National Republicans
He’s No Reagan
Watching Trump’s rambling, raging Mar-a-Lago speech Tuesday night, I was reminded at first of another Republican President whose hair had an unnatural tint. But Trump is no Ronald Reagan. I didn’t care much for Reagan, but I liked one thing: He had a sunny, optimistic vision of America. In his farewell address, he called it…
Read MoreDoes Truth Matter Anymore?
Politicians howl to get likes on Facebook, applause on Twitter. The press howls too. Tucker Carlson said on TV ‘The January 6th riot was incited by federal agents – undercover agents.’ That wasn’t true. But his audience cheered. And the next night he was back on the air grinning. On Fresh Air on NPR a…
Read MoreHope
Trump’s porn star/hush money/fraud indictment brings hope and fear. Hope that the law finally will catch up with him, that Republican primary voters finally will turn against him and that, even if he wins the nomination, he’ll lose the election so badly he’ll lead the GOP to its worst shellacking since the post-Watergate election of…
Read MoreNew York Grand Jury
Awake in the wee hours after midnight Trump posted on Truth Social he was wonderful, he was popular, he was winning, then threatened ‘death and destruction’ could follow the Manhattan District Attorney indicting him for a felony – in the next breath he called the D. A. ‘A degenerate psychopath that truly hates the USA!’.…
Read MoreTwo Clans
This is politics: Two clans – Showman and Washington Politicians. One struts, lies. The other connives. Hot headed followers kowtow to Trump. Washington Politicians cut deals. Meantime, there’s inflation, tottering banks, and China’s joined arms with Russia. If you ask people, in a poll, Is politics broken? almost everyone nods, Yes. A rare case of…
Read MoreA Snapshot of Politics
Another messy week: Democrat prosecutors tormenting Trump and, in retaliation, Republicans in Congress dragging Hunter Biden out of the closet. Trump went on a tear on Truth Social, threatening ‘death and destruction’ if Manhattan’s District Attorney indicts him – but, oddly, it looks like Democrats by prosecuting Trump may be helping him. Ron DeSantis led…
Read MoreFeeding the Beast
Republicans made a deal with the devil 60 years ago, and the devil has come to collect. In 1964, Barry Goldwater turned the party of Lincoln into the party that opposed civil rights. In 1968, Richard Nixon followed Strom Thurmond’s Southern Strategy to the White House. In 1972, Nixon helped elect North Carolina’s Jesse Helms…
Read MoreDivine Intervention
It’s like watching horned demons – or two clans – having a spat: Showmen fighting Politicians. The Master Showman, Trump, has a hot bed of followers. The Master Washington Politician, Biden, makes deals with Schumer, McConnell, McCarthy. Meantime, we’ve got inflation, tottering banks, China and Russia allied against us. Showmen strut, rant. Politicians connive. Neither…
Read MorePusillanimous
Pu·sil·lan·i·mous, “pyoo-suh-la-nuh-muhs” (adjective): Showing a lack of courage or determination; timid. The United States today is confronting two brutal dictators: Putin in Russia and Xi in China. We face a nuclear threat from North Korea. The Middle East is volatile. This is no time for a President who is timid and lacks courage or determination.…
Read MoreA Better Road
It used to be when we had a primary here in North Carolina and no candidate won 50% of the vote there was a runoff between the top 2 candidates. Politicians frowned on runoffs, changed the rule: If a candidate got 40% of the vote, and led, he won. Then politicians changed the rule again:…
Read More