Never Trump... but Bernie?

     Let me start with a given:  Donald Trump must be defeated.  His presidency is an embarrassment to the American people; a betrayal of our values and beliefs.  The Donald has ushered in a culture of corruption unparalleled in our history.  Furthermore, where the United States was once admired—if not revered—by many around the globe, we have now become a laughing stock. And, quite frankly, though Trump claims to be a “stable genius”, all available evidence points to him being a vain and stupid little man…

     My question now is whether or not the best hope of defeating Trump lies in nominating a 78 year old self-described Socialist who is apparently unable to control the outrageous behavior of his own so-called “Bernie Bros”?  Thus far, these Sanders flying monkey types have been using social media to attack rival candidates, their families, surrogates, journalists, and even celebrities who may have strayed from the Bernie message.  In Nevada, they bullied members of the Culinary Union and harassed the State Democratic Chair late at night outside his home (bullhorns).  One aide in particular, Ben Mora, has demonstrated an appalling lack of character and judgment—making disparaging (to put it mildly) comments concerning the physical appearance, gender, and sexuality of rival candidates.  In light of this—and other—instances of bad behavior, Bernie has postulated that perhaps these aren’t his supporters acting out, but rather Russian operatives looking to embarrass him.  Seriously?

     Look, if Sanders 2016 campaign operatives and associates hadn’t actively encouraged people to vote for third parties, or not at all, and if the 12% of Sanders supporters who actually cast their votes for Trump could have behaved responsibly (i.e. in the best interest of the country), then it’s likely Donald Trump would have never desecrated the White House. So, although Bernie himself did campaign for Hillary (39 rallies over the course of 3 months), far too many in his “movement” were intent on keeping their noses out of joint and refused to play nice.  Look at where it got us!  If Bernie can’t hold sway over his own supporters, it’s hard to see him as an effective nominee-- unifying the many factions of the Democratic Party, while simultaneously advocating for an agenda that promises (or threatens) revolution.

Pete Buttigieg & Our First Priority

Priority one, for every decent, intelligent, and patriotic American is to rid the White House of Donald Trump. To that end, the Democratic Party kicked off the current election cycle with enough presidential candidates to choke a horse.  Mercifully, the winnowing process took effect, and no horses have been harmed.

In the interest of transparency, I’ll admit upfront that I’m 63 years old.  In most people’s minds, that has somehow come to mean that I must be supporting former Vice President Joe Biden.  Even though he’s fourteen years older than I am, they assume I must be generationally linked to him. Of course Bernie is even older at 78, Bloomberg is 77, and Warren the “spring chicken” of this particular group is 70.

Initially, I found myself pining for a Sherrod Brown-Kamala Harris ticket, but my personal “dream team” was not to be.

And, although I find myself supporting much of the Sanders agenda, I find it impossible to ignore the fact that his intransigence in 2016 proved to be a significant factor in ensuring Donald Trump’s Electoral College (not popular vote) victory.  When he talks about the need to support whichever candidate wins the Democratic nomination, I find myself cringing.

Furthermore, although I recognize the need to overturn every piece of legislation that Trump has signed into law, I don’t believe that the surest path to victory lies in promising to make a series of sweeping changes from day one.  That would have the effect of further traumatizing voters.  Extremism will not result in regaining control of the Senate, let alone bringing the curtain down on the Trump national nightmare.

As a result, I find myself supporting Pete Buttigieg.  There is no candidate (or human being, for that matter) who isn’t flawed to some extent, and I have my concerns about Pete.  I’m not comfortable with some of the donors he’s courted, or with the lavish fundraisers in wine caves.  On the other hand, I believe he handled the McKinsey consulting firm questions forthrightly.  Contrary to what the conspiracy theorists may have led us to suspect, there was nothing sinister in his list of clients.

I trust Pete...  He strikes me as a thoughtful, intelligent guy.  He won’t make rash decisions based on political calculations, and he won’t engage in deceitful and petty efforts to bring down his political opponents.  Pete is, genuinely, a very stable Rhodes Scholar.  The days of dealing with a paranoid narcissist (and his other personality disorders) will fade from sight in our rear view mirrors.

Does Pete’s “lack of experience” worry me?  Not really, because while he may not have a “traditional” background in foreign policy, for example, he’s gained at least comparable experience through serving our country abroad.  I am convinced that Pete will take his time, surround himself with the best people, and govern in a calm, deliberate fashion.

We don’t need another President who’s in his or her 70s.  It’s time to turn the page and hand over the keys to those who have a lifetime ahead of them.  At 38, Pete Buttigieg fits that bill perfectly, and I  plan to do whatever I can to insure that he becomes our next President.

Mike Pompeo: The Lap Dog Roars

In his role as Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has proven himself a fascinating combination of sycophant and bully.

On the one hand, it’s evident that his life mission is to gain the approval of Donald Trump, no matter the cost.  He’s made sure to attune his every position to those of the “President”.  Pompeo was instrumental in undermining the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran (a particular obsession for Trump), and his devotion to the Donald’s vision/intransigence has threatened to plunge that region into war on more than one occasion.

Likewise, Pompeo has adopted Trump’s views on North Korea.  Where he was once in charge of a covert cyber campaign against Kim Jong Un, he has now tailored his actions to fall in line with Trump.

He has humbled himself before the dictator, and has repeatedly claimed great success in negotiating with him.  Nothing of lasting value has been achieved, of course, and Kim Jong Un is currently demanding that Pompeo be excluded from any future talks/negotiations.  Given Trump’s peculiar, quasi-romantic, relationship with Kim Jong Un, and his obvious reluctance to lose that special friendship, it remains to be seen what Pompeo will resort to next.

In another effort to gain favor with the groper-in-chief, Pompeo has adopted DJT’s  disrespectful/abusive attitude toward women—as evidenced by his recent temper tantrum directed at NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly.  Pompeo is unable to tolerate challenging questions, and most especially from a woman.  His condescension took full flight—he screamed at her in an expletive-filled tirade, then he employed his mentor’s modus operandi and chose to lie about the encounter.  Apparently, Kelly had to point out Ukraine to him (on an unlabeled map)—and he later claimed she pointed to Bangladesh.  Naturally, Trump felt the need to congratulate Pompeo for his “handling” of the situation.

Personally, I believe Pompeo’s level of rage stemmed from his takedown by Linda Ronstadt at the Kennedy Center Honors dinner (she chastised him for enabling Trump).  Given the setting, he was unable to explode at Ronstadt, and has been looking for a female victim ever since.

Without a doubt, Mike Pompeo is one sorry excuse for an American Secretary of State.  He doesn’t come close to meeting the standards set by his most recent predecessors:  Madeline Albright, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, and yes, even John Kerry.  Our country deserves so much better—yet another reason why the November elections are of critical importance.