Let There Be Peace on Earth

By Chuck Marshall

     Back when I first became a Presbyterian (originally was Southern Baptist and am now "non-denominational" Christian) we use to sing a song together at the end of services called "Let There Be Peace on Earth" while holding hands.   I really enjoyed that sentiment and love the song and I believe it is at the core of what was taught by Jesus.   I decided to post that  as a Christmas wish for all my readers and for the world over.    The song goes on to say "And let it begin with me", which hits home the fact that there will never be peace until each of us considers our own thoughts and actions and how it might steer the world towards more peaceful endeavors .

     After a contentious year between the two political parties here in the  US, I think it's also important to keep in mind that we are all after the same thing.   There is no "good guy" or "bad guy" as the bulk of both political parties are mainly interested in achieving peace and prosperity for themselves and their families.   Both sides want a healthy population, protected borders, opportunity for all, fulfilling work, effective infrastructure, safe transportation, freedom of worship, happy children, an end to unnecessary suffering, and a hopeful future for our posterity.

     So let there be no  name calling today, no opining, no posturing, no bragging and no inflammatory conversation., but let's focus on the concept of unrestrained love and understanding and passion for life and a higher calling.  Actually, I believe the highest calling for all of us is to strive towards something outside of ourselves,  something larger than ourselves.   So, let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not:" for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

[Luke 2:8-14 KJV]

   Merry Christmas to All !!

All I am Saying.... Is Give Trump a Chance

by Chuck Marshall

     I've written a few nasty blogs about Donald Trump., so any reader should know I've not always been much of a fan of his.   I do have to admit I've grown to admire him for his tenacity and his grit and for what seems to be a sincere desire to help us. The guy has spunk and energy like I've never seen in my entire life - and he's 70 years old !  Although he can be coarse and egotistical I believe he truly wants to help the common man and get America back  to "making" things again.   And maybe after 8 years of eloquent, beautiful, speeches that lecture us rather than inspire us,  I've come to realize that talk is cheap in the grand scheme of things.   I believe Trump wants to help the downtrodden American worker who has been forgotten and ignored for nearly 20 years.  I believe he wants to limit the influence of large corporations and their lobbyist cronies from taking our government and our democracy away from us.  I believe that his heart is in the right place for America and I believe he is much smarter than anyone ever gave him credit for.   Most of all I believe he is going to actually do something and get Congress to DO something.  That in itself is reason to celebrate.  So,  I'm going to give him a chance to fix things and give him my support as a writer of an unknown blog.  He deserves a honeymoon for a few months so I vow to resist attacking the new President (at least directly)  for 100 days after his inauguration.  

       In the meantime, I've decided I've held back too much venom from the Democrats these past 8 years, so I'm going to beat up on them for a while.  Anyway, nothing entertained me more than seeing them squirm when Trump won in November.  It was truly exquisite.  Thank you for that Donald Trump, and thanks for your continued disrespect and open hostility to the leftist, arrogant media.  It is a guilty pleasure of mine.  

       I understand that change is a scary thing, yet sometimes it is necessary even though keeping the status quo would be much easier.  Americans were brave to elect Donald Trump.  The most vocal opponents of Trump;  the liberal media, the intellectual elites,  the spoiled- rotten Hollywood actors, college professors, doctors, lawyers, lobbyists.( in other words  all those who are "comfortable" with things) don't understand the American people.  They don't work in a day to day job that pays nearly nothing with horrendous medical insurance.  They don't live in fear of getting sick lest there be a need for a Dr. and the consequent $5000 deductible for any serious illness.  They don't struggle every day to keep their head above the waters of runaway credit card debt.   They don't have to risk every month between getting their water cut off or the electricity cut off depending on which is faster to react.  They don't lie awake at night considering how long the mortgage company will let them stay in their home as they slip further and further behind in payments.  How will it work?  Do they send cops ?  They don't know that fear, and anxiety and frustration of hard working Americans.  They don't understand how infuriating it is to hear a lecture from someone who "play acts" for a living earning millions of dollars for doing one damn movie or for hosting a stupid talk show or for tossing a ball around while they work their ass off doing something of substance- yet the income is not enough to support their kids through community college.  

     All that these elitist leftists can see or think about is "bigotry" and "misogyny" and "xenophobia" when the fact of the matter is most people don't give a damn about all that crap !   They want a government that DOES something and gets things done and listens to their concerns for the basics.   They want their dignity back.  So, with all due respect for the concerns and fears of these liberal elites, they need to get a grip and just stop.  They need to stop openly announcing their opposition to Trump taking his rightful place in the White House.  They need to stop their shrieking about a "rigged election" (and BTW the hypocrisy regarding this specific topic is gag inducing).  They need to stop blaming a  Russian conspiracy that apparently succeeded in pulling the wool over all our eyes in November causing us to blindly vote for Vladmir Putin's "bestie".   They need to stop trying to convince the electoral voters to switch their vote away from the will of the people.  They need to stop.  

     If there's anyone to be afraid of these days, it's the Democratic party  that seems to not respect free speech 'nor the will of the people.  They're all too willing to refuse freedoms from people who disagree with them and their "politically correct" and bigger hearts.   At the end of the day, they just know better than the rest of us, don't they ?  Thank God Donald Trump won.....In My Humble Opinion....

Bikinis and Burgers

By Chuck Marshall

"Enquiring Minds Wanta Know.....  I Want to Know ! "

     I read today in the Orlando Sentinel, the lead national story  news feed from the Washington bureau of the Chicago Tribune and it  trumpets the latest atrocity committed by Donald Trump.   "Fast Food Exec is Trump Pick to Lead Labor" it states, and then it announces underneath the headline "Andrew Puzder Opposes a $15 minimum wage and Obama's New Overtime Rules".   Implied in such a statement is that most people are in favor of the $15 minimum wage and that Obama's new overtime rules are "hands down" a better choice for all of us.   The article itself was detailed how he "turned  his company around with scantily clad women hawking oversized burgers in racy ads" (I believe that's an opinion not a fact- and BTW "no" the writer was not quoting someone).   This "bikinis and burger" line was repeated three times in the article complete with quotes from one horrified woman who is the VP for "National Partnership for Women and Families"  (I wonder if there's a "National Partnership for Men and Families" because I think I want to be their VP !)  The dramatically positive effects of Obama's policies were mentioned or alluded to three times including one paragraph that outlined why his initiatives were so important.  Trump's reason for his pick was given one long sentence from Trump himself.  There was also a bland quote from somebody at the National Retail Federation.  The rest was all horror stories of Andrew Puzder.   The only thing they missed was his tendency to feast on small children.

I don't know much about this selection by Trump, but I do know when I read a biased "news" article, and this was a textbook example.   This is the Chicago Tribune - one of the nations' leading newspapers-  not the National Enquirer.  The two categories are getting harder and harder to distinguish.   In My Humble Opinion.

Sanctuary Cities Make for Arbitrary Justice

 
By Chuck Marshall

      Its been only in the last year or so that we've all become familiar with "Sanctuary Cities" as they refer to themselves.  Most readers are familiar with these places where illegal immigrants can go to hide from the federal government.  It's an interesting phenomenon in response to Donald Trump's utterances that all illegal immigrants should be shipped back to their home countries.

     I'm sort of excited at the prospect of "Sanctuary Cities" because I would imagine they are not only willing to take immigrants who broke the law but the rest of us as well.    My intention might now be to go ahead and evade my income taxes, commit fraud against my employer, defraud my insurance company, and while I'm at it maybe rob a bank !  Now there are no consequences because I can go hide in a sanctuary city or a sanctuary university so the bad men won't come get me.  

     I jest, of course, but who decides what laws bring about "sanctuary" and which do not ?   If you're  going to hide those that break the law then who is empowered to wave their magic wand and "protect" those that are breaking the law.  Which people ?  Which laws ?   That's quite a bit of power you're giving civil servants that is not listed or outlined in the Constitution and is not sanctioned by the population in an election.  It's one thing to "not enforce" laws such as marijuana, etc... but it's quite a different thing when you are obstructing the law.  This seems like "common sense" to me.

     I have no idea what the solution is to  the masses of illegal immigrants we have in our country, but "In My Humble Opinion" sanctuary cities are violation of our constitution and an affront to our democracy,   These cities should receive the most severe consequences if they refuse to follow the laws set forth by the people otherwise we risk weakening all other laws as bureaucrats take it upon themselves to harbor those that break the law- whatever that law might be, perhaps laws that are troublesome to them personally ?     Invented justice as decided by individuals and governments and Universities and municipalities is not true justice, it is arbitrary nonsense and the individuals responsible  should be incarcerated for "aiding and abetting" or as an accessory to criminal behavior.  


In My Humble Opinion

Fidel Castro's Death Reveals A Lot in the USA

By Chuck Marshall
   

After a bruising year of elections here in the United States,  the death of Fidel Castro somehow seems to clarify the state of American politics and media here in 2016.  It's like putting on new reading glasses and marveling at how clear a page seems now.

     First I must confess a personal slant.  I am  more acquainted with Cuba than most Americans being a Floridian with its massive population of Cuban-Americans.  Also, my wife is Cuban-American.  I've heard many stories of  Fidel Castro that most Americans might not have heard before.  My wife's family left after waiting many years to emigrate to the  US.  Her family left with not much more than the shirts on their back.  They left an apartment, furniture, personal photos, books, friends, and the comfort of what's familiar.  They didn't sell it to leave, they had to leave it all for the government to confiscate.    Their desire to leave Cuba was a well kept secret lest their neighbors scorn them.  My wife would have to sneak into church.   There was no Christmas.  There was no Easter.  Religious freedom was nonexistent.   All human individuality was removed from society for the good of the state.  It is a historical fact that Fidel had many innocent people executed for refusing to bow to his power.  Usually it was by firing squad.  Many people vanished into the night.  People drowned in the ocean by the thousands because they were so desperate to leave Cuba.  It was and still is a hell hole of Communist dictatorship with absolutely no human rights, freedoms or liberties.

     Keep all that in mind as you can imagine my wife and her family watching as President Obama extended his condolences to the "family of Fidel Castro" and mentions that "history will judge Fidel Castro".  There was no mention of his brutal dictatorship or the millions of Cubans displaced and oppressed for the last 60 years.   Why did he not mention it?    I can only suppose because President Obama admired Fidel's accomplishments at  "redistribution of wealth".   I can also only assume that President Obama along with the leftist media secretly admired his ability to silence all of those who don't think like him.  He silenced contrary thought., and they yearn for such an ability.   They are the "thought police" (as in George Orwell's novel 1984)  without the power to enforce their ambitions and Fidel Castro was their patron saint.  It is a sad day for them.

     This is all very revealing as Trump condemns Fidel Castro as a dead tyrant who brutalized his people while Obama offers condolences to the Castro family and looks to history to "judge" Castro.  Many people are concerned with  Donald Trump becoming a dictator of some sort, but in reality we've been living on the edge of a communist regime for 8 years now.   If not for a Republican congress and Senate, we very well could have been  there now as the liberals and Barack Obama would slowly choke our liberty and freedom of thought  quietly and "oh so very eloquently" into submission.  Let history judge ?  I think it's safe to go ahead and judge right now, Mr. President,  and I'm thinking it's already safe to judge you too.

Media Should Look in the Mirror to Understand Trump Victory

   

     One of the more aggravating aspects of the election this year, to me, was how totally biased the Media was in favor of Hillary Clinton.  A massive 75% in a USA Today poll stated they believed the media was biased in favor of Hillary, and only 7% thought they favored Trump.  Even handed reporting, huh ?  I think this had a lot to do with Trump's victory.  Americans like an underdog, and boy was Trump the underdog in this election.   With the exception of Fox News, all of the media piled on Trump - tearing and smearing his every action.  He was treated with open contempt and offered almost no respect so much so that the first debate dwindled into an argument between the moderator and Trump.   Clinton won all three debates, but there was a surprise in all that.  It didn't matter.  I believe people thought the entire event was unfair and they ended up pulling for Trump because he kept on fighting.  He never let up.  He never wavered.  They might not like him, but by God the man has gumption and temerity and fight.   

     In addition, it was obvious that the media not only were pulling for Clinton, they were also self assured that all the masses out in the vast wasteland of middle America would certainly put down their corn cobs and vote logically, as the elite media had instructed them.  This did not happen, and you could visibly see the talking heads waver and  shake in their Italian shoes the night of the election returns.  After all  the negative attention towards Donald Trump they were in shock that their instructions weren’t followed by the people !    

     As offensive as some of Donald's  comments were to me,  I watched with glee as the mainstream media and the party system (both parties) took a punch in the mouth.   Donald Trump won on  a promise to clean up Washington, DC and for pushing against the establishment which not only includes the political parties and multinational corporations but also the massive media organizations that have deemed themselves "king makers".    Biased headlines directing Americans how they should think smacks of Soviet Communism and their puppet newspaper "Pravda".   They should all be ashamed of themselves as their yellow journalism is a bigger danger to American liberty than Donald Trump.

Why You Might Vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump

By Chuck Marshall

After a terribly contentious election year,  which is now drawing to a close,  I've decided to write a positive blog elaborating on the good in both candidates-- to help anyone who is feeling so flustered or concerned about their selection.  Don't fret too much about the whole thing.  We still live in a free society where the fact of the matter is, whoever is elected will have their power checked by the other branches of government and the press. In fact, that's one of the keys to my complaints about the election process is the candidates are never engaged with questions as to what they would do to work with Congress.  President Obama was, in my humble opinion, a failure in this endeavor.  

Why you might vote for Hillary Clinton:

1)  Hillary has a great degree of experience having served 30 years in various forms of the government.   Most importantly, as Secretary of State for 4 years.   An essential aspect of the American President is diplomacy and foreign affairs.   There is no learning curve here.

2)  Hillary served as a US Senator.  This experience should prove invaluable in her quickly getting to work,  in cooperation  with Congress,  to accomplishing  things done at the top level.   Can you imagine a government that actually gets things done ?  Again, there is no learning curve here.

3)  Having been married to the President of the United States for 8 years, surely she learned quite a lot, and with all due acknowledgement to Bill Clinton's problems, the 90's were a very prosperous decade.  As she learns the process, her husband should be an enormous asset for her and for the country.

4)  I think Hillary is (underneath all the rhetoric)  a moderate Democrat not a left wing Democrat like Obama., therefor she's more likely to work with Congress.  Again, one of the most important aspects of being President is working with Congress.  She has the knowledge and ability and political wisdom to get things done no matter which party is running Congress.

5)  She's obviously very intelligent.  I think we all want our President to be as highly intelligent as is possible.  The stakes are so very high.

6)   People say "she's not likable".   Not being "likable" is not a reason to dismiss a candidate.  As Oprah Winfrey put it;  "She's not gong to be coming over to your house".   In addition, she seems to be a good mother to Chelsea., and Chelsea seems to be a fine and successful young woman.  You can't fake good kids.


Why you might vote for Donald Trump;

1)  Donald has been an important part of raising his children, despite being divorced from their mother (except for the youngest, of course).   All of his kids seem to be very bright and successful and happy.  That takes a lot of doing, commitment and love.  Again, you can't fake good kids.

2) A successful businessman,  Donald understands how to negotiate and deal with situations in the best interest of his business and his family.   As the President he will be negotiating and dealing in the best interest of the American people.  I'm not sure we've ever had a good  negotiator as President, so this could yield even more than anyone thinks.

3)  Donald is unpredictable, which I know Wall Street hates, but our enemies also hate it.  I feel like ISIS  is far less  likely to attack our country when  President Trump has openly questioned why we don't use nuclear weapons "since we have them".  That will jolt them  awake from their sleep during any of their barbaric plans to harm our country.

4)  Tireless.  I am very, very impressed with his work ethic.  The man does not stop, and he is more determined than I've ever seen anyone to succeed.   That sort of determination is what we need in a President, and on the side of the American people.

5)  Although Republican, I think everybody knows the Republican hierarchy see Trump as a highly unfortunate nominee.  A political nightmare.   They have demonstrated this by not lifting a finger to help the man out.  Because of this, I think Trump will be in a prime position to be one of the least partisan Presidents we've had in a long time.  The government must get back to "doing things"., and stop arguing about everything.  Perhaps Trump, of all people, could be the one to do that. Can you imagine the irony ?

6) Trump owes nothing to anyone, he self financed his election and is already financially successful.  It's  nice  to consider there aren't little "deals" going on after he's elected to help wealthy interests get what they want ahead of the American citizen.  We come first, and that has been one of the more convincing mantras coming from the Trump camp;  "I am going to be working for you".

Finally, I say a prayer for  our country;  "God please direct our nation to the best outcome for all considered"    Amen.

Gary Johnson For President

By Chuck Marshall

     As I'm sure most of you know,  like the name of this blog indicates, I am a political moderate.  That does not mean I'm boring.   I would safely say the same for Gary Johnson.  The man has quite a life experience including climbing Mt. Everest,  and his even temper and tenacity make him an excellent choice for President.  His Libertarian ideas of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism bring him in synch with  most Americans way of thinking.  I believe his balanced approach to governing and his ability to bring the two political parties together to get things done make him the only logical choice this year.

I wrote a letter to the Orlando Sentinel today griping about the lack of media coverage for Gary., so as part of my endorsement I am including what I said to them.   This has been stirring in me for months, but I've been so busy criticizing the other two candidates I didn't do my homework and clarify why I prefer Gary Johnson.  That's "my bad" for sure., and shame on me for piling on the existing candidates.  But, part of  my reluctance has been that it just seems so hopeless for him, but it suddenly occurred to me that's always been the case with new ideas.   There is hope, and hope is a lot better than criticism, doubt, and divisiveness.    

My letter reads;

Over and over again in this election and in all elections we are served two dishes, the Republican dish and the Democratic dish.   The media, both print and cable continue to box us all in to the same old way of thinking.   Your endorsement last week and your  "letters to the editor" column that you had today was all about the two main candidates as if there is no other choice this year.  There is another person on the ballot named Gary Johnson, the Libertarian. I know he's not "polling well" but he IS another choice.  He's fiscally conservative and socially liberal which means he is a "moderate" to either party choice.   He speaks in full sentences.  He's not a product of our dysfunctional, corrupt and bloated federal government.   He served as governor of New Mexico for 8 years, so he has the exact experience to be a chief executive, unlike the other two candidates.   People say "he can't win", but the reason he "can't win" is nobody pays attention to what he says unless it's a mistake.  I've watched him in interviews and he's intelligent and fully capable.   His ideas are logical and would help steer our country to finally shake off the tyranny that is the dominant two-party political system.  Best of all, he's neither of the other two candidates.  So you see,  there is a choice, "none of the above" would be Gary Johnson.  

I will note/edit this blog if they do print the above letter.

Locker Room Talk

By Chuck Marshall
   

     The weeks is now dominated by the Donald Trump recordings caught back in 2005 where we got to listen in on what he refers to as "locker room talk".   I read the comments of a friend on FB who supports Donald Trump, defending him regarding the entire episode.  I understand he wanted to defend his candidate at all costs, but "through thick and thin"  got pretty thin this week.   Anyway, this friend has been one of my best friends since high school, so I know him pretty well.  What bothered me was that he would drag himself down to the level of what was recorded of Donald Trump.   His comments were defending Trump by saying;  "that's how guys talk" when the ladies aren't around.   This guy was at my bachelor party, and I  heard nothing similar to what Donald was caught saying in those recordings from my friend or any of my friends.  Of course there's banter about sex but I've not heard such talk of forcing ourselves on girls or getting a tic tac because we couldn't resist forcing ourselves on a particular girl and especially there isn't open talk among  my married friends purposely going after a married woman.   With all due respect to my friend's intentions., "he's wrong" to put himself in that category- my friend has far more class than that.   Of course there's talk of enjoying the opposite sex in "locker rooms" just as that sort of talk crops up among women, but grabbing a woman by her "pu***" as Donald explained as his romantic strategy ?  That, I've not heard before. Guys like that are generally looked at as dorky and are avoided as time goes by.  The difference is Donald has money so the leeches and maggots of my gender tend to cling to him making him think he is liked for who he is.    "Wrong, Donald" they like you for your money and they probably don't really like you very much after that.   You're a dork.

In Chuck Marshall's Humble Opinion

#donaldisadork

Clinton Trump Debate: Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dumb ?

By Chuck Marshall

I thought the debate last night was a pretty big snooze.  It was very predictable, with two liars going back and forth about what they will "attempt" to do to steer our country straight.  Glaringly, neither one mentioned Congress which is the source of the government's incompetence this past 10 to 20 years.  With all due respect to Donald Trump's very accurate statement that "she's all talk and no action", so is he.  He just doesn't know it yet.  How will he manage our massive federal government with the vast majority of the key players already disliking him ?    Running the government is not running a business, and although I wish him all the luck in the world to fix it., I don't think he can.  His ideas are grounded in the theory that you can always declare bankruptcy when things go wrong because that's good business using the "laws of the land" as he explained in the debate.   Unfortunately the country can't declare bankruptcy and make all the bad stuff go away.  It's not an option Mr. Trump.   Hillary ?  Hillary is a living, talking, breathing example of everything that is wrong with the federal government right now.  All talk and government goodies,  "We're here to help" and ideas that would make our government even BIGGER.   God help us.   Also, something is wrong with her physically that will come out sooner or later.   She walks gingerly,  like an 85 year old not a 69 year old.  But don't expect this information to come from any news source because they don't really give us information anymore,  only their opinion.  What happened to journalism ?  Why aren't they doing their job ?  They avoid searching for the truth because they're afraid of what they'll find.   No we won't hear it from them we'll have to find this out by someone's camera phone watching her stumble or have an obvious seizure.  This is a very sad situation we have right now with these two fighting it out and the media munching on popcorn as they watch and opine.

In my humble opinion....

What's Wrong With Hillary ?

I'm Sure She'll be frank about it though...Ha Ha.  

By Chuck Marshall

 



      After watching the fallout from Hillary's pneumonia diagnosis, I just had to sit down and  jot out a quick blog.   It turns out that my refusal to watch Cable News for a few months actually helped freshen my mind a little and "re-set" my approach to the whole political process.  Seeing what occurred yesterday opened my eyes to what I didn't recognize before;  they are even worse journalists than I had previously thought.   If I wasn't already aware that the mainstream tends to the left I would have seriously considered that this was news produced by high school students unfamiliar with logical thought and rational conclusion.   Hillary Clinton announced (er, her "handlers" announced which we all know is her because nobody "handles" Hillary) on Sunday morning that she had to leave a 9-11 memorial service in NY early due to heat exhaustion.  OK.  It happens.  Then,  a video goes viral on Twitter showing Hillary stumbling as she got into  her limousine.  Not only did she stumble, she looked as if she was having some sort of seizure.  It wasn't a normal "fainting"spell, folks.  That was obvious.   So, I'm watching all this wondering how CNN was going to present this to the American people.  In my mind it was sort of a test.  Will they be effective journalists or will  they fall into the same old cliche, fawning over their next "historic" President ?

      If  Hillary has something serious it could tip the election in the direction of  Valdemore...., er....Donald Trump and that's just unacceptable to the mainstream media.  They didn't choose him !  (actually,  Fox did, but that's another blog altogether)   How did they present it ?  They totally ignored it.  Not one peep on CNN regarding the video going viral on Twitter.  Unfortunately for them and their favorite candidate,  Fox was covering it very, very thoroughly and anyone with a Twitter account could see the video.   We're no longer at the mercy of their whim as to what's news and what's not.  I watched as the so called journalist "talking heads"  drew up all kinds of excuses for Hillary's heat exhaustion.  It WAS hot  in Manhattan today, they explained and all this was perfectly understandable.  I simply couldn't believe my ears.  If she had heat exhaustion then that can be dangerous, why didn't they rush her to the hospital instead of Chelsea Clinton's apartment ?    Why did they not show the video as a tool to investigate the next President of the United States (they certainly use them when it's  cops getting too rough with minorities) ?    Why am  I asking questions  in my head that my news source is not asking ?   That's their job !  I was so mad I broke my own rule and posted something political on Facebook.  This is what I said

"So....I'm trying to avoid politics on fb, but Hillary said today she had heat stroke at the 9-11 ceremony in NY but on Friday she was told she had pneumonia. So, she lied....again.....or am I not understanding this ?" 

 I got some blow back but in the end, even her supporters on FB could not claim her as an honest person.  Absurd, and more than 80% of the media is NOT doing its job.  The Orlando Sentinel ran a story from the LA Times today that practically praised Hillary for not lying about it longer than she would normally, in other words for Hillary,  "not lying" is news.    I may end up voting for Donald Trump just because I know how much they all don't want him.  Seeing their body language while that happens would be priceless. 

So there you have it loyal readers., my take on the latest commotion in this wacky election year.  Don't forget to click an ad and share this blog on Twitter or FB or whatever... because, after all "Everyone is Entitled to Chuck Marshall's Humble Opinion".  

Do We Expect Too Much from the Presidency ?

By Chuck Marshall

The election is drawing to a close in the next couple of months and I have to say I echo what most Americans seem to be thinking these days "None of the Above".  You may read the polls and see that Clinton is ahead of Trump by 10 points but to dig around the details shows that  most people are not happy with the options.  There is Gary Johnson, the Libertarian but the media largely ignores him and from some of what I've seen of him... I'm not sure I blame them.  (Stay tuned for another blog on Gary Johnson, Jill Stein and Evan McMullin)    But at the end of the day, are we placing too much emphasis on the White House/President ?

There is no one person that can fix the problems of a nation.  I think it's highly naive to think we can hand the keys to the White House to ANY one person and then have them move on to rule the nation with great positive effect in regards to our problems.  The reasons for that are multiple;  partisan politics, massive government, a three chambered government with checks and balances that contains the President (thankfully !).  So, the true power comes from the people and right now the people are looking for President Washington or Lincoln or Kennedy or Reagan.  That kind of leader only comes along once every generation and I think history tends to treat some Presidents a little too kindly through "rose garden" colored glasses (Ha, Ha).   Were they all really that great, or were there just glimpses of greatness and they are treated with higher reverence- in part- because they made two or three great speeches and then "got shot"?   You could pick any of the "Mt. Rushmore" presidents and make a list of their mistakes and lack of effectiveness or absence of personal morals.  They were all human.

Today we have President Obama who was swept into office with ringing oratory and high intelligence and a great deal of help from the mass media in love with "making history".   In addition, it didn't hurt that John McCain picked Sara Palin as his VP choice frightening many thinking people away from his candidacy.   Wall Street was in free-fall and the real estate market was cratering and the Republicans were suddenly the goats of public opinion.  You could make an argument for how "good" or "bad" a president he was but I doubt there are too many people that think he should be on Mt. Rushmore.  But... so what?   My life  has not changed much since Obama became President., and I don't think in all that time he really fixed much of anything.  However,  I don't buy that he's "ruined our country" like a lot of Republicans seem to think.  Health care sucks but it sucked before.  The lobbyists do their bidding just as they always have.  The national debt has doubled but it went up "times five" under Bush.   Also, in his defense the economy was pretty scary back in 2009 and, in my humble opinion, we did need heavy action on the part of the federal reserve- Obama could be said to have steered us through the icebergs.   I hear both sides saying "but" this and "but" that .... but nothing.... The President is not that powerful, and is essentially in charge of steering the ship to the right or to the left.  Yes, he can declare war but if he gets out of hand, then Congress has the power to impeach him.  

Folks, if there's a failing here, it's us.  If we really want our government to become more effective, if we really want the problems we face to be solved we all need to walk into our bathrooms and peer into the mirror.  It's not going to happen with any one "savior" single person.   It has to come from where the real power is and where the real power "IS" is with the people....thanks to our founding fathers...  John Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison and Washington-- if anyone is to be revered it's this group of men and a few others from the late 1700's that set up this remarkable republic in which they empowered the citizenry from the very beginning.  The only reason we have lobbyists directing legislation, and Presidents overriding the constitution and a moribund congress and  a grotesquely overgrown federal government is because "We the People" have let all that happen.


In My Humble Opinion.....

Is Donald Trump A Shill ?

By Chuck Marshall


Shill,/SHil/:  an accomplice; a person who helps and abets another for the purpose of manipulating the thoughts or actions of a third party.

     Our favorite Chocolate Mousse Cake, Donald Trump is again being openly accused of being in the midst of some sort of conspiracy to purposely lose the Presidency for the benefit of Hillary Clinton.  Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R) of Florida publicly contemplated the possibility that "The Donald" is acting as a sort of "shill" and is purposely losing the presidential election in order to assist Hillary and perhaps the Democratic party to win back control of Washington, DC.   “I have no hard proof for my theory, but I think the relevant question is do people actually think that Donald Trump is trying to win?” Curbelo asked on the Fernand Amandi Radio Show.….“To all my passionate friends who are Trump supporters,” he continued. “And I understand why, there are a lot of people who are angry and frustrated in this country, they really don’t like Hillary Clinton for some obvious reasons — put together his recent conduct together with the fact he’s a close friend of the Clintons, they attended his wedding, the pictures are there to prove it. Donald Trump spoke to Bill Clinton three weeks before launching his campaign. I mean, again, I don’t have any hard proof, it may be nothing, but is this the conduct of someone who is trying to win? I just, I don’t see it.”  

I mentioned this theory in my last blog "Donald Trump is Chocolate Mousse Cake", as a reference to my wife's suspicion which she has had since she was a Marco Rubio supporter back during the primaries.  I've always chuckled (no pun intended !) at the possibility as do most people.  BUT, why did Bill Clinton meet with Donald Trump 3 weeks before he declared his candidacy last year ?.  The Clintons HAVE been friends with "The Donald" for a long time.  The Trump family WAS in the Democratic party until just this past couple of years.  

So--- Let's Paint a picture;

Hillary and Bill, the two most powerful Democrats meet with Donald and discuss a way for them to get into the White House with his help.  But it isn't money they want, they already have plenty of money from their charity "The Clinton Foundation" of which they are the main beneficiaries.  No, what they want from "The Donald" is his showmanship, his pizazz, his capacity to entertain the masses.  "Get into the race, Donald and throw a wrench in the works of the Republican party and we will reward you.  Not with money, but with enormous power.  Be our friend and you and your family will have front row seats at the most powerful address in the world.  At the same time we will be the "good guys" offering help and influence to "our old enemy, Donald Trump" who said such awful things about us during the elections, yet still we extend the olive branch."  Finally, bipartisanship in Washington, DC thanks to Hillary and Donald  !  There's nothing anyone in the Republican party could do about it.  They would have no choice but to work with President Hillary Clinton.    

During the primaries it was "kind of" believable that Donald was winning because he was catering to the right wing of the Republican party and the frustration so many have with the lack of action on the part of our so called leaders.  Donald "tells it like it is"  which turns out to be the BIGGEST desire of the Tea Party wing of the Republican party (never mind the budget deficit, the constitution, or any realistic solutions to our nation's problems) so he was swept to the nomination for his "plain talk" and his monosyllabic sentences that they find easy to follow.  "That, I promise you".   Donald himself must be truly mystified that he is the nominee for a position he truly does NOT want.  Now, he has to lose the election to avoid getting the job he doesn't want and back into his garish penthouse in Manhattan.   How does he do that ?  He continues the same behavior in the general election as what worked in the primaries. Not because he thinks it will work., but because he knows it won't work. 

Just a thought.  The idea of something so devious and crooked is hard to even imagine for most people, that's why it's shrugged off by decent people.  But we're not talking about decent people here.  We're talking about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump - If there is ANY couple of people on earth willing and capable of doing such a devious thing it's these two.  "That, I promise you". 

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Donald Trump is Chocolate Mousse Cake

     Wow, Donald Trump  is really making this an election to remember.   To be perfectly honest, I am in the habit of glancing first through headlines to see what he did today to  offend or shock because it's always a good read.  I love to read what he says, I love to hear the media's exasperated interpretation and then I love to hear him clarify his position according to what he thinks we all want to hear but certainly NOT apologize to anyone, ever.   I also love to hear those that defend him and how they try to spin it in defense of him and rationalize his behavior - as if there's some logical plan in his mind other than "speaking his mind".   (I use to think that, but more and more I realize that's wishful thinking.) I love to hear those that hate him and watch them wriggle around in agony as they try to vocalize their acrimony that he's the Republican nominee.  I love to see the media misinterpret (supposedly) his comments when he's obviously being sarcastic.  I love that he's the worst speaker in a generation but he still has the nerve to stand in front of the country and explain that only HE can fix our country.  I love that he tweaks the "powers that be" in the Republican party and has knocked them off their high horses to the ground where they now run around in panicked circles.  (The Republican party should change their symbol from the elephant to the squirrel.)  I love his temerity, and I love his sarcasm, and I love his weird, rambling speeches,   "Huge", "It's going to be great", "It's going to be a beautiful thing", "THAT I promise you".    Trumpisms,   I love that my wife and a lot of people sincerely suspect he and Hillary set this up so she could win this election and we are witnessing the  biggest conspiracy in the history of the world.  Is Donald Trump a shill ?   All so delicious !  He's political chocolate mousse cake -sweet, decadent, rich and  fluffy.  Pure instant satisfaction.

     Unfortunately, like any rich desert after overdoing it with two to three pieces I get a crawling sensation on my skin and an odd sense of anxiety.  I don't think I need to review all his "incidents" for you, dear readers  just google search "Donald Trump news" and allow yourself to enjoy it while it lasts.  Let the latest outrage settle on your pallet and enjoy the fluffy nonsense for the utterly absurd situation that it is.

     If Donald Trump is Chocolate Mousse Cake then what is Hillary Clinton ?  She's a glass of curdled milk;  the same old political song we've heard forever and boy does it smell and taste bad.

     So, how do I feel about  this election for our country's future  ?  "Not Happy" I say in the manner of  Donald and his stunted sentences.   Not Happy at all.  But am I enjoying it for the Reality show that its become ?  You better believe it.  It has truly become, a guilty pleasure.  

"I'm With Her" is an "Epic Fail" Slogan

By Chuck Marshall

 

  But it's pointing right ? 

 Tonight I watch the Democrats and Hillary Clinton.  I missed a lot of last night but  I've heard Michelle Obama's speech was very good, so I'm sorry I missed it.  I also read an article in the paper and a Facebook posting that indicated the Democrats were behaving much better than the Republicans did last week in Cleveland.  Tonight, I'm assuming they've changed their tactic because it seems to be all about Trump and how terrible he is.  I agree the Republicans did this with Hillary, but I can't stand hypocrisy from the left when they say they're "being nicer".   I see very little difference between the two conventions.  Each side is nasty, each is side is highly self-righteous.  I will say though, at the end of the day, shame on the media (both print and television) for being so obviously biased towards the left.   Even 60 minutes offered up   "tea with Hillary" interview in contrast to an outright pummeling of Trump and Mike Pence.  I'm very disappointed in them.  Trump deserved a tough interview after all his boasting and egomania but so did Hillary after a highly publicized e-mail scandal and a questionable record as Secretary of state.  At the end of the day, I see Trump and the Republicans speaking to the left leaning media (CNN, MSNBC, New York Times, etc...)  even though they're often hostile and nasty....  but I don't see any significant player from the Democratic party ever interview with "right leaning" Fox news.  This is cowardly.  

     The other major factor I notice is a huge portion of the speakers tonight are reminding us that Hillary is a female and this would be "historic" to elect a woman as President.  This is one of the main selling points, as far as I can tell !   In my mind this is the least important factor that we have here.  Anyone that votes for a person based on their gender or race is as much a bigot as those that would NOT  vote for someone because of their race or gender.   You diminish that person by basing your choice on something they have no control over.   Therefor. "I'm With Her" is one of the worst slogans I've ever heard.  Donald Trump took advantage  in Cleveland last week by stating in his speech in contrast to being "with her" that he is "with you" he said as he pointed at the camera.  Pretty powerful contrast., and a very clear example of the difference between these two candidates.   This is the biggest gripe I have against the parties over the past 25 years;  neither of them is clearly in the corner of the middle class.  Neither is focused on shedding their "way of thinking" in favor of solutions for the American people.  Donald Trump, with all his bravado and pompous egomania is the first person to point to me and say "I'm With You" and have me believe that could be true.    


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Trump Children May Win Him the Presidency

By Chuck Marshall 

After writing more than a few blistering criticisms of Republican nominee, Donald Trump, I feel compelled to write tonight about how impressed I am with his children.  Is this his only redeeming quality ?  No, but it speaks the loudest because you can't hide behind how your children turn out.  That is something you really have to own., and with all our faults as human beings, how a parent raises a child and how they mature is significantly connected to the person who raised them, or failed to raise them.  Not all bad kids had bad parents, but I think it's safe to say most good, happy and successful adults have their parents to thank for how they turned out.   This is not just good breeding and wealth (look at Paris Hilton !) this is an effective person behind successful, good looking, well spoken, talented, intelligent children that all love their father-  five times over !     I am very impressed with Donald Trump's kids.

If you're a moderate trying to pick a poison, this may be the deciding factor.  At this point I am pondering Gary Johnson and Donald Trump and THAT is saying something because I really don't care for Donald Trump, but you can't argue with success and he just keeps on winning.  Most importantly, he won with what appears to be a superb job raising four fine adults.  That takes some doing.  Maybe he does have a shot at fixing some of our nation's big, bad, audacious problems.  Maybe.


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Trump Children May Win Him the Presidency

By Chuck Marshall 

After writing more than a few blistering criticisms of Republican nominee, Donald Trump, I feel compelled to write tonight about how impressed I am with his children.  Is this his only redeeming quality ?  No, but it speaks the loudest because you can't hide behind how your children turn out.  That is something you really have to own., and with all our faults as human beings, how a parent raises a child and how they mature is significantly connected to the person who raised them, or failed to raise them.  Not all bad kids had bad parents, but I think it's safe to say most good, happy and successful adults have their parents to thank for how they turned out.   That is not just good breeding and wealth (look at Paris Hilton !) that is an effective person behind that kind of success - five times over !     I am very impressed with Donald Trump's kids.

If you're a moderate trying to pick a poison, this may be the deciding factor.  At this point I am pondering Gary Johnson and Donald Trump and THAT is saying something because I really don't care for Donald Trump, but you can't argue with success and he just keeps on winning.  Most importantly, he won with what appears to be a superb job raising four fine adults.  That takes some doing.  Maybe he does have a shot at fixing some our nation's big, bad, audacious problems.  Maybe.


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Did We Do Away With the Word "Crazy" ?

Dear loyal readers,

     By now I'm sure you've  all heard the news regarding the slaughter of 49 innocent people by a nut job here in my hometown, Orlando, Fl.  (actually I live in a suburb of Orlando- Clermont but we are part of the "metro Orlando" population of 2.3 million people so... close enough.).   Anyway, I'm sure some of you are wondering why Chuck Marshall didn't write something sooner than this since all this happened in his hometown ?  Mainly, it's because my blog is not news, it's an opinion so I can't write down much until the situation has developed and my little brain has formed enough of an opinion such that I can dribble out some sort of rambling comments regarding the whole thing.

     First of all, of course I extend my deepest condolences to anyone affected by this travesty.  I can only imagine how difficult  this is for those people.   They should know that the world prays for them and their families.  I had my own panic attack as the news developed on Sunday morning.  When they said the number was up to 50, I suddenly thought of my nieces and nephews - all in their 20's and all still at the "clubbing age".  It's fashionable for kids today to go to gay bars on occasion, so my mind jumped immediately to my two nieces living in Orlando.  I texted them both...: "Are you guys ok?   Please let me know, watching news"    I was frantic until I got word within the hour they were fine.   How awful to text your loved one and never hear back.  Only silence.  I was also part of the new Facebook "I'm safe" feature.  I got a message from FB that they noticed I was in the vicinity of the shooting in Orlando and I could click the button to let all my FB friends know I was OK.  I haven't been in a nightclub in years and am way past such libations but I understood as I clicked "I"M OK" that people will still worry no matter how slim the chances.  Strange world.

    Second of all, of course this has turned into a political cat fight.   Both presumed candidates have weighed in with what you would expect from the left and right.  Donald Trump  is a bit more theatrical and bizarre  than you would normally hear (as usual)  but the point is the same as always from both sides.  The right says we should restrict Muslims to some extent, go after the culprits and kick some butt (kick whose butt, exactly?)   The left says we need more gun control and we have to be very, very careful not to upset the Muslims lest  more terrorists are inspired to drop more bombs and shoot up more of us. (I'm so concerned about upsetting the terrorists !)   And, as usual they're both hysterical and sort of stupid about the whole thing.

   What does Chuck Marshall  think?  I like to entertain the idea that we have a smart government.  It's fun !  Like fantasizing about the lottery.  Imagine you're living on a planet inhabited by wise citizens being ruled by a government that actually takes action to solve problems.   On this fantasy planet the government is actually smart and it forms ideas to solve problems rather than  simply debating  the problem from opposing views until we've all forgotten what the original problem was.   In other words, they DO SOMETHING.  The core of the problem is mental illness.  All of these shootings are done by nut-case freaks.  Yes, he may have been "inspired" by ISIS but he's still crazy !!  We're talking "Cra-Cra" here folks !  All of these mass shooters are died-in the wool, bona-fide lunatics.  The cable news works so hard to define the whole damn thing, they turn themselves into pretzels analyzing the  event.  But really ?    In the words of the great Chris Rock; "Did we do away with the word "Crazy"?" Lock them up, observe them and set a Psychiatrist loose on them.  Anyone who talks about how much they love ISIS or posts on FB violent ideas or who strangles puppies or runs over cats with a lawnmower is a threat to us all and they need a psychiatrist not an AK47 !    That will solve the problem.

So, there you have it... a solution.  Don't forget to click an ad and share this blog and  remember,......everyone is entitled to Chuck Marshall's Humble Opinion.

Disgusted Voters 2016

By Chuck Marshall

Dear Loyal Readers,

Thanks for your patience in this time of personal mourning as I work to get my head back into politics.  It has been very hard to write since my choice for the Presidency, Marco Rubio, failed in his bid for the White House.  In my mind he was head and shoulders above the competition so seeing him rejected by the Republicans removed any hope I had for their revival and I think it cast doubt in my mind that the general voter is, in the end, a wise animal.

Below is a letter I wrote to the Orlando Sentinel on Sunday, they haven't printed it (yet?), so I figured I'd toss it out here for you, loyal readers, to peruse and consider.

Thanks for a paper stuffed with anti-party information regarding the antiquated two-party system that has proven itself totally ineffective and contrary to the will of the people.  Three articles today (Friday, June 3) including a headline on voter dissatisfaction, an editorial from two points of view- both opposed to the Democratic VS Republican nonsense and a column by Scott Maxwell pointing out the increasing unpopularity of both parties.  The sooner we establish a system of elections that does not favor the major political parties 'nor require vast quantities of money, the sooner we will get a government that acts as a true advocate of the people.  Perhaps an amendment or a constitutional convention is in order to wrest control of the government away from special interests, greedy media giants, crony capitalists, and government bureaucrats and reclaim it as the domain of the American citizen.  Hopefully Hillary Clinton VS Donald Trump will be the final straw that awakens the wrath of Americans who will be so disgusted by it all as to start making legitimate changes to "how we've always done it".  

Thanks for reading, and don't forget to click an ad and share this blog with your friends and family, because, after all.... Everyone's Entitled to Chuck Marshall's Opinion. 

Now is the Time

By Chuck Marshall 

     Now is the time for a third party or Independent candidate to rise up and challenge the presumptive nominees of both established political parties.  Hillary Clinton vs Donald Trump ?   I  wrote a blog on this possible scenario last year.  This is one blog where I had hoped the cores of both parties would eventually see reason and resolve to find a person worthy of the Presidency.   Tipping windmills, as it were.

If I may be so bold as to quote my own blog from August 5, 2015- titled "Hillary vs The Donald";

" Our country has truly dropped to a new low with these two as the front runners to be President.   Donald Trump is a wind bag egomaniac with not one ounce of class.  He calls his opponents names and gives out their phone numbers to the public.  It's like watching a mob boss run for President.  He runs his mouth about what he's going to do with no explanation of how he'll do it.  The only thing I've agreed with that has come out of his mouth was the comment he made on O'Reilly that our country is in trouble and on the decline.  He is living evidence of that fact.

     Hillary Clinton is a liar and a hypocrite.  She is most likely the reason for the debacle that was Benghazi (and the deaths of all those people, including our Ambassador to Libya)  and she has been carefully getting rid of evidence to that fact.   She is fake and impersonal and is only in her position because she is married to President Clinton.   It has just come out in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal that she and Bill donated $15 Million to charities  over the years 2007-2014.  The charity?  The Clinton Foundation of which the two of them benefit from greatly - personal jets, political trips, etc... They donated to a charity and the charity is them !  So, she and Bill got tax deductions, ergo "government subsidies",  to support their ambitions..... to run the government !   Now THAT, is rich.

    Once again,  I can't believe how absurd our process of selecting leaders is today.   With 310 Million people we should be able to do much, much better than this.  This is ridiculous.   Why must we go on following what each of the parties select for us when they are of the ilk that Hillary and The Donald are.  They don't come much more crooked than this folks, and they are the front runners for each of our beloved parties.  May God help us all and may God help our country."

So, here we are again in May of 2016.   Anyone who reads this blog  knows I am adamant in my voice as an Independent in support of Independent thought and third party ideas that could bolster the stagnant swamp of ineptitude that Washington, DC has become.   The stakes are high and the choice we have today is a door wide open to someone,   anyone,   with intelligence, fortitude, and the temerity to move our country forward and away from the partisan disaster it has become.

So. pass this blog along and don't forget to click an ad to help support me and my political ramblings.  After all.....everyone's entitled to  Chuck Marshall's Humble Opinion  

Sympathy for the Devils

By Chuck Marshall

Across the Board Failure in Governing
   

As I look at the fiasco in our presidential election, I ponder more and more the disaster that is our government.   This is true from the top right down to the local level.  The people are so desperate for change that those who are still members of either of the dominant political parties are choosing the one that is "least" connected to Washington.  Even when it's a socialist handing out goodies at our expense or an odious and perverted candidate such as Donald Trump.  Hey, at least both of them can claim not to be "sold" to the special interests and I agree that's almost enough to support ANY candidate.   So, I  totally sympathize with both Trump and Sanders supporters and their frustration at the status quo.  To keep choosing the Washington insiders is to choose to encourage their inept performance and tacitly condone the actions of the last 30 years.   Performance of total and complete and absolute failure.  (stay tuned for a future blog listing the grievances against our government).

     In DC, it is all a game and all activity springs from the lobbyists and their wants and needs.  Our congressmen work their position as a tool of the special interests and all activity is to keep these specific groups happy and profitable from the process of taxation down to regulations that "won't be too inconvenient" for corporations.  Heaven forbid !   Or, prevention of laws that might tie the hands of our noble leaders on Wall Street and their unrestrained avarice.  Their lust and greed for money truly knows no boundaries.  The needs and interests of the American people come in at "dead" last as a priority for our leaders both on Wall Street and in DC and even here in Florida.    

    At the state level here in Florida, as is probably true in much of the US, we have a legislature that DOES NOTHING to move things forward unless it's in the name of "creating jobs".  All else comes in a distant second, meanwhile Florida's unemployment is at 5.65% (full employment is considered to be around 4.5%- so I can see why they're so desperate to fix this glaring problem (sarcasm)).  Meanwhile citizens have to sue the government to get them to improve our schools.  Citizens have to sue the government to get them to enforce an amendment approved of by a super majority of the people four years ago (fair districts amendment here in Florida).  I'm sure you all have example in your state of similar situations... hopefully not as bad as they are here in Florida !

     Anyway, something has got to change and - once again, I sympathize with Trump/Sanders supporters.  It is a vote that says "I am sick of DC and their corrupt, inept ways".  It is a sad testament to the lack of trust for our leadership in America  that to get anyone's attention candidates must behave as they have these past months.   There are other culprits in all of this, including the citizens themselves- we're all rolled up in this - but the real shame goes to our  leadership for their partisan and inept ways.

Parties Should Split Apart for the Good of the Country

The Republicans are in quite a situation right now with Donald Trump being the front runner and most likely nominee for the Presidency.  The problem, is of course that most of the  establishment R's do not like him and don't feel he's qualified to be President.  In addition, Ted Cruz is in second place and he's almost as disliked at Donald Trump !   The situation is even worse when you look at the polls and recognize that neither of these candidates is likely to beat the unpopular Hillary Clinton. How could the R's have gotten this so wrong ?

The Democrats have a similar problem as Bernie Sanders is on the heels of Hillary Clinton and his socialist tendencies are starting to tear that party apart.  They are not in the pickle the R's are in, but they'll get there eventually.

What to do, what to do ?  I have a solution for both parties.   Consider your country first.  The political party is a tool for helping people to collect candidates that think the way they think.  It  is not an end unto itself !   No longer does either party represent the ideas of their party members.  The  massive increase in Independents would also indicate that a lot of people are not happy with either choice because they choose NOT to join either party.  The point of both parties no longer exists to help citizens make a decision and their sole purpose seems to be to "out do" each other.   Each party needs to split itself apart according to certain principals and ideals that would best serve two separate groups on the left and two separate groups on the right.    I would also encourage that one of each party to the right and to the left be more moderate and willing to compromise and start moving forward with fixing the problems and challenges of our society.  For the good of the country, split apart.  I might also add, that whichever party decides to move forward in such a way is more likely to gain the massive numbers of Independents waiting on the sidelines for sanity to return to the political spectrum.  Like me.  

A Confession

I must confess to you my dear readers, an atrocious activity, perhaps unforgivable but my first step to redemption is this confession;  I joined the Republican party last month.   I fell for the candidate Marco Rubio and couldn't stand the idea of  missing out on this election.  So, after 15 years, I re-joined.  I feel dirty, and used and I feel like I need a long, hot shower with lots of soap.  I feel like going to church every night of the week and I feel like going to see a Priest for confession even though I'm not Catholic.

Tonight, Marco dropped out of the race after an awful showing in the Florida primaries.  I don't blame him, it was time.  I sincerely feel he's too good for the Republican party and I hope there is a future for him in public service, but I'm not sure how.  He made mistakes in this election, but I don't think anyone can stop Donald Trump.  He's the Republican answer to Prez Obama., an inexperienced man with a lot of hot air.   Trump is Obama without the eloquence.   There  is no difference between Obama and Trump in my mind.  They are both inexperienced boobs who are incapable of running our country effectively.  As long as the parties run the show we will have this back and forth nonsense with idiotic candidates picked by the extreme wings of both parties.  

The Republican party is now dominated by old cranky white men and young cranky rednecks.    They are incapable of seeing or understanding common sense.  This is the only way I can reconcile in my mind the picking such a vile man as Donald Trump to lead your party.   Anyway, there has been talk of the Republicans splitting in two.   I hope so !   Remove the Tea Party and their insatiable anger and hate and "Trumpness" to re-start the GOP as something new and productive.   Meanwhile, I'll be dropping back out of the Republican party asap., and taking a long hot shower.