Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Honestly, you are all pissing me off.  Each one of you has been campaigning far too long and I am so tired of all the words and rhetoric.  T***p was always the worst because the hate speech has taken root and feeding the unenlightened.  Now, Sanders, whom I have much admired for his Senate career, is now annoying the f**k out of me.  It's true.  I still would vote for him if he were the Democratic nominee, but I think his ego is getting in the way of reality.  I think he's believing and loving the adulation and cheers.  I'm sure he never expected all the love and never got it before other than from his wife.  

All the whining about the primary systems is BS.  Can anyone out there show me how the system has changed since 2012?  The system for better and worse has been in place in these States forever.  In NY, it's been the same way since 1910.  Pennsylvania for 40 plus years.  If a candidate has proof and facts that the Primary election rules have changed because of their running for President, show me the proof.  Evidence.  Truth. Facts.  

Funny how when many of these candidates weren't running, they didn't know or care about each States election rules.  Didn't have any bearing on their lives.  They voted or didn't vote in their States and not a peep.  Now, all Sanders can do is whine.  T***p, too.  Maybe someone should have schooled them in the nuances of all these different election differences.  I don't think that we need delegates and the electoral college anymore.  I think it should be a straight up majority rules/popular vote.  If we had that system, we wouldn't have had Bush as President or the invasion in Iraq!  BUT we have it, it's been this way forever and nobody bothered to rise up and make changes in our election system.  You should have done the homework and learned the systems in our 50 States and territories.  So, candidate Sanders and T***p, STOP the whining.  

Finished yet another "Super Tuesday."  T***p won big in all 5 primaries: Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Delaware.  Clinton won big in 4 out of 5.  Sanders won in the heavy delegate State of Rhode Island.  He isn't giving up yet, though it's clear he won't have the numbers to win the Democratic nomination.  When Obama had a clear path to the nomination in '08, the DNC pressed Clinton heavily to back off and put her full support behind Obama.  She is a good soldier and did exactly that and repaired the rancor caused by a very cantankerous campaign.  Bernie, it's past your time.  You are not helping the Democrats anymore.  You are on the other side of the hill and starting to do harm. What is your end game?  You've done a lot of good, don't ruin it now because of hubris. Look in the mirror.  It's time to be honest with yourself. 
                                                                             ***
People, Americans, if you missed 60 Minutes this past Sunday, find it.  It will make you sick.  The amount of fundraising that the RNC and DNC demand/suggest of our elected officials is nauseating.  30 hours per week!!  Besides the fact that they are paid an obscene amount of money for life once elected into office, they actually don't have time to work for the people. I am sure it's been featured on John Oliver or Trevor Noah or Jon Stewart, but it is and should be a National disgrace. T***p won't change it.  I'm not sure Sanders will either.  This is something all Americans should care about.  If they really pulled back the curtain on Washington, D.C., there would be a true revolution.  Throw everyone out.  Stop allowing lifetime benefits and salaries for these self-serving elected officials, especially for doing nothing. Focus on overturning Citizens United.  Focus on what your elected official does and gets done while in office.  Make them accountable.  You do have a voice. You do have say.  Take the time.  Dig deep.  

Sidebars:  Kelly Ripa is 100% right.  The haters spewing venom towards her is astonishing.  The Disney executives were 1000% wrong.  Michael Strahan was wrong, but he's "talent" and afraid to lose a job or disobey orders.  Bob Iger and Ben Sherwood absolutely should have looped Kelly Ripa in before the deal was done.  It is the right thing to do if you value your Talent.  Kelly Ripa has been at ABC/Disney for 26 years.  She has helped make them a ton of money.  Look, she makes a lot of money on LIVE, but it's important to treat your star with respect and dignity.  That's it.  Stop the hate.  Strahan is leaving in two weeks instead of four months, and I for one am happy about that.  -- The Voice is full of exceptional talent. If you're not watching, it's time to tune in.  Hard to choose just one, but my money is on Alisan Porter, but it's never who I think it is.  Maybe this year will be different. -- Crushed that Steph Curry got injured in the Spurs/Warriors game.  Then two shocking injuries with the LA Clippers, Blake Griffin and Chris Paul.  Horrible.  It certainly makes you realize how fragile bodies are.  In one second, everything changes.  --The news has fully covered the tragic death of Prince, but an asterisk in this is the passing of Billy Paul, big Philadelphia soul singer and one hit wonder of "Me and Mrs. Jones."  Love that song and that sound. -- I'm really beginning to intensely dislike Senator Sanders.  On that note, enjoy your day. 

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@DianaPodolsky

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Freaking Out

Well, not exactly freaking out, but this election season is giving me a stomachache.  It is going on far too long and is not good for democracy.  The rhetoric is disturbing and much of it is offensive.  I am a registered democrat.  Life-long.  Even though it may often be against my best interests, I am a democrat.  If you have read any of my political rants, I'm sure it's no surprise.  

When I started out becoming politically aware, at the age of 9, I always picked the loser.  I loved Hubert Humphrey. I didn't know all the ins and outs of the convention woes and riots.  Had no idea.  George McGovern over Nixon.  I did pick Carter over Reagan.  That was my actual first Presidential vote.  On the way to the polling place, I lived in California then, they announced Reagan won. I was pissed and voted anyway.  Voted for Mondale and Dukakis, both underwhelming candidates.  Not until William Jefferson Clinton, did I feel the most confident and hopeful for my Presidential candidate.  We suffered through two terrible elections with George. W. Bush beating Gore and Kerry.  We finally got to the primary between Obama and Hillary Clinton.  

I was for Hillary.  I was both disappointed and thrilled at the outcome.  I deeply appreciate firsts.  The first African-American President, Barack Obama. Big, Huge.  His acceptance speech was so moving.  Thrilling. I had hope for a new world.  A new vision. It didn't really turn out that way.  Blocked at almost every turn by an obstructionist Congress.  President Obama got some sort of health coverage passed.  I am not one of the Americans who feels the advantages, but am happy that many are.  

It's been a very tough eight years, so no one should be surprised at the contentious election season on both sides, but I am.  It makes me sick.  I am still all in with Hillary Clinton.  I get why Bernie Sanders is appealing to many of the young people and McGovern lovers, but I don't think there is anything there.  He hasn't told us how he will do anything.  He has wonderful, noble ideas, but that's where it ends.  They are ideas with zero reality.  I remember being a young idealist, wanting to change the world.  Turn the world upside down and inside out, but that's not how it works.  Sanders wants to change the banks and take them apart.  He wants to make college free for all.  He wants Universal healthcare.  That is all very seductive, but how?  It isn't going to happen.  Our government doesn't work that way.  

I feel the angst of the future disappointment of the young.  I feel the angst for those of us that support Hillary Clinton.  It makes my stomach hurt.  I want it to stop.  I want all the registered voters to get out and vote in the primaries that are so important and remain.  New York's primary is Tuesday, 4/19.  The final primary is California in June.  I keep listening, reading, and hearing that it's going to be Clinton as the nominee, but I take nothing for granted.  If it ends up being Sanders, so be it, but if it's because the Clinton supporters didn't vote, that will make me angry.  I hope that when this is all decided and we are facing ______________
in the general election in November, that the Sanders supporters show up for Clinton or vice-a-versa.  There's too much on the line.

I will keep having stomachaches until November  I can't turn it all off.  

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@DianaPodolsky

Friday, April 1, 2016

Friday Morning Quarterbacking

This week has seen more twists and turns than Space Mountain in the Republican Race for President.  We are down to three:  Donald T***p, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich.  The first two are bat shit crazy, the third talks a great game.  How did they get to this point?  Well, let's go back to the Summer and the debates.  In the lead puppet is Reince Prebus, presumably at the behest of the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson and the like, decided since there were far too many "fantastic" candidates, they would divide up the debates to two per night: the undercard and the main event  (6pm EDT and 8pm EDT).  They would choose by the ever faulty "poll numbers" who would debate whom.  Here's the problem, as you can well imagine, the polls are by name recognition only at that early stage.  The voters don't know anything yet.  

Why Reince and company didn't recognize this early on is beyond me?  Were they so seduced by all the publicity and ratings?  They got tons of support from the bottomline money grubbers at all the stations. T***p gave them big ratings for his outrageous behavior and rhetoric.  What all the pundits were saying after every debate, T***p won't last the Summer, T***p won't last the Fall, and every time he soared.  His unbearable popularity was making the news outlets tons of money because viewership was going through the roof. (Hence this great clip from TDS with Trevor Noah:  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/daily-show-host-trevor-noah-877273).  

So, now, people are scratching their heads and wondering how the grown up in the room can catch up? John Kasich has a minuscule chance of getting the Presidential nomination, but he could have.  If Reince Prebus would have shaken up the early debates and not had an undercard, this race would look very different.  The voters would have had a much smarter and policy focussed campaign season, but the way Reince did it....BIG FAIL!  He could have limited the number of people running or he could have mixed up all the names and had 5 people on the stage each time.  The voters would have heard the differences and the intelligence (or lack there of) of the candidates.  Instead, we have gotten a nightmarish clown show.  I really do land this all at the feet of the RNC. If John Kasich or George Pataki or Mike Huckabee or Rick Santorum or...got on prime time in the early debates, I heartily believe that this race would look very different.  

They were seduced by the copper penny on the stage.  The bombastic loud bully that had a new unfiltered sound.  The networks loved it, promoted it, and dragged more money to the bank than ever before. The people loved it because there was a level of comfort and humor, at first.  There he was, the man that had starred in his own television show, running for President of the United States. We knew him.  Comfort food always wins out when feeling nervous or uncertain.  T***p was all that.  

Now, several moths later, the laughter has stopped and all that is left is shock and awe.  The RNC is running around with their heads cut off wondering how they f**ked this up.  The convention rules are being combed over to see if there's an out anywhere.  Do they re-write the rules so they can get a nominee they can back?   How would that effect the voters?  Is it all a foregone conclusion that a Democrat will win the White House in November?  Hell, no, but, Reince, you should definitely get fired or save face and resign.  You have done an incredibly poor job of foreseeing anything.  You are supposed to lead the Republicans and have a long view.  You have been living in the moment and have turned what could've been a respectable Presidential campaign into a divisive and hate-mongering race.  You didn't see this coming, did you?  Or, wait, maybe he is really a Democratic operative taking down and shredding the Republican Party....

In any case, you all blew it.  You may have actually had some quality candidates in your stable, but they didn't get any chance to show off their wares to the people.  They went with the shiny penny.

Sidebars:  I am increasingly getting sick and nauseous on the Democratic side.  There is so much growing anger and snarkiness between Clinton and Sanders supporters that I feel the big picture is being lost.  Facebook posts are getting ever more divisive.  We are on the same side, please remember that.  -- American Idol is finally coming to an end next week.  15 Seasons later and hundreds of millions of dollars made, it's going out with a whimper.  It was an incredible platform which launched many young talents into megastars: Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Daughtery, Jennifer Hudson.  Without you, The Voice never would've existed. -- Final Four weekend.  It's finally here, which means baseball season is just around the corner. Can't wait. Already ordered the MLB Extra Innings for the season.  I can watch the San Francisco Giants whenever I want 3000 miles away. I have low expectations for the NYC teams.  We shall see. Pitching seems quite iffy.  Let's see how many homers A-Rod hits this year.  -- V for Villanova, V for Victory. -- Enjoy the weekend everybody.  Off to Missouri to the Truman Library and see my babies.  

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@DianaPodolsky