The stench of smoke has settled over this race to the White
House. Whether it means there is fire
that is causing it is a matter of perception, the public’s definition of
fire, and finding evidence of a
connection that indeed influences action that changes policy.
The low approval ratings reflected in polls of both major
candidates are evidence that voters are not deaf and blind. Even polls show that what is motivating
voters to support one or the other is revulsion
and dislike of the opposing party candidate. Clouds of smoke that hang over the race is as
good as fire fueling voter preferences.
Recent news and investigative reporting have only added to the
stink of the smoke. Perception is more
important than reality as a factor that influences public opinion. Smoke
counts. Less important in the public’s eye is whether there is fire there.
Thanks to Colorado pollster and astute political
observer Floyd Ciruli who recently concluded that Colorado is no longer in the
toss up category as it is turning ever darker shades of bue in the electoral
college map. He drew heavily on a recent
Quinnipiac poll that partisan dislike of
the opposition candidate is what is motivating voter preferences, not the
positive love a candidate. The search for viable alternatives as a way out is
anemic. So far the Libertarian Party has not polled higher than around 8% on
the average and the Green Party is far behind as a third party choice.
While a strong case
can be made that taken all together, Benghazi, Hillary Clinton’s private email
server, and the appearance of pay to play in the Clinton relationship to their
family foundation makes it appear that Clinton is greedy and self promoting ,
truth stretching, defensive tail covering. However none of those
issues have shown that policy resulted that rise to the fire of illegal activity or influenced
policy.. She appeared after innumerable Congressional hearings to be at arms
length with policies that resulted in
the death of an ambassador in Benghazi.
The FBI investigation could not prove that she intentionally sent emails
that had classified information. So far, even the Associated Press in their
excellent reporting could not find that there was evidence national policy changes resulted from giving access to non
governmental connected foreign and domestic Foundation donors.. Nonetheless,
the smell lingers. The only way out of
the stink is to close down the Foundation now and turn over its resources and
administration of humanitarian aid to the Bill
Gates Foundation that has the capacity and similar philosophy to carry
on. It is not a matter of admitting
wrong doing to shutter the Foundation;
it the most effective way to
remove the perception of wrong doing.
However, the New York Times digging around found that Donald
Trump’s pronouncement on foreign affairs
issues show a connection to his business dealings. He owes the Bank of China and Goldman Sachs
in his finance dealings and his goals and business dealings with Russia are no
secret now. Trump’s anti Southeast (TPP) trade agreement)
positions may be a problem, too.
Opposing the TPP may be a lure for the Midwest belt voters lying in rust with job killing
globalization, but the TPP was also promoted to strengthen allies in Southeast
Asia against Chines expansionism in the region.
His bromance of mutual flattery and echoing Russia’s President
Putin’s declaring NATO was obsolete,
Russia did not grab eastern Ukraine or
that his reliance on debts to Wall street is indeed has a suspicious connection to this business
dealings. In these cases, there is fire of policy positions within the fog of
smoke.http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/politics/trump-nafta-tpp/index.html
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