Month: August 2020

Joe Biden Proves He Is Mentally Stable, And Hits A Home Run In His Acceptance Speech At The Democratic National Convention

Ronald 41 Comments

Joe Biden had a masterful performance last night, as he accepted the Democratic nomination for President!

He proved he was mentally stable and competent, and his speech was flawless.

It demonstrated the man he is–one of empathy, decency, compassion, competence, experience.

He made clear that America is in a crisis, and that he, with Kamala Harris by his side, will have the best people available to assist him in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Second Great Depression, racial matters, and the crisis of climate change.

He will make it an issue of patriotism for the American people to have a national commitment to wear face masks and sacrifice for the common good, as otherwise, the pandemic will destroy us if the American people do not cooperate.

I have followed Joe Biden for a half century, and while I have not always agreed with him on every issue, I believe he is a unique politician, as he truly cares and is sincere, in a manner rarely found in politicians.

He will, when elected, follow through on progressive reforms, in the tradition of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and especially, Barack Obama.

And Joe Biden will have his college professor wife, Dr. Jill Biden, by his side, and she will become of the most outstanding First Ladies in American history.

The crimes of the Trump Presidency must also be pursued and prosecuted, as that should be a priority of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

Early public opinion polls since Biden chose Harris show him gaining more of a lead, a good sign, while Donald Trump is flailing aimlessly!

Barack Obama And Kamala Harris Speeches Will Stand Out As Models In The Long Run Of American History!

Ronald 5 Comments

When one feels despair at the horrific situation America is in during this crucial year of 2020, and when we look back in the future at this year, the Democratic National Convention speeches last night, on the third day of the convention, will stand out as among the greatest public oratory moments in the long run of American history!

Both the first African American President (Barack Obama), and the first African American and Indian American soon to be Vice President (Kamala Harris), demonstrated full command of the issues of this election for the nation in 2020, and for the long term survival of American democracy!

The fact that both Obama and Harris could rise to the pinnacle of power and leadership is testimonial to how far we have come in the journey for a “more perfect Union”, but also a reminder that there is is much work still to be accomplished!

The fight against Fascist authoritarianism and tyranny that Donald Trump and his ilk represent is the greatest crisis for the nation since 1940, when Franklin D. Roosevelt campaigned for a third term in office, in order to deal with the Fascist threat of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.

This was a time when the misnamed “America First Committee” was out to avoid the need for the ultimate confrontation with totalitarianism to keep American democracy alive and thriving.

A third of the nation was willing to accept Fascism’s takeover, and even had a charismatic leader who praised Hitler, the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. So FDR, despite the strain of eight years in the Presidency, felt committed to steer the nation to the proper course in a time of danger.

The same now falls upon Joe Biden, who has devoted a half century of his life to the advancement of American democracy, and he has been called upon to lead the nation in the fight against the threat of the modern hero of the extreme right, Donald Trump!

Just as FDR prevailed, Joe Biden, with Kamala Harris by his side, and with Barack and Michelle Obama backing him up, will succeed in dealing with the most serious set of crises, both domestic and foreign, since the time of FDR!

Susan B. Anthony “Pardon” A Total Mockery And Embarrassment, And No Intelligent Woman Would See It As Excusing Trump Misogyny

Ronald 6 Comments

One of the most preposterous and ridiculous events occurred yesterday, on the centennial anniversary of the ratification of women suffrage, the 19th Amendment.

President Donald Trump, the all time misogynist in a very public manner, “pardoned” suffragette Susan B. Anthony for her conviction in 1873, for having “illegally” voted in the Presidential election of 1872, since women were not given the suffrage until 1920.

Anthony “broke” the law in protest the fact that the 15th Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1870, gave African American men the right to vote but not women, although the right for African American men would be taken away over time in the “Jim Crow” South, until restored by the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Anthony refused to pay the fine of $100, about $2600 in modern times, and the judge did not take any action, and she never was in prison for the so called ‘violation”.

So to “pardon” her over a conviction where she did not pay the fine or go to jail is a total mockery of the idea of pardons, but Trump is infamous for that kind of ridiculous behavior!

One wonders if Trump thinks Susan B. Anthony is still alive, since he seemed to think abolitionist Frederick Douglass was “alive”, when both passed away in 1906 and 1895 respectively! But Donald Trump has no knowledge or sense of history, plus a multitude of many other areas of learning!

One can be sure neither Anthony nor Douglass would give Trump the time of day, so to speak, and would be furious with his racism and misogyny! Anthony made clear in her lifetime that she did not want a pardon, as she felt she had done nothing wrong, so this idea of a posthumous pardon is a pure joke, and historians have already deplored it as a stunt by Trump that is totally out of line!

So this attempt by Trump to try to gain African American or women in large numbers voting for him is totally delusional!

Republicans For Biden Or Not Supporting Trump

Ronald 1 Comment

There are many Republicans, mostly not presently in public office, who have made it clear they are not supporting Donald Trump for reelection, and some going further and endorsing Joe Biden.

Among those making clear they will not back Trump are the following:

Former President George W. Bush

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush

Senator Mitt Romney of Utah

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton

Former Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona

Retired Four Star Navy Admiral William McRaven (who directed the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011)

Among those expressing doubt but not yet committing are the following:

Former Speaker of the House John Boehner of Ohio

Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan of Wisconsin

Former White House Chief of Staff and General John Kelly

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska

Former Congressman and Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina

Former Director of National Intelligence and Senator Dan Coats of Indiana

Among those formally endorsing and supporting Joe Biden are the following:

Former Governor and Congressman John Kasich of Ohio

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Former New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman

Former California gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman of California

Former Secretary of Defense and Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel

Former Secretary of Defense and Marine Corps General James Mattis

Cindy McCain, wife of former Senator John McCain

Former Presidential contender in 2016 Carly Fiorina

Former Congresswoman Susan Molinari of New York

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell

Former Department of Homeland Security Chief of Staff Miles Taylor

Retiring Florida Congressman Francis Rooney

Conservative commentator George Will

Conservative commentator Bill Kristol

Republican strategist Steve Schmidt

Republican strategists Rick Wilson

Republican strategist John Weaver

Republican strategist George Conway, husband of Trump advisor KellyAnne Conway

Also, a number of Republican groups opposed to Trump are spending tens of millions on advertising to oppose Trump, including

The Lincoln Project

Republican Voters Against Trump

43 Alumni For Joe Biden PAC (referring to George W. Bush)

Republicans For The Rule Of Law

All Star Lineup For Four Nights Of Democratic National Convention

Ronald 10 Comments

The Democratic National Convention is being held remotely this week from Monday to Thursday, and there will be an all star cast of speakers each evening.

Monday night, the speakers will include, among others–Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Cuomo, Gretchen Whitmer, Doug Jones, James Clyburn, Bernie Sanders, and Michelle Obama, along with Republican John Kasich.

Tuesday night, the speakers will include, among others—Chuck Schumer, John Kerry, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bill Clinton, and Dr. Jill Biden.

Wednesday night, the speakers will include, among others—Elizabeth Warren, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and Barack Obama.

Thursday night, the speakers will include, among others—Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Gavin Newsom, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Tammy Baldwin, Tammy Duckworth, Chris Coons, Andrew Yang, and Presidential nominee Joe Biden.

It will be an opportunity for the Democrats to display all of their “stars”, who have, together, contributed to the present day version of a party that has done so much for America over the decades since Franklin D. Roosevelt onward, responsible for most of the domestic reforms and foreign policy stability that marks the periods of Democratic Party control of Congress and the White House!

Typical For A Democratic President To Select A Republican Secretary Of Defense

Ronald 9 Comments

History demonstrates that it is typical for a Democratic President to select a Republican for his cabinet, with the Defense Department the usual position awarded to a member of the opposition party.

This was true with Robert McNamara, who was Secretary of Defense under John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

The same scenario occurred with William Cohen serving under Bill Clinton in his second term.

And under Barack Obama, we saw carryover Robert Gates and later Chuck Hagel head the Pentagon.

If we go back to before the Defense Department was created in 1947, it was known as the War Department, and Republican Henry Stimson served as Secretary of War for Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Republican Robert Lovett served for two years in that position under Harry Truman.

Only Jimmy Carter among Democratic Presidents never had a Republican serve as Secretary of Defense, but he did have James Schlesinger as the first Secretary of Energy.

So it seems likely that Joe Biden will pick a Republican for the Cabinet, and the most likely choice would be former Congressman and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who will deliver a speech of endorsement at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night.

QAnon Conspiracy Theory Overtaking Republican Party, With Victory Of Marjorie Taylor Greene

Ronald 12 Comments

There is an element of totally crazy conspiracy people, known as the QAnon believers, which advocate a supposed secret plot by an alleged “deep state” against President Donald Trump and his supporters.

QAnon has accused many liberal Hollywood actors, Democratic politicians, and high ranking public officials of being members of an international child sex trafficking ring. They claimed that Hillary Clinton was part of the child sex trafficking ring, and that Barack Obama and George Soros were connected to a great conspiracy against Donald Trump, who is portrayed as being totally innocent of any charges against him.

The FBI has said that QAnon is a likely domestic terrorist group, and Twitter has banned it from its platforms.

QAnon has promoted antisemitism, racism, nativism, and arguments that only Donald Trump can save the nation, making him out to be a demigod.

And now, we will have at least one, possibly more, members of the 117th Congress in 2021, who espouse these theories, but are being elected to the House of Representatives in 2020, and will have a platform to espouse their crazy, hateful rhetoric.

One such person is the future new Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was repudiated by Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, until she won the nomination this past week, and has now been embraced by both McCarthy and by President Donald Trump.

Greene spews racist, nativist, islamophobic, and antisemitic utterances, and refers to “Satan worshipping pedophiles'”, who are out to bring Donald Trump down, and also brandishes a rifle, and promotes all kinds of lunatic conspiracy theories in a reckless manner.

She makes crazies like Louie Gohmert of Texas, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Devin Nunes of California appear, by comparison to her, to be “moderates”!

QAnon has spread like wildfire on Facebook groups, and is seen by some as a religious cult, with no interest in fact checking or any sense of accuracy. Greene will become a total nightmare for a party which already is too much oriented toward extremist right wing fringe elements.

National Face Mask Mandate Urgently Needed As Covid-19 Spreads, And With Flu Season On The Horizon!

Ronald 26 Comments

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have come out swinging on the need for a national face mask mandate, desperately needed as the CoronaVirus Pandemi spreads wildly, and with the flu season on the horizon.

If only Donald Trump and Mike Pence had promoted this, the number of deaths, nearing 170,000, would have been far less, possibly half or two thirds lower.

Instead, Trump and Pence have encouraged aggression and violence by their nutty supporters, and have endangered our nation, which has, by far, the highest number of deaths and cases, due to their negligence.

If we are the greatest nation in the world, this should not be happening, but sadly, Donald Trump has no concern for the loss of life, and neither does the hypocritical, supposedly Pro Life, Mike Pence!

It is estimated that at least 40,000 future deaths between now and Election Day could be saved, if only what Biden and Harris call for, was done by Donald Trump.

But he has no regard for the losses of so many Americans, so when Biden comes into office, we will impose a national policy with penalties for those who refuse to obey.

And some people who say this is Marxism, are demonstrating how clueless, ignorant, and purely dumb they are, and need to study up on political philosophies and history, as they need to be educated on true authoritarianism, the constant threat of Donald Trump in office!

Government can impose requirements for public safety, and face masks are now such a requirement that needs to be mandated !

The Republican Attack On Kamala Harris Begins, Including “Birtherism”, But It Will Not Succeed!

Ronald 13 Comments

The Trump Presidency, the Republican Party, and the extreme right wing Fox News Channel and conservative talk radio and propagandists are already deeply in attack on Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris in every possible and obscene way imaginable.

This includes preposterous claims that Harris was not born in America, when she was born in Oakland, California, and therefore the “birtherism” charge used against Barack Obama is coming back.

She is being called too progressive or not progressive enough, and being portrayed as becoming the future President, since Joe Biden, supposedly, is close to being feeble mentally, and will resign soon. This is said after Biden conducted a great speech yesterday and today, as well as Harris doing so, and inspiring people that there is a coherent future after Donald Trump.

Joe Biden can bike vigorously, and is in good physical shape, while Trump rides in a golf cart, and becomes more incoherent by the day, totally delusional, and clearly terrified that Biden and Harris have such a large lead in all polls.

So now Trump is trying to prevent people from voting by causing massive postal service delays, which also endangers people getting their medications on a sustained basis by mail.

Trump is totally out of control, hysterical, while Biden and Harris are promoting a national mask policy for the next few months, as a consistent manner to curb the number of people who get the CoronaVirus and cut the number of deaths, which are at a high now, more than anytime since May!

A Sense Of Excitement And Expectation About The Biden-Harris Ticket!

Ronald 29 Comments

It has been a wonderful 24 hours since Joe Biden announced he was selecting Senator Kamala Harris of California as his Vice Presidential running mate.

We will have a Vice President who is a female, of immigrant parents from India (her mother) and Jamaica (her father), and is married to a Jewish lawyer, Douglas Emhoff, who would be the first Jewish “Second Gentleman” and, of course, the first spouse of either the President or Vice President who would be male.

Also, Emhoff is exactly one week older than Harris, both born in October 1964, and Emhoff has two adult children, one son and one daughter, who are very close to their “second mother”, and with good relations between Emhoff and his former wife, and also between the former wife and Harris.

Harris has had 17 years in public office in California, seven as District Attorney of San Francisco; six years as California Attorney General (representing one out of every eight Americans, a greater jurisdiction than any other state attorney general, and with only the appointed Attorney General of the United States having impact over more people); and four years now as US Senator.

Harris is also only the second black woman elected to the US Senate, after Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun in the 1990s.

The likelihood is that Kamala Harris will eventually be President, either possibly by succession (as is the possibility of every Vice President), or by election following Joe Biden’s time in office.

Harris is a woman of great empathy and compassion, and in that regard, is the same as Joe Biden, and it is a blessing to have such traits in what will, hopefully be the next President and Vice President of the United States.

They are a great team, and give America hope in a time of unparalleled challenges with the CoronaVirus Pandemic, the Second Great Depression, and racial turmoil.