Trump By A Landslide?

Memo to Clinton supporters: if you want to persuade the American public the nation is going in the right direction, you'll have to actually change the direction rather than just promise more of the same.

Trump By A Landslide?
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-29/trump-landslide

Hillary tries to toss black guy under the bus

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has had enough. Since the Hillary Clinton email scandal first surfaced, she and her team of apologists have been bringing up Gen. Colin Powell ….

"Clinton did nothing different than what Colin Powell did," was the constant refrain from Hillary's defenders. Of course, that argument has been completely destroyed by the facts. …

Last Friday, … Hillary raised the stake on her scapegoating of Powell by claiming that Powell gave her the idea to use a private server int he first place.
…
"Her people have been trying to pin it on me," … "The truth is, she was using [the private email server] for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did," Powell added.
Why does the former diplomat believe this to be the case?
"Why do you think?"

Bus go both ways, Kemosabe
http://www.sondrakistan.com/2016/08/22/bus-go-both-ways-kemosabe/

"Regretful" Trump Reaches Out To Latino Leaders: "No, I Am Not Flip-Flopping" [feedly]

What have you got to lose?

During the reign of the first black president, white youth unemployment has plunged from 19.0% to just 14.1%; while black youth unemployment has barely budged at 31.2% (from 32.8%) - more than double that of whites.

As Trump said:

"Look at how much African American communities have suffered under Democratic control," Trump said to his supporters.

"To those hurting, I say, 'What do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump?' You're living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58 percent of your youth is unemployed. What the hell do you have to lose?"

And now he is shifting his attention to Latino voters this week... (as The LA Times reports)

He insisted at rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan that he would  do a better job than Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival, at creating jobs and improving schools for black families.

On Saturday, he focused on Latino voters.

In a round table discussion with his campaign's Hispanic advisory council at Trump Tower in New York, the real estate mogul talked about creating jobs and his plans to limit immigration, according to attendees.

 Colorado State Rep. Clarice Navarro, a member of the council who attended the meeting, said Trump heard the group's concerns.

"It's about jobs, jobs, jobs, and he really listened," said  Navarro, a Republican. "I've always felt he does care about the Latino community and now it's on us to get him elected."

During the meeting Trump also suggested he is interested in figuring out a "humane and efficient" manner to deal with immigrants in the country illegally, according to BuzzFeed.

"Regretful" Trump Reaches Out To Latino Leaders: "No, I Am Not Flip-Flopping"
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-22/regretful-trump-reaches-out-latino-leaders

Reporter: I’m leaving Milwaukee because white people are being threatened and attacked

0bama's America.

Thanks 0bama... For dividing us !
==

Monday morning an independent reporter named Tim Pool announced he would no longer cover events in Milwaukee after witnessing white reporters being harassed and seeing a white man shot in the neck. Pool posted a video explaining his decision on You Tube.

"Upon arriving here one of the first things we hear is the crowd getting angry and saying 'what are these white people doing here?'" Pool said. Pool says he took it as a sign locals were angry but didn't assume that meant it was unsafe for him to continue to cover events.

"Things started to get really tense later in the night when people started screaming 'fuck white people,' 'white people suck'," Pool said. He continued," A reporter was grabbed by some locals and threatened and told to leave."

Pool's concern peaked when he saw a white man who had been shot in the neck and was then extracted from the crowd by police.

He concludes, "I know that people on both sides of the political spectrum kind of have a different definition of what racism is but when you hear a group directing their anger and hate towards white people and seeing several white people being attacked and then finally an 18-year-old white kid is shot in the neck that's when I'm like 'okay, I shouldn't be here.'"

Buzzfeed published a story Tuesday recounting Pool's decision to leave the city and also backing up his description of the danger to reporters, especially white reporters:

On Sunday evening, as several large crowds gathered for vigils, the environment turned from peaceful to hostile. "Fuck off," some people shouted at BuzzFeed News. "What the fuck's that white guy doing here?" another said.

Protesters also threatened a number of journalists, particularly white reporters. Near a police line, angry men promised to "beat your white ass" and warned to "get the fuck out of here."

One of Buzzfeed's correspondents was even involved in a car chase with a group of men in a Suburban:

Later in the evening, a group of men in a large SUV followed a BuzzFeed News correspondent to a hotel north of downtown Milwaukee. At a red light, three men jumped out of their Chevrolet Suburban and began rushing toward the car. After a brief car chase through a neighborhood he arrived safely back at his hotel where an armed guard was stationed and the SUV drove off.

The riots in Milwaukee began Saturday after 23-year-old Sylville Smith was shot and killed by a police officer. Police say the officer who shot Smith is black and was wearing a body camera at the time. Video of the shooting has not been released yet but police say it clearly shows Smith was carrying a gun in his hand.

Reporter: I'm leaving Milwaukee because white people are being threatened and attacked
http://hotair.com/archives/2016/08/16/reporter-im-leaving-milwaukee-because-white-people-are-being-threatened-and-attacked/

A fair person who will not hesitate to act is one of Donald Trump's greatest assets

As a political outsider and successful businessman, Donald J. Trump is the best choice for president amongst all the leading contenders. His energy and optimism for our future as well as his platform and policy measures not only will convince more voters to tally their vote for his candidacy, but will guide our nation back to a fuller recovery and greater prosperity for everyone without the need for false hope. He has personality and gravitas, and uses it in effective ways to attack his competitors in ways that sometimes has even them apologizing. Many in the press are appalled and enthralled by his personality at the same time, almost like a love-hate relationship. He uses this popularity to effectively garner more support without the need to spend a lot on his own for advertising, the media provides much air time in interviews far beyond the others.

In order to predict the future, sometimes it is necessary to look to the past, to learn effective lessons. When we look at all the recent examples of popular presidents, we see of course President Obama, who's sheer personality and magnetism, and message of hope and change propelled him to the presidency. He has steered a steady course of government programs like the ACA which provides health care for 8 million individuals in 2014 (*1)., Under Obama's administration the economy has avoided deep recessions, although some critics say the economic growth is anemic(*2). More importantly, many of the of his economic growth figures are artificial because his administration relies on the Federal Reserve (Quantitative Easing or QE) to print money which in turn it uses to buy stocks and bonds, which artificially pushes up the prices of Stocks even though many companies have not shown fundamentals that would usually be the gauge for stock increases(*3).  

All of these actions by the government to artificially keep interest rates low and inflate stocks adds to the bottom line of the rich and big corporations at the expense of the middle class and small business (*4). The numbers released by his Bureau of Labor Statistics on unemployment are accurate but misleading, because it does not show the number of people out of the labor force at a record 94 million Americans and the labor force participation rate stayed stuck at 62.6 percent, a 38-year low(*5). And a significant increase, 21.3 percent of the U.S. population participates in government assistance programs each month under Obama(*6). 

These economic factors are exactly the kind of thing that were tackled quite differently under another President from the past: President Reagan. His economic policy was different in that he spurred economic growth in a dynamic economy by reducing the rate of taxation, simplifying the tax code(*7). As a result, income tax revenue to the government grew by 58% under his two terms(*8), and continued to spur growth well beyond his presidency. Although Reagan helped the economy, he was stymied by congress and the bureaucracy in actually limiting the size and rapid growth of government (*9).

What happened afterward? Congress came back years later, re-complicated the tax code by making it complex again to the point that the average American can't even do their own tax return(*10)(*11). Burdens on small business increased to this day such that small business can't compete or find it too costly because of over-regulation(*12). Today there exists a culture many term Crony-Capitalism, where big corporations are in bed with the government(*13) and this form of soft tyranny in the form of high taxes and regulations that proliferates and benefits a small few at the top of the income spectrum(*14). 

The poor have been helped with government handouts, yet what they really need is a hand up, not a hand out(*15). The free market is where they should look so that they have more opportunities to provide for themselves. This is the American way of those who founded this nation, this is the way we need to fully recover into the future.  Many jobs were lost and never return because of the loss of many small businesses(*16). It is only the hand of government preventing a bigger recovery.(*7)

Donald Trump has tapped into two aspects of history in his quest for office.  First, just like President Obama, he is appealing to many across America for a kind of hope and change, yet not in terms of what government can do for you, but rather for what we all can do for ourselves, after the burdensome hand of government is taken from the the picture. In his own words: "Any system that penalizes success and accomplishment is wrong. Any system that discourages work, discourages productivity, discourages economic progress, is wrong. If, on the other hand, you reduce tax rates and allow people to spend or save more of what they earn, they'll be more industrious; they'll have more incentive to work hard, and money they earn will add fuel to the great economic machine that energizes our national progress. The result: more prosperity for all—and more revenue for government."(*17)

Much like Reagan before, Trump is promising to reduce regulation and taxation and bring back jobs(*18). He's promised to bring back jobs from other countries, and in some cases will employ tough negotiating tactics to convince other countries to do better trade deals and prevent big American corporations from moving manufacturing abroad(*19). How do we know he is good at this: He's done in in the free market. By reading a largely instructive book he has written years ago called "The Art of the Deal"(*20) we can glean a large degree of the tactics he will leverage this time to benefit the American people. He's done it and now promises to do so as the president and on our behalf. 

Trumps is propelled to the top of the polls because many see him as a political outsider. Many are fed up with both parties in our two party system.(*21) The so-called "Inside the Beltway" politicians (meaning Washington D.C.) seem to many in the heartland as spending so long in Washington that they have lost touch with the average American(*22). They see these ruling class establishment politicians as more concerned with promoting their own careers and agendas than with helping their constituents.(*23) Many are in Washington for years and decades. Without term limits, they use the power of incumbency to easily get re-elected. It seems to have come to a boiling point where now the outsider seems to have the best chance, especially with fly-over country which often supports the Republican party, but now seems to be looking for outsiders like Trump and Ben Carson. 

However Donald Trump has the edge over Mr. Carson. He's good at making deals(*20). He claims, and many believe that this will help are economy,(*18) and the economy is first and foremost, for without that we won't be able to afford anything else. An advisor to President Clinton in his campaign once said: "It's the economy stupid."(*24) That rang true with the voters, and will do so again in the upcoming presidential year. The idea that we must and will concentrate of finding the best ways to promote the economy seems to be the theme that will carry any campaign in the current economic climate. What no politician inside the beltway will tell you is that actually getting government out of the way that will create the greatest growth. This is the theme that political outsider Donald Trump is running on.(*25)

Trump first propelled himself in popularity by discussing a subject that has been taboo to others in Washington: Illegal immigration. As Trump puts it, he is all for 'legal' immigration, but as we do have laws set in stone in this country, we should abide by them and prevent people from entering this country without a proper green card and permission to do so. As a consequence to this, much violent crime has accompanies the advent of these undocumented illegal immigrants, and the current administration and congress refuses to follow the law and deport those who are not here legally. This may seem a cruel position, to send people packing, but following the law blindly is a foundation with which this country was founded. Mr. Trump has also stated that he is willing to allow the best and the brightest and the most willing to do honest work the opportunity to return 'legally' to the U.S.A., but it must be done legally. (*26)

This platform is only his. He brought it up, and it has broad appeal. Some are turned off on the idea, but a plurality of Americans support this stance. A plurality of Americans support enforcing the laws of immigration that are on the books: "A 58 percent majority says the United States needs to enforce the current laws, while 34 percent think the country's immigration laws need to be completely overhauled."(*27).  Other countries, Mexico included, have much stricter immigration laws. If you enter Mexico illegally, they will enforce their laws without hesitation(*28). Being an adult means facing difficult issues. This is difficult because it seems cruel, but in reality being returned the country of origin is not at all cruel, and one has the right to apply for entry with a legal green-card.  The benefit of his stance is that we will effectively deal with much violent crime that has entered our country because of illegal immigration.

Having a broad appeal, and being a fair person who will not hesitate to act are Donald Trump's greatest assets. He's not a waffler, he doesn't stick his finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing before he decides to act. He acts and will based on the greatest benefit to those he represents, whether in business, or on behalf of the American public. He will make a great president.

(1). http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/report-obamacare-sign-ups-106245

(2). http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/042915-750212-first-quarter-gdp-grows-only-02-percent.htm

(3). http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/021015/how-does-quantitative-easing-us-affect-stock-market.asp

(4). https://reason.com/archives/2012/09/13/occupy-the-fed

(5). http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/record-94031000-americans-not-labor-force-participation-rate-stuck-38-year

(6). http://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2015/cb15-97.html

(7). http://www.atr.org/history-president-ronald-reagan-signs-tax-a7946

(8). http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-261.html

(9). http://www.cato.org/policy-report/marchapril-2010/limiting-government-1980-2010

(10). http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2005/05/legacy_lost_ronald_reagans_tax.html

(11). http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/01/09/tax_season_2013_most_americans_won_t_do_their_own_taxes_will_pay_professional.html

(12). http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21606293-small-businesses-fret-less-about-taxes-over-regulation-red-tape-blues

(13). http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cronycapitalism.asp

(14). http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/03/the-rich-get-richer-obama-style-crony-capitalism.html

(15). https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/12/19/giving-hand-not-hand-out-helping-people-get-back-their-feet

(16). http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/02/news/economy/jobs_gone_forever/

(17). Donald J. Trump, "Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again" 2011

(18). http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/donald-trump-2016-announcement-10-best-lines-119066

(19). From many of his campaign appearances.

(20). http://www.amazon.com/Trump-The-Deal-Donald-J/dp/0345479173

(21). http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougschoen/2015/09/06/trump-and-the-two-party-system/

(22). http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=inside%20the%20beltway

(23). http://spectator.org/articles/39326/americas-ruling-class-and-perils-revolution

(24). Bill Clinton adviser James Carville -- http://www.iop.harvard.edu/it's-economy-stupid-2

(25). Donald Trump -- http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/27/trump-its-time-for-real-leadership-for-america-commentary.html

(26). https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/immigration-reform

(27). http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/06/07/fox-news-poll-public-says-enforce-existing-immigration-law-55680890.html

(28). http://humanevents.com/2006/05/08/mexicos-immigration-law-lets-try-it-here-at-home/

Note: This is the quote for citation 7, it IS a simplification of the tax code. Not only that, but it shows that after Reagan the tax code became higher and more complex again::

Some of the laws major achievements were:

• The reduction of the top marginal individual income tax rate from 50 percent to 28 percent
• A reduction of the corporate income tax rate from 46 percent to 34 percent
• Reducing the total number of income brackets from 14 to 2

While Reagan achieved a significant victory with his reforms, they did not far outlive his presidency. Starting with President H.W. Bush, the top marginal tax rate was raised from 28 percent to 31 percent. President Clinton took it a step further raising the top rate to 39.6 percent. After a brief stint at 35 percent under President George W. Bush, President Obama returned the rate to 39.6 percent.

Read more: http://www.atr.org/history-president-ronald-reagan-signs-tax-a7946#ixzz3rbW1NrZy

Campaign spot this fall

From Daily Wire:

Hillary Clinton called for raising taxes on the "middle class" while campaigning on Monday in Omaha, NE. Joined by left-wing Democrat billionaire Warren Buffett, she received applause from those in attendance.

 "Well, we're not going there, my friends. I'm telling you, right now – we're going to right fairer rules for the middle class and we are going to raise taxes on the middle class!"

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Is Trump The Peace Candidate?

Is Trump The Peace Candidate?

YES

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-02/trump-peace-candidate

Submitted by Patrick Buchanan via Buchanan.org,

With Democrats howling that Vladimir Putin hacked into and leaked those 19,000 DNC emails to help Trump, the Donald had a brainstorm: Maybe the Russians can retrieve Hillary Clinton's lost emails.

Not funny, and close to "treasonous," came the shocked cry.

Trump then told the New York Times that a Russian incursion into Estonia need not trigger a U.S. military response.

Even more shocking. By suggesting the U.S. might not honor its NATO commitment, under Article 5, to fight Russia for Estonia, our foreign-policy elites declaimed, Trump has undermined the security architecture that has kept the peace for 65 years.

More interesting, however, was the reaction of Middle America. Or, to be more exact, the nonreaction. Americans seem neither shocked nor horrified. What does this suggest?

Behind the war guarantees America has issued to scores of nations in Europe, the Mideast and Asia since 1949, the bedrock of public support that existed during the Cold War has crumbled.

We got a hint of this in 2013. Barack Obama, claiming his "red line" against any use of poison gas in Syria had been crossed, found he had no public backing for air and missile strikes on the Assad regime.

The country rose up as one and told him to forget it. He did.

We have been at war since 2001. And as one looks on the ruins of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, and adds up the thousands dead and wounded and trillions sunk and lost, can anyone say our War Party has served us well?

On bringing Estonia into NATO, no Cold War president would have dreamed of issuing so insane a war guarantee.

Eisenhower refused to intervene to save the Hungarian rebels. JFK refused to halt the building of the Berlin Wall. LBJ did nothing to impede the Warsaw Pact's crushing of the Prague Spring. Reagan never considered moving militarily to halt the smashing of Solidarity.

Were all these presidents cringing isolationists?

Rather, they were realists who recognized that, though we prayed the captive nations would one day be free, we were not going to risk a world war, or a nuclear war, to achieve it. Period.

In 1991, President Bush told Ukrainians that any declaration of independence from Moscow would be an act of "suicidal nationalism."

Today, Beltway hawks want to bring Ukraine into NATO. This would mean that America would go to war with Russia, if necessary, to preserve an independence Bush I regarded as "suicidal."

Have we lost our minds?

The first NATO supreme commander, Gen. Eisenhower, said that if U.S. troops were still in Europe in 10 years, NATO would be a failure. In 1961, he urged JFK to start pulling U.S. troops out, lest Europeans become military dependencies of the United States.

Was Ike not right? Even Barack Obama today riffs about the "free riders" on America's defense.

Is it really so outrageous for Trump to ask how long the U.S. is to be responsible for defending rich Europeans who refuse to conscript the soldiers or pay the cost of their own defense, when Eisenhower was asking that same question 55 years ago?

In 1997, geostrategist George Kennan warned that moving NATO into Eastern Europe "would be the most fateful error of American policy in the post-Cold War era." He predicted a fierce nationalistic Russian response.

Was Kennan not right? NATO and Russia are today building up forces in the eastern Baltic where no vital U.S. interests exist, and where we have never fought before – for that very reason.

There is no evidence Russia intends to march into Estonia, and no reason for her to do so. But if she did, how would NATO expel Russian troops without air and missile strikes that would devastate that tiny country?

And if we killed Russians inside Russia, are we confident Moscow would not resort to tactical atomic weapons to prevail? After all, Russia cannot back up any further. We are right in her face.

On this issue Trump seems to be speaking for the silent majority and certainly raising issues that need to be debated.

How long are we to be committed to go to war to defend the tiny Baltic republics against a Russia that could overrun them in 72 hours?

When, if ever, does our obligation end? If it is eternal, is not a clash with a revanchist and anti-American Russia inevitable?

Are U.S. war guarantees in the Baltic republics even credible?

If the Cold War generations of Americans were unwilling to go to war with a nuclear-armed Soviet Union over Hungary and Czechoslovakia, are the millennials ready to fight a war with Russia over Estonia?

Needed now is diplomacy.

The trade-off: Russia ensures the independence of the Baltic republics that she let go. And NATO gets out of Russia's face.

Should Russia dishonor its commitment, economic sanctions are the answer, not another European war.