Trump Does Not Understand the American Way!

There are all kinds of reasons not to vote for Donald Trump and here are a few of the important ones!
by Charlie Leck

Here’s the biggest reason (and its ramifications) not to vote for Donald Trump: He doesn’t understand how American democracy works. Dozens of leading political experts were shocked at Trump’s unwillingness to state that he would accept a Hillary Clinton victory if she wins the election that is only a bit more than a week away. It’s unheard of. Accepting such defeats and wishing the victor good success has been a tradition in America for a long, long time.

Instead, Mr.Trump is encouraging chaos and protest if Mrs. Clinton wins! As a result, supporters of Mr. Trump are warning of an American revolution if their candidate loses.

Mr. Trump is also encouraging followers to be at polling sites to watch for phony voters. Government institutions already have poll watchers and a number of ways to check for fraudulent voting. The U.S. voting system protects against fraud and there are only a few small cases of fraudulent voting over the last several decades. Actually, the system discourages undesignated poll watchers because they might intimidate people from entering polling places.

Mr. Trump does not really understand how democracy works and he doesn’t understand that our nation is really a republic more so than a democracy. Trump has had a hard time understanding the sophisticated and subtle differences between the two.

The tactics and off-handed threats that Mr. Trump has been issuing in the last week are both unprecedented and unpresidential.

Final, the continued coziness of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin is frightening. Putin has been unquestionably messing in America’s political campaigns and voting procedures. Mr. Trump continues to heap praises on this man who would like nothing more than to see the American way and the American system trashed and ruined. I don’t understand why so many of Mr. Trump’s followers cannot see the danger of this cozy relationship.

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I’ll probably write only one more time before Election Day, looking at the likely results of the Democrats regaining control of the Senate; and then one other time after the results of the election are clear. Then I’ll retire again and continue to put my writing skills to work on some private pieces I am trying to publish.

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An Update on the State-by-State Polls

I’ll stick with the explanation of state-by-state polling I gave you about a month ago! Florida and Ohio will determine the winner – anyone who takes both of them will win the race, so Hillary must win one of these two states to become president.
by Charlie Leck

One of the major changes in the polls from that earlier blog [http://chasblogs.blogspot.com/2016/09/ohio-and-florida-areabsolutely-crucial.html ] is that there is a real chance that Hillary (believe it or not) could win in Arizona. Nevada and Colorado are also stronger possibilities for her now than they were when I last wrote. And North Carolina is also leaning very slightly toward Hillary.

As for Ohio and Florida, at this moment Florida is leaning rather strongly toward Hillary and Ohio is leaning slightly toward her. This is according to excellent polling information from tried and true sources that I have learned to trust ever since I began following polling information in the 2007 election. However, this is a volatile election and any kind of serious misstep by either candidate jolts the polls like an earthquake hit. There’s another debate coming when and where Donald Trump will have to throw everything at Hillary (including the kitchen sink). Expect him, on that night, to be the most crazed politician you have every seen.

I think you can put all of New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and Maryland in Hillary’s Column. And, you can add all the west coast states (California, Oregon and Washington). That leaves the southeast states and the great center of the country to worry about (including Ohio, which could go either way). Hillary actually has a shot at North Carolina and a teeny-weeny shot at Georgia. Trump will, of course, carry the rest of the deep-south states and Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Put my home state, Minnesota, in Hillary’s column and I think she’ll also carry Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. Trump will likely carry Indiana.

Iowa and Ohio!
These are two key states that we don’t know about. Of the two, Ohio is the most important, but Iowa always seems to be a bell-weather state that indicates likelihoods. I’ll watch them closely on election night. As a matter of fact, here are the states I’ll keep my eyes on very carefully on election night…

• ·         Ohio
• ·         Florida
• ·         Arizona
• ·         Georgia
• ·         Iowa
• ·         North Carolina
• ·         Nevada

Here’s what you can count on!

Sweeping the first two on the list above will indicate a win. If the candidates split those two states then you can consider the other states on the list crucial; and, the results of the election will probably not be known until late on Wednesday morning.

It used to be fun!
In the past this was great fun for me. My sanity never hung in the balance. A win or a loss would not cause me to jump off a cliff. This year is different. The kind of nation we will be in the foreseeable future depends on the election results on November 8. That is only three weeks away.

I’ve begun checking the prices of homes in le Midi en France.

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Young Voters Refuse to Support Trump

Liberty College students, the University of Virginia Republican Club and the Harvard Republican Club have refused to endorse Donald Trump.by Charlie Leck

At the University of Virginia the student’s Republic Club said this about Donald Trump.

“He has gone from simply being an embarrassment to our party to a potentially permanent stain on our brand and our country.”

Reports from several polling organizations are showing that only about 1 in every 10 young voters will cast votes for Donald Trump. And now we are starting to see that the young college Republicans at both liberal and conservative institutions are refusing to vote for Trump.

Harvard’s Republican Club was founded in 1888. It is likely the oldest College Republican chapter in America. It proudly proclaims that its purpose is to “promote Republican principles, policies and candidates.”

Here’s the Harvard club’s statement, saying that the club will not endorse their party’s presidential candidate. This is the first time in the club’s history that it will not do so. The statement below speaks of shame and claims Trump is actually a “threat to the survival” of the United States.

According to a poll conducted by the  Harvard Crimson, a student newspaper, only ten percent of students in the club said they would support Mr. Trump. Another ten percent were undecided. To be clear, 80 percent of the club’s membership said they would not support Donald Trump.

The club’s full statement is worth reading…

“In every presidential election since 1888, the members and Executive Board of the Harvard Republican Club have gathered to discuss, debate, and eventually endorse the standard-bearer of our party. But for the first time in 128 years, we, the oldest College Republicans chapter in the nation, will not be endorsing the Republican nominee.

“Donald Trump holds views that are antithetical to our values not only as Republicans, but as Americans. The rhetoric he espouses –from racist slander to misogynistic taunts– is not consistent with our conservative principles, and his repeated mocking of the disabled and belittling of the sacrifices made by prisoners of war, Gold Star families, and Purple Heart recipients is not only bad politics, but absurdly cruel.

“If enacted, Donald Trump’s platform would endanger our security both at home and abroad. Domestically, his protectionist trade policies and draconian immigration restrictions would enlarge our federal deficit, raise prices for consumers, and throw our economy back into recession. Trump’s global outlook, steeped in isolationism, is considerably out-of-step with the traditional Republican stance as well. The flippancy with which he is willing to abdicate the United States’ responsibility to lead is alarming. Calling for the US’ withdrawal from NATO and actively endorsing nuclear proliferation, Donald Trump’s foreign policy would wreak havoc on the established world order which has held aggressive foreign powers in check since World War II.

“Perhaps most importantly, however, Donald Trump simply does not possess the temperament and character necessary to lead the United States through an increasingly perilous world. The last week should have made obvious to all what has been obvious to most for more than a year. In response to any slight –perceived or real– Donald Trump lashes out viciously and irresponsibly. In Trump’s eyes, disagreement with his actions or his policies warrants incessant name calling and derision: stupid, lying, fat, ugly, weak, failing, idiot –and that’s just his “fellow” Republicans.

“He isn’t eschewing political correctness. He is eschewing basic human decency.

“Donald Trump, despite spending more than a year on the campaign trail, has either refused or been unable to educate himself on issues that matter most to Americans like us. He speaks only in platitudes, about greatness, success, and winning. Time and time again, Trump has demonstrated his complete lack of knowledge on critical matters, meandering from position to position over the course of the election. When confronted about these frequent reversals, Trump lies in a manner more brazen and shameless than anything politics has ever seen.

“Millions of people across the country are feeling despondent. Their hours have been cut, wages slashed, jobs even shipped overseas. But Donald Trump doesn’t have a plan to fix that. He has a plan to exploit that.

“Donald Trump is a threat to the survival of the Republic. His authoritarian tendencies and flirtations with fascism are unparalleled in the history of our democracy. He hopes to divide us by race, by class, and by religion, instilling enough fear and anxiety to propel himself to the White House. He is looking to to pit neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, American against American. We will not stand for this vitriolic rhetoric that is poisoning our country and our children.

“President Reagan called on us to maintain this, our shining city on a hill. He called on us to maintain freedom abroad by keeping a strong presence in the world. He called on us to maintain liberty at home by upholding the democratic process and respecting our opponents. He called on us to maintain decency in our hearts by loving our neighbor.

“He would be ashamed of Donald Trump. We are too.

“This fall, we will instead focus our efforts on reclaiming the Republican Party from those who have done it considerable harm, campaigning for candidates who will uphold the conservative principles that have defined the Republican Party for generations. We will work to ensure both chambers of Congress remain in Republican hands, continuing to protect against executive overreach regardless of who wins the election this November.

“We call on our party’s elected leaders to renounce their support of Donald Trump, and urge our fellow College Republicans to join us in condemning and withholding their endorsement from this dangerous man. The conservative movement in America should not and will not go quietly into the night.

“A longtime student of American democracy, Alexis de Tocqueville once said, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

“De Tocqueville believed in the United States. Americans are a decent people. We work hard, protect our own, and look out for one another in times of need, regardless of the color of our skin, the God we worship, or our party registration. Donald Trump may not believe in that America, but we do. And that America will never cease to be great.”  [The Harvard Republican Club]

Harvard and Virginia are two of the most historic and storied universities in the nation. Their students represent the best of American thinking.

Liberty University is not at that level, but even though it’s a bastion of conservative religious thinking and is headed by Jerry Falwell, Jr., students at the university have refused to follow in lock-step and many of the school’s students have refused to go along with Mr. Falwell’s endorsement. The students have formed a club called “Liberty United Against Trump.” Student members of the club, according the Washington Post, have claimed that they are disappointed and “are tired of being associated with one of the worst presidential candidates in American history.’’ More than 250 Liberty students have signed on to those sentiments.

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Looking Presidential

I’ve been watching Presidential Election Debates since 1959. I’ve always found them remarkable until this year!

by Charlie Leck

You know, I’ll never forget the Presidential Debates between Kennedy and Nixon (you thought I was going to say Lincoln and Douglas didn’t you?). I feel that old lately, but I’m not quite there yet. They were very serious debates and very well done. Kennedy won those debates but not on his debating skill or his knowledge. Nixon couldn’t shake his nerves and he looked shaky and nervous (with sweat on his upper lip) even though he provided skilled and thoughtful answers to the moderator’s questions. Nixon lost the debate because of that shakiness and nervousness.

Over the years politicians have come to realize that there is one remarkable advantage to be gained at the presidential debates – one! The candidate who looks most presidential and in control of himself (now also herself) will win in the public’s eyes.

Need I tell you that Donald Trump has failed at looking presidential – completely and overwhelmingly?

Instead, Donald Trump has looked foolish and silly! His unmistakable narcissism has shown through glaringly and a number of highly regarded psychologists have written about this negative character trait in trump. Though he tries not to show it, and certainly won’t admit to it, Donald Trump is not a person secure in his own skin. Donald Trump has deep seeded psychological problems. That’s not my analysis, but it comes from qualified observers.

For instance, read this incredibly remarkable and thorough article by Dan P. McAdams in the June, 2016 issue of The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/

It’s only one of a half-dozen significant pieces I’ve read about the behavioral conduct of the man, Donald Trump. He’s an odd and strange fellow. He craves attention and he craves excessively sexy women. He doesn’t really know how to negotiate. He insists on dominating – and that includes in business dealings that should contain some sense of compromise and agreement.

“Across his lifetime, Donald Trump has exhibited a trait profile that you would not expect of a U.S. president: sky-high extroversion combined with off-the-chart low agreeableness.”

The above are not attributes one would want in a President of the United States of America!

“The psychologists Steven J. Rubenzer and Thomas R. Faschingbauer, in conjunction with about 120 historians and other experts, have rated all the former U.S. presidents, going back to George Washington, on all five of the trait dimensions. George W. Bush comes out as especially high on extroversion and low on openness to experience—a highly enthusiastic and outgoing social actor who tends to be incurious and intellectually rigid. Barack Obama is relatively introverted, at least for a politician, and almost preternaturally low on neuroticism—emotionally calm and dispassionate, perhaps to a fault.”

McAdams has spent some significant time looking at the Tweets of Donald Trump. Mr. Trump is a compulsive tweeter and the things his said through that mechanism are very revealing. One of the revelations in his tweets is that Donald Trump is constantly in need of approval and praise and suffers abnormally under criticism.

And, Donald Trump is a very, very aggressive personality type.

As a businessman, Trump is a known risk taker. The number of his failures hasn’t seemed to faze him. He is of the mind that risks – serious risks – must be taken in order to succeed. How would that work in crisis moments if he was the President of the United States of America?

Yikes!

In something of summary, McAdams writes…

“In sum, Donald Trump’s basic personality traits suggest a presidency that could be highly combustible. One possible yield is an energetic, activist president who has a less than cordial relationship with the truth. He could be a daring and ruthlessly aggressive decision maker who desperately desires to create the strongest, tallest, shiniest, and most awesome result—and who never thinks twice about the collateral damage he will leave behind. Tough. Bellicose. Threatening. Explosive.”

Are any of these characteristics you would seek in a President of the United States of America?

Yet, McAdams isn’t nearly finished with analyzing Trump! He goes on! You must read it. It is a damning report on the character and characteristics of Donald Trump.

I won’t spoil any more of McAdam’s descriptions of the mind of Donald Trump. I’ll let you go to the article and enjoy the marvelous writing and conclusions that he makes about Trump’s fitness to be the President of the United States of America!

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The Case Against Mike Pence

Here’s my take on the Republican Debate last night!
by Charlie Leck

Mike Pence could not defend some of the absurdities mumbled lately by Donald Trump, so he didn’t try. He concentrated on his own record and his own abilities. It was a good strategy. Frankly, he looked more presidential than did the constantly interrupting Democratic candidate.

But here’s what the public needs to know about Mike Pence… if you’re a Democrat leaning voter you won’t like what you hear. Some other undecided voters will also likely be disturbed.

•  Mike Pence has been a constant attacker of Planned Parenthood. This is an organization I support with regular financial donations. They do so much that is right and good and they do it well. Thousands of young women depend on the organization. Pence is dead wrong on this one and I have always been angry about his attacks. As a Congressman he tried to have Planned Parenthood defunded. He doesn’t deserve to be Vice President.
  
• Mike Pence was a major supporter of the Iraq War. I’m aware that there were plenty of Democrats who agreed with him, but voters ought to be aware of that. And, when Donald Trump tries to tell you he wasn’t a supporter, don’t believe him because there’s plenty of on-the-record evidence that he was a supporter.
  
• Mike Pence is also wrong about LGBT issues. He’s often tried to create road blocks against important LGBT supporting legislation. His “religious liberty” bill will not soon be forgotten.
  
• Mike Pence was also terribly wrong about the great auto crisis (2008-2009). People in Ohio and Michigan ought to remember his opposition to the auto rescue legislation while he was in Congress.

·         At a time when America needs bold, big and creative thinkers, Pence is not at all in that category. He reacts more than he leads. He looks to yesteryear rather than ahead.

Voters must remember that Mike Pence is not just a conservative, but he is a man without big, creative ideas for our future. America will not be able to improve by just standing pat. America must keep on keeping on – moving, growing and improving. It will not under the leadership of Trump-Pence.

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Why not become a follower? If you read my blog regularly, why not become a follower? All you have to do is click in the upper right hand corner (Join this Site) and establish a simple means of communication. Then you'll be informed every time a new blog is posted here. If all that's confusing, here's Google's explanation of how to do it! If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me an email if you’d like.