New Jersey

The Growing Significance Of Minnesota In The Vice Presidential Sweepstakes For The Democrats!

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Minnesota is a strongly Democratic state, with a Democratic Governor, Mark Dayton, who has been very successful in promoting economic growth in the state.

It also has two Democratic Senators, Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, both supremely qualified to be Vice President.

It was also the state of Vice President and Presidential nominee Hubert Humphrey in 1968, and Vice President and Presidential nominee Walter Mondale in 1984.

It was also the state of Senator Eugene McCarthy and Senator Paul Wellstone.

Hillary Clinton has to consider both Franken and Klobuchar, as it is assured that either one in the Vice Presidency would be replaced by a Democrat, not assured in other states, including New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia.

Franken would be a great “attack dog” against Republican Donald Trump, and would be the first Jewish Vice President if Hillary Clinton won the White House.

Klobuchar would be the first woman Vice President, and far superior to Geraldine Ferraro and Sarah Palin in qualifications and experience.

Either Franken or Klobuchar would be a worthy successor to Joe Biden to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency!

The Likelihood Of An Historic Vice Presidential Nomination For The Democrats: A Woman Or A Person Of Minority Heritage

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Speculation has begun about who Democrat Hillary Clinton’s potential choices for Vice President might be, but it seems more and more likely that it will be an historic choice, likely NOT to be a white male, but rather a woman or a leader of minority heritage.

It is true that Democrat Walter Mondale selected New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, and that Republican John McCain selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in 2008, but this time around, the possible candidates for a woman are much stronger choices.

If one is considering a woman, which some think is “radical” to do, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is seen as the most likely choice, but her fame and her age work against her, and it would make more sense to pick a woman who is substantially younger, and could be a potential successor eight years from now–such as Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota or Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington State.

If Hillary wants to select someone from a minority heritage, the best would be Latinos, such as former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, presently Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; or Secretary of Labor Tom Perez of Maryland; and if African American, the best would be New Jersey Senator Cory Booker or former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick.

In another blog entry forthcoming tomorrow, we will consider white males as potential Vice Presidential nominees, with quite a long list of such candidates!

The Despicable Bully, Chris Christie, Is Selling His Soul To Donald Trump!

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Anyone watching the Donald Trump news conference on Tuesday night would notice that New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie introduced Trump, and was constantly right behind Trump. on the left of the screen.

What was he doing there?  Vice President Joe Biden does not have the nerve or gall to appear in the personal space of Barack Obama when he speaks, so why did this happen?

It is clear that the despicable Chris Christie is selling out to Trump, and it seems clear that Christie is the front runner to be Trump’s Vice Presidential nominee!

Christie is a crooked politician, who must still be made to answer for the crime of what happened at the George Washington Bridge in September 2013, during the New Jersey gubernatorial campaign.  He is a nasty bully, braggart, narcissist, and loudmouth, just like Trump, and the two men would be a monstrous combination to lead our nation, as they would be belligerent, nasty, and abusive in their dealings with the news media, with Congress, and with foreign governments.

The idea that Trump would select Christie to be close to him should be a clarion call for all decent people to get out there and vote, to prevent an embarrassment to our nation, and a danger to our democracy!

The Republican Circus Of Donald Trump, Chris Christie, And Paul LePage: Three Narcissistic Bullies!

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So Donald Trump, a narcissistic bully, has been endorsed for President by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie , a narcissistic bully; and Maine Governor Paul LePage, a narcissistic bully!

All three are an embarrassment to themselves and to the American people–the biggest collection of hot air and pure egotism and braggadocio we have seen in American history!

Richard Nixon was obnoxious, but still had some “class” in public displays.

Even Dick Cheney has some sense of dignity in public, with the one exception when he used the f word openly with Senate President Pro Tempore, Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, one time on the Senate floor.

It  is difficult to find ANYONE with the gall and the public behavior of these three men, and former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden has expressed concern if Donald Trump was to act and speak as a President, as he does as a candidate, as he would undermine America’s safety and security by so doing!

And now Chris Christie must enter the equation as a possible Vice President, adding to the list, including Florida Governor Rick Scott, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and former Republican Presidential candidate and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina!

What a bunch of losers and disasters, all crooked, failed, or purely stupid potential Vice Presidents, or even cabinet officers, god forbid!

 

The Need For A One Day National Presidential Primary In June Of Election Year, Ending The System That Presently Exists!

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The present Primary and Caucus system is a terrible method that encourages an inordinate amount of attention paid to “small” states with fewer people and an unusual mix of factors that distort and manipulate the process used to choose Presidential nominees.

Why should Iowa in a caucus and New Hampshire in a primary, and South Carolina and Nevada, all totally unrepresentative of the nation and of the political parties at large, have such a dramatic effect on the whole process of nominating Presidential candidates?

If anything, it should be “large” states that represent a diversity of America which, if we are to keep the present system, should go first, such as Ohio, Florida, Virginia, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Washington, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Missouri!

But a better alternative, if it could be arranged, which admittedly would be difficult, would be to have a National Primary Day in early June of the election year, similar to Election Day being in early November.

If this was arranged, there could be two to three weeks of early voting in May, as there is for the election in October.

If this idea was adopted, all campaigning would come to a peak over just a few weeks from early voting to the actual Primary Day, and it would better represent the parties as they get ready for the election, and would undermine extreme right and left from having the impact they often do because of the attention given to them by their being first to vote!

“Non Politicians”–Presidential Winners And A Few Presidential Nominees

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With three Republican Presidential candidates for 2016 being “non politicians”, people who have never served in a government position on the city, state or national level, the issue arises: have there been any other such candidates in the past?

It turns out that we have had several military generals who never served in a civilian position, that could qualify as “non politicians”.

This includes the following:

Zachary Taylor 1848 (Mexican War)

Winfield Scott 1852 (Mexican War)

George McClellan 1864 (Civil War)

Ulysses S. Grant 1868, 1872 (Civil War)

Winfield Scott Hancock 1880 (Civil War)

Taylor and Grant were elected, while Scott, McClellan, and Hancock were defeated in their attempts to become President.

McClellan did serve as Governor of New Jersey from 1878-1881, AFTER running for President against Abraham Lincoln.  But Taylor, Scott, Grant and Hancock never ran for public office.

Additionally, Horace Greeley, the New York Tribune publisher, ran for President in 1872, as the candidate of the Democratic Party and the breakaway group in the Republican Party opposed to Grant’s reelection, known as the “Liberal Republicans”.  He served very briefly as an appointed member of the House of Representatives, but not by vote of the people, but rather a choice of Whig Party leaders to fill a short term replacement before the election for the next term in Congress.  He served a total of only three months from December 1848 to March 1849, and did not run for the New York City seat.  Technically, one could say he had that political experience, but so little in time, that he could be seen as basically a “non politician” when he ran for President 24 years later, although being the editor of the New York Tribune was certainly “political” in nature.

Then we have Wall Street industrialist and businessman Wendell Willkie, who ran against Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940, after stirring the Republican National Convention and overcoming much better known Presidential candidates, but while running a good race, he lost, and then supported the World War II effort and cooperated with FDR until Willkie died in late 1944.

And finally, we have billionaire Ross Perot, who ran for President as an independent in 1992 and as the Reform Party candidate in 1996.

So only Zachary Taylor and Ulysses S. Grant were “non politicians” who were elected President.

The odds of Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina, or Dr. Benjamin Carson being elected President in 2016, therefore, are astronomical!

Four Sitting Republican Governors Running For President, Only One Has Positive Support From His State’s Voters!

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Four sitting Republican Governors are running for President, despite the fact that three of them have very low public opinion ratings in recent polls.

Lowest in public opinion ratings is Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.

Next lowest in public opinion ratings is Chris Christie of New Jersey.

A bit higher but still in negative territory is Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who is expected to announce for President on July 13.

Only John Kasich of Ohio, expected to announce for President on July 21, and the only one of the four Governors who has a solid record accomplishment over a long period of time, ranks high in public opinion ratings.

It is amazing how ego overcomes reality, that a state dislikes its governor, wants him to do his job much better, but all that these people do is promote their own advancement at the expense of the citizens who elected them, and now have second thoughts!

The Clown Bus Group Of Republican Presidential Contenders: An Embarrassment To The Republican Party’s History: Part I

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With Hillary Clinton having begun her active campaign for the Presidency yesterday, it is time to begin a serious examination of the “Clown Bus” group of Republican Presidential contenders, all of which believe they are qualified to be her opponent in the Presidential Election of 2016. The vast majority are totally pitiful!

We have Chris Christie who faces possible indictment at some point on the “Bridgegate Scandal” about the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey; who has a very low public opinion rating in his state; who has totally messed up the finances of New Jersey; who has a belligerent, bullyish personality; and who would be a health crisis in the making, with his extreme weight matching that of President William Howard Taft, but Christie not having the intelligence and accomplishments of the 27th President.

We have Rick Perry, who is actually under indictment for corruption in Texas, making him the first indicted candidate for President in American history; who was a total disaster in his 2012 Presidential run, not being able to remember which agencies of the federal government he wished to eliminate; who has new glasses in the past year, which make him look intellectual, but still do not make him intellectual in reality; who promoted the idea of Texas secession from the Union a few years ago; and who has prevented more poor people from having health care under Medicaid than any other Republican governor.

We have George Pataki, who is more moderate in his record as New York Governor than any of his opponents, but despite September 11, is hardly remembered, while NYC Mayor Rudy Guiliani is still someone noticed and remembered. Pataki, whose most notable accomplishment was to defeat Mario Cuomo’s fourth term bid for Governor in 1994, has absolutely no chance to be the nominee, and one wonders why he did not try for the Presidency closer to his leaving the Governorship in 2006, such as in 2008 or 2012, rather than waiting till now.

We have Bobby Jindal, who has been a total disaster for Louisiana government; has tied himself to right wing evangelical Christianity in an extreme way; has destroyed the public school system in his state; has an extremely low public opinion rating in his state; and has made many reckless statements that one wonders about his sanity at times, including promoting the study of creationism in science classes. He also comes across as extremely mean spirited and intolerant!

We have Mike Huckabee, who won the Iowa Caucuses in 2008 and seemed moderate at the time, but since then, went to Fox News Channel as a talk show host, and it seemed to infect his brain. Huckabee has become a right wing whacko, evoking extremist Christianity; making ridiculous and divisive statements about women, gay rights and marriage; and embracing defense of reality show crazies, along with asserting he would not enforce Supreme Court decisions that he does not agree with, a shocking sense of lawlessness by anyone who would wish to be President!

The author will comment on other contenders in a Part II and Part III over the short haul, and then make clear which candidates have real legitimacy!

The Arrogant, Belligerent Chris Christie Needs His Comeuppance, With Bad Behavior And Scandals!

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New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie has had his fans who love his confrontational attitude toward constituents, voters, and anyone in the media who dares to challenge him on policy or statements.

Christie comes across as arrogant and egotistical, and has done great harm to the pension system of New Jersey.

He has refused to consider medical marijuana to be available to cancer patients and those with major seizure issues.

He has misused aid from the federal government for damages done by Hurricane Sandy, with many areas not moving toward rebuilding.

He has billed the state massive amounts for food and drink when he is at sports events, rather than pay it out of pocket.

He has been under a shadow regarding the closing of lanes to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey, with aides now coming up for trial, but Christie claiming he knew nothing about the blockage.

Basically, Chris Christie thinks he should be considered as a serious candidate for the Republican Presidential race, but yet he has slipped dramatically in the polls, even in New Hampshire.

He may come across as somewhat more moderate than many other Republican contenders, but he could face criminal indictment or having to testify in a trial in the next year, and therefore, that will effectively end any chance that he will be able to survive the caucuses and primaries.

The man’s personality is the wrong one for the Presidency, as with his mouth alone, he could start a war, due to his inability to control his anger and emotions, too often displayed to be uncouth!

Chris Christie needs his comeuppance, and that is likely to happen very soon, eliminating him as a serious contender for the Presidency!

Personality DOES Matter: Why Chris Christie Will Never Be President!

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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may be described as the most centrist Republican Presidential candidate, and also as one of the “Establishment” Republican Presidential contenders, which includes Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney.

But we have NEVER had a person as confrontational, as rude, as bullyish, as loudmouth, as obnoxious, as Chris Christie has been with ordinary New Jersey citizens who dare to challenge or question him!

Can one imagine such a person as President, speaking to foreign leaders, directly or indirectly, in such a undiplomatic manner? We would have World War EIGHT, as he would inspire wars just with his dripping sarcasm and lack of tact!

It might be entertaining to some in New Jersey that Christie is such a character, and we have seen staff and supporters around him who laugh heartily when he goes after a tax payer, a parent, a critic, but there is nothing laughable about such behavior!

We have never had a President with such a personality, and have never had a nominee with such a personality, and we are not about to witness that happening!

Chris Christie, if he enters the Presidential fray, will be repudiated in the Iowa Caucus in January of next year, not only for his comparative moderation on issues and views, but also on his brusque personality, which does not wear well in the Midwest, a comparatively low key, friendly environment of people who are laid back in nature, and do not like rudeness or nastiness. And New Hampshire citizens in their primary, and New Englanders, will also not take well to Chris Christie’s New Jersey “in your face” mannerisms and speech!

So the best suggestion for Chris Christie: Stay out of the Republican Presidential race, and avoid embarrassing yourself, and being soundly repudiated1