2.27.16
I have a new name for the Republican Presidential Debates, I can now call it
The Stupidest Show on Earth
The last Republican debate was an absolute joke. It was not even a debate, it was just an insult contest. Trump, Rubio and Cruz acted like a bunch of 5th graders in a school yard name calling and yelling insults at each other. I was waiting for the “You’re mama’s so fat….” insults to start. Kasich and Carson are the only ones that seemed even slightly presidential, and they are both so far behind in the poles that they don’t have a chance. The only reason I can see that they are in the race is to try to collect enough delegates to trade the for a V.P. nod or perhaps a cabinet position.
Hillary Clinton won a chaotic Nevada primary where the party leaders seemed more than a little bias toward Clinton, disqualifying a bunch of delegates that favored Sanders and ending with a bogus voice vote that was declared favoring Clinton but sounded more like it favored Sanders. Clinton went on to clobber Sanders in South Carolina, and going into Super Tuesday all the talking heads on tv seem to think she’ll clean his clock and all but wrap up her nomination. The apparently shady dealings in Neveda seem to clearly demonstrate the bias favoring Clinton that exists within the Democrat Party. One other observation, in the Democratic Party Debates Clinton and Sanders maintain a respectful decorum that is sadly missing in the Republican forums.
The overall truth is that I really don’t see a candidate from either party that I think would make a good president. I am not a Hillary fan. Like most Americans I do not feel that she is trustworthy or capable of being an effective leader. She has shown that she is weak and incompetent, and was a complete failure as Secretary of State. Cruz is an effective speaker but is too reactionary and radical right, I don’t think he can unite this country. Rubio is more moderate but after the last debate I doubt his ability as a leader, and his chances of getting nominated are slim to none. Trump, who looks like he will be the Republican nominee at this point, has a mix of views that range from far left on some subjects to far right on others, but makes a lot of promises that makes me wonder about his ability to do what he says he can do. Some of his ideas are pretty radical, but overall he and Rubio are the most centrist of the republican candidates. Trump may be a sort of a pied-piper type of candidate. Of the Republicans Kasich seems to make the most sense and seems to have a persona that seems somewhat presidential, he has pretty far right views but seems reasonable and capable. I generally like Carson but he seems to have a hard time expressing and explaining his ideas. Bernie Sanders is another candidate that seems to be playing the pied-piper song, promising everything to everybody with no realistic way to deliver on the promises.
I agree with Sanders on income inequality and that the economy is rigged to benefit the rich, I just don’t think that wealth distribution through more taxes and government control is an overall effective way to solve the problem. I do agree that the wealthy can afford to (and should) pay more taxes, but that is only a small part of the solution to income inequality. There is a lot that can be done to level the economic playing field besides redistribution through taxation. One thing that would make a small difference that I would like to see is some laws passed limiting the compensation of CEO’s, CFO’s, Board of Directors and other upper level fat cats that are getting rich at the expense of the average worker. I believe that more money should go to wages, benefits and retirement funds of rank and file employees. Then to stockholders and bondholders who hold those assets in retirement funds, tax deferred college funds, etc. (aka: the little guy), before the top one percent cut up the rest.
The Raving Moderate on Income Inequality
1.25.16
The stock market hit lows not seen since 2008 this month, and it has dropped 1,600 points since the first of the year. Yet housing prices are approaching all time highs, auto sales are up and the unemployment rate and the under-employment rate are down. Oil dipped below $30 a barrel, and this is considered a negative for the economy and is being cited by the talking heads as the primary reason for the stock market mini-crash. It is now cheaper for Americans to fuel their cars, heat their homes and purchase anything made from petroleum products, manufactured using petroleum products and/or transported using petroleum products, (which covers about everything we use, make or consume) yet this is causing our stock market to plummet? Yes, I understand that this will cause some pain in the oil industry, but 97% of Americans will benefit from lower oil prices. I don’t get it. Interest rates are so low it seems foolish to save money. The government tells us inflation is low but everything except gas costs more. We over react to everything that happens not only here in the U.S., but in the rest of the world as well. No wonder we are in a constant state of economic confusion.
Oh well, I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring ………
1.3.16
There was an interesting article in the Ventura County Star today about the voting demographics of, where else, Ventura County. in 2000 there were approximately 150,000 Democrats, 161,000 Republicans, 53,000 Independents (or, as the article refers to Independents “no party preference”) and 21,000 other (party). In 2015 there are 153,000 Democrats, 132,000 Republicans, 86,000 Independents and 22,000 other.
In 2000 the population was 756,000 and in 2015 it is 840,000. In 15 years the population went up over 80,000 people but the total registered voters only went up by about 8,000. In 2000 51% of the population was registered to vote, today it’s less than 47%.
Why didn’t the number of registered voters keep up with the population increase? Indifference to politics? Illegal immigration (aka: larger non voting population)? Something else? Since the county population average age has gotten slightly older over the past 15 years it appears there may be a bit of political disinterest in the younger generations.
Obviously a lot of voters abandon both parties and changed their party affiliation to “no party preference”. Both the Democrats and “Other” were apparently able to get 1 new voter for every voter they lost to either normal attrition or changing parties. The Republicans lost almost 30,00 voters that they could not replace. The Independents gained about 33,000 voters. Obviously neither party can win an election in Ventura County unless they get a good share of the Independent vote. I wonder how many are truly Independent or moderate voters and how many are MINO’s (Moderates In Name Only).
BTW, I think MINO is an original acronym. I Googled it after I kinda cloned it from the RINO and DINO acronyms and didn’t find any reference to it.