Trump is president because of two things: the disaffection of the many with the perceived increasing movement of the Democratic Party away from values the people are comfortable with but mostly because of the candidate the Democratic Party offered as his opponent. Both candidates had disapproval percentage in the sixty percent range. I was unable to vote for either for I did not see which one would able to maintain the America I knew and loved.
If I could go back to the 2016 election having seen what Trump has wrought would I have voted for Hillary? I believe not. Because Trump has been a disaster does not mean Hillary would not have been as bad or worse. There was a reason both had such negative ratings and it was they were awful people who were basically untrustworthy. A person with a tainted character like tainted milk can’t be made better and should be thrown out.
The subsets of this election that bore on Trump’s win are a few. There is the James Comey announcement of the re-opening of the FBI investigations into Hillary’s emails a fortnight before the election. She had been cleared by a hair of any wrongdoing in her handling of those emails earlier by Comey so one imagined it was not going to take much to push her over the edge.
Comey’s re-opening announcement also brought to mind the slick trick by Slick Willy who managed to have a private tete-a-tete on an airport tarmac with the U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch who was overseeing the investigation into Hillary’s emails. Even if he pushed his way aboard her airplane to talk about their grand kids the recollection of the pardons at the end of his term as president and the endless grubbing around for money he engaged in since leaving the office came back to mind.
It was a brazen display of thinking he was above the law. It clearly hurt Hillary’s chances. It was difficult not to think that if he acted like that not mindful of giving the appearance he was interfering in an investigation (he was responsible for Lynch’s career as a federal prosecutor) if he got back in the White House there wold be no limit to the damage he could do. His action caused Lynch to recuse herself. That put Comey on center stage.
On the other side was the Russian interference in the election for the purpose of helping Trump get elected. This was substantial. it involved stealing the Democratic Party’s tactics and changing Trump’s operational plan to meet them. It involved the pushing of false news through the internet relative to the position of the candidates by Russian military operatives. It was widespread and focused.
Not stopping there Putin’s forces push vast sums of money into the election by funneling it through other entities like the NRA. The NRA heavily supported Trump and was the top supporter using Russian money of many of the GOP candidates running nationwide. Its connection with Putin is slowly coming to light but clearly it is there especially as shown by the arrest of Maria Butina.
The third arm of the Russian influence was through its connections with the Christian White Evangelicals in the country. They unite in their anti-LGBT positions and their outward appearances as being white Christians saving the world against the secularists and the Muslim terrorists. In one way the relationship is inexplicable because the Evangelicals are supposedly pro-life while Russia is the number one country for abortion in the world.
So is the NRA – Russian connection difficult to understand. There are no gun rights for people in Russia. There never will be. So what is it that brings a gun rights group together with an anti-gun rights group? It can only be that Russian money is buying off these Americans.
That is how I see 2016. I understand there are other issues that differentiate the Republicans from the Democrats that would be there no matter who was the candidate. The above were particular to 2016. Trump was seen as a lesser of two evils in enough areas to give him the victory. I set this out so I can talk about what the future holds.
” The interconnected historical world resists categorization. ”
Khalid
There are 2.3 billion Christians and 1.8 billion Muslims and 800 million Hindus and 250 million Budhists . . .all inspired and moved by the Holy Spirit, I believe . . .there are roughly one in six folks who identify as a secularist, agnostic or atheist, say about 1 billion non-believers . . .but even among them, many have a sense of the spiritual or higher powers or cosmic consciousness, etc (Hitchens spoke of the latter and his sense of AWE)
People, like Mike Pence, born Catholic converted to Evangelical, choose their religion like Adults choose where they want to live . . .about 95% of the 100 friends I knew growing up in Savin Hill now live outside the City . . .we had a big gang: the older guys, the Cornpoppers, the younger guys, and when we got in our twenties hanging at Connors and Bulldogs or hitting the Adelphia we hung out with even older guys . . .I remember staying at Eddie Connors and Stevie Feeney’s cottage in Falmouth for a weekend and Eddie making breakfast for me and my future wife . . . we went to sporting events, musical events and town hall type events with guys like Franny Mahoney and the Collins, O’Shea, Madden, Conley older guys . . .I remember bringing a handball friend from the YMCU (Boylston Street) . . .he was a young Harvard Lawyer born and raised in Florida . . . to Connors Tavern and across the street to Bulldogs for the Rock & Roll, and he exclaimed, “You know all these people?” Yuh, and their brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles . . .we grew up together . . .He said if he went back to his hometown he’d be able to say Hi to about four families . . .
The point is as adults we make moves and follow our own individual consciences: I think adultery is wrong; fornication between consenting adults not so much; marriage is best; but nothing wrong with sex . . . and I wouldn’t change a rule in the Catechism, especially not that bit about the PRIMACY OF THE INFORMED INDIVIDUAL CONSCIENCE . . .I’M INFORMED . . .perhaps there’s some lacunae in my moral development, I was lapsed for a few decades, but try to practice, and I agree with Lenny K: “There’s no such thing as justifiable anger; there is such a thing as justifiable homicide.” . . . .I’m not into the revenge or grudge game or gettin even . . .I try to live in the moment and enjoy the day . . .as they say:, “Yesterday’s History,, Tomorrow’s a Mystery, Today’s the gift, that’s why the call it THE PRESENT . . .”
So, do good and fear no man . . . .I am a practicing Roman Catholic, 100% Irish descent, of black-Irish heritage with Spanish blood coursing through my veins for over 2,000 years since Viriathus’s time and before, as sailors from Galway Bay sailed back and forth to the Bay of Biscay, a three days sail, and Irish sailors married Senoritas, and Spanish sailors, including Basques, married Colleens . . .and both Irish and Spanish sailors adopted and spread Christianity world wide . . .these seafaring habitues of Western Civilization . . .
How else do you think we all got here?
2. Muslims may have given us ZERO and Chinese-Japanese-Indian-cultures some good stuff, BUT NOTHING COMPARES TO THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD OF THE JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN WESTERN CIVILIZATION . . .philosophy, art, music (classical, jazz, rock & roll) literature (Tolstoy, Pasternak, Doestoevsky) poetry (thomas, yeats,millay, dickensen)Medicine (vaccines, heart surgery) Mendelev’s periodic table, quantum mechanics (Einstein, Father LeMaitre), science, energy, travel, EDUCATION (Jesuits, Notre Dame) free markets, ending slavery, advancing women rights, equal opportunity for all races, religion, ethnic groups . . . .PROGRESS . . .”They’re coming to America” we’re bursting at the seams with goodness . . .good stuff . . .Happy Days are Here Again . . . .except for the doom and gloom rather curse the darkness crowd . . .light some candles, and as Jim Morrison and the Doors sang, “Light My Fire . . .the time to hesitate is through, no time to wallow in the mire, wait and we can only lose . . .so come on baby light my fire . . .L.A. Woman . . .Beautiful Flyaway . . .G . .L . . O . . R . . I . . . as Van Morrison sang . . .gloria in excelces (sp?) and peace to people of good will, and as I wrote, “to people not of good will: Special Forces” . . .constant vigilance and a very strong national defense and strong public health/public safety sectors on the home front . . .
How else do you think we’ll stay free?
As Lenny Bruce said, “If it cooks for you, solid.”
Yes, Yeats.
Yeats drew his inspiration for the Cuchulain plays from the work of Lawrence Fennelosa (Sp?) who was the first westerner to study the stage dynamics of Japanese No Drama. Yeats adapted Fennelosa’s ideas to the European stage. Minimalist. Austere. No Judeo-Christian connection there. Yeats didn’t consider himself a Christian.
The interconnected historical world resists categorization. The Jews received monotheism from the Egyptians (Akenaton). You can properly think of Western Culture as a by-product of Judeo-Christian -African civilization.
Highly Recommended reading for all: Mike Flynn, the essayist, (I think that’s his mane) must be reading Matt’s metaphors . . .In this example, Muellar is the doomed, fanatically obsessed Ahab . . .Read it and weep for an “Investigation” run amok and rotten from the git-go (not mentioned, but true: look at the Partisan Team Muellar chose)
MANDATORY READING:
https://spectator.org/captain-ahab-aims-harpoons-at-trumps-tweets/
I recommend Matt and all read the essayists at the American Spectator . . .heck, I sometimes read the Globe, Times, and Post . . .I even get Time . . .it’s good as a conservative-traditionalist to read the liberal-leftists’ point of view, too . . .remember you learn more from those who disagree with you . . .they help test/form your ideas . . .so be open to the ideas of Buckley, Hitchens, Tyrell, Dershowitz, Lonergan, Teilhard de Chardin, Xenophon, Yeats, Zoroaster, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Emily Dickenson and J. Courtney Sullivan . . .then make your own mind up . . .about life and stuff . . .
Bill is correct. Reagan, Kennedy and Coolidge cut taxes ushering in an economic boom. Obama was a big government liberal that gave anemic growth. In short a failure.
Virtue signaling is an apt phrase . . .Hillary tripped up doing it; many DEMs on their high horses are blinded by their own virtue signaling . . .they think only liberal DEMs care about the Environment, fishing, swimming, potability, breathing fresh air, and toxic-chemical-free deodorants . . .it’s part of their feeling MORALLY SUPERIOR to the hoi polloi whom they refuse to let into their country clubs, estates, and chlorinated swimming pools,,,,,the deplorable hoi polloi who camp, hunt, fish and swim in the great outdoors . .the rabble in arms who hunt . . .the ordinary salt of earth are beneath the morally superior virtue signalers who care about the snail darter but not the human being in the womb nor as Madeline Albright attested starving to death 600,000 Iraqi children by her US embargo. “Was it worth it?” Madeline said, “Yes” . . .but Madeline supported stricter regulations to protect the snail darter I suspect . . .Leonard Cohen sang it about them DEMS “We don’t like children anyhow.” Support killing for our own comfort and convenience, and always be pleasant and kind to fellow liberal DEMs, especially at ACLU meetings . . .
Is there no end to the hypocrisy and madness . . .Trump’s first 18 months as President (20 months as President elect) A DISASTER? Disastrous for Hillary supporters and liberal DEMS, that’s all. Good for the rest of America; a blessing.
“God works in mysterious ways . . .God writes straight with crooked lines . . .” Ab initio, from out of the Void, the Chaos came the ordered Universe; out of the Chaotic 18th Century came the USA and US Constitution; and out of the chaotic 2016 election came President Trump . . .the Media, including the BBC, were in shock, in tears on election night and mostly ever since . . .most of America has been pleased with the results . . .
That is a helluva good cosmogony there !!!
Lapsed as I am, are gays in technical ex-communication (as are all of us lacking a state of grace) and banned from Communion?
Do you believe that the stats on real wages and purchasing power are so glowing? Trump is playing Santa Claus more than Bernie. Next-in-line the Bourbon folks of Kentucky. Wonder why.
No one is excommunicated these days . . .the Churches recognize all of us are sinners . . .and the primacy of individual conscience . . .as a Congregationalist Pastor in Westwood taught us (while Bobby and I were playing some Christian Rock on Sundays there) “There’s so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us.”
The great thing about being a Christian is we know Jesus Saves, not the politician nor CEO and certainly not Moola . . . We have fun, try, and every time we fall down, we just keep getting up . . .we enjoy life . . .
Christian yes–Catholic probably no. Maybe I’m a strict constructionist but I will not receive unless I think I would satisfy the dictates of the Baltimore Catechism. I still consider myself a CINO but regard the rules as heavy-handed, but will not insult those dictates by taking communion. These are their rules-I go by them.
Gingko Biloba . Great for short term memory. I do not want a lily pad jumper on the swamp pond of political convenience excoriating American institutions, FBI and Justice Department, yesterday, and extolling them today. It is actually kind of creepy. The facility with which the Democrats form like a great slime mold around the latest lie that suits their political agenda !!!
A clean environment and happy industrial spaces, and inclusiveness ….. And ….And ….And ……
Enough Virtue Signalling for now .
Go slam down some Gingko !!!
A disaster is 4.1 % growth in the 2nd quarter? Black, Latino and women’s unemployment at record lows. Millions of jobs created. Economic growth was at an annual level of 1.8 for the past two Administrations. Today it is going to exceed 3%. Our economy is the envy of the world. Happy days are here again. 2. Don’t torment yourself in bitter recriminations. Get over it. Here is here. He is not queer. Get use to it.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that !!!
NC:
You mix apples and oranges. “Past two administrations” includes Bush’s disastrous Great Recession which Obama was handed. Trump was handed a growing economy and low unemployment. He has managed to keep and improve on that a little but how much credit goes to Obama who had him well on the way home.
Recent brilliant moves by Trump now have us needing to pass legislation giving $12 billion to farmers affected by his tariff ideas. The nations dependent on our exports are looking elsewhere. His tariffs have brought about an increase in inflation and higher costs for Amrican consumers. He has caused trouble where none existed. You seem to like that FDR slogan “happy days” – I hope the days that follow aren’t the same as what happened to him.
Not quite sure what you mean by #2. If you are suggesting that I accept the undermining of all that is good about America with its inclusiveness, giving opportunities to poor immigrants, keeping the environment clean and open spaces free from industrial pollution, attacks on our Justice Department and FBI, and the ongoing problems being inflicted on America by the present administration I can’t.
NC is correct . . .any attacks onJusticeandFBI are well earned by power abusers therein . . .there are no threats to the environment; there’s a need to pare down needless, time consuming, red tap in Enviro Agencies . .your water is clean to drink, air clean to breath, food clean to eat . .STOP THE FEAR-MONGERING . .TYPICAL LEFTIST DEMOCRATIC CANT . . .as for immigrants being treated fairly, no country does more for more . . .we can’t have the DEMS open borders, sanctuary city-nightmares foisted on us. . . .we are a nation of laws . . .
So, NC is correct: the economy is booming, thanks to Trump, not to Obama . . .and things are headed in the right direction . . .MATT, Khalid and others have been predicting the End of the World since November of 2016 . . . .Trump won . . .. guys like Kelly have done have excellent job, and Pompeo is continuing to do an excellent job . . .
Obama was a BIG GOV Liberal, Tax and Spender, More RED TAPE, . . .his policies did not stimulate the ECONOMY; they impeded growth . . .TRUMP’s have stimulated the economy, hiring, job creation . . . .Internationally we needed to do something strong about imbalances . . . .China and Mexico and others were ripping us off . . .NATO and UN were not pulling their fair share . . .Under Trump they are starting, to . . . America is stronger and the Defense Department is stronger under Trump . . .the COURTS are way stronger under Trump . . . .and the unborn, little human beings in the womb, have a far, far better chance under a Trump Administration than they would under Hillary or did under your hero Obama, who gave us Syria, Libya, et al, to boot.
Matt :
We all saw it . On a world stage the wily Russian spymaster, Vladimir ” rootin’ rootin’ ” Putin, handed his hypnotized new best friend forever, President Donald John Trump, a soccer ball.
What are we to make of this ?
Earlier that day they divided up the World in a private conversation. Do you remember the film NO WAY OUT where Kevin Costner plays a Russian spy deeply embedded as a USN Commander assigned to Top Secret machinations at the Pentagon ? In the picture’s denouement Costner breaks out of his identity as a loyal American naval officer , as he reverts to fluent Russian with his KGB lion tamer handler during a heated climax. He reveals : YURI !!!
In the homoerotic tableaux the leftists ,like youse, so delight in placing these two in so as to shame them, thus demonstrating the homophobia they so liberally inveigh against, I am sure that …. Yuri… works just fine as a term of endearment.
Vlad and ” Yuri ” Trump . Just how much do these Lefties hate their fathers ???
T’aint Right !!!
I don’t think it’s correct, Matt, to say that Trump is anti-gay (whatever your meaning) or that ‘evangelicals’ are ‘anti-gay’ either. Consider the new US ambassador to Germany, both right-wing and openly homosexual. Worse, he worked for Fox News.
NBC News: “The Senate confirmed Richard Grenell, a gay Republican, as the U.S. ambassador to Germany on Thursday, filling the high-profile diplomatic position just in time for a White House visit this week by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
“Grenell, who was confirmed by a vote of 56-42, was the first openly gay ambassador nominated by President Donald Trump.
“The Victory Institute, which trains and advocates for openly LGBTQ leaders at all levels of government, issued a statement to NBC News saying it hopes “Grenell will use his position to defend LGBTQ people at home and abroad.”
“Ambassador-designate Grenell could be a voice for equality within the Trump administration,” the statement continued. “We hope this reflects a newfound understanding within the Trump administration that there are hundreds of openly LGBTQ people who are talented, believe in equality for all Americans, and are ready to serve our country.”
Henry:
That new ambassador has turned out to be quite a disaster from what I have seen. Not exactly making himself welcome by the Germans. Plus, I’d add, one robin does not mean spring is coming. Sláinte
Could we get to that damn soccer ball please !!! … WHAT ….. is going on wit dat ??? ….
The NRA has many LGBT members . . the Evangelical churches and the Roman Catholic and Congregational/Presbyterian churches have many members who are LGTB . . . because I am a single or married sexually active heterosexual makes me no less a member of the Catholic Church or Evangelical Church . . . the Churches welcome all . . .the Churches are not going to change their teachings about what constitutes morality . . .many Churches welcoming to gays, nevertheless do not recognize gay-marriage . . .to these churches and faiths (like the Catholic Church, Evangelical Church and Muslim Faith) marriage is the union of one man and one woman, but like the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “no unjust discrimination” must be shown LGTB people . . .I have gay friends who are active members in the Catholic Church and other churches . . .I have a gay friend who is civilly married to a man (his significant other for 30 or more years) and he regularly attends Mass . . .another gay friend recently converted to Catholicism . . .please do not falsely label what these churches, religions stand for . . .
You are correct about the DEMs . . .many I liked historically and today: Truman, Humphrey, McCormack, Moakley, Lynch, the Kennedys until they became pro-abortion . . . .Silber, Paul White, Ed King . . .But the DEMs have moved too far left . . .and Hillary was completely untrustworthy and a money-grubber . . .
Russia’s effect on the election was less than the Ukraine’s and far less than Britains, France, Germany, Canada . . .and every other country in the world that puts their two cents into private American organizations and whose Press/Media blabs about America’s election . . .ever watch BBC and figure out who they tauted? Hillary, of course. Blatantly.
The Russian “influence” on the election was exactly NIL . . .
I RECALL Hillary spent about two billion dollars on her campaign, and some Russian soldiers place $60,000 worth of neutral ads on Facebook during the campaign . . .another 100 grand or so was placed before and after the campaign . . .
STOP CHASING BOOGIE-MEN
Hillary lost because 80% of the Counties in America voted against her . . .the folks are sick of leftist policies and lying pols . . .they were willing to go with a blustery non-politician from the business and show biz fields . . .Donald Trump . . .
And it is simply delusional to characterize Trump’s first 20 months as a “disaster” . . . .they’ve been a rousing success for pro-life conservatives, traditionalists interested in peace, prosperity and equal opportunity for all, and who say, “Let the Little Ones Live”
. .
The Russian Orthodox Church opposes abortion
The only abortions allowable should be those where it is not humanly, medically possible to save both lives, e.x. ectopic pregnancies . . .even Slick Willy wanted to make them “rare” . . .Hillary didn’t care . . . .and like many pseudo-intellectual liberals and Dems she looked down on half the American people, thinking she was smarter and morally superior to them, the deplorables