Month: February 2020

President Trump spent two days this past week in India. When he arrived in Ahmedabad, in western part of the country, he was greeted by folk dancers, percussionists, an flutists. I would guess that they were not Democrats.

Next he went from the airport to a stadium. This eight mile route was lined with thousands of spectators, singing and waving a myriad of welcoming signs and banners. I think it is safe to assume that these throngs of people were not Democrats! When he arrived at the filled 110,000-seat stadium, he was greeted by more pure energy. Nearly everyone was wearing baseball caps inscribed with a probable Indian version of MAGA, “Namaste Trump!” Again this enthusiastic crowd . . . probably not Democrats!

The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and the Beatles were played wherever he went, just like at Trump’s political rallies. Someone, probably not a Democrat, had done his homework to make our President feel at home.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump agreed to a number small agreements and their interaction was overwhelmingly cordial. It was obvious that the Indian Prime Minister was neither a Pelosi nor a Schumer . . . thank God!!

There was an interesting dichotomy in today’s morning paper. On the front page one of the headlines read, “Auditor: Lottery Didn’t Pay Schools Millions.”

On the first page of the Local section, the headline read: “Learning Centers Might Close.”

First a little about the nuts and bolts of each of these articles.

The California State Lottery was created in 1984 via a ballot measure that required 34% of the lottery sales revenue to go to schools, and capped administrative expenses at 16%. This sounds pretty straight forward although it is unclear where the other 50% goes. But then in 2010 the Legislature (predominately Democrats, with a Democratic Governor) voted you allow “a smaller percentage to go to education as long as lottery managers used ‘best practices’.” . . . whatever that means! To be clear, apparently the California Legislature thought it was okay in 2010 for them to change the parameters of the Lottery Act that the people approved back in 1984! On 2/25/20 state officials released an audit alleging that the management of the California Lottery short-changed schools by millions of dollars (is “short-changed” actually just another more polite way of saying “stole, cheated, or swindled?”). The auditor initially stated that the deficit was $69 million. That amount was then reduced to $36 million. This sounds like a convenient plea bargain sort of arrangement . . . from $69 million to $36 million does not sound like just a misplaced decimal point! More important into whose pockets did these millions of dollars go? This type of skullduggery is a perfect example of why I vote “No” on all the ballot propositions. 

And in an unrelated piece of lottery related chicanery there is an investigation into the lottery’s gift  of 30,000 Scratchers tickets, worth $212,500, to “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” These Scratchers were then handed out to the studio audience!

As I recall the Lottery Act of 1984 was supposed to benefit California schools not audience members of a TV show . . . Hmmmm!

As far as the article in the Local section, the Sweetwater Union High School District School Board proposed cuts that would save the district $20 million in 2021 budget. Why so much? . . . err, the district currently has a $30 million budget shortfall! How does a school district manage to have a $30 million budget shortfall? Three potential reasons: increasing pension costs, increasing number of administrators with increasing salaries, decreased funding from the state, or . . . Pay close attention here . . . Mismanagement, gross mismanagement by the school board. Notice I did not accuse anyone of a crime. The last I checked, stupidity is not a crime! Also notice that I did not mention teacher’s salaries.

One wonders if some of the “misplaced” $36 million of lottery (for schools) money could actually be used here to help schools in the Sweetwater School District!

What seems like a million years ago, in the fifties and the sixties, the Sheehans were known for their yearly New Years Eve party. Because the Sheehans had five boys, Eddie, Denny, Phil, Terry, and Tommy, the question was often asked, “Whose party is it?”

As far as the Democrats are concerned, the same question is still front and center . . . “Whose party is it?”

The Nevada results are in, and it was another decisive Sanders’ win. So thus far we have Nevada, and New Hampshire in the Bernie column. In Iowa it was Bernie, the Mayor, and confusion. At this point everyone in the Democratic Party is starting to take Sanders seriously, and they are afraid, very afraid. What if he continues on this juggernaut? Could it be that he will win the nomination? At this point, although it very early in the race, the big mo is shifting toward the Sanders corner. However, there is one big problem for the over-the-top Bernie supporters . . . those dyed-in-the-wool Democrat stalwarts, who think they are in control, do not think Bernie can win. This is a “big problemo!” for the ex pro-Hillary, ex anti-Sanders crowd.

At this point they not only see things slipping away, but “those in the know” foresee an even bigger dilemma coming at their September convention. They can either support a candidate (Sanders) that they do not like, or they can finagle a way support someone else after the initial ballot. Who might that be? At present, “not a clue!” My guess at this time is that Sanders will not get the support that he and his supporters think that they deserve. Another problemo, but this time for the Bernie-ites! Are they going to take another gut punch  in 2020? They didn’t like it, but they took it in 2016. Back then, I can imagine them saying, “na, na, na, nana,” you screwed us, and you and Hillary lost!”

What will the Bernie-faithful do if a similar thing happens? What will Bernie do if “2016” happens to them again! For sure both he and his supporters will be really pissed! 

Drum roll, please . . . 

Now for my prediction, which at this time, you will not be reading anywhere else, – Bernie Sanders, who is really already an Independent, will then run as a third party candidate! 

You scoff!

You snicker!

But just remember two relevant sayings, one relatively recent and one old:

-From a 1976 movie, Network, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it  anymore!”

-A paraphrase from a 1697 play, The Mourning Bride, by William Congreve, 

  “Hell has no fury like a socialist scorned!”

However, just as important, remember the crucial question: “Whose party is it?”

“What do you have to lose?”

This is what then presidential candidate Donald Trump said to black voters back in 2016. From my perspective he was right-on back in Ohio in August, 2016 when while speaking to a group of black voters, he said, “If you keep voting for the same failed politicians, you will keep getting the same results. They (the Democrats) don’t care about you.”

Did that “What do you have lose” line work for Mr. Trump in 2016? In the November, 2016 presidential election exit polls showed that Donald Trump claimed 8% of the black vote, which was better than Romney’s 6% in 2012 and McCain’s 4% in 2008. (However, recall that Romney was running against a black incumbent president in 2012, and McCain against a black candidate  in 2008.) In 2016 only 59% of black citizens voted compared to 66% and 65% in 2012 and 2008 respectively.

In a recent Washington Post article, Victor Davis Hanson stated, “. . . there are subtle, but increasing indications that President Trump’s approval may be reaching historic highs for a modern day Republican president with some polls indicating that Trump’s approval rating among black voters is close to 20%.” ( A controversial Rasmussen poll had showed that African-American support for Trump was up to Some recent polling has put Trump support at close to 30% among African-American voters, however both Gallup and Quinnipac are still giving Trump unimpressive low numbers.)

Ex-NFL black football player, Jack Brewer, recently warned the Democrats that a huge number of black voters are now ready to vote for Trump in 2020. “There is a tremendous awakening going on right now in the country,” said Brewer when he was alluding to black support for Trump. Black unemployment is at 5.5%, the lowest in history, and the Trump campaign is taking advantage of this by taking out newspaper adds in local black newspapers and radio spots on urban stations nationwide.

“Black Voices for Trump” was launched in Atlanta in November, 2019, and 

Diamond and Silk, Kanye West, and David Clarke are strong black supporters of President Trump.

“I have a better chance of jumping center for the Celtics tonight than Donald Trump having 30 percent support in the African-American community,” former Hillary Clinton adviser Joel Payne, who is African-American, told InsideSources.

My response to Joel Payne, “It can be arranged that you will wear a Celtic jersey with number 000 on it when you jump center!”

I am predicting a Trump victory in 2020, in part because I am predicting that 25% of black voters will be on the Trump train . . . after all what do black voters have to lose?

In Bakersfield, California, on 2/19/20, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House minority leader, said “Isn’t it great to have a president who understands farming is not easy? Isn’t it great to have a president who keeps his promises?”

The “farming is not easy” part was obviously in reference to a prior statement by Democrat presidential hopeful, Michael Bloomberg. The president that Mr. McCarthy is referring to is obviously President Trump, as which other recent president has consistently kept his campaign promises? Duh !

Trump said the changes to the “outdated scientific research and biological opinions” would now help direct “as much water as possible, which will be a magnificent amount, a massive amount of water for the use of California farmers and ranchers.”

The new plan allows large quantities of water to be rerouted from the San Francisco Bay Delta to the Central Valley in order to irrigate farmland. For many years, millions of gallons of water were diverted away from the Central Valley farmers in order to” protect the delta smelt, a finger-sized fish that for three decades has stood in the way of water going to farmers.

Trump critics and especially the liberals in California cannot claim that Trump did this in order to secure votes, as a statewide avalanche would be necessary to garner the President any significant number of votes in California. He did this because it was the right thing to do. He facilitated this change that promotes the caring more for humans in the  Central Valley than for some useless fish. Besides being the right thing to do, it is also the thing that uses common sense, the innate quality that most California liberals do not seem to have . . . in plain language that does not use any words with over three syllables . . . President Trump cares more for the Hispanic farmers of California than do the liberal politicians in their own state. 

California politicians will scream and its A.G. will for sure, sue. In essence the lawsuit will say: “Screw all of you Hispanic farmers. We are not going to let that racist anti-Hispanic so called president do the right thing!”

President Trump is only the second U.S. President to attend the Daytona 500. President Bush was the first in 2004, also a re-election year. (Perhaps both were aware of the enormous free publicity that would come from appearing at this prestigious race.) Although President Trump had attended the Daytona 500 four times in the past, this was his  first timer as President. He also made history as the first president to serve as the Grand Marshal. There was more than 100,000 people in attendance and “God Bless the U.S.A.” played in the background as POTUS and FLOTUS took the stage.

From Breitbart:

The president thanked the “tens of thousands of patriots“ gathered at the Daytona International Speedway in a short speech before the race.

“NASCAR fans never forget that no matter who wins the race, what matters most is God, family, country,” he said.

The president welcomed Gold Star families as guests to the race, thanking their fallen loved ones for their service.

“Rubber will burn, fans will scream and the great American race will begin,” Trump said.

The president, as the Grand Marshal of the race, delivered the famous, “start your engines” command to the race car drivers at the beginning of the race.

The president also did a lap in his presidential limo, the Beast, ahead of the start of the race.

The huge crowd at the speedway and an enormous T.V. viewing audience were treated to President Trump being the first President to actually take a lap at the Daytona International Speedway. This was the president appealing to those mostly already in his camp, and the crowd loved it . . . “USA, USA, USA, USA,”  and “Four more years.”

Although I am not a NASCAR fan, there are millions across the U.S. and most of them either record the race (one of my sons-in-law) or watch it live.

Shortly after the race began, it was stopped and then postponed a day due to inclement weather, assuring that  the President’s visit and his lap in “the Beast” will be shown many times before the rescheduled start  on 2/17 . . . more free publicity. The taking advantage of such is merely the sign of a good businessman and a wise President!

2/18/20

Honest, I did not do it on purpose! 

There were three options on three different TVs in front of the three open ellipticals at my gym:

-Duke vs. Notre Dame basketball with Duke ahead by 30 points

-weather with the five day forecast alternating with movie ads

-a commercial

Fox News was on the TV in front of the exercise bicycles, but unfortunately all of the upright bikes were being used. (Is it the upright and the supine bikes or is it Fox News that is the big draw here?)

What to do?

Unfortunately, I made the wrong decision . . . but, honest, I did not opt to watch CNN on purpose. (As many of you are aware, for some reason, my TV at home does not get CNN.) 

[My usual elliptical workout is fifteen minutes.]

After I had begun my elliptical workout [0:00] the commercial ended [1:11], and the first “news story” had to do with some schmuck physician who has been accused of molesting many of his female patients. After about ten seconds i was no longer interested in that dirt-bag . . . cut off his you know whats, stop showing his picture repeatedly, giving the disgraceful p.o.s.the notoriety he doesn’t deserve, and throw him in jail. (If he knows the Clintons, he could just maybe commit “suicide!”)

After another commercial [5:55] there was a “physician’s update on the corona virus.” I thought that this might be interesting, and so I paid attention. The update was being given by an attractive very young black female physician. I thought, “She seems a bit young to be an infectious disease specialist” . . . that’s because she wasn’t an infectious disease specialist, but rather a Family Physician, who subsequently commented that she saw patients in her office three days a week. (Now do get me wrong. Some of my good friends are Family Physicians, and I used to work in a general practice office setting in my earlier life. Take my word for it – it is far from easy.) But come on . . . even though I am sure that she is a nice person, a part time Family Physician is no expert on the corona virus. Why did CNN think it was a good idea to try to pass her off as an expert? Simple answer . . . err, is there a nice word for prostitution? CNN was obviously trying to sell its services to its young, its black, and its female viewers . . . that is if they have any viewers on a Saturday afternoon! She is probably a good physician, however she did not give any info on the corona virus that was not in the morning paper [10:10].

After another commercial the next story was a rerun of an interview with failed DNC hopeful, Eric Swalwell (D,CA) on the Jake Tapper show. Representative Swalwell was basically saying  that impeachment is still an option! [13:13] 

At this point I looked over and an upright bike spot had opened up. So because of an unusual combination of nausea and laughter, I just could not make it to my planned 15 minutes, and I bailed on the elliptical. 

Hopefully, I learned something and will not ever make the same mistake of starting to exercise in front of a TV showing a commercial!

FYI: On the following day my choices in front of the treadmills were basically the same – a lame sports event, the five day weather forecast combined witH some movie ads, and you know what. After about thirty minutes on the treadmill, I now know the five day weather forecast and the upcoming movies by heart, as I wasn’t going to get fooled into watching CN-Again!

The 2020 presidential election is going to be all about turnout, and to me there are two basic things that will increase Republican, pro-Trump turnout. The turnout will be increased when President Trump says or does something that will pump up his base. For example, his State of the Union speech was one of his best speeches, and this speech lit the fuse of the firecracker for many Republicans. (more turnout!) His going to Dover Air Force Base to welcome the remains of the two recently killed soldiers is something that could have potentially stoked the flames of his base even though the picture of the President and Vice President Pence saluting the caskets, while standing in the rain, was not widely publicized by the MSM. Most military, both active duty or retired will potentially turn out to the polls based on this one picture alone. ( more turnout!)

Mark my words there will be many more opportunities for the President to fire up his base between now and November, and thus increase pro-Trump turnout.

Likewise the Dems just keep doing things that can only increase pro-Trump turnout. It is perplexing to me that the Democrats do not understand that certain things can only serve to further increase the pro-Trump turnout, and yet they continue to close their eyes to the obvious. The Mueller Russia collusion charade is a good example, and the more the Dems continue to obliquely reference “Russian collusion,” the more fired up the pro-Trump base becomes. (more turnout!). 

However the apparent pinnacle of Democrat cluelessness was this impeachment debacle, and to make it worse (or perhaps better depending on your viewpoint) they tried to prolong it  . . . “more witnesses, and put off the vote because of xxxx.” The longer that this circus went on, the poorer the TV rating became, and the more fired up the pro-Trumpers became (more turnout!).

Nancy Pelosi gave the Trump team an unexpected gift by tearing up the SOTU speech in full view of all Americans. Tsk, tsk, Ms. Pelosi didn’t your parents teach you nothin’? (more turnout, especially in those states where there is potential for flipping a House seat!)

Could it be that the recent New Hampshire primary gave us a glimpse of future turnout? Donald Trump was running basically unopposed and yet he shattered the record for the number of votes for an incumbent President in a N.H. primary!! (increased turnout rocks New Hampshire!)

Likewise it appears now that the Dems are heading towards a contested convention, and that can only piss off most of the primary voters except those who voted for the candidate that wins. (less Dem. turnout!)

On the eve of the 2019 New Hampshire primary President Trump held a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire at Southern New Hampshire University, where by the way in August, 2019, he broke the attendance record for that venue, 11,500. (The prior attendance record having been held by Elton John, was 11,400.) I was surprised that my local “newspaper” actually reported on this rally. Of course, the article did not mention that the arena was again packed and rockin’, “ or that some of the attendees had been lined up for more than twenty-four hours before the doors opened. 

The writers from the NYT and WaPo did emphasize that the President suggested that in an open primary, perhaps Republicans and Independents should vote for the weakest Democrat candidate . . . if they could figure out who that was!! That reminded me of a longtime hard-core conservative friend who this year has registered as Democrat . . . Huh? I shook my head in disbelief, but he said he had to register as a Democrat in order to vote for the weakest Democrat candidate in the upcoming primary! Last week when I asked  him who he would vote for it the primary, he was u decided . . . perhaps he could not figure out who the weakest candidate was either!

However the most impressive thing that the President did that night was not his rally. He and Vice President, Mike Pence, attended a Dignified Transfer at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware for two U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The remains of Sgt. Rodriguez and Sgt. Gutierrez were flown back to the U.S aboard a C-17 cargo aircraft, and both President Trump and Vice President Pence cut their appearance short at the Manchester rally, so that they could fly unannounced for the Dignified Transfer, where they both stood at attention in a light rain as the flag-draped remains of the soldiers were loaded into a waiting vehicle. “Very sad,” tweeted the President.

I have found another reason to believe that Donald Trump will be re-elected in 2020 . . . Nielsen ratings, specifically the Nielsen ratings for Fox News in this prior week. Consider that last week Fox News had an average of 4.27 million viewers in prime-time. This was the 5th best week ever for Fox, and the best since election week 2016. This 4.27 million was better than any national network other than ABC and CBS. It was far and away much better than its main cable “news” competitors, MSNBC (1.59 million) and CNN (1.13 million) in prime-time. [CNN (what a joke!) even lost out to HGTV (1.21 million) in prime time. If one were to eliminate all of the airport TVs, I would predict that it’s viewership might drop to < 1 million.]

As far as the most watched programs on cable, Fox News had 39 of the top 40 for last week! Rachael Maddow, on MSNBC, was the lone exception. (Since my TV cannot, will not, and refuses to get MSNBC, I cannot comment as to why or by whom that show is watched.)

When one looks at the ratings for individual prime time shows on Fox News the story was the same . . . Hannity = 4.9 million, Tucker Carlson = 4.7 million, Laura Ingraham = 4.1 million. 

You may ask, “Why is this a predictor of a Trump victory in 2020”? 

Simple. Follow my logic:

Last week was the Impeachment Trial acquittal, and Trump’s return to the offense on two different occasions the following day. Fox News had its best week since election week 2016. So if Fox News is the preferred network for Trump supporters . . . and it is, the booming ratings for Fox News last week means that there are a lot of pro-Trumpers out there who are usually flying under the radar, but will be there to vote for President Trump in November 2020.

My prediction: Trump in a landslide in 2020!