Hold The Press

In my last post about an hour so I jokingly made comment regarding Trump not quoting the National Enquirer. Well folks, fear not.
Trump just said to a crowd in Cleveland, referring to Ted Cruz's father's involvement in the assassination of JFK reported by said rag sheet, he doesn't understand why the paper hasn't received the Pulitzer Prize for "getting Edwards and OJ."
My unintentional prophecy is coming true.

Until I Can Examine All the Lies

I truly want to give my thoughts and analysis on Donald Trump's acceptance speech from last night's Republican National Convention but I haven't had enough time to cite and substantiate the absolute myriad of lies, distortions, misrepresentations and bits of rumor, gossip and innuendo.
The demeanor and delivery, coupled with the scare tactics, made it reminiscent of a banana republic dictator and, to quote long time GOP political operative and CNN analyst Nicole Wallace "the GOP died tonight."
If they hadn't made the party what it has become now, the GOP should be ashamed of what their party has become.
I'm shocked the National Enquirer wasn't proudly and specifically quoted last night as a source of the demonic bullshit and fabrications he spoke.
When did it become OK for hate speech and blatant and flagrant lies to be a part of any speech, let alone an acceptance speech for a major party for president of the United States?
Shameful.

Republican National Convention, Days 1 & 2

I intended on blogging about the Republican National Convention, but the sheer lunacy and lies and misdirection and outright fabrications of truth have prevented me from having time, seeing how there are only 24 hours in a day.

The 2016 Republican Convention, Clinton Is the Devil, Trumptasical Extravaganza

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/us/politics/trump-book-tony-schwartz.html?#_=_

The real story behind his supposed "written" book. PT Barnum would bow to the absolute absurdity of Trump's inability to tell a shred of truth nearly any time he speaks.  A sham from the very beginning. Inherited wealth, paid for degrees, and absolutely no relationship with the truth. This is the mentality that today's GOP and Christian right wing has created, while doing everything they claim to stand against to protect the white male, Christian billionaire class from the inevitable minority status they face in the very near future.  I'd rather a principled Republican, at least, one who believed in his wrong ideas, not this charlatan, huckster, and fraudulent shyster with no allegiance to either party or country, as demonstrated by all of his branded products being made in Asia.  America IS great.  And we don't need anyone, especially a candidate for president, telling us America isn't.  Slogans are not ideas.
Tonight's start of the convention for the party formerly known as Republicans will be the biggest display of self-loving masturbation that any candidate of any party has ever had.  Without a single word on what and how he will do anything.
But I suspect, rather than tout why his absent ideas are better than those of the Democratic party, he once again is going to refuse to follow history and tradition and will turn what's supposed to be a nominating convention and platform establishing event, into a Clinton family false scandal bash-fest, NOT inline with the so-called family values party nor with the reason and purpose of a nominating convention.
I just spent an hour reading the new Republican platform.  More of the same old words they've sold for years now. Strangely, they've never delivered on any of what they say they are in favor of. Unless it includes lower taxes on multi-millionaires or dividing the country by using gay people to rile up the hypocritical Christians among them.  Not a thing to actually help the people of their party, mind you, just how they want to hurt others.
I cannot call this the party of Lincoln.  And it's a shame that big business and the zealots in the Christian coalition have hijacked a once noble party.
So watch for smoke and mirrors, diversion and deflection, division and deceit this week.
They can't accept that their own people, Gowdys congressional committee or James Comey, couldn't find evidence of criminal wrongdoing on Secretary Clinton's part.  But that won't stop them from rehashing already proven false trumped up lies to attempt to make Trump more palatable.
The finest spices the world over could not make him palatable, let alone presidential.
I challenge you to search for words or promises of direct action this week. How will what they propose benefit you or someone you love while not hurting or denying rights or privileges to others?  Is everything you hear hyperbole and cheerleader-like without substance?  And lastly, despite what the big business lobby organization that poses as protectors of gun owners rights, says, Democrats had the chance between 2009-2011 to take your guns away.  They didn't.  Because they never said they wanted to. Regulated is written in that same amendment. And common sense regulations is all they ever wanted. (But I do wonder why I never hear gun rights advocates calling for nuclear weapons to be made available to all Americans as part of the "right to keep and bear arms.")

Go Pokemon Go!

My absence can be either explained or blamed on the Pokemon Go phenomena that has gripped our nation.
In a day of contentious political attacks by the Republican party because they have absolutely nothing else to offer, the escape from daily reality has been both social and exercise driven and I commend the makers of Pokemon Go for this.
The media will try to dissuade it's success and popularity. They will highlight one or two instances where someone was robbed playing or even worse. They feel it's their job to attack anything successful, trying to be the first to take it down.
Hillary Clinton has become Pokemon Go. Millions like her but the media hyperbolizes anything that can be redrawn to appear negative.
The developers have managed to make something within the realm of "social" media actually social. I've met probably 20 people I would have never had conversations with as a result of this game.
And I've walked more than I have in years, outside of my usual walking.
So my hat is off, Nintendo, for creating something that is truly the beginning of a new technological and social, as well as, health revolution.

Why Voting for a Political Platform is the Only Way to Vote in November.

Political action is accomplished by those that align themselves with the party that they feel best represents their view to better the United States.
Talk of "how things should be" is a great thing.
But please understand in striving for immediate action over incremental and negotiated change WILL NEVER HAPPEN THIS COUNTRY.
Even if big money were out of politics.
There's big religion, spreading the word every Sunday from the pulpit, to vote against anything remotely positive toward gay people, vote against anyone believing a woman's body is her own, and generally against anything promoting the very freedoms they've brainwashed their flocks into believing are in jeopardy.
There's the NRA blindly ignoring exact words in the second amendment to suit the interests but of their members, but of the gun manufacturers.
And there are a whole host of groups spewing forth volumes of misinformation and revisionist narratives, using fear, scare tactics, and dog whistle code words to whip the lame and uneducated into action.
They're not going to stop just so we can have an ideological disagreement over a couple of issues or the timeline to get those issues dealt with.
No, they're waiting in the shadows, like hyenas waiting for the lions to finish their kill, and they'll feed off the bones left behind and handily walk away with victories so big they'll set the progressive path not only back fifty years or more, but they'll eliminate it altogether.
Change the Democratic party from the inside.
Don't try to hijack it before the fact.
Support and join the party and work with the same effort while inside to get the changes you want.  Chances are those of us already entrenched in the party want the same things, but perhaps we need young, fresh new energy to help get them.
I see too many people from the Sanders camp harping on things they knew nothing about before Sanders, in a classic political primary move, brought to their attention to highlight the literal minor details within issues that he and Secretary Clinton had a slight disagreement on, screaming about those issues in forums from TV to social media.
Folks, there's a reason he has said he will vote for her.
Bernie gets it.
Standing by a principle that is bound for defeat does not make you a person of character. It makes you a pawn that the right wing prays for. They know the country has shifted to mostly liberal. But they keep hoping young idealists come along that they can divide from the group of people they most agree with, and sneak across the line first and declare victory. They are a pack of wolves, creating diversion.  And those pledging support to the insane Jill Stein and the wholly incapable Green Party are the answer to the right wing's prayers.
Stop for a moment and think. Let's say every one of Sanders supporters vote for Stein.  She loses.  Most likely, Secretary Clinton and the Democratic party loses. And who wins? Donald Trump.  Not even the Republican party, although I still contest Donald will drop out before November to avoid being a "loser."
Do you win?  Did you make a statement?  What does that statement do?  It puts the hands of the executive branch squarely with a minority of political and religious zealots, who wish to legislate everyone else and their behavior and continue to oppress anyone who doesn't fit their idea of "normal American."
This says nothing of abandonment of ANY progressive ideas who might hold when your "vote against the establishment" results in Donald Trump shaping the balance of the Supreme Court for generations to come.
In the end, make a list of things that are truly important. Important NOW and to your life.  To the right of that list make a check if you think Donald Trump will best represent your view. And to the left if you think Secretary Hillary Clinton would.
If you are truly the liberal progressive you contend to be, the answer will be clear.
And no, Stein or Johnson cannot be on the list.
For even if by some miracle that were elected, they'd have so much opposition from two powerful sides of the spectrum that they'd make the criminal Senate of Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan's do nothing House look like progressive reformers.
The choice is yours.
Show America you and your generation are capable of being realistic and rational while working toward your laudable and idealistic goals.
We want and need you.
But you have to be understanding of how a political system and our democracy works.
If not, we'll fall the way of our Greek forefathers while the much more radicalized Republican Roman empire takes over and you are left moving to another country, if they don't manage to kill you first. ( And that's not hyperbole. I'd tell you to ask the 700,000 Americans who died from AIDS while Reagan and the Republicans politicized a disease, but unfortunately, their voices are now dead.)

Chaffetz, Gowdy & the Imaginary Justice Seekers (aka Operation: Destroy Hillary)

Jason Chaffetz and Trey Gowdy and the whole band of shameless partisans in the Republican controlled Congress found multiple ways to ask the same reimagined questions to FBI Director James Comey this morning, trying their best to change his decision to not recommend charges be filed against Secretary Clinton.
When I hear people commenting on the emails, which were, at best, the lowest level of potential classification ( and it's not clear they should have been or even were at all) yet not commenting on the obvious political witch hunt that's going on, numerous times, and even now trying to bring up her Benghazi testimony into investigation, it shows me the degree of ignorance among both the far right religious zealot supposed conservative Republicans AND the easily conned and persuaded Sanders cult members reach for while trying to demonize Secretary Clinton.
Shameful and disgusting.
I have no empathy for any of those types of people and I try my hardest to refrain from having thoughts about their cruel and violent demise.
Proverbially, let them eat cake.

The Clinton Email Myth

Probably the only people more angry right now than right wing, Trump supporting, conservative Republican nut jobs are Bernie Sanders supporters, who were somehow thinking they could sneak into a nomination for their Independent if criminal wrongdoing was found with Secretary Clinton's emails.
But those of us with one tenth of a brain knew from the start this was just a concocted political attack, trying to destroy the Clintons once again!
Persistent little assholes, I tell you.
Thankfully, FBI Director Comey just announced he will not recommend charges be filed as there was no evidence of criminal intent or wrongdoing.
I suppose the next thing will be that Secretary Clinton personally flew a plane into the Twin Towers but parachuted out just before impact.
As outlandish as it seems, these special interests serving only Republicans would run with it, whether they think they could or not.
Let's move on and defeat this narcissistic douchebag Trump!
Democrats unite!

White Privilege Is Alive and Well

Truly, the most shocking thing about white privilege is not white people are so ensconced in it, that they have no idea they have it.
Things like yesterday's trending on Twitter hashtag "heterosexual pride day" is just another example of straight white Christians trying to pretend they're being ignored, slighted, marginalized, hated on, and that somehow their rights are in jeopardy, simply because those who never had the same rights they've always had and taken for granted are finally being given to them.
This is white privilege at its finest and simply thinly veiled bigotry and hate for something they wish to keep below them.
I don't get it.
Believe what you wish, Christians and Muslims alike.  But I ask you, how is someone else being who they are or doing what they wish hurting you or preventing you from someday meeting your God?  Or did your God call you up one night and ask you to enforce his law?
If so, allow me to suggest not wearing clothing woven from two types of fabric when you come to enforce. And certainly don't do it on the Sabbath.