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Treason

What I witnessed yesterday at the Capitol was so disheartening. I have always assumed that the vast majority of our nation was above the political tyranny we see in other nations. I would not blink an eye to see a mob overrun the capitols of other nations, but I also never believed that would be possible here. This is where our nation has arrived during the journey under Trump as president. We are no longer talking about racists, misogynists, or ignorant bigots. QANON and Parler are not solely responsible for where we are today. We must face the fact that we are a nation under siege by a new confederacy, not one marked by a latitudinal line, but one split between love for our nation and all it embodies, and those who are willing to destroy it in the name of a demented terrorist.

Make no mistake, the insane zealots running around the capitol are not the only ones who are at fault, nor are the bigoted grannies clutching their pearls when a PoC comes into view or the meekly endowed rednecks roaring past in their raised 2004 Toyota Tacomas with black smoke belching out of the back. Also to blame are the third-party assholes who know their votes would be meaningless but think the gold standard or vegan food are the pathways to future bliss. Consider the ⅓ of eligible voters who could not be bothered to show up to a precinct to vote. Some combination of ignorance and insolence led most of them to once again ignore the civic duty that is currently in peril.

This has culminated in the black and white status of our nation. Those who find the events of yesterday some of the most disturbing in our nation’s history, who wish to hold all those who support the terrorists and their leaders accountable, those who know freedom and peace are not based on race, gender, or the person you love, versus those who wish to dismantle this Great Experiment in the name of a vain, self-hating lunatic. There is no longer middle ground. If you are uncomfortable assailing those who continue to support trump in his dwindling minions, join them. If you are not comfortable supporting Biden, Harris, Pelosi, or Schumer in their quest to dig us out of this quagmire, fuck off. If you think this is all too much to handle…it is. Here is your pat on the back. Now that the coddling is done, WAKE THE FUCK UP, READ SOMETHING FROM A CREDIBLE NEWS SOURCE, AND EDUCATE YOURSELF ON HOW FUCKED WE ARE.

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My Struggle to Select a Nominee

Sanders, Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Warren, Klobuchar, Steyer, and, yes, still Gabbard.  This has been a bewildering and stressful nomination process to this point, and I have struggled to decide who to pick for the nomination.  It goes without saying that each candidate, even the one whose experience is limited to governing a small city, will be a massive improvement over the current POTUS cancer we are suffering.  I would never have imagined this to be so hard, but here we are, seven or so candidates and not a single one making the case that they are the one.  So, here is how I have come to my conclusion.

Join the cool kids…

Somehow, a septuagenarian has wooed the youth vote.  Bernie gave one of the most qualified candidates a run for her money, so what is not to love?  
Maybe his obnoxious debate style? His tedious assertion that compromise is evil? His inability to simply state that Castro and other communist dictators suck and no value they may have added to their countries is worth praising?  Seriously, someone needs to sit this guy down an explain to him that political polish isn’t a sin.
Girl power…
I was all in with Hillary.  She had everything you could hope for in a candidate.  Every log of excrement she has expelled has more character than the asshole she lost the electoral vote to.  Amy and Elizabeth are also very capable candidates.  Amy apparently is a bit of a pain to her employees and occasionally eats salad with her comb and Elizabeth has decided to take down every corporate structure and billionaire in the name of the people, but they have their merits.  Amy is a Senator from a battleground state with a strong senate record.  Elizabeth combines a similarly strong record with an affable, nerdy quality.  Each one has every reason to believe they could be successful as the first female president of the United States.  The downside? Well, Amy hardly a household name.  She usually seems slightly overwhelmed during debates, and she is just not “grabby” enough as a politician to enthuse voters.  Warren is loud.  Not by Bernie standards, but she is very dogmatic when it comes to financial institutions and big corporations.  She is almost always right, but so was Gore, and look where that got him.

Billions and billion$…

If the general election could be won by the richest candidates, the democrats would finally be able to come to the table with some formidable candidates.  Bloomberg blows them all away with his wealth.  I am actually surprised I have not received a stipend yet to vote for him in the primary.  The dude could buy and sell trump and Steyer a several times over and still purchase a small nation.  The dude is oozing wealth.  He was also a relatively successful mayor of NYC, as long as you do not consider things like racist police procedures and sexual harassment in your calculations.  Steyer did something at some point to get his $1.6 billion, and he did something political, but in reality he is just a moderate, boring, rich white guy.  These guys should have just backed someone instead of taking their milquetoast bullshit on the road for all to see.

Mayor Pete…

Let’s face it, South Bend sucks.  Home of nauseating Notre Dame, its only redeeming quality is that it has one of the best Asian restaurants I have ever visited, though I cannot recall which one it was.  As mayor of a small city, what could he really have faced that would have prepared him to run the most powerful nation in history?  The short answer is nothing.  The longer answer is still the same.  His time in the military helps a tiny bit, but his greatest strength is that he is the type of guy you want to be president.  Intelligent, compassionate, and calming, he screams “safe” as a choice.  The current president had far less experience and no apparent intelligence, so Pete would still be a significant boost in executive credibility.

Tulsi 

I mean, you can’t be serious…

Good ole Uncle Joe

In his fourth attempt to lead the country, Joe was instantly the frontrunner for the nomination, much to the chagrin of Sanders supporters.  He weathered a few hits early on in his campaign, but, as is classic Biden, his greatest foil was himself.  Simply put, he talks too long about stuff he doesn’t know as well as he wants to know.  He frequently debates like it is his first time.  He is definitely they guy you want to have a beer with, and he is probably the nicest candidate running.  Though some have tried to smear him as creepy, most who are not ardent supporters seem to circle around the age issue, or some affect related to that.  Of course, Bernie had a heart attack this year and Elizabeth Warren will be the oldest democratic nominee in history should she win, but for some reason Biden is catching flack for his age.

I have gone over it again and again.  I was playing scenarios where a candidate dropped and joined another who could go on to become the dream team.  I considered throwing my support to the candidate who might finally drag progressives to the polls in such stunning numbers that trump would be thoroughly defeated and destroyed.  I have considered scenarios where I could comfortably vote for any of the candidates (except for Tulsi…fuck Tulsi).  After I had thoroughly confessed myself about it, I finally came around to a single, clear question I needed to answer.  Which candidate will show up in the White House on day one and will immediately make me feel good about things again?  Not which candidate would turn the planet on its ear or would solve every single problem we have faced in the pat 50 years on the first day.  Who is most likely to hit up the leaders of other nations and reassure them that things are now, finally, going to be OK again.  Who will just be the president, boring and capable but also willing to roll back the disastrous decisions that trump as made during his reign.

The only answer that keeps coming to mind is Biden.  He is the guy who should be president now.  He is the one ready to move us back to where we were going.  He can build the coalition necessary to move us in the right direction on healthcare, the environment, and other crucial areas.  He will not implement free education and will not give us a $15 federal minimum wage, but none of the candidates will do that.  He is going to till the earth that trump has salted and restore the fertile ground that has led to so many amazing inventions and historic changes our nation brought to the world. He can make us proud again.  

He is not The Answer.  We do not have that yet.  Maybe Michelle will have a token senate run and will be The Answer.  Joe Kennedy.  Stacy Abrams.  Kamala Harris.  There are a number of people out there who could take the reigns as the next big option, and I look forward to that time. What Biden gives us is credibility, unity, and a do over.  

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What Gun Control Should Mean

The Second Amendment:


A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.


Most people contract this sentence to the more concise “right to bare arms”, neglecting the full intent of the right.  I am not going to get deep into the case history or mindset of the founders, but here is my interpretation of the right:
You can own anything capable of protecting yourself and thwarting the encroachment of the government on your rights as a citizen, so long as you demonstrate reasonable faculties and understanding of utilization of said weapons.


As a liberal, most gun enthusiasts generally believe that I hate guns and want all of them confiscated and melted down. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, I am comfortable with properly trained, mentally stable, and licensed citizens owning any weapon, from a BB gun all the way to a nuclear ballistic missile.  Now, before you think I am some sort of unhinged nut advocating for the destruction of humanity, allow me to define what I mean.


Under the umbrella of the “well-regulated” portion of the amendment, I believe the following measures are not only constitutional, but necessary to have safe and responsible gun ownership.


Background checks – Every time a person engages firearm transaction, a check into the background if the recipient must be conducted. The background check would validate the legal status of the person acquiring the firearm, ensuring they are in good standing in society.
Mental health checks – Every two years, gun owners must participate in a mental health evaluation to legally maintain their gun ownership.  Failed evaluations can be followed up by a second opinion before confiscation occurs.  Any confiscation would be associated with a six month hold, giving the owner an opportunity to address mental health issues and regain access to their firearms.
Ballistic database – every single firearm manufactured or imported into this country would be subjected to a ballistics review. The data would be stored in a national database, available to all citizens for review.
Licensing – each firearm owner would be licensed for each firearm.  The firearms would be registered to the owner, who would be responsible for the use of the firearms registered to them.  
Insurance – each firearm owner would maintain insurance to ensure that victims of injury or death related to registered firearms would be fully compensated for medical and funeral expenses.
Firearm security – each firearm would be stored in accordance with a standard set of rules that would entail trigger locks, storage safes, and other measures to minimize access by untrained users.
Training – part of the licensing of individuals would involve training that supports the proper use of the weapon. This extends beyond merely caring for the firearm and learning how to discharge it with accuracy.  This requires that the user understands the proper use of the weapon under circumstances were it would be used.  An owner of a .22 rifle would only require minimal usage training which would increase in complexity as the lethality of the weapon increases. Handgun owners would have to demonstrate a capacity to handle a weapon in a variety of self-protection circumstances. An owner of a .50 cal sniper rifle would have to undergo training commiserate with its ability to inflict damage over great distances.
Consequences – failure to comply with these measures to maximize public safety would result in severe minimum prison sentences, confiscation of weapons, and prohibition of future firearm ownership.


Of course, these actions will not immediately end gun violence in the US. We have developed a culture of gun adoration that leads far too many to handle firearms in an irresponsible fashion.  The goal is to elevate gun ownership to a civic responsibility commiserate with the risk involved to others.

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Gross Negligence, Not Criminal Intent, is the Reason for Impeachment

I am no lawyer or constitutional scholar.  I am not sure I have any right to comment on the ridiculous political occurrence transpiring in the Oval Office right now.  Given how unprecedented this is, it seems anyone with half a brain and interested in trying to figure this crap out is warranted in having an opinion.


I have not watched any of the proceedings around the impeachment.  I am certain that there are procedural issues that I will miss.  This thing seems incredibly complex from a legal standpoint, but pretty simple from a political one; the GOP wants to keep Trump in power at all cost, and the rest of society acknowledges, to some extent, that his presence in the Oval is troubling, at best. The questions being asked frame the issue in reference to other malfeasance that has come from the Oval.  They attempt to determine if there is relevance to the claims that Trump broke the law.  This effort to brand him a criminal misses a very important point..that he does not have to commit a crime to be eligible for removal from office.

Imagine if a surgeon entered an operating room exhausted, drunk, angry, or grieving. Whatever the case, they probably have no idea who they are operating on and don’t care.  They have no ill will and no reason to injure the patient; in fact, they have taken an oath to do the opposite.  They struggle through a 13 hour surgery, cleaving skin, excising malignant tissue, and suturing the opening, but they nick an artery in the effort, and the patient dies.  Was there criminal intent?  Did the surgeon want to harm the patient? Of course not, but their failure is still a problem, and the surgeon must face the consequences of their malicious ineptitude.

As Trump descended down the escalator the day of his announcement, we received a powerful metaphor for what was to come.  Why in the fuck would any campaign manager or advisor allow him to be filmed slowly slipping down, as if to indicate he was prepared to drag the country down to the bowels of repugnant ignorance and deplorable behavior?  As soon as the thought entered my mind, the answer followed…if he has some sort of advisors, they are either too inept to assess the optics of that event, or they did not possess the power to change his mind about what he wanted for the event.  Either way, it was a harbinger for the administration.  Once elected, there clearly was no effort to transition from the successful Obama administration.  Trump was certain that he could operate the presidency as he had every construction project and entertainment venue in which he managed.  He was self-assured that he would always be the smartest person in the room and there was nothing he could not handle.
The next step in figuring this menagerie of incompetence is to consider what type of guy Trump is and how would he handle a business transaction.  Do you think he enters negotiations with an interest in determining a mutually beneficial agreement for all parties involved? If that were true, wouldn’t you think at least one of his properties would not be a garish symbol of opulence and horrendous taste? He approaches everything the same way, that it is a problem that needs to be grabbed by the pussy and fucked until it acquiesces to his plan.  This maniacal-bull-in-the-china-shop handling of everything pairs poorly with his obvious insecurity issues.  He engages the press like a petulant toddler, can you imagine how pitifully he behaves with his cabinet and the joint chiefs?  He was woefully unprepared for this, but he has enough money and power that he can surround himself with sycophants desperate for his admiration and willing to fuel his malignant narcissism.

There is every indication that the overarching trait of this administration is incompetence.  Whenever they accidentally assign someone with some knowledge and experience to a role, they either realize the shitstorm they have entered and hastily leave, or they cross Trump and are expelled.  There is no one with the guts or experience in the administration to direct or correct Trump, especially on matters of foreign policy and national security. In my opinion, you have to have someone involved who knows what they are doing to have criminal intent.  There is no question in my mind that Dick Cheney leveraged his power and the incompetence of his boss to influence our engagement in numerous lengthy foreign campaigns, all with the intent to become richer.  To pull this off, Cheney had to have knowledge, experience, and a desire to commit the crime to be guilty. Clearly he was a master criminal, because he was never charged with anything.

Trump, on the other hand, is an idiot.  Normally this would be considered an opinion, but given how often he is willing to prove this to be true, it can no longer be considered anything other than fact.  He is the opposite of the constitutional scholar who warmed the seat for him.  He was told by someone that there was a connection between Biden and Ukraine, and that we were going to give them something, and he reacted.  Drunk on power and incapacitated by stupidity, he lurched to the phone and decided to “negotiate” a way to harm his primary competition in 2020.  Do you find this preposterous? THE ASSHOLE BEGGED RUSSIANS TO ATTACK HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT ON NATIONAL TELEVISION IN 2016.  He had no concept of how wrong that was.  She was a problem, he thought he knew who could help, and so he reached out to them. How in the world can people witness that nonsense and think that he is incapable of coercing a foreign entity into acting in his favor against a political opponent.  Did he think he was breaking the law? Of course not, because he didn’t care and never took the office he holds seriously enough to be concerned with how he presides over the nation.  

Just like the surgeon, Trump must answer for his neglect.  High crimes and misdemeanors is intentionally broad to encompass more than just murdering someone on 5th avenue.  It means that Congress can bring charges against a president for any dereliction of duty.  The only reason that this could not be done during the Russian collusion debacle is because it was too difficult to tie him to that. Let’s face it, a woefully inept electorate holds the power over who will be in office, so there were many democrats who were concerned about the optics of impeaching the president over an issue that was so nebulous.  The Ukrainian issue is far more clear.  He directly engaged a foreign power to interfere with the upcoming election. He engaged an Art of War style effort to bring suffering to a fellow American to further his agenda.  I am not sure a private citizen could commit these acts without facing legal consequences, so why is it acceptable for the President of the United States to do this?

Trump needs to face the consequences of what he has done.  We can no longer make this a political decision regarding what is best for the Democratic party.  Congress has a job to do.  It must serve as an effective check against the power of the Executive Branch.  If Trump is innocent of wrong-doing, surely he will survive the Senate unscathed.  There should be no interference in testimony, since he has nothing to hide.  There should be a vote, which will likely result in acquittal, not because he is not guilty, but because a majority of senators will likely vote based on party loyalty rather than an unbiased commission of their duty.  None of this changes the need for the event to occur.

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Democratic Debate – Night 2

This was a much more aggressive event tonight.

Those who did what they needed to do:

Kamala Harris – She needed to have a Booker type performance, and she did well.

Joe Biden – Clearly the leader, he was almost as much of a target of vitriol as Trump. He held up well, but he wasn’t anything exciting. Frankly, he didn’t have anything to prove and did what he needed to – address allegations and convey his statesman stature.

Those who didn’t help themselves:

Kristen Gillibrand – This is a tough call. She was fiery and passionate, but I think it is highly likely she rubbed a lot of voters the wrong way. She suffered being on this panel and would have benefited from a night 1 selection.

Bernie Sanders – Yikes, he was out of control and, at times, reminded me of Perot’s VP candidate Stockdale. He seemed old and cranky. He also was determined to not answer questions directly. I think he had to have done more damage than good for his candidacy.

Pete Buttigieg – I think he is just too good of a guy to do this thing. Clearly one of, if not the, smartest person in the room. He clearly has a strong grasp on the issues, but he struggles with conceptualizing policy, like Warren does. He seems to lack the passion that many of his competitors demonstrate.

Need to drop immediately:

Michael Bennet – Seemed to say stuff, but was just swallowed up.

Eric Swalwell – Not ready for prime time. Hit the Senate and build a name that leads back here in a decade or so.

John Hickenlooper – Seems to want to separate himself from the rest by attacking socialism. He is probably right on a lot of this, but his manner comes across as dismissive of ideas that will drive younger voters to the polls.

Marianne Williamson – What in the hell?!?! I am pretty sure her healthcare plan might have something to do with Goop.

Andrew Yang – I am pretty sure he went to the restroom at one point during this debate. His defense of UBI was pitiful. Just not ready for prime time.

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Democratic debate – Night 1

Candidates in order of performance.
Top tier:
Warren
Booker
De Blasio (kind of a shocker)

On the bubble:
Castro – looked like the over-prepared debate student. Tried too hard and did not come across confident.
O’Rourke – the Spanish was weird and he seemed almost indifferent at times.
Klobuchar – Surprisingly nervous
Gabbard – She did slightly better than I thought, but she has a very tough row to hoe. She will likely drop before the next debate.

Need to drop immediately:
Inslee – there is such a thing as too intense.
Delaney – Nothing worthwhile here at all
Ryan – Seemed overwhelmed

It worked well for Warren and Booker. They got to showcase their strengths.

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Criteria for judging our political candidates

What should be used to judge a political candidate?

Age

Gender

Race

Religion

Sexual orientation

Evangelical nature

Political Experience

State of residence – relevant to electoral votes

Birth state

Current position- relative to loss of a seat

Family

Policy positions

  • Foreign Policy
  • Education
  • Economy
  • Environment
  • Social programs
  • Justice

Political demeanor – Liberal – Conservative

Candidacy kickoff

Donor count

Fundraising

Debate performance