THE 2020 ELECTION

Trump’s core cult of ignorant racists will vote for Trump in 2020 regardless of anything he does.  He could indeed literally shoot someone in Times Square and they would not abandon him (actually if he shot a Mexican immigrant or a Muslim they would probably cheer him).

Strictly partisan Republicans will vote for Trump in 2020 for no other reason than the fact that he is running as a Republican.

Democrats, both those who are strictly partisan and those with actual ideology, will, for the most part, vote for the Democratic candidate, regardless of who it is.  It is vital that they do, even if their favored candidate does not get the nomination.

Nothing that happens between now and 2020, short of Trump’s impeachment, is likely to change this.

The 2020 election and Trump’s defeat will depend on independent voters and anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives, as well as on the number of Americans who do not vote at all because they do not like either candidate.

The Democratic candidate for President in 2020 MUST be a candidate that anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives, those with actual intelligence and a conscience, could support.  It MUST be a candidate that does not turn-off independent voters.  There can be NO reason for independents and anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives to not vote for the Democratic candidate and instead either reluctantly vote for Trump or not vote at all.

A too liberal or a perceived "socialist" Democratic candidate would turn off both independents and anti-Trump Republicans and conservatives.  The 2020 Democratic candidate MUST NOT be someone who is perceived as being too liberal or a socialist..  

A legitimate liberal 3^rd Party candidate will help Trump by taking votes away from the Democratic candidate.  Democrats unhappy with the Party candidate MUST NOT vote for a 3^rd Party liberal candidate - they MUST vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is.  A legitimate conservative 3^rd Party candidate could hurt Trump by taking votes, whether affirmative or reluctant, away from Trump.

The bottom line - 

The most important issue of the 2020 election - more important than anything else - is removing Trump from office. Every intelligent American with a conscience MUST vote for the Democratic candidate for President in 2020, regardless of their personal party affiliation or political philosophy, if America and American democracy is to survive!

WHAT DO WE KNOW?

 

In a recent televised town hall meeting Senator Elizabeth Warren excellently summarized the Mueller Report (highlights are mine)–

“Part one, a hostile foreign government attacked our 2016 elections for the purpose of getting Donald Trump elected. 

Part two, then-candidate Donald Trump welcomed that help.

And part three, when the federal government tried to investigate part one and part two, Donald Trump as president delayed, deflected, moved, fired, and did everything he could to obstruct justice.”

It is clear that Russia wanted Trump in the White House, and worked long and hard in a "sweeping and systematic fashion”.  Why?  Putin is smart.  He recognized the obvious fact that Trump is the ultimate textbook narcissist and, as such, could be, and has been, easily played.  We do not know if Putin was aware of Trump’s admiration for and envy of dictators and authoritative leaders, like Putin himself, but that certainly would benefit, and has benefited, Russia.

Trump did NOT win the 2016 Presidential Election.  He lost by about 3 Million votes.  He was put in the White House by the Electoral College and NOT the American people.  If Russia had not interfered so actively and aggressively in the election Trump would have lost by a greater margin and very likely would not be in the White House today. 

Ironically, one of the main reasons for the creation of the Electoral College was to keep a dangerous and unqualified demagogue like Trump from being elected.  The College was created to ensure, as Alexander Hamilton put it, “that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.”  HISTORY CENTRAL explains that the founding fathers “feared a tyrant could manipulate public opinion and come to power”. 

Trump has once again lied – to nobody’s surprise.  He repeated his claim that the Mueller Report found “no collusion” and “no obstruction” and “totally exonerated” him.  Mueller clearly testified under oath that the investigation did NOT find, and the report did NOT state, that there was no collusion and no obstruction and that it did NOT totally exonerate Trump.

In answering a direct question Mueller stated under oath “The president was not exculpated for the acts that he allegedly committed".  Exculpate is defined as “show or declare that (someone) is not guilty of wrongdoing”.

It is obvious that Trump and his 2016 Presidential Campaign did indeed “collude” with Russia and Trump aggressively acted to terminate, delay, belittle, and obstruct Mueller’s Russia investigation.

No President in our history has been more guilty of a multitude of offences – legally, ethically and morally - than Trump.

TRUMP MUST GO!

NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN – AND WOMEN – TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR PARTY.  

It is clear that the leadership of the Republican Party and the Republican members of Congress, with too few exceptions, has totally abandoned all integrity and credibility by embracing Trump and “Trumpism”.

The rank and file of the Republican Party who possess intelligence and a conscience, and care about the country more than their personal self-interests, MUST vocally and aggressively oppose and denounce Trump and his supporters in Congress.

Regardless of whether they support some or all of Trump’s alleged policies and agenda, Republicans MUST reject him and his defenders in Congress because Trump is a despicable and deplorable human being, totally devoid of humanity, and totally self-absorbed, caring about NOTHING and NO ONE but himself. 

Trump is a racist.  Trump is a rapist and a sexual predator.  Trump is a con-man and a crook.

Trump is dangerous.

Trump’s one and only agenda is feeding his ego and lining his pockets.  Trump does not care one ounce about America, the American people, the Republican Party, Conservative philosophy, or the world.

It is vital for the future of the Republican Party, is there is going to be one, that rank and file Republicans encourage, support, contribute to, and vote for a candidate to challenge Trump in the Republican primaries and encourage, support, contribute to, and vote for primary challengers to Trump supporters in Congress.

Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, and those like them, must not be allowed to remain in Congress.  Republicans must encourage, support, contribute to, and vote for candidates who will oppose them in the 2020 Republican primary

True Republicans MUST actively support the primary challenge to Trump of Governor Bill Weld, an actual Conservative, and any candidates who challenge sitting Republican members of Congress who have not publicly denounced Trump.

LET’S GET ONE THING PERFECTLY CLEAR – TRUMP IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE!

Donald T Rump is many things - but he is NOT a conservative.  And by embracing Trump and "Trumpism" the Republican Party has totally abandoned Conservative philosophy.

The basic principles of American conservative political philosophy, and please correct me if I am wrong, are:

·         Protect & Maximize Individual Rights

·         Ensure a Limited Government

·         Uphold the Rule of Law

·         Commitment to Federalism and the Separation of Powers

·         Maintain Free & Open Markets (Economic & Social)

·         Fiscal Responsibility

Everything Trump says and does is totally contrary to the above principles of conservative political philosophy.

Trump, while having no actual personal religious convictions or any actual political convictions, panders to the so-called “evangelicals” of the “religious right” and publicly supports their agenda.  The political philosophy of the religious right is contrary to true conservatism.  Conservatives hold high the rights of the individual citizen and want minimal involvement by the government in the personal and business life of the citizen.  The religious right wants the government to tell citizens how to live their lives by legislating their specific religious beliefs, contrary to the separation of Church and State that is a cornerstone of the Constitution.

Trump has proven time and again that he has absolutely no regard for the rule of law.  And he opposes and does everything he can to circumvent the separation of powers in the Constitution.  He bypasses Congress by attempting to use Executive Orders to legislate and purposefully delays filling vacant permanent cabinet and other government agency positions to avoid proper vetting and confirmation by Congress.  He verbally abuses and berates federal judges who do not do exactly what he wants them to do.  Trump wants to be a dictator like Putin and Kim and wants the Executive Branch to be the dominant branch, superior to the Judicial and Legislative branches.

Investopedia tells us “Open markets go hand in hand with free trade policies, which are designed to eliminate discrimination against imports and exports. Buyers and sellers from different economies may voluntarily trade without a government applying tariffs, quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions on goods and services, which are considerable barriers to entry in international trade.”

Trump also has no regard for fiscal responsibility.  He wants what he wants no matter the cost to the federal budget and how it increases the deficit.  And as President he flagrantly wastes government funds on his weekly golf outings at resorts he still owns, lining his pockets with taxpayer money.

Every American – Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal – MUST vocally and aggressively oppose and denounce the Presidency of Donald T Rump and Donald T Rump the man.

WHOM DO YOU TRUST?

E. Jean Carroll has accused Trump of raping her.  Trump denies it. 

As with many such situations, this is a case of “she said, he said”.  So, we have to review the character and history of “she” and “he” to see who to believe.

E. Jean Carroll is a credible journalist.  Lying is not in her character.

Lying has been proven to be a major part of Trump’s character.  He lies about everything to everyone every day.  Nothing he says should ever be believed without documented proof.

Sexual assault is also in-character for Trump.  He is on tape bragging about grabbing pussies and his belief that sexual assault is an entitlement because of his status.

As an aside - even if Trump’s taped brags to Billie Bush are just empty boasts not based in reality, the mere fact that Trump thinks such acts are acceptable and something to brag about in itself disqualifies him from being considered an acceptable choice for President, or for any office.

Trump says he never met Carroll, despite at least one picture that proves he did.  Trump said he wouldn’t have raped Carroll because she was “not his type”.  Is the implication here that he would have raped her if she was his type?

Bill Cosby was accused of sexual assault by multiple credible women and denies it.  Do you believe Bill Cosby?

Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual assault by multiple credible women and denies it.  Do you believe Harvey Weinstein?

Trump was accused of sexual assault by multiple credible women and denies it.  Do you believe Trump?

The careers of Bill Cosby and Harvey Weinstein were destroyed by the accusations.  The careers of many others who have been accused of less severe, yet still unacceptable, acts of sexual misconduct have been destroyed by the accusations.  Trump continues to serve as President and is running for re-election with the affirmative approval of the Republican Party.

The rape accusation of E. Jean Carroll, and the accusations of varying degrees of sexual assault and misconduct by 20 others, must be fully investigated.  Trump must not be given a pass for his lifetime of sexual misconduct and assault just because he is Trump.  

I may be crazy, but I do think that the government should have a higher moral standard of behavior than Hollywood - or at least the same standard.

Who do I trust?  Most certainly NOT Donald T Rump.