THE GREAT CONUNDRUM

Clearing Trump’s Debris Field

I was living in Washington, D.C. when Jimmy Carter was elected president. Right after his win, I began seeing many Georgia license plates on the cars around town. It was an amazing, visual representation of the changing of the guard in the nation’s capital.

I am so curious about what will take place at the White House on January 20, 2021. Traditionally, the outgoing president and first lady host the president-elect and their spouse before going to the Capital together for the swearing in ceremony. The attendees usually include the vice president, members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, high-ranking military officers, former presidents, living Medal of Honor recipients, and other dignitaries. Only five former outgoing presidents have chosen not to attend the ceremony, and that list will likely grow by one this year. I can’t imagine Donald John Trump allowing himself to be seen in such a defeatist setting.

Trump would much rather have the title “former president” rather than “loser” or “one term president.” Still clutching the myth that he won the election, I have a feeling he will hold a rally during the inauguration, just to pee in the punch bowl. He’s never shown respect for America, democracy or our Constitution, and I’ll go out on a limb by saying he has no respect for the Holy Bible on which he laid his hand four years ago. However, maybe I should temper myself and allow a person without sin to throw the first stone.

Trump’s debris field is extensive. Here are some big picture items. First, let’s consider executive orders and the implications of each. To date, Trump has signed 203 orders. The new administration will have to review each one to determine if it can be unplugged by a new executive order, and how that might affect process and policy. Big job.

Next, we need to unravel the disastrous environmental changes and terminate agreements that upheaved areas such as the US-Mexico border. We must halt the destruction of federal lands and reverse the ridiculous Trump policies that disregarded climate change initiatives and increased pollution. There is nothing more important than our environment.

The wealth inequalities in our country have been skewed by Trump’s non-middle class tax cuts that gave more money to the upper 20% and cheated the lower 80% out of a better life. The deficit the Donald created with his foolish gift to corporate America must be reworked to get more tax dollars into the Treasury to pay for the COVID disaster. Yes, I’ll say it again. The pandemic’s damaging impact would have been must less if only the Trump administration had effectively managed it.

Unlike many others, I am not jacked up on the theory that more conservative judges means less democracy. Our judges looked directly through the eyes of justice when deciding the more than sixty lawsuits brought by Donald Trump in his feeble attempt to overturn the election that Joe Biden fairly won. Now they might overreach in the future on healthcare or pro-choice issues, but basic law precepts require a plaintiff to prove their case using facts, not fantasies. Yes, a new president will appoint judges of their choice, but the net effect will be a stronger judicial.

The biggest job Joe Biden and his team will face is using words and acts to restore confidence in our basic institutions. We must believe in the FBI, ATF and Homeland Security so that we don’t have to fear those miscreants who want to bomb and shoot us. We need to believe in the CDC, WHO and the National Institute of Health and rely on their medical guidance.

It’s time to end this hyper transactional attitude that has dragged down America these past four years. Productive and progressive life cannot be based on an endless “quid-pro-quo stream” in which decisions are based on the personal gain of the president rather that appropriate action for the masses. We need to stop the Trump minions from outrageous and idiotic acts such as placing the entire country of Cuba on a terrorist list. Policies like that are more vindicative that logical. Trump lost a past bid for a hotel-casino in Havana, and that is the reason he pushes normalization away from Cuba.

We must educate the masses about many complex concepts and challenging conundrums. Take China, for example. Our outgoing President has blathered on about China’s trade imbalance and theft of American intellectual property, but there are much deeper and darker problems there. The Chinese government is rounding up people of certain religions and cultures and making them work in labor camps. Human rights issues such as these must be confronted, but it’s complicated. We rely on China for their production lines and products and we will suffer for years without a proper peace treaty that reconciles their governmental overreach with our needs.

The most important goal of our new government is facing the COVID crisis and overcoming institutional inertia so we can start to make progress in fighting the virus. We must get 75% of the population vaccinated and bring forth a viable healthcare system for America’s future. We were totally unprepared for a global pandemic and its fallout will linger for a decade or more. Trump spent so much time, so many words, spreading misinformation about Obamacare that people have no idea how a more robust national health plan would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. It’s time to be smarter and sharper. An effective health system is needed to keep our workers healthy and, oh yeah, working.

I don’t care what Donald Trump will do when he leaves Washington. If he starts a cable network, I won’t be watching. If he tries to force his kids on the Republican party of Florida, good luck with that. Here’s my big closer. We need more long-term planning and less government-by-tweeting. I don’t need a daily diatribe of the top guy’s grievances; I would much rather know what challenges we face and which improvements we made today. Where are we going and how are we going to get there? Over time, the answers to these daily questions will make America great again. Donald Trump is the conundrum. Ironic and simple, isn’t it?

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ALL THE KINGS HORSES…

Trumpty-Dumpty Sat on a Wall

Trump time in America has been more cartoonish and Shakespearean than real. It reminds me of the old, storied nursey rhyme named “Humpty Dumpty” which was the nickname of a large cannon used during the English civil wars of 1642-1645. The cannon was placed atop a wall by Scottish fighters who were protesting England’s governance. A strategic shot from a Parliamentary cannon destroyed the wall beneath Humpty Dumpty. The cannon tumbled to the ground and gave us this great yarn, “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the king’s horses and all the king’s men, Couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

Now that you know the rhyme is about a cannon and not a king it may make more sense. King Donald John Trump has been a loud and overly powerful weapon against democracy and lots of people have been shooting at him over the last four years. The only shell that landed anywhere near to the old, fat man was his impeachment, but that proved to be mostly a dud. It hardly phased him.

Trump’s resistance tried to destroy the king by hitting underneath him. While he kept saying he was a “stable genius,” his presidential footing was never firm. Trump broke the rules and then complained endlessly about how poorly he was treated. The final act of this drama has our spoiled brat president playing the martyr card right to the very end. He told us he couldn’t possibly lose to Joe Biden unless the election was rigged against him. Well, Donald, Joe got more votes, and you are the big loser.

The grand fall took place on November 3, 2020, and most of his power was obliterated as he dramatically tumbled to the ground with tens of thousands of lies swirling about him. He broke into many pieces, maybe as many as eight million, and all the people who could have helped put him back together are long gone. Trump is surrounded by lowlifes and grifters who would rather echo his lies than protect our democracy and Constitution. We’re all sick from four years of suffering this wretched egg allergy. It’s rotten and it stinks.

We have seen the worst from this President. Since Richard Nixon, we’ve had mostly normal and sometimes even boring presidents, but Trump takes the cake. He gets the extra scoop of ice cream because he believes the world owes him everything, when in fact most of the planet just laugh at him. Even the people he thinks are cool, like Putin, are now worried because Trump is fading away. Donald’s own actions and words show just how much our “great” leader was manipulated by Vladimir and others.

The stunt our President pulled last week by not signing the bill to keep the government running, to release state vaccine distribution funds and to provide Americans some financial relief from the pandemic was nothing short of demonic. His game playing went beyond the pale, a reference originating in 14^th century Ireland which means going far beyond the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

Our media outlets have said various things about Trump’s behavior, but I salute Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post for soundly slapping the President. Their front-page editorial was straightforward, honest and clearly designed to sway the master liar’s game plan. “Give it up, Mr. President — for your sake and the nation’s” was a direct and hard-hitting headline, and it holds some water. After all, no matter what Boy Donnie says we all know he craves the respect of New Yorkers.

It’s not that the New York Post wants to stomp on the remains of Trumpty-Dumpty. It’s clear that his pieces cannot be glued back into any sort of decent human form in the next 22 days. The Post needs to get real! Trump is still going to pardon everyone he thinks could testify against him, could help him make money or has something on him — like photos or stories. Should President Donald Trump pardon Ghislaine Maxwell before he leaves office, I will take that as an admission of his guilt. Does Ms. Maxwell know something about Trump that could destroy him? Okay, maybe that sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it’s out there.

Jared Kushner got what he wanted, a pardon for his father. I guess that was more important to him than “peace in the Middle East,” and I’m sure he will counsel Trump about other lowlifes to set free. There truly are many lessons to be learned from this presidency, but how does an old nursery rhyme play into the Trump tale?

Humpty Dumpty is a story of risk, failure and perseverance. Consider Mr. Dumpty to be an anthropomorphic egg who tried to defy the odds but was met with disastrous results. Remember, Humpty Dumpty was the big cannon deployed by the rebel troops in their quest to overthrow the British government and restore a Scottish king to the throne. By 1645 the Scots were defeated, and then all holy hell came down upon my Scottish ancestors. The Brits even banned the tartan.

There are rich analogies between Humpty and Trumpty. Trump’s mother is Scottish, and according to Mary L. Trump’s book and recollections, Donald was raised to be the “chosen one.” This egg-shaped, belligerent, blowhard cannon, sitting on the wall with his little crown above his big fat shell, believed he could resist any attack with the shield of his next big lie. He was wrong. And we must never forget that whether it’s neo-Nazis, Confederate statues or election fraud myths, Trump is always on the side of losers.

Donald Trump’s logic and lies get more and more unreasonable and ridiculous because they are motivated by his inability to deal with either being criticized or losing. Most folks realize that he cannot apologize for anything, even when he knows he has royally fucked up. That’s the textbook summary of a pathological liar. Hey, look it up.

Most of what Donald Trump says now means absolutely nothing. I watched Joe Biden on TV last night and empathized with those in Nashville and so many others who have suffered incredibly tragic losses during these holidays. The commentator followed up by saying, “President Trump has yet to comment on the Nashville explosion.” I looked at the TV and said, “I don’t need Trump to comment, I have already heard from my new president.” Biden is already assuming the role he’s has prepared for his entire life. He’ll know what to do. He’s already broken the Humpty Trumpty egg. Now it’s time to have some fun and fry the omelet.

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THE BIRTH OF THE N.R.P.

Time to De-Trump the Elephant

There is a certain ebb and flow to the American political system. The principles of balancing and reshaping are fundamental aspects of how we nurture and grow our democracy. The time is right for the next big change, and I’d like to propose a new political party. I call it the New Republican Party (N.R.P.).

Most pundits and even armchair quarterbacks say that Donald Trump is going nowhere. Well, he’ll certainly leave the White House but, like Dr. Evil, stroking his own ego, the orange guy is already plotting his next move. Republican resistance to Trump by the likes of Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski has been weak and wimpy. Perhaps others, like Nebraska’s Ben Sasse, will figure out the path ahead for the Grand Old Party.

It mystifies me that the Republican National Committee would maintain its leadership and titular head after Donald Trump lost the election by more than eight million votes. Ronna Romney McDaniel, the daughter of Mitt’s brother Scott Romney, has been the chair of the RNC since 2017. Why are they keeping her in that role? Why is the person who lost the election, you know, THE LOSER, being given so much power and influence over the future of the party? The sun has gone down, but Trump refuses to accept defeat, and that’s one of the key reasons why the Republican party is being destroyed.

Core Republican values have been sacrificed by those ambitious fools who followed Trump into the black hole of defeat. Oh, some will justify their loyalty to Trump and Ms. McDaniel on the merits of down ticket wins, but maybe a new message will penetrate their thick, uninformed skulls should Georgia elect two Democratic Senators.

It’s like the college football coach who is beloved on campus but loses games more often than he wins. The board of regents will delay the inevitable, but eventually commit to their senses only when confronted with the reality that the guy is a LOSER! In the case of the Republican party, however, the best way out for party loyalists now is distancing themselves from this trashcan fire.

Before starting a new party, one must research ownership of the intended name, brand, or trademark.. According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the name Republican National Committee Unincorporated Political Association is trademarked, so that’s not a viable starting point for naming a new party. Interestingly enough, no one owns the name New Republican Party. The only similar trademark is New Jersey Republican Party.

So, there is a starting point. Some group should trademark the name New Republican Party, and appoint a leader or chairperson who is not presently in office to insure there would be no conflicts of interest as they begin to form the N.R.P. By the way, the Constitution does not speak of parties. All of the rules, procedures and policies related to parties were conceived, designed and implemented by Congress. The rules of majorities, minorities, caucuses and committees were the invention of politicians, not statesmen. In fact, George Washington feared that political parties would be the ruination of a more perfect union.

Political factions or parties began to form in 1787 during the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, but the present two parties were late to the party, so to speak. The Democratic Party was christened in 1828, while the formation of the Republican Party didn’t happen until 1854. Over the years, we’ve had Independents, who usually work with and vote with the Democrats. Currently we have a vital but weak Libertarian party. Along the way, other third and fourth parties, like the Green Party, have popped up in random places at various times, but our system works best with only two parties because that is the way it was designed.

The Speaker of the House is elected by the majority party in the House and the Leader of the Senate is elected by their majority. In fact, the sitting Vice President is the “President” of the Senate, and his or her biggest responsibility is breaking tie votes. The Speaker and Leader have amazing powers, and it’s unlikely that a third party would ever become a majority in the House or Senate. My intent with the New Republican Party, however, is not the establishment of a third party but rather a replacement of the existing, cancer-ridden Republican Party.

As a cult leader, Donald John Trump is amazingly effective, but as a politician, his leadership and communication skills are Neanderthal and ineffective. He says something, then takes it back, and then introduces a whole new concept based on the unknown electrical arcing within his brain. Without a platform based on thoughts, plans and words, the current Republican Party is but a toy for the madman, forced to bend to his whims, lies and un-Republican acts of sedition and treason.

Within the N.R.P., the intelligent, old-line Republicans would have a place for their loyalties and previous principles. If the founders of the New Republican Party were to write a platform that the members could read and understand, perhaps they would realize just how far they have strayed from the original values, principles and dogma of their group. It could be a starting point to forget about Donald Trump and his losing ways.

Trump is not a moderate. He’s a “free radical” which, in chemistry, denotes a molecule that contains at least one unpaired electron. Most molecules contain an even number of electrons, and the covalent chemical bonds holding the atoms together within a molecule normally consist of pairs of electrons jointly shared by the atoms linked by the bond. Donald Trump’s unpaired electron is his brain. He cannot escape it and he will never change. Words like “Trumpean” and “Trumpism” have sprung up in our language to describe his illogical moves, but they’re all wrapped up in one person. Let’s not forget that people die, and once gone any attempt by another to emulate them falls far short of the original. Thank God.

Mitt Romney is so entwined in old-line Republican thinking and his Mormon faith that many see him as too weak to lead the party into the future. The fact that his niece runs the party is a bit strange, and they will probably put losers in charge of their party. Could a name change to the Trump Party be a good idea for the RNC? I doubt such an extreme measure will happen, but Trump’s hijacking of that political party should be setting off alarms. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham have been so deeply kissing the large, white buttocks of the Donald that it’s no longer country first or even party first. It’s become a frenzy of false prophet worshipping. These folks should NOT be allowed to join the New Republican Party. Only REAL Republicans should be welcomed to participate.

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MESSAGE FOR THE ORANGE PUMPKIN

Don, go away, you’re no good for me (or anyone)

Last night I powered down my cell phone because the constant barrage of breaking news alerts was driving me crazy. I needed to lock our asshole president out of my mind and life for a bit. Now this may seem like a non sequitur, but I get depressed when I go to the grocery store and see people not wearing masks. It saddens me to think my fellow citizens don’t care about life, but then I realize they don’t know any better because the large man in charge says masks are unnecessary. At times I wonder if I might be taking it all too seriously. For years I have been writing about how Donald Trump is bad for America, but every time another of his acts exposes himself for the authentic jerk he is, I get angry all over again. For example, take his latest onslaught of pardons. Trump would absolve Hitler if Adolf said nice things about him.

I wish I could form a mental blockade to impose a Trump blackout, but that’s not going to happen. He’s so needy for publicity and attention he will always find a way to make news and noise. It’s just not likely that he will ever melt away like snow in Florida. I wake up refreshed, fetch my local paper, read the letters to the editor and get set off all over again.

Let me share this one, “Lest we forget, here is a reminder of some of the accomplishments of the Trump administration during Donald Trump’s four years in office.” Okay, I must take a deep breath here and prepare to handle each of these allegations.

The writer, whose name I will keep anonymous, says that Trump kept us out of wars. Well, the act of getting into a war is serious and should be done only if we need to defend our country or help our allies. The so-called success of war avoidance is a terribly low bar for any president. Yes, we didn’t have a war under the Donald but he facilitated global conflict by selling arms and equipment to warring nations. He pulled out of Syria, which was nothing short of abandoning our allies, the Kurds. Obama didn’t get the US into any wars, but he was chastised for leaving Iraq too early and creating ISIS. So, what will probably happen as the result of Trump’s withdrawal of troops from troubled, unsettled conflicts? More war! GRADE: D

Next, there’s the claim that Trump oversaw the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and two Arab states, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The term “oversaw” is a long stretch. Yes, Israel is trying to play nice in the Middle East but, from the beginning, the goal of the Trump Administration was bringing peace to the region. How will establishing normal diplomatic relations with just a couple of Arab nations bring the Palestinians to the table? GRADE: C+

The writer boasts about Trump’s insistence that NATO countries pay their fair shares of the costs for their own protection. Okay, that’s fair, but realize this is not nations giving money to NATO but rather increasing spending on their military assets and agents. Should any nation demand that the US increase or decrease our military budget we would be repulsed and offended but, okay, time for more guns and bombs. GRADE: B

Our esteemed letter writer continues with a group of deeds and triumphs that can be placed under one heading, Immigration. The letter says Trump got Mexico to keep asylum seekers in their country until their US hearings come up, to strengthen its US border and to work with Central American countries to slow the exodus of their citizens. I guess this would be a reasonable achievement for those who subscribe to the anti-immigrant, xenophobic viewpoints of this administration, but let’s not forget that Trump also separated children from their parents at the border. His Attorney General said that abhorrent policy would deter others wanting to seek asylum. This is less a win and more a sinful, immoral myopia. We must never forget that we are a country of immigrants! GRADE: F

Now, here’s a claim that profoundly pisses me off. The writer alleges that the Clean Power Plan, which Trump repealed, would have increased our electricity bills and he adds that our energy needs were kept affordable by Trump’s abandonment of the Paris Climate Agreement. This is total bullshit. The extreme weather events and catastrophes caused by climate change will cost us more money. In fact, deploying solar energy in a sunshine climate like Florida would lower energy costs significantly. Someone drank all the Kool-Aid, kids. GRADE: F

Our unnamed letter writer concludes his missive with compliments about how Trump confronted China over the theft of American intellectual property and unfair trade practices, how he imposed sanctions on Russia and closed some of our consulates there and how he kept our oil prices low, which hurt the Russian economy.

Okay, I’ll take these things in order, or should I say odor, because they fail the smell test. The first point is rather funny. All the people at “state” and “justice” said Russia was behind the hacking of government servers, but Trump insisted it was China. So, the “confrontation” Trump and his sycophants lowered on China’s head did nothing to stop Russia and China stealing from us.

As for Russians and oil, Trump has bragged about the USA being energy independent due to our large supplies of oil and natural gas. So, how did sanctions against Russia help our gas prices, which are set by OPEC and Trump’s friends in Saudi Arabia? The truth is Trump has gone easy on Russia and used China and Xi as props during his overly long rally speeches. We have not become stronger in foreign policy under Trump. China’s economy grew despite COVID and North Korea has a nuclear bomb. GRADE: F

The final contention of our reader/writer is Trump helped speed the record-breaking development of COVID-19 vaccines. He says, “As bombastic and irritating as Trump is, a lot was accomplished during his tenure.” REALLY? This comment is totally disqualified and no GRADE is low enough. The claim of Trump speeding vaccine development would be like me taking credit for the Pittsburgh Pirates beating the New York Yankees in the 1960 World Series. After all, I watched the game on TV.

With more than 323,000 people dead from this wretched virus, a total failure in medical supply chain management, no national policy to defend the US from the pandemic and the administration’s ongoing disregard of expert recommendations for virus mitigation, these past four years have seen America at her worst. The things Trump has said on TV and in his tweets have made matters worse, not better. Because of his lack of action and unconvincing language, Donald John Trump has killed Americans. The man doesn’t deserve to be praised; he should be indicted for malfeasance and put in jail. Maybe someone will pardon him.

All of us want COVID to go away. While that would be great, some of us just can’t wait until the Donald goes away because he’s been bad for America. Perhaps he merits a participation trophy, but don’t try to sell me on any grand accomplishments. My 401K lost a ton of money, I can’t see my grandkids this Christmas, and he’s going to be playing golf. I hate him. Merry Freaking Christmas, Mr. Soon-to-be Ex-President!

[EDITORS NOTE: There will be no blog tomorrow, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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TIME FOR TRUMP BLACKOUT

Stop Cooking the Political Petri Dish

I learned a few things in my high school chemistry classes. In those days, almost every element had been found, classified and named. We were taught how salt, sugar, light, heat, oxygen and motion affected certain substances. We were taught that a virus or bacteria depended on nourishment to thrive and grow. It was all so logical. Living things need fuel.

Donald Trump is like a germ, virus or bacterium eating away at democracy. I wonder what he has against our form of government, which is fundamentally our way of life? That’s likely a question that can’t be answered, but there’s a basic truth about a germ growing in a petri dish. As long as the lid remains closed, it is controlled.

The Donald is given a lot of oxygen every day. I myself give him too much time, effort and air. Most of the energy I expend on him is polluted with negativity stemming from the absurdity we have all suffered through these past four years. We must cut off this dangerous demigod’s air supply to escape his outlandish lies and pitiful but painful plans.

If we are to believe the media, Trump recently had several screaming meetings in the Oval Office with the damaged brains of Michael Flynn, Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani to plot the overthrow of elections in those states that voted against him. It’s unbelievable that these seditious fools urged little Donnie to declare martial law and use the military to somehow force re-dos of the 2020 elections in certain states. I think we all are ready for a new President. Hey Trump, it’s not fucking golf, it’s democracy. This is no game for cheaters.

We need to stop talking about Donald Trump. It’s time to deny him the light and oxygen he so desperately needs. Let’s cut off the free TV exposure and the free newspaper coverage. A one term president is a loser because either they did a terrible job or no one cared about them in the first place.

Michael Flynn’s vision of America is perverted and sick. Both he and Trump believe they are above the law. Flynn asserts that the military can solve any problem and their power should not be checked by a level-headed chief executive, Congress or the Judiciary. These two bozos are true enemies of the people.

Attorney General Willian Barr’s final press conference was highly interesting. He placed the bow on his office’s investigation into the 1988 terrorist downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, an act that killed 243 people. Barr announced new charges against those involved, but he didn’t stop there. He used the platform of the press conference to pitch a percussive punch squarely on Donald Trump’s jaw.

Mr. Barr dismissed any notion that a Special Prosecutor is needed in either Trump’s election fraud fantasy or the financial matters of Hunter Biden. He stated neither issue violated federal law, perhaps clarifying these things for us because he’s feeling guilty about the way he rolled out the Mueller Report.

Someone will be in charge at the Department of Justice for the next 29 days, but it’s unlikely that agency will mount any effort to use its power as a weapon for the outgoing President. After all, it was the rank and file of the department who told Barr it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money to pursue action related to the election or Hunter Biden.

As for Trump, it’s clear that even Fox News is running out of conspiracies to spray across the petri dish to help the fat man grow more scum to overthrow the people’s will. They can talk about Hunter Biden and voting machines all they want, but democracy is stronger than dogma.

The Trump campaign and Donald’s personal attorneys attacked two technology companies. Rudy Giuliani alleged that Dominion Voting Systems had fudged vote results in “Michigan, Arizona and Georgia and other states.” Giuliani tweeted that Dominion “was a front for SMARTMATIC, who was really doing the computing. Look up SMARTMATIC and tweet me what you think?” Well, I did look it up and what I found was rather stunning. Dominion is a Canadian/America company that makes voting machines. Smartmatic is a competitor of Dominion and both firms are now considering legal action against Rudy’s false claims.

According to the New York Times, “Dominion sells its services to about 1,900 of the county governments that administer elections across America” but Smartmatic hasn’t worked in any US election since 2007. Both companies have commissioned their lawyers to send letters to Trump attorneys and the campaign, as well as pro-Trump media outlets Fox News, One America News Network, and Newsmax. A good chunk of the money Trump has bilked out of his loyal fans during his stolen election flim-flam will probably go to these companies when they win their lawsuits, which would be a victory of sorts.

Alabama Representative Mo Brooks and that state’s newly minted Senator Tommy Tuberville will come to Washington on January 6, 2021 to witness the counting of Electoral College votes. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will vigorously condemn Brooks and Tuberville should they disrupt the process in any way. It would be great if both leaders would refuse to seat both Brooks and Tuberville, but Nancy and Mitch won’t do that because they cannot claim to want “regular order” while doing something so irregular.

And the news from last night was another indication that everything about Donald Trump is a lie. Last night the President of the United States pardoned convicted cronies. war criminals and political operatives. So much for that claim he’s the “law and order” President. Trump wanting some attention got it by pissing on the long-hard fought COVID relief bill, that included keeping the government running. Demanding changes after it was debated and passed by Congress and threating to veto the bill, Trump showed how disconnected he is from his party, Capital Hill and his own staff, who were surprised by his negative video.

Through science, we know that slime seems to use a form of logic when it grows in the lab or in the wild. It avoids salty things and moves toward natural sugars. Certain bacteria will die if they come into contact with salt. When you see a rusted out car, you can be certain it had a confrontation with salt, and the salt won. We need to pour salt onto those wounds our loser President is nursing.

We have a known antidote for Donald Trump. It’s cutting off his oxygen and giving truth some air. We must stop listening to him and reporting about him. Most importantly, we must stop believing him. I would much prefer our only knowledge of the man to be a grainy photo of him and other half-nude, overweight world tyrants sitting together somewhere on a desolate beach. Okay, barf, but it’s come down to this. Let’s isolate from Donald John Trump and vaccinate ourselves to protect against any further damage by this destructive egotist and needy narcissist. It’s time to kill the scum and throw away the petri dish in which it grew.

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I DARE CALL IT TREASON

Donald’s Dangerous Comedy Routine

Let me be clear. I know the meaning of this word is specific — treason: intentionally betraying one’s allegiance by levying war against the government or giving aid or comfort to its enemies. What’s alarming is the more I hear about what Donald John Trump has been up to, the more I believe he’s guilty of treason.

In his 1964 book titled None Dare Call It Treason, John Stormer wrote that America was losing the cold war with Russia because of betrayal by pro-communist elites. The book was published during Barry Goldwater’s run for President, and beyond the one million copies the book sold, more than six million of them were widely distributed during the Goldwater campaign to push his far-right agenda. In the 1968 sequel The Death of a Nation, Stormer linked collectivism to the work of the Antichrist and discussed signs of the end times. So, there’s another who missed that date.

I remember hearing about the book when I was in college, and it was cited often by people on the left to show how crazy the conservatives were. In fact, Goldwater lost to Lyndon Johnson, who attained 61% of the popular vote. Because of people like Stormer and a TV spot showing the mushroom cloud of a nuclear bomb, people were afraid of Goldwater and the end of times rhetoric. I am sure if Donald’s father Fred read books, he would have frothed over this one.

For the last four years we’ve heard endless diatribes about some “deep-state” that was out to make President Trump’s life miserable. Our 45^th president has played the victim card so often that Islamic martyrs in heaven with their 72 virgins are jealous. Trump is a combination of ignorance and unproven dogma that has infected his thinking more deeply than any virus could possibly affect his body. It’s funny to me that a half-baked Republican like Trump could successfully impose his radical, non-conservative viewpoints on so many hard-core, old-line stalwarts of the party, but these things started slowly and then developed and mushroomed.

Barry Goldwater began his political career in 1949 when he was elected to the city council of Phoenix with a focus on eliminating rampant gambling and prostitution. He quickly saw that appealing to the fear of sin could propel him politically. After leaving Congress and as he aged, Goldwater became less far-right and more libertarian. Remember, it was Barry Goldwater who told Nixon he had to resign. It’s so ironic that a man who might have believed in a “deep-state” was, in fact, a true deep state operative who helped get Tricky Dick out of the White House and onto the helicopter.

Trump will be leaving office in January. He has nothing meaningful to do or accomplish in his remaining time as President, but he’s addicted to power. After his final Marine One ride he won’t be joining Habitat for Humanity to build houses for the poor, nor will he be joining the Clinton Foundation to help provide clean water to third-world countries. Trump has only one skill, promoting himself and his whacky ideas.

It was not at all surprising to me when a dreadful leak gushed out of the White House about a meeting that took place in the Oval Office this past Friday. Trump held court with disgraced and pardoned former General Michael Flynn and, of all people, the lawyer Sydney Powell. They allegedly discussed declaring martial law and redoing elections in those key states that Trump lost. WTF? That’s sedition and treason rolled up into an indictable shit sandwich! I find it troubling that Trump denied any connection with Powell weeks ago, but she apparently still has his ear. It’s frightening that Trump either forgot what he said, or worse, didn’t mean what he said.

Martial law is the “temporary” substitution of military authority for civilian rule and should be used only as a remedy during war, rebellion, or natural disaster. The idea of calling up the military to “fix” the election in any state is a treasonous thought and a direct attack on democracy. I’m sure Trump will deny it was his idea, probably saying he was trying to talk his crazy lawyers out of an insane plot, but the fact this was even discussed in the White House is ghastly. Why would Trump even meet with such dangerous people?

Let’s call it treason because it is. Discussion about overthrowing the United States government is a treasonous act. Right now, there are six men sitting in a Michigan jail for talking about overthrowing that state’s government and kidnapping its governor. If convicted, they could serve life in prison. We must take seditious talk and plans to destroy our democracy seriously. Perhaps Michel Flynn thinks he can do whatever he wants, but there is a possibility he could be charged for attempting to overthrow an election.

This just in, according to ABC News, “Attorney Sidney Powell was back at White House Sunday meeting with President Donald Trump and pushing him to issue an executive order to seize voting machines for examination, two sources with direct knowledge tell ABC News. Sources, who were against the move Friday evening, were stunned to hear Powell was back in the building Sunday.” That woman is batshit crazy and anyone who listens to her is a fool!

Trump isn’t smart enough to know his enemies. I’m sure he’s bewildered that the “conservative” Supreme Court judges he appointed did not act in a corrupt way to support his quest to become the US King. Those political appointees who have given him bad advice or not diverted him from a bad idea are shameful and soulless. What’s ironic is that if we ever needed an authentic “deep-state” to keep a President in-line, Trump would be its perfect target.

It’s all a joke to Trump. I remember a disclosure in John Bolton’s book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir. Trump and Bolton had agreed on what they would say publicly about a foreign policy decision. What came out of Trump’s mouth was the opposite of what those involved had decided. On a phone call, Bolton asked Trump why he said what he did, and the Donald replied, “Oh, I was just fucking with them.” So, Donald, is being president just a game where you get to toy with people’s intellects and emotions while holding a briefcase with the codes that could blow up the world? You, sir, are an asshole.

It has been widely reported that the computers of our most important departments and agencies were hacked by a foreign entity. Most of the data showed the exploits originated in Russia. Trump was silent for a week, until Secretary of State Mike Pompeo commented on the matter stating, “We can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians.” A few hours later when President Pumpkin Head saw all the media coverage of Mike, he jumped in, contradicted his secretary and muddied the intelligence water by suggesting that China might be the responsible party. Is Trump merely a publicity whore, or is he afraid of what Putin can do to him? Could Trump’s fear be that Russia will call in all the loans and he will go bankrupt again?

Russia has used the same playbook for years — set up a fool, exploit them, then throw them away. On January 21, 2021, Donald John Trump will cease to have any value to Putin, Xi and even Kim Jong-Un, unless they manipulate him to spread conflict and chaos to ignite a civil war. If Michael Flynn is thinking about becoming a general in Trump’s third world inspired army, I hope he remembers the military has severe penalties without pardon for treason. All the President’s men, women and children are skating on thin ice. As the sun and transparency heat the air, the ice will gradually melt to reveal the treachery beneath.

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THE MOSCOW MITCH METHOD

Democracy Disallowed by One Man

I’ve never respected Mitch McConnell. When I first became aware of him, I thought he was a just another Kentucky Fried Chicken politician whose goofy appearance and gravy thick accent smelled less like old school southern comfort and more like old backroom cigars. Of course, he was a conservative and the more we got to hear him the more he seemed out of another era.

I started to observe McConnell’s tactics of delaying or obstructing legislation and judicial appointments by use of the filibuster. He would simply “talk a bill to death” and force Senate leadership to abandon the proposed measure. Perhaps you fell in love with the use of filibuster in the 1939 movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, starring Jimmy Stewart, but it’s more often used as a weapon against productivity rather than a tool for worthwhile achievement. Even the definition of the technique has changed over the years in ways too dense to detail here. McConnell views his role more as “Dr. No” and less than “let’s get something done.”

Rather than work toward bi-partisan achievements, McConnell was totally transparent in October of 2010 when he pledged, “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” That angered the Democrats both in the Senate and House, and it threw down a roadblock that caused deep pain for many people, but Mitch doesn’t care about anything other than power.

While Obama was in office, McConnell blocked hundreds of judicial appointments and the need for action made Trump look productive when he took office. McConnell waited until he had the power to make his mark on the courts of America, and then worked to appoint as many conservative judges as possible. Mitch always viewed that as his legacy, and he doesn’t give a hump about Trump.

When Antonin Scalia died unexpectantly, President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, but McConnell decided that it was too close to an election to hold a confirmation hearing, jokingly calling it the “McConnell Rule.” Yet when Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died close to the 2020 election, Mitch rushed through Trump’s pick of Amy Coney Barrett to solidify a conservative majority on the court. So, he’s not only a hypocrite, but a certified asshole.

Many are bothered by McConnell’s arrogance. When some of the more progressive members of Congress proposed grand ideas such as the Green New Deal or Medicare for All, McConnell flatly stated that if he remains the leader, “None of those things are going to pass the Senate. They won’t even be voted on.” Then he added this snarky quip, “So think of me as the Grim Reaper.”

I don’t know about you, but that hooded, skeletal character is not a flattering way to portray any human being, unless he digs death and revels in killing worthwhile ideas rather than creating them. I’m quite sure the Grim Reaper wouldn’t care about saving the planet from climate change or helping sick folks heal, his whole deal is death.

Some say the Senate leader is really bothered by a nickname slapped on him by social media. Once the media mob learned of his displeasure, they poured it on even thicker. The name “Moscow Mitch” came about after McConnell stymied Senate consideration of two election security bills. He complained the label is a political McCarthyism-like smear, but what was Moscow Mitch hiding from us?

The Senate Grim Reaper killed the House-passed measure that sought $775 million to fortify state election systems and require paper ballots for added security. He also blocked another proposal that would have required candidates, staffers and family members to alert federal authorities if offered aid by foreign governments.

What really got some people’s attention however, including this writer’s, was a story in the Washington Post. They uncovered a Russian aluminum products company named Rusal had agreed to open a plant in Kentucky if the US would undo Russia sanctions for being a bad world player and for meddling in the 2016 US Elections.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saw an opportunity to build a new aluminum-rolling mill in a corner of northeastern Kentucky which had been ravaged by job losses and the opioid epidemic. If Rusal were to get involved in such a major project, Kentucky would benefit enormously. However, Moscow Mitch faced a huge problem in January of 2020, the Democratic backed bill to keep Russia sanctions in place. Despite that, the Grim Reaper was able to successfully block the effort even with the defection of eleven patriotic Republicans. Within weeks, the US government had formally lifted sanctions against Rusal specifically because a Kremlin-linked stockholder, Oleg Deripaska reduced his ownership in the company. So, I guess Mitch’s nickname should stick.

Is McConnell corrupt? Well, he certainly knows how to wield power and shield himself from getting any stinky gravy on himself. It’s highly inappropriate that his wife, Elaine Chao, is the US Secretary of Transportation because her family owns one of the largest China shipping companies. Chao’s been around Washington for years. She was George W. Bush’s Secretary of Labor so it’s a family affair with the McConnell’s. It’s curious that with their longevity no overt illegal acts have turned up, but there’s a great way to solve problems like invisible, power abuse, partisan neglect and political gridlock. It’s called “Term Limits.”

How is it that a single Senator can block legislation and political appointments on a whim? I understand the need for a gatekeeper to make sure the lunatics don’t flood the hopper with proposals designed to get them reelected, but Mitch McConnell is a bad leader and his pandering to Donald Trump has been despicable. I hope the voters in Georgia will elect the two Democratic Senate candidates so Moscow Mitch, the Grim Reaper, can be sent to the timeout chair. The voters of Kentucky keep propelling him back to Washington so that must be what they want, but it could be worse. Were Rand Paul, also from Kentucky, to become the Senate leader, Democracy would be equally doomed. At least McConnell is smart enough to know how to play both sides of the fence, or wall, or road… and he surely wants to stay in Congress, but one thing is for sure, his wife will be out of a job on January 20, 2021.

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INVEST IN AMERICA NOW

Our Congress Needs to Act

Like many Americans, I was more than livid reading the New York Times article that said Donald Trump paid only $750 in income taxes the past two years. He has boldly claimed that “no one knows the system better than me,” but cheating America out of what he should’ve paid is just not right.

When Trump and his frothing Republican sycophants pushed through a tax bill for rich people and large businesses, the con was all of them would bring back the money they had hid away in offshore banks. Okay, but there’s more.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) was the biggest reform of the US Tax Code in more than thirty years. It lowered income tax rates, especially for higher-income Americans, and it reduced the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. Several tax credits and deductions also changed. The standard deduction was nearly doubled, from $6,350 in 2017 to $12,000 in 2018, and the child tax credit was doubled, from $1,000 in 2017 to $2,000 in 2018, but some itemized deductions were limited or eliminated. For example, the TCJA abolished deductions on mortgages, and that allowed a brutal steal from folks who also have to pay a state income tax.

National Public Radio said it best, “It was supposed to be a gift-wrapped present to taxpayers and the economy. But in hindsight, it looks more like a costly lump of coal. Passed on a party-line vote, the tax cut is the signature legislative accomplishment of President Trump’s first term. He had campaigned hard for the measure, promising it would boost paychecks for working people. In fact, more than 60% of the tax savings went to people in the top 20% of the income ladder, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. The measure also slashed the corporate tax rate by 40%.”

America has millions of citizens out of work and in need of help. Since last Spring, the Congress has been debating how to disburse treasury funds to help people, and it’s been a ridiculous waste of time. Donald Trump hindered the effort because he is far too busy to get involved or, stating the same reality with a snarky dose of honesty, he just doesn’t know what he’s doing.

However, that is no excuse when people are suffering. Now that a $900 billion relief bill is on the table, some Republicans have shed their phony Trump skin and decided that they want to know how we are going to pay for it. WTF? We can pay for it two ways and we all need to take our medicine and get it done so we can get well.

First, the TCJA should be eradicated. Now before you start to worry about the economy, maybe you should consider how much cash those large corporations received from the first round of PPP. Screw them if they can’t step up right now and help save the American worker from bankruptcy, poverty and, oh yeah, STARVATION.

I see people on TV whining about the perilous situations of small businesses and restaurants, and that is all worthy, but how about giving them some money so they can feed America right now? What about helping people get through this winter without having their heat turned off? Step up corporate America! You spent two years riding the gravy train but it’s time for you to get involved in a solution.

Then there’s our military budget. It’s not just the US, the entire earth is infected with the coronavirus. The President of France has now tested positive for COVID. The countries of the world need medical aid, not bombs. Trump has already started to pull troops from just about everywhere, so surely the arms budget can be diverted to fight the pandemic. Also, let’s GET SMART and stop wasting money on a fucking wall. No one wants to come to this country with the highest death toll on the planet.

Donald John Trump is the lamest duck in the world right now and he’s busy slogging his spreadsheet of people he can bilk for pardons. He won’t help us. Congress needs to step in and allocate proper pandemic relief money, bring back jobs and kill this COVID evil demon. Stop thinking about political sides and become one side, the American side.

Trump’s delusion about winning the election and a future of controlling the Republican party from his beach castle in Florida is all bullshit. Why would any party want to give control to A FUCKING LOSER? Trump is the reason you lost the White House, and you won’t get it back with pipe dreams of overthrowing the election. Remember that the military is on Joe Biden’s side, you know, the guy who will be their Commander-In-Chief in a matter of days. Should there be a fat, orange squatter in the People’s House after the inauguration, he will be swiftly and unceremoniously removed.

If the Donald cheated on his taxes, or engaged in insurance and tax fraud, he should be charged and tried for the crime. By the way, if Hunter Biden is also found guilty of tax evasion he too should be dealt with properly. Wouldn’t it be the ultimate brain explosion if the Donald and Hunter were assigned the same jail cell? But never mind that. What’s important right now is helping American citizens. We can sort out the who goes to jail thing later. My only hope is that we will have more justice than the aftermath of the banking collapse in 2008.

Should they not invest in America right now, the US Government will be immoral, irresponsible and reprehensible. If Mitch McConnell cannot move effective legislation through Congress, he should be removed from his leadership position, the easiest path being Georgia electing two Democratic Senators on January 5^th. Regardless, both the House and the Senate need to start focusing on people, not corporations and certainly not that large, useless, makeup-riddled blabbering blowhard in the Oval Office. Republicans, he stole your party! Why don’t you grow a brain and begin to pinch it back?

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SCIENCE IS BACK, BABY!

Trump’s Lasting Contributions

Back in my schoolboy days, when I was not daydreaming in class, I did learn a few things, such as Isaac Newton’s third law: “To every Action there is always an equal Reaction: or the mutual actions of two bodies upon each other are always equal and directed to contrary parts.” I should hate Mr. Newton for inventing calculus and formulating the theory of universal gravity. One gave me bad math grades and the other forces me to avoid exercise.

Donald John Trump, soon to be a one-term President, has done a lot of bad things during his term in office. He did have a few good ideas, but those were cursed by his bombastic and distorted messaging. He stepped on his own accomplishments and drove people in the media and his opposing party to propagate contrary opinions and strong arguments against him. That’s on him.

Many Americans and people of other nations believe that Trump and his administration are anti-science. The White House downsized and deemphasized global pandemic experts, and their lack of emergency planning sent a clear message about the administration’s disrespect. When Trump pulled out of the Paris Accord, he told us many times that he doubted the reality of climate change. He went so far as to theorize that China invented the movement to hurt the US economy.

When a young Swedish environmental activist named Greta Thunberg complained about Trump’s dismal view on science, he replied with this tweet, “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!” but he then followed that gracious comment with this, “So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old-fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!” Trump never addressed her science concerns or the fact that some of the world’s smartest people have warned us all that things will get worse.

Trump’s primary leadership failures were his outrageously dismissive comments, advice and hands-off approach during a global pandemic. His lies are stacked up next to the dead bodies caused by his malfeasance. It wasn’t 15 people on that day he told us it would soon be down to one, then zero. It was a lie when he said the coronavirus was no worse than the flu, and he doubled down on another lie by saying the pandemic was a hoax created by the Democrats to hurt him.

During a long and unhelpful press briefing on Sunday March 29. 2020, Trump claimed that he and his administration could say, “We all together have done a very good job if the number [of deaths] is limited to 100,000 – 200,000.” The prediction that 100,000 people would die was bluntly presented and devoid of any emotion or empathy. With Trump, the main message of everything he said was all about how it affected him and “his” people.

Donald Trump’s disastrous delusions share the common points of being anti-science and anti-global. Instead of rolling up his sleeves and tackling the problem like a real president, he expelled his energy by blaming China for the virus. In the middle of the COVID crisis, Trump wheeled out a doctor with no background in infectious diseases who urged Americans to swallow the ridiculous “herd immunity” theory. It was yet another colossal mistake that killed more people. This president told all of us we should wear a mask, and then didn’t do so himself. He also pitted American against American and encouraged fringe militia groups to protest shutdowns and mitigation efforts in many cities.

A phrase often heard during these times is “follow the science.” Here in Florida, a scientist was fired for refusing to fudge virus figures to help the governor open the state much earlier than he should have. Meanwhile, Trump’s little army of sycophants charged into the Michigan capital building with guns. It’s clear that Trump has problems with science, facts and things humans cannot control. A virus isn’t a Democrat, it’s a demonic parasite out to kill us. More and more people want to know about the “science” of things because of Donald Trump. It’s a force pushing back in the opposite direction, and the main reason Trump will be gone on January 20, 2021. He didn’t show up for science class and got a big, fat F.

Now he wants credit for the vaccine. Okay, Fat Boy, you did it! You contracted the virus and you survived because of our friend medical science. Without the exotic and experimental treatments you received, it’s likely you would have died. When the Donald told us how much he loves clean water and pure air, we saw right through his transparent lie. It was just another Trump con to smooth the way for his EPA to open lands for destructive mining and development.

NIMBy means “not in my backyard.” It represents a person who objects to something perceived as unpleasant or hazardous in the area where they live, especially while raising no such objections to similar developments elsewhere. As long as the virus stayed in China, Trump didn’t care, but when it came here, he wasted no time starting the blame game. We don’t care about the water being polluted in Pennsylvania by fracking unless we happen to live next door, but when the cheaper water in Flint, Michigan hurt children, we awakened. Trump’s constant thundering against globalism has warped the minds of many Americans, yet they rush to Walmart to buy another something made in China.

Globalism and science are here to stay. Trumpism has taught us that the man was wrong about mostly everything. Remember when he said no one loses a trade war? That was another lie. Ask the soybean farmers who were foreclosed and put out of business. As for judging the success on Donald Trump against COVID, well his “effort” was a total fucking failure.

More kids will look at science differently now. I often said that my kids experienced great financial comfort in our family, but it’s their memories of some really bad times that will drive them for the rest of their days. They know they must save their money, work hard and always have a Plan B. Joe Biden is now America’s Plan B, and we all need to work hard to help him succeed with everything he faces.

I predict more kids will get into science and care more about the environment because of the opposing forces of Greta and Trump. Our kids will remember wearing masks and wondering why they had to. The first step in learning is asking “why.” Why so many fires? Why so many floods? Why so many deaths? Perhaps chemistry and calculous will be exciting to those kids who will become our future doctors and scientists. I guess we can thank Donald Trump for his ignorance. If being dumb means dying, the motivation to learn must be greater.

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WHY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE?

Democracy Versus Donald Trump

Why all the gaming and waiting for a clear presidential winner? Well, it’s all about the Electoral College, an historical ritual once needed to make American democracy seem legitimate and legal in the eyes of our masters in Great Britain. Also, some of our elitist founders believed certain citizens lacked the intelligence to pick a president. Their intent of keeping demagogues and bullies from attaining the highest offices in the land was clear.

There has always been a “raised-nostril attitude” about some things in England. The fact that they had to say it was “Great” when talking about Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Colonies showed an arrogance that drove some people to the new land in America. They weren’t too subtle either, with the House of Lords and the House of Commons as balancing forces. Oh, yes, they allowed those commoners to discuss things, but the lords were always present to make sure things didn’t go totally wrong.

This distrust of the common man drove our founders to devise a system in which votes of “the “people” in each state became somewhat of a guide to how “special people” would cast the “real” votes for the President and Vice President. It looked good on paper, but they had already weeded out the “riffraff and undeserving.” Only white men who owned land could vote. African slaves could not vote, children and immigrants could not vote and women, no matter what color, could not vote.

The Fifteenth Amendment, passed in 1870, granted all US citizens regardless of race the right to vote, but it took another 54 years before the Snyder Act of 1924 granted voting rights to US born Native Americans. White women didn’t get the right to vote until the 19th amendment to the Constitution came along on August 26, 1920. That amendment promised women that their right to vote would “not be denied” on account of sex, but it wasn’t until 1965 that the Voting Rights Act directed the Attorney General to enforce the right to vote for African Americans. So, yes, the right to vote in America was a long, hard struggle and disenfranchisement was in place all along that route.

The Republican party has made voting difficult for certain people in America. That’s not an unfair indictment. Voting suppression is an evil act, even when enshrined in the term “state’s rights” and used to write bad laws. One of my friends had moved several times. When he went to vote in 2018, the registrar said he was at the wrong polling location and needed to go to another. When he arrived there, he was told there was no record of his registration. They allowed him to fill out a provisional ballot but imagine how he felt. To this day he has no idea if his vote was counted, and that’s precisely how Black people in this country have felt for years.

So, we vote, our ballots are counted, and this becomes what is known as the popular vote. Over the years, we’ve had some real problems with differences between the results of the popular and Electoral College votes. Perhaps you, like many others, wonder why the Electoral College continues to exist.

I believe the word “college” was used to give the process intellectual credibility. It might have been a compromise between the election of the president by a vote in Congress as opposed to a popular vote of qualified citizens, but its actual intent was giving less populous states more of an equal voice in presidential elections. Back in 1776, Rhode Island wanted a pie slice as large as Virginia’s, which was the most populace state at the time. Our founder fathers were worried about Congress becoming deadlocked with election debates about states’ equality that would drag on for weeks.

The Electoral College is a process, not a place. In fact, the electors meet in each state after the popular vote to cast their votes according to the laws of the Constitution and their state mandates. It still is not clear if an elector can legally be “unfaithful” and vote for whomever they want or if they must vote according to the popular vote. Then there’s Maine and Nebraska who have “split electoral votes,” meaning they allocate two electoral votes to the state popular vote winner, and one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each Congressional district, of which there are two in Maine and three in Nebraska. Are you confused yet?

One might ask that if more states split their electoral votes why even have the Electoral College. Then again, perhaps all states should adopt the “winner takes all” policy. It’s also reasonable to question the need for electoral voters. By the way, if you wondered what would’ve have happened if all states used the “split electoral vote” system, well, in 2016, Trump would have still won, but by a smaller margin, 292 to Clinton’s 246 electoral votes.

The electoral results go directly to Congress, and then, on January 6, 2021, they will be officially received. Some far right radicals are planning to interfere with the process, another aspect of this that should be forbidden. Questions such as these should be addressed before the next federal election, but what happened yesterday was remarkable on a couple of levels.

First, the current president is such a sore loser and cry baby there was suspicion he might cause last-minute political skullduggery with the Electoral College. Because of the possibility of corruption, the major news networks treated the college vote as a major event. The good news is people now have a much better understanding about how the process works.

The Electoral College took place and produced the known result. As I joked on social media, it was like recording a football game, knowing its outcome, then sitting down to watch the recording with full knowledge that the replay would reveal the forgone conclusion. The electoral voting process was mostly boring TV but spiced with a dash of drama because the votes were staggered and there was at least a small possibility of things going sideways. Just as it should have happened, however, Trump lost… again.

Call it regulation, ritual or reality, but the Electoral College is probably no longer necessary. What is the justification for keeping it? Look at it this way. Montana has 3 electoral votes, whereas California has 55. Pennsylvania holds 20 electoral votes, but Rhode Island possesses only 4. The US Census happens every ten years, mainly to recalibrate the voting value of each state according to population. So, any premise that the Electoral College gives smaller states more leverage is poppycock.

Is the Electoral College just a safety net to prevent a totally corrupt election? No, because were that true we wouldn’t have so many elections where a candidate won the popular vote but not the Electoral College vote. US voting is a game of not just winning but winning the right combination of states. If a candidate wins Texas, Florida and Ohio, which Donald Trump did, in most years that candidate would win the presidency. However, Trump failed to take Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. What person in their right mind would think they won the election with such losses? Oh, I almost forgot, Donald John Trump is not in his right mind. But one thing is certain, he’s a certified loser.

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