Here Comes The Shame and Depression

The shock is overwhelming.  I never thought the country would go down so fast and so hard after 240 years of a proud democracy.  Not only has a majority of this once generous and caring nation elected a lying con man to the most important office in the world under the guise of change, they've elected the same old Congressional majority that has consistently blocked progress for the last 8 years. This same Republican Congress has done everything possible  to slow recovery from the worst recession since the great depression putting their party above the country and its people.  What a messed up world where you reward the guilty by putting them in power with no constraints at the first possible opportunity.

No only have they given power to this man who has absolutely no moral compass but they've in reality voted:

• against equal pay for women
• against funding Planned Parenthood even though no federal funds are used for abortions
• against Roe v. Wade and the rights for women to control their own bodies
•  against health insurance for all claiming abolishing state lines and promoting private health funds to be the answer knowing the poor have no money to invest in health funds
•  against any improvement in gun safety rules or comprehensive background checks; against any research on gun deaths and ownership by the CBO
•  against regulations for Wall Street or corporations
•  against science or any safe guards for climate change believing it's a hoax perpetrated by China
• against lowering taxes by more than 1% for the middle class while refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy
• against an estate tax for those making in excess of $5B per year.
• against minimum wages
• against family leave in cases of new births
• against bringing in refugees or immigrants from ISIS harboring countries  which includes practically the whole world
• against honoring NATO agreements
• against honoring previous trade agreements
• against solar power and competing with China as the solar power giant of the world

Yet Republicans are:

• for no minimum wages or at least no change from current rates
• for  privatization of schools, prisons, post offices, and anything they can use for profit
• for lowering taxes on the wealthy to 15% while passing the burden to the middle class
• for gutting all safe guards put in place by the previous administration as in the credit card bureau which protects us from bank fraud
• for increasing fossil fuels no matter how harmful to the environment, including fracking and coal 
• for promoting more guns and open carry states
• for gutting or full repeal of Dodd-Frank which protects us from banks, financial institutions and Wall St. causing another recession as in 2008
• for using the power of the House to promote prolonged and expensive investigations for political gain as proven in the 8 investigations on Benghazi
• for using the justice system institutions for investigations and purposeful rumors for political gain
• for trading in dog whistles for fog horns and inviting groups such as the KKK and neo-nazi white supremacists into the Republican Party
• for hiding tax returns and refusing to put Trump's businesses in a true blind trust but simply having his kids run the enterprise while he "makes America great again."  Actually running the government will be left to the old crony insider white guys who have been wrecking Washington for decades.

And lastly they've voted for Donald Trump in particular, who has proven time and again that he doesn't forget any perceived wrong or slight he felt was directed toward him with his planned revenge not far behind.
This is the change the mad (make America white again) hatters have voted for.


Shame and depression indeed.
 

Did The Media Boost Trump To The Top Of The Heap?

From day one of Donald J. Trump’s campaign the real estate mogul has been manipulating political news cycles.  His bombastic shocking rhetoric still leads the headlines daily and often from hour to hour.  Because of all the media attention Trump has overshadowed not only his Republican competitors but the Democratic candidates as well.  As he continues to get the most coverage, he mocks, insults and accuses the media of lying about him, drilling the Trump mantra into his followers that the media isn’t to be trusted when they criticize the self proclaimed “greatest deal maker” on earth.  The media and the political “establishment” are complicit in using the people and making America weak and no longer great.

In the beginning of this ludicrous 2016 Presidential campaign no one, not one pundit, not one reporter, not one sitting or retired Senator or House member believed this crude, loud, insulting style would appeal to many people across the country.  They’ve acquiesced apparently and are starting to believe that this narcissistic egotist has a shot at being the most powerful man in the world.

Various political shows interrupt their programming and show entire Trump press conferences and a good portion of his rallies.  At one point earlier in his campaign Bernie Sanders compared Trump’s coverage of 81 minutes to 20 seconds for Sanders.  So then, is the media not aiding Mr. Trump in his quest for the White House?  Are they treating him as a celebrity and giving him preferential treatment for his ability to boost their ratings?  His extemporaneous speeches are filled with mean spirited yelling and rudeness about others. His diatribe against Mexicans, his proposals about building a beautiful wall, his proclamation about refusing entry to the United States for a whole religious faith and just bombing the hell out of ISIS as a cure for terrorism has mesmerized a portion of the Republican electorate.  Many pundits call Trump brilliant due to his mastery of reading the crowds and apparently skipping the learning curve on the art of “the campaign” while he often spends the most time on nothing but selective poll numbers that always show him leading even when he isn’t, never talking about substance, issues and few even mention in passing that most of time what he shouts to his fans isn’t possible or even true.

He gets credit for using social media as well as tv and radio to his advantage. His xenophobic inflammatory language doesn’t seem to bother his supporters and, in fact, it’s a media magnet so no wonder then that it seems to raise his voter numbers. That certainly begs the question of exactly who are these people who believe in him so strongly.

Trumpians aren’t just angry, they’re damned mad at the party that’s lied to them for 35 years, beginning with Reagan and his trickle-down theory.  They’ve been promised jobs, repeal of Roe v. Wade and the Affordable Care Act.  They’re terrified that the government is going to take their guns.   They’re angry because they’re mostly white and Christian and feel a threat from “the others.”  It’s the fault of the Mexicans, the Muslims, the Chinese and on and on for the sad weak state of the country.   After all, the Republican Party still today tells them all these things. 

Analysts are now saying that people who support Trump have authoritarian personalities meaning they want someone them what to do, a strong father figure. Others tell us that a majority of Trumpians are blue collar non-college educated hard working people.  That seems to be code for lower income less educated and less informed voters.  The two characteristics couple nicely and are a lethal combination when choosing leaders.  It might very well explain Bush’s second term.  In 2016 it’s magnified.  They want prosperity, the world to be in fear of our military and they want the country to adhere to their Christian values forgetting that America is the melting pot of the world and forgetting the welcoming beauty of the Statue of Liberty.   It’s threatening to them to think that the country is changing, becoming more liberal and view equality stealing their rights.  They’re free to live as they like, worship as they please, legally buy all the guns that give them peace of mind but aren’t others who disagree with their ideology also free to live as they like and worship or not worship as they please and to feel safe not with a personal arsenal but because we have people working to keep us safe.

In this politically frenzied frantic time one can only hope that people find information themselves rather than believing in slogans, blame throwing and bloviated promises from any candidate.  If an issue is that important to someone then it’s important enough to find the truth using many non-partisan sources.  No one has to tell you what’s true.  It’s just a Google away.