Sitting here on Christmas Eve, with a little sip o’ Dew, — think Irish and not Mountain — I can’t help but laugh at the 2016 presidential elections so far.
It seems as those of us who are of the Democrat persuasion should think hard and long about holding our nose to vote in November.
I am not a fan of Hillary Clinton. I didn’t care for Bill all that much. It makes me a bit sad to know Chelsea has to hear things like that, but she grew up with it. Bernie Sanders has his heart in the right place — the chest cavity, right? — I admire that he doesn’t feel the least bit ashamed to say he is a socialist.
The word “socialist” brings fear to the hearts of Americans who never studied sociology or political science. Here is a disclosure: I minored in both fields in college. I think I am short six hours having a second degree in political science. I’ve thought about doing it, getting my second degree. Why with my experience in reporting on government for many years and working for municipal, state and federal governments, it seems like a university should go ahead and just award me my second degree. I am not bragging. I am proud of my varied background.
Back to socialism, the short-sighted ignorantly believe socialism is communism. It’s not. Then, say the S-word haters, it is like France. Well, that is a little closer but it is no cigar. I think Bernie hits on one aspect of our society on which he is absolutely right. That is, the middle class is and has been, an endangered species. You are either rich or you are poor. There is no in between.
The Republican party has many candidates this year. But none of those are really a choice as far as I am concerned.
I still expect, somehow and some time, that Donald Trump will hit a bump. Hey, it’s still okay to rhyme. It’s a free country — for now. Should he make it all the way to the convention next year I still think it will mean turmoil for the Republicans. Perhaps it will not end like the Whigs. But the situation could become a replay of the (God forbid) 1948 Democratic convention.
Former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, then mayor of Minneapolis, pushed the Democrats to adopt a strong civil rights stance. The measure passed, but barely. Harry Truman was nominated and became elected for the first time. Alben Barkley, a former U.S. Senate majority leader from Kentucky, was the vice president.
The civil rights plank in the Dems platform back in 1948, looking back today, seems like a cynical though proved an accurate way to encourage black voters to elect more Democrat leaders. However, many Southern Democratic leaders back in the day were appalled at the thought of promoting civil rights. The Mississippi and Alabama delegates to the convention, joined by other Southerners, walked out. The bolting members founded what was called the “State’s Rights Party,” a.k.a. the “Dixiecrats,” and nominated that long-living reprobate Sen. Strom Thurmond and Mississippi Gov. Fielding Wright for president. Obviously, the Dixiecrats, were a party in name only. Thurmond served for 48 years as U.S. Senator representing South Carolina.
After dying at the age of 100, a retired Los Angeles school teacher, Essie Mae Washington-Williams, revealed that the long-time senator was her father. Washington-Williams, who was African-American, was acknowledged by the Thurmond family as a relative.
Small world.
Just a few words to say about the Trumpster. He can’t deliver on all his promises unless he plans a military coup. Trump will not drive all illegal immigrants from the states. He is insane to think he can order with a snap of the fingers bombers to “bomb the hell” out of Middle Eastern oil fields. Trump is a blow hard. If he is elected, scary as that sounds, he will be even more isolated from the U.S. Congress than Barack Obama.
Friends, I’m just telling you. Think. You better think (think, think) about what Donald’s going to do to you … Oh freedom, (freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom, yeah freedom.) To paraphrase that great song sang so soulfully by the First Lady of Soul, Aretha Franklin and was written by Ted and Franklin White.
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