The vote is in!

    I am a little late with this blog but bear with me.  So I said the other day on Facebook that this election cycle I decided to vote based on two factors 1. Which candidates personality do I like more and 2. Which ticket best represents me as a white middle class male. This has been the litmus test for leftist voting in a majority of recent elections. The Democratic party consistently selects candidates who have very magnetic personalities and a "golden tongue" when it comes to speaking. When they have run candidates that did not have those two traits they have lost elections. Now I know the cycle of the Presidency tends to go back and forth based on the population getting frustrated with the Government as a whole not getting things done.     So lets get to the first reason I am voting this way, the candidates personality. Let me say first and foremost I think Donald Trump has a very boorish, brash and very "New York" in his speaking and actions. He does not have the golden tongue and tends to over exaggerate statistics and numbers to make a situation better than it might be even when the actual numbers are a net positive on his legacy. The biggest positive he has going for him is the results of that attitude breaking the cycle of politics and treating negotiations like business deals. He has gotten much better trade deals around the globe, got Muslim countries to agree to peace with Israel, got better trade with Mexico and Canada, was the first President to never start an armed conflict during his Presidency, and kept North Korea and Iran from getting Nuclear arms. So while his Twitter should be better managed he is getting things done. Joe Biden was once a very shrewd debater, had the golden tongue and could talk his way out of difficult situations. In his "prime" he was a skilled politicians and negotiated deals which ultimately made him and his "friends" a lot of money. He has consistently flip flopped on important issues like climate change, abortion, healthcare, and foreign policy. In this election cycle we have seen the rapid decline of Joe Biden mentally to the point he loses his train of thought and highlights numbers that can not possibly exist. With the idea he will not make it through a 4 year term we must look at Kamala Harris. She IS the candidate going against Trump in reality. She has shown more than one time that she is a far left politician. She believes in extreme changes to our stance on energy and conservation. She wants to abolish police departments and has supported the violent riots. She has consistently used her ethnicity and gender to get jobs and rise into the position she is in. When it is convenient she has used those things and when it isn't she doesn't. While AG of California she used her position to lock up African American males at a disproportionally high rate. She also refused to allow people out of prison who had served their sentence in order to use them for labor for the state. She locked up people for minor marijuana offenses while at the same time gloating about smoking weed while listening to Tupac. When it comes to which personality I trust and don't mind more Donald Trump wins this one.     The second point, which ticket best represents me as a white middle class man. This point will be easier since I have already covered their pasts. Joe Biden having been in congress for over 47 years and not passing laws or writing bills which have aided my life but instead hindering it I cannot support him. In the three and a half years Trump has been in office my take home pay has gone up due to tax cuts, gas prices have gone back to reasonable levels, and most goods and services have decreased in price as well. I think Biden/Kamala are more interested in raising my taxes to support people who I feel take advantage of the system. So on this point Trump wins again.     So in the end I have decided because Trump is white, likes money, and speaks very bluntly I have decided he will be getting my vote. I know this choice instantly makes me a racist, sexist, homophobe, elite one percenter, rapist, and all the other terrible names that come with being a "Trumper" even though nothing in my life supports any of those accusations. I know all of you who read this and know me personally are shocked and I understand if you choose to not be my friend any more. If you disagree with my positions please feel free to comment and share your opinions. No judgement here and I support all peoples ideas and politics!

THE FLY!

 

    In politics we often hear people say "Man I wish I was a fly on the wall in the oval office that day" what we don't hear usually is "Did you see the fly on the Vice Presidents head during that debate?" but last week that was the topic of so many memes, news stories, and social media buzz.  What does that say about the debate itself?  Now that I have had a chance to watch the debate I am here to offer my opinion.

    Lets talk first about the challenger, Senator Kamala Harris.  Throughout the debate she repeated talking point after talking point with little to no facts to back up her statements.  She directly misquoted the President and VP while denying statements Joe Biden and herself have made in speeches that were recorded.  Here are a few of them I have seen for myself.  First she denied Joe Biden and herself wanted to end fracking, they have both been on video in multiple instances stating indeed they wanted to end fracking.  Next she denied that Joe Biden would raise taxes.  She stated he was simply going to repeal the Trump tax cuts granted to big businesses and the wealthy.  Joe Biden has been on video multiple times saying he would raise taxes.  When asked about the Green New Deal she avoided support of this even though Joe Bidens own website states it is a critical piece of their platform.  This was the strategy, avoid admitting or stating the facts of their campaign but instead attack Trump and Pence for being elitist, racist, and utter failures.  Her most effective attack came while trying to tie the administration to Russia and Putin.  That too was weak but at least Trumps friendly nature with Putin and Chinas leader seem like a valid criticism. 

    VP Pence did not do much better.  For anyone who suffered through the Bush/Gore debate his performance was eerily similar to Gore.  He talked with a monotone voice standing on the Presidents record and stating statistics and facts that we have all heard a million times.  His attacks on both Harris and Biden failed to come across as genuine despite the validity of the claims.  His overall performance seemed tired and lackluster.  His best attack came when pointing out the records of Biden and Harris in reference to criminal justice reform and and packing the supreme court.  While he had many good points in his holster he failed to deliver any form of hard blow at all.

    The moderator was annoying all night as she repeatedly cut VP Pence off, although more than once it was valid due to his bloviating and going over time.  She seemed to Favor Harris but overall had more control them the last moderator did with Trump and Biden.  Both candidates avoided name calling and dragging it into the gutter which was a nice change. At the same time both candidates seemed to be simply going through the motions.  At one point a fly landed on the VP's head and stayed there for some time.  Social media blew up with memes ranging from "Flies are attracted to shit" to a pic showing Kamala spread eagle with the statement "Where the fly came from".  The memes kept coming and the fly became an overnight celebrity.  

    In the end an hour of peoples time once again wasted as nothing substantive was presented.  Pot shots and repeat talking points, real or not, was all we got.  Maybe for the remaining two debates we can invite the fly and a spider to debate one another.  As the saying goes "What's normal for the spider is chaos for the fly."