GOP & DEM Debate News, Hillary & FoxNews Sunday

Don't have a lot of time but wanted to post a blog about the above subject matter before too much time passed. I'll start with the recent GOP debate held Thursday.

After all was said and done, I can't say there was a definitive winner. Each candidate had something of value to offer. Each had their ups and downs, pros and cons. And as I've said many times before, any of the contenders on the GOP side would make a better president than Hillary or Bernie.

However, with the above being said,  I have to say I was rooting for Cruz but was a bit disappointed. I thought he had a perfect opportunity sans The Donald, to rise in stature, take charge and become the winner of the debate. That did not happen. His performance wasn't the worst, but it certainly could have been better.

As for the absence of Mr. Trump.

Didn't bother me one iota. In fact, it left a lot more time and oxygen for the other candidates to make their points and debate issues.

Btw, I've read that the debate had way more eyeballs watching than were tuning into The Donald's fundraiser for the Vets. Normally I wouldn't even bring this up cause who wouldn't want money raised for our wounded warriors? But since Trump along with the MSM kept touting how his absence would ruin ratings for Fox, how no one would watch without The Donald being there, we now know it didn't. Fox News' debate 'trumped' The Donald's event by a large margin.

Also, of the $6 million raised at Mr. Trump's rally, $1 million was donated by The Donald (thank you Mr. Trump), another by good buddy, Carl Icahn. Once all is said and done, the funds raised goes into the Trumpster's private foundation and not directly to Vets. Just wanted to make that point. I'll be curious to see how Mr. Trump disburses the $6 million to the various Vet organizations.

Btw, recently heard rumors that there will be 4 more additional Democratic debates in the future. That Hillary's been asking for them, Bernie has agreed and now it's up to the Democratic National Committee to close the deal. It'll be interesting to see when these debates will take place and where.

As for Hillary and the email issue. Things are getting worse. CNN reported the following:

"The State Department announced Friday that it will not release 22 emails from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because they contain "top secret" information, the highest level of government classification".

Hasn't Mrs. Clinton stated ad nauseum that none of her email on her personal server was classified??? Also mentioned in the CNN piece was the fact that several of these emails were between herself and President Obama. I would imagine that's pretty serious stuff and would definitely be deemed classified.

Also in regard to the Hillary email scandal, it's been said that the "DOJ & FBI are "Super Pissed Off" at the Obama White House over the Clinton investigation". Read the full story here:

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/reporter-doj-fbi-super-pissed-off-at-obama-white-house-over-clinton-investigation-video/

No doubt the plot is thickening, the knives are sharpening and the drip, drip, drip of a  'death by a thousand cuts' strategy to reel Hilllary in and ruin her chances of election is continuing. By whom? Not sure. However, I do know that there's much more to the story and some day it's all going to come out. As I've said before, the House of Cards series has NOTHING on the Clintons...

Last, I watched Fox News' interviews this morning with Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. There's no doubt the treatment of each candidate for president was handled differently. Chris Wallace who conducted the interviews challenged Cruz relentlessly while he practically bowed and scraped to The Donald. It was quite disturbing to watch. What happened to Fox News' mantra of  'fair and balanced'???

One interesting tidbit also in regard to Fox News.  I don't know how much of this is just coincidental or not, but according to Media Matters, the Frank Luntz focus groups often seen on Fox News, is in the tank for Rubio. Why do they say this? According to the article, Rubio has hired Frank Luntz in the past. Definitely food for thought if you watch Fox at all. Here's a link to the MM article:

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/01/29/fox-allows-gop-pollster-frank-luntz-to-tout-mar/208260

Bottom line.

This is one of the most interesting, challenging and game changing elections I've ever experienced. With 24/7 tv & cable coverage, access to the internet for fact checking, blogs to read, talk radio to listen to and town hall meetings being held by candidates that are covered by C-SPAN,  there's a lot to sift through and digest. Makes my head spin sometimes!

Gallop Polls

Here's a link to the most recent gallop polls in regards to the presidential races. Also included in the article are polls from as far back as the Clinton and Bush days. Thought provoking ...

http://www.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/188936/trump-negative-image.aspx

Trump Not Joining Fox Debate Thursday Night

The Donald has been threatening to drop out of the Fox News Debate this coming Thursday but I didn't take him seriously. Well, minutes ago it was reported by the Washington Post that he's definitely not going to participate. Then it was reported live on Fox News. The plot thickens ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/26/trump-will-definitely-not-participate-in-fox-debate-campaign-says/?tid=sm_tw

Leadership Project For America

Here is a link to a fantastic website that is one-stop shopping in regards to the upcoming presidential race. The site provides detailed information on all the candidates, grades and comparisons for each candidate and the most updated news and events in regards to the presidential race. Check it out. Well worth the time.

http://leadershipprojectforamerica.org/

Rush Limbaugh Takes A Stand

Good to learn that Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin, two conservative talk show hosts I admire, take a stand against how Donald Trump has been attacking Ted Cruz. It's one thing to battle the issues... that's what the race is all about and to be expected. Wouldn't have it any other way. But it's another to get down and dirty and attack others the way The Donald has. It makes him look small and petty and eventually it wears thin. All you have to do is follow Mr. Trump's tweets on a regular basis to see what I mean. Earlier in the game I thought The Donald might be the answer to 'make America great again'. Not any more. My support is now with Mr. Cruz. Read on:

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/rush-limbaugh-trump-making-mistake/2016/01/18/id/709916/

FITN NH GOP Presidential Town Hall

 Attended the FITN GOP Presidential Town Hall in NH over the weekend. Though many featured speakers and presidential candidates did not make the scene due to the snowstorms in the DC area and Mid-Atlantic, it was still a lot of fun, educational and very informative.

Originally, former VP Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz, were to speak at the opening dinner Friday night. Due to the storm they couldn't make it. However, Mr. Cheney spoke to the crowd via a video message. He said a few words about the race and how the upcoming election might be one of the most important in our life time.

Shortly after,  newly elected Senator from Nebraska, Ben Sasse,  Mr. Cheney's replacement,  gave one of the most impressive speeches I've ever heard. Wish I had recorded it. In fact I've searched and searched the web to see if there was a video link to post, but to no avail.

In any case, his speech was incredibly inspirational and eloquent. If his future actions meet the level of Friday night's speech, there's a very successful career ahead of him. Below is a picture of Mr. Sasse and also a link about the junior Senator: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Sasse.

Saturday was spent listening to John Kasich, governor of Ohio and Rand Paul, Senator from Kentucky. Both were interesting and made good points on various topics. Of note was Kasich's folksy, down to earth style. Very relatable. Someone you'd enjoy a drink with. According to a recent poll, he's in 2nd place in NH. Here's a link about Kasich: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kasich

Paul's style was a bit more formal though no less impressive. He made some thought provoking remarks about the Middle East and the budget. Here's a link to learn more about him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rand_Paul

Both candidates, as well as all of the other speakers took shots at the Democrats and especially Hilary Clinton.

Next was lunch with Gorvernor Matt Bevin of Kentucky.  He is only the 3rd republican governor elected in Kentucky since WW2.

Afterward, we ran into Byron York, a journalist with the Washington Examiner and also White House correspondent for the National Review.

Had an interesting chat with him for about 10 to 15 minutes. He was curious as to whom we liked and what we thought about Donald Trump. When I asked whom he liked for president, he declined to answer. Guess he thought he should be the one asking the questions!

Last was dinner with Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton. Curt Shilling was supposed to show but like a few others,  had cancelled.

One thing that I'd like to note,  is that out of everyone we chatted with, not one person said they were for Donald Trump. Also interesting was the fact that the friend I attended the event with and lives in NH, also noted that no one they know is supporting The Donald either. Yet the polls have him leading. Very interesting.

So though quite a few of the current GOP presidential candidates did not show up at the event,  it was wonderful being surrounded with like minded people who want nothing more than the GOP to win the next presidential election.

In closing, I'm going to include a picture of and a bit of info from Wikipedia about an interesting character seen cruising the event and being interviewed. His name is Vermin Love Supreme. Gotta love the name!

"Vermin Love Supreme^[1] (born c. 1961) is an American performance artist and activist who has run as a candidate in various local, state, and national elections in the United States.^[2][3][4] Supreme is known for wearing a boot as a hat and carrying a large toothbrush.^[5] He has said that if elected President of the United States, he will pass a law requiring people to brush their teeth.^[2][6][7][8] He also campaigned in 2012 on a platform of zombie apocalypse awareness (and zombie-based energy plan) and time travel research,^[9] and he promises a free pony for every American.^[10] Supreme claims to mock the political system.^[2][11] In 2011, he participated in the Occupy Boston protests.^["

Don't you wish Mr. Supreme were running ???

In Regards To Naturalized Citizens ...

According to Wikipedia's bio of Donald Trump, his wife Melania Knauss, though born in Slovenia became a 'naturalized citizen' in 2006 after marrying The Donald. But according to Trump, Ted Cruz is NOT a' naturalized citizen' though he was born to an American mother and lived most of his life in the states? What's wrong with this picture??? Below are 2 excerpts from Wikipedia about Trump and Cruz that address the 'naturalized citizenship' issues:

"In 1998, Trump began a relationship with Slovenian-born fashion model, Melania Knauss.^[305][306] They became engaged in April 2004^[307] and were married on January 22, 2005 at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, on the island of Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Trump's Mar-A-Lago estate.^{[308][309][310]} In 2006, Melania became a naturalized U.S. citizen. "

"Ted Cruz was born on December 22, 1970,^[4][5] at Foothills Provincial General Hospital^[6][7] in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to parents Eleanor Elizabeth (Darragh) Wilson and Rafael Bienvenido Cruz.^[8][9][10] At the time of his birth, Cruz's parents had lived in Calgary for three years and were working in the oil business as owners of a seismic-data processing firm for oil drilling.^{[9][11][12][13][14]} Cruz has said, “I’m the son of two mathematicians/computer programmers.”^[15] The family lived in Calgary's St. Andrews Heights neighborhood and later the affluent Elbow Park neighborhood^[6] until his father suddenly abandoned the family and moved to Texas in 1974.^[16] Cruz and his mother moved into a townhouse complex in the southeast suburbs of Calgary, and were residing there when later in 1974 Cruz's father, who had joined a Baptist Bible study, reconciled with Cruz's mother and the family relocated to Houston.^[6]"

"Rafael Cruz was born in Cuba, and his father was from the Canary Islands in Spain. Ted Cruz's mother was born in Wilmington, Delaware, and is of three quarters Irish and one quarter Italian ancestry.^[17][18] His father left Cuba in 1957 to attend the University of Texas at Austin and obtained political asylum in the United States after his four-year student visa expired.^[19] Rafael Cruz earned Canadian citizenship in 1973^[6] and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2005.^{[9][20][21][22]} His mother earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Rice University in the 1950s.^[23] Eleanor and Rafael Cruz divorced in 1997."

Nothing like the pot calling the kettle black!

Palin Endorses Trump

Watching Palin's endorsement of Trump. Sorry. But she sounds absolutely manic. Jury's out as to whether she helps or hurts the Donald.

Democratic Debate Tonight

If interested, Hilary, Bernie and O'Malley will be debating tonight on NBC at 9pm. Pre-game show starts at 8.

The Donald's Take on NY Values

Here's a link to a video of The Donald talking with Tim Russert back in 1999. Interesting...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHAHKGP10yc

Benghazi News

Wow! Benghazi attacks were planned way in advance in opposition to Hilary's claims... Worth a few minutes watching. This is mind blowing.

https://www.facebook.com/ColRobManess/videos/1085717341443700/

Cruz Apologizes About NY Values Comments

Here's a link to a video showing Ted Cruz apologizing for remarks made about New York values:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cszk3lmXLbw

January 14, 2016 GOP Presidential Debate

Watched the GOP debate on FBN in its' entirety Thursday night.  Was never bored. Not even for a minute.  The hosts were professional and kept it moving. Yet were fair in letting candidates respond to one another over heated issues. Very well done.

For the first debate, held at 6pm,  I felt all three candidates did very well. But no particular candidate stood out overall.

However, the more I think about and listen to Carly Fiorina, the more convinced I am that she would be great at heading up Cyber Security and Technology for the U.S. government in one form of another.  It could be a cabinet position or working as a liaison between the White House, FBI, the CIA, the military and/or the Pentagon in regards to breaches and/or tracking terrorists. With her technology back round and leadership skills, she would be a huge asset in this day and age.

Moving on to the main event at 9.

What a debate! Was there a clear, single winner? I don't think so.

During the first part of the debate I thought Cruz was fabulous. His opening remarks, delivery, etc. were spot on and powerful. His response on the birther issue was a true winner and left The Donald somewhat impotent. Overall, Cruz seemed to have the crowd with him and was laser sharp on all accounts. I thought this is it. Ted's going to out perform everyone else and be declared the winner.

But then his statements in regards to 'New York values' put him on the defense and The Donald responded in a way that left Ted silent. Since I hadn't known about the statements,  I had no idea what exactly was said and wasn't sure what to think. So I looked it up and here's exactly what Mr. Cruz said:

“Donald comes from New York and he embodies New York values.”

“Everybody understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal and pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage,” he said. “And focus on money and the media.”

Wow. That was a real blunder on Cruz's part. Not that I disagree with him as I think he was talking specifically about NYC and its very liberal politics. But that was a huge miscalculation on his part. Not very smart to trash any particular geographical area if you are running for a national office. But rumor has it that these remarks were meant to capture the Iowa vote.

In any case, the Donald's response about 9/11 and pointing out how honorable and loving, etc. the people of NYC were in handling it all, was brilliant. The Donald actually came off as compassionate and kind. And this left Ted quiet and dumbfounded.

Moving on to how the other candidates did.

I thought Rubio and Christie performed quite well. Both were articulate, energetic and passionate.  Bush, Kasich and Carson were fine, though very milquetoast in their performances, thus I don't feel any of them stood out in particular.

Bottom line?

I think Trump may now have a bit of an edge over Cruz due to Ted's NY values comments. Thus Ted's rising poll numbers may come to a standstill or drop a bit depending on how many actually watched the debate. Or are paying attention to subsequent coverage of them. That being said, I don't think Cruz's true supporters will think any differently about him.  As for Mr. Trump, his numbers will probably rise a bit.

In regards to the rest of the candidates. I think Rubio and Christie will continue to do well and may even gain additional supporters if Trump or Cruz  falter in some way.

As for all of the rest, I don't see any real rise in their numbers nor do I see them dropping out till AFTER Iowa and/or NH or maybe even S.C. Then we might finally see the field narrow down to 3 or 4 candidates. But not till then.

One last thought. It's occurred to me that the Dems have barely uttered a negative word about The Donald since he first announced he was running.  Could it be they want him to be the nominee as they think they can beat him? Food for thought...

Guide To Elections

Here is a link to an excellent guide to the 2016 elections by Time. It lists caucus and primary dates for all the states and also other important information:

http://time.com/4059030/republican-primary-calendar-2016-nomination-convention/

Establishment Vs The Insurgent Candidate

I need to vent.

I am growing incredibly frustrated and weary of the establishment republicans Reince Priebus, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, etc. endlessly trying to undermine the Insurgent candidate Donald Trump during this very important and pivotal presidential race.

Are they so far removed from the average voter that they can't see that many are sick and tired of the establishment types and are looking for someone who shows true leadership, has some guts and the courage of their convictions vs the milquetoast versions they endorse? Think Romney and McCain. They did not win in 2008 or 2012. So doesn't that show we need to change the type of candidate we should support?

Even if you don't like The Donald, why not learn something from him?

Lest anyone think I'm a Trump fan, I am not.

However, I am thankful to him for all the attention he's brought to the GOP presidential race and also to some pretty important issues facing us today such as border security, immigration, terrorism, the lack of services and care for Vets and our failing economy and status in the world. No other candidate has been able to grab the people's attention like he has.

Trump has also busted the censorship that political correctness has brought upon us. And censorship keeps the masses under control of those in political power. When that line is crossed, as Trump has done over and over again, that threatens the establishment's power and they do NOT want to give that up.

Thus the trashing and undermining of Donald Trump.

Again, Trump is not my guy. I lean toward Ted Cruz.

But if he were to become the nominee, I would support him. No doubt about it. Why? Cause the thought of Hilary or Bernie in charge is just too depressing to imagine. So I hope the establishment will support him should he win the nomination versus messing around at the convention and putting a GOP win in jeopardy.

Okay, I'm done venting.

GOP Debate Line Up

The Fox Business Network will be hosting the next GOP debate tomorrow night. Maria Bartiromo and Neil Cavuto will host.

The first debate will be at 6 with Fiorina, Huckabee and Santorum. Rand Paul has decided to opt out.

The second debate will air at 9.

If you don't have cable, you can livestream from FBN's website for free with authentication.

No doubt the gloves will come off as the Iowa Caucus and the NH Primary are just weeks away.

POTUS State Of The Union Speech

Would love to hear from those who watched Obama's speech as I did not. At least not most of it.

However, I did tune into C-SPAN's coverage before Obama entered the House to watch the pre-game show. And what great people watching. Interesting to see who had camped out in order to obtain aisle seats so they could shake hands with the president and be seen on live tv doing so. Who glad handed who. And who bowed and scraped to who.

Also interesting,  was watching Joe Biden and new Speaker of the House Paul Ryan interact on stage  before the POTUS showed up. You would think they were the best of friends for the most part, though there were times when Ryan folded his arms across his chest as if to ward off any further contact. One could only imagine what might have been said.

Finally it was show time and the first notable to show up was Michele Obama.  She walked in with a glittering smile and plenty of attitude.

Next were military heads, supreme court justices (not all) and various other dignitary's who were announced and greeted with applause.

Then the star of the show appeared and  president Obama himself arrived. He smiled a lot, shook a zillion hands, hugged and then made his way up to the podium.

That's when I changed the channel and watched  Big Bang Theory.

However, during commercials now and again, I did tune in to watch the president and also to see if his speech was over. When doing so, I'd listen a few minutes, would become disgusted and often found myself shouting at the tv. Consequently I decided that I was better off watching a sitcom versus listening to over an hour's coverage of lecturing by someone I don't agree with on anything.

Once I knew the speech was over, I watched Governor Nikki Haley's response. I was not impressed. In fact, I was quite disappointed and finally shut off the tv for good. And that was the end of that.

Again, would love to hear from those who actually watched the entire speech (if there are any of you out there!) and get your take. Surely there must be at least one or two of you!

Sunday Morning Talking Heads

Watched all the political talk shows this Sunday from This Week on ABC all the way through to State of the Union on CNN. Here's what I got out of them.

Marco Rubio, as seen on This Week, refused to apologize for his stances on amnesty. In fact he said that he doesn't support it and that the attacks on him in regards to this topic are exaggerated. That was a bit confusing. What about the Gang of 8 reforms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_Eight_(immigration) ?

He then accused Ted Cruz of changing positions on the same subject matter,  saying Cruz was pro-amnesty before he was anti-amnesty. Rubio also stated that he thought Snowden was a traitor to the U.S. and didn't do us a public service in regards to exposing NSA surveillance.  Last, Rubio said that Obama's anti-gun rhetoric infringes upon the 2nd amendment by chipping away at it with new restrictions.

Next up was Meet The Press with Donald Trump. In response to all the talk of tighter control and restrictions, he said that if there were guns in Paris and CA, there wouldn't have been all the carnage. He then went on to talk about how if elected, he would repeal most of Obama's Executive Orders. When asked about Obama's upcoming State of the Union address, the Trumpster said he thinks the U.S. is a mess and if he's elected he would do 4 things:  Build up the military; Take care of the vets; Fix health care and also the borders. Last, when it was mentioned that a powerful CEO was planning on giving away a huge portion of his money to charity and/or good causes and would The Donald do the same? Mr. Trump responded that he is old fashioned and would pass his wealth over to his kids so they could continue running the company.

Hilary Clinton was on Face The Nation and when asked about how some polls show the race tightening up between her and her opponents, she responded that she stays pretty focused, indicating that she doesn't think the polls mean anything.

She then went on to explain how she is setting an agenda to raise wages and support Obama's gun control laws. Next topic was the email situation and how it's looking bad for her. Clinton denied that she ordered a staffer to declassify email and said there was nothing to the allegations made by the FBI.  That she is supported by the State Department in this stance. Clinton was also asked if she felt Bill was fair game in regards to political attacks. Hilary responded that the attacks won't work, that people are more interested in the future and not the past and that she'll continue to fight for women's rights.

Rand Paul responded when asked about Ted Cruz's citizenship and thus stated that 'it is of concern and should be decided by the Supreme Court'!

Chris Christie made statements about how Obama acts like a dictator and a petulant child. He also talked about how the military bases should be able to carry weapons. That gun free areas, particularly school zones,  should be left up to the states and not the federal government. He then went on to talk about how we should protect the 2nd amendment. When asked whether Ted Cruz was a U.S. citizen, he said point blank 'yes'. Christie was then asked about accusations that he made donations to Planned Parenthood. Christie denied doing so and made a special note that he was not going to talk about Rubio and that his goal is to defeat Hilary Clinton.

Ted Cruz was on State of the Union on CNN. When asked about Trump and his various accusations, Cruz said he would not engage or respond with insults. That the Constitution and Federal law indicate that he is a legal citizen of the U.S. When Jake Tapper asked about his renouncing dual U.S./Canadian citizenship back in 2014, Cruz responded about how McCain, Romney's father and Goldwater were all born outside of the U.S. and because their parents were U.S. citizens, they were legal to run for office.

When asked about his stance on deportation and securing the border, Cruz suggested those who are interested should check out his plan on his website. He also mentioned how it's up to the president to enforce the already existing laws and deport illegals. And he would do that. When asked further questions on the topic, Mr. Cruz changed the subject matter to repealing ObamaCare. He also talked about wanting to pass a Flat Tax and abolish the IRS. One of Cruz's last statements was that this race was like 1980 and all about values indicating that Obama is Carter and he is Reagan and will win the presidential race just like Reagan did.

Bottom line is that though watching all the talking heads, pundits and candidates was interesting, I didn't really learn anything new. It was much more about taking in how they responded, especially to negative questions and accusations, body language, did they come off as sincere and truthful and last, did they communicate and get across their agenda in a way that most would understand or would vote for.

I would say most did. However, Trump and Christie were the easiest to follow and digest. They did not get lost in rhetoric or political speak as did Rubio and sometimes Cruz. And that's something all candidates might want to take note of ie keep it simple if you want the general public to remember and understand where you stand. That may be at least part of the reason Trump leads the pack right now. He talks in sound bites which are easy to remember and digest. Plus he seems to have his finger on the pulse of the average American and says what they want to hear, over and over again via various venues.

I Love Texas ...

If I didn't love Maine so much, I'd move to Texas. No doubt I'd fit right in. Anyway, the current Governor of Texas, Greg Abbot has introduced the following amendments or 'The Texas Plan'.  They are as follows:

 “to prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one state. Another amendment requires Congress to balance its budget, and another allows a two-thirds majority of states to override a US Supreme Court decision."

Hear, hear Texas and Governor Greg Abbot!

Our World Today

While listening to, combing through and trying to digest various news stories, I am overwhelmed. So much going on ... all at once... in multiple parts of the world.  Every day there seems to be some dramatic event or newsworthy topic making it more and more difficult to keep up with and write about with any kind of depth. Consequently, it's hard to pick and choose and narrow it down to just a topic or two on a regular basis.

So here's a brief synopsis of what I think are the most compelling events and news stories facing us in 2016.

I'll start with economic markets. The world is a mess. For a period of time China had become an economic engine globally. But now China has its' own problems with a troubled market and stagnant growth. And some say, is on the road to a major recession. This in turn has a ripple effect on many other markets, including our own.

Then there's the European and Monetary Union of which a large portion of European countries belong. With the creation of the Euro and a mentality of 'all for one and one for all', the EU now has a more powerful impact on global economics, Unfortuately, they're not in the greatest of shape either, which in turn contributes to the current economic turmoil. Remember Greece, etc.? That hasn't gone away...

Add to the above the drop in the price of oil. In some ways one would hope this would be a good thing, making gas cheaper at the pump, thus giving consumers a bit more cash to spend elsewhere and thus fuel spending and enhance the economy. But with lower prices, comes lower revenues, cost cutting measures and job layoffs and/or lack of new hires. Thus putting more people out of work. Everywhere. The economic ripple effect is a strong one.

In relation to the above and as I've written previously, ISIS has been giving Saudi Arabia a run for it's money with acquiring oil fields in Northern Iraq and Syria,  and in turn, selling that oil below market prices in direct competition with them, OPEC and even the U.S. Saudi Arabia, for the first time ever is now thinking of instituting an income tax and even doubling the price of gas, adding fuel to the fire so to speak.

Not to forget that the Middle East seems to be on the road to a civil war with other Middle East countries. Saudi Arabia's air strikes on the Iranian Embassy is no small event.

Of course we can't forget the growth and influence terrorist groups in general now have on the global community whether it be economically or psychologically. When countries live in fear of random terrorist attacks that no one seems able to forecast or prevent for the most part, this also affects the mindset of markets.

Another area of concern is North Korea. From what we now know, they have a hydrogen bomb. Just wonderful, huh?

Amongst all of the above, the U.S. has been living on borrowed time as far as any stability of our own economy is concerned. Yes, we've had a strong stock market (which I think is about to collapse but that's a topic for another day). It's also been reported that we have job and economic growth. Somehow though, I doubt the accuracy of those numbers. Why?  Generally speaking, everywhere I look seems to point in the exact opposite direction!

We also have deficits in the trillions, low interest rates and a slowing economy.  More corporations are moving outside of the U.S. in order to escape high taxes or the ability to hire cheap labor. Manufacturing has gone to China, Mexico, India and other foreign lands to cut costs. You can't blame them. But if China goes south, can the others be far behind?

The health care industry is quickly becoming another area that is in trouble, though you won't hear much about it in the news. ObamaCare is NOT turning out to be the answer. The one bright spot is that both the Senate and House have voted to repeal it. But it's anyone's guess as to what type of reforms they'll come up with.

Then there's the slow, gradual encroachment of government into our everyday lives. I've written many, many blogs about this topic. Land grabs, NSA spying, waterway controls, more gun control with the possible ultimate goal of federalizing the police, executive order after executive order by President Obama when he can't get congress to sign off on his bills. There's also the corruption of the IRS and other government bureaucracy's yet to be acknowledged and challenged.

So much more to say and write about, but I think I've gone on long enough!

Bottom line, is that these are extremely vicarious times in which we live, that require cool heads and a true moral compass to make decisions that are right economically and globally. Unfortunately, there are always those who crave power, have a personal agenda or decide that their religion, politics or philosophy are the right way regardless of the negative impact.

No doubt we are at a precipice and I'm hoping that with the upcoming presidential races, we'll elect a candidate who can navigate through all the turmoil and economic problems and lead us to more stable and better times. I believe one person can make a difference. I'm hoping I'm right, but of course only time will tell...

LePage And A Possible Run For King's Senate Seat

While out and about running errands yesterday, I was listening to Howie Carr on the radio when Maine's Governor Paul LePage came on as a guest.  He was asked if he might run for Angus King's U.S. Senate seat in the future.  Mr. King ran as an Independent and won the seat vacated by Republican Olympia Snow in 2012 and currently caucuses with the Democrats.

Anyway, LePage answered that he was seriously thinking of running for the seat after his term limited stint as Maine's Governor is finished. 

LePage was also asked if he still backs Chris Christie for president.

He replied that of course he has to remain loyal to his pal who helped tremendously with funding and other support in his run for a 2nd term as Governor.

So though he said he'd back him, I didn't hear real conviction in his voice. In fact, LePage sounded like it was more about a sense of loyalty and obligation vs passionate support for his fellow GOP governor. Which leads me to wonder who REALLY likes and will vote for...

Maine Dems Funneling Clinton Cash

Here's a piece written and researched by the Maine GOP with info and quotes from Rick Bennett, the GOP Chair. Talk about hypocrisy on the Dem side...

http://www.mainegop.com/report-maine-dems-funneling-clinton-cash/

Coming To A Military Base Near You

Just read an article by Breitbart where Obama plans on housing 5,000 illegal immigrants at 6 military bases. Read on....

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/05/exclusive-congressman-go-trump-military-bases-housing-illegal-immigrant-minors/

Ted Cruz: The Constitution Strikes Back!

Take a few minutes and watch this fun Ted Cruz campaign ad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu_hkbBueOg

The Last Refuge - Ranchers Vs The Government

Here is a link to an absolutely incredible story of government abuse over a private group of citizens. This is one of the worst cases I've ever read. It's long but worth the read. You'll walk away, shaking your head in disgust and wondering how this could happen in our country...

http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/01/03/full-story-on-whats-going-on-in-oregon-militia-take-over-malheur-national-wildlife-refuge-in-protest-to-hammond-family-persecution/

Seventh Inning Stretch Is Over ...

Well, here we are. The 4th of January. Christmas trees are taken down. New Year's celebrations are over. And many of us swear we're going to eat better, exercise more and lose a little weight. Basically  we've enjoyed our Seventh Inning Stretch and took a break from the news and politics. 

But now it's time for the Home Stretch.

Political candidates will start ramping up speeches, town halls, media appearances and ads. The quest for campaign contributions will begin anew with a mood of urgency. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even your Inbox will become flooded on a daily basis with requests for just $3, or $10 or more. Your phone will ring more often with pollsters asking for whom you'll vote for. Or it could be a Volunteer calling on behalf of a candidate, asking for your vote.

And most likely,  some of the presidential candidates will drop out. Or at least one would hope that'll be the case.

So I say, let the games begin! Let the next round of debates do a bit of winnowing out. Let the opposition expose weaknesses of those less suited to take charge of the most powerful country in the world begin. Let the pundits argue their views and favorites. And last, but not least, let the best man or woman win.

Just please,  don't let it be Hilary or Bernie!

'The Donald'

Here is a thought provoking and I think excellent take on The Donald by G. Murphy Donovan of The American Thinker. Read on...

http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/07/trumps_trump.html#ixzz3vLsr19V5