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Archive for the ‘Trump, Donald’ Category
Man against machine … Man wins !
November 9, 2016NY Times: FBI clears Trump of Russian ties …
November 1, 2016… and, says Russian hacking intended to disrupt election, not boost Trump
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Trying to shift attention off Weiner’s email stash, Team Clinton started flashing the Russian shiny object yesterday:
You know, Trump and Putin are in collusion.
Well, even the Dem newspaper of record – the NY Times – concedes that there’s no “there” there.
Here’s the relevant snippet from the Times article …
Psst: Did you catch what Trump said about Amazon?
October 27, 2016During the preamble to his Gettysburg Address …
Trump lashed out at his “accusers” and said he was going to sue them.
Said he’ wouldn’t allow the AT&T – Time Warner deal to get approved … because of a concentration of power.
Of course, his opposition was not because CNN is a part of the deal.
I haven’t seen press mentions of a 3rd Trump lash out …
Game on: Debate shines a light on another disgusting tape.
October 10, 2016This one has been hiding in plain sight for a long time.
I’d been wondering why this tape has largely gone unnoticed by folks.
Maybe, because it’s damning to Hillary, not Donald?
Well, it’s likely to get noticed now.
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In one of his tirades about Clintonian women abuse, Trump landed a body blow:
“One of the women, who is a wonderful woman, at 12 years old, was raped at 12,” Trump said. “Her client she (Clinton) represented got him off, and she’s heard laughing (on tape) on two separate occasions, laughing at the girl who was raped.”
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According to the Washington Post …
The attack on Clinton has less to do with the fact that she defended an accused rapist and more to do with how she did it and what she said about the case later
Specifically, it focuses on her efforts to attack the girl’s credibility and allegations that she spoke callously about getting the man a reduced charge, despite appearing to suggest he had been guilty.
The attack plays into twin allegations about Clinton’s character:
1) That she lacks a moral compass and will do whatever is advantageous to her, and
2) That she’s a hypocrite who says one thing today about sexual assault but did the opposite decades ago.
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Here are few more snippets from the Washington Post’s recap of the story …
NY Times Bombshell: Trump had a tax loss carryforward … disqualifying?
October 3, 2016P.S. Hillary had one, too (but the NYT missed that one).
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This would be laughable except it will probably gain more traction with the MSM than Miss Piggy.
Here’s the “smoking gun”:
The New York Times obtained records from 1995 showing that Donald J. Trump declared a $916 million loss.
The figure is so substantial that it could have allowed him to legally avoid paying federal income tax for 18 years.
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Let’s unpack this journalistic gem …
Stop saying “Don’t grade Trump on a curve”
September 29, 2016My objection is technical, not political,
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The phrase “don’t grade him on a curve” has now eclipsed “It’s not who we are” as my absolute least favorite.
Folks who are saying it (think, Clinton supporters) are inadvertently flaunting their ignorance (which makes for great irony).
Speaking as a card-carrying academic, my objection is strictly technical.
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Let’s get basic. What does it mean to grade on a curve?
“I ain’t going down no more”
September 28, 2016Now, will Trump draw inspiration from Rocky?
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The debate reminded me of the classic clip from the first Rocky movie.
In the flick, Apollo Creed –- fighting within the Marquess of Queensberry Rules — was pummeling Rocky … round after round after round.
With little time left in the fight, Rocky uttered those memorable words:
“I ain’t going down no more”
Then, he came out of his corner like a bull and changed the trajectory of the fight.
click to view the memorable clip <= worth watching
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My view:
Clinton pummeled Trump, but she didn’t knock him out.
Trump landed a few strong punches.
Trump lives to fight another a day.
He’s a fighter.
Let’s see if Trump pulls a Rocky.
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P.S. I recollect that Rocky won the re-match and took Creed’s title … hmmm.
click to view the memorable clip
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Update: Visceral vs. cerebral … who won the debate?
September 27, 2016More overnite numbers ….
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Great recap in the Daily Mail … worth browsing – lots of polls.
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Left-leaning pundits — especially Hillary’s surrogates — are apoplectic on TV today.
“Is the American electorate that stupid?”
Which is worse, stupid or irredeemably deplorable?
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Great tweet from Michael Moore to his left-leaning pals:
This is way more fun than I expected I to be
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Here’s the original post from this morning … just in case you missed it.
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First, my overall take:
Hillary was very well prepped, got all of her talking points in and stayed on offense.
Trump wasted too much time defending himself, didn’t hammer the email scandal and didn’t even raise pay-to-play, Benghazi or “deplorables”.
Holt nibbled at Trump all night, but gave Trump the most important gift: making the first 15 minutes about the economy.
Takeaway from that segment – which pundits pre-argued would be determining – was that Trump will be aggressive on saving jobs and Clinton will create tax payer funded green energy jobs.
Advantage: Trump.
Clinton’s biggest score (with a boost from Holt): birther issue “proves” that Trump is a racist.
Trump’s biggest scores: “why haven’t you done any of this in the past 30 years?” and firmly headlined “law & order”.
Both demonstrated why they’re the most disliked candidates ever.
OK, now for the numbers which, frankly, surprised me ….
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From left to right:
Time scored it a 50-50 draw.
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CBS scores it Trump 76%, Clinton 24%
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CNBC scores it 61 to 39 Trump.
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And, far right-leaning Drudge has it Trump 80, Clinton 20
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Team Clinton must be pulling their hair out this morning.
There isn’t much else that Hillary could have done – she was locked & loaded.
Maybe there’s something in her message … or her character … or that smirky “I’m smarter than you” smile that she kept flashing.
Bottom line: Pundits will dismiss the internet polls and score it heavily for Hillary … but Donald gets to crow about the overnite results and lives to fight another day.
My question: what ammo does Hillary have left for the next debate?
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P.S. Yesterday’s post is worth re-reading:
Trump: Inspired by the 1972 Cuban Olympic boxing team?
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Visceral vs. cerebral … who won the debate?
September 27, 2016Here are the overnite numbers ….
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First, my overall take:
Hillary was very well prepped, got all of her talking points in and stayed on offense.
Trump wasted too much time defending himself, didn’t hammer the email scandal and didn’t even raise pay-to-play, Benghazi or “deplorables”.
Holt nibbled at Trump all night, but gave Trump the most important gift: making the first 15 minutes about the economy.
Takeaway from that segment – which pundits pre-argued would be determining – was that Trump will be aggressive on saving jobs and Clinton will create tax payer funded green energy jobs.
Advantage: Trump.
Clinton’s biggest score (with a boost from Holt): birther issue “proves” that Trump is a racist.
Trump’s biggest scores: “why haven’t you done any of this in the past 30 years?” and firmly headlined “law & order”.
Both demonstrated why they’re the most disliked candidates ever.
OK, now for the numbers which, frankly, surprised me ….
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From left to right:
Time scored it a 50-50 draw.
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CBS scores it Trump 76%, Clinton 24%
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CNBC scores it 61 to 39 Trump.
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And, far right-leaning Drudge has it Trump 80, Clinton 20
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Team Clinton must be pulling their hair out this morning.
There isn’t much else that Hillary could have done – she was locked & loaded.
Maybe there’s something in her message … or her character … or that smirky “I’m smarter than you” smile that she kept flashing.
Bottom line: Pundits will dismiss the internet polls and score it heavily for Hillary … but Donald gets to crow about the overnite results and lives to fight another day.
My question: what ammo does Hillary have left for the next debate?
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P.S. Yesterday’s post is worth re-reading:
Trump: Inspired by the 1972 Cuban Olympic boxing team?
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Trump: Inspired by the 1972 Cuban Olympic boxing team?
September 26, 2016Since the 1st presidential debate is tonite, I thought it would be timely to reprise a post from a couple of months ago.
Read it … and keep it in mind when the contenders spar tonite.
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Many of you may be too young to have witnessed and remember, but…
In the 1972 Olympics, the polished U.S. boxing team was predicted to sweep the competition.
But, something happened on the way to the medals’ platform that shocked the sporting world.
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Here’s the story and why Trump jogged my memory of the 1972 Olympics …
Trumpspeak: It’s all about the way he talks …
September 23, 2016Since the debate is coming up, it’s time to pull from the archives ….
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Great piece in the Washington Post by Barton Swaim author of “The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics.”
His basic conclusion: “The most distinctive about Trump … is the structure of his language.”
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Swain says that Trump — nnlike most politicians –doesn’t speak in political rhetoric; he speaks in punchlines – short jabs, not convoluted passages.
Hillary Clinton: fashion icon … say, what?
September 19, 2016An article in this weekend’s Washington Post made me belly-laugh …. and gives me a chance to dig a tidbit out of the archives.
Here’s the headline:
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According to WaPo:
The Democratic presidential nominee is, by no means, the typical fashion icon, not in the manner of an actress, a musician or even First Lady Michelle Obama.
But it is hard to deny her influence, whether direct or indirect — on so many designers.
Really?
Reminded me of a post by Scott Adams — Dilbert’s author — on his Dilbert blog
But he told Howard Stern …
September 9, 2016One of the sillier aspects of the campaign is Clinton trying to neutralize her yes vote for the Iraq War by using the schoolyard tactic: “Well, he did it first.”
Her evidence: “Trump told Howard Stern …”
Say, what?
And, the MSM is running with the gotcha as a headline story:
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Just for the entertainment value, let’s unpack this story …
Trump needs a debate coach …
August 31, 2016My nomination: Dennis Miller.
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NY Times ran a piece contrasting Donald’s and Hillary’s debate prep:
Hillary Clinton Piles Up Research in Bid to Needle Donald Trump at First Debate
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Predictably, the Times slams Trump for a refusal to wade through policy books or practice mock debates.
Hillary, though, is disciplined, studious and advice-seeking.
She’s consulting with psychologists “preparing ways for her to unnerve Mr. Trump and provoke him to rant and rave.”
They conclude that Trump’s hot buttons are: his intellect, his net worth and his image as a successful businessman.
Easy picking, right?
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So, how can Trump possibly win a debate against her?
Isn’t an “exit tax” kinda like a wall?
August 19, 2016Watching the Olympics last night, I was sneak-exposed to a Hillary jobs ad.
The 3 point plan: (1) make everybody pay a fair share – where, of course, ‘everybody’ is shorthand for ‘somebody who is not you, so cheer’ (2) ‘invest’ in infrastructure – where ‘invest’ means overspend on poorly managed government projects using Cadillac-planned union workers and (3) institute an “exit tax” to keep companies from leaving the U.S.
It was the exit tax that caught my eye … partially due to the ads placement in the Olympics and because Trump gave his economic speech a few hours earlier.
Here’s why …
Is Trump dumb as skunk … sly as a fox?
August 12, 2016Checking today’s polls …
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This week, Trump gave a pretty good speech on his economic plan (<= my opinion) … and a mellow, favorably-reviewed speech to a homebuilders trade association.
But, he got blasted in the mainstream media for rallying 2nd amendment supporters (“obviously inciting violence against Hillary”) … and for referring to Obama & Clinton as founders of ISIS (since BHO pulled ALL troops from Iraq – leaving a hole that ISIS filled).
Here’s the ironic twist:
Trump started the week down 7.7 points on the RCP poll-of-polls.
Today, he’s down 6.3 … still a big number, but 1.4 better than the week started.
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Of course, there were other forces at work: the typical dissipation of Hillary’s post-convention bounce … and, oh yeah, the email – Clinton Foundation thing … she got caught with her hand in the cooking jar again.
Still, I wonder: was it the mainstream media that took the bait this time?
Blasting Trump, they spotlighted terror and gun rights … two of Trump’s strong suits.
Hmmm.
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How many people watched the convention speeches?
August 11, 2016It’s no secret that only about half of the U.S. Voting Age Population (VAP) turns out to vote … and that the vast the majority of Americans are poorly (or narrowly) informed on political issues.
These days, pollsters are saying that a high percentage of Americans have a high level of interest in the 2016 Presidential race.
I got into a friendly debate re: whether “interest” is a valid proxy measure for “informed”.
My POV: nope.
For example, how many people were interested enough to watch the Trump & Clinton acceptance speeches at their conventions?
Here’s the answer …
Is America becoming an “kakistocracy”?
August 9, 2016Brutal op piece by Peggy Nooman in the WSJ last Friday.
The title tells most of the story: “The Week They Decided Donald Trump Was Crazy”.
The evidence: his taking the Khan bait and dissing Ryan and McCain.
“People started to become convinced he was nuts, a total flake.”
That’s all that most folks will take from the article.
But, there was an important twist that most folks will miss or dismiss.
WashPost deals Trump a turnaround card …
August 8, 2016I can’t believe my eyes.
I’ve oft opined that the Washington Post is most biased of the Clinton-supportive print media.
Stories of the Post’s 30-person Trump attack team are widespread and not denied by the paper.
So, imagine my surprise when I saw the headline:
The article is a thorough investigative story — not an opinion piece.
Here’s the short version of the story …
Reuters: Trump still has a pulse …
August 7, 2016OK, let’s start with the obvious: Trump had a very, very bad week … and, if I were Trump, I’d rather have Clinton’s poll results than Trump’s.
But, Trump’s campaign obit may be a bit premature.
At least one poll’s results suggest that Donald may still have a pulse.
The Reuters / IPSO poll shows a typical dissipation of Hillary’s post-convention bounce … and a statistically significant bounceback for the Donald … narrowing Clinton’s advantage to only 2.4 percentage points … within the margin of error.
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Clintonites surely consider the results to be simply an outlier.
For Trumpsters, it’s a ray of hope.
Which is it?
Here are some factors to consider …
Trump : “Data analytics is overrated” … could he be right?
August 2, 2016Last week, the WSJ ran an opinion piece: Trump’s Big Data Gamble.
The punch line: “While Donald tweets to the masses, Hillary will be precisely targeting persuadable voters.”
Advantage Hillary, right?
Maybe. Maybe not.
In an AP interview, Trump said that he “always thought that it (meaning data analytics) was overrated” and, accordingly, he’ll spend limited money on data operations to identify and track potential voters and to model various turnout scenarios that could give him the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.
He’s moving away from the model Obama used successfully in his 2008 and 2012 wins, and the one that likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is trying to replicate, including hiring many of the staff that worked for Obama in his “Victory Lab”.
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A data-light strategy may sound very old-school in the era of big data … especially coming from Trump …. but it reminded me of an opinion piece that Peggy Noonan wrote in the WSJ soon after Obama’s 2012 election win.
Noonan had a riff about predictive analytics that caught my eye.
It pointed out one of the downsides of predictive analytics … the craft of crunching big data bases to ID people, their behaviors and their hot buttons.
Here’s what Noonan had to say …
How to sway the “none-of-the-above” voters …
August 1, 2016According to pollster Frank Luntz …
“It’s not the low-information “undecideds” who will determine the election, it’s the “none-of-the-above voter” … who knows lot about both candidates and doesn’t like either one.”
These folks have deeply held opinions about what they want and expect from the next President.
“They can’t stomach the choice between “crude” and “corrupt” … a decision with no good outcome.”
Luntz concludes that these none-of-the-above voters have eight core hot buttons …
Trump Bump: 10 pt. swing in CNN poll … leads by 3
July 25, 2016
Ivanka: Champion for working women … especially mothers.
July 22, 2016“As the mother of 3 children, I know that all working mothers should have access to affordable childcare. I will be their voice.”
More notable snippets:
Pence: “You can’t fake good kids” …
July 22, 2016
Trumpspeak: It’s all about the way he talks …
July 22, 2016Trump’s speech last night had some clear takeaways: (1) law & order (2) anti-terrorism (3) outreach to both LGBTQs and Evangelicals (4) dignity and economic hope for the working class.
The speech was civilized .. which was probably disappointing those folks who were rooting for a crash & burn.
My opinion: he came across as a credible “blue-collar billionaire” … has genuine empathy for the working class …. still, a bit rough around the edges.
Breaking: CNN “snap poll” reports that 74% of viewers had a favorable reaction to Trump’s speech.
The speech reminded me of a great piece in the Washington Post by Barton Swaim author of “The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics.”
His basic conclusion: “The most distinctive about Trump … is the structure of his language.”
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Swain says that Trump — nnlike most politicians –doesn’t speak in political rhetoric; he speaks in punchlines – short jabs, not convoluted passages.
2016: Revenge of the unintelligensia?
July 20, 2016Will “uneducated” voters determine the 2016 Presidential election?
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The most recent Washington Post poll – showing Hillary leading Donald by a couple of points — provides some very interesting drill down data … it’s worth some browsing time.
Buried in the numbers is some interesting data…..
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MSM headlines frequently stereotype Trump’s supporters as non-college degreed whites … and often, the label is shorthanded as a more pejorative “uneducated”, i.e. mind-numbed dummies.
According to the WaPo poll, it’s true that Trump is favored by “white non-college” almost 2-to-1 … 60% to 33%
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No surprise there …
But, here are some findings that did surprise me a bit since they never gets spotlighted in the mainstream media…
Trump’s Wealth: Fact-checking the fact-checkers …
July 19, 2016Bottom line: The “fact-checkers” get 4 Pinocchios … based on their “facts” and some simple arithmetic.
Chatting with one of my liberal friends over the weekend (<= note that I didn’t say “My one liberal friend”), he dished the Dem talking point that Trump is not an accomplished business man … he could have grown his wealth more by simply investing in an S&P index fund.
Really?
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Let’s pull some “facts” from the liberal “fact-checkers” (WaPo and Tampa Bay Times) and do some simple math…
Brexit in 2 charts …
June 24, 2016For sure, yesterday’s vote in the UK to leave the EU was a jolt to the Establishment – the world financiers, political elites and open border aficionados.
Cutting to the chase, the vote of the people appears to have swung on one issue: immigration.
According to Bloomberg, immigration surpassed the economy as voters’ major concern.
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And, since immigration into the UK is now essentially regulated (or unregulated) by EU whims, 75% of voters with immigration concerns logically opted to to pull the “Leave” lever.
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My take: Some implications for the U.S. election…
Obviously, the Establishment lost … and immigration emerged as a determining issue.
Hmmm …
The world economy is likely to take a short-term hit …. with some derived damage to the already weakening US economy … during the run-up to the election.
Double hmmm.
Imagine: what if Donald J. stops saying dumb stuff …
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Trump : “Data analytics is overrated” … could he be right?
May 19, 2016In an AP interview, Trump said that he “always thought that it (meaning data analytics) was overrated” and, accordingly, he’ll spend limited money on data operations to identify and track potential voters and to model various turnout scenarios that could give him the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency.
He’s moving away from the model Obama used successfully in his 2008 and 2012 wins, and the one that likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is trying to replicate, including hiring many of the staff that worked for Obama in his “Victory Lab”.
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A data-light strategy may sound very old-school in the era of big data … especially coming from Trump …. but it reminded me of an opinion piece that Peggy Noonan wrote in the WSJ soon after Obama’s 2012 election win.
Noonan had a riff about predictive analytics that caught my eye.
It pointed out one of the downsides of predictive analytics … the craft of crunching big data bases to ID people, their behaviors and their hot buttons.
Here’s what Noonan had to say …
Dilbert asks: “Who wants a dangerous man in the White House?”
May 16, 2016Well, not actually Dilbert … rather Dilbert’s author Scott Adams.
On his Dilbert blog, Adams took aim at the current Presidential campaign …
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First, Hillary’s constant refrain that we can’t have a loose cannon in the White House.
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Adam’s observation on “Dangerous Trump”:
Trump’s opponents have started making the case that he is “a loose cannon” … a “dangerous man”
You know who likes dangerous men?
Answer: Everyone.
Seal Team Six is dangerous. George Washington was dangerous. Abraham Lincoln was dangerous. Women like dangerous men. Men want to be dangerous men.
“Dangerous” borders on being a compliment. When you need to thwart some enemies – such as a useless Congress, or ISIS – you want to send in your most dangerous fighter.
From other commentators:
(1) “Every other country with nukes has a wacko with his finger on the button. Why shouldn’t the U.S. — just to keep things even”.
(2) “Girls like bad boys, right? Maybe this will fix Trump’s polling with women.”
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Here are a couple more of Adam’s quips …
John Miller for President !
May 15, 2016Busted: WaPo sleuths drop Trump bombshell
… outs him for posing as “John Miller”
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Last week, the Jeff Bezos owned Washington Post announced that it was dedicating a team of 20 “journalists” to dig dirt on Donald Trump.
Already, the commitment to truth-and-justice has hit paydirt.
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What Bezos’ Ninja investigators found may – in the words of some mainstream media echoheads — “spell the end of the Trump Presidential run”.
Here’s the scoop …
Is “Make America Great Again” trademarked?
May 10, 2016You bet “Make America Great Again” is trademarked.
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And, no surprise, the trademark registration reads …
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OK, that’s to be expected.
But, here are a couple of wrinkles that may surprise you …
Michael Goodwin: It’s time for Trump …
March 22, 2016Michael Goodwin is a NY Post writer … says that he’s a Democrat who voted for Obama in 2008.
Over the weekend, he wrote an editorial titled Why it’s time for a Trump revolution .
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I think that Goodwin does a poignant job cutting to the chase.
His basic tenet: “Contempt for Trump reflects contempt for his working-class white support.”
Huff Post: How Paul Ryan Will Pick the Next President.
March 21, 2016Over the weekend, the Huffington Post ran an article: How Paul Ryan Will Pick the Next President.
Writers Chris LaTondresse and Adam Phillips claim credit for conceiving a scenario that would place an establishment Republican into the White House even if Trump is the GOP nominee.
Sorry guys, you’re a bout a month late.
Loyal HomaFiles reader would recognize the plot from our Feb. 29 post:
The GOP can still get a “true” Republican elected … here’s how.
Since it’s timely (and getting jacked without attribution), I thought I’d reprise it today.
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Let’s start with some basic assumptions:
(1) Trump hijacks the GOP and wins the nomination … much to the dismay of the GOP “establishment”.
(2) Trump and Hillary fight a tightly contested toss-up race.
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So, how can the establishment get a “true” – or at least “truer” Republican elected.
It wouldn’t be easy, but it’s possible.
Let’s connect a couple of dots.
Dot #1: Politico is reporting that some big GOP donors are researching ballot-access requirements for independent candidates in case Trump wraps up the GOP nomination.
Dot #2: The electoral map and the quirks of the electoral college process.
There’s an out-of-the box way to make a “true” Republican president … really.
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You won’t hear this any place else, so let me explain …
Trump’s appeal among the “precariat”…
March 18, 2016From a very interesting election analysis in the Orange County Register by Joel Kotkin – Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University …
Disclaimer: I’m not a Trump fan because of his incivility (bad role model for kids), unpredictability (I have no idea where he really stands on any issue except “the wall” – and I’m betting the under on that one), and temperament (though I wonder why the U.S. should be the only country that doesn’t have a wild man with their finger on the nuclear button – why not round out the roster?).
That said, I’ll fill in his circle on the scantron ballot if it’s Trump vs. Hillary in Novemeber.
Why?
I have much sympathy for his constituency of victims: lower and middle class working class folks … with emphasis on “working”.
You know, the folks that the press likes to brutally characterize as “brain dead, mindless zombies”.
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In his article, Mr. Kotkin more charitably coins them as the “precariat” — people who are working, many part time or on short-term gigs, but lacking long-term security.
Mar-a-Lago: Here’s a grand irony for you …
March 16, 2016NY Times decided to take a shot at Trump’s opulence in a piece titled: A King in His Castle
Here’s an excerpt to set the context …
Everything seemed to sparkle at the Mar-a-Lago estate here on a recent afternoon.
The sun glinted off the pool and the black Secret Service S.U.V.s in the circular driveway.
Palm trees rustled in a warm breeze, croquet balls clicked and a security guard stood at the entrance to Donald J. Trump’s private living quarters.
You can always tell when the king is here.
Mar-a-Lago is where Mr. Trump comes to escape, entertain and luxuriate in a Mediterranean-style manse.
The king was returning that day to his Versailles, a 118-room snowbird’s paradise that will become a winter White House if he is elected president.
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Mar-a-Lago was built 90 years ago by the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.
Here’s where the grand irony comes in …
Trump: “Christie is a complete tool”
March 3, 2016OK, he didn’t really say it … but, he might as well have.
Granted, it was a masterful coup by the Donald.
Little Marco made him squirm during the debate.
12 hours later, Trump takes all of the wind out of Rubio’s sail by rolling out (<= pun intended) Gov. Christie with an endorsement.
A clever play by Trump … a moment of reclamation for Christie?
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Err, not so fast …
Did you notice how quickly Christie got banished … by Trump … by the media … and by his now-former supporters?
It’s hard to stop bullying if the bullies keep winning …
March 2, 2016Years ago, my sons’ high school headmaster (aka. “principal”) launched a program aimed at civility.
He was concerned that kids were becoming disrespectful to adults … and to each other.
Most parents thought the idea was a bit quirky… students had no idea what he was talking about.
The guy eventually got canned when he allowed police into the school to arrest some kids who were peddling drugs … a rather uncivil behavior. (Parents thought that letting police into the school was uncivil …)
My take: the guy was a couple of decades ahead of his time.
Fast forward to today.
As near as I can tell, the anti-bullying campaigns and rhetoric have been largely pushed to the back burner … only being cameoed when there is a teen tragedy directly linked to bullying.
Why is that happening?
Simple.
The bullies keep emerging as winners … and winning beats losing.
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Case in point: Donald J. Trump.
So far, the best line of the campaign …
March 1, 2016When Trump is ridiculing, he’s just mean-spirited.
My beef: he doesn’t make me laugh.
I think the new Marco delivers some pretty funny lines … with great timing and cadence.
Of course, most of his material is cooked up by his writers.
A comedian’s true meddle is tested extemporaneously.
My view: Marco scored in a recent Virginia rally.
A heckler was shouting that Rubio was an empty suit.
“At least it’s not a Trump suit that’s made in China.”
Not bad …
When the heckler continued, Rubio hit him with a haymaker:
“Ladies and gentlemen, meet the valedictorian from Trump University.”
Great line. Great timing.
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Trump’s appeal among the “precariat”…
March 1, 2016From a very interesting election analysis in the Orange County Register by Joel Kotkin – Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University …
Disclaimer: I’m not a Trump fan because of his incivility (bad role model for kids), unpredictability (I have no idea where he really stands on any issue except “the wall” – and I’m betting the under on that one), and temperament (though I wonder why the U.S. should be the only country that doesn’t have a wild man with their finger on the nuclear button – why not round out the roster?).
That said, I’ll fill in his circle on the scantron ballot if it’s Trump vs. Hillary in Novemeber.
Why?
I have much sympathy for his constituency of victims: lower and middle class working class folks … with emphasis on “working”.
You know, the folks that the press likes to brutally characterize as “brain dead, mindless zombies”.
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In his article, Mr. Kotkin more charitably coins them as the “precariat” — people who are working, many part time or on short-term gigs, but lacking long-term security.
The GOP can still get a “true” Republican elected … here’s how.
February 29, 2016Let’s start with some basic assumptions:
(1) Trump hijacks the GOP and wins the nomination … much to the dismay of the GOP “establishment”.
(2) Trump and Hillary fight a tightly contested toss-up race.
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So, how can the establishment get a “true” – or at least “truer” Republican elected.
It wouldn’t be easy, but it’s possible.
Let’s connect a couple of dots.
Dot #1: Politico is reporting that some big GOP donors are researching ballot-access requirements for independent candidates in case Trump wraps up the GOP nomination.
Dot #2: The electoral map and the quirks of the electoral college process.
There’s an out-of-the box way to make a “true” Republican president … really.
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You won’t hear this any place else, so let me explain …
GOP: David vs. Goliath … let the games begin.
February 26, 2016First, the disclaimers: I’m pro-Marco.
I admire Trump’s success (even if he did get an inheritance boost) … I think that he’s entertaining, shallow, and totally unpredictable … I expect him to win the nomination.
That said, if it’s Donald vs. Hillary … he gets my vote … in this case better the devil that I don’t know … at least he offers some prospect of an upside.
But, to be clear, Trump vs. Clinton isn’t what I’m talking about re: David vs. Goliath … that would be Goliath vs. Godzilla.
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I’m talking diminutive Marco vs. gargantuan Donald ….
A couple of post-New Hampshire snapshots…
February 11, 2016Cruz, Bush & Rubio were only separated by about 1 percentage point and each of the 3 walked away with the same number of delegates.
Kamikaze Christie trailed Rubio by more than 3 percentage points and headed back to NJ with no delegates …
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Bernie Sanders shot some hoops before his victory speech.
Whatever Bernie eats, I want some.
That dude has stamina ….
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And, a couple of pics that sum up the final election ….
Trump: “I got shlonged, eh?”
February 2, 2016Ok, he didn;t say it (but he should have).
And, Hillary didn’t say it (but she could have).
And the NY tabloids didn’t say it (a missed opportunity).
The NY Daily News did demonstrate some good old NY values in their headline today:
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And, in my opinion, the NY Post hit the nail on the head:
Couple of quick takes:
Conventional wisdom was that Cruz blew it with his “New York values” remark … especially when Trump cleverly tied it to 9-11.
It wasn’t about 9-11, it was about pushy arrogance … you know, bullying … the “we’re smart, rest of America is dumb” bravado.
Geez, the mainstream media missed that one …. but the dumb folks in Iowa picked up on it.
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Then there’s the sophomoric “born in Canada” rift.
Trump probably figured that slight would work … after all, he killed Bush by simply characterizing him as” low energy’ … being born in Canada has got to be worse than that, right?
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Speaking of Bush … here’s a grand irony.
Trump buried any hopes Jeb had to become President.
So, what does Jeb do?
He spends 10s of millions of dollars trying to scorch Rubio.
What’s the outcome?
Well, the attack ads were probably just enough to keep Marco from beating Trump out for the #2 finish.
If Trump had finished 3rd, it might have been fatal to his “I’m a winner” campaign pitch.
But, as 1st runner-up, he lives to campaign another day.
So, it may turn out that Jeb was a king-maker … with the crown going to his nemesis.
Ironic, right?
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“Authoritarians” for Trump … pssst, that may be you!
January 20, 2016Interesting piece in Politico …
Let’s start with a quick test.
Imagine yourself as a parent.
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Would you prefer that your children be:
- respectful or independent
- obedient or self-reliant
- well-behaved or considerate
- well-mannered or curious
Pick one from each of the above pairs.
Let’s see how ‘authoritarian’ you are …
“It’s just not who we are” … … and other things that I wish politicos would stop saying.
December 15, 2015Trump’s plan to temporarily halt visas for Muslims “until we figure out what’s going on” was met with broad-scale indignation.
To summarize the outcry: “It’s unconstitutional … and, even if it isn’t, it’s just not who we are.”
Oh, really?
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Let’s dive a bit deeper on the constitutionality and the “who we are” arguments …
Trump: Inspired by the 1972 Cuban Olympic boxing team?
December 9, 2015Pundits are struggling to explain Donald Trump’s continued strong — and arguably strengthening — position in the Presidential race.
It’s simple Watson.
Just imagine him as a Cuban boxer.
Many of you may be too young to have witnessed and remember, but…
In the 1972 Olympics, the polished U.S. boxing team was predicted to sweep the competition.
But, something happened on the way to the medals’ platform that shocked the sporting world.
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Here’s the story and why Trump jogged my memory of the 1972 Olympics …
Trumpspeak: It’s all about the way he talks …
September 23, 2015Great piece in the Washington Post by Barton Swaim author of “The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics.”
His basic conclusion: “The most distinctive about Trump … is the structure of his language.”
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Swain says that Trump — nnlike most politicians –doesn’t speak in political rhetoric; he speaks in punchlines – short jabs, not convoluted passages.
Trump: Inspired by the 1972 Cuban Olympic boxing team?
September 16, 2015Since the 2nd GOP presidential debate is tonite, I thought it would be timely to reprise a post from a couple of weeks ago.
Read it, … and keep it in mind when the contenders spar tonite.
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Many of you may be too young to have witnessed and remember, but…
In the 1972 Olympics, the polished U.S. boxing team was predicted to sweep the competition.
But, something happened on the way to the medals’ platform that shocked the sporting world.
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Here’s the story and why Trump jogged my memory of the 1972 Olympics …
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