Archives for 2016

Donald Trump first threatened to run for president of the United States in 1988.

Of course, he didn’t run that year. In 2000, Trump did enter the presidential race, but as a candidate for the Reform Party, at the urging of his friend Jesse Ventura. He eventually withdrew from the Reform Party’s primary contest.

In 2004, Trump considered challenging George W. Bush in the Republican primaries but decided against it. In 2012, the presidential bug hit Trump once again. Speaking of his chances of winning, Trump proclaimed “I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and, ultimately, the general election.” Trump decided against a 2012 run.

When Trump, in March 2015, decided not to renew his contract with NBC for his hit reality show, The Apprentice, speculation grew that Trump would once again give the presidency a try. But, of course, everyone had seen this act before. Few believed Trump would actually enter the 2016 race.

Can you fault Jon Stewart for being one of those non-believers? Stewart announced his retirement from the highly popular Daily Show on February 10, 2015. He stated he would leave the show on August 6, 2015.

Donald Trump officially declared he would seek the Republican presidential nomination on June 16, 2015.

I have a very strong suspicion if Stewart had just waited a few months before making his announcement, he would have stayed on to mine all that comedy gold a Trump candidacy would provide. But Stewart was like all the other political observers who believed Trump’s flirtation with another presidential run was just that … a trick, a ruse to generate some buzz for the king of self-promotion.

Boy, could the country have used Jon Stewart’s comedic wit this crazy presidential cycle! This is not meant to take anything away from Trevor Noah, Stewart’s replacement. Current Daily Show viewers know that Noah has done an excellent job filling some mighty big shoes.

So here we are in 2016. Donald Trump is the Republican favorite to win his party’s nomination. Who knows, maybe Trump can back up his boast of 2012 when he said he could win the Republican primary and the general election?

My take is that of all the people who can’t believe Trump is where he is in this year’s presidential race , Trump is the most shocked of all.

Photo | vdare.com

Ready to be wowed? Donald Trump’s run for the presidency was foretold over 75 years ago!

I was flipping through channels recently and ended up at TCM (Turner Classic Movies). The 1939 John Ford classic, “Stagecoach,” had just started. I had seen the movie once or twice before but I completely forgot about a certain scene that, I must admit, just floored me.

It’s the scene where a corrupt banker, fleeing town after embezzling the bank’s money, declares a set of conservative economic principles that could just as easily have come out of Ted Cruz’s mouth (or any other right-wing conservative for that matter). He laments that America should be for Americans; that taxes are too high; that the national debt is out of control; and that the hated government needs to keep its nose out of business.

Click the image below to be amazed.

For those who have watched this classic western, you know that the corrupt banker, unlike our present-day thieves, gets arrested at the end of the movie. It is heartwarming to see justice prevail, even if only in an old movie like “Stagecoach.” As Archie Bunker liked to say, “Those were the days!”

Donald Trump does not want to be president. But he wants to win the presidency. Donald Trump does not want the awesome responsibility of being the leader of the free world. But he wants to be labeled a winner.

I have little doubt that the billionaire reality TV star entered the presidential race simply to promote the Trump brand. What better way to get free publicity? But a funny thing happened on the way to the forum – his candidacy gained traction. So much so, he is now the odds-on-favorite of becoming the Republican nominee for the White House.

For Trump, it’s all about winning. It doesn’t matter what the subject – a contract, a negotiation, the perfect wife or an election. If the Trump brand stands for anything, it’s for success, attainment … winning.

Is Trump a little fuzzy on what policies he would pursue as president? Does he continually shift positions like a man who hasn’t given much thought to those positions? Of course! His M.O. is not about the arduous task of governing but the splendiferousness of coming out on top.

John Kasich, fellow candidate for the Republican nomination, recently said, “Donald Trump is not prepared to be President.”

And this is news?

Donald Trump is in the business of promoting the Trump brand. While he might not have entered the race to actually win the nomination, his ego will not now allow him to exit the contest. Trump knows he must keep winning for the sake of the brand.

If you actually look at some of Trump’s “proposals,” they stand out for their vacuity. His positions are either silly (Mexico will pay for a wall) or unconstitutional (ban on all Muslims) or empty (we must enforce our laws). There just is no there… there.

It appears there are only two ways this Trump reality show will end. He either admits to himself he does not care about the whole governing thing and backs off (unlikely) or voters realize he is just not presidential material and reject him (maybe).

Right now, voters seem to like Trump’s confidence, and his populist rhetoric so much that they do not care about his lack of experience or interest in the job he is applying for. Maybe that is part of his appeal? But maybe voters will come to realize that once the winning is done, a president actually has to govern. And they see the only thing Donald Trump is interested in is promoting Donald Trump … and that they’ve been played.

Here’s an interesting side note. Donald Trump estimates his net worth to be in the vicinity of $10 billion (Forbes has it a $4.5 billion). It should be noted, by Trump’s reckoning, the biggest asset within his portfolio is the Trump name – a brand he will protect at all costs.

Photo | people.com

The billionaire TV celebrity, who also happens to be the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, hit the Twittershpere yesterday with this gem:

Donald J. Trump

‎@realDonaldTrump

The media is so after me on women Wow, this is a tough business. Nobody has more respect for women than Donald Trump!

8:19 AM – 26 Mar 2016

Given how Trump has referred to women in the past – pigs, sluts, bimbos – his statement brings into question his definition of “respect.” My guess is his rendition of the word does not jibe with that of Merriam-Webster.

Here are ten real life, verifiable statements Donald Trump has made about women. You can reach your own conclusion as to how much Trump “respects” the opposite sex:

1. That women are essentially aesthetically-pleasing objects.
2. That sexual assault in the military is totally expected.
3. That bad press doesn’t matter as long as you have a “young and beautiful piece of ass.”
4. That pumping breast milk is “disgusting.”
5. That giving your wife “negotiable assets” is a terrible mistake.
6. That a woman MUST be hot in order to be a journalist.
7. That his favorite line from “Pulp Fiction” is “Bitch be cool!”
8. That women fawn all over him because he is rich and powerful.
9. That all women hate prenups, because they are gold diggers.
10. That women manipulate men with sex.

How any Republican woman, or any woman for that matter, could vote for a man like Trump is unfathomable.

On the other hand, it is very understandable why so many men admire “The Donald.” Who wouldn’t want to have one “10” after another for a wife! Yes it’s costly, but hey, the guy’s a billionaire!

And if everything goes according to plan, Trump will be the next Republican nominee for the White House. USA! USA! USA!

(Photo by Nick Valinote/FilmMagic)

Just days after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law a bill that effectively legalizes discrimination against lesbians, gays, transsexuals and bisexuals, companies doing business within the state have come out in opposition to the law.

Dow Chemical, Paypal, American Airlines are only but a few of the companies which have expressed their displeasure with the legislation.

Even organizations planning to do business within the state have voiced their disapproval over the blatantly unconstitutional measure. The NCAA, which had planned to host at least 20 high-profile games in the state in 2017 and 2018, has said it might reconsider its position. The NBA hinted North Carolina could lose the 2017 NBA All-Star game over the anti-LGBT law.

North Carolina’s passage of House Bill 2, as the discrimination legislation is officially referred to, begs a few simple questions: Will there ever come a day when Republicans cease to be the “party of stupid” as Bobby Jindal so accurately diagnosed his party’s condition not too long ago? Will Republicans ever learn from the past or will they forever live in a bubble?

It was only one year ago that the state of Indiana passed it’s own discrimination bill known as the “religious freedom” law. Opposition to the measure was swift and intense.

Following the bill’s signing by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy issued an executive order banning state-funded travel to Indiana and the mayors of San Francisco and Seattle enacted similar bans. Conventions were canceled. Apple, the NCAA and other companies joined liberal activist groups in speaking out against the law.

The Indiana law was eventually “watered-down” by the legislature to stem the uproar it had caused among business leaders and state financial institutions. While the purported “religious freedom” law still held much sway in the state’s legislative body, profits and losses ruled the day.

Odds are good that a similar “watering down” of North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law will take place. When it’s a contest between the Almighty and the almighty dollar, the greenback always wins.

Photo | youtube.com