Mitt - Too Little Too Late

I was surprised yesterday when I heard that Mitt Romney was going to give a speech on the state of the Republican party. The fact that he is the titular head of the party having been the most recent presidential nominee, he's been pretty much out of the spotlight.

I wondered how hard he could be on Trump since Trump endorsed him in his bid.  Well, that didn't take long to answer.  It is open season on every person past, present and future.  It seems more bloody this year as the Republican establishment tries to find a way to oust Trump.  Needless to say they're botching it but good.

There he stood, still with the movie star looks and beautifully tanned. His voice was firm with conviction.  He sliced and diced Mr. Trump to a fare-thee-well and it rang with truth. I could find no argument with anything he said.  If you haven't heard it here's the transcript.

I shouldn't have been but never-the-less was surprised at how badly it was received by the pundits.  He's old news.  He's the loser, not Trump.  He's the epitome of the "establishment".  Perhaps so and I have lots of ill feelings toward said establishment myself.  One thing that can't be denied, however, put side by side with Trump, who would you rather have facing the world?  Without question I would choose Romney.

Trump took on Romney's remarks during a rally in Portland, Maine.  I watched briefly then went on with my morning chores.  I couldn't listen to any more self aggrandizement in rebuttal.

Romney had an interesting ploy though.  He suggested that people vote for who ever is ranked highest in the polls where it is someone other than Trump.  For instance Kasich in Ohio, Rubio in Florida, Cruz has already won Texas.  Should any of them actually win that would give all the delegates to them thus depriving Trump of the numbers needed.

Point being, after the first vote at the convention delegates are released to vote for whom ever they want.  Thus a brokered convention.  Actually the Democrats may have one themselves if Hillary's troubles catch up with her.  Who would they choose?  Perhaps Biden.  I'm not sure.  But who for the Republicans?  Romney perhaps?  He's said he wouldn't run but could he be chosen after the fact?

Curious times these. I have no idea how this is going to play out but I hope all who are planning to vote realize this isn't a single circle circus.  It has all three rings.  Our domestic woes and foreign policy are the two other than the nominee.  Who ever wants it most had better distinguish himself from the field, as small as its getting to be,  and start talking concrete policy and quit the name calling.

Have We Backed Ourselves Into A Corner?

Is this the best our country can do?  I've been trying to figure out why the better candidates haven't caught on and have already forfeited the game to one of these two?

First I look at Trump.  He says he can be presidential if necessary.  I'd like to see a bit of that decorum before hand.  He isn't a " true conservative" by any stretch of the imagination and to my way of thinking thats a plus.  It comes with being a moderate or a centrist or whatever you want to call it.

There are issues near and dear to the Democrats with which I agree; the same goes with the Republicans.  A leader, a true leader, should bring those sides together even if it means each loses a bit.  It's called negotiating and Trump should be a master of it.  What's a mystery however is whether or not he can actually govern.  There is too much at stake for another amateur in the job.

Hillary is another story.  Let's leave all the pending and past scandles aside.  Other than holding the office of Secretary of State what are her accomplishments? Being strident is not an accomplishment.
I ask, too, whether she has the ability to govern.  I see no indication she'd be willing to compromise on anything. Just besmirch those who don't agree with her.

One more thing about her worries me.  If the reports are true her health needs to be thouroughly vetted, to borrow a political term. The headaches, the falls, the cough and the glasses.   She looks her age and she looks tired and this is only the campaign.  Does she have the stamina to actually hold the office?

Neither of these candidates bring youth and vitality to the fore though Trump wins on that score by the power of his personality.

Those who did bring that youth and vitality have already moved on.  Rubio and Cruz are the same age but Cruz is an unknown element thanks to some serious goof ups already.  Rubio looks young and stiff as a board.  He is so scripted I wonder who will be writing it for him if he's elected.  Some would tell you it would be the Business Roundtable, the Chamber of Commercee and all the other monied suspects.

I probably pay more attention to foreign policy than a lot of people because as goes the world so go we.  For some reason the cream hasn't risen to the top, it's been filtered out and what we have left is sour.  Just look at them.

Trump Appeal. Are They Beginning To Get It?

The Washinton Post had an article surmising that the trouble Republicans have with Trump is that he's too moderate. Well, what do you know!

I don't know how often you have to hit these guys over the head to get them to understand it's what the electorate wants.  Maybe it's also dawning on them that truth and enthusiasm count.

Sure he's a character.  But man can he get the crowd going.  Without having to really say much.  Needless to say, that will have to change and he'll have to show he can be statesmen like when called for.  Until then however he's the go to guy for straight talk, albeit his own brand.

I was watching a bit of John Kasich last night and he nearly put me to sleep.  Other than not being an inspirational speaker he shares the same problem that Jeb has.  They are about as establishment as you can get and even though they've done good things in the past, it is the past.  Do accomplishments from 20 years ago really inspire?  It isn't the same world, country nor Congress.

I think the people are saying we want our parties to work together and solve problems; not have it all one way or the other. Who better than Trump?  Of all of them he is most able to negotiate.  Look at the empire he's built with that skill.

What the current administration and Kerry in particular seem to think is that appeasement is synonymous with negotiation.  Wrong.  In a good negotiation both sides get some of what they want but not all.  How much either gets depends on that skill.

I've often stated I don't want this man as President.  I've also admitted maybe we need someone like him. I'm glad there is still some time but what I'm finding is that I'm winnowing candidates at a pretty good clip.

Hillary is no longer inevitable.  Sanders is not electable in the general.  I really believe that unless we as a whole want to look like Greece or any of the other countries who have that form of government.  It would be like you giving all your money to the government and they'll give you back a stipend to live on.  Not my cup of tea.

Obama keeps telling us certain things do not reflect our values.  Not that he can decide mine for me but if in that he's suggesting Hillary does, he's nuts.

Donald likes to talk, Hillary likes to lecture.  A debate between them would be interesting but I'm willing to bet Trump would out talk her.

The next big question is who would each choose for a running mate.  Then which cabinet positions would they eliminate and who would be placed in the ones left.  One thing probably sure is that Hillary would not eliminate any of them.  After all that's what big government is all about.

Trump?  Who knows, so I watch and wait.

Trump And The Rest Of The Republicans

Every once in awhile when I take a step back from the insanity of politics I try to make some sense of it.  My question to myself today is when did the Republican Party surrender to the conservatives? Especially since the front runner, Trump, is anything but.

He's constantly being given the litmus test and he fails in so many categories I'd think the Republicans who rebuke him would take a step back themselves and try to figure out why.  Maybe, just maybe, it's because for the most part he  and the people who support him aren't as conservative as the powers that be want him to be.

In my day lots of Republicans were socially liberal and fiscally conservative.  That makes me today an independent. Republicans are no longer socially liberal.  Anything but. And not unlike those we fight in distant lands if you don't agree with their point of view you're the worst of the worst and no attention what-so-ever should be paid to you. So far they aren't killing us physically though they are in many other ways.

There used to be a time, after having decided against being a Republican and becoming an Independent, when I could vote a split ticket.  No more.  I understand why so few people vote.  They're expected to march in lock step with the dictates of their parties and many just cannot do so with good conscience.  When the choice is one extreme or another, fewer and fewer are holding their noses while they vote.  They just don't bother. This is true of both parties.

I think Mr. Trump gives a voice to these people.  The more the overpaid and intellectually challenged voices like those of Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck preach their sermons of moral purity the more people turn to a Trump or a Sanders who tell it like it is from their point of view.  No ducking nor dodging.

I don't think Sanders will win the nomination.  If he does I don't think he can win the general.  I hope not anyway.  Not because I don't like him as a person but I do not like what he preaches.  Socialism.

Trump is more centrist than Sanders and that's part of what the people like.  So his demographic is the middle class without a college education. Guess what?  That's a sizeable number of the voting population.  He talks to them.  He gets them feeling like this man can make it better.  He isn't resented for his wealth but admired for how he got it.  He worked for it and his kids are working for their share.

So he's rude and crude.  Yet he runs in circles where that isn't the norm.  Pit him against Mitt Romney and he'll still win because he's the easier to identify with.

To the Republican hierarchy who so wants him to go away be careful what you wish for.  If it isn't what the voters want you lose.  Big time.  Just for once cease your behind the doors conniving and let the people who pay you make the decision.

Will they come out and vote?  For the right candidate I'm betting they will.

Trump - The Face Of What??

According to Pat Buchanan in an interview with  Chris Cillizza in the Washington Post Trump could well be the future of the Republican party.

I don't know whether to quiver in fear or celebrate the thought. My problem is I've never seen Mr. Trump act the way I think a President should act.  I've covered this at length in previous posts.  That being said, there is much about him I rather like. One, he's not exactly a Republican, nor a Democrat but more of a (gasp) centrist.  Could that actually become fashionable again? I really see him as the face of an entirely new party yet to be determined.

I like the fact that he plays no favorites.  True, he is his own favorite. He isn't taking some one else ideas and pretending they're his.  I like that he has brought to the fore that from which the other candidates shy away. He has brought discomfort to the campaign.  Perhaps his New Yawk brashness has allowed this.  That plus his personality.  Everyone else looks like they're no more than new faces running for old positions and the power that comes with them.  No one has any passion. Not that they're given much of a chance to show it except where they are physically, town halls, rallies and the like.

They have been given the chance to shine in the debates but no one has yet discovered how to out Trump Trump.  Jeb Bush comes across as weak and whiny.  He should have listened to his Mother.

Carly, I think, is too low key and while I still have a great deal of respect for her she just isn't catching on.  So much for those who think it's time for a woman in the Presidency. Considering the other choice for that honor is Hillary, I can't help but wonder what her supporters are thinking.

Old news is stale news and so it goes for Huckabee and Santorum.  I think Chris Christie missed his chance last go 'round. Rand Paul had best secure his Senate seat. Rubio seems like a nice young man but he doesn't exude the chops he needs to over come looking so young and in many cases indecisive.

My guess it's only a matter of time until Dr. Carson bows out. Rand Paul's Libertarian bent has run into the need for a very strong military; something that goes against his grain. Kasich seems a bit condescending.  We've one of those in the White House now.

Ted Cruz. He may claim to be an outsider but I don't buy it.  He strikes me as being very expedient in choosing where to say what.  That worries me. He seems like a another new face being an old politician.

Boy, I'm not much of a potential voter am I?  I don't expect to like everything about any one candidate but for now I'm having a difficult time finding anything inspiring about any of them.

There is still time.  I've read Biden has regretted not jumping into the frey. Wouldn't it be something if the Democrats are the ones to have a brokered convention rather than the rumor about the Republicans?

Maybe both should consider that option and each put forward a candidate that can inspire Americans as a whole.  But Sanders and Trump? It would be different. I think I can handle one or the other but, please, not both!

Maybe We Need A Trump

He's a New Yorker and brings with him all the rude brashness as they are sometimes stereotyped.  He can be outrageous.  He calls people stupid.

I listened to Hub as he flipped through news last night and tried to keep count of everything he called stupid from the remote to the talking heads.  Too many of which to keep track.  Yet he's one of the brightest guys I know.

The difference between men like him and Trump is that he doesn't talk that way in public.  He has that degree of civility because when he was out in the working world one didn't speak the way Trump does.  Of course we don't have Trump's wealth either.  Maybe when you don't have to rely on any one else for a pay check you can have a loose tongue.

That being said, Trump's language does resonate with the people.  Can he act Presidential?  I don't know but as he has said himself, we need a cheerleader and he has become the personification of just that.  Now if only he would get his facts straight!

Whatever, I can't help but like his straight forwardness and his willingness to stray from the Republican dictates.  He is not a Conservative nor is he a Progressive.  He's really quite a Centrist - a bit from the Republicans and a bit from the Democrats.  The beauty of it is he's mostly right.

Not being beholden to campaign contributors gives him that freedom. He has no political ambitions other than the Presidency and that to "make America great again". I actually believe him on that.

As I watch all the other candidates dance around Trump in silent frustration I think they are too political and haven't the courage to say what they really mean.  I don't think there is any one other  than Trump running that isn't beholden to some group.  After all, who is financing their campaigns?

If they can't out maneuver Trump on the strength of their policy how are they ever going to deal with the mavericks running the rest of the world?  We need someone who won't flinch when challenged.

I can't see Trump flinching.  I would suppose that's part of why he calls them "stupid".  Do they really have the strength of the convictions they espouse?  I'm not yet convinced.

I'm also not counting out Trump.  He didn't get where he himself is by being stupid. Bank on it.

The Crude And The Corrupt

Sounds like a title for a good soap, doesn't it?  Well, truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and these two are proof positive.

As I've said on many occasions I understand Trump's appeal as well as Hillary's lack of same.

With Trump there's no pulling punches, you know exactly what he's thinking because he says it.  Not that it won't change in 5 minutes.

With Hillary it's much the opposite.  She's mastered the art of dodging - and the accompanying cackle when she thinks she's gotten away with it.

Let me ask, is either of them what you want as the face of our country?  Hillary is a shoo in for the Democrat nomination.  Democrats have decided she's due her due.  Why I have no idea except that perhaps they've bought into the sanctity of the party rather than the country.

With that as a given we have to look at the Republicans.  With 12 candidates still in the running is there not one of them who can articulate Republican frustrations in a more civilized manner than Mr. Trump?  I find it hard to believe that at least one of those candidates can't match his understanding of the electorate's frustrations and able to voice them with a modicum of personality and what Trump is missing ~ charm.  No, not all the love and joy malarkey, that doesn't cut it.  Neither does Trump's broad brush srtokes, truth be said.

The pundits I habitually listen to, be they old timers or of another generation, all are students of politics and haven't yet grasped that this cycle shows the evolution of the process.  Not necessarily in a good way, but it is evolving. No longer is what has been going to be.

With Iowa getting ever closer perhaps a cold winter night in Iowa will knock Trump down a peg. Don't expect him to be gracious about it if he doesn't win and who ever does win had best don a suit of inpenatrable armor.  I would expect him to bluster his way through New Hampshire and if he behaves he could even win Nevada but from there it's any ones guess.

I have no resolutions this new year; only what is probably misguided hope.  Hope that those who care enough to vote in the primaries also care enough about their country to let it be known rude and crude isn't enough.

As far as a corrupt self-serving candidate is concerned, the Democrats are stuck. You'd think that after 7 years of Barack Obama they'd know better and have the courage to turn away from a nearly mirror image.  Not in appearance, obviously, but in ideology, respect for the people, the Constitution and our laws and devotion to the country.  They get none with Hillary.  They do get the latter half of Crude and Corruption.

And so it begins in earnest.  What more can I hope for?  An outlier in both parties.  A hope that I'm afraid will never come to fruition!

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?

Comfort Of Sorts

We've been away again, avoiding all the political news as best we could.  TVs in breakfast rooms and USA Today headlines always seem to catch your eye however.

I really tuned out after hearing about Trump's rampage about Ben Carson.  No, Mr. Trump.  The people of Iowa aren't stupid and neither am I.  I'm sick and tired of you calling everyone who disagrees with you or thinks you have a temperament problem stupid.

This morning I read Trump's poll numbers have surged to 42%.  Unfortunately I understand why.  It's why he's been leading all along.  He says what he thinks no matter how outrageous and somehow his exuberance is infectious.

So it will be in his outrage over what has happened in Paris and what he would do about it.  You get the feeling he actually will carry out what ever his threats may be no matter if they are prudent or not.  Does it matter?  Pussy footing around these terrorists because someone may be offended has got to stop.  Our leaders seem inclined to expect everyone else to make it happen.  Everyone else expects the U.S. to grab the monster by the horns and lead the way.

Which of the candidates is most convincing in righteous outrage? Why of course, it's Trump.  Perception in this case outweighs prudence.  Maybe it's what is needed.

Biting The Hand That Feeds You

I was  listening to Lou Dobbs last evening during which time he was castigating Trump for his name calling and vagaries.  Today I see Trump isn't going to appear on FOX programs- at least for awhile. They aren't treating him nicely.

Wow.  FOX made this man! I fear the Trump and pony show is getting old.  Really old.  Yes, he has been a great cheer leader but he still hasn't come out with specifics on how he plans to fulfill his promises.

Can you imagine him going after world leaders in the same vein? Putin is really stupid.  Really Stupid.  Angela Merkel.  Look at that face.  Who would listen to her? Netanyahu. He isn't very nice to me so I won't talk to him. Sheesh!

Scott Walker had the good grace to bow out of the race when it became readily apparent he couldn't win. Good grace isn't Trump's long suit but maybe if enough people aren't nice to him or about him he'll have one final snit and bow out.

He could still be of great service.  He could get behind the actual candidate and tell everyone how great he/she is and all the wonderful things he/she will do.  Continue being cheerleader-in-chief on making the country great again.  Of course that means who ever the candidate is will have to have said nothing negative about The Donald.  Unfortunately that eliminates most of them!

There could be a consolation prize waiting in the wings for Trump, however, if he plays his cards right.  He could go back to doing what he does best - building things.  Give him a contract and have him build the wall.  He can tell us how great it will be, how easy it will be and give him all the face time he could possible want.

Building the greatest wall the world has ever seen and bowing out of the race are possibly the two greatest contributions to the country the man could make!  Maybe a lot of people, including FOX, would be nice to him again to boot!

Time To Dump The Sacred Cow

No, I don't mean Donald Trump.  Though I must say he's taking care of it all by himself.  I think it's time to divorce ourselves from the notion the President has to come from the ranks of the previously elected.  Why not a solid business executive?

Why?

Most have no managerial experience what-so-ever.  What about governors?  It's all within the realm of politics thus stifling the creativity and innovation needed in the private sector to succeed.

Let's face it, corporate leaders are far more likely to know world leaders or their representatives than the average member of Congress or most governors. They know how to delegate, negotiate, make decisions and reason in a non-partisan manner.  Their obligation is to their stock holders, not themselves.

While I like Ben Carson; he is a good and brilliant man but I've yet to see he can manage.  Trump?  What does he do well other than bully, deprecate his opponents and speak in generalities touting how great he would be?  But nothing yet about how.

Carly. Look beyond HP. What happened to her there is not uncommon and we need to understand that. What we also need to consider is she is bright, quick, assured, informed and unafraid. She is woman, hear her roar.  She has substance based on experience, homework and tenacity.

Can she handle Congress?  I'd rather ask if they really think they can roll her.  I doubt it. World leaders?  She's no shrinking violet.  Manage?  Heads and tails above anyone who shared that debate stage including Trump.

She may not win.  We may listen too much to the negativity that is beginning to ramp up but she deserves our consideration.  If you're willing to consider Hillary you should be willing to consider Carly. It's no longer about petty party politics but rather the very substance of our nation.  Who we are and what we want to be.  Are we content with the things as they are?  Trump's rise would indicate we are not.

Let's get serious about who can best serve the country as a whole; who has the skill, the temperament and the background.

If there were other top tier business executives in the race I'd be giving the same pep talk about any of them. What we don't need is another untried, manipulated and beholden politician.

Enough Already!

I had just settled down to watch some before dinner TV last night when all programming on the cable channels turned to New Hampshire and Trump.  Please.  Is he the only one running for President?

I listened to his aggrandizing opening one more time then a bit longer when he announced he was going to something different - take questions.  Really!  He did.  But he never answers them.  Not one while I was listening and some were indeed quite specific.  Just the same old "I guarantee you when I'm President that won't happen..."

What he did do is savagely attack Carly Fiorina.  He must be worried about her burgeoning popularity.

Neither of them are perfect by any manner.  Both have had business successes and failures but I see the beginnings of the "Romneying" of Carly. She's to blame for everything that went wrong with HP and Lucent and now everyone who lost their job in shake ups is coming out of the woodwork. Oh, she ruined my life!  And how long  ago was was that?  Haven't you done anything since?  Stuff happens.  Hub lost more than one job due to corporate turmoil. We didn't like it but we didn't wallow in it.  We moved on.

Okay.  That's a prejudiced paragraph because I like Carly Fiorina. That being said, to date other than Ben Carson, she and Trump are getting all the press.  And Carson darn little at that other than poll results.

Frankly, I would like to hear about other candidate rallies and speeches.  From both parties.  I don't care about network ratings, I care about information and I'm not getting it. Where is Jim Webb?  Where is Martin O'Malley and Lincoln Chaffey and what issues are they campaigning on?  I haven't a clue.  Do you?

The same holds true for Rick Santorum and George Pataki.  They certainly aren't sitting at home twiddling their thumbs waiting for Trump to topple.

The media has an obligation to cover all the candidates, not be the determining factor of who has the right to move up and who doesn't. It's no wonder politicians have a love/hate relationship with the media.  They have the power to make you or break you depending on their own personal ideology.  That's wrong.  They're supposed to be objective but with the lines blurred between punditry, reporting and entertainment, we the public are being ill served.

I shouldn't have to watch FOX to hear about the Republicans nor MSNBC to hear about Democrats.  I should be able to listen to either and get the same perspective.  Objectivity.

We rightfully put a pox on both political parties; the media deserves the same.

An Aha! Moment

I watched the beginning of the Trump rally in Dallas until dinner was ready and found, to no surprise, a certain sameness to it.  That's okay.  All candidates have their stump speeches and if you don't follow politics to the extent I do they will be new to a certain percentage of rally attendees.

That being said, Trump's rarely contain substance.  That too is okay at this point. Whether or not he succeeds in the long run, though, will depend on substance in certain forums. Because certain forums haven't yet died.  The political pundits.

In that vein I also listen to the Washington insiders discussing the Trump phenomenon and their seeming inability to "get it".  I think I've figured out what they're missing.

People are so disgusted with Washington they want an outsider.  That's been the consensus and probably the correct one.  More than that I think they no longer care who fixes it - Democrat or Republican.  Just fix it!  This is where Trump is the master.  He preaches nothing but the positive.  We will be great again.  He'll do it. People love it.  Some of his ideas are more to the left, some more to the right and all likely to change as will the circumstances.  The people get it.  The politicians and pundits don't.

I think political ideology is shrinking into the walls of establishment enclaves be they in the media or the halls of Congress.  The people aren't so particular.  Gay marriage is now legal.  Okay. No big deal except for a few on whom the media choose to focus. Cops are under fire because of the lack of balance of those they target.  We get that the field isn't level because those committing the crimes aren't equally dispersed among ethnic backgrounds.  We get it.  The pols and pundits don't seem to.

We don't care if it's Republican policies or Democrat policies that are causing our financial woes. Both are to blame.  We get it.  The pols and pundits don't.

So aha! That's the deal.  We want someone who cares for the country and we who call it home and tells us in no uncertain terms he can fix it. We don't care who he or she is. But Trump has the track record of success.  Who wouldn't want to follow his lead on that basis?

Forget what the party says, listen to us and to borrow from Nike, just do it!

Trump Playing The Crowd

I was out running errands yesterday and listening to Trump in a press conference then a rally in New Hampshire.  I'm beginning to see why people so like him.  Other than giving kids rides in the Trump chopper.

He's so real and unscripted and he calls people stupid that the crowds also think are stupid.  Let's face it, not one candidate running, with the exception of Fiorina, have a clue how big business works.  Trump is explaining it to his audiences. Corporate big wigs are always playing both sides.  Trump admits he has because that's how the game is played.

Have you heard one other candidate admitting that they solicit campaign funds from those who they know aren't on their side?  And often get it just in case they win?

Trump may excoriate his competition but he sure knows how to play the crowd.  He came across as warm and approachable.  Seriously.  He did.  Not at all like he does with the talking heads - on any network.

One thing to consider before dismissing him as a flash in the pan is that he knows the players who actually run governments.  He's one of them.  Those are the people whose throats will be at his knife point, because they are the ones who dictate to their "leaders".  He can negotiate with them because he has the clout.  As President, boy would he have the clout.

He's not my first choice - yet, but I get the sense that he's beginning to take this quest seriously.  Small differences in his demeanor are becoming apparent.  Even his hair style is changing.  This is one interesting candidate!

FOX, Quit Shilling For Trump

For those of you who watch FOX, are you tired of them shilling for Trump at the expense of the other candidates?

Okay, so he's touched on a hot button, the American voters disgust with professional politicians.  I get that and I've enjoyed watching his bellicose antics.  Isn't it time for him to be relegated to the cheer leading squad? Well, maybe not.  He isn't one to cheer for anyone other than himself.

 But back to FOX.  That Sean Hannity panders to him doesn't surprise me.  Sean is impressed by power, calls himself a disgruntled conservative and appears to have no idea of the intricacies of how the government works.  Just bull on through!

Lou Dobbs, on the other hand, is a man of some intellect and he too can't praise Trump enough. Hey, guys, he's a self-serving clown.  I can not speak for anyone other than myself, but I do not want him as President.  Just because he's successful doesn't make him Presidential material.

I'd at least like our President to have some class. So who does? Every Republican that's running would not be the embarrassment Trump is.  Of course I'm still shilling for Carly because of her business acumen.  Government today is just that.  A business.  Too many of the other candidates do not have that experience nor knowledge.

Still, any one of them would put a better, less belligerent, foot forward than Mr. Trump. One can be tough and passionate about a cause without insulting anyone who differs with you.  Maybe it's the one thing about politics I can tolerate.  Being politic.

Huff and Puff All You Want, Trump!

Trump can huff and puff and deny all he wants his implication about Megan Kelly.  I figure he protests too much and that once again, Carly Fiorina's assessment of what was said was spot on.

Crude men, and Trump is crude, often think women, during their time of the month, makes them irrational and thus can and should be dismissed.  Up yours, Donald.

Of course Trump immediately dismissed her. Like her losing the top job at Hewlett Packard was reason to dismiss her.  Any one who knows how the business world works at the executive level knows CEOs are often dismissed by petulant boards.

If you were a CEO and Trump an employee, how long would you keep him?

Fiorina also questioned whether Trump has the temperament to be President.  I think not.  That he tells it like it is in his opinion is great.  It's why people love him.  They love his candor.  He doesn't temper anything, however, and I think that will be his downfall.

Every time someone disagrees with him he tries to bluster his way out of it and if that fails he starts name calling and insults.  Somehow I don't imagine other world leaders will have any of it.

Mr. Trump is a narcissist much like Obama.  It's all about him.  We have one in the White House now.  We don't need another.

The Republican Nominee Will Be?

As much as Trump is striking a chord, I don't think he'll be the nominee.  Voters will come to their senses.  One can hope.

At the moment my guess is it will be the candidate who can take Trump's broad brush on the issues and paint in the details.  I think the candidate most likely to  do this is Ted Cruz.

He is almost evangelical in his delivery.  He is passionate and articulate.  He also hasn't insulted Trump.  If he can say, "Trump is correct and here's why..." I think it would carry him a long way.

At the moment I'm leaning toward a candidate who probably has no chance because the media is giving her short shrift.  Almost to the point of being chauvinist.  If only they felt the same about Hillary! What I like about her is her business background and understanding of how businesses are run.  Exactly what our government needs - to be run like a business.  As it is now it isn't being run at all.  It's Camp Run-a-Muck. And like a poorly run company, doomed.

Realistically, however, I figure a politician is going to win the nod and it will be a matter of personality.  Not a good reason to be sure but with 16 candidates running personality is going to be a large part of what helps a candidate break out.  I think Cruz has that zeal.

They all are saying pretty much the same thing regarding policy.  So far I haven't heard a one of them explain exactly how they are going to achieve what they all agree needs to be done.  Especially if they don't have a solid majority in both houses.  Actually they are a pretty boring bunch.

Personality could push some one past Hillary too.  Hers is grating and fraught with ums and ahs. That is if she even succeeds.  With the rumors about Biden thinking seriously about jumping in and Warren reconsidering, she could have some real competition.  Webb, so far, has been a disappointment.

Of course my ideas change on a nearly daily basis as the jockeying for position continues.  Trump, on the Republican side, does, like it or not, have a huge amount to do with how things shake out.

Even if Trump goes 3rd party I believe a strong Republican can prevail.  Mainly because to date Trump hasn't said anything of substance either.  I'm not sure there is any from which he can draw.  Take note, Republican candidates. Get some personality and passion!

Figuring Out Trump's Popularity Isn't Rocket Science

Republicans should take a little more time trying to figure out the Trump appeal rather than trying to oust him from their ranks.

To me it's pretty simple.  He says what he means and means what he says.  When have you heard a politician do the same?  Granted he isn't always artful but a lot of what people "think" he's saying isn't at all accurate.

He has not disparaged our men and women in the military.  Not even close.  Basically he's saying McCain's "heroism" is over blown.  I'm not saying I agree, but I do think "hero" is applied far too often to far too many who don't deserve it.

What McCain endured while a prisoner of war was beyond comprehension, yes.  That he chose to stay behind when he could have left was heroic.  Yes.  Should that, however, give him a pass for the rest of his life even having not lived up to expectations?  I think something like that is what Trump was getting at in a very tortured manner.  Pardon the pun.

Rather than exaggerating the circumstances of gaffes, or bending them to suit their purposes, the Republicans should look at what's stealing their thunder.  Here you have a man who is beholden to no one.  No Chamber of Commerce nor Business Round Table is going to dictate to him how to think.  So far the other candidates, those who are politicians, not outsiders, still dance around everything that might be threatening.  Not so Trump.

What you see is what you get.  If you don't like him, fine.  He doesn't care.  If you do like him what you hear from him is the straight forward Donald Trump. That he is loud, egotistical and often just plain obnoxious is of no matter. To many his being the anti-politician is all they need.  A breath of fresh air.

One day soon I expect he'll have to come up with specifics.  He may have some difficulty with that.  Just as the politicians don't know what to do with him, he'll find dealing with Congress equally as difficult.  Maybe.

Don't forget Obama has set the precedent for going around Congress to get what he wants.  It wouldn't surprise me to see Trump do the same.  The difference being I think he would tell us first exactly what he would do and why.

One other consideration for the Republicans.  If they force Trump into a third party run they might as well kiss the presidency good bye.  Enough people will vote for him, no matter the label, to skew the results.

Perhaps they should tone down their own rhetoric and let the Trump flame burn itself out. If they don't tend to their own business rather than trying to end Trump's they may well find themselves on the outside looking in at their own territory.

Monumental Egos

Donald Trump and Barack Obama have one very disturbing trait in common.  They both are narcissists.  Every thing has to be about them.  Those who don't see it their way are totally insignificant.

The difference between that trait within each is how it manifests itself.  Obama is distant, aloof.  Trump can't keep from running off his mouth.

His disparagement of John McCain this past week end may have closed that mouth that roars.  Had he couched his statement by saying getting shot down doesn't make McCain a hero but what he did after capture certainly does, he might have gotten away with it. Alas, he didn't couch it at all.

One cannot continually back pedal and yet get ahead.  I don't think, but then I've been wrong before.  News cycles don't last all that long and soon Trump's error in judgement will be old news.  Think of all the fool hardy things said by others running for the presidency.  Can't think of any?  Point made.

As for egos in general, all politicians have them.  It's the nature of the beast.  Some just handle it better than others. Trump is likely to have hoisted himself on his own petard. But what about Hillary?  Look at the way she enters a stage.  The strut.  The smirk.  The air of entitlement. It's part of what makes her unattractive.  A little humility would be nice, but I don't believe it's in her genetic make up.  If anything she oozes the victim card with ridiculous regularity.

When I want to cry out,  "Where oh where is dull and boring," I can't help but remember how uninspiring those candidates are.  Where is the happy medium?  Strength and humility.  Enough ego to inspire confidence of leadership in others and wisdom to know one should also listen. There are a couple like that running but so far they aren't getting the press needed to move forward.

Sensationalism may sell, but for God's sake we're electing a President!  The media needs to get real too and give all the candidates coverage and let the voters decide, not themselves.

Again, it's not the nature of the beast.  It is one way to eliminate the less than worthy.  Cover the most egregious of faux pas and let them eliminate themselves.  It, of course, pays no attention to policy issues but then that's what the Internet is for isn't it?  You know the mantra.  "Go to our web site for more information."  Most people won't. So will we elect a president on the basis of which candidate has been able to avoid inflicting  or absorbing the most wounds to him or herself?

Well, it would figure.  We seem to be at war with everything but that which deserves it so mortal wounds to candidates might as well be part of the process.

Hillary Has Spoken

For some time now we've been waiting not only for Hillary to speak but to also say something.  Now she has.

There had been a question as to where she would fall when it comes to Obama's policies.  She approves.  She has promised to double down and add on.

I so often remember Obama saying, for instance about our embargo on Cuba, it hasn't worked so it's time to try something new.  I wish Hillary would recognize the same about our economic woes but she proposes more taxes and more regulations and then it will work. Never mind that we'll all have been taxed into the poor house. And, by the way, those policies still won't work.

That creates another problem she has yet to address.  What happens when the people are in fact taxed into the poor house?  How are all those policies and regulations going to be paid for?  I hear Iran is about to come into some really big money.  Maybe, since China's economy is also faltering, we can get the Iranians to fund us. Or maybe not since they have vowed to destroy us.  Oh well, maybe they'll change their minds.  Why destroy what they will own?

So that's where Hillary is.  The Elizabeth Warren/Bernie Sanders left.  And it is said this is the real Hillary.  Is there a counter balance?  I had hoped it would be Jim Webb but he has turned out to be less than inspiring.

The Republicans?  Have any of them said anything yet other than Trump?  Not that he has made any comprehensive policy statements but at least is is saying what a lot of us think and won't say because it's politically incorrect.

If they don't quit pussy footing around in order not to offend we're sure to have a Hillary presidency.  All her baggage will be forgiven.  Heck it already has been.  As has Bill's.  When you think about it, about the only one who at this point can out talk her is a Donald Trump. Lordy.  What has this country come to?

Remember though, a few years back Minnesota elected a one time professional wrestler for governor.  Jesse Ventura.  Remember him? Stranger things could happen than having Trump as the Republican nominee.  He could win.