Archives for February 2020

And You Wonder How A Donald Trump Could Get Elected?

February 28, 2020 By John DeProspo 4 Comments

Let’s face it. Americans just aren’t as sharp as they used to be.

Perhaps after years of cutting school funding, and the homeschooling craze, the nation is now reaping its tragic, yet predictable, rewards.

According to a recent survey of beer drinkers, Foxbusiness.com is reporting that nearly 40% said they are avoiding drinking Corona beer over fears of the coronavirus!

Over the past few weeks, there has been an uptick in Google searches for “corona beer virus” and “beer coronavirus,” according to SEMrush, a trends data provider.

In related news, the stock price of Constellation Brands Inc., maker of Corona beer, is taking a major hit over the obvious confusion.

And now, some erstwhile, unemployed satirist is wondering how long it will take for Donald Trump to blame the coronavirus on Mexico and call for a complete boycott of all Mexican products until this “whole Corona virus thing is sorted out.”

Did you know that in a recent survey 4 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds said they actually believe the world is flat; 9 percent said they had always believed the world was round but were recently having doubts, 5 percent said they had always believed the world was flat but were becoming skeptical of that conclusion and 16 percent just weren’t sure!

American exceptionalism!

Photo | parley.tv

Maybe Trump And The Kremlin Are Betting On The Wrong Horse?

February 24, 2020 By John DeProspo 1 Comment

We found out last week Russia is at it again … interfering in our upcoming elections. U.S. intelligence agencies not only warned that Russia is trying to get Trump reelected, they are also trying to swing the Democratic presidential nomination to Bernie Sanders.

For his part, Trump appears to agree with his Russian handlers. He seems to want to face off against Bernie, the democratic socialist, in November.

“Looks like Crazy Bernie is doing well in the Great State of Nevada. Biden & the rest look weak, & no way Mini Mike can restart his campaign after the worst debate performance in the history of Presidential Debates,” Trump tweeted last Saturday. “Congratulations Bernie, & don’t let them take it away from you!”

The thinking is simple. Once Bernie becomes the Democratic nominee, both Trump and Putin’s cyber-warfare machine will smear him as a dangerous socialist, a Marxist, a Castro sympathizer. Funny how all this election interference is being brought to you by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics!

However, a close look at Sanders’ landslide victory in Nevada should give both Trump and Putin pause. Bernie won with an amazing across-the-board coalition … “men and women, whites and Latinos, voters 17-29, 30-44 and 45-65, those with college degrees and those without, liberal Democrats (by a lot) and moderate/conservatives (narrowly), union and non-union households.”

Yet the Democratic establishment is fearful of a Sanders candidacy. How could a socialist win the presidency, even against a complete horror show like Trump, they worry? But for all the concern over Bernie’s “radicalism,” are his signature policies such as a national healthcare program, a living wage, free public college education, and a serious green energy investment plan really that far out of the mainstream?

As Nathan Robinson of the Guardian writes, “It’s shocking that there is such opposition to such sensible plans. On what planet are these things so politically toxic that Democrats are afraid to run on them? Voters like these ideas, and so long as Democrats unify behind Bernie rather than continuing to try to tear him down, they will have a very good shot at defeating a radical and unhinged president like Donald Trump.”

I am certain Democrats will rally around whoever is their presidential nominee. But if it looks like the Democratic Party establishment is trying to tip the scales against a Sanders nomination, you can be sure of two things … a civil war within the Party, and another four years of Trump.

Don and Vlad, be careful what you wish for.

Photo | abcnews.go.com

Why Bloomberg’s Pitiful Performance In Vegas Might Prove He Made The Wrong Bet

February 20, 2020 By John DeProspo 2 Comments

Mike Bloomberg, the former Republican, had a simple plan for becoming the Democratic presidential nominee … he’d just buy the nomination.

With his vast fortune, he would overwhelm his rivals with “saturation advertising.” He would not have to bother campaigning in the early primary and caucus states. The refined New York billionaire just isn’t another one of your Iowa corn-dog-eating politicians!

And for a while, the strategy was working. Bloomberg went from nowhere in the charts to second or third in some presidential polls.

But then came the moment he had to step out from behind his curtain of megabucks and onto the Las Vegas debate stage.

To say the billionaire was underwhelming, and showed major unpreparedness, would be putting it mildly.

Bloomberg was attacked from all sides with questions about his past that were so obvious you didn’t need to be a political strategist to predict them. He was hammered most effectively by Elizabeth Warren. She pounded him from the get-go with this classic burn, “I’d like to talk about who we’re running against: a billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians. And no, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about Mayor Bloomberg.”

Bloomberg has staked his run for the presidency on his sincere, intense desire to beat Trump in November. “The stakes could not be higher, we must win this election,” said Bloomberg. He called Trump an “existential threat to our country.”

It does not appear, however, that his effort to do so by trying to win (buy) the Democratic nomination was the way to go.

A better bet for ousting Trump would have been for Bloomberg to run as a Republican – the party affiliation he had as Mayor of New York City. While he probably would not have beaten Trump for the party’s nomination, history has shown that incumbent presidents who face strong primary challenges are severely weakened by them.

Did Bloomberg really think he could skate to the Democratic nomination by flooding the airwaves with ads bought by an unlimited reservoir of cash … what Democrats hate most about our post-Citizens United political landscape?

Okay, it’s only Bloomberg’s first debate and who watches them anyway? He might get better. His ad blitz is still effective.

But after his dreadful performance in Las Vegas, the belief that Bloomberg is the most likely Democrat to save us from another four years of Trump is seriously in doubt.

Photo | AP/John Locher

Trump’s Support For Bernie Is A Win-Win … For Trump

February 18, 2020 By John DeProspo 2 Comments

Donald Trump wants to run against Bernie Sanders. How do we know? Just consider what he said last week during an Oval Office rant. “Frankly, I would rather run against Bloomberg than Bernie Sanders,” Trump told reporters, “because Sanders has real followers, whether you like them or not, whether you agree with them or not — I happen to think it’s terrible what [Sanders] says.”

For anyone who’s been following Trump’s pronouncements, you know he usually says the opposite of what he truly believes. So, Trump wants to run against Bernie Sanders, not Mike Bloomberg. Unlike Trump, Bloomberg is a real self-made billionaire who could, and would, outspend him big time. He has stated he is willing to “spend whatever it takes” to defeat Trump. This is very appealing to many Democratic voters.

You just know Trump is salivating at the chance of running against a self-described democratic socialist. The word “socialist” is such a toxic, and misunderstood, word, that many political pundits do not think it would play well with swing voters in crucial states that would reject the radicalism of Sanders’ background and ideas.

So, in Trump’s mind, he gets re-elected if Sanders is the Democratic nominee. A win.

Then there’s this pro-Bernie tweet today:

The Crooked DNC is working overtime to take the Democrat Nomination away from Bernie, AGAIN! Watch what happens to the Super Delegates in Round Two. A Rigged Convention!

Like his own cultish followers, Trump knows Bernie supporters are fiercely loyal. If there is a brokered convention, which looks quite possible, and it appears to Sanders’ die-hard army of supporters that they have been cheated out of the nomination by the Democratic establishment … again … many will protest by not voting for the eventual nominee.

You could call it the ultimate voter suppression … but totally legal and brought to you courtesy of the Democratic Party.

So, in Trump’s calculation, if a good chunk of Bernie backers stay home and do not vote for the Democratic nominee, or vote for a third-party candidate …. like last time … again he wins.

There you have it. Whether or not Bernie is the Democratic presidential nominee, it’s a win-win … for Trump.

Photo | commondreams.org

Americans Shudder At The Thought Of A Socialist In The White House

February 13, 2020 By John DeProspo 4 Comments

The self-proclaimed socialist, Bernie Sanders, has been declared the winner of the nation’s first Democratic primary held in New Hampshire. And depending on who you ask, he either finished first or second in the first caucus state, Iowa.

The prospect of a socialist roaming the halls of the White House is downright scary to not only Republicans … but some Democrats, as well.

For those not familiar with the Sanders socialist agenda, here are a few of his most radical, far-left, extremist ideas:

The U.S. should adopt universal healthcare paid by the federal government, just like those socialist hotbeds, Canada and Scandinavian countries.
A college degree should be free at public colleges and universities, arguing that class equality is impossible if a majority of Americans don’t have access to a college education.
The minimum wage should be $15 per hour, up from 2009’s $7.25, suggesting that no one who works 40 hours a week should be impoverished.
Tax the rich so they pay their fair share of taxes through a series of tax hikes and fees, mostly levied on the wealthiest Americans.
$1 trillion should be spent on infrastructure projects that would create 13 million jobs over the course of five years.
Protect the environment by phasing out fossil fuels, calling for an expansive “Green New Deal”

With far-out policies like that, it’s no wonder many Americans are so nervous about a Bernie Sanders presidency!

But as Donald Trump has empathically vowed, “America will never be a socialist country – ever.”

However, Trump, as usual, is only partly right. America already is a socialist country. But it’s socialism for the very rich and the harsh effects of capitalism for everyone else.

And, by God, all liberty-loving Americans aim to keep it that way!

Photo | nationalreview.com

The Case For Michael R. Bloomberg – Opinion

February 9, 2020 By John DeProspo 8 Comments

Democrats are divided over which candidate is best suited to take on Donald Trump in the upcoming election. They can’t seem to decide, or coalesce around, who is the most electable.

Here’s a good way to pick Trump’s challenger … choose the one most unlike Trump. Select the candidate who is closest to the polar opposite of the man currently occupying the White House.

So, is it the progressive firebrand Bernie Sanders? Or the equally progressive Elizabeth Warren? Is it Andrew Yang?

No, it’s none of the above.

The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate closest to being the anti-Trump is Mike Bloomberg.

Okay, okay, hear me out.

Unlike Trump, Bloomberg is a real billionaire. He will get under the skin of our fake billionaire “president” like no other. The man who Forbes estimates is worth $62 billion has promised to spend “whatever it takes,” of his own money, to defeat Trump. So, what’s a billion or two to Mike? And you can almost hear this line coming from Bloomberg’s mouth, “A real billionaire has no problem releasing his tax returns. What are you so afraid of, Donald. What are you hiding?”

Bloomberg is a Republican-turned-Democrat. He is the opposite of the former Democrat, Trump, turned Republican. This could be very appealing to Republicans who might want to follow Bloomberg’s lead.

Bloomberg has actual experience running a large organization. While many New Yorkers were calling Trump an obnoxious buffoon, all New Yorkers were calling Bloomberg, Mayor.

Bloomberg is Jewish. He is well suited to put our racist, white supremacist president in his place. Bloomberg could put Florida into play like no other.

Bloomberg wants to raise taxes on the rich. He has proposed a $5 trillion-dollar tax increase to pay for what Democrats want most … expanded health care, improvement of the nation’s infrastructure, more affordable housing and investments in clean energy. Other Democratic candidates also want to increase taxes on the wealthy but only Bloomberg can go there without being labeled a “socialist” engaged in “class warfare.”

Yes, it’s a longshot for the man who got into the race too late to compete in the early states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina but, if the race remains divided, and we have a brokered convention, who knows?

And sure, Bloomberg is running an unconventional race … but so did the candidate who succeeded the last time around!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not necessarily endorsing Bloomberg but I do know that desperate times often call for desperate measures. These are desperate times for Democrats … and the nation.

So, as unlikely as his nomination may seem, I’m just saying Democrats might want to refocus some of that attention away from Mayor Pete to that other mayor, Mayor Mike.

Photo | townandcountrymag.com

Dems Take Trump Acquittal To Court Of Appeals … The American People

February 7, 2020 By John DeProspo 6 Comments

Now that the United States Senate has voted to keep our lawless president in office; now that the courts have shown a reluctance to interfere in what they see as political disputes … it is up to the American people to render the ultimate verdict by voting Trump out of office in November.

But even though a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump, such a simple and obvious strategy runs up against three obstacles.

First, will the Democrats nominate a strong candidate that can send Trump packing? For a while, it appeared they had such a candidate … Joe Biden. But after a poor fourth-place showing in Iowa, the Biden-as-the-Democratic-savior narrative is starting to fray. While many Democrats have a favorable opinion of the former VP, they wonder if he has the stuff to go head-to-head against perhaps the most vicious, hit-below-the-belt politician of all-time, Donald J. Trump. Many seem to have concluded that, at the age of 77, Biden simply does not have the fire in the belly to get the job done. While the fiery septuagenerian Bernie Sanders seems to have the momentum that can carry him to the nomination, many moderate Democrats worry he is too radical (god forbid, a democratic socialist who believes health care is a basic human right!) to win a national election.

Second, do most Americans even know what’s at stake in the upcoming election? Do they understand the Constitutional framework of three co-equal branches of government? Do they understand the Framers’ wise insistence on checks and balances between those three branches? Do they understand that our very democracy and the rule of law is on the line in 2020; that with Trump we are well on the road to an imperial presidency? It is hard to answer in the affirmative on any of these questions when 61% of all Americans cannot even name the three branches of government!

Third, and most important, can we rely on a free and fair election? Now that Trump has been given a pass on trying to extort a foreign government into meddling in our 2020 election, does anyone, other than Susan Collins, believe Trump has learned his lesson and will stop trying to cheat his way into office … again? Can we have any faith in a Department of Justice, run by Trump’s flunky, Willian Barr, to safeguard the integrity of our electoral system? Can the American people have any confidence in the election outcome, no matter which way it goes?

We keep hearing that this next election is the most important in our lifetime. It’s become an election-year cliché. But 2020 truly is the election which will determine whether or not our Constitution still matters … whether the rule of law still matters … and whether we, as a nation, will continue to strive towards that noble, yet elusive, goal of a more perfect union based on equal justice under the law.

Photo | voteosceola.com

Mitch McConnell – The Master Of Obstruction

February 2, 2020 By John DeProspo 4 Comments

In a perverse way, you’ve got to hand it to Old Mitch. He is the Leonardo Da Vinci of Gridlock. Has any other Senate Majority Leader done more to make sure nothing gets done?

McConnell’s skillful navigation of the choppy waters during Trump’s impeachment “trial” is just the latest coup for the man who proudly calls himself the” Grim Reaper.”

We should have known he’d be the High Priest of Hindrance the moment he announced that making Barack Obama a one-term president was his number one priority. Republicans were not going to cooperate with Obama’s legislative agenda, no way, no how. True to his word, it didn’t matter if Obama proposed ideas previously championed by Republicans, the President had to be stopped at every turn.

When it came to approving Obama’s nominees for federal judgeships, McConnell slowed the Senate confirmation process to a crawl. But it was Mitch’s blockade of Judge Merrick Garland from filling the Supreme Court seat vacated by Antonin Scalia that many are labeling his greatest moment of obstruction.

Mitch even boasted about it.

“One of my proudest moments was when I looked at Barack Obama in the eye and I said, ‘Mr. President, you will not fill this Supreme Court vacancy,’” McConnell said in 2016 to cheers at an annual Fancy Farm Picnic.

No other Leader of the Senate would even dream of attempting what Old Mitch pulled off. He’s a veritable Rembrandt of Resistance!

And now McConnell’s masterful blocking of witnesses during Trump’s impeachment “trial” may rival his Merrick Garland feat. It’s certainly as consequential, if not more.

Mitch McConnell, the five-term senator from Kentucky will no doubt go down in history as the greatest obstructionist leader of the Senate … and the man who may have singlehandedly killed the rule of law, the Constitution and American democracy.

Now that’s some legacy for the virtuoso stonewaller!

Photo | businessinsider.com

O’Donnell: “51% Of The Senate Defies 75% Of The People”

February 1, 2020 By John DeProspo Leave a Comment

Last night on MSNBC’s The Last Word, Lawrence O’Donnell talked about how it’s possible the Senate could defy the will of the people to hear witnesses at Trump’s impeachment trial. According to the latest Quinnipiac poll, 75% of Americans favored the Senate allowing witnesses.

“When you’re watching the United States Senate on days like today, it’s always important to remember you’re not watching democracy in action,” said O’Donnell. “The Senate is now, always has been, and always will be an anti-democratic institution because the Senate does not represent people, the House represents people, that’s why it’s called the People’s House. The U.S. Senate represents land.”

“And because people are not evenly distributed over our land,” continued O’Donnell,” the 760,000 people of North Dakota get two United State senators and the 39 million people of California get two United States senators.”

“California gets 53 members in the House of Representatives and North Dakota gets one. And that is fair,” O’Donnell offered as an example of what democratic representation looks like.

O’Donnell took issue with the common refrain that yesterday’s Senate vote to block witnesses killed our democracy.

“American democracy didn’t die today. American democracy once again revealed its most serious structural flaw … the United States Senate.”

O’Donnell implored Democratic voters to concentrate on winning the United States Senate just as much as winning the presidency “and making our government more responsive to the will of the people … what a true democracy is supposed to represent.”

It should be noted that up until 1913, Senators were elected by state legislatures. The 17^th amendment to the Constitution changed all that by allowing direct votes by the people.

While revamping the Senate is a fantasy, wouldn’t it be nice if that other undemocratic and outdated institution, the Electoral College, were also reformed in favor of a direct, popular vote?

Photo | variety.com