35 to 44 — The Weekly Opine

Several times the band Chicago recorded songs about numbers. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

Strange numbers

For a long time, many fans of the great band Chicago wondered what the song “25 or 6 to 4” referenced. What exactly did the title mean? Some argued it had to do with drugs. Others had no clue. With no internet or Google in the 1970s, finding out was not as easy as a few clicks on a computer keyboard.

Fortunately, a recent CNN special about the band unveiled the answer. During the documentary, singer-songwriter and keyboardist Robert Lamm provided an explanation. The song “25 or 6 to 4” is about a period in the early morning when Lamm was struggling to finish writing a song.

The lyrics “Waiting for the break of day, searching for something to say” are a reference to Lamm experiencing writer’s block at 3:35 or 3:34 a.m., in other words, 25 or 26 minutes before 4 o’clock in the morning. Lamm dropped the second “twenty” (making it implied), which resulted in a better flow than the cumbersome 25 or 26 to 4. The title “25 or 6 to 4” is a better conversation starter, too.

Chicago was belatedly inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, on the backs of juggernaut songs like “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” “Saturday in the Park,” “Beginnings,” “Colour My World,” “Make Me Smile,” “Questions 67 & 68” and the indomitable “Introduction.”

For Chicago, the numbers – over 100 million records sold according to Billboard - added up to fame and fortune.

It is alarming more than one-third of Americans are OK with Trump. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

35 to 44

On the other hand, in a segue from music to politics, each time Trump’s poll numbers are published he resides in the 35% to 44% approval range (there have been a few exceptions when Trump’s approval rose to around 48% or fell to low-30-percent territory).

Obviously, it is better to have fewer Americans approve of Trump. What would it say about the U.S. if, heaven forbid, Trump was at 60% approval? For that matter, what does it say about the Republican Party that Trump hovers near 90% approval within the GOP? Thankfully, Trump is the first president not to achieve at least 50% approval this deep into his first term. Which is another way of confirming Trump is the worst president in U.S. history.

While lower approval numbers are better when it comes to Trump, one does wonder who are these people, the 35% to 44% who continue to approve of Trump. Why is Trump (and Fox Fake News) their bellwether? From where do they source their character? What are their values? Who do they see when they look in the mirror?

Several months ago, The Weekly Opine made the case that if you are still with Trump you fall into one, or all, of only three categories: greedy, crazy or racist. That’s what it boils down to. There are no other options. Greedy, crazy or racist.

For example, Senate Majority Leader Moscow Mitch McConnell is greedy. Senator Lindsey Graham is crazy. Iowa congressman Stephen King is racist. If you are among the 35% to 44% sticking with Trump, which one of those three men do you see when you look in the mirror?

It is telling that the most dangerous, ignorant president in U.S. history finds support from more than a third of the populace. What does that say about the innate quality of many people in America?

Another Blue Wave?

Next November will be a referendum on American democracy. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

Trump is a salesman. Some say he’s a masterful salesman. I say Trump is playing off the stupidity of one-third of the people. In other words, too many Americans are simply not smart enough and/or not curious enough to go beyond Fox Fake News. Every day these MAGAs insert themselves with an intravenous tube of Fox bullshit. They escape reality by pumping themselves full of lies and deception, hoping for a return to the 1950s (or 1850s) that is not going to happen.

Contrarily, the data points to a growing number of Americans rejecting what Trump is selling. Just a few months after his approval peaked around 48%, current poll numbers now indicate big trouble for Trump, notably with white women, whose support for Trump dropped 7.5% from the 2016 election to the 2018 midterms.

Despite Trump’s obvious pandering to the NRA (the man is an expert panderer, just ask Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong Un), 61% of Americans want stricter gun control, according to Gallup polling, e.g. universal background checks and elimination of military-style assault weapons. Pew reports most Americans, 62%, believe immigrants make the country better. Nearly 70% of Americans want the U.S. to actively play a leading role on the global stage. Clearly, a majority of Americans disagree with Trump’s nationalist, white supremacist strategy.

According to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an overwhelming 87% of Americans think international trade is a good thing. Yet Trump continues with is economy-damaging tariffs, which allow the world to see how inept he is at negotiating. Estimates say Trump’s tariffs have resulted in the loss of 300,000 American jobs and the number will rise if the trade war with China persists.

Trump and the GOP are attempting to buck the trend lines, in terms of what most Americans want. Most as in a majority. Most as in we are a democracy. Consequently, come November 2020, a repeat of the 2018 Blue Wave could be in the offing, so long as DNC Chair Tom Perez and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi do not screw it up.

Someone’s gotta go. Either Trump or Pelosi. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

Impeach already!

It is clear the House speaker is “playing” the American people. Or maybe she is a traitor vis-à-vis her sworn obligation to protect the Constitution and weed out an unfit president. Or maybe she is running around in circles. Whatever, Nancy Pelosi’s incompetent slow-walking the impeachment process – which starts with an inquiry – proves she is devoid of moxie.

Recall that Pelosi initially said nothing would happen regarding the impeachment process until Mueller released his report. Then she stalled saying ‘no go’ until Mueller testified about his report. Now Pelosi says House committees are looking at things outside the Mueller investigation. (If that’s the case, House Dems could have reviewed issues outside the Mueller investigation long before the Mueller investigation was completed. For example, the cover-up involving payments to Stormy Daniels. That investigation put Michael Cohen in prison, convicted of committing a felony along with Individual 1, aka Donald Trump.)

Pelosi is now a clown. A wimp. An embarrassment to the Constitution and to her party. Everyone should be aghast that the speaker, the most powerful Democrat in American politics, shrinks away from performing her sworn duty. Pelosi’s lack of integrity and leadership is appalling.

At this rate it would not surprise if Pelosi adopts a new stall tactic, that nothing can happen until John Bolton publishes a tell-all book about how unfit Trump is. Which is another issue I have with some progressives; many are salivating about the prospect of Bolton writing a book and dropping it next September, just in time to screw the Trump campaign.

How desperate and lame for Dems, and never-Trump GOPers, to depend on a loser like John Bolton to inform us Trump is unfit. Seriously, you cannot already see the man is unfit? You cannot discern his administration is in chaos?

As scary as Trump is, it is equally scary that Pelosi and others, like New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, are hospitable to Trump’s insanity continuing unabated.

There’s 24/7 craziness at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

At the White House funny farm

Despite Trump unravelling at a break-neck pace, 35% to 44% of the country plays along. Or more stupefying, some of these people believe what Trump peddles! They are impervious to the trash that litters the once-respected White House.

Recent Trump low lights:

· Lied about taking two calls from China. Aides admitted he was trying to help the financial markets which, by the way, is a crime.

· Altered a National Weather Service forecast to falsely include Alabama as being at risk from Hurricane Dorian. By the way, it is a crime to alter a National Weather Service forecast.

· Claimed to have negotiated a secret deal with the Taliban, unpatriotically inviting the perpetrators of 9-11 to privileged Camp David (the wonder is that Trump did not invite them to Doral Resort or Mar-a-Lago). Then he cancelled the proceedings. Once again, an adversary outsmarts the Great Negotiator, bringing him to heel like a well-trained Labrador.

· Kisses Kim Jong Un’s backside while Kim gives the middle finger to Trump and continues test-firing missiles near Japan, South Korea and American troops. Roll over, pooch.

· Considers paying $15 billion to Iran to get them to stop enriching uranium. This after breaking from the Obama-led, multi-nation pact that already persuaded Iran to stop enriching uranium. Think about that. The Great Negotiator trashed a treaty that was working, then in the aftermath realized things are no longer working, i.e. Iran went back to developing nuke capability. So, The Brilliant One (aka Individual 1) is pondering paying $15 billion to get Iran back to where they were before he fouled it up.

· Offers up typically clueless, incoherency during remarks on September 11. The U.S. will use force that’s not been seen before? Something beyond nuclear weapons? Obviously, America’s nuclear arsenal is fully intact since Trump did not use any of it trying to destroy Hurricane Dorian.

· Re-asserts his racism by saying people from the Bahamas are bad people.

· 27.5 million Americans have no healthcare, the highest number in a decade. Trump is literally killing Americans (and immigrants with his inhumane policy at the southern border).

As they say, God bless America and the American people. And thoughts and prayers for the 35-to-44-percent.