OF BUMPER STICKERS AND DEMONS

To compensate for their poor governance, Republicans have honed their skills at reducing complex issues to fit on clever bumper stickers, as well as to demonizing political opponents.

After almost a century of blurring the distinctions between Socialism and Communism, they are salivating at the prospects of using these skills against a self-professed "Democratic Socialist".

They have already signaled that there will be frequent use of the term "Bolshevik Socialist"  which sounds really bad, even if it is out of context.  

If Sanders wins the nomination, I suspect we will see ads, on a reel, informing us that Bernie is a descendant of Karl Marx, and heir to Joe  Stalin's mantle.  

SUMMARY JUDGEMENT

When one considers all the things, that are forgiven Republican candidates, because they claimed "lack of knowledge", such as bridge closings, illegal use of government buildings for electoral campaigning,  good water for government employees but poisoned water for citizens, that aircraft could be flown into buildings, that cities could suffer damage even if they weren't hit by the eye of  a hurricane, it does seem odd that a Democrat is expected to not only know the past and the present, but the future as well.  None of the information that was on the emails that Secretary Clinton sent out on her server, was marked classified  Three years after she left office, the information, on 22 of them, was reclassified,  The Republicans, so forgiving of one of their own, want her immediately sent to the penitentiary to await a firing squad.

BLACK PRIVILEGE II

The incarceration of Ammon Bundy, leader of the armed group that occupied a Federal facility, in Oregon, and the shooting of LaVoy Finicum,who had vowed, in a television interview, that he would resist going to prison and was reaching for a firearm when killed, have brought vociferous protests of unfair treatment.  To the protesting groups, the Government's actions are clearly in violation of their Second Amendments rights since they were bearing arms when apprehended.

HIGH I.Qs

I am frequently told that both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have very high I.Q.s,  If so, it validates that old, English descriptive "Too clever by half"

BLACK PRIVILEGE

White supremacists, such as those occupying a Federal building in Oregon, cite preferences, that blacks receive over whites, that fuel their discontent.  When confronted by the fact that, whereas a group of armed white men, can occupy a Federal building for weeks and months, peaceably, a similar group of  black children, armed only with toy guns, would be dead within seconds of the arrival of authorities, they say what is unconscionable is the disadvantage of having to deal with armed, black adults who think the Second Amendment applies to them, as well.  

THE PRESCIENCE OF THE NORWEGIANS

Barack Obama may be the first person to ever earn his Nobel Prize AFTER  it was awarded to him by the Norwegian Nobel Committee,  I suspect that the entire committee may be taking a victory lap after the conclusion of  the first stage of the Iranian nuclear deal.

PRISONER EXCHANGES DURING ELECTION YEARS

The Republicans are, understandingly, pissed with  the Obama Administration for arranging a prisoner release, with Iran, during n election year.   They are accusing him of unnecessarily politicizing
an issue of this sort, and point to how Reagan handled the hostage situation,  with Iran , by sending William J. Casey, there, to  delay release of their American hostages till after the elections.

AUGMENTING THE LIST OF EXISTENTIAL THREATS

At the risk of appearing mean spirited, Republicans are desperately trying to warn the American people of another thing to be afraid of, as they have with Al Qaeda, Ebola, ISIL and gun confiscation, in that there is an insidious plot brewing because of the Iran treaty. With improving relations,  the U.S. could renew diplomatic relations and might even lead to commercial relations which could, in turn, to benefit China at our expense.  Since there is a pent up demand for American goods, in Iran, the U.S. might earn more money, from exports, which could lead to our purchasing more from China which would aid that Communist country. 

Republicans intend to, diligently, call attention to all those existential threats out there, all to the discredit of the Obama Administration  

NOT THE AMERICAN WAY

I hope that American people realize that the freeing of four (4) American prisoners, by Iran, does not, in any way, let the Obama Administration off the hook for the Iran nuclear deal.

Obama has not been able to return our position, vis-a-vis Iran, to the same position it was before the Bush invasion of Iraq, and, indeed, by having to swap prisoners, our exceptional pre-eminence, in the world, has not been recognized, sufficiently.

This is not the way John Wayne, a true American hero, would have done it, therefore it is not the American Way!   

THE RATINGS GAME

At least 25% of Donald Trump's stump speeches have to do with his latest poll numbers, certainly not substantive matters.  As ratings were for his TV shows, poll numbers are Trump's index for success or failure.  In this respect, he is the most poll driven politician to ever appear on the political scene

This could turn out to be bad news for those Republicans who don't want another  RINO as a candidate.  If polls indicate that the public is leaning towards a more moderate candidate, a more moderate candidate, i.e. a RINO, is what they'll get.  If he becomes President, he will check the ratings to see how popular he is and adjust his sails accordingly.

We may yet get to see Nielsen replace Gallup as the most influential political polling company in the U.S. 

EQUAL PROTECTION

In order to prove that Obama was not legally entitled to be President, many Republicans alleged that his Birth Certificate was false and that, even though his mother was an American citizen, he actually was born in another country, and therefore not a natural born citizen.  They were unable to prove that the Birth Certificate was false, in a court of law, and their lawsuits did not prosper. Nevertheless,  to this day, a plurality of Republicans profess the illegitimacy of the Obama presidency.

When faced, however, with the case of Ted Cruz, who actually was born in a foreign country, as proven by his Canadian birth certificate, most of these same "birthers" claim that he is quite eligible, to be President, because his mother was an American citizen, even though he was born abroad.

Of course, any question as to why the double standard would, in their judgement, be playing the race card.



  

HALF- ASSED APHORISMS

On the eve of the 2016 State of the Union address there came an announcement of the "arrest" of 10 sailors by the Iranian Government.  On one of the cable networks, a Republican consultant became almost apoplectic saying that he expected the President to address the problem by issuing a strong statement  to the Iranians to force the release of the sailors.  President Obama said not a single word on the subject.  Instead Secretary Kerry called his Iranian counterpart and, diplomatically, asked that they be released.  By morning, the sailors were released.  Most Republicans forget that a great Republican President said, of foreign policy, "Speak softly; carry a big stick"  Modern day Republicans only seem to know the :Big Stick" part of  TR's advice, just as they seem to forget  the "Well regulated" part of the Second Amendment.    

GLASS TOWERS

Trump has the facility to home in on unpleasant weaknesses in his opponent and bore in.  He recently began to do so with Bill Clinton as a way to undermine Hilary.  He tried it one day and stopped, which is hardly his modas operandi.  I can, however, imagine a scenario where Bill sent a message, containing two words," Felix Sater" to the Donald.  This would remind Trump of his involvement with Mafia controlled companies that might not paint a pretty picture  thereby proving the old adage about brick throwing from glass Trump towers.

PROTECT THE FETUS, IGNORE THE CHILD

Republicans, as a rule, show more deference to the fetus than they do to the child.  When brought to their attention, in private conversations, they explain that the fetus costs much less than the child.  since the mother provides free rent and board to the former, and is less of a drain on Government funds.  The difference in their concern stems from not wishing put the job creators  into a position where they might be asked to pay more taxes.  When brought to their attention that there is no relationship between job creation and higher taxes, they respond: "When we say 'job creation' we are talking about our own jobs, which depend on funds they give us for re-election campaigns." 

SHOCK AND AWE

On listening to supposed "stump" speeches", at Donald Trump's rallies, an apt description may be that it is an example of shock and awe.  Following a statement designed to shock people, there is almost unending profession of awe at how well he is doing on the campaign trail.  Otherwise, there is almost nothing substantive in his speeches.  I really don't know how the other candidates, for the Republican Presidential nomination can top that.

MISMANAGING THE ECONOMY

Republican friends have been quick to cite the mismanagement of the economy, by the Obama Administration, for the steep drop in the Dow, at the 2016 opening session of the New York Stock Exchange.  When pointed out, to them that the drop in the Dow was precipitated by a very large drop in Chinese stock prices, in China, they say it is the Chinese economy that Obama has not managed properly.  They say that during the Bush Administration, the Chinese economy did very well and their stock prices never experienced the sell offs that have occurred under Obama's watch.

WHO BENEFITS FROM TERROR TACTICS?

Strategically, terror tactics have been a waste of time and money.  Bombing, of civilian populations, as a means to frighten a nation into capitulating,  as opposed to infrastructure damage, did not work, at all, during WW II, despite estimated civilian deaths of over 20 millions.  

All the terror tactics, in the past two decades, including the WTC towers in 2001, have been like tiny pin pricks in the fabric of Western society.  The worst real damage that we have suffered, as a society, is that we have to take our shoes off before boarding an airplane.

Terror tactics, as presently practiced, is a benefit only as propaganda to try to keep funds and volunteers coming into a given terror group, whether it be a group like Al Qaeda or ISIL, or the Republican Party in the U.S.. 

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Had the Occupy Wallstreet movement  hired a good P.R. firm, they still might have been in business, today.  Think of all that good publicity they could have garnered, just by naming themselves, "Occupy Wall Street Militia".