George Washington

Lack Of Respect For Kamala Harris By Republicans Based On Race And Gender

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It is very clear that Republicans, led by Donald Trump and JD Vance, but including many others, are demonstrating a lack of respect for Kamala Harris, based on race and gender.

The purposeful refusal of Trump, Vance, and other Republicans to pronounce Kamala Harris’s first name correctly is one sign of disrespect that is inexcusable, as that has never happened to any other candidate before now.

Also, the issue of Trump making an issue of Harris’s race identity is an insult, with his claim that he thought she was Asian Indian, until he discovered she was black, an outrageous racist comment, and utilized by other Republicans.

Also, the issue of Harris not having had her own biological children has become an issue, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Arkansas Governor and former White House Press Secretary, has just employed that issue as a personal attack on Harris.

The fact that Harris has step children with her husband, Doug Emhoff, and that his former wife is very supportive of Harris as a step parent to her children, is ridiculed.

But it is also an attack on the millions of women who are unable to have children of their own, including by choice, but also by the fact that many are not married or have medical issues that make it impossible to bear children.

To make it out that women without biological children are somehow inferior or to be ridiculed is heartless, when having children or not having them should not be a judgment of them, anymore than the millions of men who do not have children for whatever reason.

It should be pointed out that we have had five Presidents who never had biological children, but were never ridiculed or attacked for that fact. They include George Washington, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and James Buchanan (who never married). Washington, Madison and Jackson had step children since their wives had children with an earlier husband.

Also, Warren G Harding has been proved to have had an illegitimate child out of marriage, and many of the slave owning Presidents before the Civil War are believed to have had slave children, but difficult to prove.

The ultimate point is that race and gender discrimination of any kind is inexcusable in a Presidential campaign or otherwise!

APSA Presidential Greatness Poll 2024: The Next President On Mt. Rushmore, And Most Polarizing And Least Polarizing Presidents!

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The American Political Science Association Presidential Greatness Poll 2024 also asks participants who they would consider should join George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt on the Mt. Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota.

The overwhelming choice was Franklin D. Roosevelt by a wide margin (65.4%), with Barack Obama second with 11%, and a three way tie at 4% among Dwight D. Eisenhower, James Madison, and John F. Kennedy.

And the most Polarizing Presidents were Donald Trump, Andrew Jackson, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush in that order, with the least Polarizing Presidents being George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, Franklin D.Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy in that order.

APSA Presidential Greatness Poll: Top 10 Presidents In 2024 Survey

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The American Political Science Association Presidential Greatness project has published its findings, just in time for Presidents’ Day today.

This is the first in a number of days of discussion of the results.

The top 10 Presidents in the Survey demonstrates the rise of Democratic Presidents, who now number five of the group—with Franklin D. Roosevelt as number 2, behind Abraham Lincoln, surpassing George Washington who is now number 3; Harry Truman remaining number 6; Barack Obama amazingly rising to number 7, the highest he has been on any Presidential scholarly survey; and Lyndon B. Johnson surpassing John F. Kennedy, with Johnson number 9 and Kennedy number 10.

Additionally in the top ten is Truman successor Dwight D. Eisenhower as number 8, making five presidents in a row from FDR through LBJ part of the top ten.

Theodore Roosevelt as number 4 and Thomas Jefferson as number 5 remain consistently in their positions in the top 10.

So besides five Democrats in the top 10, there are three Republicans (Lincoln, TR, Ike), along with Federalist George Washington and Democratic-Republican Jefferson.

Ten Months Before Election Day, Joe Biden Makes Case For Democracy, And Repudiation Of Donald Trump!

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In his opening salvo of the Presidential Election campaign of 2024, President Joe Biden yesterday, precisely ten months before Election Day, delivered a stirring speech on the campaign to protect American democracy, which includes a massive defeat of Donald Trump, who is promoting the destruction of the Constitution and rule of law!

In his 30 minute speech at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Biden spoke with real passion and commitment, and reminded us how George Washington turned down the possibility of becoming a monarch after the American Revolution, and accepted the idea of serving as President, and then leaving office.

Biden and his supporters must make the case every day until Election Day, and besides discussing the threat to democracy, he and they must also talk about abortion, the economy, immigration reform, environmental advancements, voting rights, civil rights, and support of Ukraine in its war with Russia, and promoting a changed policy regarding Israel and Gaza to limit the loss of life!

Donald Trump’s Threat To Utilize The Insurrection Act Of 1792 To Establish A Military Dictatorship

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Hard to believe, but a law passed under George Washington in 1792 to promote a stable American Republic could destroy the Republic under a demagogue such as Donald Trump 233 years later in 2025 if Trump is able to regain the Presidency a year from now!

The purpose of the law was to overcome internal rebellion, best exemplified by the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania in 1794, but also used by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War; by Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and Grover Cleveland in labor disputes; by Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy to promote Southern integration of schools during the Civil Rights Era ; and by President George H. W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots in 1992.

It is NOT designed to crack down on legal, constitutional right of dissent, including marches, demonstrations, and other displays of nonviolent action, but Trump has stated he would promote mass arrests and deportations upon taking the oath of office on January 20, 2025!

Something must be done to prevent such an outrageous movement toward Fascism, and the destruction of the Bill of Rights, and the first step would be to insure that Donald Trump never gets near the Oval Office again!

Should There Be A Second Mount Rushmore, And Which Presidents?

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Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, constructed between 1927 and 1941, is world famous with 60 foot head sculptures of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Millions have visited Mount Rushmore, and there has been discussion at times about the concept of a second Mount Rushmore, although not clear where it would be, but likely location might be in Colorado in the Rocky Mountains, a massive undertaking if ever agreed upon to do!

The question beyond whether there should be a second such monument to four more Presidents is what Presidents should grace such a monument.

In this author’s and blogger’s view, the likely choices should be the following:

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969)

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

Barack Obama (1961- )

FDR, Ike, and JFK have been seen as highly deserving, and Obama was a turning point, for sure, in Presidential history.

Not everyone would be contented with these choices, but it would seem that these four Presidents would make the best combination.

Donald Trump Finally Gets His Comeuppance, No Longer In Control Of His Destiny!

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Donald Trump is finally getting his comeuppance, learning he is no longer in control of his destiny!

His attorneys tried to dictate to federal judge Tanya Chutkan that his federal trial be delayed to April 2026.

His attorney acted like a bully, raising his voice, but was told to tone down.

Chutkan asked for an alternative between the original plan for January 2024 and April 2026, but with no willingness to negotiate, the Trump attorney was shown the power of the courts, and the date was just pushed back two months, and will start on March 4, 2024!

Ironically, if that date holds, it will be the 235th anniversary of the official Inauguration date of Presidents from 1789 through 1933. The federal government under the Constitution was declared in effect on that day in 1789.

However, in reality, George Washington actually was inagurated 57 days late, on April 30, 1789, due to delays in being able to leave his Mount Vernon estate’s tobacco planting season to travel by horseback to New York City, the first capital of the nation.

This would be the only time that the President was not inaugurated on time, an interesting piece of trivia!

Interesting Survey Of People Honored By US Monuments, From The Washington Post

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The Washington Post has published an interesting survey of people honored by US Monuments, and there are many surprises in the survey.

Eleven Presidents are in the top 50 figures represented in memorials, with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln being the top two of the fifty listed.

Also listed at number 9 is John F. Kennedy; number 10 is Thomas Jefferson; and number 11 is Ulysses S. Grant.

Andrew Jackson is number 15, a three way tie with Theodore Roosevelt and William McKinley.

Dwight D. Eisenhower and Franklin D. Roosevelt tie at 32nd.

Finally, James A. Garfield is in a four way tie at number 47 with three non Presidents.

Interestingly, NOT on the list are such Presidents as Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, or Ronald Reagan.

Some religious figures, native Americans, and African Americans (Martin Luther King (4th), Harriet Tubman (24th), Frederick Douglass (29th)) are also represented, as are a number of individuals who are not at all related to American history, including Christopher Columbus, most notably in third place with 149!

Confederate leaders are also represented, including Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson.

Other well known Americans include the following: Benjamin Franklin at number 8; Alexander Hamilton tied with two others at number 26; and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall in a six way tie at number 41.

Joe Biden Arguably Has Faced The Worst Set Of Crises Other Than Lincoln And FDR!

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Abraham Lincoln faced the breakup of the Union and the Civil War in his Presidency from 1861-1865.

Franklin D. Roosevelt faced the Great Depression, the growing threat of Fascism and Nazism, and World War II, from 1933-1945.

Other than Lincoln and FDR, the question arises which other Presidents faced crises on a level as dangerous and challenging as those two Presidents.

One could say George Washington facing the challenge of making the Constitution work, and the nation able to survive as a republic from 1789-1797.

One could say Harry Truman, facing the challenge of sudden elevation to the Presidency in a time when World War II was not yet resolved, and having to deal with the threat of the Soviet Union during the Cold War years from 1945-1953.

One could say John F. Kennedy, facing the threat of the Soviet Union, including the Berlin Crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis, which dominated his time in the Presidency, from 1961-1963.

One could say George W. Bush, facing the challenge of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and the dual wars fought during his Presidency in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the Great Recession which developed in his last year in office, from 2001-2009.

One could also say Barack Obama, facing the challenge of the Great Recession, the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, and the constant domestic resistance from the right wing Tea Party Movement, and the growing extremism of the Republican Party, from 2009-2017.

But one could also argue that Joe Biden, facing the COVID 19 Pandemic; the growing epidemic of mass murders by firearms by domestic terrorists and mentally disturbed people; and the threat of nuclear war in the midst of the greatest foreign policy crisis (The Russia-Ukraine War) since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, is the greatest challenge and crisis other than Lincoln and FDR!

April 12: Beginning Of Civil War (1861) And Death Of FDR (1945)–Two Key Moments In US History!

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Today, April 12, is one of the most influential days in American history!

It is the 161st anniversary of the outbreak of the Civil War at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, an event which still strongly affects American politics and society ever since, despite the loss of the Confederate States to the Union four years later on April 9, 1865.

It is also the 77th anniversary of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the most significant President of the 20th century, and only surpassed in influence by George Washington in the 18th century and Abraham Lincoln in the 19th century.

The impact of FDR remains massive on American government and society, despite the desire of Republicans over the decades to wipe out the effects of the New Deal on America.

No other events match the Civil War and the New Deal in their impact on America long term!