Racist remarks

Dear Carl Paladino,

I'm heading to the store. Would like me to get you and a number of your buddies some new sheets? I hear they are having a white sale.

Election, candidates, and Trump.

Election, candidates, and Trump.

A Political Rant. You have been warned.

Here we are, election day. This has been one of the craziest that many have seen. I have been watching elections since 1972. The candidates are some of the most hated in history. The whys and wither or not they are true is another rant. This about how the GOP lost its mind and nominated Trump.

First some history lessons for those of you that were not paying attention in High School. In 1964, the split in the Republican Party started when Barry Goldwater ran for POTUS. The Conservative movement started and forced many moderates to leave and become Democrats. Moderates were labels Rockefeller Republicans (later labeled RINOs).

In 1968, Nixon was losing. Suddenly he came up with a “Southern Strategy.” (Actually it was created by Nixon and Goldwater supporters in what is known as the “Suite 3505 committee.”) Nixon and his cronies started to appeal to the white Southerns who were facing a dramatic change with new Civil Rights laws and the dismantling of Jim Crow laws.

In 1980, Reagan brought in the Evangelicals. They demanded more cultural fights. Mandatory attendance to an annual prayer breakfast and religious test for leaders. Reagan also created an unwritten rule. “Thou shall not speak ill of another Republican.” A number of Conservative politicians bristled at this, chief among them was Newt Gingrich.

In the 1990s, Evangelicals gained strength in the party. Several states at their urging pass state constitutional amendments against gay marriage. The GOP lead congress stated a series investigations to prove that government was corrupt. This ultimately led to the impeachment of the President. (They wanted a corruption charge, but since the Independent Prosecutor couldn’t find one, they went with morality.)

In the Early 2000s, the GOP and Conservatives were in hog heaven. A weak president was elected and was surround by those that would push him any direction they wanted. (War, bad tax cuts, and more government spending for cronies) And then came Barack Obama.

In 2008, Obama was elected. Two major political “movements” were created. First was the Birther movement. Let’s be clear, here and now. The birther movement was a racist attack on the President. Presidential candidate’s qualifications are vetted long before they are elected.

The other was the Tea Party. This was one of those movements with many parents. But in the words of “Deep Throat,” follow the money. The basic idea was that members of this group did not want the bailouts or more government involvement in anything. Purity and the tearing down of the government.

There is your history lesson. Yes, it was done with broad strokes. But, this is the gist of the subjects.

Next is two things that have been happening behind the scenes. Technology and demographics.

The technology revolution has been happen since the late 1970s and early 1980s. The PC, the internet, and smart phones/tablets picked up speed and changed rapidly in the 1990s and 2000s. Because of it, many could not (or would not) keep up with the changes. The changes in Trade policy just exacerbated this change. (Companies leaving the country has been happen since the 1970s)

The demographic change is much more subtle. First is the fact that every year, 4 million Hispanics become of voting age. Secondly, the Millennials have come of age and are getting active. Finally, the baby boomers are retiring.

Why does this matter? Older white voters have been voting in lesser numbers every presidential election. In 2012, only 68% of them voted. They have been dropping out by 2 – 3% every election. So, now we have angry older white (mostly male) electric.

In 2015, 17 Republicans thought they could be President. Let’s not kid ourselves, at least half if not more never had a snowballs chance in hell. They should never have been there and they knew it. It was a pure vanity run. Legacy for the Obit (“Former Presidential candidate ________ died today.”) And yet the people around them kept whispering in their ears about how great they were and how they were winning.

Trump came down the escalator and gave the base what they wanted. After years of telling the country that everybody was corrupt, Trump came out and said it to their face. He was not nice to his opponents. He did not talk policy. No details. He was a reality candidate that spoke in sound bites. No need to think about what he stood for. Twitter was his friend.

That was the appeal. He spoke what “People” wanted to say. He talked about their fears. He fanned those flames better than anyone. He even convinced a large portion of people that the military was incompetent.

So, there it is. The forces and issues that got Trump nominated. I am not a supporter. But it was interesting to watch how this happened. I will talk about Hillary and Johnson after the election.

Note: Talk about Hillary, Stein, or Gary Johnson here, I will delete the post. Stay on topic.

Please make sure that you go and vote.

Senator Lee

Dear Senator Lee (of Utah),

You called blamed the Dem for choosing a candidate as cult of personality. When was the last time your party looked in the mirror?
Signed,

An Informed Citizen.

Comcast and Hi-Def Sports

Dear Comcast,

So, not only, do you not put the Olympics on Demand. But If I want to watch the obscure sports, I have to have High Def Subscription too. Come on! You own about a dozen channels. And on the weekend, you can't go with full coverage? You paid over a billion dollars for this. I thought you would have wanted to get your monies worth.

An unhappy customer.

Comcast and different Sports

Dear Comcast,

Stop trying to get me to use you on demand services if you won't carry the stuff on your own channels (Tour de France and the Olympic Opening Ceremonies.) You own the damn channels that they were aired on. If you can't provide your programing, why should I watch anything you have?

An unhappy customer.

Constitution is Liberal

Was reading a blog and another friend’s wall. I noticed a number of their conservative friends complaining that the "Liberals" are the one causing the POTUS so much trouble. Now I could rant about what the Conservatives did to Obama, but I will let history make the final word on that.
Instead, I want to make a rather simple statement to those screaming about the Constitution, POTUS, and politics in general. Please remember that the Constitution is a liberal document. And the heads will start exploding (along with name calling, threats, and accusations of a lack of Education) in 3, 2, 1...

Religion, Discrimination, and Indiana.

I originally posted this when Indiana was stupidly thinking about doing this. Well, now North Carolina, Mississippi, and Tennessee have decided that they had to go through with this. And they will pay economically for it. So, I’m re-posting this. Read and think.

A Political Rant. You have been warned!

Religion, Discrimination, and Indiana.

Religion is a powerful thing in people’s lives. It shapes and molds their identities and morals. It gives comfort to those who need it when times are tough or when illness and death stalk a family or friend. When the changes in the modern world becomes too much, many look to spiritual guidance to help deal with the stresses. It can also show us the greatest acts of kindness and humanity.

Yet like most things, Religion has a dark side. Many read into it the need to convert others to their way of thinking. (If you are not with us, you are against us.) If they cannot be converted then they must be the “other.” Fit to be scorned, hated, and in some cases killed. All in the name of their version of God.

This “other” is what is currently behind the so-called “Religious Freedom” law in Indiana. The right to tell that other that they can be discriminated against, all in the name of God.

Think about that for a moment. The state of Indiana has just made a law that says, if someone claims a deeply held belief they can refuse to do business with you. No penalty, no fine, just sanctioned discrimination.

You will hear (like on the Sunday’s news shows) some claim that this not what the law is about. That it is designed to protect the rights and freedoms of those practicing their faith. Bullshit! We have this little thing called the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and over two hundred years of the Supreme Court rulings.

Some have stated that there are 19 other states with similar laws on the books along with one from the Federal government. Well, they are more tightly defined concerning the details. But don’t worry, we will get to them soon enough.

Now take moment. The current focus is on the rights of the LBGT community. And just as it should be. For they are the true target here and it is a direct strike at them because of the changing view on Gay Marriage. (A majority of Americans are now in favor of it.) Got some news for you, the demographics of the country are changing and so are the views. A majority of the population does not attend any sort of religious service.

Now, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. In the 1840s and 1850s, slavery was justified as being God’s will. The Jews have suffered for thousands of years based on someone else hatred and misinterpretation of religious writings. Muslims are the current boogey-man to some. And in 1692, we burned people at the stake because it was thought they were witches.

This is the bigger picture that laws like this will head us toward. Some here will accuse me of over-dramatizing it. But ask yourself, how much of a step is it from denying service to someone who is gay to deny it because of their religion (No hotel service for the Jews and Muslims can’t build their mosques) or skin color (Colored bathrooms, Chinese not allowed to bring their wives, and Irish and Italians denied housing and jobs.). It has happened before. Just ask the Japanese Americans.

Is this the American you want to live in? Is this the legacy we want for our children and grandchildren? We must do better. We must stand for our follow countrymen and women. “We the People” must mean everyone and their ideas or they are just words on paper.