The Republican Debate/Food Fight

Republican Debate/Food Fight

The View from the Middle

Charles Krauthammer called the Republican debate a “cage fight”.  My first impression was that it reminded me of the food fight scene in the movie Animal House.  I always feel comfortable when I roughly align with Charles.  I guess our only difference is that Charles would describe it as “bloody” while I am calling it “slimy”. 

There were some clear winners, however, and they were the candidates that were able to avoid the cafeteria when the jello and mashed potatoes went flying.  Ben Carson was his usual calm self.  I have to admit, I really like this guy.  I like his “everyone should have skin in the game” tax plan.  It’s not perfect, but it's good, and I really like Ben’s mission to attack political correctness and take common sense positions on things like “free” college, which he did in this debate.

John Kasich won by continuing to develop his position as a compassionate uniter with a moderate platform.  While all six candidates had good answers to the question of whether replace Judge Scalia, I think Kasich’s was best.  He recognized President Obama’s right to make a nomination, but suggested that would further divide the country and intimated that the President should put the country first (for a change) and not submit a nominee. 

Kasich also has a very centrist view on immigration.  His plan includes securing the boarder and a path to legalization (not citizenship) after paying fines and or back taxes.  I think John’s finest moment, however, was when he warned that the Republicans are flirting with losing the general election in November if they didn’t stop the verbal bludgeoning right now.  I agree with him.

But the big winner of the night was the third candidate to avoid a pie in the face, and that was Marco Rubio.  Marco came across as articulate, knowledgeable and composed.  He was actually able to dip into the food fight for a brief moment to point out Ted Cruz’s inconsistency on immigration, but popped back out fast enough to avoid even a splash of vittles on his suit.

Senator Rubio even came to the defense of George W. Bush twice, even saying that he “thanked God” that George Bush was President on 9/11.  This should insolate him from attacks by Jeb Bush in the future.  Slick move!  He invoked Ronald Reagan in both name and spirit.  He did this in spirit by avoiding personal attacks on his Republican opponents.  He actually named Reagan as the man he would love to seek counsel from if he became President.  He said he would ask Reagan how he inspired and united the country to lift us out of the mess he inherited from President Carter.  This was Rubio’s finest moment.

The remaining three candidates were co-losers.  Trump, Cruz and Bush spent so much time denigrating each other that they managed to damage themselves and blur whatever message they intended to convey to the audience.  They reminded me of three drowning men taking each other down as they tried to save themselves.  If they don’t stop this grade-school playground strategy, they will not only watch their own fates sink in a quicksand of their own making, but they could destroy their party’s chance at the White House altogether.  Congratulations!

The Democratic Debate - Live Free or Die

Live Free or Die

The View from the Middle

Who would have thought that New Hampshire and Bernie Sanders would have the same motto – “Live Free or Die”?  Of course, the New Hampshire founders were mimicking Patrick Henry and his famous line, “Give me liberty or give me death”, while Bernie was channeling Karl Marx.

Marx promised his “free stuff” with lines like, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”  Let me translate that into modern language. “Trust me, and I’ll take care of you.”  How did that work out for the Russian people?  So what if a few million people had to be slaughtered to get the rest of the country to buckle under. 

This brings me to last night’s Democratic debate.  I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version.  It was a battle to see who wanted to give the government more power and control over our lives.  Healthcare is a given.  Both Bernie and Hillary want a single payer system.  They only differ on how to get there.  Neither moderator had a follow up question like, “Are you sure this is the right approach given that our government is such a model of efficiency and integrity?”

At some point in time they both talked about having the government take over the banking, pharmaceutical and energy industries. This actually gave me chills as I imagined our government mucking up those businesses.  No question of waste, fraud or abuse here!

Just for laughs, I thought I would list a few questions that Chuck and Rachel could have asked between hugs for the candidates if they really wanted Americans to learn something about Hillary and Bernie:

-What do you plan to do about our debt?  This administration will have doubled the nation’s debt in its eight years in office and we are scheduled to return to trillion dollar annual deficits by 2022.  Aren’t we mortgaging our children’s futures so that politicians can get elected today?

-What if you were given absolutely solid evidence that privatizing the VA would improve the services to our military at a lower cost?  Would you be in favor of that?  Why or why not?

-Bernie, through your tolerance of Hillary’s e-mail situation, are you suggesting that all future Secretaries of State, Senators, etc. should have their own private servers in their homes?  Should this be the new normal?

-Hillary, why do you think companies, lobbyists and billionaires donate so much money to political campaigns?  Don’t you think they will expect these donations to buy them access and influence?  Really!

There are many more good questions that could have been asked, but weren’t.  After all, Chuck and Rachel had to leave time to hug it out at the end.   So, they asked questions like, “Hillary, are you 100% sure that nothing will come of the investigation of your server?”  What kind of question is that?  He gave her the answer in his question and teed her up for a monologue about what a victim she is.  Oh well, gotta have time for those hugs.

Don't Get "Berned'

Don’t Get "Berned"

The View from the Middle

Consider this article as an appeal to all naïve optimists out there who are looking for the perfect world, especially the young voters in this country.  You have to look past the promises of a utopian existence and free stuff offered by politicians.  This may shock you, but politicians have been known to over promise and under deliver and even lie to us. 

And no one is promising more free stuff and idealistic outcomes than Bernie Sanders.  He’s offering free college, free healthcare, free childcare and expanded Social Security for everyone.  The first thing you have to realize is that NOTHING IS FREE!!  Bernie’s plans will cost us $18 trillion over a ten-year period, and that is above and beyond the $50 trillion our government is already planning to spend. 

Do the math, that’s a 36% increase in the cost and size of a government that 81% of Americans think is corrupt.  However, government is more than just corrupt, it’s inept.  According to Gallup, Americans today believe that the government wastes 51 cents of every dollar we send them.  That is the highest estimate of waste ever recorded by Gallup.  With this kind of waste and corruption, why would we want to make our government BIGGER?

Remember, especially you young people, that the government has NO MONEY!  Every penny that they spend/waste comes from you!!  But, you say, ”No, Bernie plans to get all this money from the rich!”  I have a surprise for you.  Bernie’s “soak the rich” plan only accounts for about six trillion of his $18 trillion binge-spending plan.  He will have to get the other $12 trillion or so from you.  In fact, that $12 trillion that you will be funding (not the rich) comes to $10,000 per household per year.  Got an extra 10 grand you want to give to the government every year?

“Oh, but we will be getting all that free stuff”, you say.  So at best you’ll be getting $5,000 worth of services for $10,000, and that’s if the government doesn’t get any more corrupt or incompetent than it is today.  And, as Bernie sucks this 10 grand from every family in America every year, we’ll all have less to spend on restaurants, cars and clothes.  This will mean that we will have fewer restaurants, car dealers and dress shops, which will mean fewer waiters, car sales people and store managers.  Get the picture?  Less spending equals fewer jobs.

But this isn’t even Bernie’s big lie.  His big lie is that life will be perfect when he’s in control and he has all your money.  You won’t have to worry about healthcare, education or childcare.  You also won’t have to worry about saving any money, because you won’t have any.  You won’t have to worry about owning a house or a car.  You won’t be able to afford one.  And, you won’t have to worry about working hard, because you won’t be rewarded for it.

Let’s look at the shining stars of socialism.  In Venezuela people can’t even wipe after their bowel movements for lack of toilet paper.  In Cuba, they have thousands of their citizens swimming through shark-infested waters to get out of the country.  And then there’s Greece who is currently tin-cupping it through Europe trying to get their bills paid.

Even the top socialist countries have tremendous issues.  In Denmark, the total tax rate is about 80% when you add federal, local and sales taxes together.  It is almost impossible to own a car or a home.  Their suicide rate is about twice what it is in the US.  And throughout Scandinavia, people are drowning in debt and the wealth gap is even worse than it is in the US, but Bernie won’t be shining the light on any of these realities.

No country is perfect, but I still believe the US in the best place to live on this planet.  And what got us here - free market capitalism, which has lifted more people out of poverty than any other system on earth.  It is our meritocracy that has lifted us above all other countries.  Here is where hard work will actually pay off and improve your life and even those around you.  Here is where you can determine your future instead of settling for a government provided poverty level existence.

So don’t fall for the false promises of a flawless government and an idealistic existence.  Vote for smaller, leaner, more efficient government that will just get out of our way and unleash the genius and power of our collective efforts.  This is what has made America great and what will keep us at the very pinnacle of the world community.

The Trump Sandwich

The Trump Sandwich

The View from the Middle

Just when I think I’ve seen it all, something happens to remind me that I actually live in bizarro world these days.  Last week, Donald Trump found himself under attack simultaneously by the National Review and Hollywood elites, like Rosie O’Donnell, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, et al.  This could not have been a coordinated effort.  These two groups are so far apart ideologically that they can barely see each other from the opposite ends of the political spectrum they occupy. 

I predict that Trump will use these attacks to his advantage.  He will point out their radical positions and paint himself as the moderate victim, while he is certainly not a victim and probably not a moderate. These attacks will help him appeal to that 90% of Americans who don’t see themselves as extreme liberals or conservatives.  While their intent was to scuttle Trump’s campaign, they may have given him a gift that will only serve to enhance his chances. 

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not a big Trump fan.  My favorite candidate is still Carly Fiorina with her small government, zero based budgeting, personal responsibility message.  I’m not sure why she can’t break out of the pack and challenge the likes of Trump, Cruz and Rubio.  Leader or not, however, I like her platform.

All this talk about Trump reminds me of a joke I heard at Liberty University.  Two Corinthians, Titus and Philemon walk into a bar…

Obama's Confession of Seeding Disunity

Divide and Destroy

The View from the Middle

If you have read my article on the President’s last SOTU speech, you know that I actually liked half of it.  It gave me hope when he admitted that the rancor (bitter deep seated ill will) in Washington has gotten worse under his leadership.  While he didn’t technically claim responsibility for the division, it sounded much like the admission of an alcoholic at an AA meeting.  It was as if he was saying, “I’m a divider, and I need help.”

 I actually experienced a warm feeling of hope.  I thought, maybe the President is going to pursue the vision he painted back in 2004.  His now famous words were, “there is not a Liberal America and a Conservative America… there is just a United States of America.”  Unity IS sorely needed in our country today.

This week, however, I have heard liberal pundits try to let the President off the hook by blaming the rancor on Republicans.  It was as if they have lived the last seven years with blinders on, ignoring any acts of disharmony perpetrated by President Obama.  Well, let me remind all of you vision-impaired partisans of the President’s contributions to our current contentious atmosphere.

Shortly after he was elected, the President told Republicans to “drop dead” in four ways.  First, he boasted that elections had consequences, and HE won.  I’m sure he was feeling full of himself.  He had a big majority in The House and a filibuster proof majority in The Senate.  He didn’t need the Republicans and he wanted to let them know it.  Drop dead #1.

Next, he said that Republicans could participate in the legislative process, but they, of course, would have to sit in the back seat.  This was particularly insensitive for obvious reasons, but again, he was cocky and wanted to put Republicans in their place.  Wow, even explaining that comment sounds incredibly insensitive.  Drop dead #2.

Then he went on Univision (the Hispanic TV Network) and called Republicans “the enemy”.  His exact words were, “We’re going to punish our enemies” in this next election, speaking quite obviously about American citizens who disagree with him.  This statement was so egregious that he later had to admit that it was probably not the best choice of words.  Drop dead #3.

Finally, he had Democrats pass Obamacare without a single Republican vote in either house of Congress.  They even had to resort to the reconciliation process in the Senate when Ted Kennedy died and they fell short of the 60 votes needed in the Senate to avoid a filibuster.  They only needed one Republican vote.  They could have included a couple of conservative ideas like tort reform or health savings accounts into their 2,700-page monstrosity to get some bipartisan support.  However, they chose to totally shun Republicans. Drop dead #4.

I’m sure that Republicans have been divisive in return.  Back in 2010, Mitch McConnell said his most important objective was to deny President Obama a second term.  I denounced that statement then and will continue to denounce vitriol from either side of the political spectrum.  The President, however, must take responsibility for his own divisiveness and recognize his special position as President to impact the atmosphere in Washington.  Let’s hope he will.