Short Break

I decided to take a short break from this blog to recharge my batteries. Will resume next January. Good luck to all and keep-up the good fight.

                                                                        Paul

A Few Random Thoughts on the Election

We only have four days left before November 8. Our final day of voting comes none too soon. This election seems like it has gone on forever. The Iowa caucus was held on February 1, 2016. Since that time, elections have dominated the news to the exclusion of nearly all else.

We expected a filthy campaign from Trump, and the Republican candidate has exceeded all of our expectations. However, the unhinged GOP leader has also influenced down-ballot candidates with his juvenile name-calling. Our own Ron Johnson has called his opponent "a complete phony". The desperate Johnson has even called Feingold "a swamp creature", promising to "drain the swamp". This promise to destroy protected wetlands is just another example of Johnson's disdain for the environment.

Like most W.O.W. voters, Germantown residents have few choices beyond the top of the ballot. Sure, there are candidates worth voting for in the Presidential, Senate, and 5th District US House races (thank you Mr. Penebaker !) However, there is only one (of course, Republican) candidate for State Senate (Alberta Darling), State Assembly (Knodl), County DA, County Clerk, County Treasurer, and County Registrar of Deeds.

I simply cannot bring myself to vote for any of these local Trump-Party candidates. I know that write-ins no longer count unless registered with the state. However, I am sure that Jesus H. Christ will make a good State Senator. My candidate for Assembly will be Charlemagne Tha God (love that name!). For the other offices, I will write-in Bob Dylan, Dylan Thomas, Thomas Hardy, and cartoon hyena, Hardy Har Har.

Speaking of write-ins, I served as for several years as an election inspector. One late evening, I was working with the Chief Inspector to record the write-in votes. The Chief started cussing up a storm about all these write-ins and how they made a problem for election workers. At that point, I came to one write-in and sheepishly said, "You probably don't want to see this one !" To my surprise, one of my friends had written-in my name for State Assembly!.

Like so many Assembly districts, Germantown's 24th was gerrymandered to give about a 45% Democratic-55% Republican advantage. This has led to the criminal situation of having only 36 Democratic Representatives and 63 Republican ones, despite having more people voting for Democratic candidates in 2012 than Republicans. Unlike the Republican's mythical voter fraud, this is actual election fraud, committed by our GOP legislators and Governor.

One can hardly say that we have no choice for President this year. In addition to Hillary and Sniffy McGropper, we have Libertarian Gary (what is Aleppo?) Johnson and Green Party anti-vaxxer Jill Stein. There are three other candidates, too. The theocratic Constitution Party is again on our ballot, pushing for a Bible-based government. So is the revolutionary socialist Workers World Party. The Delta Party, headed by "Rocky" Roque De La Fuente is on the ballot. This little-known party is for election reform and against an interventionist foreign policy. (Wouldn't it be cool to have a President named Rocky?)

Donald Trump is the most unqualified, psychologically unfit, and intellectually deficient presidential candidate in my lifetime. His defense of and support by a Russian dictator and the KKK alone should rule him out as America's leader. His divisive rhetoric, belief in conspiracy theories, and explosive temper should alarm all voters. After the election, Trump faces trials for fraud and child rape. Hillary used the wrong server for her e-mails.

None of my Republican friends seem to like Donald Trump. However, many are still going to vote for this dangerous man. The anti-Hillary propaganda has been so consistent and shrill that many plan to vote for the worst candidate in my lifetime instead of one of the smartest and best-prepared. The Stockholm syndrome that has turned the GOP into the Party of Trump is the most bizarre and troubling political phenomenon of our time.

Each and every state GOP politician has taken a stand on Trump. That decision will follow them around the rest of their political lives. Scott Walker has come to accept Trump and actively campaigns for him. Ron Johnson embraces Trump and links himself to Trump as "Ron and Don". The weasel Paul Ryan can't bring himself to say Trump's name, but supports "the candidate of my party". Sensenbrenner loves Trump, claiming that "he won fair and square".

The increasingly senile State Sen. Alberta Darling has gone full-on for Trump, heading-up the state Women for Trump organization. In an interview she said, "When you listen to the policy discussions that Trump has, he is on point with what women want." According to Darling, women must want indiscriminate use of nuclear weapons, reneging on our national debt, and abandonment of our NATO allies-all policies that Trump has advocated.