12/26/2020 - The Boogie Man

When I was a kid I remember people talked about the boogie man. This was before K.C. and the Sunshine Band sang the song that de-mystified the poor bastard. Before that it as, "What're ya, 'fraid of the boogie man or something?"

Well, nowadays, everything people don't like is vilified, amplified, and emphasized. One of the things whack jobs from the left do is to blame things they don't agree with, don't understand, or don't like on "white supremacy". And while the boogie man was a figment of imagination and lore, I concede there is such a thing as white supremacy. But I will not concede that it's a large and rampant problem. The white supremacist scumbags are out there, but they're few, far between, way out of the mainstream, and a marginalized few losers. 

What brought this on this morning? It was this:

I'm sure glad I'm not a jerkoff like Jen Bokoff, aren't you?

This dumbass, Jen Bokoff, alleges that the greeting "Merry Christmas" is "white supremacy at work". I get that this bitch probably doesn't believe in Jesus, and I'm fine with that. But by calling the "Merry Christmas" greeting white supremacy, the Bokoff jerkoff does two things: first, she's calling shit that ain't white supremacy to be so, and in doing so marginalizes real claims of same. And secondly, she's showing her anti-Christian prejudice, When people talk about a war on Christmas, many dismiss it out of hand. And granted, in terms of war, this offensive is truly weak sauce, a mosquito bite is a more effective weapon in that war than this one is, but it's wrapped up in the same nonsense.

Rather than to gaff off Ms. Bokoff the Jerkoff for her weak sauce, I posted what started this rant off.

Oh, and lemme know what time you finally get the song out of your head!:

"I'm Your Boogie Man"

🎵I'm your boogie man, that's what I am
I'm here to do whatever I can
Be it early morning, late afternoon
Or at midnight. It's never too soon🎵

12/19/2020 - The Mask and the Vaccine

 

If I gotta wear a mask, I like this one.

 

The night before last I posed a question on my Facebook. I was asking for input on wearing of masks AFTER one has been administered the vaccine. And as one might expect, there was some of the usual political back and forth that gets us nowhere and just delineates where people have their heels dug in, so to speak. The answer from a post-vaccine mask advocate I found most honest was, paraphrasing, that we should wear them for a few more months so that other people feel safer when they're out by seeing us in masks. It's funny, because when I first started wearing the mask, I had my doubts about wearing it, but felt that if by doing so at a minimum the people around me felt safer, I wasn't going to fight the issue. Especially, in as much as I wasn't confident in taking either side of that debate myself and feeling fully justified in taking it.

But as I thought about it, some of what has transpired since the pandemic started began to bother me. First it was 15 days to flatten the curve. That was about 9 month ago now. And in the interim, we've had closures, openings, re-closures, etc. And as much as I am NOT a denier, none of that stuff, I've never been fully sold on the arguments for or against any of the measures. My gut has told me from the start, and still tells me, that they really don't know, and that they're really playing it by ear and learning as they go... as we go. But one thing that has been held out again and again, we have ALL heard it, is, "Just until there's a vaccine." And now the goal posts have moved again. Now it's, "Now that there's a vaccine, just a few more months." Jeeze!

Yesterday I had a minor issue I needed looked at by an eye doctor. They were nice and got me right in. The technician was very nice. In making small talk, when I took my eyeglasses off, I said that they were all fogged up because of my mask anyway. And I said I was lucky I'm retired and didn't have to wear it day in and day out like she and other people working in so many jobs do. I told her that I thought once I get the vaccine that I won't have to wear it anymore, but now I'm hearing maybe a few more months AFTER we get vaccinated, so that people aren't scared. And she said, "Once we get  the vaccine, I'm not wearing the mask. If they're scared to be around me after I've been vaccinated because I'm not wearing a mask, they just need to stay home." I think those were her exact words. You know what? She's 100% right.

If she's not right, then what the fuck is the vaccine for, anyway? I'm not saying I won't wear a mask. I'm not saying I won't get the vaccine. But what the fuck? Does the shit work or not? Feels like this last moving of the goal posts is a bit to far, taking us out of field goal range. I'm starting to think some people have their heels dug in so far on the mask issue, on BOTH sides, that now that it's about time to get rid of them, now we have the next reason not to.

I have not and will not fight the mask until I get the vaccine. And as I said, that's even though I don't have 100% confidence in them. Hell, my confidence in them is in the 50-60% range, which I concede is better than nothing. But if I don't have the virus, and after I get vaccinated so I won't get the virus, I don't need a mask and you don't need me to have one, either. If you want me to wear one I don't need for either you nor me just because you're scared, then I don't need a mask. You just need to stay the fuck home.

12/17/2020 - Coronavirus and Our Holidays

 

Not our tree, just a nice Christmas tree.

 

Later on this morning I'll be pulling our Christmas tree and all of our decorations from storage. There's some in a little storage locker in the basement, and the rest is in the guest room closet. And while we'll do our best to make the most of Christmas, 2020, I have to say I've noticed I don't have nearly the same excitement as in years past. Surely we'll see our son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. And we may see, within the stinking stupid CCP Virus rules, a couple of dear friends. But it won't be a whirlwind of socializing and activity like other Christmas seasons. I'm tempted to say, "It sucks," but Christmas is supposed to be about the birth of a child, Jesus, Son of God and our Savior. Coronavirus doesn't change that at all. But what all is different this year?

Masks. Social distancing. Closures and restrictions. Can't visit sick friends in hospitals. People sick with the virus. This Christmas will be challenging. Whatever. We're all challenged now and again, right? It's just not usually all of us at once like this year.

Shopping at the malls, and target, and this place and that. Nope. Not this year. Groceries and necessities only

OK, no malls and stuff. Shopping online. With the malls closed, online shopping is a bad idea, if you ask me. The time would have been a week, maybe two weeks or more ago. I'm not feeling good about my chances of getting stuff out and getting it, or having someone else get it on time. Nope.

Restaurants! Nah. Restrictions. Masks. Cold weather means inside dining. Not so much. Sadder for restaurant employees and owners than me, but that's the truth. Take out? Probably so, but not for large gatherings. Not this year.

Christmas parties! I'm retired, so the office party is a thing of the past. People aren't doing house parties. There ain't shit for Christmas parties this year, probably not much of any anywhere you might be.

Church? I'm not good at getting to church like I should anymore. That's a whole separate topic. But at Christmas we've been known to attend worship with our friends. Watching it live streamed or delivered as a giant Zoom conference? Not as much. So I don't see church in our plans.

So here's what we are going to do: we're going to put up the tree and put out our nativity set. We're going to start to listen to holiday music. Christmas carols, Santa songs, Winter Wonderland, all that stuff. Caroline's going to make some cookies. Maybe a drive or two to look at some awesome Christmas decorations. They're out there. Some people went bonkers with it I bet, with the pandemic going on. Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners with the kids and exchanging gifts with them... and especially with my little Cutie-Pie! And on Christmas morning, we'll take a ride out to the Veteran's Cemetery in Radcliffe, and salute my father in law and all the other veterans spending an eternity of Christmas's there. And though they lay many miles away, I'll think of all my other family, now gone from this world. What better day than Christmas to think of them? The Redeemer's birthday.

Nope. It won't be a normal Christmas in many ways. But it is still Christmas. Make the best of it you can, and we will, too.

Have a great day, friends! God bless. And please, have a safe and lovely holiday. Merry Christmas!

12/12/2020 USPS Delivery - Apocalypse Now!

 

 

To understand the problem the USPS is having, here's a simplified explanation. Every day, letters and parcels are picked up at residences and businesses, transferred to a local post office where they are unloaded, sorted, then loaded, delivered to big sorting facilities, transferred in 53 foot tractor trailers, unloaded, sorted, reloaded, transferred to a destination sorting facility, sorted, transferred to a local post office, sorted, and then delivered.

Now imagine one of these big sorting facilities has just one unloading position. They have a lot more than that, but to illustrate, imagine there's just one. Three shifts of three employees each unload 53 footers at that position, and it takes 3-1/2 hours for them to offload each one. They can handle just about 7 a day. Ten employees are assigned the position each day, 3 shifts of 3 and a supervisor. Now imagine 40% of the employees are absent, for whatever reason. Instead of three employees per shift, they only have two. Overtime! So each of the remaining 6, including the supervisor, work 12 hour shifts, getting them back to 3 per shift, or a capacity of 7 trailers unloaded per day. The employees can't do that indefinitely, but for a short span of a few days they can. Except instead of 7 trailers a day, they're receiving 10 to 15 per day. It's physically impossible. Each day the backlog of work increases. If this goes on for days and weeks, which it has, it becomes a logjam that only time and manpower can fix.

Multiply the problem times all of the pickups, loading positions, unloading positions, sorting, transfers, and deliveries they're getting nationwide. If you're screaming at your mailman, and there are people who are doing just that, you're not being fair. Travel and gathering restrictions imposed due to the virus, restrictions that were NOT imposed by the USPS, but by mayors and governors, has people sending many, even most of the gifts they would normally give in person by mail. Covid and exhaustion has the post office dealing with high absenteeism on top of the massive shipping surge. It's a perfect storm, a delivery failure apocalypse. But if driving to the local post office and screaming at the clerk selling stamps and tendering packages makes you feel a lot better, have at it. And blaming Trump is just as stupid. But have at it. I hope you feel better now.

12/10/2020 Alternative Social Media Platform Quick Takes

It seems to me that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the big three of social media platforms. I suppose you could add Instagram to that, but I'm not sure it fits into the same niches in our daily lives as these behemouths pertain to the sharing of news and political information. Maybe to a lesser extent, but I'll leave it out of this discussion. All three of FB, Twitter, and YT are the subject of much discussion and debate regarding their status as a platform vs. a publisher. This post is NOT intended to delve into that topic. Instead, in my opinion the ideal answer to dissatisfaction many of us may have with the big three is to adopt and use alternative platforms whose post curation practices and policies are more to our liking. This morning, let's look at the some I've been using, in varying degrees. And one I won't used at all, and why.

Parler:

Parler is an alternative to Twitter

First on the list is Parler. Parler is clearly intended to be an alternative to Twitter. I've been on Parler since the beginning.  It's from the French verb to speak, but I think it's pronounced like parlor, as in "Come in to my parlor." Parler has a lot of users, and plenty of traffic. A good number of conservatives who have been banned by Twitter for obstinately, defiantly, and uncompromisingly maintaining their position and posts on issues with which Twitter's left wing censors disagree are now posting on Parler. 

As I write, I am a Parler user, but I see three big drawbacks to Parler. 1) Many of the biggest accounts on Twitter that draw people to that platform aren't on Parler at all. President Trump is the notable missing account, but there are others. Notably, many news, opinion, sports, and other entertainment content producers, and all manner and sort of non-political interests are vastly under represented on Parler. It's something short of critical mass, for lack of a better term. 2) Many of those whose posts I am interested in who have accounts only post to Parler as an afterthought. If I'm interested in keeping up with those persons or organizations in real time, Twitter is where I still need to go to find them. Lastly, 3) Parler's platform needs a lot of work. After 10+ years on Twitter, Parler still feels clumsy, awkward, and rough. The platform still needs a lot of refinement. 

On the plus side, Parler doesn't play games with the number of accounts one might like to follow. Twitter surely does. And Parler does a much better job embracing free speech and allowing expression of opinion than does the highly biased and openly hostile to conseratives platform, Twitter.

MeWe:

The MeWe platform is attempting to replace Facebook

I joined MeWe a month or two ago. For all intents and purposes it appears to be a clone of Facebook. While it's missing a lot of the features in Facebook, like a marketplace, etc., the look, feel, and use of it are very similar to Facebook. Founded on a basis of allowing various points of view and content that liberal Facebook blocks, I like MeWe a lot. There would seem to be three drawbacks. 1) Most of my friends, family, and treasured contacts are on Facebook and haven't and won't move with me to MeWe. 2) Most of the big names in politics, media, sports, entertainment, etc., aren't on it, either. And finally, 3) It just doesn't have all the bells, whistles, and functionality of Facebook, which has a 10 year head start on MeWe, and it shows. Yes, I like MeWe, and wish many more of you would try it, but I do concede it has a long, long way to go to make large inroads into Facebook's traffic. One additional note: MeWe is free, but does offer a pay option. I am only using the free version, and I'm not able to comment knowledgeably about the pay side of it.

Rumble:

Rumble is a fairly new alternative to YouTube.

Rumble is marketed as an alternative to YouTube. Some notable conservative outlets that have been banned by the ultra-liberal YouTube are posting their content on Rumble now. I have a Rumble account, but for almost all of the content I'm interested to see, YouTube is still far and away the place to go for it, frustration with YouTube's politics and policies notwithstanding. Dan Bongino, whose conservative podcast I enjoy occasionally has invested in Rumble and he does market it on his shows. Bongino has an investment and ownership interests in Parler, too, by the way. Thus far I haven't found there's enough content of interest to me on Rumble to draw me to it as a regular user. If the platform can gain more mass and more content of interest, I may find my way over there more often, but not as of now.

Gab:

Spoiler: Gab is garbage.

I tried Gab a couple of years ago and didn't last long. All the cliches and stereotypes of conservatives being racists seemed to be true on Gab. The whack a doodle doo idiots I saw on there aren't my people and I didn't stick around, haven't been back. If Antifa sympathizers and activists don't represent the mainstream of the left, neither does Gab represent the right, Good Ol' Matty P in particular. My advice: Stay away from Gab unless it's specifically your cup of tea. If it is, don't tell anyone. You'll embarrass yourself.

12/6/2020 Election Anomalies: 7 Possible Explanations

On a recent blog post, a Facebook friend of mine commented that while there were anomalies, there is a reasonable explanation for most of them that is not voter fraud or election tampering. It got me to thinking, of all the hundreds of affidavits and hearing witness testimonies, what are there possible explanations? Well, I think they fit into a handful of broad categories:

1. The sworn witnesses and people who submitted affidavits were simply and straight up lying. The things they said were either made up or a selective reporting of facts, with intentional omissions and with emphasis on anything that shed a negative light on the election.

2. The people who submitted affidavits and testified misunderstood the facts.  The stacks of ballots and computer 'glitches', all that 'stuff', were the normal goings on and there were and are reasonable and perfectly legitimate explanations for them.

3. Voters and election officials made mistakes. There may have been errors and problems, but there was no intentional fraud underlying what the testifiers saw. Some of the anomalies was officials righting honest mistakes that were made.

4. On an individual and local level there were isolated and uncoordinated instances of voter, ballot, and tabulation fraud, but there was no widespread, coordinated corruption conspiracy.

5. Political operatives at the local, state, and national level conspired to change the election's results before, during, and after the election in any and every way imaginable.

6. Bad actors, foreign (China, Russia, etc.) and domestic (DNC, Silicone Valley, Dominion) had a hand in generating phony ballots, manipulating election software, and also manipulating public opinion through social media.

7. The entire election and vote tabulation is 100% legitimate. Joe Biden got 10,000,000 more votes than Barack Obama (2008) and 13,000,000 more than Obama (2012). Donald Trump got 10,000,000 more then in his first (2016) election campaign, won a net increase in seats in state houses and the U..S. House, got more minority votes than any GOP candidate in decades, but came up short against a political dynamo and powerhouse in Joe Biden.

My opinion? There was some of all the above. Well, except for number 7. Number 7 is bullshit, and everybody knows it, even those who won't dare admit it. And if you think there's no chance any of 4, 5, or 6 is true, and every single issue was either number 1, 2, 3, or number 7, you're the reason this could happen in the first place.

12/3/2020 - My Future in the GOP: Spoiler... Not!

 

Is Good Ol' Matty P leaving the GOP again?

Sometime late in 2014 or early in 2015 I made the decision to leave the Republican Party. I was fed up. I would sum up my frustration in two ways. First, I saw their opposition to Pres. Obama, opposition I supported, but the GOP's opposition did not propose practicable alternatives. The GOP proposed ideological alternatives that were never meant to stand the scrutiny of passage, nor the test of implementation, but which were instead a counterpoint in principle only. They rarely, if ever, proposed real solutions to the problems Obama took on, I'm thinking mainly of healthcare. The GOP really just defended the status quo and cried out in unison, in denial. And secondly, I understood that the GOP talked a big game: the budget, trade deals, etc. etc., but when I looked at them critically, and I did, they sold out American workers in favor of overseas workers and corporate profits again, again, and again. So I came to the conclusion that I was no longer a Republican, and changed my registration to 'independent'. If the GOP wanted my vote, I figured, they would have to campaign to get it. As an independent, I reasoned, I would be viewed as a swing voter, and would become important to their chances for election and re-election, not a presumed vote to be overlooked and unappreciated.

Then, Donald J Trump and Melania came down the escalator. As much as I knew he was an asshole, I also found that his rhetoric resounded in me. Here was a guy who actually seemed to love America, and who really seemed to connect with me as a voter. And so, in 2016, when I moved my voting registration to Florida, I also changed my party affiliation back to the GOP so that I could support Trump in the primary.

Now Trump is in a battle over election, voter, and ballot fraud in a number of states, enough states that it would change the apparent outcome of the election. And in this battle, what do I see from most of the GOP? Most of them are sitting on their hands, more than happy to see the bully Trump go away. They want to go back to being what they were before Trump. I see that. I am sure many, many others do, too. Well, there's one thing they were before Trump that if they have their way I promise you they'll be again. They'll be without me, Good Ol' Matty P. If Trump's challenges fail, and I think it's about an 80% certainty they will, and especially if the Democrats win the Senate, which I think is about a 60% chance right now, due to disaffected Republicans in GA staying home because the two GOP candidates represent the pre-Trump GOP, not Trumpism, I will once again change my party affiliation. If there is a new Trump party of some sort, I will join it. If not, then I'll either go independent again, or maybe Libertarian.

I believe the country is headed in the wrong direction under Democratic Party control. I have no interest in supporting a Republican Party that is more than happy to be the minority, opposition party. As minority, opposition party they will once again point and criticize, but they'll do nothing that is in the country's best interest. Want a real example, new as the last 24 hours? Senator Lee of Utah's support of eliminating some green card restrictions so big tech can get their overseas workers. Fuck Americans out of work during a pandemic and its shutdowns. Fuck America first. Well guess what Senator Lee, GOP, and US Senate? Fuck us? No, Senator, fuck you!

A special note for my friends from the left: please understand when I post something critical of Democrats or of a Democrat, when you come at me with "But the GOP...", it falls on deaf ears. When you point out to me what the GOP is doing as a counterpoint, you're not missing the bullseye, you're missing the target altogether. 'Cause the GOP ain't me. 30 days or so and I'm outta there officially. Unofficially, I've been outta there for years. I'm a Trumplican, and I take no responsibility for the other bastards called Republicans.

12/1/2020 Boot Camp Memories

I just finished reading Thomas E. Ricks' "Making the Corps", his 1997 book about USMC boot camp in the mid to late 90's. The book explained that USMC Drill Instructors no longer get 'physical' with recruits like they did back in the 70's and before. I went through boot camp in 1978, but I only recall one time when a D.I. got physical with a member of my platoon. There was a kid named Private Germany in the platoon. Germany was easily the most athletically gifted and physically fit kid in the platoon. He was so fit that pretty much none of the things they did to break us down seemed to phase him in the least. I remember in some of the worst of times, the rest of us were grunting, groaning, sweating, and bulgingly red-eyed, Germany was just having fun, often smiling, almost mockingly.

So one day one of the DI's, a Guy named SSgt Anger (great name for a DI), had had enough. Anger wasn't with us more than about 5-6 weeks, and he disappeared. We saw him next he was a Gunny and was Company Gunny for a different company in our battalion. Anyway, SSgt Anger was PT'ing us for something (whatever, they didn't really wait for an airtight excuse), and Germany was going through the motions like usual, smiling, happy, having a ball. So Anger stopped us and brought Germany up front. "You think this is just a game, do you, Germany?" Long story short, a few minutes later, Anger took of his SSgt chevrons and told Germany they'd settle their differences in the gear locker. We heard some banging and stuff, and when they came out, Germany was beat up pretty good. Unfortunately, Germany washed of boot camp out a few weeks later. The story we heard was about a girl and a baby back home. I don't know if they washed him out because of something to do with her or for something else, but we never did see him again. Oddly, Germany's picture is in my boot camp book, so he must have washed out right at the very end, after the book was finished.

A funny second part to the gear locker incident, is that right afterward Sgt Washington, the meanest sadistic bastard of our DI's, asked if anyone else in the platoon wanted to settle anything with him in the gear locker. Private Ryan immediately stepped forward. "Sir, if the drill instructor wants to settle things with this private, the private would love to go into the gear locker now!" "What's your beef, Ryan?" "Sir, when my girlfriend's picture went onto the hog board, the Drill Instructor said 'Who's Dago is this?', and said the private would have duty on graduation day when she comes to boot camp, and would show her a real man. After we get done in the gear locker, that won't happen." And Washington didn't go in there with Ryan. Germane to the story is the fact that John was a PAL heavyweight boxing champion in New York back before boot camp. He'd have tore Washington's head off, and I'm sure Washington knew it just as well as Ryan and every other recruit in our platoon did, too. Ryan was a damned stud, and was probably 30 or 40 pounds heavier and 4-5 inches taller. I'm not sure 3 or 4 DI's would have been smart to take him in the gear locker, at least not without weapons of some kind.

 

I wonder where Germany and Ryan are today? I was a little older, so I'm guessing they're both 60. Funny how reading that book brought back memories.

21/1/2020 Election 2020, What's YOUR Truth?

 

I saw a Facebook post this past weekend by a friend who's a longtime Democrat. He's entitled to his opinion and I did refrain from adding my comments and thoughts to his post. But his complete dismissal of the issue of fraud in the 2020 as being an imaginary issue in the minds of Trump supporters based on Trump lies made me wonder what all kinds of different people might think happened in the election and in its aftermath. Where do you stand on it, and why? Pick a number and leave a comment if you're willing to explain.

1. All of the people who've filed affidavits or testified alleging voter, ballot, or other kinds of election fraud are liars who are willing to say anything to help Donald Trump, the liar in chief. Fuck the Republicans!
   
2. There were things that could have been perceived as suspicious that happened, but there are legitimate explanations for nearly all of them. The remainder, even if they were election, ballot, or voter fraud, wouldn't have made any difference in the election.
3. Concerns about the election are really just thinly veiled efforts at voter suppression because you really don't think people of color and women should be voting in the first place.
   
4. I don't care if they cheated or not, I'm just glad that bastard Trump lost. Fuck the orange man, and fuck racist, xenophobic, homophobic bastards who voted for his fat fascist ass.
   
5. I'm sure we cheated and I'm glad, because fuck Trump!
6. There was probably cheating, but I'm indifferent. I don't like Trump or Biden enough to pay attention.
7. People who think the election was stolen are delusional and paranoid.
   
8. I feel certain there was cheating, but I know I could be wrong, too. I'd like these issues investigated promptly to ensure of the 2020 election's integrity before the wrong candidate is sworn in.
9. There was no doubt ballot, election, and voter fraud. Some of it was overseas interference, likely from China, Iran, and Russia. The rest was from corrupt city, state, and federal officials, elected and appointed. It happens all the time and there's nothing can or will be done about it.
10. I am a Trump supporter, and I'm certain the election was stolen from President Trump, and I'm so fucking stupid I've decided to let Democrats win everything now and in 2022 so I can watch them ruin the country and I'll be able to point and laugh and say, "See! I told you so!"
11. I want every affidavit and every testimony of voter fraud, ballot fraud, and election fraud investigated and prosecuted. I will never accept Joe Biden as president. He's illegitimate and we need to resist. Fuck Biden and fuck Democrats stealing the election!
    
12. I don't know what's right or what's wrong with the election, but the affidavits and testimony worry me. If you ask me, the numbers don't add up to a legitimate result. I think for sure there was some cheating, but don't know if what can be proven will make a difference or not. I'd like it investigated and corrected, regardless of how that might affect the outcome, but especially if it affected the outcome. I want any and all cheaters, regardless of party, punished to the fullest extent of the law. I'd also like safeguards put in place to eliminate as many of these problems as possible in the future.
13. Something else. (please explain)
    

So where are you at? I'm #12.

11/28/2020 Corners Without Exits

Immediately after the election I wrote that I recognized Trump's chances were slim. I still feel the same. Right now I still hope Trump's legal team will show the court ample evidence of fraud and corruption in enough of the states of Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania to get the phony election results tossed, and I do believe they're phony, but for several reasons, I don't think the efforts will succeed.

1. The first reason is simple: there isn't enough time. The Electoral College is December 14th. An investigation into some, any, or all of the questionable occurrences in these states leading up to the election in changing their rules, often in ways not provided for in their state's constitution and election laws: the actual execution of the election itself by absentee, mail, early in person voting, and day of election in person voting, election infrastructure (especially the machines and software for collecting, storing, counting, and transmitting vote totals), and post-election decisions and actions, to be done right will simply take longer than till Dec 14th. So time is the first and biggest hurdle.
2. Democrats have home field advantage in most of the states under contest. Most of these governors, secretaries of state, state judiciaries, and election officials are partisans who won't support a real and thorough investigation, and frankly, it's likely in some cases because they're the ones who bent rules, thumbed the scales, or perhaps downright committed the fraud themselves.
3. Republicans can be divided into three categories: Never-Trumpers who are glad to see him moved out and who may have been co-conspirators in any schemes. Many of these are the "uni-party" types who are Republican in name only, but in reality they're just cashing in on power. Then you've got the chicken-shit Republicans. These chicken-shits have a lot of Democrats in their districts and are afraid to speak up for fear of losing the next election. And lastly, the Trumplicans, like myself. The problem with us Trumplicans is, we're the majority of the party, let there be no doubt, but because we're a new phenomena, the never-Trumpers and chicken-shits in most cases are the office holders in the states in question, and they don't recognize us as their primary constituency, if indeed they recognize us as constituents at all.
4. Judges will be loathe to take an action and ensure the election is policed and ensure electoral integrity. No matter what they rule, they'll be pilloried for involving themselves. And besides, considering the time constraints I discussed in the first paragraph, many of the corrupt acts will still fall short of evidentiary rules lacking the time consuming, full and thorough investigation that would be required to toss the result.

 

So, based on all the aforementioned, what do I think? Should Trump concede? No. Should he continue to fight? Yes. And we MUST concentrate on both challenging the corruption AND winning the Senatorial runoffs in Georgia, too. Should we leave the GOP and form a new party, the Great America Party or the American Greatness Party, the Patriot Party, or the America First Party? I think so. Not until after January 2021, but long the before 2022 Mid-Terms. This party should appeal to all the Trumplicans, all Democrats who aren't radical leftists, and especially to minorities who want opportunity, and to not be used to win Democrats and election and then set aside until the next campaign rolls around, and who don't want to be sold out by fat cats by both parties in favor of cheap overseas labor and corporate profits rather than their own financial well being. And this party would also favor and end to endless wars, something Democrats and Republicans alike seem to love more than our country itself.

I feel like both the election of 2020 and the future of the two party system equate to corners without exits. It's as if it's untenable to stay where we are, but within the framework of the system as it is now, there's no way out. It's time to rebuild it, and when we do, to install exits from thess corners.

11/23/2020 Why Did Trump's Legal Team Distance Itself From Sidney Powell?

 

Attorney Sidney Powell

Yesterday President Trump's legal team issued a statement that lawyer Sidney Powell was NOT acting as part of President Trump's legal team. "Sidney Powell is practicing law on her own. She is not a member of the Trump Legal Team. She is also not a lawyer for the President in his personal capacity," said a statement from Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis. This statement sent some waves among both supporters and opponents of Trump's legal challenges and objections to events surrounding the 2020 General Election Nov. 3rd. What is going on here? What about "The Kracken"?

This morning, Powell, through various spokespersons, stated the following:

"I agree with the campaign's statement that I am not part of the campaign's legal team. I never signed a retainer agreement or sent the President or the campaign a bill for my expenses or fees. 
 
My intent has always been to expose all the fraud I could find and let the chips fall where they may--whether it be upon Republicans or Democrats. 
 
The evidence I'm compiling is overwhelming that this software tool was used to shift millions of votes from President Trump and other Republican candidates to Biden and other Democrat candidates.  We are proceeding to prepare our lawsuit and plan to file it this week.  It will be epic. 
 
We will not allow this great Republic to be stolen by communists from without and within or our votes altered or manipulated by foreign actors in Hong Kong, Iran, Venezuela, or Serbia, for example, who have neither regard for human life nor the people who are the engine of this exceptional country. 
 
#WeThePeople elected Donald Trump and other Republican candidates to restore the vision of America as a place of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.   
 
You may assist this effort by making a non tax-deductible contribution to www.DefendingTheRepublic.org.  #KrakenOnSteroids"
 
Sidney Powell"

There are some relatively simple explanations, although exactly which, or what combination of them is the real reason, I'm not privy. But here goes:

1. Sidney's statements have just been too outrageous and Trump and or his legal team decided it was better to have some degree of separation from her at this point. "Releasing the Kraken", etc., forced Trump to create political space between Powell and his own team's work.
2. Trump's team and Powell are taking a divide and conquer approach, where his team will focus on certain aspects of the challenge, and Powell on other, different aspects.
3. Powell is raising money to support her efforts, via the link in her statement, above, and this creates legal technicality as far as Trump's standing as POTUS and financial disclosure and restriction laws.
4. There are certain things that in his standing as POTUS, Donald Trump can't challenge in court legally, but if Powell, acting independently as a representative of other concerned and aggrieved citizens can.
5. Powell is gunning for corrupt Democrats AND Republicans, and the fallout of her work could have far reaching implications that traverse the aisle AND transcend 2020, going back maybe as far as 15 or 20 years. She alleges, among other things, that Bernie Sanders was cheated in 2016, knows he was, and that his silence was bought off.
   

Whatever is is, whether she's simply gone off the deep end, or that there are legal technicalities that require the separation, or political ramifications that require same, of all the people I've followed in the Washington D.C. political and current events scene, I trust Sidney Powell more than 99% of everybody else. She indicates she will stir up a legal and political shit-storm with a filing most likely this week. I can't wait to see what that is.

A closing note: I don't know precisely what it is that Sidney Powell will allege this week, nor do I know specifically against whom the allegations will be brought forward. But I don't care what political party, country, state, city, or branch of government those allegations may be brought against. If they're accurate and these people are as corrupt as it appears she will say, then I hope she nails every one of the dirty bastards.

11/20/2020 - 1 Unpopular, Alternate Take, a National Embarrassment

The kinds of ballot and election fraud and incompetence we are seeing in jurisdiction after jurisdiction: "oops, look, here's 2500 more ballots!" "ballots were wheeled in in the dark of night through the back door", "dead guys still voting", "nursing home ballot roundup campaigns", "Gift cards for voting? Nothing to see here.", etc., have been going on forever. Likely more of a factor in a lot of local and statewide races, let there be no doubt, political operatives, community activists, and election officials have put their thumb on the scale many, many times in elections across our country, going back further than any of us would even hazard to guess, and right on up to 2018 and 2020.

So what was different in 2020? Two things: 1) Trump was the target of most of these mom and pop up to larger organized efforts to take the presidency, and the bastard unexpectedly and inexplicably 9from their perspective) got so many votes that extraordinary measures were necessary. And in doing so, they got sloppy. 2) Trump is assembling all these reports, an avalanche or reports, many of them in isolation either weakly explainable on their own, but even if not, small enough to be dismissively brushed aside as not impacting the larger outcome. He's also assembled a team of aggressive lawyers who WILL fight the corrupt system and it's good old boys and girls who normally pull this kind of shit with impunity. And in ones and twos, looked at in isolation, apologists look at each of these goings on, as they happened in other years, and conveniently say, "No big deal. There's no significant election fraud or ballot fraud in the U.S."

If you ask me, this stuff's been dirty from the get-go, not just this go-round. But it's been their swept out of sight, their 'dirty little secret'. In 2020, a dirty little secret wasn't going to beat 73 million (or more) votes, so they had to take far more drastic action, AND Donald J. Trump isn't going to let people pull that stuff, even if it turns out it doesn't make the difference in the election, and go down without throwing the people who did this to him a full on shit grenade.

Even if Trump's challenges aren't successful, I presently only give him a 15-20% chance maximum, I hope at a minimum the end result is ample election reform that eliminates all the dirty little secrets that apologists tell us didn't really matter for once and for all. Because the way we do this is an embarrassment. A full-on, undeniable, total, national embarrassment.

11/20/2020 On the New CCP Virus Restrictions

After seeing some comments on a post I made about the virus yesterday, there were some replies I didn't get back to. I want to clarify and amplify my discomfort with recent mandates by governors.

California Governor Newsome

 

To begin with, I know that the number of cases is on the rise. This was expected and predicted last spring. I remember clearly Dr. Fauci saying we were likely to see this. I do believe the accuracy of the numbers we've been told, i.e. cases, hospitalizations, ICU availability, and fatalities, are dubious at best. But that being the case, there is surely a surge in case numbers, regardless of how inflated they may be. And I do, to the extent I think is appropriate, respect the seriousness of this disease, especially as it threatens elderly and people with co-morbidities like my parents, etc. I'm not in denial about any of that, so throwing a chart showing me a sharp upward curve as a response to my objection, in this case to Minnesota's restriction to having visitors in a household who don't live there doesn't sway me much.

Minnesota Governor Walz

 

Further, I am not even saying that government mandated restrictions: closures, numerical limits on get-togethers, or restrictions on out of household visitors, curfews, venue capacity limits, social distancing requirements, mask wearing, and hand washing aren't helpful.

 

Illinois Governor Pritzker

 

I am saying that SOME of these restrictions and requirements, in coming in the form of government mandates, make me uncomfortable and leave me questioning if one size fits all mandates are in everyone's overall best interest. For example on the get-together restriction which set me off, here's perspective. Let's say that grandpa and grandma are quite elderly. They have some greatly shrunken and finite number of Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays left in their lives. In such a situation, where catching the virus at Christmas, for example, is not a certainty, but a possibility, and where the Christmas gathering can, with some effort, be done in a way to minimize that possibility, why would we deny them the family time when we all know good and well that any and every Christmas moving forward, including this one, might very well be their last?

Here come the closures!

 

I also believe that mandated closure of businesses: salons, gyms, restaurants, bars, shops, etc., while presumably in the overall best interest of the health of the community at large, encumbers the community at large, in this case represented by the same government that is mandating the closure, to protect and compensate businesses and workers in the same breath that puts them out of work. Not that I am advocating such a closure, but I am saying if Governor so and so mandates a closure, those affected by it need to be protected financially.

 

Detroit, April 2020

 

I do not deny the virus is a concern and warrants being addressed. But the solutions have adverse impacts, too. Financially individuals are hurt. Businesses which perhaps operated on the borderline of profitability are being and will continue to be lost forever. Teachers may be doing their best with remote learning, but kids ARE losing out academically, socially, in every way that being at school benefits kids. Elderly in nursing homes and shut-ins going without visitors are suffering horribly in being deprived of family contact. People with depression and other mental illnesses are suffering doubly in all this. Alcoholism and addiction has to be increasingly problematic, as are suicides.

So my objection is to "one size fits all" mandates, because one size doesn't fit all and we all know it. One size fits most? Maybe. One size fits some? Surely. One size fits none? No, I wouldn't say that at all. The bottom line is that I know some people can manage through this very well by following recommendations and guidelines. Other people are stupid, inconsiderate, and irresponsible. I don't know exactly where the line of demarcation should be in terms of the government mandating these things. But I do know I will continue to ask questions and to object when it seems a mandate might just as well serve the public if it was a recommendation or guideline and some personal responsibility were expected of us as opposed to punitive measures, the effectiveness of some which is dubious at best, for example mandating mask wearing out of doors in a park, or closing a place of business at 10:00, as if 9:59 p.m. is not so risky, but 10:01 p.m. is.

My last thought: I am responsible, considerate, and cognizant of how my own behavior might put me or people I love at risk, and I try to act accordingly. But neither am I in the Marines anymore, and your governor is not my commanding officer.

11/19/2020 Why I Shudder at the Thought of a Joe Biden Presidency

Joe Biden, likely to be our 46th President

I shudder at the thought of a Joe Biden presidency, which I concede appears to likely be what is in store for my beloved country. Here are a few reasons why I feel that way:

Kamala Harris - This despicable woman could be President of the United States. I am ready for a woman of color to be our Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, but Senator Kamala Harris isn't her. She's too liberal and too dishonest for me. At a time when our country needs racial healing, she advocates for a racial crime hoaxer like Jussie Smollett and raised money for Black Lives Matter criminals and terrorists in Minneapolis. She's a big NO from me and a big reason Joe scares me.

Our Economy - I see Joe heading right back down the same paths Donald Trump was rescuing us from: excessive regulation and red tape to stifle businesses and economic growth. Business will again be seen as an evil to be addressed rather than the engine that can improve all American's lives. I foresee Joe re-entering the Paris climate accord. I also see him allowing predatory trade practices and trade deals with our competitors overseas, especially China. I don't know that Joe will totally tank the economy, but I have no doubts he will stifle it and it will be on nothing that resembles the trajectory Donald Trump had it on prior to the pandemic.

My 401K and Retirement Savings - I played by the rules and saved aggressively for today. I'm thankful for my blessings, but also proud that I saved for today. Between the economic impacts cited in the preceding paragraph, and the mentality of much of the left toward investment and Wall Street in general, I am afraid of the impact on my savings and my future.

Amendment 2A the Right to Bear Arms - Joe has said he would levy a tax on each gun we own, and ban online gun and ammunition sales. At the same time he holds hands with the same fucking morons who want to defund the police and look the other way or even support and advocate for the violent, criminal terrorists Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

Intrusive Government - If you look at the difference in strategy to deal with the CCP Virus between right and left, the fundamental difference boils down to the government's role. And while this concern is highlighted by differences in how this virus is addressed, it's not a concern I would limit to the one issue. Joe and the left see a government that is much more active and involved in everyday lives as a necessity. I am not saying I don't see a role for government, but there does not seem to be a fair trade-off where government fiat and mandate end and personal responsibility begin. We need more guidance and guidelines and less mandate. The Governor of Minnesota yesterday prohibited all social gatherings, even in our own homes, even when those with whom we would gather can social distance. The left is all for this kind of intrusive government involvement in our lives. When the government mandates businesses close or infringes on our rights, it is incumbent on the government to do everything it can to make those impacted by their mandate whole somehow.

Race Relations - Democrats focus on race in ways that don't help black people (or any other people). Policies supposedly intended to make race relations better instead interject race and racial tensions into everything. I am not saying that it isn't well intentioned, I am saying it doesn't work and makes things worse, not better. Joe, as would any Democrat more than likely, will march to the beat of that same drum. Among the things Democrats, including Joe, need to do, is to stop calling those of us who disagree with many of their pet policies and desires to address race as being racist just for having the audacity to disagree with them.

The Green New Deal - I concede that many aspects of the deal are well-intended, but those same policies, regardless of intent, will destroy people's lives and destroy our economy. Just like with the pandemic, if the government is going to impose rules that decimate the coal, oil, auto, and other industries, then it becomes the government's responsibility to make those adversely affected by the government mandate whole again somehow. I am not saying I support such mandates as the Green New Deal would impose, but I am saying that if those mandates are imposed, the government can't leave coal, oil, auto, and other workers flounder in an economy in which they're no longer welcomed to participate. Walmart only needs so many greeters, and that sort of work is great for a segment of the working class, but doesn't replace blue collar production work economically.

China, Russia, Ukraine, etc. - Joe and Hunter made deals. I can't bring myself to believe Joe isn't beholden to some foreign governments and entities. Not good.

Do I need to go on? Probably not. Suffice it to say, if Joe is sworn in in January, I will be looking as open-mindedly but as critically as I can at his Cabinet appointments, his various agency appointments, judicial appointments, his initiatives and programs, and Executive Orders. While I will try in each case to see where each is well-intended, I will also look at how each impacts me, my family, and our nation. If something looks like a positive to me, I will be honest and say so. If it doesn't, I'll say that also... if Twitter and Facebook will let me. I'm only being slightly facetious.

11/16/2020 Ballots - Legal, Illegal, Tainted

 

What would make a ballot illegal?

• The ballot was cast by a person who is not eligible to vote, i.e. not a citizen, not registered, etc.
  
• The ballot was cast by someone who is not a resident in the precinct or jurisdiction where they cast it.
• The person who cast the vote is someone other than the registered voter.
• A ballot cast by a person registered in multiple jurisdictions who votes more than once.
• A ballot that was cast AFTER the polls close. This does not include ballots cast by persons who were in line at their polling place before the polls closed who waited there until they could cast their votes, nor does it include people who voted by mail whose ballot was mailed and postmarked prior to the voting deadline.
  

What would make a ballot tainted?

• Election officials or judges changing voting rules or timelines in a manner contrary to the US or relevant state constitution, or contrary to local election law.
• Election officials disregarding processes designed to eliminate illegal ballots and mixing ballots which were not validated in accordance with legality safeguards required by statute, i.e. chain of custody, signature or identification verification, or time of postmark, and mixing those ballots with legally cast ballots. This taints the entire batch.

If every illegal and tainted ballot in the 2020 General Election was thrown out, I do not know if President Trump would have won Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, or Georgia. But if I thought that every ballot cast was subjected to scrutiny to ensure legality by poll workers, and ballot handlers and counters AND former VP Joe Biden came out on top, I would disappointingly accept that unfortunate outcome. So far NOTHING has been said or done that gives me confidence that election officials in any of the aforementioned states, possibly other states, handled things by the books. Starting in the months leading up to Election Day we saw rules changes, bent, and disregarded, ostensibly to make voting easier during a pandemic. Many of those changes made illegal voting, ballot fraud easier, and cause, in my opinion, the tainting of many otherwise legally cast ballots.

Here are some things I'd like to understand better:

• How is it that Joe Biden outperformed President Obama and former First Lady Hillary Clinton by such large margins? Twelve million more votes than Obama in 2012?
  
• Why did election officials in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and other jurisdictions suddenly stop counting votes on election night?
• Why did Joe Biden perform so well in Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh in comparison to his performance in other cities?
• What explains the massive number of Biden votes with no other votes down ballot? Was there a similar number or percentage of Trump only votes?
• It seems illogical that the GOP won back quite a few seats in the House of Representatives, seems to have held its own in the Senate, and lost the White House. What explains the disconnect?

If you ask me this whole damned election is tainted. Maybe it's not so, but nothing gives me confidence that that's the case. Nothing.

 

11/14/2020 Distrust, Distrust, and More Distrust

 

Distrust

The breaking story yesterday, about how military officials lied to, or euphemistically 'misled' the President on troop levels and kept our troops in Syria, knowing full well it was against his orders infuriates me. Here's a link to the NY Post version: nypost 11/13/2020 And out of my fury, came not so much a realization, but a reality.

I no longer trust our military officials at the highest levels. This includes, but is certainly not limited to former high level USMC generals who I formerly revered and respected.

I absolutely distrust nearly the entirety of the US intelligence community. For five years these bastards have tried and in many cases succeeded in undermining the President of the United States.

I do no trust the US Dept. of State, especially career bureaucrats who think they make and manage foreign policy with authority that supersedes the President's.

I do not trust our FBI or Department of Justice personnel at the highest levels. None of them. I had hopes that AG Barr and various US Attorneys he supposedly had investigating corruption would right the wrongs of the Rosenstein, Comey, and McCabe era, but clearly I was wrong.

The only Democrat in office I trust is Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, unfortunately I don't agree with her politics enough to support her, but she seems the only one with a single iota of integrity. The rest I assume are lying whenever they speak 100% of the time.

I don't trust establishment Republicans. I don't trust the Republican Party as an entity.

I generally don't trust lawyers in politics, and I don't trust most Senators. I trust Senators who are lawyers least of all.

I don't trust corrupt elections officials. I don't know that Trump would have won, but from September, maybe before, they were doing everything they could to stack the deck.

I don't trust the result of the 2020 election. I believe there was cheating, we are being lied to, and accomplices in government and the media will swear to ANY lie they need to to advance their agenda and objectives.

I don't trust major television news on ANY of the big channels. They're far more political operative and propagandists than they are arbiters of true and accurate information.

I don't trust most political pollsters, especially those associated with aforementioned news propaganda organizations. But add in the political think tank and academia run pollsters, too. They knowingly lie and distort to put forward the narrative that best supports the political wants of their corporate and campus masters.

I don't trust big tech - Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc. I don't know that this needs a lot of explanation.

I don't trust MOST of what we've been told about the CCP Virus. Yes, the virus is real. Yes, there are valid concerns and it is a real threat. But the extent of the threat and almost all the data we've been fed is inaccurate, narrative shaping bullshit.

I remember I used to wonder why it was some people liked to live in remote places in Idaho and Montana and the like, far from people and far from the reach of all of the above. The realization, or should I say the reality of that sentiment makes perfect sense to me now.

11/10/2020 -1 Happy Birthday Marines!

November 10th, 1775. To Marines, and to those who know us well, the anniversary of that historic day is celebrated every year by Marines, young and old alike. We recognize and celebrate November 10th as the USMC birthday.

It's no small thing, the Marine Corps birthday. At least to us it's not. For a 63 year old guy like me, looking back 30 years now since I last wore my USMC blues, it may have more meaning to me now than it did even then, if that's possible.

To all the Marines who came before me,

To all the Marines with whom I served,

To all the 2, 3, and 4 year Marines who do their time and serve our Corps,

To the career Marines, the Senior Staff NCOs and Officers,

To woman Marines,

To light green, drak green and Marines all colors in between,

To grunts, and supply, support, and airwing Marines,

New recruits, and ancient retired Marines,

Happy 245th birthday!

God bless America, and may God bless our beloved Marine Corps!

Ooh Rah!

11/10/2020 A Clusterf*ck of Their Own Making

Right now there are a number of reported and alleged improprieties related to the 2020 General Election. Most of them seem to emanate from Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. And while I'll get back to my feelings on that stuff in a second, first I will add that it seems incredulous to me that Arizona has taken this long to count their votes, not just mail-in, which it makes sense to me could take a while, but they've taken a week to sort out their vote, including in person and provisional ballots. It also seems crazy to me that Alaska's vote still isn't tabulated. And finally, that North Carolina came out and said that they needed 12 days to tally theirs. YGBSM!

But back to WI, MI, PA, and GA. Of the many reports of impropriety, some will turn out to have perfectly reasonable explanations, even if not sound, still reasonable. Some other reports, and contrary to the "without evidence" nonsense anti-Trumpers always claim, there are sworn affidavits, so there is evidence. Whether a sworn affidavit is ample evidence to gain a conviction is another question, but they is evidence. So don't give me that bullshit. And of those things alleged in the affidavits, some of them are going to be found valid concerns.

Were the computer systems hacked and votes changed? I don't know. I am NOT asserting they were, but neither would I affirm I'm confident they weren't. There were numerous reports of numbers fluctuating right before people's eyes into the wee hours on Election Day night.

 

Were votes cast for dead people, people who moved, and or for infrequent voters who the cheaters presumed would not vote? I would say absolutely, yes there were votes cast for those people. How many, and how would it have affected the results? I don't know, but I would like to.

Was there systemic abuse of the fraud in the paragraph immediately above this one by political operatives in an organized attempt to swing the election? Based on what I read in an affidavit, it is certainly alleged that THOUSANDS of ballots were dumped into the mix via a back door in Michigan and the ballot counter who is making the allegation said votes for the presidential election were the only votes on those ballots, and all of them that this person counted went to Joe Biden.

 

I don't know if any of the things people saw will be proven to be valid. But I do believe in "The Iceberg Theory". The Iceberg Theory, put simply, says that for all the problems you see and that are reported, there is a lot more that you can't see, hiding below the surface. I believe, starting with the Russia Collusion Hoax, the Mueller Scam, the Scam Impeachment, that Democratic Party operatives and bureaucrats inside our government agencies have tried everything and anything within and outside the law to undermine and unseat President Trump. And I also remember that every single time Trump challenged the bullshit that was being perpetrated on him, and by extension, on those of us who voted for and supported him, the media and the left in unison claimed it was "without evidence". So when I hear you saying "without evidence" now, it rings hollow in my ears.

Do I know there was malfeasance at least by individuals in the 2020 election? Yes, there was some. Do I believe every one of the claims of fraud and malfeasance being made out there? No, some of it is surely speculation grown into conspiracy theory. The only way to get to the bottom if it is to look into it, and we should be looking into it right now, as AG Barr is reported to be doing. If you're a Democrat and you're pissed that Trump is raining on Joe's parade, get over it. For four f*cking years your party and its operatives have been raining down bullshit and hoax after hoax on the Trump candidacy, transition, and presidency. It's a clusterf*ck of Democrats own making. They made the bed, now they can lie in it. If you think miraculously we're supposed to accept that you motherf*ckers are acting with integrity and honesty after all that, you can f*cking forget about it. Fuggedaboudit.

Some legitimate questions:

• Did nonresidents vote?
• Was there double voting?
• Did dead people vote?
• Did illegal aliens vote?
• Was there ballot harvesting?
• Were spoiled ballots improperly counted?
• Was ballot tracking software used to harvest ballots?

11/9/2020 A Mail In Ballot Fact of Life

Just a quick hitter this morning about the use of mail-in ballots on a massive scale. Set aside the whole debate and all the legal action going on about mail-in voting in the 2020 General Election. I'm not claiming those things didn't happen, or that none of it will be proven, but I'm skeptical that President Trump's legal challenges will change the outcome. And for all the talk bout mail in and absentee ballots, there is very little about an aspect of it I believe to be a nearly undeniable truth.

President Trump's supporters, in pre-election poll after poll expressed more enthusiasm for voting for President Trump than did Joe Biden's. In a normal election year without the virus, it's likely that a percentage, probably small but significant of those less enthusiastic voters might not have made it to the polls. But absentee voting is easy, especially when your state doesn't need you to expend the minimal effort it would take to request an absentee ballot. You simply check your mailbox one day and a ballot is there. After filling in a few bubbles with a black or blue ball point pen, you put it into the postage pre-paid envelope provided, sign it on the flap, seal it closed, then put it back out for your mail carrier to pick up. Voila! You just voted. Or maybe your adult children living at home weren't inclined to vote. A household that would have yielded 2 votes at the polls yields 3 or 4 with just a small bit of parental encouragement with the mail-in system.

Again, putting aside concerns about fraud or ballot box stuffing, Democrats were genius for pushing everyone to mail-in voting in the year of Covid-19. Nobody should disregard the impact on the election of getting ballots back from a large number of (slightly?) less enthusiastic voters had on the outcome. And if mail-in voting becomes a norm in our country, then campaigns and candidate marketing strategies have to either find means of appealing to these voters, or be left holding the bag at traditional polling places.  President Trump and Republicans made a case against mail-in that had "Vote at the polls on Election Day" as its punchline. It probably didn't change their final tally much. Democrats encouraged voters to vote by mail from the very beginning, switching only to encourage people to go to the polls for early voting or on Election Day only AFTER cultivating a significant mail-in response. The record turnout was in part due to voter enthusiasm, either for or against Trump, and due to Democrats, mostly, executing an effective mail-in strategy during the pandemic.

GOP: the future is here. Mail-in isn't going away. Get on board or be left behind sulking. Your choice.

11/8/2020 Election Reforms - If not Now, Never? Unacceptable!

 

What is going on in my country right now, in OUR country, and you should be embarrassed, too, is an embarrassment. It is an embarrassment, and it is unacceptable. It is time for some reasonable, minimum set of standards to be adopted nationwide for federal elections, i.e. for the House, the Senate, and for President and Vice President.

1. Registered voter lists need to be kept up to date. Whether a voter changes party affiliation, moves to a different part of their state, to a different state, is convicted of a felony and loses eligibility, or becomes deceased, with today's available technology, there's no excuse for the kind of stuff we saw in many states this year: mail in ballots for 10 and 15 different people who no longer reside there sent to addresses, etc. While there are some people who don't file one, I suggest that somehow the information on our tax returns is a good starting point for ensuring our voter registration is up to date and more importantly, that our local, state, and federal registration rolls are accurate.

2. We ought to have a national standard for, and a requirement to have a voter identification card. Absentee and vote by mail voters can use whatever identification number is on the card to certify it's their vote.

3. There was never a time I wouldn't have said vote by mail is an invitation to fraud. I don't like it at all, but I suppose it's here to stay. A postmark should be required, and the postmark deadline should be several days before Election Day, enough time so that ballots, with perhaps some exceptions in very limited cases wouldn't create the post Election Day counting nightmare we see this morning. There is no reason whatsoever that justifies counting only Election Day votes, and saving mail in and absentee votes (or vice versa) for counting afterward. Election Day is Election Day. If you want to mail it in, then mail it in time to arrive BEFORE Election Day to be counted on or by Election Day. The 12 days bullshit going on this cycle in North Carolina is an embarrassment and unacceptable.

4. Speaking of counting nightmares, there ought to be a better method for counting ballots and allowing access to observers than fighting in court over who can and can't observe, and where they can and can't observe from. I don't know how exactly to fix this, but it's broken.

5. Could we make Election Day last for 24, 48, or 72 hours and close all the polls in all the states at the same time? And let's consider either making Election Day a national holiday, or moving it to the weekend. A 48 hour period on the first Saturday and Sunday in November would be ideal.

Look, the fact that we are still counting many votes for the first time, not a recount, but the first count, is ridiculous. It's an embarrassment. And now that we're 5 days past Election Day, every hour that passes creates new opportunities for chicanery: Malarkey, as the senile man is known to call it.

A note while closing: my recently adopted home state, Florida (our home state since 2016), was an embarrassment and fiasco in 2000 during the famous Bush-Gore race with it's recounting, hanging chads, and post-Election Day legal wrangling. In the 20 years since, Florida has mostly figured it out. Perfect? No. Room for improvement still? Probably so. But as bad as all that was, all the votes got counted on Election Day and over the course of that night. For Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina to still as of this writing NOT have an initial, comprehensive tally of votes is an embarrassment. Election officials in thos states ought to be ashamed.

Now stop reading and get back to counting!