US Presidential Contenders

[Buster's Uncle]

Looking back I wish I would have made the effort to meet the Real George Bush.

I will be sad when the real George Bush dies.  It's a pity he doesn't get to see TV the week after.  Gerald Ford deserved that, too, and so will Dr. Carter.  Hell, it would have done the world no harm to have given Nixon the thrill of seeing Bob Dole lose it, which was sweet of him.

Several people who lived during my lifetime are conspicuously not mentioned in this post.  I may forgive Bakrama before he dies...

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I have a definite unified theme going today, and I swear none of it was planned when I started the post besides the Johnny Cash video and the one about goodbyes.  My Empire of Dirt...

[Rusty Edge]

I guess on the whole, it's kinda cool having the decision makers ask me for my opinion or my help.
Might have been useful if I ever needed theirs. Well, even if I did, I wouldn't be one to ask for it.


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While I certainly found common ground with the Greens with regard to foreign intervention and corporate personhood, their advocacy of domestic government intervention without regard to the Constitution was unsettling. Sort of a 180 from the Libertarians, some advocated the nationalization of all banks and utilities, because those things should exist to serve the people. Well, maybe they should try a credit union or an electric cooperative. I wasn't too sure about the slavery/native American reparations and subordination to the UN, either. I could be wrong, but I thought that all of the slaves and slave holders were dead.  The idea of no fossil fuel use  doesn't seem very practical to me either.

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Supposedly Hillary and company are figuring on a $Billion general election campaign, so I guess my idea of giving back the quarter million to Goldman Sachs and saying" Thank you Bernie Sanders and your enthusiastic supporters for showing me the way, together we can make difference and Constitutionally reverse Citizen's United while there is still time, and change America not only for the better, but for good." is out.

If I felt the Bern, I'd go Green and give the Shillary the finger.

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Yes, what a pleasant thought, that they could see their funerals, I'm sad for George and Jimmy already.

[Buster's Uncle]

That naïve genuinely communistic thinking is why we need the not-wrong Libertarian voice in the conversation.  I've read Das Capital and I really get where the hippies are coming from -which is why I don't want that naïve genuinely communistic thinking ever going away completely- but read up on the Byzantine Empire and Imperial China and THINK, kids.

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George and Jimmy - one-term Empires of Dirt for unpopular Presidents who were better men than all that.  Rodger that, and good point.

[Buster's Uncle]

But since I haven't said so in months - God bless Gerald R. Ford, a boring do-nothing impotent president when that was exactly what the world needed.  I figured that out before he died, but I totally noticed on TV the week after that many others had, too - if not phrasing it so bluntly.  I never knew anyone but me to say so while he was alive.

A better man and president than Chevy Chase ever was a comedian.

[Rusty Edge]

Normally we go out to an historic local tavern on Mondays when here for a burger special. Instead my Mom asked me to grill again. I guess she liked it. And maybe she was trying to clear various small amounts of meat out of the refrigerator, grilling deals with that more easily than cooking it in the kitchen.

Anyway, I didn't see the news, just snipits as a result.  "I said I'm trying to get this straight..."
My wife said- "You're trying to use logic where none applies."

I guess it went like this-
*Cruz and Kassich dropped out after the Indiana primary. [Sleezebag] becomes the presumptive nominee.
*Some, like Rick Perry moved to endorse [Sleezebag], saying it's time to close ranks.
*When asked, Speaker Paul Ryan said something like he was waiting for [Sleezebag] to embrace Republican ideals before making an  endorsement.
* [Sleezebag] quips "I don't need him."
*[Sleezebag] follows up with " don't want him chairing the convention"
*Ryan responds with "the presumptive nominee can have what he wants. I'll step down as convention chair."
*Sarah Palin says he's finished in the Republican party because he has defied the will of the people. His career is over, and she will go to Wisconsin to campaign against him when he stands for re-election in the primary.

I've always said that I really liked Sarah Palin. I knew about her before McCain chose her, because I'd been in Alaska talking to Alaskans.  She's somebody I wanted to go fishing with.

Then she got on my naughty list for endorsing [Sleezebag]. Now, after this,  I'm not so sure she'd be safe with me in a small boat. I think she'd manage to say something that would offend me.

[Buster's Uncle]

This surprises me - she is not utterly without charm and the group mind slams her in really unfair ways, but she's loudly proudly ignorant and has no business posing as a political figure.  You're not much of one to fall for loudly proudly ignorant.

[Rusty Edge]

Well, I think she's gotten worse in the limelight. She has no business being a commentator. Her and her family's conflict resolution skills in recent years leave a lot to be desired, too.

But that woman who can travel around Alaska ( my favorite place) and remember people's names, that woman who shot and dressed a moose, that middle aged woman who didn't abort a down syndrome baby, who can remain cool in the presence of a bear, or club the halibut she just winched in.... that one.  I respected her. I always wanted to go fishing with her.  Or have her as a tour guide.
I think she could have use her fame to start that kind of family business in Alaska. Fishing/hunting/touring/lodging.

But her unqualified [Sleezebag] support is really tarnishing her luster.

[Buster's Uncle]

A week after the last cycle, I comment to my sister in an email "The silly" [girldog] "is already running for president."  About a year later, I remarked that I owed her an apology, 'cause it appeared she was actually running for Oprah.  Now --- I don't think she's ever figured out what she wants/can get/feels up to...  There are signs she knows she's in over her head...

[Rusty Edge]

-could-beat-hillary-clinton-and-win-the-presidency/ar-BBsECsz]http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/3-reasons-donald-[Sleezebag]-could-beat-hillary-clinton-and-win-the-presidency/ar-BBsECsz

I'll paraphrase rather than cut & paste this one-

3 Reasons Donald [Sleezebag] could beat Hillary Clinton.

Polls favor her, but don't underestimate him.

1) He's able to shrug a lot of stuff off, and he could hardly do worse with minorities than Romney vs. Obama.

2) By track records, [Sleezebag] is much better at shaping the discourse than Hillary.

3) Clinton will be forced to defend the Status Quo, and [Sleezebag] is the way to flip off D.C.

[Rusty Edge]

/]https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2016/05/10/ten-topics-for-ryan-to-discuss-with-[Sleezebag]/



Ten topics for Ryan to discuss with [Sleezebag]
 By Jennifer Rubin May 10 at 5:30 PM

 The Wall Street Journal reports that House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) “acknowledged the tensions dividing the Republican Party as it winds down a turbulent presidential primary and said GOP leaders must work with Mr. [Sleezebag] to resolve them. ‘We shouldn’t just pretend our party is unified when we know it is not,’ Mr. Ryan said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, streamed live on Facebook. ‘We can’t fake it, we can’t pretend. We have to actually unify.’ ”

This did not sound too optimistic about the potential for unification, because [Sleezebag] thinks the party should unify around him personally (whatever he says) and Ryan thinks [Sleezebag] and the party should unify around common principles. Ryan put his finger on the problem: “There are some critical principles that we all believe in as conservatives, that we just want to make sure that we’re all rallying around those principles as we move forward.”

Here are some questions Ryan and [Sleezebag] might discuss to see if there is any agreement:

1. Does [Sleezebag] believe in keeping government the size it is, making it larger or making it smaller?

2. Does he have a view of the 10th Amendment? On what sorts of things should states have primary responsibility?

3. What is his view on the extent of executive authority? What kind of executive orders would he make, and what are examples of some things he would not do?

4. What is the United States’ role in the world? How is his “America First” policy different from Charles Lindbergh’s view? Or President Obama’s?

5. Is there a structural entitlement problem?

6. Is he willing to renounce conspiracy-mongering and stop citing the National Enquirer (and its ilk) in factual matters?

7. Where does he come down in the religious liberty debate regarding issues such as health-care mandates on religious organizations and conscience-clause exceptions?

8. How does he plan to address low growth and stagnant wages?

9. What is his view on the safety net?

10. Are legal immigration and trade good for the United States?

Ryan should not be seeking specific answers but rather should satisfy himself that [Sleezebag] is a serious person whose instincts are in keeping with principles such as sound money, fiscal sobriety, American international leadership, and promotion of a thriving free market. Ryan should also be certain that [Sleezebag] can rationally think through policy choices, differentiates facts from rumors and understands that a legitimate presidential candidate cannot engage in vulgar language, slurs against various groups and nasty personal attacks on fellow Republicans.

Wait a minute. [Sleezebag]’s not going to have a discussion about these items, you say. He doesn’t have anything to say and he doesn’t want to be pinned down. You are right, which is why it is likely impossible for Ryan to support [Sleezebag] or any other candidate who has no cohesive approach to governance, let alone a conservative one. But didn’t [Sleezebag] win? He did, and no one would deny him the nomination if he had the delegates. But voters make horrible mistakes, and as a matter of conscience it may be impossible for some to support [Sleezebag], any more than they could support David Duke or someone else obviously lacking the mental and temperamental skills required of a president. To remain silent when someone not only unconservative but unfit may win the presidency would be irresponsible and immoral, a violation of officials’ constitutional oath.

The real question is why self-described conservatives — who condemn liberals for big government, isolationism, fiscal sloth, personal smears and the like — are willing to put their faith in someone who does not share their conservative vision, who has no ethical standards and who has no interest in learning the most rudimentary aspects of domestic and foreign policy. Apparently their attachment to conservative policy and values all these years has simply been for show.

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[Buster's Uncle]

I have to say that Ryan has seemed to have risen to the speakership in at least not messing up and being a total mouthy know-nothing boob like I would have expected, but the mass media group mind has been in the bag for him since he rose to that office, and it's foolish to forget his beginnings as a tea party knob.  I want to see him keep up the sober class act for a few years before I let go of that bad past, because I'm not stupid, and it would be incredibly precipitous to be grazing with the news herd on that just yet.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/3-reasons-donald-T rump-could-beat-hillary-clinton-and-win-the-presidency/ar-BBsECsz

I'll paraphrase rather than cut & paste this one-

3 Reasons Donald T rump could beat Hillary Clinton.

Polls favor her, but don't underestimate him.

1) He's able to shrug a lot of stuff off, and he could hardly do worse with minorities than Romney vs. Obama.

2) By track records, T rump is much better at shaping the discourse than Hillary.

3) Clinton will be forced to defend the Status Quo, and T rump is the way to flip off D.C.

This actually makes a lot of sense.

[Rusty Edge]

This next part you just have to laugh at, or else you might cry or tear out clumps of hair.
My wife thought I was putting her on. The actual article is full of links.
I think [Sleezebag] has made the transition from Reality TV to SurReality TV.

This list does not include Hulk Hogan, who has expressed interest in the VP job.

-vice-president_us_572a256ce4b096e9f08fdf5a?cps=gravity_2425_-4527083527063434985]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-[Sleezebag]-vice-president_us_572a256ce4b096e9f08fdf5a?cps=gravity_2425_-4527083527063434985

One Of These Tremendous People Could Be Donald [Sleezebag]’s Running Mate

It’s going to be a beautiful nominee, let me tell you. The best.


Business mogul Donald [Sleezebag] has a clear path to the Republican presidential nomination now that Ohio Gov. John Kasich has suspended his campaign.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that [Sleezebag] — who is expected to reveal his vice presidential pick in July, just ahead of the Republican National Convention — has hired retired neurosurgeon and former GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson to help select his running mate.

So who could run alongside The Donald? Several Republicans have said they’re just not interested and an adviser to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush openly laughed at the idea of him serving.

Still, some choices remain. Check out our short list of potential VP candidates:

Ben Carson
Even though [Sleezebag] called Carson a child molester, he was delighted when the former neurosurgeon endorsed his campaign in March. In his endorsement, Carson said that there were “two different Trumps” and he was endorsing the more cerebral version of the candidate.

Carson, who is seen as a political outsider like [Sleezebag], could also help the presumptive nominee make inroads with evangelical voters. Let’s just hope he’s a better VP than a campaign surrogate.

 
Chris Christie
The New Jersey governor’s endorsement of [Sleezebag] in February came as a surprise to many and gave [Sleezebag] a high-profile surrogate. Christie failed to pick up much traction during his run, but could be a formidable attack dog on the campaign trail.

Being vice president would also require Christie to spend a lot of time standing behind [Sleezebag] on television, which could be a problem.

 
Sarah Palin
The former Alaska governor, who stepped down from her position in 2009, has been a part of the veepstakes before. [Sleezebag] has played up Palin’s January endorsement of him, though her actual endorsement speech was just bizarre.

Picking Palin might be an obvious appeal for women’s votes, though it shouldn’t be — Palin has disappointed women’s rights activists since she ran for veep in 2008 and recently defended [Sleezebag]’s anti-abortion views.

 
Rick Scott
The Florida governor, elected to a second term in 2014, has known [Sleezebag] for a while, was in business before coming to politics and could help in a crucial swing state during the general election. But not everyone’s a fan, and this video of a woman loudly calling Scott “an [jerk, sphincter]” in a Starbucks may not be a good look for a potential VP.

 
Tom Brady
One of [Sleezebag]’s “Make America Great Again” hats was spotted in the locker of the Patriots star quarterback last year, and Brady has called [Sleezebag] a “good friend.”

Still, Brady may want to resolve his own legal woes before jumping into the campaign.

 
Jon Huntsman
Huntsman refused to seek [Sleezebag]’s support when he was running for president in 2012, but recently came around to the idea of a [Sleezebag] presidency.

“We’ve had enough intraparty fighting. Now’s the time to stitch together a winning coalition,” Huntsman told Politico last month. “And it’s been clear almost from the beginning that Donald [Sleezebag] has the ability to assemble a nontraditional bloc of supporters. … The ability to cut across traditional party boundaries — like ’80, ’92 and 2008 — will be key, and [Sleezebag] is much better positioned to achieve that.”

 
Omarosa Manigault
The former star of “The Apprentice” has been a prominent surrogate for [Sleezebag] on the campaign trail. Picking Omarosa probably wouldn’t help [Sleezebag]’s favorability ratings, given that she was seen as a villain on his show.

 
Bobby Jindal
Despite once calling [Sleezebag] a “narcissist” and an “egomaniac”, Jindal said Tuesday he would vote for [Sleezebag] in November, though he’s “not happy about it.”

Maybe if Jindal were VP, he could help the GOP “stop being the stupid party.”

 
Mark Cuban
Cuban, who owns the Dallas Mavericks, said back in February he’d do a better a job as president than [Sleezebag], but later stated he’d agree to be the business mogul’s VP on one condition.

 “As long as he said he’s listen to me in everything I said we’d be okay,” Cuban told Sports Day.

 
Jeff Sessions
The endorsement of the Alabama senator was a coup for [Sleezebag] and helped to fend off attacks from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) that [Sleezebag] wasn’t serious about his immigration plans. When he endorsed [Sleezebag], Sessions admitted [Sleezebag] wasn’t perfect but said he was the most likely to fix the country’s immigration system.

Sessions, who has been in the Senate since 1997, could bring a sense of Washington experience to [Sleezebag]’s campaign.

Bobby Knight
The infamous Indiana Hoosiers head coach recently endorsed [Sleezebag], calling the business mogul “the most prepared man in history” to be commander in chief. But it probably wouldn’t hurt for [Sleezebag] to get a little help from someone who can strategize.


Editor’s note: Donald [Sleezebag] regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims — 1.6 billion members of an entire religion — from entering the U.S.

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In other news, Hillary has abandoned her plan to ingnore the Bern, stop spending ad money and re-tool for [Sleezebag]. She's running ads in Kentucky.

In yet another bizarre twist Cruz is hinting he might re-enter the race if he wins Nebraska.


 

[Buster's Uncle]

That there's one mentally-challenged list.  That there, in fact, is HuffPo bullcrap at its worst.  It mentions talking to no one, no sources; it's just diarrhea of the keyboard, a comedy piece impersonating political reporting/commentary, a blue sky spit-balling daydream written down.

[Rusty Edge]

Digging deeper into the VP question...

*The Daily Beast says Carson has left the selection committee after putting forward some names to [Sleezebag]'s campaign manager. Carson is now laying groundwork for the Ryan-[Sleezebag] summit, according to Carson's manager.

*CNN says Corey Lewandowski, [Sleezebag]'s campaign manager is in charge of the search at this point.
The short list is 5 or 6 names. Marco Rubio is not interested, because he still disagrees with [Sleezebag] on policy, but will honor his pledge to support the GOP nominee.

*CBS says [Sleezebag] has tightened the list to 5 or 6. He doesn't need another businessman. He's looking for legislative experience. Christie is still in the running.

*Politico says Evangelicals want a Theocon VP or they sit this one out.

[Buster's Uncle]

The Pig is the theocon's worst nightmare, if only they thought straight about politics in the first place.