Getting Some Politics Off My Chest

It's about eight hours before the polls open on Election Day 2016. If I'm gonna say anything more about this presidential election, it's gotta be now.

All the talking heads on the boob tube are ramping up their pseudo-expertise, each trying to out-soothsay the others. As I sit here before my computer, I'm trying to sort out all the innuendo, slander, libel, baseless charges, legitimate allegations, downright lies, common-senseless rumors, myths and truth I've digested over the year-plus of this interminable campaign. I'll not go into them all, but it's not easy.

I will tell you what I've come to believe and learn.

I'm convinced, first and foremost, Hillary Rodham Clinton will make a poor leader if she's elected. The primary reason? Because, being charitable, she is unethical; at worst, an unrepentant criminal. I know I can't change anyone's mind now. However, if you vote for her because 1) she is a female, 2) because she is "experienced," 3) because you hate Donald Trump, or 4) because she may be dishonest but so is everyone else in Washington, I feel sorry for you. You've focused on the smoke and not the fire: the economy and jobs, the direction of the nation, and national security. I'll take a president who says what he thinks over a pandering crook any day!

I believe this nation needs term limits on Congress and every elected federal official. Our nation's Founding Fathers in no way intended the government of the United States of America to be operated and controlled by a professional political class. They knew what it could do to the nation. Our first president George Washington went so far as to urge and warn the people of his era not to succumb to the siren song of partisan politics. But did they listen? N-o-o-o! And look where we are now.

I've learned never to put your absolute faith in any politician, no matter how closely he/she resembles the Second Coming. I remember the president's first campaign, and after he won some were bubbling that an Obama presidency would be a God-send for the black community. Some of his followers even were calling Barak H. Obama the "black Jesus!" Now, I'm not a member of the black community, but I don't hear such hyperbole now from that quarter. Conversely, I hear more and more minority folk expressing disappointment, regret, even disdain for his presidency.

I've learned the person at the top sets the tone. The last eight years, that tone was changed from one of empty optimism to petulant cynicism. Or worse. For the first time in my life, I saw a president who encouraged division and hatred. I saw a "leader"who directed the nation's top law enforcement officer to selectively enforce laws. And I saw a man who, using the excuse of an uncooperative Congress, ruled by executive order (read "fiat") and trampled the Constitution. That's unacceptable! I fear if that abuse continues or grows, I envision the sort of strife I never want for me nor my children.

I believe that when one of the four branches of our republic's government — Executive, Judicial, Legislative and Press (yes, four. Why do you think it's called the "Fourth Estate?") — breaks down, oversteps its limits without challenge, or shirks its responsibilities, the nation is endangered. And that's what I've watched happen in the past eight-10 years.

I've seen the Press in the last decade turn a blind eye to government abuses and corruption. The national media were so eaten up with the idea of a "black" U.S. president, they not only dropped the ball, they lied that they didn't. Obama basically came out of nowhere after six years as an Illinois legislator and one-term U.S. senator. And the Press only touted his race. He was un-vetted. Nobody, and I mean nobody looked into where he came from, who influenced him, etc. He got a free pass.

I believe the national news media should be ashamed of themselves. The deeper into the 2016 presidential campaign we've gotten, the more apparent it's become where media sympathies lie. As we've ground down to tonight, our national news media have abandoned any pretext of impartiality, unless  \overwhelming circumstances forced otherwise. They have become what the USSR's state news outlets, Pravda and Tass, were during the Cold War: a propaganda arm of the government. We the People may be slow on the uptake sometimes, but we're not stupid. We eventually see. Is it any mystery, then, why so many of us don't trust the news?

I've believe Barak Obama is a Socialist, and so is Hillary Clinton. Both the writings and the life influences they've cited prove it. Socialism, which morphs into Communism, rots a society from the inside. The Communist Bloc dissolved because, eventually, criminals were the only ones left who benefited from their own efforts. Everybody else gave up. A Clinton presidency will keep us on the downward spiral that has trapped us the last eight years. If we don't pay attention, our America will morph into something we, all of us, will not want to experience.

 I believe our population has become too comfortable, too spoiled and too apathetic. We're too easily led by empty promises. For years before I retired, I heard comments about one elected U.S. senator/representative or another: "Well, he may be a crook, but at least he's our crook." It always amazed me. If we continue with that sort of attitude, we absolutely deserve the kind off government we get.

Having written the above, I still believe in our nation. Paraphrasing the Left after Obama won the White House, "We survived Obama, you can survive   ." That is, no matter who wins the White House tomorrow, our nation will survive. We'll have to make some changes, either opposing or supporting whoever the president is. But we need to give the "new guy" a fair chance. And we need to "own" our government; stop letting "our guy in Washington" take care of things. We need to pay attention. If not...

Maybe dancing's all we'll have....

Clinton or Trump: An Easy Choice

Okay, when last I wrote of this 2016 presidential election, I was about ready to pop. I didn't.

But now, only three days before we all vote on our next leader, I don't mind telling you, the past several years we haven't made a very good job of selecting our president. Like most people I know, the vitriol of this race has put me off. I'm also alarmed over where this nation is heading. If I don't get a few things off my chest now, though, I will pop!

The United States I've always believed in, and for whose ideals many of us and our forebears have sacrificed, now seems no longer to exist. What I consider vital U.S. institutions — churches, families, the sovereign states, our military, law enforcement, our Constitution — all seem to be under attack. As a society, we have no respect for one another.

We can blame this on whomever we want, but what matters is this decline is deep and getting deeper. As a nation, we've forgotten who we are and why we are. Our ancestors, and many of us today perhaps, came to this country as the dregs of other societies.  But everyone sought a better life; often avoiding persecution. Some came against our will, as slaves, convicts or undesirable "poor" indentureds. But of those, how many have ever really wanted to go back? Few.

Certainly, throughout its 240-year history, our nation hasn't been perfect. At times, it's been arrogant, stubborn, grasping, selfish, even genocidal. And we're not the only one. All nations have done, and will do, things of which no one should be proud. That doesn't excuse the past, but what's done is done. Nor does it mean we should hang our head in shame, shuffle around the globe apologizing and damning our Founding Fathers' ideals. We must not stop trying to do right.

Our nation was established as Christian, and we should act like it. We should help the rest of the world through charity, strength or both. We should be tolerant of other societies' customs and ways of thinking. Surrendering our traditions or way of life is not how to do it, however.

Today, it becomes ever more important that we are careful. For example, we can't exemplify diversity and tolerance, if we let unidentified and dangerous populations infect us like some evil pestilence. As a Christian nation, must we offer up our collective throat to the knives of those who want to cut it? No, we must tighten and control access to our country. If we don't, we indeed do n to have a nation.

Like it or not, the USA must be a world leader. Strong. We may not be able to "fix" every wrong on the planet. But if we don't shine as a light for freedom, no one will. These last almost-eight years, we've seen what happens when U.S. slinks away. Our influence wanes. We won't shine unless we stand tall and bold.

Now, Hillary Clinton has been in/around politics since college. Donald Trump has been in the business world. Radical leftist Saul Alinsky is one of Clinton's major influences. Others are Wall Street, rich radical George Soros, and money. Trump cites his late father Fred as his greatest influence.

Allegedly, the Watergate Commission fired Clinton for playing fast and loose with the truth. When Bill Clinton lost his bid for a second term as Arkansas governor, Hillary Rodham became Hillary Clinton because she feared using her maiden name alienated Arkansans. When the infamous "Bimbo eruptions" occurred after the Clintons regained the Arkansas Governor's Mansion, then again in the White House, she viciously savaged them to "defend" Bill. And we won't even talk about the Clintons' scandals as Arkansas' first family.

This is what I see:

Donald Trump is not a professional politician. He's a businessman and has made and lost millions in real estate and construction. He seems to be frank and open almost to a fault and doesn't hide his big ego. And yes, he is a braggart and crude. But he's a private citizen with zero political experience, and many forgive his rough edges. Traits that might have been millstones around the necks of pro-pols endear him to his supporters. Much of the American public are fed up with the insulting behavior of elected officials — empty promises, arrogance, own-nest-feathering and total disregard of the public's wishes or good — and they see in Trump someone who will change that.

Hillary Clinton is a professional politician. She has lusted for the presidency since before her husband was elected. She is experienced in the political arts, which means she's shown willingness to tell anyone whatever they want to hear. She trivializes, obfuscates, panders, stonewalls, obstructs and twists, and "lawyerizes" to fit her whims — often, to avoid being embarrassed, caught or perhaps even prosecuted for misdeeds. Recent revelations via Wikileaks (https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails) and multiple news videos show that she has participated in "pay-for-play" schemes selling access to high government officials, including while she was secretary of state, and misled or out-and-out lied to bereaved families of Americans murdered in Benghazi, Lebanon.

Donald Trump has been besieged by the Left and the national news media with charges of racism, religious intolerance, rape and sexual assault, sexism, and unethical and dishonest business practices. (Incidentally, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that in the real world the only practical way to ensure shoddy work or service is fixed is to withhold payment — Trump's perfectly reasonable explanation.) I gotta tell ya that, so far as I can tell, almost all the allegations are "he-said, she-said." That is, accusations that've been leveled without corroborating evidence.

When Hillary Clinton and Bill left the White House, they reportedly took $150,000-$200,000 in furnishings, art and fixtures belonging to the public (via the National Park Service, which is responsible for the residence). They returned part of the "loot" only after the press revealed their "mistake." With no ties there, the Clintons left the White House for New York State so she could run for the U.S. Senate. In the South, that's called "carpetbagging." She subsequently did zero significant work there, using her time to set up a run at the presidency.

At this point, her whole plan for the country is "Trash Trump, Become President, Do What Obama Did." Meanwhile, "experts" say Trump's "Plan for America" is doomed to fail. Yet, Clinton is running basically on what Obama has "accomplished": over-regulation, high unemployment, bigger government, rule-by-fiat (executive order) and trampling of the Constitution, rampant disrespect and rule-by-the-loudest. Plus, a hard run at a socialist America. No part of this Obama "legacy" has made the nation better.

Hillary Clinton's inaction and refusal of aid to our embassy directly contributed to the deaths of four Americans who might have been spared in Benghazi. (Remember: like Nero, she fiddled with which uniforms soldiers should wear to aid State Department employees; meanwhile, the embassy burned!) Later, she destroyed federal evidence after it had been subpoenaed. She perjured herself to Congress and lied to the FBI. Worse still, her overt negligence and incompetence put the national security of the United States at risk. The source of those revelations doesn't matter. I repeat: She knowingly put the national security of our nation at risk!

Donald Trump, by contrast, said mean things. I don't think anybody died because of them. And I can't get around the apparent fact that his family and friends love Trump. Apparently, too, a high majority of Trump employees like, respect and swear by him. It's hard for me to accept that someone who commands loyalty so bereft of a mafia-like "love-me-or-bad-things-will-happen-to-you" attitude is as evil as the Left wants us to believe.

Trump wants to return to "a government "of the People, by the People and for the People;" to reverse encroachment into our daily business, and to lead our nation back to honor, prosperity, pride and, yes, greatness — with fresh ideas and dedication.

 Clinton wants to be the first female president. Then take revenge on her enemies. Beyond that, more Obama.

To me, this presidential election comes down to this choice:

Clinton — who sees Uncle Sam as an octopus (remember Disney's The Little Mermaid?) whose tentacles slide into every corner of our lives, our pockets and ultimately drown us in social regulation and control...

Or...

Trump — who sees Uncle Sam as a junkyard dog, strong, protective, alert and leaving We the People, its owners, to our own business, which is everything the Constitution doesn't specifically grant to the federal government.

I value transparency. I value the Constitution. I value plain-speaking. I value common sense. I value honesty. I value Uncle Sam, the junkyard dog. For my children and grandchildren, and their's. Donald Trump is who I'm voting for. And when he gains the White House...

...I'll definitely just dance!