The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr--On Donald Trump?

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave this quote, this warning, all those years ago about a Republican presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater. With the exception of the then-accepted word Negro and the fact that Dr. King said Goldwater wasn't a racist, it could very well have been said about then-candidate Donald Trump this year, in the just-finished presidential contest.

“The Republican Party geared its appeal and program to racism, reaction, and extremism...On the urgent issue of civil rights, Senator Goldwater represents a philosophy that is morally indefensible and socially suicidal. While not himself a racist, Mr. Goldwater articulates a philosophy which gives aid and comfort to the racist. His candidacy and philosophy would serve as an umbrella under which extremists of all stripes would stand. In the light of these facts and because of my love for America, I have no alternative but to urge every Negro and white person of goodwill to vote against Mr. Goldwater and to withdraw support from any Republican candidate that does not publicly disassociate himself from Senator Goldwater and his philosophy.”

Link:

This MLK Quote Sums Up The Rise Of White Supremacy Post-Trump

The "Silver Lining" of This Donald Trump Candidacy

With all of the ugliness and sexism and hate and ignorance and racism and misogyny, etc., that has come for and to America with Donald Trump's Republican Party candidacy for the highest office in the nation, as horrible as it has been, there is, in fact, a "silver lining" for us all.

How ironic but how wonderful, too, is it that the Republicans would end up offering the worst candidate for the presidency ever, literally, in the history of our nation, this year so that the first woman to ever get the position and support as a candidate of a major party is not just elected but elected by a huge, historic landslide?

Because wait for it, that's what's about to take place, folks.

Wait for it.

But for the love of God and all that is good, take nothing, nothing for granted. Get out there and VOTE, folks!

The Teflon Candidate?

Years ago, it used to be said that President Ronald Reagan was the "teflon President." It seemed, no matter what happened, no matter what he did or didn't do, rightly or wrongly, for good or bad, nothing stuck to him. The people liked him, regardless, and his ratings stayed positive.

Now, we seem to have a candidate for the presidency in one Donald Trump, who is impervious to negative downturns, to an extent. Things he's said or done that, in the past, if said or done by any other candidate, wouldn't have kept them in the political race.

Presently, we're at a moment when Mr. Trump is recorded as saying horrendous, ugly, sexist, actually exploitative things about a woman and about women, yet there are plenty of people still supporting him. Heck, even Evangelical ministers and leaders have announced in the last 24 hours, since this news story broke, that they're still behind him.

Newsman Dan Rather, today on Facebook, said it well, I think.

What does it take to knock Donald Trump out? You would think that the latest obscene, vile, repulsive audio leak would be an electoral haymaker that has him on the canvas for good. In any other election, with any other candidate, this might well have been the equivalent of a spontaneous combustion. And it might be for Donald Trump, but I have thought that many times before.

Calling Mexicans rapists and murderers? Trump went there and it set him on the path to the GOP nomination. Running over John McCain's war record? Barely a speed bump for the Trump campaign bus. Mocking the disabled? Check that off the list and Trump bounces back. Disrespecting the parents of a fallen American soldier? It seems like in the end it was merely a flesh wound for the Donald. And there were so many more instances that likely would have proven fatal to any other candidate in any other election.

Clearly Trump has a floor of support that would condone almost anything. But perhaps this is different and we will see a chipping away at his numbers. Perhaps we will see more of a free fall, although I doubt it. And yet it is also clear that his floor is not enough for Trump to capture the White House. I can't see this adding any voters to his totals, except maybe the villains of the movies from the 1980s.

If you want to see how this plays out, listen to Republicans running for election this fall. Every one of them is going to be asked this weekend to defend Trump's comments. What will they do? Will the knives come out for the party's nominee from his fellow Republicans? Will they begin to run from him, rather than with him? Will this final wave finally sink the Trump campaign?

I must add that while the severity of the latest audio is particularly disgusting, any elected official who expresses surprise must surely be feigning it. Look at Trump's Twitter feed. Listen to his statements from the past. Did you really think this kind of language was beyond him?

This election is not only about the presidency, but about who will lead in Congress and the state houses. How toxic does Trump become? Can he bounce back yet again, even if the polls seem to be moving against him? Will this doom the GOP in 2016, or even beyond? Will it realign our political system?

So many questions, but we will get answers. And we will be the ones who will give them when we go to the polls. There are few times in my career when I have been more at a loss for what I could expect for the future of my country.

Regardless, at this point, as I wrote and posted yesterday, there is no possible way Mr. Trump is winning this thing. It's just stunning he's still considered a viable candidate.

Donald vs Hillary?

NPR had a story this week that, no surprise, had a great deal of truth in it, simple truth and excellent, important points.

Newspaper Endorsements Matter Most When They're Unexpected

In its first Democratic endorsement in a century, The Cincinnati Enquirer endorsed Clinton on Friday. The last Democrat the board supported was Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

"Hillary Clinton has her faults, certainly, but she has spent a lifetime working to improve the lives of Americans both inside and outside of Washington," the board wrote. "It's time to elect the first female U.S. president – not because she's a woman, but because she's hands-down the most qualified choice."

The Dallas Morning News also endorsed Clinton in early September.

"This newspaper has not recommended a Democrat for the nation's highest office since before World War II — if you're counting, that's more than 75 years and nearly 20 elections," the board wrote.

Also in Texas, The Houston Chronicle endorsed Clinton in late July, saying that to choose Donald Trump "is to repudiate the most basic notions of competence and capability." Although the newspaper's board endorsed President Obama in 2008, it traditionally has endorsed Republican presidential candidates.

And finally, importantly and in sharp contrast:

Trump has yet to receive an endorsement from any major daily newspaper editorial board...

How or why any intelligent, informed, mature, discriminating adult in our nation could support this uninformed, irrational, emotional, immature simpleton for the highest office in the nation and the most powerful position in the world is beyond me.

Missouri In the News

Yes sir, Missouri is in the news today. These are both from The New York Times.

First this, on our own Senator Claire McCaskill's in put on Hillary Clinton and her race for the White House.

Did Hillary Clinton Have to Be First?

Senator Claire McCaskill and the Times columnist Gail Collins talk about gender, politics and the presidency in our latest podcast.

Then this, on Missouri's Miss America pageant entry presently.

Missouri Woman Is Miss America Pageant's First Openly Lesbian Contestant

I would never have seen that coming. I would have thought this would be out of New York or Florida or California or nearly any other state but not us, not here.

Enjoy your weekend, y'all.

Senator Sanders Was---Is---Correct

"There is no justice when so few have so much and so many have so little."

Why Senator Sanders Is Right For America

It's not just that Senator Sanders stands for things and stands for the right things and isn't taking money from the big PACs, though those are all big factors in his campaign.

It's that he stands for so many RIGHT things and that he stands for the people and that he's his "own man."  His views set him so apart, so simply but clearly, distinctly and strongly apart from ALL THE OTHER candidates in this presidential race and that it's basically the same stances he has taken FOR YEARS.

It's clear he's for us. It's clear he's been for us, for the people, for years.

Finally, it's clear he's genuine. It's very clear he's the "real deal."

As president, he wouldn't be and won't be "perfect" and solve all the nations ills, no more than our current president has or did. 

But he's the right man for the job and with a Democratic Congress, a lot of our intrinsic problems in the nation, in and of our government, could and would be addressed, repaired and changed for the better.

Links:  Bernie Sanders - Mayor, U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator

Bernie Sanders - Wikipedia

Meet Bernie Sanders

On Donald Trump, Our National Politics and All of Us

Just the average statements and opinions of Donald Trump alone show it all to be an indictment, not just of his ignorance and crudeness but yes, of our political system and so many of us, honestly, who would support this man for the highest leadership position of the nation.

Republican Presidential election advice for 2016

A breakdown of tonight's presidential debate

From MAD Magazine:

(Click on picture for bigger, easier viewing)

Mitt Romney: Repeated flip-flopper...and liar

He seems to have done it--lied--again and again, along with changing his official stances on issues.

This is one "straw man" for the highest office in the land. I hope this is the cake walk it looks like it may well be.

However, that said, if very much voter suppression takes place--and it looks very will like it will, from Florida to Ohio to here in Missouri and all over--the flip-flopping and lies may not matter.

This presidential campaign has been fascinating, sure. It's been nothing but fascinating.

I don't mind if the coming election is fascinating.

I just hope it's fair. And honest. And legal.

Link: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/04/1116592/-Rachel-Maddow-Mitt-Romney-has-a-tell

This 2012 Election: The Election of Inevitabilities?

Think about it. Is this presidential election the election of inevitabilities? First, there is the seemed inevitability, to a lot of people's dislike and/or distaste, of Mitt "Willard" Romney, aka "Mittens", as the Republican Party's assumed best chance of defeating a sitting, incumbent president. Second, is the seeming inevitability, if indeed, that's what happens, of course--nothing, nothing is certain--of President Obama defeating Mr. Romney or, in fact, any of the candidates that party put up, precisely because they were so bad or extreme or whatever. Obviously, we'll find out come the first week in November. (I wrote this last evening but found this link today: http://www.npr.org/2012/03/08/148197575/romney-aides-claim-his-nomination-is-inevitable).

That sound you heard?

That was the sound of the door slamming shut on all the other Republican presidential nominees:

News tonight: Jon Huntsman to quit presidential race, endorse Mitt Romney Links: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/jon-huntsman-to-quit-presidential-race/2012/01/15/gIQAwcwx1P_blog.html?wpisrc=al_comboNP; http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/15/politics/gop-campaign-wrap/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

One of many reasons we don't care for Sarah "The Quitter" Palin

She's still hard at it:

Analysis: Sarah Palin continues to struggle with the facts

It's a very good article, too.  It explains several things that I think a lot of people believe about our current government, this administration and our spending, for instance, that are patently mistaken.

Have a great weekend, y'all.

John Edwards' song, for the foreseeable future

John Edwards indicted over affair cover-up

Mitt Romney cracks me up

Okay, so which is it?

Is he the Socialist from hell who does too much or is he the guy who does too little?

Apparently Mitt Romney things President Obama doesn't do enough:

Romney labels Barack Obama 'ineffective president'

As a refresher for our buddy Mitt, here are some links to just some of the things this "ineffective president" has done, some older, some newer:    

Obama's First 100 Days: 10 Achievements You Didn't Know About

90 Accomplishments of Pres. Obama Which The Media Fails to Report....

Accomplishments of the Obama Administration ...

Another historical accomplishment of the Obama

Do we still need jobs, as a nation?  Heck, yes.  But he's been pretty busy cleaning up all the messes 'round here.  


He's not done yet.

Well, that was fun

Point made.

No harm, no foul.

Link:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/05/18/136424513/nice-to-live-in-a-free-country-gingrich-says-after-getting-glittered?ft=1&f=1001

Quote of the day--on elections and marketing on this election day

The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal - that you can gather votes like box tops - is, I think, the ultimate indignity to the democratic process. ~Adlai E. Stevenson. We're in way over our heads, Adlai.