Republican National Convention

Philadelphia The Site Of The Democratic National Convention The Week of July 25, 2016!

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So the Democratic National Committee has chosen Philadelphia, the “City of Brotherly Love”, the city of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutional Convention, the city of Benjamin Franklin, to be the host for the Democratic National Convention, which will nominate the next Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

The convention will be held in the last week of July, the week after the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.

So therefore, there will be little time for a “bump” in the polls for the GOP Presidential nominee, and an extra month for the official campaign, which will now start in August, rather than around Labor Day in September.

This author had predicted that Columbus, Ohio, would be the site, and concedes that this time, unlike Tampa and the Republicans in 2012, that he turned out to have predicted incorrectly. The reasoning was that Ohio was in play as a “swing” state, while Pennsylvania is not really such.

However, Philadelphia is a great choice, and the general term “City of Brotherly Love’ actually fits perfectly, as the Democrats are the party of equal rights for gays and lesbians, while the Republicans, with a very few exceptions of office holders, still defy and oppose such equality, including marriage, although it is clear that the Supreme Court is about to declare this June that gays and lesbians may marry everywhere in the United States!

Final Decision On Democratic National Convention Due: New York, Philadelphia, Or Columbus, Ohio?

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Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, will be announcing sometime this month where the 2016 Democratic National Convention will be held in the summer of 2016.

The finalists are New York City, Philadelphia, and Columbus, Ohio.

Many might say having the convention in the number one city in America (New York City), or in the city representing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutional Convention (Philadelphia), would be the best choice.

However, realize that both New York State and Pennsylvania are strongly “blue” states in Presidential elections, and therefore, nothing electorally is gained by choosing either city.

On the other hand, selecting Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the Buckeye State, is a strategically very smart move, particularly with the fact that the Republican National Convention is to be held in Cleveland.

Ohio is the ultimate swing state, having been with the winner every election since 1964, and it is, certainly, one of only five truly “swing states” up for contention.

The Democrats could win the Presidency without Ohio, but with the GOP in Ohio, and the strong possibility that either Governor John Kasich or Senator Rob Portman could be the Vice Presidential running mate for Jeb Bush or others, and that Kasich himself could run for President, it would be extremely smart and sensible to compete for Ohio in the convention situation, along with the Republicans in Cleveland.

So the Democrats should seriously make the decision to go for Columbus, and make Ohio a true rivalry for party support, and if Ohio went to the Democrats, it would clinch for sure the winning of the Presidency by any Presidential nominee, no matter who it was!

So my prediction is that the Democrats will see the reasoning suggested in this blog entry, and will choose Columbus, Ohio, over New York City and Philadelphia. We shall see how my prediction works out in the next month!

I remind my readers that I correctly predicted Tampa, Florida, as the convention site of the Republicans in 2012!

Ohio The Crucial State In Presidential Elections Since 1964! Republicans, Be Aware Of That Reality!

Ronald 1 Comment

Ohio, the “Buckeye” state, is the crucial state in Presidential elections since 1964, with the winner in Ohio going on to win the election, and reside in the White House!

This makes it essential for the Republican Party to take this into consideration, and to nominate an Ohioan for the Presidency in 2016. It also makes it essential for Democrats to fight tooth and nail to win this state, although they could win the Electoral College without Ohio.

A recent assessment of the Electoral College theorizes that the Democrats may have the 270 electoral votes needed to win the Presidency in 2016, as the so called “blue” states add up to 257 electoral votes, including all of New England and the Northeast, down to the District of Columbia; the Midwest states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota; and the Western states of California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, and Hawaii. Add Virginia and its 13 electoral votes, and the fact that the state has gone “blue” in Senate and gubernatorial elections recently, and is influenced by the power of the Northern Virginia (DC suburbs) population, and you have the precise number of electoral votes needed.

But of course, the desire is not to barely win, so Ohio is crucial for Democrats, but also Republicans!

This author has said before that, therefore, the best choice for the GOP Presidential nomination is either Governor John Kasich or Senator Rob Portman, more than any others, but not even certain that either will run for the Presidency, or do well in the caucuses and primaries, starting in January 2016!

Kasich has accepted Medicaid funding for the poor in his state, and Portman has backed gay marriage after his son came out as gay, and these factors hurt both with the Tea Party base in the Republican Party.

On the other hand, Kasich has a long record of Congressional service in the past, and headed the House Budget Committee in the 1990s; and Portman was Budget Director under President George W. Bush.

Both are mild mannered, not the type to make outrageous or ridiculous or extremist statements, and both seem competent to serve as President, more than most of the other potential alternatives.

The GOP National Convention will be in Cleveland, and there is a good chance of the Democratic National Convention being in Columbus, so Ohio moves to the forefront as a major battleground for 2016, which should not be ignored by either party, but particularly the Republicans!

Realize that six Ohio Republicans went on to become President from 1868-1923—Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding!

Will the GOP be smart enough to do the right thing? Don’t bet on it!

How A Speech Elevated Four Presidential Candidates To Nomination, And Two Of Them To The White House!

Ronald 3 Comments

The power of oratory in advancing a political candidacy for the Presidency,that no one expected to occur, is part of American history!

There have been four cases of people who were elevated to a Presidential nomination, and two of them to the White House, by the electrifying effect that a speech had on their political party and the nation at large!

Two of these were Democrats, and two were Republicans.

One of the Democrats was former Nebraska Congressman William Jennings Bryan, who delivered the “Cross of Gold” speech at the 1896 Democratic National Convention, with this leading to his Presidential nomination. Despite losing to William McKinley, Bryan went on to be the nominee of the Democrats two more times, in 1900 and 1908.

The other was Illinois State Senator Barack Obama, who gave a dynamic speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, arguing against a divided America, and calling for a united America, instead of a “red’ America and a “blue” America. It drew attention to him, and after being elected to the US Senate, he decided to campaign for the Presidency, and overcame many adversities to win two terms in the White House, but sadly saw “red” and “blue” America split ever further apart!

The first Republican was businessman Wendell Willkie, who despite no political experience, stirred the Republican National Convention of 1940 with his speech and charisma, and went on to become the nominee of his party, but losing to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Ronald Reagan was the other Republican, making a well noticed speech on television in support of Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, the GOP nominee for President in 1964. Goldwater lost in a massive landslide to Lyndon B. Johnson, but Reagan gained enough support and notice to run for California Governor in 1966, and eventually to be elected to two terms as President in the 1980s!

So the power of speech and charisma has had a great effect on American politics!

Ohio And The Republican Party

Ronald 1 Comment

So the Republican Party has chosen Cleveland, Ohio, for its national convention in 2016!

This is a very interesting selection, to choose a strong Democratic city to hold their convention!

It is true, however, that Ohio is the ultimate “swing state”, as it, most recently, decided the Presidential Election Of 2004 in favor of President George W. Bush over Senator John Kerry.

And Ohio gave us six Presidents, all Republicans, from 1868-1923, with the elections of Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding.

Only Grant and McKinley were reelected, however, and only Grant served two full terms, with Garfield and McKinley assassinated in office; Hayes denied renomination of his party; Taft defeated with the worst popular vote percentage and lowest electoral vote for an attempted reelection in 1912; and Harding dying of natural causes in office. Also, Grant and Harding presided over the greatest corruption in American history on the national level until Richard Nixon came along!

Overall, these six Ohio Presidents did not add much to the record of the Presidency in a positive manner, with McKinley being rated the best of the group; Grant usually the worst, although now undergoing some historical rehabilitation; Harding also near the bottom of the list of Presidents, but also being reevaluated by some scholars: and Garfield seen as possibly the major loss of the group, due to his short time in office before being assassinated.

Ohio is also the home of Governor John Kasich, former long term Congressman and one of the leaders of the GOP in the House of Representatives, who is seen as one of the longer shots who might run for President, and this author has already mentioned him as a potential candidate, with some positives greater than the list of candidates usually mentioned in print as the most likely candidates.

But the reality is that Ohio is likely to go Democratic as it did in 2008 and 2012, and the Democratic Party can win the Presidency without Ohio.

For the Republican Party to believe that holding their convention in Ohio insures their victory for the White House in 2016 is truly delusional!

Six Cities For Democrats and Four For Republicans Competing For 2016 National Conventions!

Ronald 5 Comments

The bids are in for the two national conventions of the major political parties competing for the Presidency in 2016.

The Democrats have bids from Birmingham, Alabama; Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; New York City (Brooklyn); and Phoenix, Arizona.

The Republicans have bids from Cleveland, Ohio; Dallas, Texas: Denver, Colorado; and Kansas City, Missouri.

It would be interesting if both parties chose Cleveland, as the parties have, occasionally, chosen the same city for their conventions, but somehow, this author does not see either party actually choosing Cleveland.

What makes the most sense is to choose a city in a state that is competitive, or significant enough to be considered possibly a win for the political party involved.

Going on that assumption, it makes no sense for Birmingham, Alabama to be chosen by the Democrats.

New York City (Brooklyn) would be a popular favorite, but New York is guaranteed to the Democrat Presidential nominee in 2016.

Philadelphia would be a good choice, in a state which could be competitive, although the Democrats are a heavy favorite to win the state, so it seems unlikely as the choice that will be made.

So that leaves Columbus, Ohio and Phoenix, Arizona as the remaining choices, as both states are highly competitive, but with Ohio more likely to go Democratic, and being, in many ways, the key swing state.

So the prediction of this blogger is that Columbus will be the host for the Democratic National Convention, the capital city of the state, and a better choice, overall, than Cleveland would be.

As far as the Republicans are concerned, the best choice, in the opinion of the blogger, is Denver, Colorado, a true swing state, but Dallas would be the backup if the GOP wants to send the message just how important Texas is, as the danger of an eventual move toward becoming a “blue” state becomes more possible as the years go by.

So the emotional favorite for this author for the Democrats is his home of New York, which he left for Florida 25 years ago, but the likelihood that Columbus will be chosen, with a backup of Phoenix.

While the author has no emotional favorite for the Republicans, the likely emotional choice for them would be Dallas, but with the likelihood that Denver will be chosen, and doubtful for Kansas City and, particularly, for Cleveland!

We shall see how accurate the author is in his predictions of Columbus for the Democrats and Denver for the Republicans!

Newspaper Endorsements For Barack Obama Smack At Mitt Romney In An Embarrassing Manner!

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Many people might say that newspaper editorial board endorsements do not matter very much in the modern age, but still it is impressive that Barack Obama is gathering newspaper endorsements in places that are embarrassing to Mitt Romney.

The Tampa Bay Tribune, in the city where the Republican National Convention was held, endorsed Obama.

The Denver Post, in the city where the first Presidential debate was held, endorsed Obama.

The Salt Lake City Tribune, in the city and state of the Mormon establishment and the Mormon temple, turned against a person who is a leader of their faith, and endorsed Obama.

Additionally, it is quite apparent that other major newspapers, more significant than those mentioned above—including the NY Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Los Angeles Times—will endorse Obama, and the Philadelphia Inquirer already has done so.

Sure, Mitt Romney has won some endorsements and will gain more, but it seems clear that the majority of newspapers, and the most prestigious and influential ones, will be backing Barack Obama.

Significant food for thought, one might say!

What Republicans Will Never Understand: The Role Of Wealth In Politics!

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Let’s face the facts: People who become politicians invariably are wealthy, or become wealthy, before they serve in public office.

The fact that politicians are wealthy is not a problem. What IS a problem is when they fail to understand the daily struggles of average Americans, and go out of the way to benefit their new status–wealthy Americans, who do not need political favors because they are already privileged!

These politicians in the Republican Party all love to talk about the struggles that their grandparents and parents went through, which is fine and good. Marco Rubio talked about it; so did Tim Pawlenty, Chris Christie, and numerous others who gave speeches at the Republican National Convention. But to get them to translate to the idea that today there are millions of people who are not as fortunate as they are, to be born to wealth as Mitt Romney was, or to live a prosperous middle class existence, and then inherit millions from family or in laws, as Paul Ryan has experienced, shows that they have no concern for the average American who is not born to wealth, or does not inherit money!

Let politicians have their wealth, but let them, as Franklin D. Roosevelt or Ted Kennedy or many other wealthy Democrats, not be so selfish and greedy as to only care about people of their social class, as wealthy Republicans have proved is their only motive in life!

FDR and Ted Kennedy demonstrated real concern and desire to help those not as fortunate as themselves and made America a better place, and that is a lot more admirable than Mitt Romney or Paul Ryan or others in the GOP having no concern about those below their class, and in fact, condemning middle class and poor people to the bottom of the pile, forgetting it is not only adults, but children and the elderly being abandoned in the name of greed, selfishness, and lack of compassion!

The Egotism And Ambitions Of Republican Speakers At Their Convention: Embarrassing, But Also Revealing!

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When one looks back at the Republican National Convention, which finished last night, what will stick out the most in our memories will be the egotism and political ambitions of many speakers at the convention, who touted their own background and credentials to be considered for the Republican nomination in 2016!

It is clear that many Republicans believe Mitt Romney is going to lose the election, and therefore, the battle for the future leadership of the party was in full demonstration.

The Republican speakers were falling over themselves, trying to out brag each other!

This included Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, and Bob McDonnell. It was embarrassing how much of their speeches was about themselves, only mentioning Romney briefly at the end of their presentations.

The best speeches by far were by Condoleezza Rice and Jeb Bush, who dealt with really important issues, rather than displaying their egotism.

So the battle for the future is in full forward motion, even before the election is held!

Actor And Director Clint Eastwood: Not Really A Republican In 2012

Ronald 1 Comment

Actor and director Clint Eastwood made a fool of himself last night with his rambling, weird speech at the Republican National Convention, and it was plain strange that he even was speaking at the convention

Eastwood has voted for Democrats before, and while calling himself a Republican, he does not fit in well with the 2012 GOP.

Why is this so?

Well, Eastwood is pro choice on abortion.

He is pro gay rights and supports same sex marriage.

He believes in global warming and climate change as real.

He was against our involvement in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, and believes America should not be involved in foreign interventions, and avoid being a global policeman.

Is this a Republican in 2012? The answer is NO!