2016 Elections

Just some comments, etc re: the 2016 election.

First, last night, Dr. Ben Carson referred to Saul Alinsky and his "useful idiots" idea, which is actually a quote from Lenin, although whether he said it or not is up for debate.

From Wikipedia, "useful idiot is a term for people perceived as propagandists for a cause whose goals they are not fully aware of, and who are used cynically by the leaders of the cause"

Regardless of the origins, the idea stands.

I encourage my friends, regardless of ideology, to think for themselves. Research any statistics, ideas or agendas put forth by anyone, from any political or "news" organization. Many times, the truth is far from what is put out there.

And PLEASE do not get your information from comedians. While I enjoy John Stewart, Bill Maher and John Oliver, they should not be the source of facts.

For those who think Fox News has an agenda, you are correct. But if you think MSNBC, CNN and other Main Stream Media do not, you are incorrect. Take the information fed to you by these news sources with a large grain of salt. Use it as a jumping off point for your own research on a topic, but do not take anything from any news source as gospel.

Donald Trump said something to the effect that the US has become too PC. I totally agree. I also think he is a blowhard, but that is neither here nor there.

I, for one, would love to have a Libertarian candidate to vote for. The fact that the major outlets, including Fox, are excluding viable Libertarian candidates, is reprehensible. The two party system in the US is a complete sham and shame.

As for my Republican friends, if you are sick and tired of Democrat control over our government, then you really need to look at who can win the general election. It is a never ending source of amusement for me to see candidates from both parties go to the extreme edges of their ideology during a primary, only to come to the center for the general election, only to go towards the extreme end of their ideology after winning.

If Republicans hope to win the general election, they need to nominate the candidate with the best chance of winning, not your favorite among the "choices" you have been presented with.

In my opinion, that is Marco Rubio. He is young, Hispanic, son of immigrants and worked his way through the American Dream to get where he is. He is also articulate and thoughtful.

Ben Carson is clearly the smartest, and most "normal guy" among the group, but he is too "god said this" to win in a general election. Although many people go to a house of worship, very few actually follow all the teachings of their chosen religion.

Jeb Bush seems to be the most qualified all around, but his last name will doom him.

To my Democrat friends, does it not bother you that Hillary is basically anointed as the D candidate? I know it would bother me if my party basically handed the candidacy to a person without any real opposition.

To all my friends, please do not vote based on race, sex, hair color or any other silly thing such as that.

Finally, recognize that any time a group is addressed in a demeaning manner "Clown Car", "Guntards", "Birthers", "Bible Thumpers", recognize that this is a tactic designed to dehumanize and discredit the group before thoughts are engaged.

It is a useful tactic, as it puts the target group on the defensive and diminishes their ideas, before a conversation is had. It is also a tool used by agenda driven people to advance their own, usually opposite, agenda.

As one example, many "news" organizations are referring the the number of Republican Candidates as a "clown car". That car has a billionaire business man, several senators, a Rhodes Scholar, a brain surgeon, CEO of a multi billion dollar organization and several governors. If you were invited to an event where these people were key note speakers, I am quite sure the event would not be referred to as a clown car.

 You may notice that I did not put any demeaning terms in this list that refer to Democrat or Liberal ideology. That is truthfully because I could not think of any terms, in common use, among news outlets, that fit the bill. I am open to suggestions.

 In conclusion, please think critically, take everything from all sources with a grain of salt, and vote with your mind and not with your heart in the coming elections.