POST MORTEM

I think the vote said yes, we did want change. Despite the rhetoric. We wanted the other party. A new direction. Backward. And forward.

It's getting extremely difficult anymore for a party to keep the White House for 3 terms in a row. Maybe that's just us saying we choose balance. Because we can't trust either party longer than that.

Clinton got more votes. Like Gore in 2000. So, do we want to keep the electoral college? It obviously works for Republicans lately.

Word is Bill's advice was ignored on the rust belt vote. And she was negative, shrill at times, arrogant at times, even ill at times and definitely under investigation at times. Not a good thing.

Specifics start with voter participation was down from '12. That never bodes well for Dems. And probably the undertone was enough men still can't vote for a woman president. Then also African Americans didn't have an African American man or woman (even half African American) to vote for. Finally, why is voter participation in US so low? Isn't that something we should talk about?

So. Presidents historically fulfill about 75% of their campaign promises. That's what concerns a lot of folks about Trump. One thing for sure. He is going to change things up. He's promised to disravel anything Obama did. And all the other things promised we all probably are aware of. If he follows through on 75% we will surely be in a different place. And probably in a short time since he will have a Republican Congress, 30 Republican states and soon a Republican Supreme Court.

One thing I believe he is right on is cutting corporate taxes enough to have the lowest corp taxes in the world. Enough cuts to keep companies in US. And bring them (back) to the US. Corporate taxes now are about $300-400 Billion a year of US revenues. So. We could add that to deficits or come up with alternate tax. Like tax on carbon. Tax on sugar. And, as we've discussed, what's a $20 Trillion debt in light of $120 Trillion net worth. (Careful, though. Trump did go bankrupt how many times.)

He's reviving Reagan and Bush 2 economics. Maybe it can work. We can hope.

One thing I'm against Trump on is his view on climate change. The world is calling him on it. Even corporate leaders are calling him on it, telling him his view will jeopardize US prosperity, let alone leadership. I just don't understand how he can be so wrong on that. Unless, hopefully, he just went back to where the hurt was in the economy to pick up voters and create a negotiating position. (Which I also hopefully think he did on the social issues of our day.)

Well, that's about all the time you want to spend here. And probably all the time I want to try to keep you here. So. Happy trails, pards. Vaya con Dios. Until we meet again.

PS. The name. Trump. Beats Clinton. Trump several times in Revelations. Yep, I believe the Evangelicals came out to vote for Trump instead of a Mormon.

Godspeed the USA.

LAST DAYS

There are still Americans undecided about whom they are going to vote for. They've been either very busy, very preoccupied or otherwise out of the loop (probably a smart thing). And they may be the most important voters these last days.

As they turn their attention to the election what do they see? 2 major candidates most people don't like. One worse than the other so goes the rhetoric. One more criminal than the other. So goes the speechifying. It takes deep dig to find actual policy stances.

Well, I'd like to tell them I'm not voting for Trump for the sake of my granddaughters. I don't want them living in the male chauvinistic culture he would bring to the White House. Let alone the veiled racism, cultural hatred and just way too much vitriol, name-calling (for God sakes) and playground bullying. But the sexual assault history alone disqualifies this fool (even if just talk).

One more thing. He wants to end Fed investment in developing clean energy. That doesn't even make any business sense. Let alone the US leading the world in another tech. Let alone cleaning the environment. Let alone slowing global warming. Where is this guy's common sense? Or care for the future lives of our children and their children? Um, besides, the Fed still feeds the fossil fuel industry at least $4B/year. And we sure know they need that.

O, just one more thing. Hillary left office four years ago. And the FBI is just now getting around to investigating her emails and Clinton Foundation? Really. Is that how our country works?

Happy Saturday, pards. May we be well and full of soul and light.

HERE WE ARE

Elections historically tighten up at the end. Last exception was Reagan '84 (won every state but Fritz's). This one, though, starting to look like 2000. Remember hanging chads?

If neither Hilly or Donny get 270 electoral college votes, it goes to the House of Reps. Guess who wins there.

Libertarian or Green candidates or the rogue in Utah could tilt some states' results. Look what Nader did to Gore in Florida in 2000.

So far it still looks like Hilly gets 270 or more from the college of honorable electors. But a lot more states in flux than usual. PA could be what turns the election. And Philly transportation workers on strike. But, if you think about it, almost all urban polling places are within walking distance. So ....

The email FBI thingy is now factored in. But who knows if we'll have another swan - black or white - to land on either pond. 

Three straight presidential terms for the same party hasn't happened since Bush '88. But .... Trump has been crass, to give it a nice word. And would disrupt maybe a little too much of what we have going OK.

Economy still growing out of '08 debacle. War on ISIS our only real war and we are fighting it smartly with many allies. Jobs are growing every month. Why not keep it going?

Well, happy trailers, pards. Onward and upward. Vaya con Dios hombres and hombrettes. Godspeed.

PS: Many Christians didn't vote for Romney because he is Mormon. Trump may get those Christians.

UNBELIEVABLE

FBI to investigate new Clinton emails from Weiner's computer. This election can't get any weirder.

Brace for President Trump.

What will he be able to change? Tax rates? Corporate regulations? "Obamacare"? Paris climate accords? Clean Power Plan? Sexual assault protocols? Immigration? Religious freedom? Abortions? Stop and frisk? What else is he talking about? Hillary in jail? Trade deals? More nuclear countries? World security arrangements?

Brace for impact.

Or will Hillary pull it out?

US presidential elections usually tighten up at the end. But this may be as tight as 2000. And now we have a deadlocked Supreme Court. What happens then? Or is this just too many email questions too many for Hillary? And can FBI put enough agents on reading the dam mails quickly enough to give us a judgement before the election?!

This is unbelievable.

President Trump. Oy. God save our daughters, granddaughters and great granddaughters from sexual predation. And the world from whom knows what. And the nation from xenophobia and racism.

Or it'll be just another change of party in leadership. We've lived through it before. '01 to '08. Yea, the fun years.

OCTOBER 15. IDES. BIG MOON TONIGHT.

What an election, right? What should we have expected with the 1st woman running against a 3-balled billionaire off to the rodeo.

Just like in nature. The biggest croc gets the waddado.

I'm honestly turning to gin to get through it. Though just a little earlier or more than usual.

It looks like Clinton will win. I guess last surprise worth headlines was Truman beating Dewey. Though we've had cliffhangers since. Maybe even a few steals.

But, wait. Trump called Clinton the devil. Well, that changes everything. This must be the end of the world as we know it.

Yeah. Makes sense. Trouble everywhere. Next year 50th anniversary of Jews taking Jerusalem. Year after that the 70th anniversary of Israel.

So, Hillary the devil. Sets up new world government for peace. And Trump feels pussies along the way to bring it down. O man, it gets too heavy to vote sometimes.

Anyhoo, I just wish Democrats could get behind lowering corporate tax rates to compete with the world. What more would bring and keep business and jobs here?

That's it. I get my say. Here. Goes viral, of course. And then into the trash heap of digital history. (Check me emails will ya, ye bastards.)

Well, happy trailers pards. Enjoy the locker room banter. And pussy videos. Doggy videos good too.

Rick

OCTOBER 11

1 day before Columbus Day. Columbus took native slaves. Is that fact? What are facts? Norwegians found "America" first. AFTER the original Americans. Where did the original Americans come from?

OCTOBER 1. HAPPY NEW FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR, PARDS.

So. We've discussed the national debt. And the trade deficits. Year after year. A debtor nation do not be the ancient advice. But we are.

Maybe that's what's ailing our economy. Or maybe it's not. What's wrong in our economy? People not making enough money. A lot of people not making enough money. A lot of bad decisions, like recently the Wells Fargo thingy. Corruption? Sure, there's that. People not acting right. We take it on case by case.

What's ailing our country? The constant neverending war. There's always a war. In my lifetime it was the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, Watergate, the war on inflation: Whip Inflation Now, the war on Carter's malaise, then the Iran hostages, Granada, Beirut, Central America communists, Panama, Gulf War I, and the rest you certainly know by now. Our lives are constantly under attack. But, thank GOD and our government, we our pretty darn well protected.

And now it's Republicans v. Democrats again. You'd think we would get tired enough of that. And when I talk to my family and friends there's political discussion. But we laugh about it. Or seriously examine things. It's not the hate like up there on top in the news or even on Facebook or Twitty. It's not hate at all. We're family and friends, for GOD sakes.

I guess the point is we're a lot better off than we were in '08. '08 was scary. '16 is not so much scary. '01 was really scary. Not as scary now. So. We've done pretty well all of us together getting to here. Compared to other parts of the world. And I'm still thankful to GOD that I was born in the USA. Luck of the universal draw, pards. Appreciate it.

PS. O yea, Iraq asking for more of our troops to help attack Mosul.