Moral Evolution?...How About Leadership Devolution?

Moral Evolution?…How About Leadership Devolution?  Well, our sophomoric president is globe-trotting again.  These days find him in Japan telling the world that it needs to morally evolve.  In his inimitably condescending, patronizing, and didactic fashion, he once again held himself out to be the self-proclaimed patron saint of America and wanted all within earshot to understand that he was far better and more enlightened than his home nation or any of the leaders who had come before him.  Once again, I shudder to think how these foreign leaders think and speak of him in private after his pompous escapades.  This man has taken our nation backwards in so many ways and it seems certain that he will continue that effort, at an accelerated pace, for the balance of his term in office.   For a man who is morally bankrupt, intellectually transparent,  and painfully devoid of any intestinal fortitude, he does more second guessing of courageous leaders than anyone I have ever seen.  Our president is not qualified to judge whether the White House coffee is hot or cold, much less the life and death decisions made by our war-time presidents from eras past.   His “BIG I, little you” brand of moral superiority has long outlasted its amusement quotient. 

The great leaders I have known, both personally and in a literary sense, are those men and women who stand in the arena with you.   They are the ones who rise above petty differences and manage to bring people together in spite of principled disagreements.  They are the ones who inspire by their actions, not by their bravado.   They are the ones who recognize the price of every action taken, and can fully appreciate the cost of inaction when leadership is required.  A great leader makes a choice, states plainly why that choice is made, and steps forward to be held accountable for the consequences of his or her action.   They make deliberate decisions, but are unafraid to acknowledge mistakes and are big enough in character to change course when necessary.   A truly great leader will provide those he or she serves with moral and ethical leadership that truly inspires and encourages all who follow to aspire to something better than they presently are.  And when a great leader inspires, the inspiration comes from being one of the many and speaking from their perspective; not from being a holier-than-thou narcissist who speaks from above to the masses huddled down below.  Our president is none of these things.  He postures and primps, he harrumphs and belittles, his feet are forever planted in sand, he is inherently lazy and the only voices to which he pays heed are the nonsensical musings that he generates himself. 

It is bad enough that our nation has been cursed to have this man as president for the last seven and a half years; it is downright insufferable that he must showcase his pitiful competence around the globe.   For all of the damage Obama’s leadership has inflicted on this nation and this government in a domestic sense, the far more unsettling and potentially catastrophic cost is what it has done, and continues to do, to our country’s global relationships with friends and foes alike.  In due time, the American economy will rebound; the DOJ will once again come to grips with its proper role of enforcing the law as written as opposed to trying to create a liberal nirvana through executive order; the American people will eventually learn to, as a good man once said, judge their neighbors by the content of their character and not the color of their skin…without the ham-handed and bigoted bludgeon of the federal government.   In spite of what Obama has wrought, there will once again be jobs for those looking to work, compassion for those unable to work, and accountability for those who are able but refuse to work.  As low as we have sunk, this nation will recover domestically because of its inherent strength and principle.  But in the dangerous environment of world politics and power, where every day seems to rest on the hair-trigger mentality of some despot in a foreign land, we can only hope and pray that America’s brief (in the sands of time) respite from world leadership will not leave a permanent scar.  How much of the capital that the United States has earned over the decades with our most precious blood left on foreign lands has been frittered away by this idealistic lightweight?  We can only hope and pray that our next President will have the intelligence, the character, and the courage to lead this nation back to prominence as the leader of freedom and dignity for all, international respect for all peoples, and the willingness (God forbid) to make the hard decisions when no one else will.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm.

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm.  As Donald Trump continues his apparent primary victory tour in an effort to consolidate Republican support, Hillary Clinton continues to lose primary contests to Bernie Sanders; and yet, everyone has apparently moved on to the national Presidential race between Trump and Clinton.  There are occasional articles about what happens if Hillary is indicted, or what happens if her poll performance continues to deteriorate, or what happens if there is a right-wing Republican effort with an alternative candidate; but it appears the electorate at large is coming to terms with what likely shapes up to be an extremely entertaining, and perplexing, 2016 Presidential contest.

Kentucky held its Democratic primary this past Tuesday.  Bernie Sanders is an avowed, 74 year old Democratic socialist from New England who has at times proposed income tax rates up to 90 percent and endless federal social programs that will literally explode an already burgeoning federal debt.  On Tuesday in Kentucky, this man received over 200,000 votes and lost the primary to Clinton by approximately 2,000 votes.  A SOCIALIST received over 200,000 votes for PRESIDENT in KENTUCKY this week.  You tell me…is Bernie that good, is Hillary that bad, or are Kentuckians that crazy?  I can see Bernie winning Louisville and Jefferson County, but running this well statewide is nothing short of remarkable.  Sanders has now defeated Clinton in 11 of the last 14 Democratic primaries, yet Clinton remains the prohibitive favorite for the Democratic nomination.  I continue to marvel at those who perpetually portray the Republican primary process as a strange brew while accepting the Democratic primary as normal.   There is nothing normal about either party’s primary campaigns and the message that appears to come through loud and clear on both sides is that…people…want…change.

Just a few months back, the NRA was trying to decide which conservative they would support this year.  Would it be Ted Cruz, or Rick Perry, or Marco Rubio, or some other right-wing-card-carrying disciple that espoused their mantra in an acceptable fashion?  This week, also in Kentucky, the NRA enthusiastically embraced The Donald and gifted him with their 2016 Presidential Endorsement.  This is the same candidate that over the last several months has held no fewer than half a dozen different positions on gun rights.  This is the man who has likely contributed as much, or more, campaign dollars to anti-gun-rights Democrats as he has to pro-gun-rights Republicans.  Once again…is Trump that good, were his Republican opponents that bad, or is the NRA that crazy?  Like the NRA, we have seen several individuals and groups who had previously vowed NEVERTRUMP break over and begin to cozy into the Trump enclave.  To  his credit, Trump has changed his campaign message to provide cover for these wayward conservatives to come home to Trumpland; the latest being his list of potential Supreme Court nominees who all just happened to be Republican nominated conservatives.  Just how effective can Donald Chameleon Trump be in bringing these disgruntled conservatives back into the Republican fold?  Will he bring home more Republicans than Hillary will bring home the Sanders supporters?

Just a few weeks back, Hillary was well ahead of Trump in national polling and national Democrat leadership was nothing short of smug in their anticipation of running against the Donald.  Now, the majority of most recent national polls (Rasmussen, Fox, ABC/WP) show Trump leading Clinton and panic is beginning to seep into the Democratic establishment; the very same panic that has been growing in the Republican establishment ever since it became obvious that Trump was going to be their nominee.  Hillary Clinton likely has the largest amount of negative baggage that any national political candidate has every possessed.  It is hard to imagine a scandal or charge that could not be leveled, not proven, against her.  This is a result of her experience; her record as an activist college student, conniving attorney, Gubernatorial First Lady, Presidential First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State.  She is the bad choice that is known.   She is the proud possessor of a double-edged sword that simultaneously represents her greatest asset and her greatest weakness.  Since he has never served in public office, Trump’s past record is mostly suspicions based on very public events and circumstances that produced fleeting headlines, but very little investigation.  You can bet your farm that those investigations are well under way as we speak; and you can rest assured that there is plenty of ammunition in there to keep Trump under a constant barrage until the first Tuesday in November…with heavy artillery.  But until these forays into Trump’s past bear fruit, Trump’s baggage will fall into that zone of accusation and innuendo; he is the bad choice we suspect.   Ultimately, either candidate will be quite able, and certainly willing, to hurl any and all slimy, nasty, immoral, corrupt, illegal, fantastical, well grounded, and baseless accusations towards the other with absolutely no reservation.  Can you just imagine the upcoming debates between these two?  It will be like having two knights in armor with an endless supply of small rocks to throw at each other.

At this point in the process, there exists the possibility that the ultimate Presidential contest might even feature someone other than Trump or Clinton; but as things stand today, they are the contestants.  It is going to be entertaining, as well as disgusting, to observe whether the American voter prefers the devil they know or the devil they suspect as their next President.   Either way, I suppose we will end up with one hell of a President.

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Spontaneous Emotion in Sports.

Spontaneous Emotion in Sports.  I have mentioned before the ongoing discussion in MLB about the proper amount of spontaneous emotion that should be allowed in the game.  Celebratory post-play antics by players of all professional sports have come into vogue and have become fodder for fascinating debates between old-school players and fans versus the newer generation of players and fans.  Personally, the first taste I ever got of this phenomenon was back in days of the Houston Oilers and Billy “White Shoes” Johnson.  His end zone dances were something to behold and I had never seen that type of on-field celebration before.  The moment of joy behavior pioneered by Johnson is now commonplace in the NFL, it spilled over into the NBA several years back, and is now the topic du jour in MLB.  Before making my comments about this subject, I urge all readers to remember two things about professional sports: First, there are many, many gray areas in sports; even in the written rules.  So many times, a decision is made in the moment of battle and is later judged with the benefit of hindsight.  There are a lot of clearly right/clearly wrong calls made in sports; but there are also a lot of subsequent what if judgments made concerning those calls that are truly unfair and simply don’t take into account the prominent role that chance plays in sports.  Secondly, we have to remember that professional sport is a game.  Yes, it is a gargantuan business making billions of dollars; it is bad and nationwide. While noble at its heart, it is certainly not pure in spirit.  It impacts a world of people in very significant ways.  But…it…is…a…game.  It is entertainment.  Whether we like it or not, sports has evolved and will continue to evolve in an independent fashion; only a portion of it can be orchestrated.  All changes will not be good, all changes will not be popular; but changes will be made and will occur.  Learning to roll with these changes is one of the keys to the enjoyment of sport. 

One problem I have with spontaneous emotion in sport these days is the fact that a good deal of it simply is not spontaneous.  Players make their livings both on the field and off the field; for many, the off the field business ventures dwarf their on the field earnings.  For this reason, the players are super aware of their image and their limited opportunities to mold that image in the eyes of the public.  Each player is well of when their game will be televised to millions of viewers and many of them, if not most, plan in advance how they will behave if they make a sack, score on a pick six, hit a walk-off homer, hit a game winning three, or make some other spectacular play.  In other words, a good deal of the spontaneity has been removed from these celebrations because they have become so calculated.  

As a fan, I react to plays in an emotional way.  I overly celebrate the routine stop on third down for my home team defense.  I bounce around the room and act a fool when a four point lead is expanded to six by a routine layup.  This is the great thing about being a spectator; we have the liberty to celebrate anything and everything in the most outrageous fashion imaginable.  But those players on the field, those athletes in the arena, they have to stay focused, they have to stay aware, and they have to maintain intensity.  The celebrations that we see now from many players for routine plays are even more extravagant that those we see from athletes making great plays.  A grade of “A” is meaningless if most of the class gets an “A”.  It is rather transparent that the enthusiasm for the celebration is greater than the enthusiasm for the game when one celebrates a routine third down tackle five yards past the first down marker.  It really makes you wonder…Did this guy have this little dance all planned out beforehand and figured that this might be his only chance to play it out?

When a celebration is truly spontaneous, there is no doubt about it.  When Jose Bautista hit his seventh inning, three-run homer in the fifth game of the 2015 ALDS, there was no doubt in anyone’s mind that his bat flip was spontaneous.  Old school or new school, both schools understood that it was one hell of a play and Bautista was in the moment.  It is hard for me to understand how this type of sincerely spontaneous celebration of a great play can do anything but raise the excitement quotient of the sport, no matter what sport it might be.  As long as these moments occur following great plays, they can be a positive evolution of any sport.  But if they get watered down by the pathetic and awkward machinations of chest thumping and flexing that follow so many routine plays these days, the entire subject of spontaneous emotion in sports will become detrimental to the game and ultimately degrade the fan experience.

The Obama Administration's DOJ Penile Obsession.

The Obama Administration’s DOJ Penile Obsession.  Our current Administration in WDC will go down in history as being AWOL on many of the issues that needed to be addressed during their term.   They will also be remembered for the inordinate attention they have paid to other issues in an effort to advance their liberal agenda.  Among their glorious record of nonfeasance or malfeasance in so many areas, I find the Department of Justice’s most recent legal misadventure amusing, if not downright ridiculous.  The DOJ’s ongoing suit/countersuit battle with the state of North Carolina over transgender rights and public restrooms is truly in the arena of the absurd. 

The DOJ seems to believe that refusing to allow a man who believes he is a woman to use a woman’s restroom, or refusing to allow a woman who believes she is a man to use a men’s restroom, is a violation of their civil rights.  This DOJ obsession with exactly who does and does not have a penis is fascinating.  Most males that I know consider their penis to be a useful biological tool to relieve oneself of bodily waste and, on occasion, it serves a very useful purpose for some recreation and procreation.  However, there are apparently others in society that view a penis as something that can be added, deleted, or if one is to believe media advertising, something that might be greatly enhanced.  I confess to befuddlement as to how the presence or the absence of a penis (or any other penis-related topics) entered into the formulation of the Civil Rights Act, but the DOJ has apparently found a magical connection hidden away in all that legal text.  I always thought a penis was one of those things that, when a person possesses one, they tend to get rather comfortable with it.    Obviously, there are some who never quite achieve that reconciliation with their body; and that is OK with me.  What a person does or does not do with their own penis is their own business; as long as they keep it to themselves.  But when they want to bring their junk into a public restroom where my wife, daughter, or grandchild is present, then it becomes another matter entirely.  When my daughter or grandchild has to share their dressing room at school with the guy who thinks he is a gal, then it becomes another matter entirely.  Why in the world does Obama’s DOJ want to take everyone who has a problem with their penis, or lack thereof, and make them everyone else’s problem?  The human mind is a complex creature and there are no doubt psychological ailments that are beyond understanding.  If a person has the desire, and the wherewithal, to change their current penis arrangement, then they certainly have the right to do that.  But it is equally certain that is their own private business and there is really no need for the government or the non-associated public to become involved with their personal decisions.  Additionally, it should go without saying that there are absolutely no grounds for taxpayer resources to pay for surgeries that enable or disable these penile aspirations.

With all of the many problems that exist in the world and this nation, one marvels at how this Administration finds the time and the resources to pursue this type of campaign.  You would think that the DOJ would have enough to do with all of the white collar, blue collar, civil, uncivil, and governmental law breaking that is going on today; apparently not.  You know…things might work out better if this Administration would quit dicking around with what’s inside of peoples’ pants and bedrooms and instead focus on making this country’s government functional again.

The Conceit of Passivity.

The Conceit of Passivity.  I have been amused by several opinion pieces written in the last few days by those in the media who are devastatingly disappointed by the apparent presidential choices we will have this fall.  Most of those that I’ve read are by rightward Republicans who cannot find it within themselves to vote Trump and vow to stay home and vote for no one.  On the left, there are also many who feel that Hillary is far too moderate to consider as qualified to continue Obama’s quest for the ultimate nanny state.  In due time, I feel we will find that the dissatisfied faction on each side of the aisle is more or less equal to the other.  The Republican dissent is more evident at this time simply because the Republican race has reached a more climatic point.  Once the Bernie folks pack it up and head to the house, there will be plenty of Democrats wailing about Clinton’s shortcomings.  However, once we reach the point (that we are rapidly accelerating towards) where Hillary directs her full attention towards the Republican nominee and wastes no further efforts dissing Bernie, I believe we will begin to see that the Democratic left will be far more satisfied with Clinton than will be the Democratic moderates.  A very good clue as to which faction ultimately feels the most disenfranchised will be Hillary’s selection of a running mate…Who will get the big crumb thrown their way?  Trump’s selection of a veep candidate will also be instructive, but his choice will not be nearly as calculated as Clinton’s; that just ain’t the way this cat operates.

Returning to the original point, two key questions in trying to predict this fall’s Presidential contest winner are (1) how many in each party will crossover to vote for the other party and (2) how many in each party will stay home and refuse to participate.  I don’t mean to leave out the Independents here; they will no doubt be influential, but not as impactful as groups (1) and (2).  My prediction, as things stand today, is that Clinton will rule in group (2) regarding turnout and Trump has the best odds to benefit from group (1) regarding crossover voters.  Democrats have proven over the last several Presidential elections that they understand winning in national politics far better than do the Republicans.  They have a far greater tolerance for supporting their imperfect candidate than do the Republicans and this has resulted in a pronounced advantage when considering national politics.  On the other hand, no matter what opinion one might hold regarding Trump, it is undeniable that he has the greatest potential to attract Democratic voters that we have seen from any Republican candidate in recent memory.  There is a lot of campaigning left to play out, but it easy to see today how Trump might put some states and cities in play for the Republicans that heretofore have been essentially written off.  The devil’s advocate might suggest that his candidacy will also weaken some traditional Republican strongholds; and that just might be right.  What is so difficult about trying to assess a Trump v. Clinton contest are the high negatives of each candidate.  It is tempting to fall into the trap of trying to pick the least of two evils; but even if this emotion drove a voter’s decision, they would never admit that and would confound it by diluting their logic with some type of perverse rationale to justify their ultimate choice. 

The select conservative leaders and journalists who are disowning Trump and pledging to take the fifth on this election had better think long and hard about the consequences of their actions and how they might affect this country.  The Presidency has always received too much credit for good times and too much blame for the bad; it is the decision makers the President selects that most impacts the lives of Americans.  On rare occasions, we have had great and gifted leaders in the White House who have used their bully pulpit to galvanize the national consciousness, to lift spirits when times were difficult, to raise social awareness when a crisis arose, or to set a moral tone for our nation when we seemed to lose our way.  In other various periods, the performance of our President has been so dismal and incompetent (like….NOW) that it has sorely tried the resiliency and resolve of our fundamental democratic principles.  But by and large, the President of this nation has been a figurehead whose greatest impact is reflected in the people he trusted and the power he gifted to them.  Hillary’s long track record in the political world gives one a pretty accurate idea of who she would choose to help her run this government.  I feel very comfortable in predicting that if she wins, her administration(s) will pretty much be a continuation of Obama’s (at least domestically).   If the reluctant and dispirited conservatives feel bad enough now to stay home this fall because Trump is their nominee, they will certainly be looking for a very high bridge from which to jump if we have eight more years of Democratic policies under Clinton’s leadership.  For those who feel that Trump is grossly unqualified to serve as President, I would simply point out that the one saving grace for any flawed candidate who gets elected to the highest office in this nation is the fact that they themselves don’t run this government.   The real impact of our next President will be the people they choose to replace Obama’s sorority and fraternity adolescents who occupy positions of authority up and down this government.  Who will have the President’s ear when they consider relationships with Congress and foreign leaders?  Will they surround themselves with those who agree with them unquestionably and enable their egos to expand in biblical proportions, or will they actually engage individuals who have the courage, intelligence, and experience to try and make this government functional once again?  In the next four to eight years, the sitting President will have the greatest opportunity in my lifetime (63 years) to make a real and meaningful difference in American lives through their Supreme Court nominees.  Think on that for a moment.

There is an old saying about choosing the devil we know over the devil we don’t know.  When considering the upcoming Presidential election, it might be fair to say that Clinton is the devil we know while Trump is the devil we don’t know.  Either option looks pretty scary at this point.  The fate of this nation for the foreseeable future will come down to how people choose between these two.  Based on history, we can have a pretty clear idea about who Clinton will put on her leadership and implementation team.  How comfortable, and easily persuaded, will voters be when they consider who Trump might bring along with him?

As the World Turns.

As the World Turns.  Just got back to the house from the garden this morning; potatoes are up, beans are up, cucumbers are up, tomato and pepper plants are doing just fine.  Pasture has performed real well this spring with plenty of rain and the mild winter we just had let most folks carry about 25 percent of their hay into this year.  The pear tree is absolutely loaded, the apple trees were chock full of blooms earlier, as were the peach trees.  The cattle are slicking off and dropping calves.  Even our old country horses are shedding their winter coats and looking like they could run in the Derby this Saturday.  The grandkids are playing in the park and starting into the summer baseball and softball seasons.  Wheat is ripening in the fields and corn is starting to sprout up in it geometrical rows and patterns.  All in all, it seems that Mother Nature has her house in pretty good order, in spite of civilization’s best effort to screw it up.

I noticed that we lost a Navy Seal in Iraq to ISIS.  I thought that war was over with……..

Bernie beat Hillary (again) in Indiana, but Hillary apparently remains the inevitable Democratic candidate (notwithstanding a federal indictment).  Tell me again…why do we have primaries?

Donald Trump has eliminated all of his primary competition.  In my memory, no single candidate has proven more skeptics (myself included) wrong than Trump.  I still do not fully comprehend how the Republican Party has arrived at this point with this nominee, but then…it is somehow in sync with the rest of the world.

I think that both consciously and subconsciously, the mainstream media has lent support to the Trump and Clinton campaigns through their bias; and who could really blame them.  Can you imagine a more entertaining contest than Trump v. Clinton?  The people who are really facing a conundrum are the down-ticket Representatives and Senators that have to run in the shadow of their presidential nominees.  It must be torture indeed to depend so desperately on the national party for funding and support while having to defend the idiot on your team running for President.

As confirmation of the true weirdness in the world today, I found myself this week actually agreeing with a statement made by Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC Chairperson.  I could not agree more with her that Independents have no business voting in the Democratic primaries.  I would add that they also have no business voting in the Republican primaries either.  I am an Independent and feel no entitlement towards helping parties to which I declined membership select their candidates.  It puzzles me why the national parties would allow this in the first place.

The NASCARization of American sports continues; that being the arbitrary and capricious officiating of the contests and the “good ole boy” governing of the organizations.  Pick your choice from the carnival: the NFL with “what is a catch”, “Deflategate”, or draft day “Bong hits”; MLB with the proper amount of “spontaneous emotion” on the field and the PED dilemma; the NBA with that old sideshow attraction of “whistle swallowing” at the end of games or the “never-ending” saga of the playoffs; the NHL and its unholy alliance with vicious hits and the “flavor of the week” punishments meted out for them; the NCAA with its “3 Ring Circus” administration of fines, sanctions, investigations, and total rape of collegiate athletes; or the PGA with its continuing “Tiger-withdrawal symptoms” and the desperate search for his able successor (while not-so-secretly yearning for  his triumphant return).    The trending political correctness and social consciousness of the sports world has reached Keystone Kops levels and it is a monumental tribute to the games themselves that the events have survived, still thrive, and continue to demand the rapt attention of the public.   Then again…it might just be a symptom of the pitiful emptiness that haunts many American lives. 

In spite of each side cherry-picking statistics to support their respective agenda, it is hard to see much hope for our economy.  As I look around the world I inhabit, I see more empty business locations than I can ever remember.  Full-time employment with decent pay is on the decline.   The Fed’s “low to no interest” policy elicits complaints from my older friends that they get no return on their life savings while it encourages my younger friends to load up on debt, ignore the potential perils of future monetary policy, and simply look to making “next month’s payment”.  To me, the U.S. economy is like a dead fish floating on the pond; it stinks, everyone sees it is there, but nobody is willing to wade in and get it.  I remain convinced that for all the political rhetoric we hear daily from candidates of all stripes and at all levels, the one critical thing we have to straighten out in this country is employment.  The key to creating a society that has pride in itself, understands and practices accountability, treats itself with respect and dignity, and can learn to appreciate the truly good things in this life is….a job; a job that demands ethics, discipline, and rewards a worker with a sustainable wage.  Until our two morally and ethically bankrupt national political parties come to grips with this reality, we will continue to wander around leaderless in this nonsensical wasteland of governmental comedy. 

Life is ephemeral.  It is a sad reality that most of us spend the bulk of our time on this earth obsessed with the business of surviving and never really grasp this concept until our later years.  The shrinking of our global community has, in many ways, helped us all to appreciate the diversity and complexity of this planet; but it has also served to make us privately solitary, colder, more independent, and less comfortable with handling our basic human emotions.  When math goes from pencil and paper to calculator, when news goes from reading articles and books to glancing at (or listening to) headlines, when human communication goes from eye contact and human touch to texting and hooking up…we have lost something; something that was worth keeping.  Our nation’s greatest resource has always been, and remains, its people.  No greater responsibility lies more heavily with our elected officials than to create an environment in this country that nurtures the American spirit and creates the possibility of human success in all endeavors.