Is the Political Ground Shifting or is the Universe Messing with Our Heads?

Winston Churchill died at age 90 in 1965; Donald Trump was born in 1946.  Churchill made his famous enigma statement in a 1939 radio broadcast.  It is fairly certain that Churchill was talking about Russia and not Donald Trump when he addressed the difficulty of understanding some geopolitical things.  But there can be little doubt that Donald Trump is, using Churchill’s words “…a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma…”  When one of his tweets goes south, or one of his off the cuff remarks seems unusually strange, or he gets too wrapped up in the moment at one of his rallies and goes off script with over the top hyperbole…when one of these things happen and it does not wear well on our President, he is firmly planted with the blame, derision, and ridicule that goes along with such a faux pas.  He is never given the benefit of a doubt.  However, when he pulls off a successful political maneuver or accomplishment (successful tax reform legislation, common sense deregulation, solid appointments of high consequence, foreign policy victories, winning the Presidency against overwhelming odds, etc.), few people give him clear credit for successfully planning and executing the winning strategy and many, in fact, simply explain it away as dumb luck or stumbling unintentionally into success.  I share this confusion on exactly how it is that he achieves many of his wins.  I am not certain if he is Machiavelli or Bozo the Clown…or some bizarre combination of the two.  Regardless of whether or not it is wisdom or happenstance, he has won quite a few battles since ascending to the Chief Executive’s office and the consequences of those victories are becoming more tangible each day.

A person would be rather foolish to predict with much confidence any political outcome of future events whatsoever.  The American political scene is in as much chaos and turmoil as I have seen in my lifetime and even those who have professionally covered this area for a substantial length of time typically throw up their hands these days and shrink from short or long-term prognostications.  And who can blame them?  But there are two WDC subplots that are simultaneously playing out which might lead to a monumental political earthquake later this year.  And that earthquake, if it occurs, could change the face of our nation for generations to come.

I have often marveled and expressed frustration in this blog over the lack of Democratic criticism towards Obama and his leftward lurching legacy he left behind for his national party. Repeatedly, a Democrat in a position of prominence will say or do something that is clearly and universally recognized as bad/stupid/just plain wrong and not a single, solitary, Democratic leader of influence will speak out against the offender.  The closest any of them have come is the final frustration being vented against Hillary Clinton’s never-ending victimhood tour.   Based on some fairly recent remarks, most of which remain anonymous, the Democrat Party has finally reached its limit on Clinton sympathy and now simply wants her to (in her words) go away.  In their minds, all of the angst energy she is expending on perpetually explaining her loss to Trump is sapping resource that could better be used in the Resist Trump effort.  But with the exception of Hillary, it seems no Democrat can commit any offense worthy of intra-party criticism so long as they remain faithful with blind allegiance to the Resist Movement.  Recent developments in the investigations of the Obama Administration/Justice Department and the cadre of Obama holdovers in the Trump Administration that have apparently been plotting, and executing, some apparent form of political treason appear to be headed towards some convincing evidence of wrongdoing; wrongdoing that may rise to the level of illegality and may thus result in criminal prosecutions.  As this twisted little tale of political intrigue plays out, and the rats begin to leap from the less buoyant Good Ship Get Trump, the players may begin to turn on each other.  The true story and the scope of wrongdoing might just begin to cascade out in unexpectedly major torrents, and those WDC Democrats who wish to continue their futures in national politics might actually begin to state the obvious…Some of our folks did some pretty rotten things.  The distance they can manage to put between themselves and those involved in these escapades might help them survive to fight another day.  But the incontrovertible fact is that if many of these Democrats are found to be complicit in clear anti-Trump wrongdoing, it cannot help but throw some positive vibes towards the President, who will undoubtedly seize every opportunity to scream to the heavens…I told you so!

At the same time these investigations are gaining momentum and the houses of cards are beginning to tumble, Trump is finding some traction in the execution of Presidential policy.  Either through karma or lessons learned from the Obamacare Repeal debacle, Trump and the Republicans pushed through tax reform legislation and spin as you might, it is bound to have an overall positive impact for the President and his Party’s national standing.  Trump has somehow managed to come out looking pretty reasonable on this DACA/Immigration debate also.  Be it ever so humble a beginning, the wall is starting.  North Korea, whether serious or not, appears to be approaching the negotiating table in a way no one anticipated.  Democrats will not be able to resist jumping in on this Infrastructure Legislation that is starting up and that is going to be a big PR effort for everyone involved (never underestimate the capacity of federal spending to unite Republican and Democratic Congresspersons!).  My point is that in spite of porn queen sexcapades, wholesale staff overhauls in this Administration, and the continuing sophomoric anti-Trump bias from the mainstream media, Trump is beginning to get the hang of this Presidential Thang and appears to be finding a rhythm that is leading to some success.  Given the obvious volatility of our President, who knows how his job performance report card will read over the next few months; but it is not beyond conceivable that he could parlay his early 2018 successes into a yearlong record of good economic numbers, domestic policy success, and foreign policy initiatives that can be spun in his favor. 

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And if these two things happen…if the investigative convictions begin to mount as Democrats call out their own crooks, if the country appears to be on the right track for the balance of this year and a case can be made that a major part of that success is due to President Trump and his policies…then how shocking will it be to everyone if the Republicans not only hold their Senate majority in the fall midterms, but miraculously also hold, or build on, their House majority status?  Imagine the enthusiasm, courage, and ambition that would accompany such political food fortune and think about the bold actions that such a Republican Congress might take.  Why, it would not be surprising to see such elusive targets as National Health Care Reform, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, and yes…even Entitlements Reform morph into something that resembles obtainable. 

On the other hand, as things stand today, we could also see the Republicans hold the Senate and Democrats seize a narrow majority status in the House; thus leading to at least two long and agonizing years of constant struggle and drama between Congress and the Executive Branch, and highlighted by impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.  My friends, the next seven months will be very consequential indeed.

Three Things on a Sunday Morning.

Well, the world is a happening place these days…is it not?  The dissonance that was ushered in with Donald Trump’s election to the Presidency has not abated and, in fact, seems to be gathering steam each and every day.  The struggles across the face of the globe for power, wealth, and influence play out in their own little theatres and the ripples from each form a complex and unpredictable mosaic of intrigue, disaster, and tragedy.  And here in America, it appears the flavor du jour for effective governing is to put our high school students in charge of domestic policy.  Judging from their incredible abilities (wink, wink) to manage mass events in support or opposition to various causes, they would all appear to have bright futures in event management or crowd organization.  But then again, once they ascend to the podium and we begin to actually hear their words, the luster falls from their shining images and we are reminded that they are likely closer to playing the role of useful idiots than they are of being prophetic revolutionaries.  So…on to a comment or two…

First off, please allow me to address the Storm (pun is absolutely intended) that is gathering around our President regarding his apparent previous relationship with an ex-porn star.  I have stated in this column before and I will say it again: Based on his history, behavior both current and past, and his rhetorical theatrics, the President is a pig.  He appears to harbor a snarky, chauvinistic attitude that is unworthy of a person in his leadership position.  It matters not that we have had scoundrels before as President.  It is irrelevant that Clinton likely did more of it and Kennedy did it a lot smoother.  What matters is that we have every right to expect a higher standard from our President.  I do not pretend to sit in judgment of our President’s behavior; I am not qualified to do so and that obligation lies with another.  But don’t we all occasionally marvel that we as a people select some of the worst amongst us to lead our government?  Whatever traits we as voters find appealing in our candidates, strong morality and character are certainly not near the top.  It seems that when we get candidates on the ballots that appear to exhibit those traits, it becomes more of a liability for ridicule than an asset for selection.  Do we want a saint in elected office?  I don’t think that is a good idea.  Do we want someone in office that has demonstrated a grasp on decent standards of behavior and living?  Well, yes.  No matter how strongly one may support his policies, all the wise leadership decisions in the world will not cancel out the fact that Trump was a hound and seems to remain unchanged to this day.    We can, and should, do better.

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Now…how about that big budget that Congress just passed and the President will, or has, signed?  What…a…freaking…joke!  This budget is for federal fiscal year 2018.  This federal fiscal year runs from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018.  Federal fiscal year 2018 is nearly fifty percent over.  The primary role of Congress is to fund our nation’s government.  Now in fairness to the Republicans, any budget action under current Senate operational rules would require 60 votes.  There are not 60 Republicans in the Senate.  Therefore, it is disingenuous to blame this budget fiasco on the Republicans simply because they hold a majority status in the Senate and the House.  However, it is not disingenuous to blame the Republicans for (a) failing to use all of the administrative tools at their disposal to arrive at a more responsible budget in a timely fashion or (b) voting for such a ridiculous fiasco.  The prevailing argument amongst the Republican apologists who have voted for this bill is that they had no choice.  Look at the good it does…in spite of its pitfalls!  We were up against a wall!  There would have been a shutdown of the government!  The Democrats made us do it (Trump’s favorite)!   All of these pathetic excuses have been used before and are just as lame today as they were then.  The plain, simple, and unavoidable fact is that the time to write, complete, and pass a federal budget is prior to the beginning of a budget year; thus the term…federal budget.  It is designed to be a blueprint for future government spending, which should reflect government policies.  As has been the pattern for several past administrations, it is now routine for our government to operate on seat of your pants continuing resolutions for the majority of the time.  The first words out of every…single…professional…personal financial advisor is…prepare a budget.  That concept is so universally accepted that it is actually the law of the land in America for our government.  Is it really any surprise that so much of our government is helter-skelter and dysfunctional when it operates for most of the time on a week-to-week, month-to-month budget?  The Republicans own this budget.  They controlled the organizational levers of the Senate for the majority of fiscal year 2017; the time period when the FY2018 should have been completed.   Congress…Just do your job.  Do it in a timely fashion.  Do it in an honest and transparent fashion.  Spend the federal dollars in a responsible and efficient way. 

And finally, what do you think about our school administrators deciding which political causes should be worthy of excused student absences due to participation in support rallies?  And, apparently, in a few selected cases, that excused absence might be coupled with financial assistance…from your local tax dollars.  As a father, I have celebrated my children’s participation in the political process.  I have not, and do not, always agree with their positions; but I always celebrate their willingness to engage in the process.  However, the one thing I have always encouraged in them is the obligation to educate oneself on the issue prior to publicly taking a position on it.  This requires a careful consideration of not only defining exactly what the issue involves, but also the differing opinions and ideals surrounding the issue.  I submit that this essential precursor to intelligent issue debate and discussion is missing in many of the great policy debates that are currently ongoing; including, but not limited to, the gun control debate.  Most parents and school administrators have viable and constructive alternatives to giving students the green light to skip school, carry signs written by others, shout out slogans they did not author, and pledging blind allegiance to politically correct causes when they are patently unfamiliar with the details and substance of the issues themselves.  Dinner tables and school classrooms are fertile ground for debates and discussions about the facts surrounding gun control; but that ground is obviously not being cultivated when the majority of the school students protesting in these marches cannot even define the term assault weapons while marching to ban them.  Educators need to educate; not agitate.  Parents need to foster; not co-opt that privilege to others.  Gun control is a serious, complex, and extremely pertinent issue that should be addressed by our young adults.  But that approach should be a reflection of the lessons we have learned over the ages involving going off half-cocked about things that you don’t know shit about.  As I mentioned previously regarding the selection of leaders with good moral fiber; it is an eternal mystery why we as a culture look to Hollywood for our moral standards, look to WDC and the Judiciary for ethical behavior benchmarks, and turn our children over for raising to an educational system that is riddled and dominated by a liberal philosophy which is rotting the foundations of our nation and society.

Russia Puts Its Fingers in Our Election Pie.

With all signs indicating that the House Intelligence Committee investigation into Russian Meddling in the 2016 Election is coming to a close, it might be time to reflect just a bit on the matter.  Now the House Intelligence Committee will not be the final word on the subject; there is another Committee or two in the House that might have something to say about it, there is a Senate Committee looking into the matter, and heaven only knows what Mr. Mueller and his merry band of lawyers are diddling with these days.  But this indication of a coming final report from the House Intelligence Committee may be the first movement, among several more, towards some closure in this episode.  What conclusions might we draw from the facts in this case?

First off, it is pathetically disingenuous for any person associated with the U.S. Government to ceremoniously condemn a foreign nation for openly or covertly supporting a particular candidate in another nation’s election.  We have done it ourselves many times, and we will undoubtedly continue doing it.  The most recent and blatant example is the Obama Administration’s very public efforts to defeat Benjamin Netanyahu as the Prime Minister of Israel.  Obama and Netanyahu’s world views did not jibe and Obama did everything within his power and authority to remove Netanyahu from Israeli leadership in hopes of replacing him with someone he might be better able to work with.  There is nothing unusual or significantly improper about t his.  Obama was the leader of our country and in his quest for serving our nation’s best interests, he did what he could do to influence the leadership of other global nations with whom we do business.  Perhaps the biggest distinction of the Obama meddling was the public nature of it.  The venom between he and Netanyahu was poorly concealed by both parties and the fact that it played out in the media as opposed to behind the scenes did little to serve the interests of either nation.  But the larger point is that there is nothing unusual about one nation’s interest in who leads another nation’s government.  America meddles, right along with all the rest of the global society.  The proper source of attention should be the prevention of the meddling; not the meddling itself.

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Secondly, it is extremely difficult, if not downright impossible, to assess the effectiveness of foreign nation meddling in another nation’s elections.  Heck, it is evident from U.S. polling performance and analysis that even domestic meddling in domestic elections is a very inexact science.  It is foolish to think that the amount of money available to a candidate has no influence on their chances of winning.  However, a significant advantage in campaign funds never has, and never will, be a guarantor of victory.  It is one of many important factors in the election process.  

From all indications, the Russian meddling effort took place through the auspices of an entity called the Internet Research Agency (IRA).  Reports tell us that the IRA spent up to $247,100 on Facebook and Twitter in an effort to influence the way American voters perceived the candidates and their positions.  Reports indicate that Clinton and Trump spent a combined $81 million on Facebook.  It is useful to note that the Clinton Campaign and associated PACs spent $1.2 billion in their quest for the Presidency while the Trump Campaign and associated PACs spent around $617 million to win.  The IRA’s social media efforts were not always targeted in the same direction.  They were, over time, taking different policy positions and promoting/disparaging different candidates.  It is also interesting that a significant portion of the IRA expenditures in this election exercise actually occurred after the election was over.  Points being: the amount spent by Russia is a drop in the bucket when considering the overall amount of money spent by the candidates and the parties themselves in the election efforts.  The influential effectiveness of the IRA efforts is also highly questionable; their conflicting positions and timing had to compromise their intended purposes.  We must also remember that the paltry expenditures of the IRA were spent across as many as 27 different targeted states. 

Finally, we should focus on what our true concerns should be in foreign election meddling.  Russia’s gonna be Russia.  America’s gonna be America.  Everybody else is gonna mimic us.  If we get the chance to screw around with a nation who is hostile to our global interests, we are going to do it.  We are doing it.  As long as a foreign nation does not actually develop a method that is sufficiently sophisticated to reach into our precinct voting machines and materially change vote counts, the meddling will amount to nothing more than a clumsy effort to tilt the scales in a contest where the rules are poorly understood by the meddler.  In politics, the law of unintended consequence is a great mitigator.  The very real threat associated with foreign meddling is in the corruption of a selected individual by a foreign government; a quid pro quo arrangement that can actually alter policies that impact the security of our country.  The successful implant of such a Manchurian Candidate into our national leadership would be the ultimate coup for our global enemies.  There can be little doubt that this effort to orchestrate the election of such a person has been attempted by the Soviets/Russians over time and quite possibly, with some success at lesser levels of U.S. government leadership.  But as long as their sole venue for pursuit of this goal is the attempt to influence the decision making process of the individual U.S. voter and not the material manipulation of U.S. vote counts, the efforts will continue to be futile and marginal at best. 

In lieu of further and significant evidence coming out in this matter, there is little doubt in the mind of any objective person that Russia did make a feeble and pathetic effort to meddle in our 2016 election; but their aim was not to elect Donald Trump because he was their Manchurian Candidate.  Their aim was to sow chaos in our election process, distrust in our form of government, and general conflict among our peoples.  As long as we take reasonable steps to prevent high-tech intrusions into our material vote count processes and do all within our power to insure the integrity of our voting laws and regulations, Russia will continue to meddle but fail to materially impact our elections.  One thing is for certain, however.  The inability of our government to address this issue in a pragmatic, bipartisan, and honest fashion has rendered them as nothing less than useful idiots in Russia’s aims.  The Trump Administration and the Democratic Party have spent much of the first year since the 2016 election chasing the ghost of the Manchurian Candidate.  The House Intelligence Committee has stopped chasing this ghost.  It is time for the rest of the ghost chasers to wake up.

Who’s Zoomin’ Who?

Not at all sure, Ms. Franklin.  But for certain, there is a lot of zoomin’ going on.  For the next few moments, I want to focus on the zoomin’ taking place in WDC; most of it surrounding our President.

The mainstream media is zoomin’ the President.  Every step he takes, every move he makes…you know the lines.  As the old saying goes…if he walked on water, they’d complain about his inability to swim.  It is a pretty natural thing for the press to zoom the President; but this Trumpobsessionthang that the media has submerged into is a new level of frenzy and infatuation never before seen.  He is the shiny object they simply cannot resist.

The Donald is zoomin’ the media.  He drives them nuts with his tweets.  He infuriates them with his off the cuff remarks and jibes.  He stutters their orbits with his irreverence about the way things should be in WDC.  He wins a few and he loses a few; but there can be no doubt that one of the things he just loves about being Prez is the ability to jerk the journalists around and mess with their heads.

The Republicans are zoomin’ Donald Trump.  He was never one of them and he will never be one of them.  He is, though, extremely fortuitous for the Republican Party.  He gives those on the right sufficient red meat to curb their conservative appetite and even manages to tweak their noses on occasion, just because he can.  He flirts with the moderates about his willingness to compromise, only to yank away the football as they approach for the kick.  Truth be told, most Republicans in WDC don’t think much at all of our President.  But…he is a Republican…and…he beats the hell out of President Clinton.

The Democrats are zoomin’ the media.  Their insatiable hatred for all things Trumpian has driven the media into the arms of their treasonous lovers in the liberal community.  And they are being played royally.  Their exquisite performances as useful idiots for the self-titled progressive community has not only exposed them as the ethical and hypocritical charlatans that they are; but their momentary lapse of reason since Trump’s election victory has exposed them as pathetic ideologues hiding behind paper-thin masks of the Fourth Estate.  I am sure that having once envisioned themselves as the puppeteers behind the machinations of the DNC and liberal America; they now wallow in the self-acknowledging pity that they have become mere lapdogs for the left.

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The Trump family is zoomin’ the President.  Who knows what is true or false when we consider the reported chaos in the White House;  but there can be little doubt that there is some high drama going on between the children, the parents, the in-laws, the out-laws…pretty much the whole Trump clan.  The only person who seems oblivious to the turmoil and has somehow managed to maintain a certain level of grace is the First Lady.  She has thus far managed to hover above the daily fracas and present an image of dignity and respect.  If history has taught us anything, it tells us pretty reliably that the appearance of Presidential kinfolk in the White House is typically followed with pages that are better left out of the family album.

The elected officials of both major parties are zoomin’ the people. People are being trampled and cast asunder daily in the politicians’ zest to leap upon the most recent locomotive leaving the station.  Be it the Immigration Express (permission only to illegal aliens in America, U.S. Citizens prohibited; ridership occupancy running very high), the New Bullet Train (must pass background check to ride and cannot wear clothing that makes you look scary or tough) , the Tax Cut Special (most recent tax forms should reflect that you spent at least two multiples in expenses as compared to your gross adjusted income),  or the one that really stacks ‘em up on the platforms…the Soviet Collusion Phantom (the ridership bar is very low...anyone can board anytime to go any place...and yet, all of the cars are running less than half full).    Every one of these gleaming projectiles of impressive mobility offers the ambitious and ever-watchful worldleaderwannabes the opportunity to thrust themselves into the breach of that fifteen minutes they are all seeking. 

The President is zoomin’ all of us.  As he bounces through each new day like the silver ball working its way down the machine to the dual flippers at the bottom, he sets off the lights and the bells and the whistles and he is loving every minute of it.  Captain Chaos in an Uncle Sam suit, dancing a jig to the national anthem, tweeting gloriously when the urge strikes him, playing the fool today, playing the sage yesterday, and playing us all for tomorrow.  Announcing to no one’s surprise that yes…he will in fact see about sticking around for another term.  And why wouldn’t he?  In a life that has been full of entitlement, excess, all the happiness that money can buy, and pretty much free reign to do as he damn well pleases; he has now stumbled miraculously into the best gig he has ever known, or even imagined.  Those few things he had given up on acquiring…respect, honor, prestige, being a man of consequence...have come to him in a rush.  People stand in line to heap upon him the praise and adulation he never envisioned for himself.  He is an extremely non-serious man in an extremely serious position.  He is surrounded by people who either despise him openly and are for that reason dismissed or worship him without reservation and are for that reason taken for granted.  With no reason from his friends to grow up and reevaluate his fantasy life or from his enemies to reconsider his spontaneous agendas and actions of consequence, he will simply continue to live chapter after chapter of this contemporary novel about a reality TV personality becoming President of the United States.

Who’s zoomin’ who?  There’s a lot of zoomin’ going on, but where it all leads is anyone’s guess.