POLITICS, SPORTS, CURRENT EVENTS
The Democratic National Committee should quickly winnow out the supersized field and showcase their strongest candidates. (Photo credit: investors dot com)
A humdinger potpourri.
In 1994, while guest opining at the Joliet Times Weekly, I wrote a piece that stated we would be better off if world leaders were women. A quarter century ago, I was tuned into the perfunctory failures of many male leaders due to greed, warmongering and an insatiable hunger for power.
Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris have what it takes to be president and add the United States to, among others, Germany, Great Britain and New Zealand who have been led by women. Warren and Harris exhibit intelligence, tenacity, empathy and compassion. Neither woman is afraid of Trump.
Warren and Harris, along with Bernie Sanders, are atop The Weekly Opine list among Democrat presidential contenders. Pete Buttigieg, who looked lost at the South Bend town hall meeting, looked like a stud during the second night’s debate. Buttigieg is intelligent and speaks with confidence and authority because he understands issues and policy. If he intends to win (which will require getting a portion of the black vote) there can be no more “I’m not asking for your vote” moments.
It is troubling so many Dems wrap themselves around Joe Biden, who appears listless and confused, occasionally barking loudly and somewhat unintelligibly. Biden, who has faltered in some polls, stays because of a 10-point gap versus Trump. Biden still rides atop the polls and is also trying to ride Barack Obama’s coattails.
Now it’s up to Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez to accelerate separating the wheat from the chaff. Realistically, there are no more than 6-7 viable candidates. Perez expressed a desire to give the top 20 candidates a fair shake. That’s fair. Just do not slide into Dem over-politeness and screw things up. After the initial debates, 13 of the 20 should be dismissed. Monday, on cue, Eric Swalwell dropped out.
In alphabetical order, the viable candidates are Biden, Booker, Buttigieg, Harris, Inslee, Sanders, and Warren. The others should step aside so the top candidates can provide more depth regarding their policies and ideas. Newly announced Tom Steyer is valuable only if he creates enough pressure to force Nancy Pelosi to open an impeachment inquiry.
On the Republican side, former-Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld is the type of smart, sober man who could help the Grand Old Party revive their pulse, albeit with a modern bent. Weld, a former Democrat, is reasonable and open to progressive ideas. But it would take a miracle to defeat Trump in the primary. GOPers approval of Trump consistently hovers in the 90-percent range. However, if a miracle occurred, regardless of who Dems offer Weld would get equally serious consideration from me. That’s the beauty of being independent!
Megan Rapinoe could teach Tiger Woods a thing or two. (Photo credit: MSN, CNN)
She’s modern and progressive
Not the erstwhile long-haired blond, blue-eyed prototype, Megan Rapinoe is every bit the ultra-modern, All-American woman. Rapinoe is smart, fiery, athletic, and she happens to be gay. Her demeanor, temperament and refusal to suffer fools matches presidential candidates Warren, Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand.
Rapinoe, like former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill (now a staff writer at The Atlantic), is the type of strong, no bullshit woman who makes anyone pining for a return to the 1950s quake in their boots.
Everyone knows Trump wants to control women - like many men did in the 1950s and obviously still do today - but Rapinoe is not having any of it. Trump and his MAGAs were helplessly furious, while a gay white woman perched atop the World Cup global stage. Rapinoe’s poignant demonstrations against America’s ills reminded the world all is not great on the home front. (As more prominent celebrities and regular folks say enough is enough, Colin Kaepernick will eventually be vindicated, as was 1960s boxing champ activist Muhammed Ali.)
Last Sunday, Rapinoe earned the Golden Ball for best player and the Golden Boot for top goal scorer as the USA women won their fourth soccer World Cup. And unlike the polite but sometimes wishy-washy responses voiced by some male champion sports teams, when asked months ago if she would visit the White House Rapinoe said succinctly, “I’m not going to the f-ing White House!” Get it?
Compare Rapinoe to weak-kneed Tiger Woods, who two months ago played the sucker for Trump. Woods ran straight to the White House, on the double-quick, to allow himself to be used as a prop by racist Trump. Woods then accepted an undeserved Presidential Medal of Freedom. The strong will and mental toughness displayed by Tiger on the golf course is absent outside the ropes, offset by his soft, weak spine.
Megan Rapinoe would kick Tiger’s ass in an octagon cage.
Across America flags hung and fireworks displayed without intrusion from Individual 1. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine, WGN)
An awesome July 4th!
Like many people I know, Trump’s lame attempt to turn Independence Day into political theatrics, to satisfy his narcissism and juvenile neediness, had minimal impact on me. I celebrated as always, with a focus on the Declaration of Independence, the American Flag and family and friends.
Is America perfect? Of course not. Does America need to sincerely reflect upon and make amends (settle down, I didn’t say reparations) for what has/is happening to Native Americans, Black Americans, women and now Hispanic immigrants? Absolutely. Does America need to grow up and do something about its gun violence crisis? And its healthcare crisis? Yes, post haste.
But there is no place else I would rather be. I am an American citizen, born and raised here. I would not want to live in another country. And because of the freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment, I get to write this blog and speak my mind.
On July 3rd, I read an outstanding piece in The Washington Post about how we should not let white supremacists appropriate commonly used words and symbols. For example, the OK sign, the Betsy Ross circular-star American Flag and the word “patriot.” (I use the word “patriot” in this blog to describe myself and other Americans who understand what it means to be patriotic, and I intend to do so in the future.)
Recently, I reflexively gave the OK sign to a stranger who was backing his car into a tight space. I agree with The Washington Post. The alt-right doesn’t get to co-op the OK symbol. They do not get to annex Taylor Swift and her music to use as symbols of their idiocy.
Regarding Trump’s “Salute to His Insecurity,” as a blogger who posts about politics and current events, I decided to check it out. What could possibly go wrong? Other than the charade cost taxpayers at least $3.7 million, while debasing the traditional 4th celebration on the Washington Mall.
Late afternoon, checking my Twitter feed, I saw there were thunderstorms in Washington. It was amazing to see the giddy, hyperventilating tweets coming from progressives and liberals. They carried on as if the “salute” had already been cancelled. But as anyone who’s lived in the Midwest during the steamy summer knows, thunderstorms roll in and out like commuter trains during rush hour. Within 30-45 minutes the rain stopped, Trump appeared, and the show was on.
I decided to go all in and watch it on Fox News. That lasted about five minutes. Most every anchor and pundit at Fox just oozes fake news. (ABC, CBS, NBC and MSNBC are to be commended for just saying “no” to broadcasting Trump’s Hitler-wannabe foolishness.)
Of course, the comical lowlight was Trump saying revolutionary soldiers took over an airport at Ft. McHenry during the Revolutionary War. He did not reveal how many airplanes were damaged.
If he does testify, maybe Robert Mueller will inspire Nancy Pelosi to get busy. (Photo credit: GQ, New York Post)
Will it happen?
They say Bob Mueller is coming to Congress. We’ve been down this path before. Don McGahn was coming. Did not show. Attorney General Lyin’ Bill Barr was coming. Didn’t show. House Dems should know by now not to announce, a month in advance, that they’ve caught a big fish. They should wait until they’ve reeled their catch very close to the boat. It’s usually a better play to announce what you’ve done, rather than what you’re going to do.
If he does testify, Mueller owes us stepping up and not talking in double-negative circles like he did during his 8-minute press conference. Show us the Vietnam-vet leader who earned two medals of valor. Mr. Mueller, there is too much at stake to play a cat-and-mouse game of maybe, maybe not.
However, it is understandable why Mueller is reluctant, even irritated, to have to testify. The Mueller report, even redacted, gave House Dems a clear path to begin an impeachment inquiry. Instead, House Dems underperform and don’t appear to recognize that saving healthcare, prioritizing climate change, leveling the playing field and solving immigration are much more difficult to achieve, so long as Trump occupies the White House.
Hopefully, Mueller will inspire mild-mannered Speaker Pelosi to step into the phone booth and step out with a tiger in her tank, seeing the flag color as green for go, not caution yellow.
The border
Not going to try to categorize the immigrant debacle along the southern border. As a black man who is sensitive to someone telling me what it’s like, or is not like, navigating America as a black man, I empathize with Jewish people who are offended by using the label concentration camps.
But I can understand why those who have witnessed the horrendous conditions would say they are tantamount to concentration camps. Regardless, the situation is abhorrent, inhumane and disgusting. But it is not altogether surprising.
When I hear candidates and others admonish that “this is not who we are as Americans,” I pause. Because this is exactly who some people are as Americans.
Look at how Native Americans were snookered out of this beautiful land and herded onto reservations. Look at how Africans were kidnapped, chained together in piles, stowed away, and sent across the Atlantic Ocean. Look at how many school children and people exercising their right to freely practice religion are murdered in mass shootings. And some Americans simply don’t care.
None of this reflects positively on America’s stated desire to live up to the famous words Thomas Jefferson penned in the Declaration of Independence, about equality and the freedom to pursue happiness.
Pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (L) indicted on charges of sex trafficking involving underage teen girls. Among his friends when he was throwing teen girl parties? Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Alan Dershowitz. (Photo credit: Oil City News, Esquire, Etonline, Inside Edition)
Creep show
It is also not a good reflection of America when friend of Bill Clinton and Trump, the creep Jeffrey Epstein, is permitted to roam free and prey on underage teen girls. Enabler Alex Acosta is not the only one culpable.
No surprise, Clinton is already lying, saying he only took four trips on Epstein’s plane. Gawker reported jet logs back in 2015 indicating Clinton took more than a dozen trips. Clinton’s statement claims he never went to Epstein’s island home. Multiple reporting says Clinton flew on Epstein’s private jet to the island home with a group that included someone named Tatiana? Bill!
Controversial lawyer Alan Derschowitz’s attempt to rehabilitate his reputation, after being dinged for defending O.J. Simpson, is careening off the rails again because of his association with Epstein.
Before he was president, President Trump, who once ran the Teen USA pageant, complimented Epstein for his love of beautiful women and penchant for young women (i.e., teen girls). And there’s the interview with Howard Stern, when Trump bragged about entering the Miss Teen dressing room. And the infamous Access Hollywood tape. And the 20+ women credibly accusing Trump of sexual assault.
More reasons why government officials who tolerate Trump – including the diminished House Speaker - not only enable and are complicit, they are accessories to the crimes being perpetrated against immigrants, and against all law-abiding citizens of the United States.
When the smoke clears, more people will go to prison.
© 2019 Douglas Freeland / The Weekly Opine