters feel the same about him. How did we get here with these two people?

Hillary and her team are very confident and salivating at the thought that Trump will be the Republican challenger in the general election..."be careful what you wish for".  

 

"On a Wing and a Prayer"

Those in my generation remember this iconic phrase from WWII...a pilot's damaged plane with only one engine, coming in "on a wing and a prayer".

This should be Bernie Sanders' new campaign slogan. His campaign is flying on only one wing and his prayer: "Please lord let Hillary be indicted". The Bern's campaign promises of free stuff could never overcome the Clinton machine, probably because other that a few smart people I know who supported him, his base of young mush-brained millennials never stopped to ask how he would pay for his promises and what would happen to their taxes.

Bernie sadly never had a chance but he was still a Phenom especially raising money. He boasts that his average contribution from millions of people was less than $30. If someone promised you a free college education, free preschool, free medical and that he would bring those Wall Street greedy people to their knees, wouldn't you send him 30 bucks?

Bernie is no dummy; he collected almost $40 million in March and vows to stay in until the end. But I suspect he will reduce his campaign spending because he now has a massive campaign war chest.

I checked the campaign finance rules and even if Bernie were to drop out he would get to keep all those millions for future campaigns. So if he doesn't make it in this primary I pity anyone who runs against him in future Vermont elections because he will have a war chest that could destroy any political competitor at a state level until he retires. I can see it now - Bernie will have his own version of the Trump jet going back and forth to Vermont and never again having to fly with the folks. This jet will have 'The Bern' on big letters on the side and I can see him in the plane's private lounge drinking his strawberry daiquiri thinking "up yours Donald".

OK, I'm just having fun...as a person I like "The Bern" but he is so misguided; with all this money maybe after he retires from the Senate and the Castro brothers die, he should make a run for President of Cuba...well, maybe that would not be successful, those folks  already know what socialism is all about.

" And then there were two"

Big wins for the 'Trumpster' and the 'Pant Suit' last night and the experts are telling us it is all over and these will be the candidates in the general election. Even Mr. Trump in his victory speech started to speak with more civility referring to 'Senator' Cruz' (not 'lying Ted').

I cannot imagine what Kasich is doing in this race, he has never won anything but his own state and if he wants to be a 'spoiler' he is playing right into Trump's hand. This guy is a RINO (Republican in Name Only) and would probably give Hillary a run if he could get the nomination because the DC establishment does not want change. But this is a different time and no one represents the 'establishment' more than Kasich, so he doesn't have a chance and should just fold his tent and go away.

But Cruz, Kasich, and The Bern are not going away, hoping for contested conventions. First of all, Bernie has no chance unless Hillary gets indicted. But the Obama administration and the Democratic Party will not let that happen, so Bernie (as he has been all along) is history. It will be interesting to see where his voters go...they do not like Hillary or the 'establishment'.

And if Trump makes it to 1237 delegates either before or during the first convention ballot Cruz and Kasich are history also. And the Trumpster does have a lot of momentum with favorable polls in many of the remaining primary elections. Whether you support Trump or hate him, we need to acknowledge that this is an inexperienced politician that started off competing against 17 Republican experienced politicians (except for Dr. Carson), and may defeat them all. This, along with Bernie's success, tells us there are a lot of voters in this country angry with the establishment and want change.

Those that follow this Blog know that I am not a Trump supporter, but I am also an "anyone but Hillary" voter. Obama has almost destroyed this country and Hillary plans to continue his policies, Saul Alinsky would be proud.

California has had no say in any primary election for decades because of the late date of our primary. But would it not be ironic if California, the liberal bastion of the western US, and supporter of more illegal immigrants than the rest of the country combined, was the state whose voters catapulted Donald J. Trump into the general election for President?

"Battle of the Curmudgeons"

I thought the Democratic debate last night was finally an example of what these two nominees are all about. A friend once told me how 'civil' they were to each other in their debates compared to Republicans. Really! Someone pulled back the curtain and the gloves came off last night. These two curmudgeons were yelling at each other all evening. Even the ultra-liberal Wolf Blitzer had to tell them to calm down and quit talking over each other.

Hillary: "We need a $15 minimum wage!"

Bernie: "That was my offer, you were only at $12 a few weeks ago!"

Hillary: "I have always been at $15 and I might even go to $20!"

Bernie: "I'll match your $20 and throw in three weeks of paid vacation for all employees!"

Hillary: "You're full of crap Bernie and you will never be President!"

Bernie: "Look bitch you are the one getting $235 thousand for a speech to Goldman Sachs and your Super Pac gets $15 million from Wall Street. You are in Wall Street's back pocket, you voted for the Iraq war, and you don't have the judgement to be President!"

Hillary: "Look you old bastard you can't get more that $30 from each of your contributors and you shouldn't even be on the stage with me. After Obama kicked my ass in 2008 I have been promised by the DNC that it's my turn to be President and you need to get lost!"

Bernie: "Look fatso I have won 7 of the last 8 primaries and I am in this to kick your ass all the way to the Convention!"

Wolf Blitzer: "Please can't we all get along?"

OK, this is not exactly how the debate went, but it is what I believe they were both thinking. Civil...I don't think so, and I was amazed that they could yell at the top of their voices for almost two hours. But in the end it was the same old Democratic play book...offer your voters lots of free stuff even though you know you can never deliver on your promises.

 

"Just One of the Folks"

The photo op of Mrs. Clinton on the subway in NYC was, to use a pun, 'Hillaryous', not because she couldn't even figure out how to swipe the card, but this is a woman who once said: "I haven't driven a car in 20 years", being chauffeured in a limo everywhere. These candidates must think 'the folks' are really stupid.

She is not the only one; John Kasich eating pizza in NYC with a fork...no John, and Texan Ted Cruz making Jewish matzah bread (probably wearing his cowboy boots). I guess these politicians feel they have to do these photo ops, but at some point you would think their handlers would tell them that the folks won't buy it.

But these photo ops can also be destructive to a campaign. Those my age can remember Micheal Dukakis doing his "Beetle Baily" imitation driving a tank. That photo was not just mocked throughout the media but also probably had a lot to do with his campaign being a total flop. This was probably the first time he had ever been near a tank. The folks didn't buy it.

And we can't forget John Kerry in camo being video taped walking into a small hunting store in Ohio saying; "Is this where I get me a huntin license?" The folks didn't buy it, and it may have helped contribute to his campaign loss.

This primary election is so competitive that for the first time in decades the California vote on June 7th will be very important for all the candidates. If before that election we see a video of Bernie Sanders surfing I may croak.

"Feel the Bern III"

Finally the 'gentle geezer' is attacking Hillary. Unfortunately it may be too late, who knows where his campaign might be if earlier he had brought up the email scandal, the Clinton Foundation "pay for play" scandals, and her trust factor which is a negative among a majority of American voters.

Bernie is a lot of things; great campaigner, energetic, honest, and he really believes his idea of a socialist utopia would work...he can't explain how it would work, but he believes it. But for someone who has been in politics for 25 years he is naive about the rough and tumble aspect of politics, especially going up against a Clinton.

When Bernie in the first debate against Hillary said: "Forget the emails. I'm not interested in that".   At that point I thought to myself, 'he has lost the election'. Going against the Clintons you need to be tough, aggressive, and yes, downright dirty because that's how they play. Believe me if Bernie would ever pull even or get ahead of her they would roll out the dirt, and they probably have a lot on Bernie even if it is made up.

Hillary is controlled by the Wall Street and Corporate structure in this country and he has been hitting her hard on that. But her 'Achilles heel' is the scandals and 'trustworthy' issue which he has avoided. He should have been attacking her on those issues from the beginning and would probably have a real chance right now. But the numbers (and especially with the Super delegates) indicate his chances are probably nil at this point. He may be a nice guy trying to sell a 'utopian society that provides free stuff for everyone', but without a miracle in this primary, history will look at him as just an asterisk  in American politics, particularly since he had done very little in his first 25 years as a public servant. 

"Between a Rock and a Hard Spot"

The Wisconsin primary certainly kept the pot boiling on both sides. During the last presidential primary everything was settled by now. Instead, now both parties are still wondering who their candidate will be.  On the democratic side the experts say that Hillary still has the nomination wrapped up but I am not so sure. NY and Pennsylvania primaries will tell everything, but odds are that Hillary will win in the end especially since the Democratic establishment as of this writing, have the 'super delegates' committed to Hillary.

But on the republican side we are between a 'rock and a hard spot' - Trump voters hate Cruz and vice versa. It's hard to imagine these two ever coming together if one of them are nominated, or if another republican candidate is selected. If Trump loses he may make an independent bid and Republicans will lose. If Cruz wins, his following has a ceiling just like Trump and I don't see how he could pull the party together since most of the Republican power structure in DC is against him.  And if the republicans bring in a candidate like Kasich ('Rino') or one who has not been part of the primary, people  will stay home, so at this point it doesn't look good for the good guys.

It's sad that 60% of Americans on both sides believe the country is on the wrong track and that America has lost its leadership standing in the world...congratulations Mr. Obama on a job well done. The only thing the Republican party has going for it in this election is that the Democrats have put up two of the sorriest candidates I can remember in my lifetime (and that's a long time). 

"Speed Bumps and Convention Madness"

If the Wisconsin primary polls are accurate, it looks like the Trump and Hillary trains may hit a bit of a 'speed bump'.

Each loss by The Donald makes it look more and more like a contested Convention. Experts tell us that if neither Trump nor Cruz reaches the 1237 required to secure the nomination, and if neither can muster that many votes during the first round of voting, the delegates will be free on the second round and things could break wide open and anyone can be nominated. Kasich is nothing but a spoiler at this point and unless they change the rules, he cannot even be included in the first round of voting since you need to win a majority in at least eight primaries. It would not surprise me if the 'establishment' was funding his campaign just so he can keep Trump and Cruz from winning outright.

All the news lately is about a "chaotic" Republican convention, especially from Trump who says that if he is close to the 1237 number but is denied the nomination, there could be unrest by his supporters, and maybe even 'rioting'. So the Republican Convention holds the promise of being a very interesting event.

But what about the Democratic Convention?

Bernie Sanders has now won six out of the last seven primary contests (many of them caucuses) and must have the Hillary campaign somewhat concerned; he is also slightly ahead in the polls in Wisconsin. All the experts believe the primary is rigged for Hillary and Bernie is just coming along for the ride. With a big lead and almost all of the super delegates committed to her, Bernie doesn't seem to have much of a chance. Even Debbie Wasserman-Shultz the DNC chairman has been heard privately saying that he will never be their candidate because; "He has always been an Independent and not a Democrat".

But think about this:  Some believe Hillary may be indicted (I don't think so); even if the FBI recommends indictment political power in DC will keep that from happening. The FBI is planning to interview Hillary and her top aids under oath in the near future; in addition the man that set up and installed her private server has agreed to testify after being given immunity (why would he ask for immunity?). None of this looks good for the Hillary train. Even if the FBI recommends indictment and the Obama administration refuses to move forward, that will leak out to the press and  could cause Hillary to lose big in the remaining primaries and not cinch the nomination.

And if by a miracle that happens and Hillary and Bernie go into the convention with neither having a majority, and neither secure the nomination on the first round, the DNC could send someone like Joe Biden into the convention on a white horse to secure the nomination for the "establishment". It's not probable, but wouldn't it be ironic if that happened and the Bernie supporters went wild and the Democratic convention ended up being crazier than the Republican convention?

Could be an interesting summer, and one thing we know for sure, Liberals are much better at rioting than Conservatives.