Lions share of nation skeptical of Trump presidency

President Obama entered the White House with American optimism at 32%, 34% of the country satisfied with his election. Donald Trump will take office with 22% optimism, 23% satisfied with his election. But the kicker is 29% are pessimistic about the president-elect, with this figure only 9% under Obama. NBC reports, "That's a significantly worse outlook than Americans expressed after the elections of both Barack Obama and George W. Bush." I have no doubt that Donald Trump has several excuses to justify these numbers but an election after-market has spoken.

Democratic pollster Fred Yang of Hart Research Associates says...

"Usually elections settle arguments and the nation comes together, at least in the short term. Today, hard feelings persist on both sides of the partisan divide. It's as if the 2016 campaign has never ended."

It appears to me that all this skepticism is well justified by the people Trump has chosen to support him...

Steve Mnuchin, Sec. of Treasury who worked at Goldman Sachs for 17 years, a firm that had to be bailed out by the government due to risky investments. Jeff Sessions, Atty. Gen. who was denied a federal judgeship. Andrew Puzder, Sec. of Labor, a hardliner against any increase in minimum wage. Betsy Devos, Sec. Education, wants to get rid of public school system. Tom Price, Sec. Health and Human Services, wants to scuttle Obamacare. These are only a few and many are billionaires.

A statistic that cannot be ignored is the fact that 46% of the American public still gives him a poor rating, compared to 40% who are positive. And the confidence in Donald Trump's election all comes from his base voters, not those who didn't vote for him. There are 92% of Trump voters who believe the man can bring change to Washington--with Clinton only 20%--but have these people considered just what kind of change they want, and is this also what the president-elect wants. So far, Donald Trump has not convinced many of us he isn't in all of this just to promote his business.

T-rump stupid things

Gave Senator Lindsey Graham’s personal phone number to the entire world.

Lindsay Graham

Possibly because Graham said, “I have never been comfortable with Donald Trump as our Republican nominee.”

Thanks to BGR.com.

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article106928442.html#storylink=cpy

Dump the Electoral Party...NOW

It's happened twice now, during the last three elections, the popular vote winner loses the election. It was made official yesterday by an antiquated system called the Electoral College. Donald Trump with 306 votes, Hillary Clinton with 232--hardly a landslide--Clinton ending up with more than 2.5 million popular votes than Trump. The nation did not elect Donald Trump, the college did. And that is what is wrong. NBC reports on efforts, post-election...

"A handful of Democrats and even a few Republican electors have embarked on an unusual effort to deny Trump the victory — or at the very least, raise the specter of changing the election."

And more...

"Electors in three states have gone to court seeking the chance to vote their mind; another resigned to avoid the vote altogether. One Republican elector in Texas has publicly said he will not vote for Trump, although his state voted overwhelmingly for the GOP candidate."

Here's a quote from The Nation, a leading Progressive publication...

"The Electoral College is an abomination: an antidemocratic relic of the unconscionable compromises made during America’s founding that should never have been allowed to linger into the 21st century." 

As an example of the inadequacy of the Electoral College, Donald Trump took Michigan with less than 11,000 votes out of a total of 4.8 million cast, .0023%. Supporters of the College claim it protects the smaller states from being overrun by the larger ones. When, in fact, five of the 10 smallest states, Vermont, Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine, as well as the District of Columbia had Clinton leading Trump. As I understand it, this is one of the major reasons the Founding Fathers concocted this nuisance. 

And here is something that is almost as frightening as Donald Trump being elected President. The Nation surmises "that GOP strategists will again try to implement schemes that would distribute electoral votes based on the popular vote in congressional districts, which would allow partisans to gerrymander both the US House and the Electoral College." Because of the incompetency of the Democratic Nat'l Committee, led by disgraced Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the GOP already leads in state legislatures and governor's offices.

The bipartisan National Popular Vote initiative is making some headway with a compact that says the state electors must cast their votes with the popular vote. Ten states have signed up totaling 165 votes, but the compact can only take effect when more than 270 is reached. Barbara Boxer introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College, but with a Republican Congress, and the GOP already having won the election, its likelihood of getting anywhere is doubtful. In a final note, The Nation commented...

"...something must be done to address the structural absurdity of elections that allow losers to become presidents."

And that could not be more appropriate. 

What do Republicans have that Democrats don't?

PASSION. It's very simple, you can see it in all factions of the conservatives; when the vote is critical, they turn out. The Democrats, or at least most of them, put their tails between their legs and just stay home when the heat is on. it's pathetic and God knows how many elections we've lost in the last few years. On the bright side, Bernie Sanders brought out the Progressives, and think they did their part in the primaries but Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Democratic National Committee had the whole thing rigged from the start. Bernie should have won.

On the other hand, President Obama said on Monday that the reason for Democratic voters not showing up was the fault of the Clinton campaign for not hitting the Dems' strongholds. He cited an instance where, in his support of Clinton, he wanted to go to Iowa where he had won handily but the Clinton people felt he was better needed elsewhere. He also added, "...candidates in the future should ignore at their own peril the places Democrats haven't traditionally performed well." Further...

"...some Democrats have accused Clinton of maintaining a relaxed campaign schedule, bypassing states like Wisconsin and Iowa where Obama won in 2012."

The blame game is, of course, easy to play with hindsight, but the real question here is what brought out more Republican voters than Democrats? We know there was a huge wave of demand for change, to get rid of the Washington that has only performed for the politicians and given us the same crap year after year. Donald Trump seemed to fill that bill and was elected, but we still have a Congress that has an approval rating of 13% and can't seem to get rid of them. Much of this can be attributed to the GOP gerrymandering that Wasserman and the DNC saw fit to do nothing about over the years.

Reports are that the Republican turnout surged this year while Democrats were just dormant. With Obama the Dems' stronghold was the college educated, young and non-white. Bernie Sanders had two of these categories, could have possibly gotten the other, and one must wonder, if he had won the primary, would the election outcome have been different. There is one bit of difference in Democrats that is recently becoming obvious; the Progressive faction of the party...Bernie's people. I am a Progressive, passionate about those beliefs and a firm supporter of the Democratic Party.

I wouldn't even consider not voting and frankly don't understand those who stayed home from the polls on November 8, and let what happened come about. Donald Trump. Here's the kicker, Gallup reports that as of October 2014, polling found that 43% of Americans identified as Democrats and 39% as Republicans. There are 4% more of us than them and we still can't win an election. It's a disgrace and something that should make those slackers sit up and take notice. The big question is, can we expect them to turn out in 2018.

T-rump stupid things

“Donald J Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States, until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.” (2015)

Thanks to UK Independent

Why did Putin want Donald Trump in the White House?

Donald Trump is supposed to be such a savvy businessman, wouldn't you expect that to translate into at least a crafty politician? Vladimir Putin doesn't think so. Steve Benen of MSNBC says Putin feels with Trump in the White House the United States will look "...ridiculous, having an unprepared and unqualified television personality leading a global superpower." He thinks it will be easier for Russia to exploit America’s "self-inflicted wound." WOW! We knew we had a psychopathic clown going to Washington, but this observation, if true, is really frightening.

NBC News reported recently that "...17 U.S. intelligence agencies agree that Vladimir Putin’s government was responsible for the cyber-attacks." Apparently, this has been widely accepted to mean that Russia did interfere in the U.S. 2016 election, some even saying that Putin, himself, led the effort. In contrast, the Trump administration is blaming it on China or saying it didn't even happen, according to MSNBC. And even more conjecture in what Russia's Putin might be thinking...

“You obviously can’t count on the United States to be a credible global leader anymore; just look at who the Americans chose as their president.”

WOW again, but true in the sense that the deranged American public elected this lunatic.

And then Benen gets to the financial side of the argument. Barack Obama could be depended on to slap sanctions on Russia when they became overly hostile and aggressive. It is possible, maybe even likely, that Donald Trump will lift them for his old Russian buddy. White House chief of staff Reince Priebus refused to confirm one way or the other. Okay, we're talking about Russia, but what can other countries be thinking, especially any that have an ax to grind with the U.S. This country is on the precipice of disaster and Donald Trump is the one that can push it off.

Why do Republicans hate Social Security?

Because the man who launched it was a Democrat, Franklin Delano Roosevelt? Mitch McConnell type thinking. Because they can't stand giving anything away; actually the average couple will pay in about two-thirds of what they take out. So it isn't all welfare. Because most of the Republicans who are against Social Security are wealthy, therefore don't care what happens to the poor slobs like us? I think we've got it. Although I know several conservatives who are not affluent and are still of the Republican persuasion; all I can say is that I pity them.

But this post is about the people in Congress that are trying to gut Social Security by raising the retirement age and reducing benefits as much as a third. Now I cannot speak with authority on what the minimum age for benefits should be, but I can see that reducing benefits could wreak havoc on those households that depend entirely on this monthly check. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), the chair for the House Ways and Means Social Security subcommittee, is the one responsible for the legislation. Now here's a shocker, his net worth is $48,501.

Fortunately, in his case, as a House representative, and only with one term, he will receive $174,000 a year for the rest of his life when he retires. Now why would he worry about Social Security? But you would think someone with that kind of net worth would sympathize with others in the same category. Unless...there are other assets hidden somewhere like the Caymans. Johnson's Act would keep Social Security going for 75 years, but would "...include a $2 trillion decrease in revenue into the program and a $13.9 trillion decrease in benefits."

Of course, there would be no increase in taxes, like maybe on the wealthy, and some other loopholes for the rich, with a GOP Congress and a Republican in the White House. Raising tax on the top 1% to 40% would yield $157 billion in one year; to 45%, $276 billion. This group is the one most able to afford it but greed on the part of the GOP has stifled any action for years. I honestly believe that with Bernie Sanders in the White House, even with a Republican Congress, he would have gotten this tax passed. He'd do it with you and me in an all-out grass roots effort.

T-rump stupid things

Does this sound like a mentally stable man?

“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bring crime. They’re rapists… And some, I assume, are good people.”

Donald Trump taking one of his first jabs at racism.

Thanks to Marie Claire.
 

North Carolina continues its racist mandate

After growing up in the South I left because I couldn't tolerate the segregation beliefs and policies. What was more perplexing than the act of unabated racism was the fact that these people were sure that they were right. And many of them still are, not just in the South, but all over this country. The state of Arizona has taken a different path in the last few years, their racism directed toward Hispanics. Former disgraced Arizona Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, tried his best to harass all of the Latino's out of the state but failed and now will hopefully go to jail for it.

They say the art of racism is not inherited, it is learned. It is not taught at any school in lower or higher education, as far as I know, but I have to qualify that. Not outwardly but inwardly, not the direct approach but the more covert approach. It is, however, definitely there, as far as the masses and as far as the education. To illustrate, here is a comment from one of my recent blogs, "Lowlife Donald Trump supporter replies to my blog:"

What a joke,the market is breaking records every day since we elected a real President, your buckwheat nigger "president" was and is the biggest failure of all time

This is just one result from the action of more lowlife like the out-going Governor of North Carolina, Pat MCrory, who brought his Republican caucus together to pass bills that severely restrict what the incoming Governor, Democrat Roy Cooper, can do. One thing is the "elevation of a distinguished African American jurist, Mike Morgan, to the state's Supreme Court." CNN says it is to, "reconfigure the state's court system to fend off challenges to legislators' power." In effect, take most of the control away from the executive branch before Cooper comes in.

Morgan's appointment would give the court a Democratic majority but this is all icing on the cake. This state government is exploding in a continued effort to deny the vote to African Americans. A "...federal court overturned the legislature's "racial gerrymander" in 28 districts, requiring new district lines and a special election in 2017; the US Supreme Court is reviewing that case now." There's more...

"This past July, the US Court of Appeals for the 4th District ruled in North Carolina NAACP v. McCrory that the extremists in the General Assembly had "targeted African Americans with almost surgical precision," and overturned the state's 2013 voter suppression bill."

Still think my earlier proposal should be considered: Put all racists in a concentration camp.

T-rump stupid things

“You know, it really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass.”

More about women and proof that we have a classless horse's ass for incoming President.

T-rump stupid things

Famous video about women

“Ariana Huffington is unattractive, both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.”

Trump always has charming things to say about successful, prominent women – but he stooped particularly low with this comment about Huffington Post founder. The man is a complete schmuck when it comes to women.

T-rump stupid things

“An ‘extremely credible source has called my office and told me that Barack Obama’s birth certificate is a fraud”

Trump was determined to ‘expose’ President Obama’s birthplace back in 2012, and even claimed to have sent investigators to Hawaii in the hopes of proving Obama wasn’t born in the United States. Former, disgraced Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has since charged this is true based on his completed investigation.

Bernie's full-steam lost on Clinton

"Will Democrats and their friends and allies question their belief that the political professionals are best suited to decide who runs?" Not my question, it comes from Progressive Magazine and wonders what the future for our movement is. Bernie Sanders had the momentum and the message many voters were looking for, in a parallel with Donald Trump's appeal, although Bernie did it with class. But thanks to an underhanded Democratic National Committee, Clinton was favored.

Of course, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, former disgraced head of the DNC, was the culprit that pulled the strings that prevented Sanders from getting the nomination. She's gone, thanks to Bernie, but the damage was done and we ended up with...Donald Trump. The latter's differences with Bernie was the fact that Trump added immigrant -bashing, tax cuts for the wealthy and a future for white male supremacy, along with racist and white nationalists' views.

Bernie Sanders did not get the nomination and Hillary Clinton was not able to capitalize on his support, particularly the millennials, so we lost the White House and a chance to reclaim the Senate. But there is still hope with Bernie Sanders Revolution in motion and Chuck Schumer as new minority leader in the Senate. And there are rumbles everywhere about progressive grass-roots movements being pursued. Even if Donald Trump lasts a term, it won't be easy for him or Republicans.