I found my soul mate last night in Chicago

 I found my political soulmate last night in Kamala Harris. I never quite fit into one or the other strict party lines. Harris was strong on national defense and America's leadership in the world. Like her, I had a background in prosecution and use of regulations for battling consumer fraud and unfair trade practices and a deep understanding of what freedom means.She is mostly an economic populist, not a racial or cultural one like MAGA.. I had first-hand experience in dictatorships, married to an immigrant seeking freedom to be what he wanted to be. She hit all of those high notes, delivered with words that Ronald Reagan could have uttered. His name was invoked by many speakers at the DNC convention. Even on social issues, the theme of the entire convention was freedom, or as Gov. Walz phrased it, "mind your own damn business". That was about as libertarian as it gets. Where there was a coming together between our political blocks was a recognition that immigration was indeed a crisis, and she offered the humane solution, the bi-partisan solution Trump torpedoed. Red, white blue, and the flag and patriotism and love of the country were regained as also accepted and promoted as a Democrat value. Democracy of the traditional American concept was defended and exhorted. Law and order were again values upheld by a career prosecutor, as Kamala Harris has been. Where there was a departure, and even that was limited, was what action and finance needed to solve middle-class hardships and seek opportunity, and that help can come from the government. Even that degree of help was tied to affordability, not free stuff, but is given according to ability, requiring paying part of it. The one free stuff exception was feeding the hungry, breakfast and lunch for young students ( lunch was also offered me in Oklahoma in the 1950s). The other obvious visual departure was the inclusiveness of all Americans in the political process, regardless of race or gender, as contrasted by Trump, who dog-whistles his appeals to only white Christian nationalists as he proposed to favor and rule as constructed in Project 2025. The one fundamental departure from the conservative philosophy of Reagan is a rejection of the trickle-down tax policy, which never worked and has resulted in a handful of billionaires getting richer while growing the national debt while claiming the US cannot afford the middle-class relief Harris proposed.

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Trump's power tools: hate, fear and lies. On October 24 there were consequences.

Updated  of a prior posting on October 24. Trumps  words of hate, fear and lies have consequences. His oratory of hate was heard by someone who used his words to target his  letter bombs exactly  to his most  frequently named  subjects  of his angry, degrading  rhetoric.  It  happened October 24. Trump then blamed in a tweet the fake mainstream media he called the enemy of the people. For what? For reporting his  own words on video and in live coverage?
Donald Trump wants the November 6 midterms to be a referendum about him.  If that is so,  bring it on. Trump  has faith in the gods of hate and fear that will rally to his cause as he summons them with lies and racist and sexist code words and calls the free press an enemy of the people.   If that is the president we want to continue to empower, that is the president we get.  My faith lies with the hope that  most Americans  see America greater than that, a shining city on the hill, the beacon of freedom and democracy, in Ronald Reagan's stirring words. We are becoming two countries: one mired in yearning for a past where racism was not tempered by the rule of  law and political correctness  and patriarchy reigned unchallenged.  There is another America driven  by changing demographics and remembered idealism of our founding fathers who warned us of a return   to kings and despots led by populist demagogues .  In 2018 and 2020, this country has the opportunity to choose which country it will be for years to come.

We have been there before when  hyping  hate and fear were in your face political tactics.  In the late 1930's the US was swept with isolationist fever and a rise of Nazi sympathizers. America Firsters led by Charles Lindbergh as their chief spokesperson wanted peace at any cost and advocated for the US  to stay out of the Nazi advancement in Europe.   22,000 American  filled Madison Square Garden to mimic Hitler's Nuremberg rallies.   Franklin Delano Roosevelt was running for an unprecedented third term which he won in a landslide in 1940, dimming the lights of the American Nazis and the American Firsters. Nonetheless less, the GOP Senate  isolationists were strong enough to keep us from sending troops to Europe to help the English and the French.  The Day of Infamy, Pearl Harbor, delivered the final blow to both the American Nazi movement and the political isolationists..  The folly of our disengagement  with the world was revealed in a smoldering, mangled fleet in a Hawaiian harbor.  Isolationism remained  out of fashion until 2016 when another generation of GOP American Firsters revived it and hate and fear became a core rally message  delivered by Donald Trump.

Charlottesville, Virginia  has been the scene  of two pivotal declarations:   FDR, in an address to University of Virginia law school graduates in June of 1940, called out the Nazi aggressors  as "the gods of war and hate".  Donald Trump, orating from afar, called the neo Nazi, White Nationalists,  tiki torch bearers chanting Nazi slogans in German and in English in that very  same city in the summer of 2018, as some" fine people".  That was no slip of the tongue, but a continuation of his racism and campaigns of coded appeals to a large group of core supporters, who feared brown and black people would end their domination. The rest of his party either tolerates, ignores  his hate filled tweets and oratory, splits tickets,  or changes party affiliation. Shouted chants of "build the wall" at his anger filled rallies  were and are  code words  for his  racially tinged anti immigrant campaign aimed at keeping Mexicans who he lied " were murderers and rapists "from flooding into America . While Nazi tiki torch marchers were fine, women who flooded the streets in revulsion of his amoral, woman grabbing boasting,  his  anti women rights, his anti #me too movements, were mobs to be deplored and feared as a bunch of hysterical, emasculating females. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh became the symbolic  martyr of the counter attack by white males frightened by  such an out of control challenge of demonstrators and were  told by Trump  wing media those mobs of women  were  obviously organized and  paid by George Soros.  Soros has been a frequent  right wing scapegoat. That  fact checker three Pinocchios lie  was a twofer: it appealed to both fearful white males and anti-Semites.

It is a oft repeated truism that fear is the greatest  political motivator .  Candidate Donald Trump himself in an  interview with journalists  Bob Woodward and Robert  Costa  in  April 2016  opined that"real power was fear. "  If there was not enough fear to turn out his voters, his contribution to that strategy of fear was to tell lies so that he could  cause  even more intense fear.  Brown immigrants, murderers and rapists and gang members  were not flooding the border, as he claimed; in fact, illegal immigration was at its lowest  in years and nearly all  were women and children fleeing gang warfare in Central America. That mid easterners, gang members, and Democrats comprise a caravan of migrants are fact checked as lies: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trump-on-migrants-saudis-and-the-hispanic-vote  He tells you Democrats want open borders.That too is a lie . He rejected the Democrat's offer of a compromise on immigration (the famous Chuck and Nancy sit down)  this summer that provided for greater border security. Those minority voters were not voting illegally ,either.. Voter fraud was a myth and Trump's commission to prove his point was shut down when, embarrassingly, no evidence was found. Nonetheless, in the name of voter fraud, dirty tricks were launched from South Carolina to North Dakota to suppress Democratic votes, constructing voter ID conditions impossible to meet, failing to process 53,000 voter registrations of mostly African American, strategically removing poll sites from minority neighborhoods, dropping less frequent voters too quickly  from registration rolls.  The Trump administration's inhumane policy concocted to scare off migrants  by separating families at the border resulted in  12,800  young migrant kids in tent gulags and shelters.  That  cruelty was  condemned world wide as a violation of human rights. Donald Trump has pulled the plug on the light of that shining city on the hill.

; https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/23/nazi-german-american-bund-rally-madison-square-garden-215522

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-rally-violence_us_5bd121b1e4b055bc94882565?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-doubles-down-on-blaming-media-as-suspicious-packa

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shep-smith-methodically-fact-checks-090230287.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/23/us/politics/nationalist-president-trump.html

Trump ramps up fear and hate with lies in advance of midterms: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trump-on-migrants-saudis-and-the-hispanic-vote

https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-revolution-of-1940-americas-fight-over-entering-world-war-two
Lindbergh America First
Joseph P Kennedy...JFK father...Ambassador to Great Britain
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-revolution-of-1940-americas-fight-over-entering-world-war-tw


https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/07/the-debate-behind-us-intervention-in-world-war-ii/277572/  FDR: June 10 1940  "Gods of War and Hate" Charlottesville

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/23/nazi-german-american-bund-rally-madison-square-garden-215522

Trump has said the real power is fear. "https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/04/02/transcript-donald-trump-interview-with-bob-woodward-and-robert-costa/?utm_term=.df1ec3bf6177
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/09/11/bob-woodward-donald-trump-fear-time-feel-afraid/1255246002/

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/America_is_a_shining_city_upon_a_hill

https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/09/04/president-trump-has-made-false-or-misleading-claims-days/?utm_term=.228b6545036f

Examples of recent Trump lies to raise hatred  and fear levels and scapegoating:
In appealing to anti Semitism and fear of women rising in mobs,  George Soros paid them:https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/05/no-george-soros-isnt-paying-kavanaugh-protesters/?utm_term=.833096f3d39d
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/newsy/factchecking-the-suggestion-george-soros-paid-kavanaugh-protesters
https://www.snopes.com/tag/george-soros/
Immigrants are murderers and rapists:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/07/08/donald-trumps-false-comments-
Caravans of Mexicans etc swarming the border.  Truth: illegal immigration at new lows..down 18% in past years;https://www.wral.com/trump-renews-fiery-immigration-rhetoric-as-midterms-near/17927212/
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/defend-his-immigration-agenda-trump-points-riots-dont-exist?cid=sm_fb_maddow

Democrats want open borders to let in these rapists and murderers and get more Democrativ votes
false:   https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/us/politics/fast-check-donald-trump-democrats-open-borders.html   "

"Democrats have argued that building a wall on the southwestern border is ineffective and a waste of resources, and rejected hard-line proposals to limit legal immigration. But Mr. Trump is grossly exaggerating Democrats’ positions when he conflates their opposition to his signature campaign promise and immigration priorities as “open borders.” And there is no evidence that they “want anybody,” including MS-13, to enter the United States freely.

While criticizing Mr. Trump’s immigration policies, the Democratic National Committee has committed to improving border security.

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leaders, have rebutted the president’s charges. Additionally, their aides cited several examples of legislation that are supported by Democrats and would have provided border security funding."

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-rejects-yet-another-bipartisan-compromise-immigration
https://www.vox.com/world/2018/6/20/17483738/trump-family-separation-border-trudeau-may-reaction
On Trump lies about sanctuary cities...https://www.yahoo.com/news/twitter-agog-trump-whopper-californians-055804686.html?.tsrc=jtc_news_index

Trump lies re Dem support of opoid legislation:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/senate-sends-opioid-package-to-trumps-desk

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/27/us/politics/fast-check-donald-trump-democrats-open-borders.html

Praises a candidate for bodyslamming a reporter who asked hard questions while helping Saudi Arabia put the best foot forward of being caught killing and dismembering a dissident journalist. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/montana-rally-president-trump-praises-greg-gianforte-body/story?id=58596529

And without need to document because it has become an every day occurrence or oratory: Trump's rise to power on bitherism, claiming Obama was born in Kenya and turning Kavanaugh into the poster child of male patriarchy under attack.. His claim that all press and media criticizing him are "fake news", regardless of facts, proof, and corroboration, a common technique of  demagogues rising to dictatorships.  Praises a candidate for bodyslamming a reporter who asked hard questions while helping Saudi Arabia put the best foot forward of being caught killing and dismembering a dissident journalist.
 Calling those who accuse men of sexual missdeeds liars.  Calling women who threaten him with power pigs, horse faces, confused, mobs, an empty bag.. Men are the victims.  Neo Naxis are some fine people who march with torches and giving white nationalist and Nazi salutes.

https://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/statements/byruling/false/

Backing  and campaigning those who officials who use dirty tricks  to suppress African Americans and Native Americans votes.https://www.politifact.com/georgia/article/2018/oct/19/georgias-exact-match-law-and-its-impact-voters-gov/
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/native-americans-north-dakota-fight-protect-voting-rights/story?id=58585206
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/20/trump-georgia-republican-brian-kemp-stacey-abrams

Trump's disdain for the rule of law, contending he has a right to pardon himself if charged with crimes.

Examples of promises made and not kept:  Better cheaper health care for all (and backing  law suits and candidates advocating overturn of Obamacare and coverage of pre-existing conditions, as well as legislation backed by the GOP in Congress).    Tax cuts for all became a sham cover for giving tax breaks to the rich and corporations; the middle class has already figured that one out and now the GOP is afraid to run on his tax programs.  That the trillian dollar  tax cut would pay for itself by increasing growth and income to the treasurty has resulted in ballooning debts and deficits.  Going it alone without alliances, trade or otherwise, would make America greater in the world, yet Trump has become the laughing stock at the UN and his world approval ratings have tanked, the exact opposite from Obama's.

Donald Trump has lowered the bar for future presidential candidates

. A version of this was published in the Sky Hi News March 19-21 2018
https://www.skyhinews.com/news/opinion/muftic-disgusted-donald-trump-has-lowered-the-bar-for-future-presidential-candidates/

Donald Trump has lowered the standards for President of the US to such a degree,  any similar shortcomings of those who run for that office in the future will no longer seem so  important.

Before Watergate and muckraking investigative reporting, the personal sex life  of FDR , Dwight Eisenhower and JFK were not reported publicly until later by historians,  though their indiscretions were hardly secret among those in their closer circles. I live within two miles of Ike’s summer White House and locals  kept rumors to themselves.

I  remember painfully the ignominy  saint- like Jimmy Carter suffered when he admitted he had “lust in his  heart”. The cries of hypocrite ran out in then. How quaint that seems today.  In his memoirs of his early life I read Carter appeared to be a red blooded American young man like any other until he met the love of his life Rosalynn. They have been  married nearly 72 years.

Now running on cable is a story of my  once local Colorado idol, Sen. Gary Hart, a candidate for president who  was caught with a lovely on his lap on a boat named Monkey Business. I was disappointed and angry with him.   He had just deprived the United States of a very bright mind with great political judgment because his reputation of personal judgment  and his candidacy were flushed down the toilet. Ye gads, loyal wife Lee Hart and I had met while carpooling our children to kindergarten.

Ronald Reagan, movie star and America’s first divorced president,  was devoted to Nancy, his second wife .The Bushes, the Fords, and the  Obamas were beyond reproach.

Bill Clinton was another story, but even his dalliance with an intern  that got him impeached appears petty compared with the hijinks of Donald Trump and Stormy, Access Hollywood, and sixteen  witnesses attesting his grabbing habits were not an empty locker room boast. Even salacious unverified parts of the Steele dossier did not make a dent.  Any candidate who follows him will be immunized by comparison from accusations of having more than a wandering eye .

Usually a president represents a person who some young person can aspire to be. Ask yourself. Would you want your child or  grandchild to grow up to be like Donald Trump?

Donald Trump has lowered the bar on more than just  character standards for president. Any GOP candidate who dares use the the argument that such and such a social program cannot be enacted because it would create a deficit will not longer be able to  make that argument stick. Donald Trump in his second year in office has run up the budget deficit , highest since 2009 right after the great recession. He signed the bill into law when the GOP threw an additional  1.7 trillion dollars into the deficit hole with the tax cut to the wealthy. Try making that argument again. The guffaws from the left will drown them out.

It is no wonder in polls conducted by NBC/WSJ in January  that the most frequent words associated with Donald Trump were ’ disgusted” (38%), “scared” ( 24%  ), “angry” (11%), and that was before the Stormy saga.

The puzzle  is that somewhere between 35% to 40% of Americans  forgive him of his trespasses so long as he supports their social and cultural agenda, appoints fellow ideological travelers  to judicial vacancies, and satisfies political contributors. Per U Gov poll March 13, only one half thought Trump's Stormy affair was immoral. I imagine President Trump will weather Stormy, too.

Update: April 26, 2018
Especially forgiving his trespasses are the Evangelicals who have a great sense of their own righteousness. They, too, have lowered the bar for future candidates. https://www.thenation.com/…/why-evangelicals-still-support…/
In taking this stance,any future outrage by Evangelicals at an immoral, unethical, bully Democrat that does not support their agenda will not carry much weight or will not be taken very seriously. Imagine some candidate/l President, like Bill Clinton, who was
basically impeached for immoral behavior, would be attacked in the future for such behavior...the Evangelicals will be exposed as the ultimate hypocrites ..

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/trump-one-year-hopeful-disgusted-n839071

http://time.com/5015271/republican-tax-plan-deficits-trillion/

https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/trump-and-national-debt

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/12/trump-notches-worst-deficit-great-recession/?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/only-half-trump-voters-affair-195613225.html