The Trouble With Trump
Donald Trump attends the Hank’s Yanks 1st Annual Golf Classic at Trump Golf Links on Monday, July 6, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Greg Allen/Invision/APhttp://rack.1.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDE1LzA3LzIzL2E5L0RvbmFsZFRydW1wLmYyMjJhLmpwZwpwCXRodW1iCTk1MHg1MzQjCmUJanBn/291253b0/6f3/Donald-Trump-1.jpg
I have always considered conservatism to be the political philosophy of the thinking man. We don’t vote on a whim. We research the issues and vet our candidates. Most of us are people who hold ourselves to high moral principles, and we expect the same from our elected representatives. That’s what makes the popularity of Donald Trump so ironic. I understand that Conservatives are tired of the Washington status quo. Tired of Republican politicians who talk a good line and promise what ever to get elected and then don’t deliver. We are disgusted with the disingenuousness of political correctness and long for someone with enough chutzpa to stand up and speak the truth. Donald Trump is not that man.
We’ve all known that the left has its low information voters, people who are not motivated to delve into a candidate’s record, or history. Uncomfortable with the concept of personal responsibility, wallowing in perpetual victimhood, this constituency will vote for the candidate who seems most capable of providing a life free from worry or want. The progressive movement depends on these suckling lambs and leads them, like a herd, to the polls every election. Unfortunately Conservatism also has its useful idiots. People who vote based on emotion. They’ll choose the candidate who says what they want to hear, no mater his background. Trump appeals to these people. A consummate entertainer, Trump knows how to work an audience for maximum response. An inveterate attention whore, he thrives on working an audience into a frenzy. Trump paints himself as a Washington outsider, but from the ham-fisted attempt at quoting scripture at Liberty University, his way of pandering to whatever crowd he encounters, to his passive aggressive style of attacking his opponents, The Donald has proven that he is a very skilled politician. What he is not, is a statesman. Arrogant and petulant, he has at times behaved like a spoiled toddler or a playground bully. While many praise his outspokenness, there is a difference between being politically incorrect and being crass and vulgar. Trump does not know this difference; he says the first thing that pops into his mind however outlandish. No world leader would take him seriously.
Conservatives want a President who understands basic economics. One who will press for a balanced budget and get our fiscal house in order. But is Trump really the type of businessman for the job? Unlike businessmen like Herman Cain or Mitt Romney, who have a history of taking failing businesses, making the tough cuts and restoring them to solvency, Trump is a real-estate speculator. He takes investors money, or takes out loans, then sinks that money into risky ventures. Many times it has paid off big, making him millions, but it has also landed him in bankruptcy four times. Is this really the kind of businessman we want in charge of our tax dollars?
As for his Conservative credentials, Trump is hard to pin down. He has a history of donating to whatever candidate he could get the most use out of whether they were Liberal or Conservative. He donated to Hillary Clinton and Rahm Emanual to name a few. He didn’t make these donations because he believed in these politicians, no, he donated for favors. This is exactly the kind of cronyism that makes our representatives so unresponsive to the needs of the people who elect them. Trump has used the very system that is the biggest problem in Washington. He has supported then unsupported an assault weapon ban, and a single payer health care system. While it might be possible that he has had a change of heart about these issues, the fact that many of the changes are recent, leads one to question whether this is genuine, or just pandering for the Conservative vote.
We slam Ted Cruz because of a couple of campaign faux pas; we don’t trust Marco Rubio because he was part of the Gang of Eight. We scrutinize every facet of the other candidates. But just like Obama, for whom none of his numerous offenses seem to stick, we have simply chosen to overlook all the vast and varied reasons why Donald Trump is the wrong person to be the Republican nominee.
We have let this circus go on far too long. The stakes are far too high. The very future of our once great nation and our way of life are at stake. So confident of his chance of winning, the Donald will most assuredly run as an Independent if he doesn’t get the Republican nomination. This will fracture the Conservative vote, and hand the White House over to a Liberal Crone or a died in the wool Socialist. True Conservatives hoped we would be able to have a real leader, someone we could whole-heartedly support, instead of voting for the lesser of two evils. Looks like we will be disappointed again
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Senator Bill Nelson Chooses Politics over Constituents
Just so you’ll know who’s in lock step with Obama come election time….
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A New Kind of Slavery
Segregation of Restrooms (Photo credit: Universal Pops)
Since the verdict of the George Zimmerman trial, I have watched the reactions from all sides with a sense of frustration. More than once I have found myself shouting at the radio, TV, or computer screen “just what do you want from us?” The supporters of Trayvon and his family were adamant in their desire for a fair trial, for justice. Once granted that trial and justice being served, they now want another trial in Federal Court under civil rights violations. OK, just what was it that you wanted? Justice or vengeance? The leaders in the black community are calling for an end to racial profiling. However, they refuse to earnestly acknowledge that it is the violent behavior of many young black men, and the undisputable fact that young black men commit a disproportionate number of crimes, that are the causes of such profiling. Instead, race-baiters like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and local black leadership foment an unreasonable fear of white people, and authority. Many black parents now teach their children to keep their hands in view and speak respectfully to police officers. They tell them not to wear baggy pants, hoodies in the summer or let their underwear show. They teach them not to be out late at night or hang out in certain areas or with known gang-bangers. They teach their children that they must do these things not to instill better values, but because white people have an irrational fear of black people and because of this, young black men are always in danger of being unfairly incarcerated or worse. Funny thing is, these are some of the same things I have taught my kids. Not because they might be the victims of a perceived injustice, but because it is the correct way to behave. You are supposed to have respect for authority, and to dress and behave respectfully, if you want to be respected yourself.
There is clearly a disconnect between how the black community and the white community perceive identical situations. In the white community, it makes perfect sense to assume that someone who dresses like, talks like, and has the same swaggering posture as a thug, is a thug. According to the black community we should not make such assumptions unless the person has actually committed a crime against us. Mind you, it’s OK for blacks to be suspicious of other blacks, but if it is done by a white person, it’s profiling and should be illegal. To most business owners, it is a sound business practice to analyze inventory and to secure merchandize that is often stolen. If those items happen to be frequently purchased by blacks, then it is not business, it’s racism.
Almost without exception, black people will tell you of how they have been followed by store clerks, heard the locking of doors, and witnessed white people clutching their purses tighter when they approached. Even the President told of his experience. I know that personally, when I meet a black person, unless that person, is dressed like or acting like a thug, I don’t behave that way. In fact, I can’t think of anyone I know who does. Could the experiences passed down from generations past, documented accounts of past horrid treatment at the hands of whites, affect how you perceive your world today? Could it be perhaps, that you have been conditioned by your culture to expect this kind of treatment and are hyper-sensitive to it?
No one in my generation, black or white, has attended a segregated school, used a segregated bathroom, eaten at a segregated lunch counter or knew anyone who owned or was a slave. Our parents may have, our grandparents surly did. But that was two generations ago. We get it. We really do. Judging someone by the color of their skin is wrong. It’s why we no longer form lynch mobs, or petition to keep black people out of our neighborhoods. It’s why we think nothing of working, shopping or commuting with our black neighbors. The thought of returning to the pre-civil rights era is as abhorrent to us as it is to the black community. That is why whites in America are becoming increasingly frustrated at being judged for what our ancestors did to your ancestors.
Told by politicians pandering for their votes, a media desperate for ratings and leaders within their own community hungry for power, that they deserve reparation, many of today’s blacks are no longer content with seeking a level playing field and a color blind society, they seek retribution. By allowing themselves to be used by leaders more interested in increasing their own power, and by becoming dependent on government entitlements, the black community has embraced victim-hood. By doing so, they have willingly become slaves all over again. And this time no amount of white guilt can undo the damage. It’s something the black community must do for itself.
Related articles
- Black America’s True Nemesis: Liberals, Not Zimmerman (americanthinker.com)
- Dear Black America (uiowa.uloop.com)
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Let’s Get Fired Up
Saw this video on Chicks On the Right. When will those in the government learn that they work for us. There are those who understand what this country was founded on and will not stand by and let our Constitution be trampled.
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We Will Be Watching
Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
President Obama, you won last night’s election by 2,791,867 votes. In a nation of over 314 million, that is hardly a mandate. Don’t you dare think you are in the Oval Office because you won the hearts and minds of the American people. The only reason you got re-elected is because your clever campaign advisers understood the numbers game that is the Electoral College. Remember, nearly half the nation voted against you. Nearly half the nation did not buy into the fictitious “War on Women”, the half-truths, class warfare, race baiting, and outright lies put forth by your campaign machine. Nearly half the nation, did not trust the mainstream media to give us the unbiased facts. Nearly half the nation has no faith or trust in your ability to lead.
Millions of us are capable of understanding that it is possible for man to hold strong values and convictions and live them out in his personal life, yet still be able to govern based on the will of the people and the rule of law. You exploited the fears of those who couldn’t understand that.
Millions of us understand the basic economic principle that true prosperity is the result of hard work and wise choices, not the exploitation of the weak. That wealth is something to aspire to, not envy. That profits belong to those who earn them and shouldn’t be redistributed to those who didn’t. You pandered to the ignorant and lazy by promoting a “Robin Hood” mentality.
Millions of us understand that a militarily strong America is the gate way to peace in the world. You disgraced us in the face of our enemies.
And Millions of us understand that a smaller more efficient government, not a larger more intrusive one, is the key to a secure nation, a robust economy and for promoting innovation. You appealed to those who want the government to take care of them instead of being responsible for themselves.
We were not impressed by your rock star schtick, or the endorsements of celebrities who make their living, imitating the real world rather than living in it.
Those of us who understand will not stand by and watch our Divinely Inspired Constitutional Rights being stripped away. You will be held accountable for Benghazi. You will have to accept responsibility , for the continuing high unemployment, for the high fuel and grocery prices, and for the economic misery that your policies will bring. We will expect you to keep your promise of bi-partisanship. That you understand that you will have to compromise your agenda if you want us to compromise our values. We will be energised and engaged, we will hold our Congressional Representatives responsible for holding your feet to the fire. We will not lie down and lick our wounds in defeat, we will flood Congress with letters, phone calls and emails, to be sure our voices continue to be heard. We understand your agenda and we will not let it stand.
I hope this post finds its way to you, so you will feel the eyes of nearly half the nation burning on the back of your neck, a constant reminder that not everyone adores you. We will continue to vet our candidates, and educate ourselves on the issues, we vote, and we are watching.
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Dear Mr. Romney,
Mitt Romney in Council Bluffs (Photo credit: IowaPolitics.com)
The past few weeks you have been getting a lot of criticism for a weak campaign. In fact I have been one of the critics. It seems strangely contradictory, because I like and admire your focus on the real issues instead of personal attacks. Your generosity, and your humility, your personal practice of leading by example rather than florid speeches, prove you to be a man of sound moral character. You are just the kind of man this country needs at this critical moment in our history. Even so, though I admire your integrity, at the same time I really, really wish you’d pop Obama right in the chops (verbally of course).
Week after week I have watched the Obama campaign build half-truths and statements taken out of context into outright character assassinations. I’ve listened to Obama resort to blatant falsehoods about your record and his. Fabricating an agenda for you, while covering up his own. Week after week I have watched you take a pacifist stance, absorbing the blows and soldiering on. Never once calling him out or exposing his bald-faced lies.
I’ve watched your interviews, and listened to stories about how you have helped people. And after listening to the main stream media tell me how out of touch you were with the American people, I was surprised. No, amazed. I saw a man who is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get dirty. A man who prizes his family more than his wealth, who taught his kids personal responsibility leading by example. A man who looks like he would be as much at home pushing a lawn mower as he would be at a board meeting. Your wife even buys your shirts at Costco. You and your family seem so down to earth. Like the kind of people who would enjoy a backyard barbecue in my humble home, even though you could afford expensive steaks at an upscale restaurant. In your world view and lifestyle I feel like I have far more in common with you than I do with the people down at the welfare office, though I’m much closer to them financially. And yet you let the media paint you as cold, aloof and elitist.
I can’t even begin to understand how hard it must be to have your most embarrassing moments and most intimate details laid bare for the world to see, by an unscrupulous opponent who knows how to manipulate the truth and the media to concoct his own version of reality. Your campaign may lack the taxpayer provided transportation of Air Force One, and the free endorsements provided nightly by the evening news anchors as they gush and fawn over the sitting President, but you do have truth on your side. A truth that you should be welding like a hammer to victory.
Every day as I hear the poll numbers and the reports showing an ever-increasing lead for Obama, I become even more frustrated. I know you have the personal integrity, and the business sense to turn this country around, but I’m not the one you have to convince. I am astounded that so many Americans cannot see that sitting in the Oval Office is a man who is anathema to everything that our Founding Fathers intended for this country. A man whose not so hidden agenda is to bring this country to its knees and diminish its standing in the world. Obama’s plan of bailouts, handouts, and wealth redistribution will kill our economy and place us firmly on the path to austerity. Meanwhile, I lie awake at night fearful of the nation we will become if he gets a chance at four more years. The nation my children will inherit.
You see Mr. Romney, for me and those like me, this is not just another Presidential election. It is a battle for our way of life. It is a historical turning point where this country returns to the “land of opportunity” that our Founding Fathers intended. Or, it is when our country turns down the path of a Soviet style republic. A place where an ever decreasing congregation of people with integrity struggle and toil for an ever-increasing horde of people dependent on the government for their survival. Our anxiety is real. The consequences are real. It is a battle Mr. Romney, that we cannot afford for you to lose.
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Four More Years
Blindfolded Forward (Photo credit: BlueRobot)
Instead of asking ourselves if we are better off today than we were four years ago, maybe we should be asking if we will be better off four years from now? Without the need to woo skittish voters, and appease wealthy donors, President Obama would no longer have to carry on the ruse of upholding The Constitution. He would have the power, through executive order if need be, to continue his war on capitalist prosperity. Even without the blessing of Congress, he would assume the authority to appease our enemies while snubbing our allies. What would four years look like if President Obama is elected to another term? In the first of a four-part series, I’ll describe the America, Obama’s America, that is yet to come.
Day one.
Though we don’t see the exuberance of four years ago, there is much celebration in the nation today. Seniors who feared cuts to Social Security and Medicare are now looking forward to the hope of a decent retirement. People who were previously uninsurable, or had children with catastrophic illnesses, who were already enjoying the benefits of the Affordable Healthcare Act are resting comfortably. Students who only a year ago, were protesting in the streets, now feel they have a future.
There is caution in the celebrating though, an almost palpable feeling that maybe, just maybe everything isn’t as it seems. Tentative hope has now been replaced by fear and uncertainty. For many in this country this is not a day to celebrate, it is a day filled with a sense of dread. The campaign slogans of “Hope and Change”, of “Forward”, of “Believe in America”, have been replaced by a new slogan, “Oh my God what have we done”.
The fifth year:
Obama wastes no time in pushing though his campaign promise of making rich people pay “their fare share”. At first, the extension of the Bush era tax cuts for the middle class, along with the Fed’s new policy of printing and circulating large sums of money has a small positive effect on the economy. Middle class wage earners, while not gaining any true increase in wealth, are feeling better about the future so they are starting slowly and cautiously to spend more.
Employment however, has not increased as much as expected. Small business owners who were waiting on the outcome of the election, before deciding whether to expand or hire, have decided to put it off. Even with the small increase in consumer spending, they are waiting to see just how much the Affordable Healthcare Act and the new wealth taxes will cost them. A few small business owners are eager to utilize the Obama administration’s new programs to reward “insourcing” and “green” business. The program has little success however, as the program’s stipulations, along with all the government’s restrictions, make it impossible for these businesses to be profitable.
The upper tier rich begin to look for ways to divest their income to avoid paying the new wealth taxes. Many are placing most of their funds in overseas bank accounts. Wealthy businessmen, concerned about maintaining the profitability of their companies, many of whom would never have considered it before, are moving overseas. Many wealthy individuals are starting to consider the wisdom of leaving the United States entirely and taking up residence in a foreign country. A policy that was supposed to generate more revenue for the government has the unexpected result of prolonging the employment crisis.
In spite of another drop in interest rates, the housing market has also remained flat. As the year progresses, the Fed’s influx of cash has led to inflation. The increase in the cost of living, coupled with the lack of well-paying jobs has people reluctant to buy a home. What was a slow and cautious economic recovery has now become stagnant.
Obama Care has given many people who worried about the cost of healthcare, a reason to be hopeful. Adult children can now be carried on their parent’s insurance, and a person can’t be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition. The trade-off is that now individuals are forced to carry health insurance or pay a penalty tax. In spite of subsidies, many small business owners cannot afford to cover their employees. This forced those employees to turn to the state insurance pools. While low-income people are given a tax incentive to cover the cost of this insurance, many mid level earners do not qualify. This leaves them with an added expense that they did not count on. Just one more item to juggle into an already tight budget.
In spite of continued attacks against American interests in the Middle East, President Obama expands his policy of acceptance and understanding of the Muslim culture. He meets regularly with the heads of radical Islamic groups such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. He maintains his stance that Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to stop the development of settlements on the West Bank. Meanwhile, Iran continues its so-called “peaceful” nuclear program. Even though this presents a clear danger to one of our most important allies, Obama is reluctant to call for stronger measures against them. He prefers to rely on the economic sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations, despite their lack of success………
As we see, during Obama’s fifth year in office, the world continues to be a dangerous and unstable place, both economically and culturally. While most Americans may not be worse off, very,very, few can say things are better. In my next post, we will see what it might look like during his sixth year.
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Mr. Eastwood, You Made My Day
“I would just like to say something, ladies and gentlemen.
Something that I think is very important. It is that, you, we
— We own this country.
We — we own it. It is not you owning it, and not
politicians owning it. Politicians are employees of ours.
And — so — they are just going to come around and beg
for votes every few years. It is the same old deal. But I just
think it is important that you realize , that you’re the best in
the world. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether
you’re libertarian or whatever, you are the best. And we should
not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we
got to let them go.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/30/transcript-clint-eastwood-speech-at-rnc/#ixzz25YST6Llk
Quote by Clint Eastwood at the Republican National Convention, Aug 30, 2012 (Emphasis mine)
This is something that all of those who are elected to an office, from the school boards, to the city councils, to the state legislatures, to the White House need to be reminded of. You work for us, we the people. We vote you in or out of office. We pay your salary. You are beholden to us. Not the other way around. Thank you Mr. Eastwood for throwing that out on a national stage.
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Hard or Hardship Government Economics vs the Household Budget
quora.com
I sat at my desk today, doing what I do every Thursday. Juggling bills. As I pondered how much I would have left for groceries, after paying the phone bill, and gassing up the old “Silver Toilet”( my very thirsty pickup truck), a thought occurred to me. How is it that so many people have no real understanding of our national debt? We hear about it all the time, ” our grandchildren will be faced with the burden of our national debt”. But do we ever really think about what that means to us as individuals? Household economics is really pretty straightforward. If there is no money left after paying the bills, then you don’t eat. Skip out on your power bill, you sit in the dark, decide you’d rather go on vacation than pay your mortgage, bye-bye home. Real life teaches us that if you continue to spend more than you make, eventually it will all come crashing down around you.
It works the same way with the government. It doesn’t matter what kind of fancy economic theory you adhere to, the simple fact is that our country is broke. I know, you’ve heard that before, so what? Well, what that means to me is that I’ll have to depend on myself more, and government less. It means that the Pell grant my daughter depended on for college isn’t going to be there, my Tricare premiums are increasing, and Social Security isn’t even a factor in my retirement planning. It doesn’t matter what the politicians promise, we have two choices, realize that we are going to have to accept cuts to government programs now, or wait until the government defaults and then completely lose that safety net while the economy implodes on itself sucking us in with it. Either way we will have to become less dependent on to government.
Given that cuts are inevitable, what makes more sense, to have a president that aims to control more of the population by increasing their dependency on government programs? Or a president who can make the tough cuts necessary to balance the budget? We have to ask ourselves, do we want to suffer the controlled hardships of a government learning to live within its means? The way the rest of us do. Or do we want to live through the devastation of a complete economic meltdown?
Americans have a noble tradition of pulling on our boots, rolling up our sleeves, and shouldering the work. We don’t run from hardship, we face it head on, grit our teeth and gut it out. It will be interesting to see, if this new voting generation will rise to the challenge, or if they will just curl up in the fetal position, consoling themselves with You Tube and reality TV, while waiting for a savior to come and bail them out.
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Lest We Forget
Freedom Isn’t Free (Photo credit: swanksalot)
(Parts of this are reposted from an earlier post entitled “No Guts No Glory”.)
This Monday we will see billboards, bumper stickers, and car magnets all proclaiming “Support our Troops“, and “Freedom Isn’t Free”. Are these truly heart-felt words, displayed by proud patriots or are they meaningless platitudes, mindlessly quoted by pandering politicians? On this day there will be countless memorial services and tributes. But will we stop a moment and reflect on what this day really means or is it simply the beginning of summer? Just a day to have a picnic or barbecue.
I remember as a child hearing the stories of my mother, who, as a toddler underwent surgery on her foot. For years afterward she required special orthotic shoes that had to be replaced every time her foot grew. This was during WWII and rationing was in full force. Everyone was allowed only one pair of shoes a year. Including my mother. The government didn’t make a special exception because she was a child with a medical condition. Her parents didn’t demand that she was entitled to more ration coupons because of a unique hardship. Instead they gave up their ration coupons to get her the shoes she needed and when those ran out other family members, friends and neighbors donated theirs. Why was this necessary? Because the materials that were used to make shoes over here were needed to make shoes for the troops over there. Could you imagine giving up coffee, sugar, shoes and tires and sending them to the troops in Vietnam, Afghanistan, or Iraq? Could we ever again unite as a whole country behind an effort to rid our world of an unspeakable evil? Do we even know what evil is anymore?
The invention of photography as allowed us to see the horrors of war up close and personal. The flag draped coffins of our loved ones, the bloody, mangled bodies of our enemies, the atrocities. Faced with the horrifying reality that the price of freedom is blood, many of us have decided that the price is too high. We believe that the act of war, rather than the megalomaniacal ideals of ruthless men is the true evil and that nothing save our own personal survival is worth fighting and dying for.
The men who marched at Lexington and Concord, whose bodies covered the ground at Gettysburg, who raised the flag at Mount Suribachi, all understood the power of the words of our Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution. That such a radical ideal as individual freedom, that men should control their own destinies, requires a collective sacrifice.
By looking to the government for our prosperity rather that demanding that our elected officials recognize the freedom to build that prosperity ourselves, by allowing the government the rights to our personal property, and by allowing the government to usurp and mismanaged our wages though an unnecessarily complicated tax code, we dishonor those who have fought and died to maintain those freedoms.
By allowing our schools to indoctrinate our children with the mantra that it is the government’s job to take care of us, to protect us from our own ignorance and folly, and that “from each according to his ability and to each according to his need” is the highest morality, we dishonor those who fought and died for our right to think for ourselves.
Our Forefathers wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, not to give us certain rights, but to preserve them. The government does not grant us our freedoms, rather we “the people” grant the government its right to exist. It’s time for us to “take back” our government and hold our elected officials accountable, for what they do with the money, property, time and power we “the people” give them.
In every election we have the opportunity to show that we truly understand the cost of our freedom and that it is precious. By taking the time and making the effort to research and vote for people truly worthy to serve us, and by reminding them regularly that they do, is how we prove that those who made the “ultimate sacrifice” did not do so in vain.
