Re: Fw: Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren, the future of America and the vote in Nahant

[Robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

 > From: Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > Date: Wed, 9 Mar 2016 16:10:06 +0000 (UTC)
 >
 > ----- Forwarded Message -----
 >  From: Jim <http://www.gmail.com/~jimbonahant>
 >  To: 
 >  Sent: Tuesday, March 1, 2016 8:49 PM
 >  Subject: Donald Trump, Elizabeth Warren, the future of America and the vote in Nahant
 >    
 > Here is an overview of the vote in Nahant. The total number of
 > votes cast was 1,472. Of those votes,986 took Democratic ballots, 480
 > took Republican ballots. The Democratic race was close with
 > Secretary Clinton receiving 498 votes, edging out Senator Sanders at
 > 467.

Always keep in mind: regression to the mean.

 > Â The Republican race was dominated by Donald Trump
 > who received 280 votes, followed by Kasich at 91, Rubio at 51 and
 > Carson at 16. Just before I went to Town Hall to fetch the
 > results of todayâ??s voting in Nahant, I listened to Mark
 > Shields and David Brooks anticipate the evening on the PBS
 > NewsHour. For many years Iâ??ve listened to these two go back
 > and forth on the issues of the day and, though I lean to the Left and
 > am therefore more sympathetic to and entertained by Mark Shields, I
 > have always enjoyed listening to David Brooks and reading his column
 > in the New York Times. He is a thoughtful and articulate traditional,
 > conservative Republican.

Thoughtful, maybe.  Articulate, not really.

 > It is significant, therefore, that he
 > referred to Mr. Trump as a â??bigoted buffoon.â??He
 > did not go on to say, â??But heâ??sour bigoted
 > buffoon.â?? Later I also had an exchange with a Nahant voter
 > who I know to have Republican tendencies even though she is registered
 > as â??Unenrolled.â??I was surprised to hear her
 > admit that she had pulled a Democratic ballot this time just to vote
 > for Hillary Clinton. Why? Because â??sheâ??s
 > the only one who can defeat Donald Trump!â?? 

Not really.  I think it's because she's the only real Republican on the
ticket.  Admittedly, a moderate Republican, but a Republican nevertheless.

 > I think
 > thatâ??s true. This is the sort of stuff that makes
 > Donald Trumpâ??s day. Itâ??s all about
 > him. Itâ??s not Democrats versus Republicans, Left versus
 > Right, Progressives versus Conservatives. From his point of view
 > itâ??s Donald Trump versusâ?¦losers. He is living as
 > lion, not as a sheep. 

Actually, I'm convinced that it is Hillary that's the Ubermensch.

 > Mussolini would approve. Â My
 > intention had been to vote for Bernie in the primary, confident that I
 > would be voting Hillary in the general.

There's no way I will ever vote for Clinton.  Ever.  Just like I would
never vote for Obama.

 > I like Bernie. I generally
 > like his philosophy. Iâ??m sympathetic to his point of
 > view.  But, I think we are living in dangerous times,
 > domestically and internationally. Domestically, I think that
 > Hillary will be able to achieve the maximum of the achievable,

Which is to say, disasterous and literally life-threatening trade deals.

 > especially if the Republicans retain control of the Legislative
 > branch.

At least Bernie would actually veto something, unlike Obama.

 > Iâ??m afraid that Bernie would keep his promise to
 > start all over again on the issue of health care instead of focusing
 > on improving the less-than-perfect Obamacare.

I think Obamacare could be improved.  But, it was definitely need to have
the end goal of Medicare for All.

 > We have fought that
 > battle. We need to look at other things. Internationally, we
 > have entered a very dangerous period and the dangers are not of our
 > choosing. They are being imposed on us by turmoil in the Middle East,
 > a resurgent and provocative Russia under Putin,

Umm, this is definitely the least of my worries.  Of course, Putin is an
asshole, but Russia is the not the problem.  The real threat to peace is
the United States.

 > increased restiveness
 > in the Third World,

Is this a euphemism?

 > droughts and typhoons and other natural disasters,

Out of control consumerism and the associated climate crisis are
definitely big problems.

 > the possible end to the European Union,

I can guarantee you that this will not happen.

 > and a whole slew of
 > things that cannot be predicted but will appear on our door step with
 > bared teeth, piercing eyes and clenched fists.

This is exactly why Clinton is wrong.  The correct reaction is to turn the
other cheek, not to strike back.

 > In those situations, I
 > trust Secretary Clintonâ??s steadiness, her experience and,
 > most importantly, her ability to learn from that experience. 

I'm sorry to say that this has not only learned nothing, she will never
pick up new lessons.  See

 http://www.amazon.com/My-Turn-Hillary-Clinton-Presidency/dp/1682190323

 > The thought of Mr. Trump sitting in the Oval Office with the nuclear
 > button too close to his stubby fingers and the American military at
 > his beck and call is truly frightening.

Frightening, of course, but no more than Clinton IMHO.

 > Â Yet, there is deep
 > dissatisfaction in the land and legitimately so. It is a
 > dissatisfaction that both the Trump and the Sanders campaigns have
 > tapped into but in very different ways. I am concerned that Mayor
 > Bloomberg may decide to jump into the race,

He already declined.

 > seeing himself as a
 > viable candidate (â??If Trump can do it, why not
 > me!?â??) and, if Bernieâ??s people do not support
 > Hillary in the general election,

I won't.

 > it may be that no one gets a
 > majority in the Electoral College. That would mean that the Republican
 > House could electthe Republican candidate, Donald Trump, as the next
 > President of the United States.

Unlikely, but possible.  G.W. Bush was president, after all.

 > Â There are less dire scenarios,
 > of course, but there are too many uncertainties for me to be able to
 > sleep well tonight. Â Elizabeth Warren may be the medicine we
 > need to heal our Democratic wounds and to bring us together. I can
 > imagine Elizabeth and Bernie going to his young people, his diehards,
 > his true believers and telling themâ?¦hereâ??s your
 > choice, Clinton or Trump, the one may not be perfect but the other
 > would be a complete disaster.  I love Elizabeth. I think she
 > can pull us through.  Jim, Nahant ...in the final
 > analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this
 > small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our
 > children's future. And we are all mortal.  John F. Kennedy American
 > University, June 10, 1963