From Bad to Worse

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This is tricky stuff. The nation is reeling. So I am going to lay down the foundation for this article lest there be any confusion about my intent. I am also going to keep things short and sweet. The more words, the more chance they can be misconstrued.

George Floyd was murdered. The fact that he had a record and was high on fentanyl at the time of his death is irrelevant. He was helpless and he was murdered. I have no doubts whatsoever that those police will be held accountable.

Now for some facts (June 2nd, WSJ-by Heather MacDonald)

–In 2019, police shot 1,004 people, 235 of whom were black.

–In 2018, African Americans were responsible for 53% of the homicides in the US, and committed 60% of the known robberies. (The number of blacks in the US as a percentage of the total population is 13%.)

–In 2019, the police shot 9 unarmed black men and 19 unarmed white men.

–In 2018, there were 7,407 black homicides. The number of black deaths in the hands of police is .01% of all blacks killed that year.

–“A police officer is 18.5 times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.” 18.5 times!

–A study in Philadelphia concluded that black or hispanic officers are far more likely to shoot at African Americans than a white police officer.

–Just last weekend, in Chicago alone, 80 people were shot in drive-by shootings. 21 of them died. Of those, “the victims were overwhelmingly black.”

I could continue ad nauseam. There is no factual base for the claim there is systemic racism in the United States or within its police forces.

The farce is upon us. When the hue and cry from elected officials devolves into “abolish the police,” we have walked away from the sublime and plunged into the surreal. More importantly, when Al Sharpton shows up to rant “Get your knees off our necks!” and suggests that African Americans have had the white man’s knees on their necks for 401 years, and the only reason there are any race related issues in the United States is because of the white man’s refusal to accept the black man as an equal, it’s time to re-evaluate.

George Floyd has become the excuse for the left and the anti-American agitators to press their agendas. The main stream media have been their willing allies. George Floyd is remembered for now, but already forgotten are those who were murdered during the last 10 days of riots, pillaging, destruction of property, and total abandonment of law and order.

99.9% of the police in the US are public servants; they are here to protect and to serve. Enough already. The data does not support this insane charge of racism. If thousands of white people want to get on their knees and apologize to our African American brothers and sisters about this charge of racism, that is their choice. This is (for now, at least) America, and that is their right. It is their way of enacting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. God bless them. But don’t tell me the facts are on their side. They just plain aren’t. This is why things have gone from bad to worse.

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Beneath the Surface

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If one does not know what is happening in the 2020 Presidential race, then perhaps it is best for that person to remain under whatever rock has been providing the shelter from the storm!

Sometimes you need to scratch beneath the surface to see what is actually stirring the passions of the electorate. So today’s piece is about a couple Congressional races worth following; the opposition candidates are both strong Cuban American women. They are attempting to unseat democratic icons; one old, one new.

In Miami, 79 year old Donna Shalala holds the 27th Congressional District seat. You may recall Ms Shalala was, among other things, Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. She is the quintessential swamp liberal. She represents a district that is more than 70% Hispanic, and the majority of those Hispanics are of Cuban origin.

Maria Salazar is running to unseat Ms. Shalala. She should be a shoe-in. Alas, unseating an incumbent democrat with big swamp money behind her is not easy. Maria Salazar is up to the task. To learn more about her, visit her website by clicking here. She is the real deal, and deserves your support.

Maria Salazar is the real deal

Slightly north of Miami there is a race for the seat in the14th Congressional District in NYC. This is a district that is located mostly in the Bronx, with a portion of representation in the Queens. The seat is held by first term Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I have already written enough about this living, breathing, walking disaster. There are 13 people running to unseat her. One candidate stands out. She is Michelle Caruso-Cabrera. You can acquaint yourself with her credentials by clicking here.

The citizens of NYC can help themselves by lining up behind Michelle Caruso-Cabrera

These ladies have much in common. They:

–are self made,

–had successful careers in television journalism,

–believe in capitalism and free enterprise,

–care deeply about the districts they hope to represent,

–have parents or grandparents that came from Cuba and fled the oppressive, totalitarian socialist hell-hole it had become.

I hope the constituents in Florida’s 27th and those in New York’s 14th districts will take the time to differentiate between, on one hand, an old, entitled candidate of the swamp (Ms. Shalala) and on the other, the upstart, power hungry, blindly ambitious socialist, AOC. Candidates Salazar and Caruso-Cabrera are great aspiring public servants.

On a lighter note, this morning on CNBC, former Vice President Joe Biden announced that he was absolutely “prepared to beat Joe Biden.” I kid you not. Click here for your morning amusement.

Onward and Upward, folks

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BINGO!

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No blog today. Just watch this video and let me now your thoughts. I post this because I think Congressman Crenshaw has done the best job yet of putting the last 3 months into perspective. All these nattering nabobs of negativism have been purveying their daily doses of vitriol and misleading millions of Americans. I wish everyone in the United States would spend a few minutes watching this. Click here.

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Endless Vitriol

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Happy Easter folks!

America is shut down, nerves are on edge, and the future is as uncertain as it has been for decades. Let’s face it. This is hardship for millions of our fellow citizens. No, it isn’t war in the traditional sense of the word. We aren’t packing our boys and girls off in ships and planes and sending them to God knows where to protect and preserve life, liberty, justice, and the American way. But this insidious virus does threaten our existence, and gives our enemies (within and beyond our borders) an opportunity to kick us when we are down.

I count myself amongst the many trying to figure out when the chickens come home to roost on an economy funded by printed money. No gold standard, no nothing; just faith in good ole Uncle Sam, and some modicum of comfort in the fact that he is still the safest bet in the world. But what a house of cards! As for printing money, it worked really well for the Weimar Republic, right?

It is hard not to mention the President in anything I write. And at the risk of one of you saying “Pierce, enough already! We know you don’t like the man!”, I feel compelled to preface my remarks with this statement. “I do not like the man!” But I digress..

The left wing media is behaving more appallingly than ever. Now that is saying something! Nary a day goes by when President Trump isn’t blamed for botching the response to COVID-19. This is ridiculous, and the vast majority of the negative press is simply not true. There are particles of truth; enough for the reporter to hide behind, but the bigger point is that it is all mindless poppycock.

Did the President grandstand too long and not take COVID-19 seriously enough? Maybe. But starting in late January, when he restricted incoming travel from China, the administration started to pull together, and since then, notwithstanding some of his bravado and obnoxious rhetoric, he has listened to the experts and followed their advice. And by the way, those who are criticizing him for talking about getting our country re-opened for business must be either ga-ga or AOC supporters. It’s the President’s job to rally the troops and provide hope. He is doing exactly what he should be doing.

Now as to blame for not being prepared, all this bumph about the Trump administration slashing the budget for pandemic response, and this entire problem being one of Trump’s creation, good Lord, give me a break. Two things-

  1. The government spends too much money it doesn’t have. The President’s budgets have been way too big. Part of what his team did is consolidate different arms of the government and eliminate waste. That is their job. They had 8 years of Obama excess to reign in.
  2. The loss of focus on pandemics started after George W Bush left office. Few people know that he was “all over” this topic. Watch this brief video to refresh your memories. Click here.

In a couple days, I think the President will outline a plan to start opening the United States back up for business. I hope the plan will be a measured one, and guided by our experts. This much I do know; he is absolutely right when he says the cure cannot do more damage than the cause. There is a fine line. It is a balancing act, and we should all pray we get it right. Americans need to go back to work. And in the meantime, all this vitriol needs to go back under the slimy rocks from which it came. It serves no purpose. It is painfully biased. In short, my message to all the haters is simple: shut up and spend your energy doing something good for your country. Your whining is annoying and tiresome. Go find something good to write about and lift people’s spirits. How’s that for an idea?

I think we all know that one way or another the 2020 presidential election will hinge on how people are feeling about their economic well being in the 4th quarter of this year. If the Democrats had a message and a candidate, I would be worried. Well, actually, I am worried. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out whether Veep Biden is actually playing with a full deck. The misstatements and occasionally bizarre comments must have democrat leadership literally freaking out. This video clip is just one of many from the past week that I could have chosen. Click here to watch.

I mean, a video is worth a thousand words. Once again, Happy Easter!

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Trumperona Virus

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Oh, some of you are going to go after me for this one. There are a few things I need to cover.

–The ruckus over naming the origin of COVID-19 is so utterly predictable. A viral agent born of circumstances in Wuhan Province in China, and hidden by the Chinese Government for months (our experts were not allowed in the Country to assist and understand the issues at hand) is referred to as the “Chinese Flu” by President Trump. The main stream media is up in arms. Calling this bear of a flu the “Chinese Flu” is RACIST”! Check out this brief exchange between the President and a member of the White House Press Corps. Click here. You see, sorry, but he’s right. Now, go ahead. Fire away. I think his utterly Trumpian response speaks for itself, and as ungodly as it seems, he is right.

–This virus sucks. I take it personally, as I am smack dab in the exposed zone. I also marvel at the lack of data available to the general public. I could drag this blog on for pages with the information I have gleaned. Big deal. The best experts in the world cannot agree on whether the virus thrives only in colder climates, or whether humidity is a factor. No one knows whether we are pulling ourselves out of the dustbin of viral mania in a month or 6 months. There are odds, and there are theories. No one knows.

–We do know that clean hands and social distance matter. For the love of God folks, pay attention to that!

–Our US economy will be crushed. This is going to be a horrible year. Sorry, my friends, but for those of you existing outside the US, if our economy tanks, that doesn’t bode well for you. That also sucks, but the die is cast. Those of us living in oil dependent economies will feel the pain even more. 

–Now enter the conspiracy folks. Soooo, are China and Russia (implicitly, if not more overtly) playing the end game here? Does China give a flip if it takes a short term hit? Historically and culturally, the answer is “no”. In Russia, Putin remains committed to returning to yesteryear’s glory. He will endure short term pain to kill off the private sector driven Permian Basin. So really, is it crazy to ponder whether the Chinese government thinks rather highly of this C-Virus moment? The US economy is bering crushed. Ummmmm……

–Is it possible that the Chinese and Russians have decided perhaps Mr. Trump is not the patsy they had anticipated? Could forces be at work to ensure a Joe Biden victory? You tell me.

–What role has the main stream media (and for once, if not belatedly, I include Fox News in this category) played in “disinforming” on this issue? Well, Vogue, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and others bear responsibility for stirring the proverbial Trump pot so fast and furiously that they have lost sight of the target; namely, to help us reduce the threat of this scourge. Their reporting has been biased and non-fact based. They hate the President, They will stop at nothing to derail his re-election campaign. But to the point, yes, a very strong argument could be made that we were late to prepare for testing. But this argument cannot be made in isolation. One must not lose sight of the fact that this event was covered up for nearly two months. While on the introspection train, let’s also not forget that on January 31, the President imposed travel restrictions for passengers incoming from China. The hue and cry from the left was “RACISM!’

–Poppycock! Thank goodness he took early action. There were still hundreds of thousands who entered in December and January, but that is beyond anyone’s control. I posit for your consideration that he acted faster than any democrat President would have done.

–Is this much ado about nothing? No, it is not. The worst has yet to manifest itself in the US. Anyone over 60 thinks about it every day. Believe me.

–The media hysteria has helped roil the markets. Anyone involved in the equity investments has felt the pain. People are worth 40% less than they were two weeks ago. That hurts. That matters. For those younger followers, this means the same people who are most exposed to COVID-19 are also most sensitive to retirement savings; not a comfortable feeling.

We will survive. We shall endure. But this one is tough. The world order since WWII is being ripped asunder. The threats used to be purely foreign. Now they are as strong within the halls of Congress as they are overseas. It’s mind boggling. It’s absurd. But it is real. No matter what happens between now and November, please think long and hard about what a vote for the left will do to exacerbate this madness. 

Let free markets reign-yes, Trump lovers and haters, I appreciate the irony.  Let freedom ring. 

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The Astros, Trump, and the Media

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Many readers around the country are looking at this blog title, gleefully rubbing their hands together, and thinking ” ahhhh, he’s finally going to tell it like it is.” Well, I am, but I’m afraid it won’t be what you hand-wringers want to hear.

So let’s cut to the chase with today’s pontification. Certain players and a bench coach did some stupid things in 2017. They used a home field technological edge and communicated forthcoming pitches via a most primitive means; a trash can. The manager expressed his displeasure, but did not flat-out stop the chicanery. I have no doubt that the manager rues his having looked the other way and not having taken a stronger position.

But folks, the hue and cry from the latter day saints of the media is outrageous and overblown. And therein lies the connection to President Trump. The sports media is fueling a feeding frenzy comparable to MSNBC’s daily treatment of President Trump. To be clear, that isn’t what an objective reporter would want said about his or her work!

Let’s put a few completely unfounded rumors to rest:

–MLB commissioned a detailed, exhaustive review of the alleged “cheating” perpetrated by the Astros. The unequivocal conclusion was that the Astros did indeed use technology to steal signs during various home games during the 2017 season. There is no evidence that this behavior continued beyond the 2017 season. The ongoing media swarm around the rumor hive buzzing about body beepers in 2019 is irresponsible, uncorroborated, and downright lazy journalism. 

–The hue and cry to strip the Astros of their title is growing. (That will not happen, nor should it.) The Astros won 53 games on the road, and 48 at home. The Astros were the best team in baseball. Full stop. Yankees and Red Sox players and fans, get over it. The Astros were the better team. There is not a scintilla of evidence that all the garbage can banging in the world would have changed the outcome of the 2017 baseball season.

–The nattering nabobs have gone as far as to suggest that the 2017 American League MVP should have his crown stripped. Jose Altuve batted .381 on the road, and .311 at home. Jose Altuve has taken the high road and not discussed his role in the 2017 debacle. I say “high road” because it has become abundantly clear that Jose Altuve wanted no part of the can banging scheme, and he made his feelings perfectly clear to his teammates. Ditto for Josh Reddick and (then) rookie Tony Kemp. 

The Astros have paid the price, and are well aware that they will be soundly booed in every stadium they visit this season. It will be a long, painful slog. 

Then there is President Trump. Whereas I very much like my Astros, I continue to find almost nothing to like about President Trump. But my position has not changed. This man and his administration are doing good things for our country. 

The democrats proved nothing during the farce of an impeachment trial. They confirmed what every rational American knows. The President is more than flummoxed by the lack of attention given to the Clinton campaign’s funding of the Steele dossier, and by alleged misdeeds by the Bidens in the Ukraine. The President is mystified by the media’s double standards. He sees a world in which the democrats get a free pass, and he is investigated for breathing. In this context, did he cross a line asking a newly elected Ukraine president to investigate the Bidens? Well, to the extent that former Veep Joe Biden is a competitor in the 2020 election, one can definitely make the case that a line was crossed. But there is not one iota of evidence that the President ever told the Ukraine aid would be withheld until an investigation was conducted. The entire democrat case was a shambles; nothing more than rhetorical poppycock. A line was crossed, but that line came nowhere close to a high crime or misdemeanor necessary for removing a President from office. 

If one only relied on the mainstream media for access to the news, one would likely have drawn a different conclusion. I can see where an American relying on the main stream media to report the news could conclude that President Trump broke laws, is a tyrant, and the GOP hit rock bottom by refusing to convict him. Further, through his deregulation, he is apparently raping American lands, feathering the pockets of big business, enriching himself, and crushing the “little guy”. Sounds horrible, right? Alas, it just isn’t happening. The facts speak for themselves, and the facts drive the democrats crazy. Unemployment is at an all time low. The average middle class family now makes $5,000 more than it did at the end of the Obama reign. Minority joblessness is down more than 25%. There is once again a sense of hope.

So let’s tie it all together, shall we? Some members of the 2017 Astros squad made stupid mistakes in 2017. They have (and will continue to) paid the price. President Trump probably crossed a line in his call with the Ukraine. Lord knows, he has paid a price! But in both cases, the media will not let go. Worse, the media reports innuendo as fact. Objectivity is non-existent. 

Nothing will drive the the media to the brink more than if the Astros win it all in 2020. And nothing will push them over the edge more than a Trump win in November. Ergo, my title! The media has entered its own Brave New World. Lets hope for the sake of good baseball and our country that they will be tested on both fronts later this year!

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Where’s the Beef?

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Some, alas not all, of you will remember the famous Wendy’s ad in the 1980’s, where America’s grandmother (Clara Peller) was seen mocking the diminutive stature of the average fast food burger. If you don’t remember, weren’t alive, or just want to laugh again, here it is..click here

The ad ended up in the political arena when in the democratic primaries Walter Mondale asked Gary Hart about his policies by saying “Where’s the Beef?” In retrospect, it may have been the highlight of Mr. Mondale’s campaign.

Fast forward to present day phantasmagoria, and we have arrived at our own “Where’s the Beef ” moment. 

I feel like I have to qualify every post these days with the statement that I am not a Donald Trump supporter. I think he diminishes the Office of the President in myriad ways. But that does not make him a crook, and there is absolutely no Beef in this entire impeachment charade. Otherwise rational, smart, thoughtful people detest President Trump to the point where they are completely blinded by the hope that he can be made to disappear via an impeachment process.

News that isn’t news is conveyed daily. Take, for instance, this Business Insider article about salt and pepper shakers! Yes, you read that right, and now you can read the article! This is a perfect example of how all perspective has been thrown overboard. Yes, he has a ridiculous ego. Yes, he can be offensive. Yes, he does things that embarrass you and me. But no, that does not make him guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors!   To date, there is not an iota of evidence that he has done one thing while in office that is actually impeachable! 

I spoke with a well respected constitutional lawyer who has little time for President Trunp’s antics. His take is that even if it were established that there was a quid pro quo regarding the release of aid to Ukraine, it is far from clear that the decision in and of itself rises to the level of impeachment. And let’s be honest, the democrats have not even come close to making their case.

The bigger question is if, in the absence of any beef, this grandstanding by Mr. Schiff, and now Mrs. Pelosi, will end up disadvantaging the democrats? There is a very good possibility their behavior is markedly improving the President’s reelection chances. We are really witnessing real time parallel universes, not only on Capital Hill, but across the country. Lines have been drawn in the sand, and unlike Mr. Obama’s fictional line in Syria, these lines are real. Once again, the 20% in our middle (the independents and actually undecided) will dramatically impact the 2020 election. The outcome will boil down to how things go in states like Ohio, Wisconsin, Colorado, Florida, and Pennsylvania.  

The democrats continue to drift to the left, although the recent entry of Mr. Bloomberg may make things interesting. History tells us he doesn’t have a prayer, and that is before taking into consideration his crime of being an old white rich guy. 

The next few weeks will no doubt be interesting, but let’s not forget the real malfeasance here is that the business of governing has been sidelined. Meaningful legislation such as the United States-Canada-Mexico Trade Agreement sits languishing in the corner because the democrats are too busy trying to crucify the President instead of focusing on bills that will help their constituents. It is unpardonable, inexcusable behavior.

Time will tell, folks, time will tell.

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It’s Not That Simple

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Yes, it’s complicated. You have the Syrian rebels fighting a seemingly endless (and possibly un-winnable) civil war against the wholly corrupt dictator, Bashar al-Assad. Why is that important? Well, we could go back in time, but it probably suffices to simply remember President Obama’s famous “red line” that he drew in 2012. You see, that is when Mr. Obama told the world he would not tolerate the Syrian tyrant’s chemical attacks on his own people. What the O-man also knew that Syria was looking the other way as ISIS built a major power base on the norther border, and threatened the Kurdish people living there. So the President famously drew his red line in the sand, and told the world these aggressions would not stand. This is great stuff, right? The only problem is that these aggressions not only were allowed to stand, but they prospered. 

Two things happened, and we haven’t even begun to determine the long term damage American interests will suffer. First, Bashar al-Assad realized he was dealing with a lightweight, so he immediately doubled down on his flirtation with Vladimir Putin. Mr. Putin gladly responded to Syria’s overtures and moved in to support the Assad regime’s murderous campaign against its own people. There are those who say “so what?”. The United States had enjoyed more than three decades of middle eastern influence without any serious Russian intervention. Waffling on the red line opened the door for the Russians to re-enter the Middle East, and folks, that is a big deal. 

Why did Mr. Obama capitulate? This author is sure there will be countless histories written, but no one will convince me that there was not a direct correlation between this flip-flop and Iran putting pressure on the US. What, say again? Yes, you see this was also the time that the Obama administration desperately sought to achieve a pact with Iran to slow down the prospect of nuclear proliferation. Slow down, mind you; not eliminate. So while also sending billions to Iran, it is entirely conceivable that the White House was also pressured to back off its position regarding the Assad administration. Iran and Syria are allies. Ergo, the second thing that happened, and it is far more insidious. Bingo!

With it being politically expedient to put Syria on the back burner, Americans saw a shift to the growing ISIS threat, and the alliance between our troops and the Kurdish rebels. The Kurds are dissidents from Turkey, who moved into northern Iraq and Syria over the past four decades in an attempt to free themselves from Turkish oppression. Their plight is not much different than that of the Syrian rebels. They have been hunted down and killed by various Turkish leaders since the late 1970’s. The US troops and Kurdish rebels made a formidable team. In the space of five years, they tore the heart out of ISIS and reclaimed lands stolen from previous occupants. The presence of US troops also lent balance to the region. Turkish aggressors did not stray south to kill Kurds, the Russians stayed away, and the Syrian government forces did not venture north to attack Syrian rebels. Our presence was a huge force for stability. The only losers were ISIS. No tears shed there. 

One more thing. Turkey is a NATO ally. With Turkey, which has been increasingly hostile to western culture under President Ergodan, we now walk that tightrope trying to coerce them not to slaughter our erstwhile Kurdish allies, while attempting to not push them toward Russia. It is volatile, and it is fraught with peril for American interests. 

In five paragraphs, I have attempted to cut through the layers of complexity and give you a sense for why this region is very important to our interests. It is so easy to take the isolationist view. Clearly Mr. Trump has decided this region does not matter. He looks at it all as just “a lot of sand”, and he appears to have no issue with Russia assisting the Syrians as they look north to land once theirs that no longer has an American presence. Click here to see the President’s take on the situation. 

While I put a lot of the blame on the Obama administration for its feckless foreign policy, I am, in this case, massively disappointed in President Trump. His simple approach to keeping his promise to “end all foreign wars” does a disservice to our reputation with our allies, and it sets the stage for Russia’s re-emergence in a volatile and strategically important part of the world.  We will rue the present state of affairs. I just can’t tell you how or when.

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High Crimes and Poppycock!

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Lest I bore you into a catatonic nap, allow me to say one more time, I do not like Donald Trump. He is a narcissist. He sets a horrible example for our kids. He is not invited to my house for dinner.

OK, are we clear? 

Now, let’s talk about what is happening in the United States House of Representatives. Nancy Pelosi allowed herself to get backed int a corner by her progressives, and Adam Schiff was only too happy to carry the impeachment torch. Folks, it is poppycock. And in case that word is too arcane, here are a few synonyms: balderdash, beans, bilge, blarney, blather, blither, bosh, bull, bunk, claptrap, codswallop, crock, drivel, fiddle-paddle, flapdoodle, folderol, fudge, garbage, hogwash, guff, hockey-pokey, hokum, hooey, humbug, malarkey, nonsense, piffle, rubbish, slush, stupidity, tommyrot, tosh, and twaddle.

Get the point? Have you read the Ukraine call transcript? I have read every word of it; several times. There is NOTHING there. This is a farce! Hah, another synonym! The democrats are literally concocting a fabricated set of circumstances when the exhonorating evidence is already public, and the other person on the phone (that would be Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky) has stated publicly that at no time has President Trump or any of his proxies suggested aid has been or will be withheld pending investigation of Joe Biden or his son. 

I don’t care about Hunter Biden. The talking heads on the right should drop the subject. I do care about the possibility of Ukranian involvement in the 2016 election. Why isn’t that the subject matter at hand?

I know some of my readers hate Donald Trump so much that they will grasp at any straw to validate their feelings. Trump haters, you are being conned. This is politics 101. Don’t be a victim.

We have another 12 1/2 months before the election. If history is a guide, don’t worryTrump bashers, the President will give you plenty more up about which to get riled. In the meantime, do yourselves a favor and focus on playoff baseball. It’s much more interesting, and nobody is conning you.

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Neverland

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Let’s face it; this President is unlike any who have come before him, and, dare I say, anyone to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in the future. His election has even further divided a very divided country. Are we in Neverland?

Any long time reader of Pierce Wire will know I am no fan of President Trump. Equally, any long time reader of Pierce Wire will know that I think President Obama and his cronies did more to sow seeds of racial tension and divisiveness in the United States than any President in decades. There are a couple points to make that provide the foundation for today’s blog title, Neverland. 

i) Americans are exposed 24/7 to versions of the “news”. It is impossible to avoid the endless drumbeat of news, such as it is. But today’s news is editorial. There is nowhere to turn for factual reporting of events. Nowhere. So the default for the vast majority of Americans is to the news station that is least offensive and most agreeable. This is natural. If one is going to watch the news, one does not want to feel like vomiting every time one turns on the tv. Thus we have a self-perpetuating conundrum. The left winds itself up on the fodder of CNN and MSNBC, and the right hides behind the safety of the wall built by Fox News. (To be fair, Fox News actually has a few “neutral” broadcasters. One is hard pressed to find anyone close to the middle on CNN or MSNBC.) Long story short, the left and right have become more entrenched and less open to any ideas other than those they embraced decades ago. 

ii) Remember when politics used to be about the art of compromise? What happened? The edges are so sharp now. It’s all about the kill. In today’s environment, there is no place for a John F Kennedy in the Democratic nominating process, and certainly no place for a George H. W. Bush in the GOP’s.   What a shame. The extremes have taken over. To remind yourself how wacky the left has become, you can re-read my last blog here. But let’s be real. I could have written just as harsh a blog about the Republicans. Before you cringe, I ask you to ask yourselves, “what happened to the party of fiscal conservatism? Where is the big tent; that platform that embraced all comers to this country (albeit through legal means) because we recognized what has made us the single most noble and successful experiment in human history is the infusion of different cultures starting in the seventeenth century and never ending. Everyone from the 1600’s came here to pursue freedom and opportunity. Over time, they also came to be part of what we know as the United States of America. Yes, they had their ties to Poland, or Italy, or Ireland, (the list is endless) but they also immediately embraced the uniqueness and majesty of our American experiment. What happened to free trade as a cornerstone of the GOP’s philosophy? Since when did free trade somehow get wrapped up with insidious words such as ‘multiculturalism’ or ‘globalism’? What happened?

Well, Donald Trump is what happened. He fired up his base by throwing the Bushes, Romneys and McCains under the bus, and actually equated them to the worst the left has to offer. This is balderdash, but it worked, and it continues to work with his base. 

I write as Mr. Trump is at the G7, ramping up his tariff rhetoric against China, but simultaneously achieving a trade agreement with Japan, and appearing to be close to doing the same with a post-Brexit United Kingdom. This is where we get to Peter Pan land. The man continues to boggle the mind. Before leaving for the G7, he cancelled a meeting with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen because she had the gall to suggest that Greenland is not for sale! Folks, you can’t make this stuff up! His tweets continue unabated, and leave most world leaders scratching their heads. And yet, the work of his government is making our economy stronger, and positioning us for future growth. I think he is dead wrong on his relentless attack on the Fed regarding interest rates, and I pray he actually has an end game on all these tariffs. Tariifs have never worked. They will only hurt the US economy in the long run. But if his playing “hardball” with China and others makes us stronger, I am willing to give him a little more time and rope.

It is hard to take him seriously, and yet he is real, he is our President, and (big gulp) I am voting for him again. The democrats simply leave us no alternative. They are bound and determined to destroy this country, in all their self righteous, angry, race-baiting glory. 

Lest you are not riled up enough, allow me to leave you with this. President Trump is NOT a racist. Show me one instance of racism. This entire issue is the result of the mainstream media and democratic strategists having decided they need to brand him a racist to ensure the American people do not re-elect him. It is a complete fabrication. It is shameful. It’s the worst case of subliminable strategery (sorry, I couldn’t resist) I have seen in the political arena. Seriously, shame on all of those who keep playing the race card. Enough!

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