Sons of Liberty - What Manner Of Men?

I watched the last episode of Sons of Liberty last evening, the story of the men who came together to form our country.

In real life they were pretty ordinary looking folk.  Certainly not the good looking actors who portrayed them and in some respects raised them to super hero level.  No, they were men like my husband or father or brother.  But those ordinary men did indeed become super heroes.

I wonder if we shall ever see their kind again.  Oh sure, they are out there.  The military  who are pledged to our country in ways many of the rest of us seem to have forgotten.  Ordinary men from a multitude of backgrounds yet embracing one single vision.  Country. America.  All that it was meant to be.

How is it that out of 350 million people in this country we've chosen the most implausible candidates to choose from to be our President. Yes, the government has lost its focus.  It has become more ideological and party oriented than is acceptable.  Yes, things are not getting done and pettiness and nastiness has risen to new levels. It is painful to witness.

I can understand wanting change.  I do too.  But not the change theses two candidates offer.  Both are narcissistic and mean spirited.  Both exaggerate their accomplishments.  Both are integrity challenged.  Neither has the temperament to lead; only to strut and posture and whine.  Neither has any depth of character.

Why did we choose them?  Any one of the other candidates who ran in the primaries would have been far more acceptable if not exciting. We want change?  Not more of same?  Well, with either of these two you get exactly more of same.  Lying, obfuscating, patronizing empty suits who will do anything to elevate themselves rather than the country.

This isn't independence the way our founding fathers envisioned it.  It certainly isn't liberty. The people we're choosing today couldn't hold a candle to the original sons of liberty.  For that we should be ashamed.

Who's Left?

I've had it with the presidential candidates.  Really, out of a nation of some 30 milling people is this really the best we can do?  That's an old cliche if ever there was one.

I am beyond disgusted with all of them.  In fact they've become an embarrassment.  This bit about the wives is so pre-adolescent I can't believe either Trump or Cruz would go there.  But both have.  At this point I don't give a hoot if Cruz has had affairs.  We already know Trump has. Just look at past candidates and presidents and for that matter Congress.  There are so many that are morally challenged I can't begin to name them.

The only one tending to the business of running for president is Bernie Sanders.  I can't vote for him because I just don't agree with what he wants to do and how he wants to do it. But as far as having a moral compass, he seems to be it.

What about Kasich?  I had wanted him to get in the race but he has lost me.  He brags about what he did decades ago and he didn't accomplish anything strictly by himself.  I don't believe, either, that the mess the world finds itself in can be cured with "love".  Love is a two way street.  What we're facing is a dead end road and hopefully it will be ISIS and their ilk rather than us.

So on it goes.  I will be interested in seeing if Obama learns how to dance and if Hillary learns how to tell the truth.

I'm not holding my breath.

Trump Card

Is the glow beginning to fade from Donald Trump?  He's beginning to  lose his edge in the polls - finally.

Hopefully those  polled are beginning to realize that even though he says what he thinks and it complies with what a lot of us think, his manner is not what we need.

I don't mind a squeaky wheel to get attention, but if the attention doesn't lubricate the squeak than something else is needed.  In this case another candidate who speaks to the issues without insulting everyone in the world around them.

But who?  My candidate has faded and I don't expect to see a re-emergence.  I still think Carly would be dynamite but I can lose gracefully.  So who else?  Ted Cruz hasn't shown the best judgement while in the Senate. Ben Carson is perhaps not playing to his strength in politics. I'm not convinced Rubio is ready for prime time. So far the rest are also rans.

I think it says a lot about both the media and the candidates that they can't quell Trump.  First the media.  They're liberal by nature and aren't going to get on the Republican band wagon.  Period.

As for the candidates, if they can't put Trump in his place how are they going to deal with belligerent world leaders? You'd think that out of so many running, at least one would be up to the challenge.  But no.  No one.

It's a sorry state in which we find ourselves.  Hillary or a yet to be named Republican. A Republican candidate who swears he is conservative but he's not?  Others who think kindness and joy will do the trick and others yet who really don't get us the way Trump does.

I think a new party is needed.  The Democrats can have the Bernie Sanders/Elizabeth Warren left.  The Republicans can have the far right evangelicals. The Moderates can have the rest of us, the ones who look at both sides and try to figure out what is most likely to work for the benefit of our country.

Trump appeals because he hits the sore spots but he has nothing concrete in the way of solutions.  Only bellicosity and nastiness. I hope that characteristic which in many ways mirrors Hillary won't work for either of them.

We need a President we can be proud of and believe in.  Anyone?

Marco

I watched Marco Rubio's announcement yesterday and found it to be somewhat more inspiring that Hillary Clinton's on Sunday.  He at least said something.

I noticed two things about him, other than he's a bit hyper when speaking. He didn't get into social issues and he seemed to know his subject matter.

It's said his youthful looks will be a deterrent.  They shouldn't be any more than Hillary's looks should be when she needs a botox fix. What matters is the candidates view of the issues and even what those issues are. Rubio seemed on track with my views.

You know what I really liked?  He has a sense of sincerity about him that seems authentic.  When he talks of his modest upbringing and the tremendous opportunities he's had in his life he sounds somewhat awed that what he's been able to achieve is really true.  Rather like Jordan Spieth getting used to having won the Masters on Sunday at the tender age of 21.  Was he too young to win?  Were his clean cut good looks a detriment to him?

Of course not.  He worked hard to develop the skills and the nerves of steel to accomplish the feat.  Why not the same for Marco Rubio?

It's said we've tried a one term Senator before and look how that's turned out. I don't think it's the time as Senator that matters nearly as much as what he's done before and how well.  Has he done his homework?  Does he understand the gravity of what the country is facing?  Does he have solutions?

He was truthful in saying not much is going to change until Obama is out of office. He repeated it time and again and I hope those listening understand just that. What will change after that depends on who we put into office.

Watching the candidates at their kickoffs is fun.  Everyone is hyped. Everything is rosy and they have the world at their feet.  It will for most of them be the best day of their campaigns.

I look forward to watching all of them as they take this step. Do they actually start off saying something of substance or is it all political puffery.  I want to watch them, listen to them, hear the inflection in their voices.  I like campaigning the old fashioned way.

I don't give a tweet about having social media fill the gaps on You Tube or Facebook. I want the candidates to flesh out themselves. After all I'll be voting for flesh and blood, not a 140 word sound bite.

Couldn't We Do It Right Just Once?

Will the political parties that represent us ever grow up?  Better yet, will we demand that they do?

I was reading headlines on Drudge a few minutes ago.  Jeb is seriously considering running.  We know that.  The next one read Democrats already digging up dirt.  Please.

Let's look at this.  If it's Hillary versus Bush we know the Republicans will dig up tons of dirt on Hillary.  There is plenty going back to their days in Arkansas, Bill's moral shortcomings, Hillary's tenure as Secretary of State and so on. I wonder too, in this moral client where women are coming out of the woodwork to accuse Bill Cosby of indecencies, how Hillary tolerating Bill's peccadilloes will wash.

On the Bush side, it is known Jeb's wife had some issues with custom's over some shopping items while he was governor.  I have no idea what else there may be to be found or manufactured but you can be sure there will be something.

So what do we have without the dirt?  Two people vying for the presidency. One has a great deal of experience having been a two term governor of Florida.  The other has a great deal of experience being the wife of a former President.  Which looks better?  Forget who you'd like to have a beer with.

Bush has some perceived drawbacks.  One being his support for common core, the other being his support for a legal path to citizenship for certain illegals.  He has said he will run on what he believes which I would like to take to mean he will not pander.

Hillary?  I don't know.  I have heard her parrot other's opinions but has claimed none for her own. Wanting to be President shouldn't be enough. She is pretty good at pandering.

No matter.  Other's will in time enter the race because these two in their individual ways are vulnerable.  It would be nice, though, to have them all be judged on the merit of their ideas for regaining the stature of the country and moving the economy so we can all get back to living what used to be normal.  A decent job, good wages, a future and respect around the world shown toward our President and our country.

I know negative advertising works.  Only because we allow it.  We should dig, not for dirt, but truth.  If we don't we'll end up once again mired in nothing but mud.