Big Tech, Elon Musk to the Rescue? - 12/26/2022

As I gain a greater understanding of all the down side to big tech: data collection, censorship, content manipulation, government propaganda, promotion and demotion of ideas, people, and outlets favorable and unfavorable to whoever at the platform which did amount to election interference, I look for and struggle to find alternatives.

Google is the worst, hands down.

The Google search engine is relatively easy to replace. I use Duck Duck Go a lot. I haven't weaned off Google for searches totally. Maybe for 2023 I'll make a real, concerted effort. It's funny, with all the attention on Twitter lately, Google is the worst offender at both opinion manipulation and data tracking, by a country mile. It's bad. I heard a discussion with e left of center analyst who explained all the ways Google manipulated content and targeted various audiences leading up to the 2020 and 2022 elections. It's a lot worse than I thought. An example: based on their search and browsing history, Google reminded some people to vote. Other people, it did not. So in key locations, people of like-minded political opinion were reminded to vote. If you differ? Nope. Another: look up politician A, a Democrat: all kinds of positive results come to the top. Candidate B, the conservative? Results about scandals, etc. top the lists. You have to scroll and dig to find positive. How effective was all that? I don't know. But it is being done intentionally and with some outcome intended, not just for "funsies". Replace Google today. It's a start.

As bad as and a part of Google.

Videos is a little harder. I use YouTube, which is of course a Google company, for entertainment every day. I don't, however, use it very much for anything remotely political. I watch music reaction videos, how to stuff, and things surrounding my interests in wildlife and the outdoors. Rumble as an alternative sucks, as it is almost exclusively political. When there is a less politically based alternative that has more general content than Rumble, I'll try it, but till then I think I'm stuck with YouTube. I also subscribe to YouTube TV instead of cable. Maybe I shouldn't be giving the evil bastards my money, but I am. It's on my list for 2023 to explore alternatives.

There is no viable alternative to Facebook. Unfortunately.

As for Facebook, I have and sometimes use the MeWe alternative. Functionally it is similar to Facebook, but like Rumble it lacks interesting non-political content. It's become a haven for Facebook refugees: people either banned from or who departed Facebook voluntarily for nearly exclusively reasons of political ideology. The result is an echo chamber without a wide circle of friends, and without content for the enjoyment of a wide set of interests. It seems nearly exclusively right wing politics. It's boring over there. Very.

Elon Musk is saving Twitter. Too bad he can't buy Google, YouTube, and Facebook, too!

Twitter is an interesting one. Since Elon Musk took over, he has tried to make it more fair and balanced. It is much improved. This is welcome as Trump's Truth Social sucks so bad it's unbearable. Parler sucks. Gettr sucks, too. Truth, Parler, and Gettr are echo chambers without enough non-political posting to hold my interest. And forget about Gab. Gab had so much overtly racist, offensive content that I only lasted about 15 minutes. What do I want from Twitter or platforms like it? News and info across a wide spectrum of topics and ideologies. General interest stuff like sports, music, travel, military stuff, etc. It's all there on Twitter. Gab, Parler, and Gettr? Hardly. Elon came to Twitter and in my opinion saved it for many of us. I don't know a thing about Mastodon, but I'm willing to bet it's a lefty Parler or Gettr. No thanks.

One last word on this topic: I don't care if the FBI and CIA use these platforms. It seems to me there's a good chance they can find some real bad guys on them and do some real good in doing do. But they need to be ousted from their roles as inside content moderators, censors, and internal propagandist. Get them the f*** out of Twitter, Google, and Facebook's headquarters. Make them use them from home and from their own offices like everybody else!

Elephants in the Room, or Why Hershel Walker Lost in GA - 12/7/2023

How about I just make this quick hitters today.

There's elephants in the room.

1. Georgia ain't near as red as you keep telling yourselves. It's purple. Period. It is. If you don't appeal at all to moderate Dems and independents in purple states, your chances go down. Considerably.

2. I don't give a shit how much you love Trump and how mad you are he got screwed in 2020. Too many people don't like him. It hurts "his candidates" in purple states especially. That's reality. Learn to live with it. Find a new MAGA brand ambassador. In purple and blue states, Trump is a huge liability.

3.  Ronna McDaniel as GOP Chair has got to go. Period. End of debate. Related to Mitt Romney.

4. Mitch McConnell has got to go, too. He sucks and the GOP he leads is an establishment elite GOP that doesn't care much about constituency, just dollars and the good old boys. He is quite happy in the minority.

5. The GOP needs more Black voter outreach. They're willing to accept the support of Black voters,. Yippee. How about some open mindedness to understand black issues and some flexibility with the platform to actually show Black voters you're listening and representing them. Right now seems like "long as you go along with us and our shit, we're happy to represent you. Your shit? Nah. We know what's best for you."

6. Embrace mail in and early voting like it or not. Do your best to BEAT them at their own game. Pissing and moaning about it? Not as much. Losing strategy.

7. All things considered, Hershel Walker was a shitty candidate.

7. If you don't care about 1-7 above because to you it's all about Dems cheating and that's all that matters, YOU are part of the problem

Advice for Republicans and Conservatives - 11/14/2022

 

Advice for the GOP and conservative voters.

Republicans don't want to hear it, but too bad. Here it is, some honest advice:

1. Figure out how you're going to appeal to 18-29 year old voters. They went overwhelmingly blue in 2022. Sure, they're brainwashed by teachers and TV and music and on and on and on. You can bitch about that and forego their votes forever, or find some policies and proposals that might appeal to them. I don't know of a damned thing in the GOP platform that is specifically intended to get 18-29 year old voters to vote for them. You do? What is it?

2. Unmarried women voted for Democrats in large numbers. Why? Abortion. Lindsay Graham tried to get a reasonable compromise on abortion going earlier this year. He was attacked from both the left and the right, as both sides have adopted absolutes. What's the party's position? No bullshit. No hedging. No deception. Hey, if you don't care whether unmarried women vote for Republicans ever again, then don't change nothin'.

3. Trump. Figure it out. After 2020 and 2022 you still think he wins? I don't. God forbid I like DeSantis better. God forbid DeSantis appeals to a broader base. Yeah, McConnell, Ryan, Bush, etc. suck. If you think Trump can win without DeSantis supporters, and without support from moderate Republicans who support McConnell, Ryan, Bush, etc., you are wrong. Dead wrong. I have VERY low confidence that Trump will win in 2024 if he's the nominee. I give him two chances: slim and none. You love him? Well a LOT of people whose votes he needs hate his guts and they are NOT going to vote for him.

4. Stop fighting about and bitching about mail-in voting. Fighting it and bitching about it is the same as conceding elections. It's fucking tiresome and unproductive. You don't trust mail-in ballots? You don't like them? Guess what? You are stuck with them. And even without cheating they help Democrats. How? Low enthusiasm voters don't have to get out of the house to vote, and there has been an enthusiasm gap in both 2020 and 2022 that mail-in voting almost totally took care of. Also, think about this. The GOP has been pushing "Vote on Election Day, ONLY vote on Election Day." It's a fucking stupid strategy. If there are long lines and people are going to give up, if there are problems with machines and people need to vote with a provisional ballot, and if someone gets the flu and can't get out, all those issues disproportionately take away GOP votes.

5. It it time to drop the MAGA slogan. It's too stained by Trumpism. Change the mantra to "Putting America First" and stick with it. MAGA was great in 2016. Since then? Not as much. Time to turn over a new leaf.

The definition of insanity is doing the same things over again and expecting a different result. Too many seem to want to do exactly the same things as 2018, 2020, and 2022 in 2024 and expect a different result. It's not a losing strategy. It's not a strategy at all.

Trump, DeSantis, 2022 and 2024

Sometimes I wish President Trump would shut the fuck up. This is sometimes:

I don't give a rat's ass if McConnell, Ryan, Jeb Bush, or anyone else talks to Governor DeSantis. Don't get me wrong, I don't like any of the three, not even a little bit. DeSantis is a great governor in my state. He won by 20 points. Trump never won Florida by 20. In my opinion, the attack on DeSantis is another classic unforced Trump error. And to all the Trump supporters coming in with the "4-D Chess" and "Trump is always three steps ahead" bullshit? Just fucking stop it. It ain't 4-D Chess. It ain't some secret or master plan so brilliant none of us can see. It's petty. It's selfish. It's NOT in the GOP or conservatism's best interests to have an internal civil war because Trump and his core supporters want absolute purity, wherein vengeance is more important than unity and winning. So, President Trump. Shut the fuck up about DeSantis. And shut the fuck up about 2020, too. I will NOT vote for you or anyone else "because 2020". 2024 is about the future. Talk about the future. Talk about the Democrats.

I love our Governor. I hope he just ignores Trump totally.

Donald Trump is the king of unforced errors and really bad endorsements.

Why didn't the GOP make bigger gains:

Because unmarried women broke left over abortion in far greater numbers than expected. Because voters 18-29 were conned by President Biden into this phony student loan relief bullshit. It was never constitutional, no more so than Trump shuffling previously allocated funds around the ledger to pay for the wall. The courts shot that down. This is NO DIFFERENT. Congress allocates money, not the White House. The money was a scam, and that's all there is to it. So to the 18-29 year olds out there. Suck it up. You were scammed by a U.S. politician. Wasn't the first time this has happened. Won't be the last. Get used to it.

You was duped, kids. Wanna buy a watch?

Abortion cost the GOP a lot more votes than they expected. Young unmarried women love abortion rights.

Pennsylvania:

While I'm at it, I'm gotta mention Pennsylvania. The GOP gubernatorial candidate was the Trump picked candidate. He lost. Dr. Oz was the worst GOP Senatorial candidate in my recent memory. Endorsed by Trump. Lost. Trump ain't no kingmaker. There is a lesson here in PA, friends. Trump, 2020 PA election shenanigans (a.k.a. malarky!) aside, Trump lost there in 2020 and his candidates there lost in 2022, too. You think Trump is the answer to bringing PA into the fold in 2024? Insanity is doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result.

Trump's biggest endorsement mistake, Dr. Oz.

How bad a candidate was Dr. Oz? A brain damaged slob in a hoodie who can't speak coherently for 30 consecutive seconds won. Trump screwed the pooch in Pennsylvania, both with his endorsement for Governor and especially with his choice of Dr. Oz. Fetterman? Really, Pennsylvania? Really? I'm talking to you, PA voters. How fucked up are you? Really, really fucked up. That's how fucked up you are. Given two bad choices, you chose the brain damaged slob who can't even speak over the snake oil selling surgeon. Gotcha.

How bad is it? It's so bad they elected a brain damaged slob to the US Senate.

Apparently voters in Pennsylvania also elected a dead guy. He was a better choice than Fetterman or Dr. Oz, though. 

Over to Arizona:

I love Keri Lake. I absolutely love her.

Trump endorsed or no, I love Kari Lake. Sue me.

Arizona is an embarrassment. That's it. Their elections are a joke. The fact the votes aren't counted yet is an indictment of incompetence. And every single minute that passes and as each does we get further and further from Election Day, the opportunities and likelihood for cheating and corruption go up. I really don't give a fuck at this point what the explanations or excuses are. If Florida had 99% of the vote counted on Election Day night, how in the hell has Arizona been at 70% days after?

"I'm in charge of my own election." (fictitious but accurate quote) Move along. Nothing to see here.

And how in the fuck is Katie Hobbs, Arizona's Secretary of State, allowed to oversee an election for the highest office in the state when she's one of the main candidates? She damned well ought to have recused herself. I know whoever took over for her is likely to have been an extreme Katie Hobbs loyalist. I get that. But be that as it may be, she ought to have recused and instead I see photos of her in election counting facilities. That's a joke.

Vote Tomorrow! - 11/7/2022

Tomorrow is Election Day in the U.S.A.  Get off your ass out and vote. 

Whatever your party affiliation is, vote.

Whatever your most important issues are, vote.

Our system is imperfect, but it's the one we've got. Take advantage of it. It's a right. It's your duty.

Some changes I'd like to see made to the voting process in the U.S.:

1. Show ID to register. Show ID to vote. ID verified at registration and at the polls. With today's technology, it ain't that hard. The phony claims that this will disenfranchise various groups is bullshit. Quit saying Black people are too stupid and incapable of getting and having an ID. Stop saying that shit, you racist bastards. And for the record, turnout in places where ID requirements are imposed often goes up, not down. Don't give me the voter suppression bullshit. It's crock and you know it is.

2. For mail in and absentee voting, impose a deadline for mailing (postmarked by) several days before Election Day, the preceding Friday seems fair and reasonable. Ballots received after polls closed invalid, too. Mail in and absentee ballots counted (but not reported) starting the Saturday before Election Day. There's no excuse for waiting till AFTER polls close to start looking at absentee and mail in votes. I'm talking to you, Pennsylvania. It's a system primed for cheating.

3. We have early voting here in FL and I really like it. They pick 3-4 locations in each county and we can vote for 2 weeks or so before Election Day. It would be nice if at least one of the locations was open the weekend prior to Election Day to make it easier for some working folks to vote. Early voting should end on the Sunday prior to Election Day. Make early voting locations available everywhere. Obviously, large population centers will need more or bigger early voting venues. It can be done.

4. Mail in, absentee, and early votes can start to be tallied, but not reported, on the day prior to Election Day. This year that would be today, Nov 7th.

5. Voter fraud, ballot fraud, and tabulation fraud should be a federal crime, punishable by fine, imprisonment, and a MANDATORY loss of voting privileges for a period of 10 or so years. Penalties should sale up proportionally depending on the magnitude of the crime.

6. Non-citizens should NEVER vote. No exceptions, no matter how well intended. Non-citizens caught attempting to register to vote or actually voting should be deported expeditiously and without arduous process. Voting is a fundamental predicate for our entire system and government. If a guest attempts to meddle in that process, they should no longer be welcome here. Period.

Now get out and vote. Me? I'm not going to. I already did.

Not Good Enough is Not Good Enough - 10/16/2022

Lemme tell you something. A lot of us don't like the candidates who show up on our ballots. I had quite a few friends in both 2016 and 2020 who said they disliked both candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016, and Joe Biden and Donald Trump in 2020. For them, and I think this represents a sizable portion of the U.S. electorate, their votes wound up more against one of them than it was a vote for the candidate they chose. This can have disastrous results.

Joe Biden wasn't elected. Donald Trump was just so hated he was displaced. Every damned day Joe shows us he's not good enough to do the job. Simply put, "Not Trump" is not good enough for our country.

Allegations of cheating and wrongdoing aside, the presidential race in 2020 is instructive in this regard. Democrats and establishment Republicans alike hate Donald Trump for 1,000,000 reasons I feel no need to recount here. Whether you or I agree with them or not is immaterial. Getting President Trump out of the White House was for many voters an imperative. Enter President Joe Biden. Joe was an also-ran and wanna be for decades. He had never made it to the White House, though. Why? Lots of reasons. But in 2020, an election year in which Democrats had a very thin bench, Biden ran as former President Barack Obama's former VP and presumed protege. Nothing, or at least next to nothing about Joe Biden warranted making him President on his own merit. But he had the connection to Obama and he certainly wasn't Donald Trump.

Evicting Trump from the White House and moving Biden in meant overlooking Biden's career of mediocrity, his history of dishonesty and plagiarism, his corruption: "10% for the Big Guy", and his declining mental and physical health. But that's what they did. We are left with an incompetent nincompoop, a guy who needs crib notes to talk, a guide to help him walk off a stage lest he wander into the corner looking lost and perplexed, and a guy who sometimes reaches out with handshakes intended for empty space. He defers to his handlers on policy after policy. He's weak on economy, energy, foreign affairs, immigration, on and on and on. He's terrible. But he's not Donald Trump. Damned shame he ain't, actually. Sure, Trump's a dick, but he had us in better standing every which way than this guy does.

Which brings me to Florida and the 2022 gubernatorial race between former Governor Charlie Crist and incumbent Ron DeSantis. If you ask me, DeSantis has done a great job in Florida. But liberals hate him. He has rejected woke policy after woke policy. The propaganda from the left tries to paint DeSantis as an evil fascist and all that other baseless nonsense that surrogates for substantive policy alternative from the left. Luckily, DeSantis is a bit more in control of his tongue than Trump, and they haven't been able to gather similar fodder to demonize him as they had on Trump. I like DeSantis. I won't be voting against Crist, I'll be voting FOR DeSantis.

Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist ain't Ron DeSantis, either. He'd be another bad mistake. He's not good enough, and that ain't good enough.

Ron DeSantis is going to be re-elected as Florida Governor. I surely believe it and hope so. Electing Charlie instead would be Florida's version of Joe Biden: a has-been with no business trying to do the job. Florida voters in 2022 have more sense than national voters did in 2020. We like prosperity. We love our state. We don't believe woke ideas should become policy.

Joe Biden is a failure. Charlie Crist will fail us, too, if given the chance. Floridians, vote for Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis for Florida Governor in 2022, and for POTUS in 2028.

On Tulsi Gabbard - 10/12/2022

Tulsi Gabbard has left the Democratic Party. #walkaway

Yesterday morning I heard Tulsi Gabbard talk about leaving the Democratic Party, and why she's doing so. Last night discussion of Gabbard by conservatives on social media was instructive in explaining why Republicans and conservatives can't seem to stop tripping over themselves and each other. So let me make a couple of things clear, for those of you in the back row too shy to raise your hand and speak up.

I agreed with just about everything Tulsi said in her statement yesterday. The Democratic Party has gone bonkers under the control of the woke, liberal, progressive wing of the party. I applaud Gabbard for publicly denouncing it.

Agreeing with Tulsi Gabbard on her decision and explanation to leave the Democratic Party is NOT an endorsement of every single Tulsi position on every single issue. And if because you disagree with her on gun rights, abortion, and economic issues, all valid points of disagreement for many conservatives, that you can't applaud this decision and announcement, YOU are part of a bigger problem. You've got conservative myopia. On the 8 x 10 piece of paper that the political landscape in 2022 is charted out, you're focused on a single square inch in the upper right hand corner and refusing to look at, think about, or even be told about anything in the other 79 square inches on which it's described. Agreeing with Tulsi and applauding this decision and announcement is NOT the same thing as endorsing her as the GOP candidate for the House, Senate, Governorship, for VP, or President.

Completely shutting down and or ignoring every person with whom conservatives disagree on any and every issue or issues, keeping a small tent of purity, one of rote agreement on an entire conservative platform, is a recipe for failure. A bigger tent, a bigger coalition, a broader spectrum of citizens is a far better way to win majorities and undermine the woke, progressive, socialist, anti-American, neocons, and globalists who far better than we work the system to their own ends.

I don't know that I'd ever vote for Tulsi Gabbard. But I like her. I didn't say I agree with her on all issues. I said I like her. Believe it of not it's okay to like people with whom you disagree. I did look into her position on abortion and it's not really that far off from mine. See, I'm not an absolutist on that issue. I'm not an absolutist on most issues. I oppose the leftist absolutists' positions on most, though. Tulsi does, too. Not to the extent I do, but we're talking a matter of weeks, not a simple purist's yes or no. I like Tulsi Gabbard. I am happy she did what she did publicly yesterday. She's kinda easy on the eyes, too.

Worst President in My Lifetime - 10/11/2022

He's awful. Really he is. President Joe Biden is the worst President in my lifetime. And that's saying something. Why is the guy so bad at his job? A few thoughts.

He's simply too old.

There's that saying, "It's like riding a bike," that presumes you can still do what you always could always do before. Well, ahem, could Joe do it before? And even if he could, does anyone honestly believe this is the same guy he was in the 1980's, 1990's, or 2000's? You do? No, you really don't. You're not even a good liar. Joe ain't what he used to be, plain and simple, and he never was much of what we needed here in the US in the first place. Seeing him at a loss for words, lost on stage, shaking hands with air, and reading teleprompter stuff not meant to be verbalized does NOT inspire confidence in me or any other honest person. Watching him bungle policy on issue after issue after issue is not so reassuring.

"At least he's not Trump" isn't good enough.

Sometimes the lesser of evils gets you less. In the case of Joe Biden, it gets you a lot less. Less? Yeah. Less than Trump. Less than what we expected. Less than what some expected is more accurate. I didn't vote for him and I had low expectations, which Biden has failed to meet. Less than what we need. Look at the economy. Energy policy. Our immigration disaster. The world on the brink of nuclear war. Mean tweets? Yes, please. Oh, God yes. Please. In a heartbeat.

He's not his own man.

Perhaps Joe's biggest weakness is that he doesn't administer his office from his own political center. Nope. He's too much a political chameleon for that. The woke, leftist, progressive coalition that controls his party controls Joe. I don't care of you're right, left, or center, if you're president, you have to administer things based on your own moral compass and your own sensibilities. Leave the coalitioning and caucusing to Congress. Joe ain't his own man. And it shows. He's a puppet. Who's the puppeteer?

He's corrupted: "10% for the Big Guy."

How much has Hunter Biden selling his father's influence sold us out? How much has it affected Joe Biden policy and diplomacy? How bad is it? I'm guessing it's bad, y'know? Is he corrupt? Compromised? Oblivious? Which of those is a good thing for a President of the United States?

He's a creep.

He's a creepy, nasty man. All the shit they talked about his predecessor, this guy showered with his daughter, sniffs women's hair, married the babysitter... "She was 12. I was 30." He's a fucking creep.

He's the worst President of my lifetime. He's got our country headed in wrong directions, every which way but right. Two more long years of ineptitude. Two more years of watching prices rise, interest rate hikes, savings decline, lost world prestige and influence, and disastrous energy, immigration, and other policies. He's a disaster. Two more years. Holy crap. I hope we can pull out of it, but I fear the wrong people are in charge. We need a change.

As Hurricane Ian Approches, A Surreal Morning - 9/28/2022

 

This is a tv screen shot of Ian. I'm pointing to our home's location.

It's a 972 mile drive from where I am right now in St. Matthews, KY to our home in Charlotte County, FL. Hurricane Ian is a strong Category 4 hurricane and is poised to hit our home directly this afternoon. Ian is big and bad and strong. It feels surreal.

I should be there.

I'm so glad I'm not there.

Our friends, our dear friends that stayed behind, please be okay.

So worried, anxious, helpless, fearful.

They keep saying Charlotte Harbor on the Weather Channel.

Jim Cantore is in Punta Gorda.

Worried about our family nearby, they're not too far away.

I hope Cape Coral isn't hit like it appears we in Charlotte County will.

My mother and sister in the safe place for tornado warning in Jupiter.

Is Ft Myers going to be okay?

Will our house be okay? What will happen?

Watching TV makes it too real, hard to keep watching.

I can't stop watching.

Trying to comfort my wife in the midst of my own stress and anxiety.

Hearing from so many lovely friends and family expressing concern.

Offers to help.

Help with what?

Not knowing what we will have to deal with.

I'm really glad we're here and have our cat, Eddie, with us.

Feeling that I should be there.

Also feeling glad we're not there.

Fearing the worst.

Praying for the best.

God watch and protect them all.

Election Day: Stuff That Matters. Stuff That Don't - 9/26/2022

We're 6 weeks and a day from Election Day for the mid-term election. Democrats are doing everything they can to make this election hinge on something, or some things, anything really, other than President Biden's abysmal performance. Generally speaking, as you all know well and good I'm sure, the mid-terms, especially during a President's first term are a referendum on the Presidency. The President is not on the ballot, per se, but giving a President control of Congress, or taking it away on the other hand, is a show of support or lack thereof. Joe Biden is an awful President. Jimmy Carter probably sends a box of donuts every Monday morning to Mr. Biden with a thank you card. "You're the worst! It's very kind of you to take me from atop the list while I'm still alive to see it!"

 

Having the mid-term be a referendum on an awful President will be a disaster for the Democratic Party. They know it. You know it. I know it. We all know it. So they're going to be talking about other stuff. What matters to me? What don't?

These things matter:

The economy matters. My 401k has had the worst year ever. I worked hard to save. Joe Biden and Democrats don't give two shits about us hard working (now retired) people like me who saved for this day.

Inflation matters. It's bad. But hey, fuel prices are down temporarily as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is being foolishly depleted, a $0.19 per gallon tax is temporarily waived, and demand is down because people are broke. Do you think prices will go up or down after the mid-term when the pressure of the election for the party in power is off? I know what I think. We need ramped up production, and Democrats are NOT where we're gonna get it.

Immigration matters. It's our national disgrace. I've written about it many times before. Rather than belabor it again this morning, let me say simply this: I am not calling for mass deportations. I know many are, I am not. I am calling to close the border to illegal entry. If it takes a wall and 87,000 border personnel of all types to manage it, we need to stop this ridiculous, uncontrolled, and unmanageable flow of people. We DO need immigrants. I don't hate them. Stopping illegal immigration is NOT bigoted. Don't listen to people saying that.

Fentanyl and other drug deaths matter. That's our most real and presently dangerous pandemic. It's destroying lives. How much of it is coming across the Mexico border? How much is in your city, state, town, or municipality?

Crime matters. Crime is on the ballot. Progressives are pushing, unfortunately successfully in many places, to reduce prison populations but NOT by reducing crime. No, they think the answer is returning violent, repeat offenders to the streets. A single day doesn't go by where I don't read about some violent awful person committing a violent crime shortly after being released on low or no bail by some George Soros backed progressive prosecutor, using the term prosecutor very loosely. Crime is a problem in every progressive city and municipality I can think of. It is on the ballot.

Green policies and mandates matter. I am all for our planet. My first love is our National Parks, the US landscape, and our wildlife. I DO believe our environment is important. We DO need to do better. What we don't need are mandates that cause more harm than they do good. I am not sold that battery power is a viable alternative to the pollution of gas powered vehicles on our highways. Will we ever feel confident that we can harness nuclear generated electricity again? I don't know, but I do feel that most of the green mandates I read about coming in blue states or from this Democrat dominated bunch in Washington are prematurely implemented and hurt our economy in the short term and simply hurt our environment just as badly or worse in the long term, just differently, than the carbon emissions they're replacing. How about don't mandate stuff before it's ready for prime time and the infrastructure, cost, and impact have been well studied and addressed.

Bizarre far left social agendas matter. I don't hate gay people, trans people, etc. But being accepted and loved and treated fairly is no longer enough. Now we who are not gay or trans are considered bigots by this radical fringe just for being ourselves. This bullshit with pronouns, come on! Chemical castration and surgical mutilation of kids? If you ask me it's child abuse. You show me a 7, 9, or 11 year old trans kid and I'll show you parents who have brainwashed their kid with some weird gender bullshit, probably thinking they're being so wonderful for not imposing some evil societal pressures on the kid to conform to their biological/genetic gender. And there are public officials and public service workers, including teachers, who feel it's their duty to society to support these misguided kids, damn their parents for trying to impose antiquated and stereotypical gender norms on the poor little victims. All their enlightenment has a dark, dark side to it. Let kids be kids. Support gay and trans adults. There is a difference. Accept gay and trans people and treat them fairly. Stop talking to children who aren't your own about these issues.

Our highly political DOJ, FBI, and other three-letter agencies matter. President Biden's administration has absolutely weaponized every agency to maintain their political power and the crush opposition. Electing a House and Senate to hold them in check is the only answer. It's the only way. The scary thing is that the Administration, Deep State, and leftists across the land think that what these agencies are doing is righteous and good. It's scary. We have a system of checks and balances. Right now they're out of balance and unchecked.

Racism don't matter in that it's NOT on the ballot. I mean, it matters, it's wrong and an evil, sure. But way too much is made to be about race when it's not about race at all. A booming economy booms for us all. Lower crime makes life better for us all. Productive, hard working immigrants of all colors make us a richer society. Racial quotas, gerrymandering, and manipulation of school admissions rather than on academics is racism. Shaping prison populations based on race rather than on criminal activity does as much harm or more than the little good it does. Stop manipulating outcomes and start understanding and addressing root causes. The most important things, nothing higher I don't care what you say, to academic achievement and to raising a law abiding society and lower prison populations is strengthening families and religious faith. That does not exclude persons from non-tradition families, nor does it exclude atheists or agnostics. I'll bet you anything that Black persons with a strong family and religious faith of one kind or another on average are doing better economically and socially than those without those are on average. Some of you probably think it's racist of me to affirm those two facts. Well some of you are stupid, brainwashed puppets.

Fascism don't matter, because it's NOT on the ballot. The President crossed a dangerous line when he called me and like minded people fascists. It's as if he is setting the stage for violence or something. We are a Constitutional Republic. I want fair and well run elections. I want no more or less representation in Washington and locally than what is spelled out in the US Constitution. I want my constitutionally protected rights. Freedom of speech and assembly. Freedom of religion. Right to bear arms. I want the right to health, happiness, and my own prosperity. That's not fascism. It's freedom. It is the exact opposite of a threat to our republic, to our freedom, to democracy. How in the hell people were convinced that "America first" is a threat to America is beyond me. But here we are.

And finally, Donald Trump don't matter, he is NOT on the ballot. Don't fall for it. This is a referendum on our failing President, Joe Biden, and on progressivism. It is NOT about Trump. Don't let them forget it, and don't you dare let them make you forget it, either. You can either empower Biden for the next two years, or you can neutralize him. Your choice.

Vote.

We Need To Remember His Name - 9/24/2022

Hey friends, did you hear about the MAGA teenager in North Dakota who was killed by a middle-aged Democrat just a couple of days after the President Biden and his spokesperson made the case to the American people that "MAGA Republicans" are dangerous? Do people know the dead boy's name?*

I don't know how much coverage the story got on mainstream (I mean leftist) news since I don't watch much news anymore. I am very comfortable saying, in fact confident in saying as a matter of fact, that had the two's political affiliations been the reverse, had a MAGA guy killed a Democrat, you'd have heard about nearly nothing else but that story on those same leftist "news" outlets. It would have been wall to wall and non-stop.

This death is a tragedy, and this killer is clearly a nut job of some sort or another. That doesn't exonerate Biden and his spokesperson's direct role in painting MAGA Republicans as a danger and a threat. A Harvard/Harris poll I posted the other day shows that a majority of Democrats do believe that we MAGA Republicans are a threat.

It doesn't help that Democrats on the Jan 6th Committee lie and exaggerate repeatedly about rioter/protester/trespassers killing Capital Police officers and other such dishonest nonsense. This perpetual vilification and demagoguery toward anyone and everyone who protests, objects to, or questions their agenda is dangerous. It needs to stop.

Cayler Ellingson, RIP

 

*His name is Cayler Ellingson. We should remember it. He did nothing wrong to have our President turn the nut jobs loose and kill him: Cayler Ellingson.

Bizarro World is Here! - 9/20/2022

Are you familiar with Bexar County Texas' Sheriff Javier Salazar? In the Bizarro World that shapes today's U.S. political discourse, Bexar County Sherriff Salazar is investigating the Governor of Florida for sending 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard.

Bexar County Texas Sheriff Salazar, a Democrat

When I heard that Salazar is investigating Governor DeSantis, my first thought was, how in the hell is Florida or its Governor in his jurisdiction? But then I heard he was a Democrat and I realized the investigation is nothing more than political douchebaggery. Yes, Salazar is a douchebag. Only in a bizarre world is a Texas Sheriff investigating a Florida Governor and a flight from Florida to Massachusetts. Bizarro World.

But something else about this seemed familiar or fishy to me and I couldn't place it. I never hear of Salazar before, did I? I don't think so. I haven't been to Bexar County, Texas, before, have I? I don't remember. I don't think so. Maybe, I guess. But something rang a bell, and I didn't know what it was about it. Hmmm? Then I read more about the story.

By Wednesday morning (June 29th), the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office (BCMEO) said it had received a total of 53 bodies

Oh, that Bexar County. Let me refresh your memory. Here's a link: CNN Jun 29, 2022. For those of you who may be a bit reluctant to click a link to a CNN story (I don't blame you), here's the bottom line. 53 migrants were found dead in an unrefrigerated trailer in Bexar County just a little less than 3 months ago. That would be found dead in Sheriff Salazar's jurisdiction. I am not blaming the sheriff. I don't blame him at all, actually. Our embarrassing and sometimes tragic immigration disaster is President Biden's fault. Those dead migrants are and will always be part of Joe Biden's legacy. Regardless of his lack of blame, Sheriff Salazar opening of a probe of the Governor of Florida is absolutely and utterly bizarre.

How the Bexar County Sheriff has legal standing to investigate the Governor of Florida escapes me. I don't know. How Bexar Sheriff Javier Salazar has the moral authority and the audacity to point fingers at anyone when migrants are dying right under his nose astounds me. Javier Salazar is a douchebag if ever there was one. He is practicing the brand of hypocritical, divisive, political douchebaggery that only a partisan hack can practice. He is NOT a serious person. He is not to be taken seriously. I will not take him seriously. I doubt Governor DeSantis will, either.

Bizarro World, my friends. We have entered Bizarro World. Sheriff Salazar welcomes you!

Immigration Quick Hitters for Friday - 9/16/2022

I really am going to try and keep this short and sweet today.

We can do better. Better for us. Better for them.

 

1. The Biden Administration has for over a year shuttled immigrants who entered the US illegally on airplanes, often under the cover of darkness, to points hither and yon, all around our country. Was there outrage and public outcry about the inhumanity of it all? No. Crickets.

2. The Biden Administration has deported back to Haiti large numbers of immigrants who entered the US illegally seeking refuge here. Was there outrage and public outcry about how un-American it is to send them back to Haiti? Of course not. Crickets.

3. I've seen estimates that 8000 people enter our country, the majority of them doing so illegally, every single day. An estimate 4000 per day enter into Texas alone. Similar reporting counts 2,000,000 thus far in 2022 and 4,000,000 during the Biden Administration. Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California get the vast majority of these, but Florida has quite a few. As a matter of fact, a good number of those in Florida were transported here by the Biden Administration. Outrage and outcry? Of course not, not from the left. Crickets. Fuck red states.

4. Just some silly number crunching. I read that Mayor Adams said New York City can't handle its estimated 11,000 illegal immigrants. Oh, really? Lemme do some math for you. 4,000,000 since President Biden took office, in a country of 360,000,000 is a little over 1%. You follow? New York has a population of 8.5 million, roughly. Do you know what 1% of 8.5 million is? It's 850,000. Somebody tell Mayor Adams that he needs to get ready because New York's fair share means there ought to be 839,000 more headed his way. Outrage and outcry that New York City won't do its fair share to accommodate the the 4,000,000? Of course not. Crickets. But, hey. Fuck Dl Rio, El Paso, Brownsville, and Yuma. Fuck all them cowboy hat wearing motherfuckers down there. This is their problem. It ain't ours.

5. I saw footage of Border officials under the Biden Administration unlocking a gate to allow persons to enter the US illegally via a Texas rancher's private property. Outrage and outcry? Oh, no. Again, not from the left. Hell no. Fuck Texas and a bunch of ranches on the border, right? 

6. Vice President Kamala Harris just recently declared that our border is secure. It's only secure if you think an open border is a secure border. Outrage and outcry? Of course not. There's enough stupid people who believe her. Fuck them other people. They're racists and bigots.

7. Frustrated by the total failure of the Biden Administration to manage the border and immigration, Governors of states overwhelmed and trampled underfoot by the endless passage of migrants begin transporting migrants to Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and now Martha's Vineyard. Outrage and outcry? Oh yeah, baby. You betcha. "Criminals!" Human Trafficking!" "Kidnapping!" "Bigotry!"

8. We have an illegal immigration problem. People in the third world countries from whence all these trespassers came and continue to come have heard the message loud and clear: The US border is open. There are no consequences to entering the US illegally.

9. Oh, lest I forget. They're saying Governor DeSantis and Governor Abbot ought to be arrested! You agree? Fuck you and fuck your fucking crickets, too.

10. Immigration needs reform. We don't need 87,000 new IRS agents. We need 87,000 of border agents, immigrant tracers (like contact tracers), social service workers, immigration judges, English as a second language teachers,etc. And we need real immigration laws that work. If 2,000,000 new immigrants a year is the right number for our economy and national stability, then establish infrastructure that can manage that. This shit we got working now don't work.

11. Note nowhere in here did I call for mass deportations. I just want this fixed. I have no problems with immigrants. I have a problem with this whole mess.

Our National Disgrace, Reprise - 9/15/2022

In July I wrote about our immigration disaster, calling it "Our National Disgrace". This morning I saw it reported that Governor DeSantis, the great governor of my great state, Florida, flew two planeloads of immigrants who entered the US illegally to Martha's Vinyard, famous among other things as the summer home of former president Barack Obama. In a separate report, I read that two busloads of immigrants were dropped off in front of Vice President Kamala Harris' residence in Washngton, DC.

Welcome to Martha's Vineyard! This guy don't seem to perturbed at having been given a free lift.

Hooray! We made it! Martha's Vineyard is the place to be!

 

Before I delve, I have seen posts on social media how degrading and dehumanizing transporting these folks to places such as these is. What? Listen up, dumbasses. Four million people have entered our country illegally under this administration, the vast majority accessing free passage across our border in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, courtesy of President Biden and his Administration. It was the voters of Washington DC, Martha's Vineyard, and of blue states, cities, and sanctuary cities across this country who put faraway border states into this crisis by rejecting former president Donald Trump and electing a nincompoop puppet controlled by the progressive left. 100 or 200 of these immigrants in DC or Martha's Vineyard verses 4,000,000 into CA, AZ, NM, and TX? Cry me a fucking river!

As far as I'm concerned, the governors of these states are doing precisely the right thing. They ought to have scheduled buses, and if affordable aircraft, operating to sanctuary cities and the very bluest of cities and states on a daily basis. They ought to offer every illegal entrant into our country optional free transportation on any one of the next 4-5 scheduled departures to the blue state or sanctuary city of their choice. I suggest they set up the frequency based on destination population. New York City is huge. Send 15-20 buses a day, at least. Chicago is big, too. 10-12 buses a day sounds about right. After Philadelphia, Chicago, New York, Boston, Minneapolis, Denver, Portland, Louisville, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC get their fair share, little old Martha's Vineyard won't be getting all that many, not hardly any at all.

I love the idea of dropping the Washington DC bound immigrants at Vice President Harris' residence. She's in charge of the border. She's the one lying about the border being secure.

Before I carry on further, I should mention that I saw proud social media posts about how the people of Martha's Vineyard are opening their hearts and taking action to accommodate and support the immigrants who were brought there. Bravo!!!!!! That's the spirit. Is two planeloads a day for two years okay then? I mean, as long as border states continue to be overwhelmed and flooded with the migrants the Biden Administration they voted for purposely allows to enter illegally, it seems only right that the people who made the bed ought to have to lie in it.

I'm not for transporting any immigrant to any of these places against their will. Let me make that perfectly clear. But as long as our immigration and border policy coming courtesy of blue state electoral mandate is for the US to have an open door and an open border, I see absolutely nothing wrong with offering these migrants transportation to the US sanctuary city or blue state of their choice. I recommend the Governors of AZ, TX, and FL, who thus far are the ones providing this transportation, make travel brochures highlighting the industries and job opportunities in each of these wonderful destinations. I'd include maps and instructions on how to apply for social services and state aid, where and how to find medical care in each, and a listing with addresses and phone numbers of all the homeless shelters and charitable soup kitchens, food banks, and pantries.

There are alternatives. But hey, as long as any and every alternative is portrayed by these same now indignant and outraged recipients of illegally entered migrants as bigoted and racist, we can't have none of that. So, failing to pass immigration reform, to aggressively police the border and enforce US immigration law, and failing to build a wall to thwart most illegal entry, the next best thing we can do is to help these people get to places where they'll find opportunity, support, and prosperity.

Joe Biden/Democrat Campaign Strategy, 2022 - 9/14/2022

Democrats and President Joe Biden, supported wholeheartedly by giant social and news media, have demonstrated very clearly what the strategy is for the 2022 Mid-Term Elections:

1. Trump, Trump, Trump, scary Trump, mean Trump, evil Trump, criminal Trump, spy Trump, Trump, Trump Trump*. This is most popular with voters with Trump Derangement Syndrome, which carries a large portion of Democrat voters..

* Trump is not on the ballot in 2022.

2. Abortion, abortion, abortion. Republicans want to ban ALL abortions. Even though this is demonstrably NOT true, with admittedly some Republicans who do, but not a majority, and even though many Democrats do NOT support late term (2nd and 3rd trimester) elective or birth control abortions, the party line is that Republicans will impose a 100% ban. No exceptions. It's not accurate, but it gets good traction.

3. MAGA is evil., MAGA is scary. MAGA is fascist! MAGA, MAGA, MAGA. Scary MAGA, mean MAGA, racist MAGA, misogynist MAGA, evil MAGA. Red hats, red hats, fear the red hats! Hate the red hats. Vote against the red hats.**

** Making America great again seems okay by me. I don't think of American greatness as evil. But with a certain crowd, this gets traction, too. Blame America first.

4. White supremacy. Antisemitism, militia groups... All of this is waiting in the GOP wings to seize control and to turn the USA into a racist's paradise. The news is already ramping up story after story about Antisemitism and extremist groups. All black, Hispanic, Asian conservatives, Republicans, and MAGA are uncle Tom's and to be ignored. They are not real minorities.

5. January 6th, January 6th, January 6th. All other riots and attempts to interfere with our governmental processes in the last 8-10 years are to be discounted and ignored. January 6th was the only one that ever happened that mattered. January 6th is more important that your job, grocery and gas prices, healthcare, Covid restrictions, everything. January 6th. Say it over and over. January 6th, damn it! January fucking 6th!!!!!!

6. The economy, the border, energy policy, military affairs, foreign affairs, failed Covid policies, failing schools, any and all other issues: if forced to discuss them, lie about them. Say that all is perfect and wonderful because of Joe Biden. If the lies fail, immediately change the subject to something listed in 1-5, above.

"Trump! Abortion! MAGA! White supremacists, racists, Antisemites! January 6th!!!!" Lather, rinse, repeat!

Mitch Can Go To Hell - 9/13/2022

I've been away from the blog for a little over a week. Some, but not all of the reason why has been taking care of family stuff. A guy has to have priorities. It is also because I'm so deeply troubled by how I see my beloved country being run that it's been hard to decide what to write about next. So many things keep swirling around my mind.

First, lemme talk about the way the Biden Administration is savagely pursuing anyone and everyone even remotely connected to Trump, who supports Trump in his complaints about the 2020 election, and January 6th. There is no doubt that there is a political motive for all this stuff. I'm on the record as saying Jan 6th was absolutely the wrong day for a protest of the 2020 election. Yes, I share the doubts, read that as grave concern, about how the election was run, how votes were collected, and how those votes were counted. I believe there were numerous legitimate reasons to protest. Because of that I don't agree Trump didn't cause an insurrection. The crooked elected officials, Democrat election bureaucracies, and corrupt FBI officials who all put their fingers on the scale to thwart Trump re-election caused it. They cast huge shadows of doubt over the outcome. Now the DOJ and FBI are treating every and any correspondence or pursuit of their intentional 2020 election scale tipping as criminal and an "assault on democracy". Hogwash. While people have no right to violent interference in the process, and I do condemn same, they have every right in the world to question it openly and to protest peacefully. For the record, many, many, many Democrats, including Biden Spokesperson Jean-Pierre, for starters, questioned 2016 vocally. "Not my President" and "Resist" were all a part of that. They conveniently forget.

The next thing is President Biden attacking MAGA as "Semi-Fascist". I've written about it before. I'll just say I've never seen dictatorial actions like what the Biden Administration is doing before in my life. This is way too much like the McCarthy Hearings of the 1950's all over again. No. What Biden is doing and has his FBI, DOJ shock troops led by Merrick Garland doing, and what his 87,000 IRS storm troopers will do once they're off to the races is chilling. Call them a fascist and then move to squash any and all criticism of and opposition to the regime? Unbelievable. But that's what Bidenism is. Totalitarianism, thy name is Bidenism.

I totally reject what Biden and his people are doing to attack Trump and Trump supporters. But I do wish Trump would step aside and let someone else run. Florida Governonr Ron DeSantis is my choice. He has done a great job down here. But mark my words, whoever it is, no matter who represents the GOP in 2024, that person will be attacked and called a bigot, homophobe, racist, fascist, etc. This is the Democrat playbook. They have nothing else to appeal to moderates and swing voters except killing babies and attacking their opponents.

How do we respond to all this? Defend Trump? Yep. Defend his contacts, allies, and supporters? Yes, sure. But the best response when you are confronted with these allegations that you had absolutely nothing to do with and which wouldn't change your mind about Democrats anyway, is to change the subject to the real issues that matter: the economy, the border... supposedly under control per VP Kamala Harris is laughable, our disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that left 13 dead, rolling blackout in California which are a prelude to implementation of green policies nationwide, murder and crime rates in Democrat controlled cities, filthy tap water in Democrat run cities, Biden's obviously failing mental health, etc. Policy after Biden policy is woke progressive bullshit that sounds good but which doesn't work and is wrong for our people's best interests and our country's future. "Trump this...." Response: "4 million illegal immigrants" "Fascist that..." Response "The FBI colluded with social media to interfere with the 2020 election." "MAGA this..." "If you think there's something wrong with American greatness, we have nothing to talk about." We can't take the bait. We have to talk about the issues.

Single issue people. So tiresome. The "Woman's right to choose" crowd. They allege that people like me want to outlaw abortions. That is simply not true. I support choice early in a pregnancy and even later in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother. I do reject discretionary abortions all the way to term, however. The response is always the same, "There are almost no discretionary, late-term abortions." Almost none? Gimme a break. If late-term birth control abortions don't happen and are NOT what you're after, then say so. Outlaw them. Don't give me your dishonest and tired rhetoric that they're hardly ever occurring. Put your stamp on it and say you don't support late-term discretionary abortions, rape, incest, and mother's physical health issues excluded. Why won't you? Because if you were being honest you'd admit that you feel it is okay, a right even, for a woman to kill a 30 or 33 week baby rather than to give birth to her? That's goddamned evil and makes you a baby killer in my book. Sorry, but late term, discretionary abortions is where me and the choice crown part company. Don't ignore the fact that they will try to swing the election for this very reason and that many, many people won't allow for this incredibly important distinction.

And lest I forget, there's Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the GOP establishment, who would rather stay in control of the GOP and be in the minority than to join forces with the MAGA crowd and be in the majority. Rich Mitch can make his millions and complain about the Democrats till the cows come home as Minority Leader. Seems to me this is how he wants it. Have you heard him protest the way the Biden SS are going after anyone and everyone who would dare to support Trump or question 2020? I don't hear a peep. Mitch can go to hell.

Go to hell, Mitch McConnell!

It Was Joe's Idea - 9/4/2022

Let me start with this: President Donald Trump is and was NOT my first choice in 2024. He just wasn't.

Also, I don't know what in the way of classified documents Trump had at Mar a Lago. Neither do you. The stuff he had there was under negotiated dispute. They were debating what was classified and what wasn't, what he could have, and what he couldn't. Was Trump being difficult? Probably. Were the bureaucrats being ridiculous? Probably so. If you ask me, there was no reason for the raid at all. None. There have been disputes with a good number of former public officials over classified materials in recent years. Trump was handled differently from all the others. Why? Because Trump incites Democrats and the left to irrationality. It's called Trump Derangement Syndrome, TDS for short. TDS is real. It is real as real can be.

The morning after the Mar a Lago raid I made a small donation to Donald Trump. Not because I support his candidacy, but because I am not a violent revolutionary and I felt compelled to send a peaceful signal that I, along with many millions of others, object to the way he is being treated by my government and also to show Trump that I support him.

Earlier this week President Biden started calling MAGA Republicans semi-fascists. See yesterday's blog post about what MAGA that means to me, as I am a MAGA former-Republican. What the f*** is a semi fascist, Joe? What, do we put our political enemies on the cattle car, but we don't kill them when they get to where we sent them? What a goddamned stupid thing for Joe to say. White House Spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre doubled down and again called us fascists, a threat to democracy, among other things. Biden's words are dangerous and seem to me to invite violence against anyone MAGA, making the case that our very existence is a threat to the country. Holy crap.

So last Wednesday, or maybe it was Thursday afternoon after Jean-Pierre doubled down, in addition to speaking out to anyone who would listen about the dangerous path Biden had taken, I made yet another small donation to Trump. This time I made it to show my anger at Biden's message and to show my support for MAGA Americans.

Then Thursday night Biden gave a speech that will forever live in infamy. He pissed me and so many others off it's crazy. Absolutely crazy. He called me "a threat to the very soul of this nation". This f***ing guy was supposed to be a uniter and he is stoking the fires of a second civil war. Totally and absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely disgusting. His speech left me fearful of violent and dangerous consequences. The only things missing in the Nazi-like setting was swastikas, pitchforks, and torches. The lighting sort of gave the feel of torchlight, but real torches would have better illuminated the insanity and evil of it.

My new hat gets lots of compliments. Many of us hate Joe Biden. He brought it upon himself.

Thursday evening after the shameful speech I went online and bought myself a "Let's Go Brandon" cap, with the red, white, and blue "FJB" on the side. Donations aren't enough. I want everyone to know that I reject Joe Biden and this divisive message. F*** Joe Biden. He's an awful President. Abysmal. He sucks. And he's an asshole, every bit the asshole that they think makes Trump unacceptable, Biden is and that's a fact.

So, two donations and a cap that gets compliments everywhere I wear it later, I found myself thinking, 'whose idea was it to attack half of our citizens like this?' And before you start with the "Trump did it, too" bullshit, lemme tell you something. Trump isn't my first choice in 2024 and he isn't our President now. You're making f***ing excuses instead of calling this what it was, un-presidential, inexcusable, and inappropriate. Call it wrong or shut the f*** up. When you say, "But Trump," what I hear is I won't call the unacceptable unacceptable anymore. But, in essence, you're admitting it was unacceptable. You're just okay with it when someone other than Trump does it about Trump or Trump supporters.

Whose idea was it to attack half of Americans like that? Conservative pundit Jesse Kelly reports it was Joe's idea. Do you believe him? I do. As reported by Michael Goodwin in an excellent piece in the NY Post this morning, Biden's aides tried to talk Joe out of making this divisive speech, but he pulled rank. This was the message he wanted to deliver. And he delivered it alright.

Just remember: It was Joe's idea. So I'm going to wear my new hat. People seem to like it, anyway. Let's go Brandon. FJB!

Why Am I "MAGA"? What MAGA Means To Me - 9/3/2022

Since 2016 I've been called a lot of names. The most recent are semi-fascist, a threat to our democracy, and a threat to the soul of our nation. Why? Because simply I'm a part of the MAGA crowd. What does MAGA mean to me, and why is it important enough to me to claim to be a part of it in the face of such direct criticism?

A threat to our country?

First and foremost, to me MAGA means putting the USA first. Our interests: social, economic, geopolitical, medical, natural resources, food, militarily, environment, climate, and every other single thing thing else, without any exception, the policy of the US government should FIRST ensure our needs and best interests are its highest priority before ANY foreign entity's interests.

Second, MAGA means put the USA's citizens over everyone else. That doesn't mean deport, arrest, demean, vilify, or do any other bad thing to someone who's not a citizen. It means protect the interests of citizens first and primarily before we look after the welfare of non-citizens. I am especially and very specifically referring to non-citizens who are here illegally as I type this.

MAGA means not only that the government needs to get out of the way of US businesses as they try to produce, and in doing so make the livelihood of their employees and shareholders better and more financially lucrative, it means the going further than that. It means the government ought to be facilitating improved productivity and ensuring American businesses and workers are advantaged verses our foreign competition. Foreign business are our competition. It is a competition. It is us or them, a choice. I choose us.

MAGA means reducing crime by whatever and every means necessary. Non-citizens here illegally who commit violent crimes ought to be deported directly and promptly after they have finished their punishment in prison without exceptions. There should be no release onto US soil or transition back into free US society at all. Ship em home right away. Non-citizens here legally should have their US residency status reviewed and potentially face deportation depending on the crime they're convicted of. US citizens should be given every opportunity for rehabilitation, and if they're beyond rehabilitation, then separated from society permanently in a way that prevents future threats to society.

MAGA means protecting the sovereignty of the US by protecting and managing our border. Immigration is extremely important and beneficial to the USA. Illegal immigration is a total failure of the US government and an embarrassment. Fix it.

MAGA to me means opportunity and justice should be color blind. Rather than race, color, or religion factoring into which opportunities we are afforded or denied, the priorities ought to be 1) US citizens, 2) foreigners here legally, 3) otherwise law-abiding foreigners here illegally who have formally applied for legal residency status. 4) nobody else.

MAGA means ensuring that the US Constitution as written and originally intended is the supreme law of the land. It is a living document ONLY in that there is a process for amending it, NOT in that it can be interpreted differently with the passage of time because the winds of public opinion have blown in some weird or new direction.

MAGA means my rights are given by God and NOT by the US government, and that I believe the US government is prohibited by the US Constitution from trampling those rights.

MAGA means rooting out and eliminating the Deep State, the 4th branch, the un-elected bureaucrats in D.C. who wield way, way, way too much power and who proved during the Trump Presidency to believe their stature has a supremacy and supercedes that of the three branches established by the US Constitution.,

MAGA means I love the USA. I love our imperfect history, our founding documents, our flag, our way of life. I love freedom, patriotism, and I will speak out against policies, statements, or opinions that seem to me to be to the detriment of the long-term safety, security, and prosperity of the USA.

MAGA does not mean I'm a Republican. I used to be, but these days I can't stand most of them pricks. I like some of them, but not most of them. MAGA does mean I'm not a Democrat, though. In my opinion Democratic Party leaders act in ways contrary to a whole bunch of the stuff I wrote above that's important to me.

MAGA does not mean that President Donald J Trump is my deity, infallible, perfect, or anything else. I applaud him for having the guts to make putting the USA first out there in the face of so many who have so consistently sold us out. I will vote for him again if he is the nominee, but he is NOT my preference or first choice.

MAGA does not mean I hate anyone based on their race, creed, or color.

MAGA does not mean I am a fascist. The hell with the prick and his spokesperson who both said that earlier this week.

MAGA does not mean I am a threat to the very soul of our democracy. We're a Constitutional Republic, by the way, not a democracy.

MAGA does not mean I am violent or prone to violence, political or otherwise. Yes, I will take up arms to protect he USA from our enemies, foreign and domestic.

MAGA does not mean that I am an extremist. If you think any of the stuff I wrote above is extremist, fascist, racist, etc., maybe you ought to re-evaluate your own beliefs and opinions. Of maybe you should just go fuck yourself.