"Belgium is in our thoughts and prayers." That from a man who might not engage in either activity.
One landmark that hasn’t bothered being lit up for tribute is the White House. You know, the place that lit up in the rainbow colors of gay flag when gay marriage was upheld by the Supreme Court? The Belgium terrorist attack didn’t just affect Belgians either. At least 5 Americans were injured and four are missing since the terrorist attack.
Not that Belgium should feel left out. Despite an online petition, the Jarrett Gang refused to light up the White House for the 4th of July. They also conserved energy following the Paris attacks and the San Bernardino attack and everything else not related The Sacred Rainbow.
Meantime, our president conducts yet another apology tour. I would like to be able to say "Happy Easter" tomorrow and try to forget about the rotten man and his rotten people for just one day.
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Friday, March 25, 2016
On The Merits Of A Positive Message
Once more, politics seems ridiculously simple. Can it really be as easy it looks and is it possible that most political scribes don't even know the alphabet? Yes and yes. The big time players don't even know the rudiments of the game.
Positive messages work remarkably well. Let me clarify that in this context we are not defining positive as optimistic and inspiring and heart-warming. A lot can be said for the Cory and Cory school of smiling discourse but that's not what we are discussing here.
Light is a positive concept in that it defines something that can be measured. Darkness is a negative concept in that it defines an absence of light. Heat is a positive concept. Cold is an absence of heat.
Generally speaking, positive messages are easier to sell than negative messages. Free tuition is easier to sell than a proposal to abolish the Department of Education, or Constitutional constraint or balancing a budget. People like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz face obstacles right out of the starting gate. They have to demonstrate that "less is more." It can be done but it takes some sophistication.
The power of a positive message can be seen in the 1994 midterm elections where the GOP picked up 54 House Seats and 8 Senate seats. They submitted 8 promises to the voter that they called "Contract With America." Wave election.
Only two GOP candidates had a positive message, i.e., a promise or set of promises to capture the voter's attention. Ted Cruz has a laundry list of things that he will do on Day 1: Tear up the Iran deal, Kiss ISIS, Start repeal of Obamacare.
Donald Trump also has a positive message. "Make America Great Again" might seem a bit vague but as slogans go, it is a gem. It says:
America was once great.
America is not currently great.
America can be great again.
Electing Donald Trump is the path of recovered greatness.
Trump has other positive messages. He will build a wall. He will make Mexico pay for the wall. He will make good deals with foreign nations. He will "bomb the shit out of ISIS."
Vague. Crude. Sensational. Points well taken but do you recall Rick Perry's message? Scott Walker's? Chris Christie had some sort of entitlement plan that had potential but he didn't stay on message very well. Carson and Fiorina tried selling their brands based on background and experience and character but short on promise. And Jeb? He spent a fortune bashing others but never told the voter what he would get in return for his support.
The GOP Primaries have been disappointing. I was hoping for a new Contract With America or something like it. A positive message. Most of us could have come up with something like that but with 17 candidates, maybe one of the would be leaders could do some heavy lifting. In the meantime, a pledged wall carries the day. It's one of the few positive messages in this long campaigns.
Positive messages work remarkably well. Let me clarify that in this context we are not defining positive as optimistic and inspiring and heart-warming. A lot can be said for the Cory and Cory school of smiling discourse but that's not what we are discussing here.
Light is a positive concept in that it defines something that can be measured. Darkness is a negative concept in that it defines an absence of light. Heat is a positive concept. Cold is an absence of heat.
Generally speaking, positive messages are easier to sell than negative messages. Free tuition is easier to sell than a proposal to abolish the Department of Education, or Constitutional constraint or balancing a budget. People like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz face obstacles right out of the starting gate. They have to demonstrate that "less is more." It can be done but it takes some sophistication.
The power of a positive message can be seen in the 1994 midterm elections where the GOP picked up 54 House Seats and 8 Senate seats. They submitted 8 promises to the voter that they called "Contract With America." Wave election.
Only two GOP candidates had a positive message, i.e., a promise or set of promises to capture the voter's attention. Ted Cruz has a laundry list of things that he will do on Day 1: Tear up the Iran deal, Kiss ISIS, Start repeal of Obamacare.
Donald Trump also has a positive message. "Make America Great Again" might seem a bit vague but as slogans go, it is a gem. It says:
America was once great.
America is not currently great.
America can be great again.
Electing Donald Trump is the path of recovered greatness.
Trump has other positive messages. He will build a wall. He will make Mexico pay for the wall. He will make good deals with foreign nations. He will "bomb the shit out of ISIS."
Vague. Crude. Sensational. Points well taken but do you recall Rick Perry's message? Scott Walker's? Chris Christie had some sort of entitlement plan that had potential but he didn't stay on message very well. Carson and Fiorina tried selling their brands based on background and experience and character but short on promise. And Jeb? He spent a fortune bashing others but never told the voter what he would get in return for his support.
The GOP Primaries have been disappointing. I was hoping for a new Contract With America or something like it. A positive message. Most of us could have come up with something like that but with 17 candidates, maybe one of the would be leaders could do some heavy lifting. In the meantime, a pledged wall carries the day. It's one of the few positive messages in this long campaigns.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Piers Morgan's Fair Play For Trump Plea.
Hate Donald Trump all you like, but at least he seems to recognise the magnitude of the threat and at least he has firm proposals for how to try to defeat it.
They may not win him the Politically Correct Pontificator of the Year award. But how many more scenes like this morning’s appalling images from Brussels are we going to tolerate before we try a non-PC option to beat these disgusting excuses for human beings?
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3504893/PIERS-MORGAN-comes-terror-isn-t-time-started-listening-seriously-Trump.html#ixzz43sHUn1mO
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Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Decapitating Trump "Effigy"
I give the term the quote treatment because an effigy is supposed to be a likeness of a person. This is some crappy artwork. Can you imagine if they did this to a crude representation of Barack Obama?
MORE FROM THE PEACE AND LOVE CROWD
THIS HAPPENED ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO IN OREGON A GROWTH INDUSTRY?
MORE FROM THE PEACE AND LOVE CROWD
THIS HAPPENED ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO IN OREGON A GROWTH INDUSTRY?
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Sanders's High Water Mark
This blogger correctly predicted a big day for Trump last Tuesday due in part to the Chicago riot coordinated by forces close to and sympathetic to Bernie Sanders. When the three remaining GOP candidates blamed Trump's harsh language for the attack, I knew it was game, set, match.
The Trump people are largely decent folk (I hate using that term post-Obama but we can't just abandon innocent words.) This might not be the opinion of pundits, political insiders and the intelligentsia but it is pretty much the perspective of Main Street. I could see Rubio, Cruz and Kasich backsliding but I did not foresee Sanders losing five of five primaries including a landslide in Florida..
Sanders's pinnacle was hours before the Chicago riot. He unleashed his Brown Shirts and the Dems said, "Hello Hillary." If Soros wants to defeat Trump, he might reconsider his tactics. Thuggery will not work better for Hillary than for Sanders.
Bye bye Bernie. Can't say we will miss you.
The Trump people are largely decent folk (I hate using that term post-Obama but we can't just abandon innocent words.) This might not be the opinion of pundits, political insiders and the intelligentsia but it is pretty much the perspective of Main Street. I could see Rubio, Cruz and Kasich backsliding but I did not foresee Sanders losing five of five primaries including a landslide in Florida..
Sanders's pinnacle was hours before the Chicago riot. He unleashed his Brown Shirts and the Dems said, "Hello Hillary." If Soros wants to defeat Trump, he might reconsider his tactics. Thuggery will not work better for Hillary than for Sanders.
Bye bye Bernie. Can't say we will miss you.
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