tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73496120038582365522024-03-13T01:29:55.504-07:00ad astraBecause I love to both read and write, blogging is right up my alley. I think I've something to say and so do my regular readers. The content is very diverse. There's some serious stuff and plenty of laughs, too. I look forward to your reaction.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.comBlogger2022125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-51623487408844965932017-02-01T05:07:00.000-08:002017-02-01T05:07:24.102-08:00<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
<a href="http://chasblogs.blogspot.com/2014/08/thinking-back-on-being-american.html" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Thinking Back On Being an American</a></h3>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">This blog was originally posted nearly four</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">years ago. It received more response and</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">comment than any other blog I've ever</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">posted. In this time of political chaos, I</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">thought it merited a reposting.</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14pt;">I’m proud I’m an American! Please understand that. America is a great nation which provides enormous opportunities for people. But, it is all so much more complicated than that and it is foolish not to wrestle with the many complexities.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 8pt;">by Charlie Leck<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The wonders of being an American were, sort of, drummed into us as elementary school youngsters. We learned the pledge and how important it was to be reverent about saying it as we saluted THE flag. We were also taught to sing the national anthem with a sense of reverence. And, from the earliest grades in school, it was also hammered into us that America is the greatest nation on earth and its constitution the single most important document in the world’s vast history.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There was no room for debate or dissent about this!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">And now, in these latter years and in the quiet, protective surroundings of my home, I allow myself to think about these “indisputable matters” and wonder…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">What makes America so great?<br />In what areas may we have failed?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">There is no doubt about this: the Constitution of the United States of America is an extraordinary document – complex (and sometimes mysterious) and wonderful in its promises. However, the goals of the great constitution are, perhaps, more clearly defined in our nation’s original Declaration of Independence from the control of the British Empire… (as here related in Thomas Jefferson’s <i>original</i> draft…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable; that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable; among which are the preservation of life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The promises that America made to itself are extraordinary and beautiful and nearly reverent. Let there be no doubt about that. They are also immense, full of depth and nearly undeliverable.</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> That’s what I am thinking on this remarkably beautiful morning here in this spectacular setting that I call my home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I find myself wishing that Tom Jefferson was sitting here with me in this remarkable place, looking with me at the rising of the sun in the eastern sky. I would urge upon him a cup of my remarkable coffee and, after he has had a sip or two and we have chatted about minor matters, I would ask him: “What has gone wrong?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">His head would tilt only slightly to the side and he would squint in that manner, so known to us all, and ask me the inevitable question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“What in heaven’s name do you mean?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“This chart,” I would begin as I unfold it for him, and then stutter onward, “what does it mean and how did it happen?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">He would rock forward a bit from my favorite chair in which he now sits; and he would take the document from me. It is actually a survey from the respected Pew Research Center. As he glances at it, I would continue on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Jefferson is so brilliant. His eyes fly over the information. Nearly one-fourth of the nation’s population has said that it has trouble putting food on their tables. I could compare these figures for him with those of many other nations that have far less problem feeding their people. I’m aware that I don’t need to. It is irrelevant. We are talking about America.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Nevertheless, I want to scream out: “How the fuck can you pursue happiness when you are hungry and can’t feed your family?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Again, I know I need not; for we are talking about America and the question is so blatantly obvious to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Jefferson was able to quickly examine the data. His eyes rise up from the printed document and look into mine. They are brilliant, clear and remarkable eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“It was, of course,” he says slowly and with careful consideration in reference to his <i>sacred and undeniable truths</i>, “only a promise, you know. And by promise I do not mean a certain guaranty, but something achievable and attainable. These goals must be achieved, maintained and guarded with great respect.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I nod, respectfully, and see a certain firmness of will and wisdom in his eyes. They are locked on me and I realize they are expecting difficult questions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I point out through the big glass doors to the east and then open my hand and wave it across the remarkable, blue sky that is visible above the tall, tall trees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“There is so much wealth and comfort,” I stutter out and seek the simple, but wisest words, “and yet there is so much poverty and need. Is the great promise only for the swiftest and strongest among us?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">He does not quickly reply. He shows his respect for my question and appears to ponder it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“The stability of any great society is dependent upon the health and happiness of its people,” he says very slowly. “Any great nation of people will make it possible for its entire people to pursue that which is their natural, God-given right. And that is, of course, the freedom to pursue life and liberty. It is incumbent upon all the people of the land to make sure that it does not become impossible for certain of its people to continue in that pursuit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I am intrigued with how slowly, thoughtfully and clearly he speaks. I sit, transfixed, and continue listening to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“A hungry man,” he says, “and, by this, of course, you must know after all this time, I mean <i>woman</i> as well, cannot pursue with full measure any of these desirable and undeniable rights. That income and wealth would not be fairly and justly distributed we never imagined. An even and classless society is not a possible dream and it is not a part of the promise. It is only just, however, that every man be given an equal and fair opportunity to achieve such levels of success.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">We sipped more coffee and nibbled on the fresh strawberries contained in the large bowl I’d put upon my desk; and we talked more about the promises and guarantees of the Constitution and the manner in which it had been interpreted by various Supreme Courts and its justices over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The end of slavery did not surprise him. He knew the institution was not intellectually justifiable. There was an identifiable tone of apology in his voice as we chatted about the subject. He had not seen his own slaves as prisoners and property. He was startled, however, that it had taken such a costly and painful war to settle the issue when the courts could have so simply and constitutionally settled it long before the first shots were fired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“It has been one of America’s great failings,” he said quite directly, “to respond to issues of difficulty with the call to war. Perhaps it has something to do with manner in which we were born; that is, being withdrawn from the womb in the midst of war and agony. Yet, with all that set aside, it is time for this nation and its leaders to grow out of that childish manner of response to every alarm. War must always stand down to the opportunities for honorable peace. Men of great patience will be peacemakers always.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The sun continued to rise as we rocked in our chairs. It was a brilliant and peaceful morning. Through the screen door, we could hear the songs of the various species of birds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“Forbearance” was an important word for Jefferson and he used it and its synonyms regularly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“All men of a great nation,” he said so many times and in so many different ways, “must have the forbearance to work for peace and liberty. It is difficult to secure lasting freedom through war; for war breeds more war; and most treaties of peace are forced upon the unvictorious and not graciousy accepted by them. Temperance should be the attitude of those in Congress when they consider acts of war. By that I mean that self-control and longanimity are mandatory in the character of those who lead a great nation.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">To stretch, after a time sitting in our rocking chairs, the lithe and handsome man rose and wandered among the books in my library. He pointed to one of the green bound books from the Harvard selections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“<i>De Officiis</i> was one of my favorite books,” he said. He was referring to the classic written by Cicero in the last year of his life. “It is about the duties of a leader of the government – On Duties – and there is some important wisdom in it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">On Duties</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> (or <i>On Obligations</i>) is a short work. I had read it once upon a time, but I didn’t remember much of it; but Jefferson’s memory was sharp and accurate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“No man can be brave who considers pleasure the highest good!” Jefferson recited the line to me first in English and then followed it up with the Latin. Of course, I understood only the former and perhaps did not even understand that fully.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“And he further wrote,” said Jefferson with some dramatic flourish, “We are not born, we do not live for our ourselves alone; our country, our friends, have a share in us.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">He took the volume from the shelf and admired the binding and the type set within it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“Such a proclivity for books the world has now. And how beautifully they are printed and bound; but does the world read them and understand?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I nodded and remained silent as he shook his head in wonder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“Cedant arma togae concedat laurea laudi,” he said in Latin. He saw me looking quizzically at him. He appeared disappointed that I did not understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“Let arms yield to the toga,” he said in interpretation, “and the laurel defer to praise.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">He looked at me, searching. I did not reveal any understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“To the orator’s tongue,” he said with some lack of patience. “Let arms yield to the orator’s tongue!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I nodded very slightly, but enough that he could see my assent and agreement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“America is too quick to war! It must learn to seek out those who will speak willingly and openly about their grievances and how they might be addressed and redressed.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The brilliant man slipped the book back in its place and returned to where I stood nearly frozen by his manner and brilliance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“I must go now,” he said as he offered me his hand, “but you must continue to beg America to be a more patient and caring land. Never has anyone taken advantage of a land’s wealth as Americans have here in this bounteous land; but you and your fellows have missed the vastly more important opportunities to lead the world toward peace and prosperity for all. Being a great nation is no longer important. The goal has somewhat been achieved and is no longer relevant. Now the goal before you is the great peace and prosperity of the world. My goodness! You have the means to communicate instantly with fellow humans everywhere on an instantaneous basis. We never dreamed it in our most visionary moments. You can travel to nearly any spot on the globe in a matter of hours and not months and months. With such opportunities, men should become fellow citizens and not distrusted enemies. America’s greatness is only the beginning of the dream and not its end. It can happen; though it will not come about easily and without sacrifice and compromise. Imagine it, however! Think of it! A world of nations and peoples cooperating so that, truly, all men may have the right to freely pursue life, liberty and happiness.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">He turned and left me there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“What had he said?” I stood there, asking myself. Was it that the American dream, though not completely fulfilled, had to be bigger now?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Had he said that the American dream could not fulfill itself until it was also the dream of every land and every people? Certainly he had said the dream of man’s equality had not yet been fulfilled even in America; yet it was time to move on and install the hope and the dream in every land and in every place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I had returned to my desk and sat looking out at the wide, blue and totally free sky above. What had been such a vast world to Jefferson was now so intimate and small and I felt as if I could see it all.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-51986733761576939212016-12-29T11:03:00.000-08:002016-12-29T11:09:04.548-08:00Getting ready to follow Trump closely!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Granted! I haven’t written for weeks. I’ve been in recovery –
that is, trying to recover from the shocking election of Donald Trump as POTUS.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
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Under close observation, I’ve been doing a lot of doodling
and drawing, foaming at the mouth, trembling and carefully studying the
promises he made!<br />
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It’s not been easy – these eight weeks since the election. I’ve
actually been with adult groups who just held hands and cried. We talked
seriously about how we were going to handle this presidency; and about how
America will handle it.</div>
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I hesitated to write more here because I really didn’t know
what to write.</div>
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Yet, in this time after Election Day, I have been carefully
documenting every campaign promise that Donald Trump made to the American
people in his remarkable campaign to become the President of the United States
(POTUS). There are well over 200 such promises on record. I have trimmed them
down to nearly 100 promises that he made frequently and, in some sort of words
or ways, guaranteed them.</div>
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In the next couple of weeks – and before Inauguration Day –
I will publish those promises here and make some editorial comment about them.
The Trump promises and pledges will be carefully documented (and, believe me,
there are plenty of video recordings of each one of the promises I will post).</div>
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<br /></div>
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The initial blog will be called THE PROMISES HE MADE.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Then, over time, I will follow closely his actions in
office, correlating the promises before the election and the actions of Mr.
Trump after his inauguration.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Stay tuned. I’ll publish the long list of promises just
before Inauguration Day.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And don't forget that I predicted Donald Trumps election 3 days before voting took place. It was that difficult to see it coming.</div>
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_________________________________________________</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">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 (</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Join this Site</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;">) 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, </span><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">an email</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-53479350242124180842016-11-21T07:48:00.000-08:002016-11-21T07:48:48.647-08:00The Voter is Going to Get What He Asked For!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMI31mdZYzv0BJjNjlaaN4joktQTFtyY4WyxbqQMsFuAdhkQEruPLZ2govGAMQ42cGA1ozZ70BQZEZimeQiRL_3JsKe0xE71pHW5_0_KBpEiyNNzdpADf3MxtTiz5fPcit_haGOxHgyHM/s1600/2016-11-21anvil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMI31mdZYzv0BJjNjlaaN4joktQTFtyY4WyxbqQMsFuAdhkQEruPLZ2govGAMQ42cGA1ozZ70BQZEZimeQiRL_3JsKe0xE71pHW5_0_KBpEiyNNzdpADf3MxtTiz5fPcit_haGOxHgyHM/s320/2016-11-21anvil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;">Look for a
decline in the U.S. economy very shortly after the triumphant inauguration of
Donald Trump!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">One of the
things I fear the most as Donald Trump puts together his administration, and
continues to talk to a Republican Congress, is that our economy is going to
tumble early on in Trump’s presidency. Warren Buffet is expressing concerns
about the state of the economy and so are many other well established and
reputable economists and market watchers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Consider this:
The stock market has risen by significantly more than 200% since Obama took
over as President in 2009. That number is based on U.S. stocks that were traded
on the two most significant markets in the country (NASDAQ and the NY Stock
Exchange). The Standard and Poors 500 has risen more than 180%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The morning
after the election, sensing a potential decline in the stock market, I wrote to
a number of the charitable organizations to which we have given quite
generously and warned them that we might not be able to be so generous in the
coming years. I couldn’t put numbers to my worry, but I do know that the market
doesn’t not like uncertainty and instability in American politics. In my
November 5 blog, when I predicted Trump’s victory, I also predicted a serious
shakiness in world-wide markets in the coming days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Now I read that
such carefully watched investors such as Warren Buffett and George Soros are
carefully watching the markets. Several market watchers have reported over the
last few days that Berkshire Hathaway (Buffett’s holding company) has been
shedding American stocks that rely on consumer spending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The Republican
Congress and Donald Trump are having conversations about a major shake-up in
the size of government. They’ve talked for years about seriously reducing the
number of government employees. Of course, such a reduction will have an impact
on over-all employment numbers and it will, at the same time, reduce the amount
of business the government will do with international suppliers. When the
government employs fewer people it has the natural and expected impact on the
general employment/unemployment in the rest of the nation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A significant
rise in unemployment impacts shopping and spending – from entertainment to
automobiles and from dining-out to travel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Under President
Obama the U.S. unemployment rate was reduced significantly and got under 6% in
the last year. It appears that major investing companies are expecting it to
readjust and rise significantly in the next couple of years. It’s quite common
for the rate to do that under a Republican dominated federal government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The Washington
Post said this morning..<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“President-elect
Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are drawing up plans to
take on government bureaucracy they have long railed against, by eroding job
protections and grinding down benefits that federal workers have received for a
generation.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Hiring freezes,
an end to automatic raises, a green light to fire poor performers, a ban on
union business on the government’s dime and less generous pensions – these are the
contours of the blueprint emerging under Republican control of Washington in
January.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">This is a common
and frequent idea in the philosophy of Stephen K. Bannon (formerly of Breitbart
News) and now a senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Many of us will
not be able to spend at the rate we have for the last eight years. Nor will we
be able to be as generous as we have to American charitable organizations. If
thousands and thousands and thousands of individual household managers react
that way, the economy is going to suffer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">If the economy
tanks, hundreds and hundreds of generous foundations are going to take a hard
look at their budgeted giving. Major charitable organizations will find it necessary
to spend far less if the economy shrinks. The housing market will suffer.
School and education spending will be reduced. Non-essentials, such as
entertainment spending, will be examined carefully by each and every family in
the nation. Visitors to food shelves will rise while less money will be given
to these important organizations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I think the
American voters who led the march to the polls on November 8 are about to get
what they asked for; that is, aid for the very wealthy and an enormous hike in
the unemployment of the lower classes. Oh, boy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The American
voter has a short memory. He forgot amazingly quickly how damaged our economy
had become between 2000 and 2008. While most of us had far less money to spend,
the federal government was spending furiously on the Military-Industrial
Complex (against which an important and dependable Republican President –
Dwight David Eisenhower – warned us).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">____________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">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 (</span><i>Join this Site</i>) 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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">an email</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> if you’d like.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-13532071161437732062016-11-16T06:45:00.000-08:002016-11-16T06:45:27.391-08:00Are you nervous about the President-Elect?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbdPK4wUViKu9BJHUa0fADxSZX57_ONXIs5czj1GG7ebn6ne9rfk7K8MxCvGUChykOe5kTfxYeOUBFHycZv70fCRuCBybA7WAAm7xDuOi9ahg_f0PbL0Kjt8pdP_QNjB4WcgfaXuR28o/s1600/Trump_sleep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBbdPK4wUViKu9BJHUa0fADxSZX57_ONXIs5czj1GG7ebn6ne9rfk7K8MxCvGUChykOe5kTfxYeOUBFHycZv70fCRuCBybA7WAAm7xDuOi9ahg_f0PbL0Kjt8pdP_QNjB4WcgfaXuR28o/s320/Trump_sleep.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was giving thought to discontinuing my blogging here, but
then Donald Trump got me laughing my head off and shaking it in wonder at the
same time. Oh, I can’t stop! That’s what I told myself. This is all just too
much fun and games! At least this part, just before the fall!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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When I watch President-Elect Donald Trump trying to become
President Trump, I am struck by how incapable and inane he is. Is it because he
has no background in politics? Neither did Dwight David Eisenhower, who made
the transition to the nation’s top office quite easily. Watching all this
fumbling around helps me understand why Donald Trump was such a terrible
business man who left a trail of broken and maimed companies behind him.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Placing a phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin is
one of the first things Donald Trump did after his election victory. That call
caused an immense amount of confusion and dismay over on Capitol Hill and the
Donald received all kinds of corrective advice about that move. I imagine that
a lot of people in Independent Ukraine wet their pants and panties when they
heard about Donald’s telephone call. Every Baltic nation must be terribly
nervous about what is happening in the U.S.. As well, nearly every European
nation called the White House to find out what was going on. You know, Putin
could play Trump like a Tennessee fiddle. </div>
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Then the Trump machine ran a flag up the old flagpole to see
if anyone would salute it when they gave thought to naming Rudi Giuliani to the
Secretary of State position. Again there was coughing, sputtering and gasping on
the Hill. Rudy’s been deeply involved in big time, international consulting
work and has gotten paid big bucks by some major and questionable nations. Sir
Donald backed off on that one.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Another flag was immediately raised when Mr. Trump leaked
the name of John Bolton, former Ambassador to the United Nations, for the
Secretary of State position. Ahem! A few people had to remind Mr. Trump’s
transition team that Bolton had once suggested, in a NY Times column, that we
ought to bomb Iran to stop that nation’s nuclear program. Oops!</div>
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Donald has gone through a number of transition leaders
already. The first – NJ Governor Chris Christie – is in big-time trouble for
purposefully impeding traffic trying to get across the George Washington
Bridge. Can you believe it? That one is a real laugher that left Christie with
egg on his face and a dark, dark stain at the bottom of his underwear.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Vice President Elect Pence has now been given the transition
leadership job and he is trying to talk some sense into the Donald and his children
about how the government works. Good luck to Mr. Pence. He’ll have to figure
out how to get the various factions in the Trump organization to stop fighting
about who they want to get these prestigious positions.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know, he’s made an early mess by naming Chief White
House Advisors, Stephen Bannon (an outrageous right-winger and editor of
Breitbart News) and Reince Priebus, former head of the Republican Party as “co-equal
advisers.” The two are poles apart with very different approaches to politics.
Lots of people are calling for the President Elect to rescind his appointment
of Bannon to such an important position. Mr. Bannon is a darling among White
Nationalists.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Government statistics show a serious rise in hate crimes in
America since Donald Trump heated up in the election process – especially against
Muslim Americans.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot of people out here are worried about what Trump will
do about abortion, SCOTUS, the far right, his taxes and his holdings.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now the frightening idea of a Globalist Cabel has also taken
hold in the public and in the press. Is there some unnamed organization that
has the economy and Donald Trump under its control? Oh, boy!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Evangelical Christian organizations are stepping to the fore
and asking for a piece of the pie. Could that ever spell trouble!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Check out Petula Dvorak’s column in the NY Times. Seems that
decency, humanity and morality have all been tossed out with the bath water! https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/stop-protesting-democracy-saying-notmypresident-is-the-same-as-saying-notmyconstitution/2016/11/14/87728a9a-aa8a-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html</div>
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<br /></div>
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The tantalizing question is now about the GOP. What is it?
How do you define it?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, what's the GOP controlled Congress going to do about all
of Donald Trump’s amazing promises?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This much is totally clear – there is no fuzziness about it –
and that is that the nation is now in the hands of and under the control of a
small number of multi-billionaires. Good luck to the old idea of equal
protection.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This proclamation is official: The United States of America
has gotten itself into a big mess! The question many people are raising is: Can
the economy and the economic super-structure handle it?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, Lordsy, have we got a mess on our hands. No wonder the
real president scooted off to Europe to try to calm down some nervous nations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">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 (<i>Join this Site</i>) 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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</a> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me <a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">an email</a> if you’d like.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-89688435037796498442016-11-12T08:59:00.000-08:002016-11-13T13:22:33.847-08:00Greatest Nation on Earth?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFTjTCYH5_fuCb2zIPanPiwzp4ZEU-FtqcGANKSCu9IqDxIdI8kyhyKDYEPrhiY5S3vIzIYYQv_801b9s1WZhJaGIxNSRspXO4-G7Npc63c9l86-JZZ6NaPqUR7iWzpEd6jHWsN-6fn4/s1600/2016Gabler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFTjTCYH5_fuCb2zIPanPiwzp4ZEU-FtqcGANKSCu9IqDxIdI8kyhyKDYEPrhiY5S3vIzIYYQv_801b9s1WZhJaGIxNSRspXO4-G7Npc63c9l86-JZZ6NaPqUR7iWzpEd6jHWsN-6fn4/s320/2016Gabler.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t know if America will every
again be regarded as the greatest of all the world’s nations! I don’t even know
if we ever got to that lofty spot. I know that we liked to think so. At the
moment, America is seriously crippled and we have a long way to go to claw our
way to the top again.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Charlie Leck</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">On
Saturday, November 5, three days before Election Day, I predicted here that
Donald Trump would likely win the race for the presidency. Believe me, I was very upset about it and
couldn’t understand how it all could have happened; however, when I was convinced
that he was going to win both Florida and Ohio, I saw no other possible result.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">If
you look back at the previous blog you will see that I’ve also predicted a
number of tragic results of Trump’s early presidency – among them a possible
impeachment. I urge you to go back and view my predictions.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">I
recently read a remarkable essay about the tragedy of this election and I want
to urge you all to read it as well. It is by Neal Gabler.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">Gabler
is a senior fellow at The Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern
California. He is also the author of five books and has won book awards from
both the LA Times and Time Magazine. His essay, “Farewell, America” was
published on the Moyers & Company web site:
http://billmoyers.com/story/farewell-america/</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">Here are
some significant quotes from </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Farewell,
America!</i><br />
<div style="margin: 5pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">“Whatever
place we now live in is not the same place it was on Nov. 7. No matter how the
rest of the world looked at us on Nov. 7, they will now look at us differently.
We are likely to be a pariah country.… If there is a single sentence that
characterizes the election, it is this: “He says the things I’m thinking.” That
may be what is so terrifying. Who knew that so many tens of millions of white Americans
were thinking unconscionable things about their fellow Americans? Who knew that
tens of millions of white men felt so emasculated by women and challenged by
minorities? Who knew that after years of seeming progress on race and gender,
tens of millions of white Americans lived in seething resentment, waiting for a
demagogue to arrive who would legitimize their worst selves and channel them
into political power? Perhaps we had been living in a fool’s paradise. Now we
aren’t....”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 5pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">“This
generally has been called the “hate election” because everyone professed to
hate both candidates. It turned out to be the hate election because, and let’s
not mince words, of the hatefulness of the electorate. In the years to come, we
will brace for the violence, the anger, the racism, the misogyny, the
xenophobia, the nativism, the white sense of grievance that will undoubtedly be
unleashed now that we have destroyed the values that have bound us....”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 5pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">“Democracy
can’t cope with extremism. Only violence and time can defeat it. The first is
unacceptable, the second takes too long. Though Trump is an extremist, I have a
feeling that he will be a very popular president and one likely to be
re-elected by a substantial margin, no matter what he does or fails to do.
That’s because ever since the days of Ronald Reagan, rhetoric has obviated
action, speechifying has superseded governing....”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 5pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">“But the
disempowered media may have one more role to fill: They must bear witness. Many
years from now, future generations will need to know what happened to us and
how it happened. They will need to know how disgruntled white Americans, full
of self-righteous indignation, found a way to take back a country they felt
they were entitled to and which they believed had been lost. They will need to
know about the ugliness and evil that destroyed us as a nation after great men
like Lincoln and Roosevelt guided us through previous crises and kept our
values intact. They will need to know, and they will need a vigorous, engaged,
moral media to tell them. They will also need us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 5pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">We are not
living for ourselves anymore in this country. Now we are living for history.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">That’s tough
stuff to read. I pray that Gabler is incorrect. I pray that I’m incorrect in my
predictions. I am pessimistic, however.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">_________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">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 (<i>Join this Site</i>)
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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">here's Google's
explanation of how to do it!</span></a> If you don’t want to post comments
on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me <a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">an email</span></a> if you’d like.<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-42724403071885562682016-11-05T07:05:00.000-07:002016-11-06T04:26:15.236-08:00Trump as President?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYbxLs4ly4YohqWT3FwAEDFHGbNqMOdwvFL1YYVXD1iDIUb-dhSjFnQEFtGKRKkMs9sCQWcJtYzVnhM1EV-okU-_I7zyZgM7M1A2VkB5i2vhijVDegHpHmMXNB1LMM1M_DoDKzMr0EAE/s1600/11-4001%252896%25295x7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYbxLs4ly4YohqWT3FwAEDFHGbNqMOdwvFL1YYVXD1iDIUb-dhSjFnQEFtGKRKkMs9sCQWcJtYzVnhM1EV-okU-_I7zyZgM7M1A2VkB5i2vhijVDegHpHmMXNB1LMM1M_DoDKzMr0EAE/s320/11-4001%252896%25295x7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It
never seemed a real possibility to me until this morning, when I read the major
newspapers carefully, checked into the dependable polling organizations, and
decided to face reality! </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Charlie
Leck</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br />It appears to me
that Donald Trump is going to win the current presidential race. To take my
mind off that dangerous and frightening possibility, I took my camera and wandered
around my town on an incredibly beautiful, 70 degree day, and took some
photographs. One is of the small lake that was discovered by white people on
the 4</span><sup style="font-family: georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"> of July much more than a century ago (therefore named Lake
Independence) even though it had been a favored home site for Native Americans
for many centuries before we came upon it; another is of the old farm silo on
Windsong Farm Golf Club right next to our property. The other two are shots
right here on our own lovely farm. They will allow you a sense of peacefulness and beauty</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">before you advance to my frightening and ugly predictions.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk4Xhgp7iGo4dH_ZvaOOBDq885F7tUcDPhFJtQarAZ-68HtLdH0m6_T22Gp5TWRa6U7ooNBXVR8I6aJP6Humbcx0fMcKi2gba7WMR0nT7AOvFnJYnDnVbV9PuGtywWQP2hFpM_SVOqFQ/s1600/11-4002%252896%25295x7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVk4Xhgp7iGo4dH_ZvaOOBDq885F7tUcDPhFJtQarAZ-68HtLdH0m6_T22Gp5TWRa6U7ooNBXVR8I6aJP6Humbcx0fMcKi2gba7WMR0nT7AOvFnJYnDnVbV9PuGtywWQP2hFpM_SVOqFQ/s320/11-4002%252896%25295x7.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LZBjDh_XI5M1jMPDJsW_C-3qeElN326y_GtJKymbaSHx0GSvS4-YzoPT53hul92uS4Eh9ZIpDZgDnI6OkwrQtkr4lu6RBRnnRJaDbCUYa62_ARMSgNjsz7OwxqgEkuZvzzi82KHtaao/s1600/11-4003%252896%25295x7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LZBjDh_XI5M1jMPDJsW_C-3qeElN326y_GtJKymbaSHx0GSvS4-YzoPT53hul92uS4Eh9ZIpDZgDnI6OkwrQtkr4lu6RBRnnRJaDbCUYa62_ARMSgNjsz7OwxqgEkuZvzzi82KHtaao/s320/11-4003%252896%25295x7.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMII7hyphenhyphenuGhGQSdGf5Vt73pnIo90KhStn2EBcLIuEfrjxiJpfhIGBalATBie4_l_oynk-gPtvyU2XJMlBsLzaSSw3QGVpr9ax6SjjQldf8on8zJctI0idcXLGNU-iRjwkkXJHMDwbHKznI/s1600/11-4004%252896%25295x7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMII7hyphenhyphenuGhGQSdGf5Vt73pnIo90KhStn2EBcLIuEfrjxiJpfhIGBalATBie4_l_oynk-gPtvyU2XJMlBsLzaSSw3QGVpr9ax6SjjQldf8on8zJctI0idcXLGNU-iRjwkkXJHMDwbHKznI/s320/11-4004%252896%25295x7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Trump is geared up to win in Florida and
Ohio!</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"> <br />
Frightening! I wrote here a couple of weeks ago that the candidate who could
grab both Florida and Ohio would be the winner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">This is how I see the next several years in
America…</span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br />
No more prognosticating from me about the 2016 presidential race. Now I’ll turn
instead to guessing just what might happen to Donald Trump, to our nation and
to the world in the next couple of years. He’s going to be very sorry that he
ran for president for the following <u>reasons</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">One:<br />
The job is too big for him. He is not bright enough to handle it. He hasn’t the
psychological fortitude or the patience to be the leader of the free world. His
ties to Russia’s Putin are too strong and tight! He will make many and enormous
mistakes<br />.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Two:<br />
The American economy will tank. All the amazing gains under the Obama
administration will disappear. Jobs will be lost and, therefore, unemployment
will rise to levels we haven’t seen in 50 or 60 years. The stock market will
take a major hit and the American economy will falter badly.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Three:<br />
The United States Congress will be in total disarray. Both parties will be
stalled and unable to restart their engines. The problem will be so serious
that Democrats and Republicans will seek ways to cooperate in order to save the
nation from chaos.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Four:<br />
Mr. Trump will face major criminal charges for improper sexual activities (some
of them very serious) and he will also face severe criminal charges related to
his family foundation. America’s major newspapers will continue to report
freely and vigorously about his unethical practices in both his businesses and
his personal life. It will force the congress to seriously look at the
possibility of impeaching him.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Five:<br />
Contrary to his great boast, America will be viewed far differently around the
world than it is today. We will no longer be regarded as a great nation, but, instead,
as a nation in great disarray and with little influence on national issues.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Six:<br />
The ecological and climate advances we’ve made over the last decade and the
goals we’ve set for ourselves in the future will stall out. There will be
international panic over the lack of leadership in these important areas.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Seven:<br />
Mr. Trump will be aghast at the esteem in which Hillary Clinton will be held
over the coming decade. It will be recognized that she was and is not guilty of
any crimes whatsoever. Her tenure both in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. State
Department will be recognized as important periods in our nation’s history.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Eight:<br />
China and Russia will each makes moves on other nations and international
territories and attempt to declare authority and ownership over them!<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Nine:<br />
The world economy will be shaken vigorously and dangerously during the first
two years of Mr. Trump’s presidency. International poverty will increase and there
will be serious rebellions and revolutions in several nations.<br /><br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Ten:<br />
World-wide financial corruption will increase to levels we never dreamed
possible. Our nation will be called upon to meet demands for aide to which we
will not be able to respond because of our weakened financial condition.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Eleven:<br />
No wall will be built along the southern border of the United States of
America; however, the movement of people from the south into the United States
will slow to a trickle because our nation will not be an attractive place to
live – not at all great again!<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Twelve:<br />
The Republican Party, in an attempt to save itself, will disavow any connection
to Donald Trump; and the Grand Old Party will scramble to rebuild itself into
an important political force again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><b>Enough!</b> It is
all too frightening and, for the sake of my grandchildren, I pray that I am
mistaken about each and every one of the predictions above.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Goodnight!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;">As soon as the novelty is over and the force of contrast dulled,<br />it ain't happiness any longer, and you have to get something fresh.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;">Mark Twain - </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: start;">Captain. Stormfield's Visit to Heaven</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">___________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;" />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">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 (</span><i>Join this Site</i>) 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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">an email</span></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"> if you’d like.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-58256551475313667972016-10-27T06:46:00.000-07:002016-10-27T06:46:43.274-07:00Trump Does Not Understand the American Way!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODKlF12tFx-PqafPuXoO64VZ6wY9R_elyLFJBUKMruy7TMHGRWun7RJw5Um-QT2zKyXoteui3buJqi3BOsgCxUOGJISEIOipn4O4B9EkDDuRMryBacpZTASWzzWfB2MWXwoYR6ZPjahg/s1600/10-27-15booth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODKlF12tFx-PqafPuXoO64VZ6wY9R_elyLFJBUKMruy7TMHGRWun7RJw5Um-QT2zKyXoteui3buJqi3BOsgCxUOGJISEIOipn4O4B9EkDDuRMryBacpZTASWzzWfB2MWXwoYR6ZPjahg/s320/10-27-15booth.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are all kinds of reasons not to vote for Donald Trump
and here are a few of the important ones!</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
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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.</div>
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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. </div>
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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.</div>
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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.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The tactics and off-handed threats that Mr. Trump has been
issuing in the last week are both unprecedented and unpresidential.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
_____________________________</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
_____________________________________</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Abadi MT Condensed", sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">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 (</span><i>Join this Site</i>) 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, <span style="font-family: "Abadi MT Condensed","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="background: white; color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here's
Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a><span style="background: white;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the
blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="background: white; color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">an email</span></a><span style="background: white;"> if you’d like.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-73265090091830337482016-10-17T09:03:00.000-07:002016-10-17T09:03:01.199-07:00An Update on the State-by-State Polls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMyhW7PMc1Ou3Nya4A41J-rAS2xgsHaopWN3F7Y4ELZay0nqJD6NF4_1T3Sc6GJMccZPyqd4Pd3jrGsAsjIrcAS6GLQQ-V-CGM3ONktskUGP868yScTswhyu0PVKR94f2mNQz5o2kEoQ/s1600/10-17-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMyhW7PMc1Ou3Nya4A41J-rAS2xgsHaopWN3F7Y4ELZay0nqJD6NF4_1T3Sc6GJMccZPyqd4Pd3jrGsAsjIrcAS6GLQQ-V-CGM3ONktskUGP868yScTswhyu0PVKR94f2mNQz5o2kEoQ/s1600/10-17-2016.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Iowa and Ohio!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />
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…</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Ohio</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Florida</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Arizona</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Georgia</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Iowa</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">North
Carolina</span></li>
<li>·<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Nevada</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Here’s what you can count on!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">It used to be fun!</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />
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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I’ve begun
checking the prices of homes in <i>le Midi en
France</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">_________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">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 (<i>Join this Site</i>) 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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</a> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me <a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">an email</a> if you’d like.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-52347864956775029502016-10-13T06:51:00.000-07:002016-10-13T06:51:48.323-07:00Young Voters Refuse to Support Trump<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmrRlyM0jppoAvPHjlox4bNV12xQwwjR3tgTfEEMr9PunceW6M4hJ2LsLUhe9XgQ-wjk8oKer9hlqyGE-7IYsRwv3Br3dhRCgO9h6IBGRLs43yR0I20QzD3_nX7ovJOR6A1jRuSKy92c/s1600/10-13Harvard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmrRlyM0jppoAvPHjlox4bNV12xQwwjR3tgTfEEMr9PunceW6M4hJ2LsLUhe9XgQ-wjk8oKer9hlqyGE-7IYsRwv3Br3dhRCgO9h6IBGRLs43yR0I20QzD3_nX7ovJOR6A1jRuSKy92c/s320/10-13Harvard.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Liberty
College students, the University of Virginia Republican Club and the
Harvard Republican Club have refused to endorse Donald Trump.</span></span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: x-small;">by Charlie Leck</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">
At the University of Virginia the student’s Republic Club said this about
Donald Trump.<br /></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.5in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">“He has gone from simply being an embarrassment to our party to a potentially permanent stain on our brand and our country.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">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.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">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.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">According
to a poll conducted by the <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2016/8/5/republican-club-not-support-trump/"><span style="color: #1955a5; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Harvard Crimson,
a student newspaper,</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> 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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The club’s full statement is worth reading…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“He
isn’t eschewing political correctness. He is eschewing basic human decency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“He
would be ashamed of Donald Trump. We are too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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]<br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Harvard and Virginia are two of the most historic and storied universities in the nation. Their students represent the best of American thinking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br />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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;">_________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">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 (<i>Join
this Site</i>) 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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here's Google's
explanation of how to do it!</span></a> If you don’t want to post comments
on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me <a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">an email</span></a> if you’d like.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-48064680555005476452016-10-11T09:30:00.001-07:002016-10-11T09:30:56.851-07:00Looking Presidential<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ8pFhGvSki6UtwI5ejLPmRAdq06nwm-yAydgJU0Uak98H95lQ4JL6LhE_9kURucT67TmNyqJ6QF4RB6WRl8YsiOLOYZXuf0nh9Tin9CxNPJVxJiXzNKf4En6UFc9-73aHiAWc2wRpFQ/s1600/10-11Trump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpJ8pFhGvSki6UtwI5ejLPmRAdq06nwm-yAydgJU0Uak98H95lQ4JL6LhE_9kURucT67TmNyqJ6QF4RB6WRl8YsiOLOYZXuf0nh9Tin9CxNPJVxJiXzNKf4En6UFc9-73aHiAWc2wRpFQ/s320/10-11Trump.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been
watching Presidential Election Debates since 1959. I’ve always found them
remarkable until this year!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Need I tell you
that Donald Trump has failed at looking presidential – completely and
overwhelmingly?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">For instance,
read this incredibly remarkable and thorough article by Dan P. McAdams in the
June, 2016 issue of The Atlantic: <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/">http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/the-mind-of-donald-trump/480771/</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“<span style="background: white;">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.<span class="apple-converted-space">”</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The above are
not attributes one would want in a President of the United States of America!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.</span>”<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">And, Donald
Trump is a very, very aggressive personality type.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Yikes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In something of
summary, McAdams writes…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">“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.</span>”<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Are any of these
characteristics you would seek in a President of the United States of America?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">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!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">_________________________</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 6pt; text-align: center;">________________________________________________</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">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 (<i>Join
this Site</i>) 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, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here's
Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;"> If you don’t want to
post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send
me </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 9.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">an email</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;"> if
you’d like.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 6pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-4739821897040166072016-10-05T05:03:00.000-07:002016-10-05T05:07:27.987-07:00The Case Against Mike Pence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPKs1y78OvlBFjjisUsAQZyRc_ok0nh53GOFoBcoUUIYr80Iatockqja9QIujOTSsR0FlkdlOktnixbnUFxytOOla_SP7excaq33rDwZQ5K68j5xEXryG83j_ckX7yFPcGADU5UyUioM/s1600/10-5Pence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijPKs1y78OvlBFjjisUsAQZyRc_ok0nh53GOFoBcoUUIYr80Iatockqja9QIujOTSsR0FlkdlOktnixbnUFxytOOla_SP7excaq33rDwZQ5K68j5xEXryG83j_ckX7yFPcGADU5UyUioM/s320/10-5Pence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s my take
on the Republican Debate last night!</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">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.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">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.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">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.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">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.<br /></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">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.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 13.85pt;">________________________________</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
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<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9pt;">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 (<i>Join this Site</i>) 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, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9pt;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">an email</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9pt;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-58538544057276885282016-09-20T06:33:00.001-07:002016-09-20T06:33:37.639-07:00We’re Just a Bunch of Suckers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcN13E0E9EUid4e-FBV2eiIP8MSNHk8qL0hyfirXIIt4VSR01vP2AzuhikVXPvUwJeqzweM755FZq6VfOKRr4iPQA0IwoN60iUPqP_RIkUmWZU3CXsbt8ODBtoOqAeOCD5xiXWWwhFN4/s1600/9-20Rockwell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXcN13E0E9EUid4e-FBV2eiIP8MSNHk8qL0hyfirXIIt4VSR01vP2AzuhikVXPvUwJeqzweM755FZq6VfOKRr4iPQA0IwoN60iUPqP_RIkUmWZU3CXsbt8ODBtoOqAeOCD5xiXWWwhFN4/s320/9-20Rockwell.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">It is quite amazing that we are going to allow Donald Trump
to run for such a powerful office without the public knowing what his foreign
business dealings have been in the past and without him providing information
about his federal income taxes. Let me tell you this: we’re all just a bunch of
suckers.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s suppose the man is a fraud! Why? Perhaps he’s been
telling the IRS that he has not been making any money for the last ten years
and that he’s in debt up to his ears. Perhaps he can’t hold on to his property
very much longer without an infusion of significant cash. Suppose that he’s
paying his office rent these days on the contributions his campaign is receiving –
using that money as rent to pay campaign costs while they are really helping to
pay the high costs of his phony businesses (there have been some indications
that this might be true). Maybe he’s not doing any such thing! Why can’t we
find out?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s suppose, for just a moment, that he has a fortune
invested with a bunch of Russian oligarchs. Who knows? We don’t! We don’t know
because he won’t provide the information we must have to know just what he and
his business is really doing abroad. Are we as a nation about to get into bed with a number of Russian bad guys?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re just a bunch of suckers, man! We’ve been duped by one
of the slickest traveling salesmen of all times. I remember, as a kid, those
greasy looking guys who would stop in my dad’s general store and try to sell
him all kinds of miracle ointments that would cure hundreds of chronic problems
that the human body develops.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Donald Trump, with his ridiculous hair-do and his long, ugly
ties and his mysterious eyes, reminds me of those hucksters that wandered up
and down the streets of my town selling their phony cure-alls.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
Ugly ties and mysterious eyes,<br />
with hair than nearly all despise<br />
This is the man that tells all these lies<br />
…..that simple sense and logic defies</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />Will millions vote for him? Suckers! That’s what they are!
My old man used the word a lot – suckers. All those people who came to their
doors and they believed the slick guy selling them miracle treatments that were
nothing but rebottled cough syrup! My old man called them suckers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What if it had been poison in those bottles, man? What if?
What if, slowly but certainly, those miracle syrups would really hollow out and
destroy our innards? America's innards?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Suckers, man! Suckers! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
America has always been a land with masses of people who are
vulnerable to the slick, traveling salesmen – guys who would rob us blind and
then leave us behind, laughing all the way to the bank.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh, how my old man talked about people “laughing all the way
to the bank!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
These guys rob you blind<br />
and kick your behind!<br />
On our stupidity they yank,<br />
laughing on the way to the bank<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s what all this reminds me of. Donald Trump is trying
to sell a cure-all and the masses are believing him, not realizing how sick the
stuff he’s selling us really is.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the old west, the traveling salesmen caused so many
problems that the sheriff of this town or that would often have them tarred and
feathered and run out of town. Too many townspeople bought into what these
miserable twits where selling and the people wouldn’t have anything left to
spend on their real needs. They were tough on a small town’s economy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we buy into what Donald Trump is trying to sell us, we’re
going to become a very sick nation. It will probably start with the economy and
then it will infect our schools and even our health care system.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These traveling medicine men – these miserable vermin – they
count on all of us being a bunch of suckers. They take us for all that we’ve
got and then they go laughing all the way to the bank.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cannot believe how many suckers are following this man
around as if was leaking candy and sweet-tarts from his behind – when what he’s
really leaking is what a behind is suppose to leak!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
America, listen to the rhythm he spews<br />
and heed this dastardly mixture he
stews!<br />
People, stand up to your terrible leanings,<br />
refusing to take such miserable
beanings!<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
America! America! Wake yourself up from this terrible
nightmare we’re in! America, America, the good side of your nature is calling!
Do not buy Donald Trump’s terrible, dangerous concoction! He’s trying to sell
us poison that looks like tasty candy!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Image is a photograph of a Normal Rockwell painting: "Selling Ice to the Eskimo" </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 13.85pt; text-align: center;">________________________________</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" /><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 13.85pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">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 (<i>Join this Site</i>) 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, </span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">an email</span></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-33418239316875793172016-09-15T08:13:00.000-07:002016-09-15T08:15:00.939-07:00Think This Is A Wild Election?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk61xwjgcUBs-9m3kCrvIGCs8kLU9AJ0JjTDSTnIrA7tE8ofgK-uH1lW20v0pvzfalJQr7sd7tchXC8J1j9Aph-SG8OJDW0Mo980JdrLtstsVU6_Uxn_gweBdtQxPXu8toNI6qMA4Rr24/s1600/9-15hickory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk61xwjgcUBs-9m3kCrvIGCs8kLU9AJ0JjTDSTnIrA7tE8ofgK-uH1lW20v0pvzfalJQr7sd7tchXC8J1j9Aph-SG8OJDW0Mo980JdrLtstsVU6_Uxn_gweBdtQxPXu8toNI6qMA4Rr24/s320/9-15hickory.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a rough,
tough election. No doubt about it, but there have been crazier ones in U.S.
History.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">A Washington
Post editorial (15 September 2016) calls Donald Trump a scam artist. I don’t
think any presidential candidate in the last one hundred years, has been
described so harshly as Donald Trump is being pictured by many leading news
organizations.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">What I think we
need to look at is why so many, many potential voters continue to favor Donald
Trump for this job. Is that a reflection on the America we live in and the
character of its people?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I wonder how so
many people can buy into such irrational promises from any candidate. Do they actually know that the promises are impossible to fulfill and just want to go with the guy
because he is such a radical change from traditional candidates?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">There are many
questions like that in my mind. I am hoping that some of the investigations by
both news organizations and legal authorities will make serious progress in the
next 30 days in order to answer some of the dizzying questions about candidate
Trump. It appears his family foundation is something of a hoax. This foundation
received donations from other charitable givers and gave it away as if it were
from Trump’s personal fortune. It also purchased, for $20,000, a six-foot
painting of Mr. Trump. The foundation also bid $12,000 on a football helmet
autographed by Tim Tebow. And, there is much more we don’t know about Trump’s
rental policies in many of his New York City apartment facilities. And, former
students of Trump University are coming out of the wood work every day, drawing
vivid depictions of the fraud that went on in that Trump program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">There are so
many things we can’t quite figure out about Mr. Trump without a close look at
his federal income tax filings. It certainly appears that Mr. Trump is never
going to give us the right to do that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">There is so much
“evidence” of possible fraud about Mr. Trump’s activities over the last three
decades; and yet, it is Hillary Clinton that Donald Trump keeps calling
crooked and fraudulent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">What a
campaigner the man is! He’s like a boxer throwing the wildest of punches,
hoping one or two of them will land. He makes stuff up like the best of fiction
writers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I’d like to say
this is the weirdest campaign for the office in American History. That wouldn’t
be true. Prior to the twentieth century there were a number of very crude and
rude campaigns. The first campaign of Abe Lincoln is a good example. Lincoln
was falsely called all kinds of vile things by the opposing press and the
opposing candidate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">The second
campaign of John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson in 1828 is a good example of
enormous political sleaze. Though Jackson’s party was called “The Democrats,”
it much more closely resembled today’s Republican Party because they had a
strong commitment to individual liberties, very limited government and heavily
favored strong states’ rights. Jackson was known as “Old Hickory” He was a southern
man of humble means and he was orphaned early in life. He was, however, a
military hero.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">John Quincy
Adams was the complete opposite of that; for he was the son of one of the
nation’s founders and, as a man of wealth and privilege, he had traveled the
world and spoke a number of languages. “Erudite” is the word that comes to mind
when trying to describe JQA.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Adams had won the 1824 election battle against
Jackson by the slimmest of margins, actually losing the popular vote but
winning when the electoral votes were in his favor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Adams had little
trouble exploiting a rather questionable reputation that Jackson carried. An
extraordinarily strong temper was one of Jackson’s weakness (remember, he was
the man of a number of duels). Jackson had also disobeyed direct military orders
in 1819 and had invaded Spanish Florida in spite of the orders not to. Jackson
also had to fight charges that he was an adulterer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">But, Jackson
fought hard and called Adams a man of corruption and pointed to a number of
possible examples. Of course, the south hated Adams and loved Jackson. The good
church-going people of the south also accused Adams of owning a pool table and
of gambling at card games! It seemed, Jackson claimed, that the pool table had
been paid for with government money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">The pressure in
that campaign was so intense that Adams withdrew from actual appearances, but
many northern newspapers took up the campaign for him. One newspaper reported
that Jackson’s mother was “a common prostitute!” The paper also claimed that
the woman ended up marring “a mulatto man” and Jackson was one of the children
of that marriage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">In the end,
Jackson took 56 percent of the vote in 1828 and 178 electoral votes were
tallied for him; while Adams received only 83 such votes. Jackson was so
angered by Adams that he refused to make the traditional visit to the outgoing
president on the day of his inauguration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">One
of my favorite stories about early political campaigns comes from the
Lincoln/Douglas fights and debates in 1860. Out on the campaign trail, Douglas
was to call Lincoln one of the ugliest men of all time – “horrid-looking… sooty
and scoundrelly… a cross between a nutmeg dealer, the horse-swapper and the
nightman.” Stephen Douglas had no room to talk – himself being 5’4’’ tall and
the same measurement wide.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><i>Smithsonian
Magazine</i> listed the 1876 election campaign between Samuel Jones Tilden and
Rutherford B. Hayes as one of the dirtiest campaigns ever. Tilden was boldly
called, over and over, “a briber, a thief,” and “a drunken syphilitic.” It was
documented that southern Democrats prevented thousands of eligible blacks from
casting votes all across the southern states. Neither candidate got enough
electoral votes to win and a constitutional crisis developed. It wasn’t until
early in 1877 that a compromise took place – it gave Hayes the presidency in
exchange for removing all federal troops from the South (and that, in essence,
ended Reconstruction.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">When I first
read, many years ago, about the history of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, I was
completely taken by this remarkable comment by Abraham Lincoln. I wrote it down
carefully and tucked it in a special “quotation notebook” that I keep. This if
what Abe Lincoln said in one of those debates:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">“That is the
real issue. That is the issue that will continue in this country when these
poor tongues of Judge Douglas and myself shall be silent. It is the eternal
struggle between these two principles—right and wrong—throughout the world.
They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of
time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of
humanity and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in
whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, ‘You work
and toil and earn bread, and I'll eat it.’ No matter in what shape it comes,
whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own
nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an
apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.” </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">[in
the debate at Alton, Ill on Oct 15, 1858]</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , serif; line-height: 13.85pt; text-align: center;">________________________________</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;" />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9pt;">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 (<i>Join this Site</i>) 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, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9pt;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">an email</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 9pt;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-75460501277478234542016-09-14T05:16:00.000-07:002016-09-14T05:21:42.236-07:00The Many Reasons Trump Should Be Turned Away!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuatcWz9u8cp6psF2GVPhszTbuTHbX3d_mLZPrzs-q3EHdN30rjEYFYaHjzMQSeTgWa9eb2tp-5MSuUCNZ3J2tJvvF5-kOeTMeSLvsnxTCWjaAgxHW98viK8sTLoR7-IlSHJZUcd5HiRE/s1600/9-14Olber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuatcWz9u8cp6psF2GVPhszTbuTHbX3d_mLZPrzs-q3EHdN30rjEYFYaHjzMQSeTgWa9eb2tp-5MSuUCNZ3J2tJvvF5-kOeTMeSLvsnxTCWjaAgxHW98viK8sTLoR7-IlSHJZUcd5HiRE/s320/9-14Olber.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s your
chance to see a thorough and carefully compiled list of the reasons Donald Trump should
be soundly defeated in November. I like Keith Olbermann’s style and he outdoes
himself here.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">In a Gentlemen’s
Quarterly column, Keith Olbermann listed 176 reasons why Donald Trump should
not be elected President. Here are a few of them. <a href="http://www.gq.com/story/176-reasons-donald-trump-shouldnt-be-president-olbermann">You
can find the rest on-line</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">“The Emperor's New Clothes quality to the
Trump campaign has survived these 15 months because, as we react to each
outrage, our shock and revulsion have been refracted like light through a
prism. But these outrages are not separate events, not even a pattern. They
are, simply, Donald Trump. Seen all at once, they—and he—are horrifying. You
must see them all at once. Thus—in brief—the story so far:” </span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">(Below are
the first 7 of his 176 reasons.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 2.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">The Republican party has actually nominated
for president a man who attacked<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-response-to-the-pope" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">the Pope</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 2.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 2.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Who attacked<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/trump-attacks-mccain-i-like-people-who-werent-captured-120317" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">John McCain</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for being captured by the North
Vietnamese.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Who attacked Gold Star parents<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-father-fallen-soldier-ive-made-lot/story?id=41015051" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">Khizr and Ghazala Khan</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and then<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/760070280932982784" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">juxtaposed</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>their names with the phrase “Radical
Islamic Terrorism.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Who attacked Hillary Clinton as a “bigot.”
Who attacked her as “<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/761936929902452740"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">brainwashed</span></a>.”
As “<a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/290613-trump-clinton-unhinged-and-a-monster"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">unhinged</span></a>.”
As “<a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/290613-trump-clinton-unhinged-and-a-monster"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">a monster</span></a>.”
As “<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/01/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-devil-election-2016/index.html"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">the devil</span></a>.”
As “<a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/286360-trump-deletes-tweet-using-star-of-david-after-backlash"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">the most corrupt
candidate ever</span></a>”—showing her face on piles of hundred-dollar bills
and the Star of David.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Who attacked her as someone whom “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcxkkrNSv-4&feature=youtu.be"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">Second Amendment
people</span></a>” should do something about. As someone whose<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/284281-trump-questions-clintons-religion" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">religion</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>“we don’t know anything about”—after
he explained he had never asked God for<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">forgiveness</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Who attacked President Obama and implied he
was a<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://elections.ap.org/content/latest-trump-says-obama-puts-enemies-ahead-allies" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">traitor</span></a>. Who attacked him
as having been<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/13/donald-trump-suggests-maybe-president-obama-doesnt-really-want-to-stop-terrorism-wink-wink/" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">complicit</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in the Orlando terrorist attack. Who
attacked him for having lower<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/notes/2016/09/trump-time-capsule-96-putin-has-an-82-percent-approval-rating/499100/" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">approval ratings</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>than Vladimir Putin, as if Putin’s
could be trusted. Who attacked him as being born in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-birther-obama-119945" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">another country</span></a>. Who
attacked him as the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-president-barack-obama-founder-isis/story?id=41286869" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">founder of ISIS</span></a>, then said
it<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/764045345332396032" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">was sarcasm</span></a>, then said it<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/764045345332396032" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">wasn</span><span style="color: #ff3c36;">’</span><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">t sarcasm</span></a>,
then attacked him again as the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/JDiamond1/status/764175749146353665" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">founder of ISIS</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">Who attacked Carly Fiorina for her<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/trump-seriously-20150909?page=12" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">face</span></a>; Hillary Clinton for
her non-presidential “<a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/us/politics/donald-trump-says-hillary-clinton-doesnt-have-a-presidential-look.html?nlid=66052183&src=recpb&referer="><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">look</span></a>”;
Heidi Cruz for her<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/03/24/donald-trump-posted-photo-ted-heidi-cruz/82210692/" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">appearance</span></a>;<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/08/07/trump-says-foxs-megyn-kelly-had-blood-coming-out-of-her-wherever/?tid=a_inl" style="box-sizing: border-box; word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">Megyn Kelly</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for having “blood coming out of her
wherever”; Mika Brzezinski as “<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/771686352438042624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">crazy and very
dumb</span></a>,” “<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/767683204039974912"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">neurotic</span></a>,”
“<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/767683204039974912"><span style="color: #ff3c36; text-decoration: none;">not very bright</span></a>.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I
hope you’ll read the rest of these reasons in Olbermann’s column. It is just
all too, too true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-6892344162729065822016-09-13T07:09:00.000-07:002016-09-13T07:12:12.413-07:00Trump Would Not Make Us Great!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7dkb5NNg0W4CqnnLvdKQ1viKcV5fj_1Mbeo7k0jWkKKChyxjY5qiGNa3G9xMBB4BG3fGK9Vbu1FaZHT0KVWmHNXxNg7geEixeCF5H7bC5Iz2wBO8rNCTyTU6JicFrTpBfMz4zz0KCY8/s1600/2016-9-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7dkb5NNg0W4CqnnLvdKQ1viKcV5fj_1Mbeo7k0jWkKKChyxjY5qiGNa3G9xMBB4BG3fGK9Vbu1FaZHT0KVWmHNXxNg7geEixeCF5H7bC5Iz2wBO8rNCTyTU6JicFrTpBfMz4zz0KCY8/s320/2016-9-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: large;">Rather than making us great again, Donald Trump would tear us apart!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Charlie Leck</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I get quite
confused by so many people I know claiming that “America is the greatest nation
on earth!” My confusion comes from not knowing what that means – especially
when I hear the Donald Trump campaign for the presidency shouting out all the
time: “Let’s make America great again!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I’m also
confused because I do not have much experience with other nations – I’ve been
in quite a few but there are so many I know nothing about. For instance, I know
France and I absolutely love it. If it weren’t for the idea of leaving so many
children and grandchildren, I would try to convince my wife to give living in
the area of Avignon a chance. I also loved Japan. There is something about that
nation’s calm demeanor and its gentleness that I really like. And, of course,
Canada is a remarkably civilized and well-informed nation. Eastern Canada would
be someplace I could easily live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">America seems so
much more violent than those three nations mentioned above. It seems to me that
so many Americans don’t understand our constitution and the extraordinary
rights conferred to us by that remarkable document. My own surveys and quizzing
has proven to me that very few Americans understand that we are a republic – a
democratic republic to be sure – and not so much a pure democracy. This comes
as the result of being a nation of 50 individual states. History shows us a lot
of perpetual rancor between the states.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I wish Americans
would stop boasting so much about our greatness. I know it somewhat irks dear
friends and relatives of mine who live in other nations. Why can’t we just
strive for being a great nation and let others decide just how great we are?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I want to ask
the question: What <u>is</u> a great nation? Or, what makes a nation great or
greater than another nation? I think my answer to those queries would be quite
different than the replies most people would give. I would want to know how
well the nation takes care of the least of us (as Jesus is said to have put
it). How concerned are we that our nation is fair to everyone and gives
everyone an even chance for success? How vast is the wealth of the wealthy and
how vast is the poverty of the poor? How well do we take care of our very young
and our very old? Have we a real compassion about justice for all or do we just
recite it to be politically correct?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">Only six out of
ten eligible voters will vote in America. That troubles me. And don’t think it
is this uneducated or poor or ill who don’t vote. As the NY Times points out in
a remarkable story this morning, “…the majority of people who didn’t vote in
the 2012 presidential election were white, middle-income and middle-aged.” Why?
A great nation ought to fix that! The republic is not quite working as it
should.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "serif";">I am asking
myself all those questions as I prepare to vote this year. After careful thought,
I am quite certain that Donald Trump would <u>not</u> make us a greater nation.
A lot of people would be left out under the Donald Trump promise. His comment
at one of his campaign rallies, about a protester, is a perfect example of the
attitude that Donald Trump would bring to America as its president: “I’d like
to punch that guy in the face!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">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 (</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">Join this Site</i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">) 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, </span><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">an email</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-10323335477126139322016-09-09T05:48:00.000-07:002016-09-09T05:48:35.350-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhWvhYEql_Bk5-8kTSfOh1dIls8AXLAeSUOxAIUrrWm3RSyxWHfSDTCRf69NNrdCPBa5r9P1evWnbt4QjT8F6NRJUQFgmdhOODnFBHWkpPk6qZ5eQen2A8QM9xbxiPC_qLx8s6FGn_8g/s1600/9-9vital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhWvhYEql_Bk5-8kTSfOh1dIls8AXLAeSUOxAIUrrWm3RSyxWHfSDTCRf69NNrdCPBa5r9P1evWnbt4QjT8F6NRJUQFgmdhOODnFBHWkpPk6qZ5eQen2A8QM9xbxiPC_qLx8s6FGn_8g/s320/9-9vital.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Ohio and Florida are
absolutely crucial and you will see lots of campaigning there; and I don’t
think Mrs. Clinton can lose both of these states and still win the election.<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">by Charlie Leck<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I began blogging in 2007 during the early days of the Presidential election
race. I followed the polling results of a dozen major poll takers and kept my
readers up-to-date on how things stood (the kind of thing done so much more
expertly and fashionably now by 538). A couple of days before the 2008 election I
was able to ensure my readers that Barack Obama would be the next president. It
won’t be that easy this time. I am shocked that this nation is giving such
serious consideration to Donald Trump for the office.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Clinton v. Trump: The
count as I see it now!</b><br />
In my wildest imaginings I would never have considered that the race would be
this close.</div>
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270 electoral votes are necessary to win the presidency. As
of right now, <u>I see</u> Clinton able to hold on to and win states that add up
to 240 electoral votes – leaving her in need of 30 more. Then there are the
following states that keeping sliding back and forth between her and Trump:
Colorado (9), Florida (29), Ohio (18), Michigan (16), Wisconsin (10). The
electoral votes in those states are listed with each state.</div>
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It doesn’t take a polling genius to see how important
Florida is in this election. If Hillary were to lose Florida, she’d need to
take at least two of the other four remaining states – two if they were Ohio
(18) and Michigan (16). I’ll put it this way: She’d better win three of the
five states listed in the paragraph above!</div>
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The following are the states that appear certain to vote for
Donald Trump (a good number of them are not surprises but a few are)..</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Kansas (6)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Louisiana (8)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Mississippi (6)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Montana (3)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
North Dakota (3)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
South Dakota (3)</div>
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The following states are leaning
toward Donald Trump</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Indiana (11)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Nebraska (1)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
South Carolina (9)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Montana (3)</div>
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Texas (38)</div>
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Utah (6)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Here are the states that experts consider absolute toss-ups…
but I’m not sure Georgia (a state that always disappoints me) belongs here. I
think the Peach State will vote for Trump. I think Pennsylvania and Virginia
will vote for Clinton. Maine, at the moment, is leaning toward Trump. Ohio and
Florida are absolutely crucial and you will see lots of campaigning there; and
I don’t think Mrs. Clinton can lose both of these states and still win the
election.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Arizona (11)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Florida (29)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Georgia (16)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Iowa (6)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Maine (1)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Missouri (10)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Nevada (6)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
North Carolina (15)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Ohio (18)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Pennsylvania (20)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
Virginia (13)</div>
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Wisconsin (10)</div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">________________________________</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">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 (</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">Join this Site</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">) 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, </span><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">an email</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-10574544676925618422016-09-08T06:05:00.001-07:002016-09-08T06:05:35.576-07:00I Am, Proudly, a Liberal!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk9fanp_lSdxq_ikx6UnT9ZO-7jZDBTBuVcJ1J_NUToPDqNsPBfgDr72Sag2NTSE9WtbJxh9xVOZYe3meM2QEMjkOf8Yk46b-xPIJk1t2H5Luff9agA5YIKbhXVY1ea404ZMQOwzvxpA/s1600/9-8CantonMS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvk9fanp_lSdxq_ikx6UnT9ZO-7jZDBTBuVcJ1J_NUToPDqNsPBfgDr72Sag2NTSE9WtbJxh9xVOZYe3meM2QEMjkOf8Yk46b-xPIJk1t2H5Luff9agA5YIKbhXVY1ea404ZMQOwzvxpA/s320/9-8CantonMS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The train station in Canton, Mississippi, where I got off<br /> the train on 22 June 1964 and learned that Michael Schwerner,<br /> Andrew Goodman and James Cheney were missing and likely<br /> dead.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">When it comes to
politics, I am a liberal.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Charlie Leck</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">That won’t surprise anyone who really knows me – it’s
been commonly known for decades. My Facebook friends, however, should probably
understand this about me and they then can make any sort of decisions they want
about continuing to friend me or defriend me (or secretly block me).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I didn’t
know what I was (politically) until it came time for my first national election
vote in 1962, when I found myself mostly in agreement with Democratic Party
principles. John F. Kennedy was in office and I liked where he was trying to
move the nation and I liked the stances he was taking on desegregating the Deep
South. His assassination pretty well sewed up for me my political stances.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In
1964 I went to Mississippi for the summer voter registration project, arriving
there on the day the three young civil rights workers (Schwerner, Chaney and
Goodman) were reported missing. Mississippi was red hot that summer in so many
ways. My time there forever convinced me that I would spend my life fighting
racism and racial injustice. I have written a series of blogs about my Mississippi experience and privately published those blogs a couple of years ago. (I can make them available to those who are interested.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The war was also raging in Vietnam and any simple
reading of the history of that battle and how we got ourselves into it showed
it to be stupid politically and morally wrong for us to be there. I took a
public position on the war in ’66 and began working against it and marching
against it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In ’68 I took the step into political involvement and associated
myself with the famous Democratic Farmer-Labor Party of Minnesota and attended
my first State DFL Party Convention as a supporter of Eugene McCarthy for the
Presidency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">The nation, that autumn, was to make the incredible mistake of defeating Hubert H. Humphrey and electing Richard M. Nixon as President. Nixon was a disaster!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Now, the same party
considers electing a man of even worse standards and abilities and I am left
dumbfounded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Why can’t they
see how stupid and poorly fit he is for the office?” My wife just called that
question up to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“Because they
don’t read,” I answered her. And, I believe that must be true; for, if you
read, about Donald Trump you will understand how unprincipled he is and how
everything he has done in his life has been for Donald Trump. What he will do
to the nation, if he is elected, is appalling to think about. Nixon will seem
like a prince and a clergyman in comparison.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">For starters, read <i>Trump Revealed</i> by Michael Kranish and
Marc Fisher. (They subtitled their book “An American Journey of Ambition, Ego,
Money and Power!”)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">There is no
changing the minds of Donald Trump's followers because they are closed-minded. They don’t
really understand who this man is and how, over the years, he has disqualified
himself for consideration to such an office. I can only say – very sincerely – “God
help America if he is elected!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Can you not hear the many wise, prophetic voices warning us?</span></div>
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________________________________</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">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 (</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">Join this Site</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">) 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, </span><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">an email</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-21561007398078123592016-09-06T08:27:00.000-07:002016-09-06T08:27:04.936-07:00Trump Deserves to be Turned-Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZcivPkD01rvtIE17vsVEVaOt-ua-BtvXgGTTupQTjqTn4FoT7olpygQ_-qBiGNNwN8v0PrXxR68BgA6D3uzdycrMxNhez9HO_G1zcm-wN90qeQdlRWewk-__XdPlrkdtvIaOgKUclNA/s1600/Trump003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZcivPkD01rvtIE17vsVEVaOt-ua-BtvXgGTTupQTjqTn4FoT7olpygQ_-qBiGNNwN8v0PrXxR68BgA6D3uzdycrMxNhez9HO_G1zcm-wN90qeQdlRWewk-__XdPlrkdtvIaOgKUclNA/s320/Trump003.jpg" width="252" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">[sketch by C Leck)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Think about it readers, please! Donald Trump does not deserve your vote. He deserves to be rejected by huge numbers. It will send a message to other frauds who seek to take over this office.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Charlie Leck</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
Paul Waldman in the Washington Post calls the following a history of Donald Trump's corruption, double-dealing and fraud [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/09/05/trumps-history-of-corruption-is-mind-boggling-so-why-is-clinton-supposedly-the-corrupt-one/?tid=pm_pop_b&utm_term=.1487b62984a9">see the story here</a>).<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> Trump’s casino bankruptcies, which left investors holding the bag while he skedaddled with their money </li>
<li>Trump’s habit of refusing to pay contractors who had done work for him, many of whom are struggling small businesses </li>
<li>Trump University, which includes not only the people who got scammed and the Florida investigation, but also a similar story from Texas where the investigation into Trump U was quashed. * The Trump Institute, another get-rich-quick scheme in which Trump allowed a couple of grifters to use his name to bilk people out of their money </li>
<li>The Trump Network, a multi-level marketing venture (a.k.a. pyramid scheme) that involved customers mailing in a urine sample which would be analyzed to produce for them a specially formulated package of multivitamins </li>
<li>Trump Model Management, which reportedly had foreign models lie to customs officials and work in the U.S. illegally, and kept them in squalid conditions while they earned almost nothing for the work they did </li>
<li>Trump’s employment of foreign guest workers at his resorts, which involves a claim that he can’t find Americans to do the work </li>
<li>Trump’s use of hundreds of undocumented workers from Poland in the 1980s, who were paid a pittance for their illegal work </li>
<li>Trump’s history of being charged with housing discrimination </li>
<li>Trump’s connections to mafia figures involved in New York construction </li>
<li>The time Trump paid the Federal Trade Commission $750,000 over charges that he violated anti-trust laws when trying to take over a rival casino company</li>
<li>The fact that Trump is now being advised by Roger Ailes, who was forced out as Fox News chief when dozens of women came forward to charge him with sexual harassment. According to the allegations, Ailes’s behavior was positively monstrous; as just one indicator, his abusive and predatory actions toward women were so well-known and so loathsome that in 1968 the morally upstanding folks in the Nixon administration refused to allow him to work there despite his key role in getting Nixon elected.</li>
</ul>
<br />
I don’t need to say anything else. Anyone who votes for this man in November is a bit crazy and unconcerned about the health and wealth of our nation.<br />
<br />
Trump will likely threaten to sue about the list of claims above. As in the past, it will only be a bluff and the man won’t dare sue because he’d face such embarrassment at a trial which would prove these charges true.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
________________________________</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">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 (</span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">Join this Site</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;">) 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, </span><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> If you don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me </span><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px; text-decoration: none;">an email</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17.0667px;"> if you’d like.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-75090026769382369312016-08-26T09:33:00.000-07:002016-08-26T09:33:51.853-07:00“Trump is Bullshit Crazy!”<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIGBstFxties2J6VVMT90HIivZGPpt4BEonIB8-GBmm_kGvboZQLVgSzGfyPTyaqt9kaCFnfpTVEr1tc6LWWKe4OBsOfktk2QiqB7WwCYCQ7Bky1vXwagaycRSC3TJA8c0pPzJrpeNqE/s1600/8-26bullshit+crazy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIGBstFxties2J6VVMT90HIivZGPpt4BEonIB8-GBmm_kGvboZQLVgSzGfyPTyaqt9kaCFnfpTVEr1tc6LWWKe4OBsOfktk2QiqB7WwCYCQ7Bky1vXwagaycRSC3TJA8c0pPzJrpeNqE/s320/8-26bullshit+crazy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I am amazed that there are Americans who are going to vote
for Donald Trump in the coming presidential elections. Amazed!</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here are opinion column headlines you get when you read the
newspaper… These come from just this morning’s readings (23 August 2016).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“Australians are mortified by Trumps rise!” (by David
Ignatius)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“No, Donald Trump, America Isn’t a Hellhole!” (by Paul
Krugman)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“Donald Trump is a flake and a fraud!” (by Eugene Robinson)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“Trump’s repellent inner circle!” (by Michael Gerson)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“Donald Trump must think we’re all fools!” (by Danielle
Allen)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“How Republican candidates can survive the Trump train wreck!”
by Whit Ayres</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
And, there’s the one from a
couple of days ago…</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“You don’t need a psychiatrist to know there’s something
wrong with Donald Trump!” (by Mathew Goldenberg)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
All these are fine and good, but
the best description of Donald Trump that I’ve come across during this
political season is the one by Mark Cuban (entrepreneur and owner of the NBA’s
Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres and Magnolia Pictures…. ): “Bullshit crazy!”
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also like the take on Trump by psychiatrist Mathew
Goldenberg (assistant professor at Yale University):</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
“Like many American’s, I have been personally appalled by much
of Trump’s indecorous behavior as a candidate. He comes across as cantankerous,
vain, impulsive, demeaning and ill-informed. I understand why people have
raised questions about his mental health. It can be tempting to describe his
behavior in familiar psychopathological terms.” (LA Times, August 23, 2016)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Don’t vote for Donald Trump! It would be so foolish! The man
is bullshit crazy!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
_________________________</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">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 (<i>Join
this Site</i>) 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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="color: #888888; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a> If you don’t
want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about
it, send me <a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="color: #888888; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">an email</span></a> if
you’d like.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-21354261613754946312016-08-23T10:52:00.000-07:002016-08-23T10:52:07.085-07:00How to Watch the Presidential Debates!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGZarGZ0WTFtDUJDp8Tu3JqvmKhyphenhyphen5OhmLPk5phpbBXFvbO9_HCe-j4t5K-6qBgitrPJS96mR1XaH3zEw4we77sDSXi2DzsNBOTQPRHCk8IuCTmju58OXH_lrqnC5MM2UzwOHIQR4tIsE/s1600/8-23-2016DT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGZarGZ0WTFtDUJDp8Tu3JqvmKhyphenhyphen5OhmLPk5phpbBXFvbO9_HCe-j4t5K-6qBgitrPJS96mR1XaH3zEw4we77sDSXi2DzsNBOTQPRHCk8IuCTmju58OXH_lrqnC5MM2UzwOHIQR4tIsE/s320/8-23-2016DT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">I’m no expert, but I don’t think one needs to be to figure
out how the debates must go for Donald Trump if he is to have a chance to win
this election!</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to Nate Silver (and let’s get it straight that
Silver, because of his record over the last decade, deserves attention more
than any other political prognosticator in America), Donald Trump will need “perhaps
65 million” votes to win the presidential election in November. This will require,
Silver explains, a tremendous expansion of the following he had among primary
voters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Historically, presidential candidates have made some
significant efforts to expand that base by presenting himself (or herself) as more
flexible and centrist than the opponent. The idea of appealing to the center
has been around for years in presidential politics – Reagan was a master at it
and so were John F. Kennedy and his brother, Bobby. George W. Bush got elected
because Al Gore was too stubborn about compromising and moving to a more
central position in the voters’ eyes. Richard Nixon beat Hubert Humphrey
because the center was too big a stretch for the staunch liberal that Humphrey
was.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Donald Trump took such rigid positions in the primary races
that he is having a hard time moving closer to the center on his positions.
And, as Silver wrote, “Trump’s decision this week to make Stephen Bannon of the
combative, anti-establishment website <i>Breitbart
News</i> his campaign’s chief executive suggests that he’s moving in the
opposite direction.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Trump’s favorable position among general election voters is
actually down from the numbers during his campaign (now about 32 percent
according to <i>Huffington Post</i>, while
Silver puts him at about 37 percent).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In short, Donald Trump absolutely must have a serious crash
by Hillary Clinton even though she is way out in front and can campaign
cautiously – making every possible effort to prove to the American people that
she is a centrist at heart. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want to watch the coming Presidential Debates with
some sense of political strategy, you’ll need to carefully essay whether Donald
Trump can resist all-out fist fights and ungentlemanly insults of the character
of Mrs. Clinton. The Democrats are hoping that Trump will continue such
childish and foolish misbehavior because the belief is that Trump has wrung out
as many votes as he’ll be able to get from such an approach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is Donald Trump capable of the kind of civility that is
expected of a President of the U.S.A.? It is an answer to that question for
which viewers will be waiting and watching. Can he be coached? Does he understand
the centrist concept? Can he contain his temper?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 8.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 6.5pt;">______________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 8.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 8.85pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 9pt;">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 (<i>Join
this Site</i>) 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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here's Google's
explanation of how to do it!</span></a> If you don’t want to post comments
on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me <a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">an email</span></a> if you’d like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-25610330157982672112016-08-20T05:07:00.000-07:002016-08-20T05:07:27.276-07:00Donald Trump’s Sleazy Past!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBU10KVEXxC_bcC45c2dy9VBOJ01ETnAACQ6Qmc79tyd8vcfVbv9_BS_j_k0i6aY2B41sTMksK4t0mFI_ikSaYQgCA8y0QFE897-700HN8rw14336hlAU0rRAJk24of02qcnWsTr5BKI/s1600/Trump8-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBU10KVEXxC_bcC45c2dy9VBOJ01ETnAACQ6Qmc79tyd8vcfVbv9_BS_j_k0i6aY2B41sTMksK4t0mFI_ikSaYQgCA8y0QFE897-700HN8rw14336hlAU0rRAJk24of02qcnWsTr5BKI/s320/Trump8-20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">It is amazing to
consider the life, attitudes, comments and activities of Donald Trump!</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Biographers are
going to have a wonderful time with the life of Donald Trump in the coming
years. It will be like nothing we’ve ever read (except, perhaps, in fiction).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Lots of people
are going to read about lots of people who have gotten screwed by Donald Trump –
literally and figuratively. For instance…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Donald Trump’s
tax debt to the state of NJ had grown to nearly 30 million dollars at one time.
When Chris Christie became Governor of the state, that amount was negotiated
down to around 5 million. I guess is shows how cool it is to have friends in
high places. The people of the state of NJ got screwed but Donald came out,
once again, smelling like hot popcorn at the movie theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Hundreds of
people have felt the relentless selfishness and cheapness of Donald Trump –
like the architect who designed the clubhouse for Donald’s famous golf course –
<i>Trump National</i>. The poor man didn’t
even come up with enough money to pay off the debts he had incurred in doing
the design. “Tough,” Donald told him – in far more graphical terminology and
with no pity or mercy – “that’s all you’re getting! Never mind our contract. It
isn’t worth the paper it’s written on!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Now Donald is
telling us he “regrets” many of the things he’s said during the campaign. Don’t
fool yourself into thinking that is an apology. Read any of the great
behaviorists and you’ll find that the word “regret” is a non-starter and “an
escape word.” For whom is the regret? For himself? Why? Because it has damaged
his own goals? Does it mean he is actually sorry? Not necessarily! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">There is nothing
of high character about Donald Trump! Nothing! He is a sleaze-ball who believes
in taking care of Donald Trump!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">I have begun
putting together a massive file of his fumbling and misdeeds – his debts and
his debtors – his misstatements and his lies – the names and professions of
those he has cheated and slandered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Now he comes
expressing regrets! Not apologies, mind you – but regrets!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A real man would
have picked up the telephone and called Mr. and Mrs. Khan and expressed his
apology for saying such terrible things about them – for having misspoken so
carelessly! A real man would have called Senator John McCain and apologized for
what he said about the Senator’s prisoner of war status during the Viet Nam
War. A real man would have called his architect and apologized for cheating him
out of what was due him and would have gotten a payment-in-full check off to
him immediately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">A real man would
have looked himself in the mirror and owned-up to the fact that he has no
business running for the highest office in our land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Why are so many
people fascinated with him? It is an important question for psychologists to
study and for those who do support him to ask themselves?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Donald Trump
must never become President of the United States of America! If so, it would
become the greatest mistake in our history!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">______________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 12.8pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">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 (<i>Join this Site</i>)
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, <a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here's Google's
explanation of how to do it!</span></a> If you don’t want to post comments
on the blog, but would like to communicate with me about it, send me <a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">an email</span></a> if you’d like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-83270502801637097512016-08-13T16:46:00.000-07:002016-08-13T16:47:42.843-07:00Donald Trump is a Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXZ1k1vWw2eENcjOyhsptV6SWeYgY-A3HshiRUw8TYT08WZzYIGLZFMtnECz56k-jmk_bs1F2db0XDGaRA-pCp5nZLWwpGjfeu8shVHhBNIwVkQTkH0wIYnygiU7FA_FW14RBq61bNmg/s1600/8-13Palmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXZ1k1vWw2eENcjOyhsptV6SWeYgY-A3HshiRUw8TYT08WZzYIGLZFMtnECz56k-jmk_bs1F2db0XDGaRA-pCp5nZLWwpGjfeu8shVHhBNIwVkQTkH0wIYnygiU7FA_FW14RBq61bNmg/s320/8-13Palmer.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">You who have raised children will know what I’m talking
about. It takes awhile for kids to develop common sense and responsibility – to
learn that candy and soda pop are not what the world is really all about and
that they have some part in making this a decent world in which to live.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think what I concentrated on most in raising children was
to help them develop a sense of responsibility – that there was a way to seek
out the common good (not just of our family but for all families of the world).
It takes children awhile to grasp the lessons and early-on, before they do
grasp them, they are nearly totally wrapped up in themselves and their own
desires (and not necessarily their needs). Thank goodness that maturity changes
that. Once a child senses that he has responsibilities in this world he is then
set free to develop his own senses of individuality.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a wonderful book here in my study, written by Parker
J. Palmer, called <i>Healing the Heart of
Democracy*</i>. In it, Palmer explains five “habits of the heart.” They are the
kinds of things most noble parents try to teach their children; and they are
what other institutions (churches and schools) of humanity also try to teach…</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->An
understanding that we are all in this together</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->An
appreciation of the value of <i>otherness</i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->An
ability to hold tension in life-giving ways</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->A
sense of personal voice and agency</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .75in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->A
capacity to create community</div>
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This – those things (attitudes) I mention above – would be
way beyond the comprehension of Donald Trump. To me, Trump exhibits all the
nasty little habits of the adolescent – things we, as parents, work so hard to
hurry them through and “grow them out of.” Trump would not be able to
understand the ideas Mr. Palmer explains in his book.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>An understanding that
we are all in this together (that it takes a village)</b><br />
“And yet anyone who does not understand that the self is interdependent with
others does not understand what it takes to be entrepreneurial, creative and political,
let alone what it means to be human.” [Parker J. Palmer]</div>
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<br /></div>
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Donald Trump is too involved in himself to understand
interdependence. He would smirk at the idea that “it takes a village.” Trump, I
think, is one of those people that Parker describes as being “lost in delusions
of <u>adequacy</u>.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Mr. Parker’s book was written four years ago, but it seems,
when I read it, that he is showing us what Donald Trump is at his very base and
what he missed in his development.</div>
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<br /></div>
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This author speaks of the deep need to develop a sense of
humility and a feeling of chutzpah (a sense of deep confidence that one is important
and needed); however, the latter without the former, could be dangerous. And it
is in just such a dangerous manner that Donald Trump approaches politics. The
chutzpah is there, but the humility is completely lacking.</div>
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The more I listen to Donald Trump and the more I sense his
approach to living and communing, the more I realize he is yet just a child who
has not developed a sense of needing community in his life.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“No man is an island,” John Donne wrote in a meditation. Oh,
if Donald Trump only understood…</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
No man is an island entire of itself; every man<br />
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;<br />
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe<br />
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as<br />
well as any manner of thy friend or of thine<br />
own were; any man’s death diminishes me,<br />
because I am involved in mankind.<br />
And therefore never send to know for who<br />
the bell tolls, it toll for thee.</div>
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Such beautiful reasoning Donald Trump does not possess nor
understand. He, you see, is still a child.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6.0pt; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: .5in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">*Healing of Democracy: Parker
J. Palmer [Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, 2011]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 6.5pt;">___________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 10pt;"> <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">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</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-12953224863414527882016-08-04T06:31:00.000-07:002016-08-04T06:31:05.863-07:00Donald Trump is Making Massive Mistakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5HoOn_KwjarAKfBbCIKy5KN2Pp76DZFRdGui5_kNU9fMc2krJQmi6cQJjR421pGfz5fMEebomDKa_sPpX0PZPx7usC5z4LSpUP2XlJaPd44uHcPRcZFzRm5GQGCsplKafoy5PH-82aI/s1600/Freud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5HoOn_KwjarAKfBbCIKy5KN2Pp76DZFRdGui5_kNU9fMc2krJQmi6cQJjR421pGfz5fMEebomDKa_sPpX0PZPx7usC5z4LSpUP2XlJaPd44uHcPRcZFzRm5GQGCsplKafoy5PH-82aI/s320/Freud.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">About Donald Trump’s campaign, Dana Milbank wrote a day ago:
“The act is wearing thin!” I think Milbank is correct.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck</span></div>
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The President went after Trump pretty hard yesterday, saying
the man is not fit – not qualified – to be President of the United States. Now
mind you, 55% of Americans believe that Obama has done a good job. Less than 40
percent thinks he’s done a bad job. This is one of the highest approval ratings
in the last 50 years. What he’s saying about the Donald will damage the
Republican presidential effort.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Hillary Clinton is raising a great deal of money and well
over 54 percent of voters surveyed indicate they’ll vote for her. Trump’s
approval rating is less than 40 percent.</div>
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Here's why Trump's in trouble...</div>
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Donald Trump continues to give Vladimir Putin a thumbs-up
even though he showed on television this past weekend that he doesn’t have the
slightest idea what the hell is going on over there. Trump’s positions on
Russia and NATO are hurting him and costing him votes.</div>
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Donald Trump is giving Republican leadership people a lot of
criticism. He’s refused to endorse the very popular John McCain in his
reelection bid in Arizona. He also hasn’t indicated any support for the Speaker
of the House, Paul Ryan.</div>
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Trump is also bitching about the coming debates with
Hillary, claiming the Democrats have fixed it so they’ll be on TV on poor
nights when the viewing competition with be very difficult. Lots of people are
wondering if Donald Trump is starting to build a case for getting out of the
debates.</div>
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Trump made a terrible mistake this past week for criticizing
the Muslim speaker at the Democratic convention who talked about losing his
son, an American soldier in the Middle East. It was a tragic and farcical
position that Trump took. He simply doesn’t know when to shut his big mouth.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It appears that the Donald is in a state of panic. He’s
claiming now that the election will be rigged and they’re up against cheaters.</div>
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<br /></div>
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On top of all this, Trump is having certain reporters and
news organizations banned from seating at his campaign appearances. He doesn’t
understand the concept of a free press. It will look bad for the Donald if he
continues such childish behavior.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Trump has also expressed some sympathy and support for Roger
Ailes, who was recently fired over at Fox News for strong sexual advances
toward several women reporters. It’s an amazing thing to do for a guy who has
somehow got to win women over to him if he wants any hope of winning this
election. And the popular Fox News reporter, Gretchen Carlson, who hammered
Roger Ailes for his unwanted advances against her, has now come out against
Trump. Fox against Trump? If that happens it would be the final nail in the
coffin.</div>
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Robert Kagan, a senior fellow at the highly respected
Brookings Institute, has called Trump irrational. Such people might pick fights
they can’t win and never realize the impossibility of the fight and then just
keep going on and on and on. Such is Trump’s fight against the “the grieving
Gold Star mother.” Kagan says that “the man cannot control himself…” And, Kagan
goes on: “What’s more, his psychological pathologies are ultimately self
destructive.” Kagan makes a good point when he calls Trump “childish.” I can
see it more and more in Trump. He has uncontrollable temper-tantrums. </div>
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“Imagine such a person as president,” Kagan says. He
carefully points out that this is not a strategy, but a defect in Trump’s
character – a personality defect. Imagine a president, in the White House, wish
such a deficiency!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Trump has shown himself, during the last 10 days, to be a
lousy political candidate; and he is more and more showing himself to be a lousy, out-of-balance human being.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you’re thinking of the possibility of supporting Donald
Trump in the coming election, get a grip on yourself. Even if you do not at all
like Hillary Clinton, take a harder, longer look at the man who is the
alternative choice. Donald Trump is clearly a scoundrel. I cannot quite believe
rational and decent people would support his effort to move into the White
House <u>if</u> they understand this.</div>
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___________________________________________</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">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</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-55995229047998499972016-07-27T09:10:00.000-07:002016-07-27T09:10:29.619-07:00Republican says to think like Business People<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLDZEmDPSigMMPxcDbGei3bw5DXpD7wiZOHvatKKeHNE6ihFtDYXMKJH54zIufoQFe9EWSrIJfBEraBw7jYxReIhlvXNP_xHNkQYais0er2QkhyphenhyphenCSVbWPRQw2SJc7BcwIPDkiPFiKE3Q/s1600/7-27Painter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqLDZEmDPSigMMPxcDbGei3bw5DXpD7wiZOHvatKKeHNE6ihFtDYXMKJH54zIufoQFe9EWSrIJfBEraBw7jYxReIhlvXNP_xHNkQYais0er2QkhyphenhyphenCSVbWPRQw2SJc7BcwIPDkiPFiKE3Q/s1600/7-27Painter.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Richard Painter suggests that Republicans avoid a market crash and vote for Hillary Clinton!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">by Charlie Leck</span><br />
<br />
Tuesday morning July 26, 2016), in an editorial in our local newspaper, Richard Painter, a Republican and a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Law, makes a remarkably important case for voting for Hillary Clinton. You can read the entire opinion piece in the July 25, 2016, StarTribune.<br />
<br />
I’ll quote the last three paragraphs here…<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Republicans think like businesspeople. The stock market is moving toward an all-time high, but only because investors seem to think Clinton will win the election. If we bet on Donald Trump, we become crass and stupid speculators — shorting the stock market and everything else in the American economy, and then waiting for the coming crash. Except no one will profit. Trump has lost billions of dollars loaned by bondholders, banks and other creditors of his businesses who never got paid. Why would any smart investor assume that kind of risk for the entire country? </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“A smarter and more patriotic alternative is to play the long game: hold onto your IRA, keep your business running, support Clinton. She’s a strong choice, and her four years in the White House will buy Republicans the time we need to rebuild our party and put forward a predictable and practical progrowth candidate in the future. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“For Republicans like me, it’s time to support a candidate who won’t destroy our economy (she may improve it). Let’s make Hillary Clinton our next president for the sake of the Republican Party and — more importantly — for the future of our great country.”</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard W. Painter is S. Walter Richey Professor of Corporate Law at the University of Minnesota Law School and former associate counsel to the president and chief White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush. The opinions expressed here are solely his own.</span></blockquote>
<br />
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______________________________________</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
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 aboutAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7349612003858236552.post-62134526437647134262016-07-24T07:27:00.001-07:002016-07-24T07:27:37.724-07:00Donald Trump and Racism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBg5UuMsSRLTdk48MsMHIs3oQP4yrW_MT6IUJN1K38UEk2VSFbiC4z0Y_fRweeGYodO-2suFY38638dlp6f2qmEAYxlkP3LCDqADIrqPa6AGUu9ZwIIZLSxtGJNSwfA8LoYTXMLiWELU/s1600/7-24Trump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBg5UuMsSRLTdk48MsMHIs3oQP4yrW_MT6IUJN1K38UEk2VSFbiC4z0Y_fRweeGYodO-2suFY38638dlp6f2qmEAYxlkP3LCDqADIrqPa6AGUu9ZwIIZLSxtGJNSwfA8LoYTXMLiWELU/s320/7-24Trump.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the most
awful things one can do is to call a person – or label a person – a racist
without carefully explaining one’s self. I think Nick Kristof shows such caution
in his NY Times column about the possibility that Donald Trump is a racist.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
by Charlie Leck<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">There’s an
interesting piece in this morning’s NY Times raising the question about whether
Donald Trump is a racist. The column is written by Nicholas Kristof, who worked
his way through over 1,000 pages of legal documents to pick up some interesting
tid-bits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">In a government
law suit “the Trumps eventually settled on terms that were widely regarded as a
victory for the government. Three years later the government sued the Trumps
again, for continuing to discriminate.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Kristof quite
fairly points out that the above law suit was really against the Trump
organization when Donald Trump’s father, Fred, ran the operation. Nevertheless,
Donald Trump took clear sides against the civil rights movement of the 1970s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">And, Kristof
writes...</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Another revealing moment came in 1989, when New York City was convulsed by the 'Central Park Jogger ' case, a rape and beating of a young white woman. Five black Latino teenagers were arrested.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Trump stepped in, denounced Mayor Ed Koch's call for peace and bought full-page newspaper ads calling for the death penalty. The five teenagers spent years in prison before being exonerated. In retrospect they suffered a modern version of a lynching, and Trump played a part in whipping up the crowds." </blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Going beyond Kristof's column, one
must add here that Trump exploded with anger when the five black men were
released from prison and "exonerated," as Kristof explains their
release.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">In an editorial in the New York Daily news, Donald Trump called he settlement a disgrace. Mr. Trump argued that the huge settlement amount wasn't necessary even if they didn't commit the crime (it was certain DNA evidence that cleared the men). He went on to write that "these young men do not exactly have the pasts of angels."</span></span> </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">In a February
edition of <i>The Huffington Post</i> this year Andy Campbell wrote a story that
carried this headline: “Donald Trump has been Self-Funding his Bigotry Parade
Since at least 1989.” Campbell points out that Trump spent approximately 85,000 dollars on ads protesting the prisoner release in that Central Park Jogger case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Go! Go <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/24/opinion/sunday/is-donald-trump-a-racist.html?action=click&contentCollection=Fashion%20%26%20Style&module=Trending&version=Full&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article">read the Kristof column</a>! You will be rather stunned by some of the things you’ll learn
about Trumps attitudes about “blacks.” I had to calm myself a couple of times
by closing my eyes and forcing myself to relax.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Kristof urges
caution when judging anyone as a racist because it’s a loaded and dangerous
word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">“It’s also true,”
he concludes his column by saying, “that with any single statement, it is
possible that Trump misspoke or was misconstrued.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">However, the
columnist concludes by allowing us to keep wondering… “And yet.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">"Here we have a man who, for more than four decades, has been repeatedly associated with racial discrimination or bigoted comments about minorities, some of them made on television for all to see. White any one episode may be ambiguous, what emerges over more than four decades is a narrative arc, a consistent pattern -- and I don't see what else to call it but racism."</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span></blockquote>
<footer class="story-footer story-content" style="clear: both; margin-left: 75px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 24px; max-width: none; position: relative; width: 570px;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">_______________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Why
not become a follower? </b>If you read my blog regularly, why not become a
follower? <br />All you have to do is click in the upper right hand corner (<i>Join
this Site</i>) and establish<br />a simple means of communication. Then you'll be
informed every time a new blog is<br />posted here. If all that's confusing, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 6pt;"><a href="https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/blogger/I9YHa9z67t8/KG7xiN8GxB0J"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">here's Google's explanation of how to do it!</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"> If
you<br />don’t want to post comments on the blog, but would like to communicate with
me about<br />it, send me </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 6pt;"><a href="mailto:chasleck@gmail.com"><span style="color: #888888; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">an email</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt;"> if you’d like.</span></footer>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07235558348477097598noreply@blogger.com0