My hopes for a Republican candidate for governor

 Elise Stefanik is currently a Federal House rep from upstate (rural) New York.  She is running to unseat a truly vile incumbant (Kathy Hochul).  I am enthusiastic about her candidacy and extend an offer to help her candidacy, laced generously with opinions and caveats.

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Honorable Elise Stefanik

Federal House Representative

137 Margaret St. Suite 100

Plattsburgh, NY  12901

Dear Representative Stefanik:

Want Some Help?

 Because I live on Long Island I know little about you. I caught a clip the other day that you will run against Kathy Hochul for governor.  I believe one remark was that the State of New York will not bail out our Sharia Law city from its certain financial failure. Delightfully, Hochul is caught between a rock wall and a hard place.

Your website is tailored to your role as a representative.  I assume most of your positions are similar to those you will communicate during your gubernatorial run. Rarely have I had so much enthusiasm for a political candidate. On our long ballots I will often vote for one candidate, or none; in the last election I voted for no candidates but expressed my opinion on the two ballot issues. I do not vote party or lesser of evils, only individuals with whom I substantially agree. I do not like Lee Zeldin, a perfect RiNo.  I researched his congressional history when he ran for the governor of New York and discovered not one thing controversial and important.  We all love our veterans, right?  Too many other issues of importance he ignored.  I was disappointed Trump appointed him to his cabinet.  A nice guy with not nearly the spine to run a divided government. I do not understand why candidates with conservative values are so terrified of defending those values.  Mr. Lalota is of the same cloth.

Your positions and issues of particular importance to me:

SECOND AMENDMENT:

I list this first deliberately.  As  our country becomes less willing to defend the innocent, often protecting the criminal, I want to be in the best position to defend myself and family.  I like the saying “when you need a cop in eight seconds, one will arrive in eight minutes.” In Mamdani’s Utopia, it will likely take much more time than that and if the call is from a woman whose husband is beating her, one may not show up at all.  Mamdani hinted as much. That does not work for me.  That I own a handgun guarantees my safety?  No but I have a better chance than if I am unarmed.  I would prefer we not have RPG’s in the hands of individuals but handguns are legitimate and so would have thought our forefathers.

I have a concealed weapons permit.  Guns scare me. I do not target shoot and  do not hunt.  I will, without remorse, shoot someone who threatens me or my family.  I am a transplant from the State of Washington. I carried a gun for 50 years.  Believe it or not, Sandy Hook, I never shot anyone.  I once removed the gun from my glove box, waved it at four thugs who hoped to extract an elderly man from his car at a stoplight in Spokane, Washington.  They ran, the old man drove off in his car, I replaced my gun and drove off, happy I had done my good deed for the day…and no one got shot! Again, Sandy Hook, sorry to disappoint.

I rarely carry.  My fear is that if I leave my gun in the car it might be stolen but at least I feel free to carry it on a specific trip.  Except for Hochul.  After she was stomped by the SCoTUS decision, she, with her fellow evils, crafted a list which essentially tells me I can’t carry my gun anywhere except on the roads. You may have read the comment from one advocate, a comment that made me laugh. He said if he stopped at a gas station that did not AFFIRMATIVELY allow him to bring a gun on the premises, he was in violation of Hochul’s Law. Can this evil “human being” look at herself in the mirror?  Many of the do-not-carry dictates are working through the courts now.  I am not well connected but do pay attention to headlines.

Should you become the next governor and lack the votes to revoke some of this hate legislation, I ask that you instruct the State police and sheriffs to not enforce non-criminal non-violent violations of Hochuls’ Law.

MAMDANI’S UTOPIA:

I am looking forward to this playing out. I don’t watch organized sports but will certainly pay attention to the likely constitutional and Trump battles.  On that note I intend to watch the Trump/Mamdani meeting.  I have a whole case of Costco microwave popcorn waiting.

In the meantime, the purple-haired ignorant females who paraded after Mamdani’s victory, need not bother with 9-1-1 if your hubby beats you - and you might want to cover up your purple hair with your hijab.

Marxism is an idea that this country has toyed with for 100 years.  Between New York and Seattle (I used to live in Seattle; it is a weird place) this country has the opportunity to decisively prove its fallacies and oppression.  I have heard, and love the expression “socialism works until the government runs out of other peoples’ money.”  I do not want the state or Federal government to bail out Mamdani even if serious civil issues develop. The New York lemming voted this dangerous man in.  Let them deal with it. I hope Vance takes over in 2029.  He is NOT a wimp and he will not bail out NYC.  My hope is that NYC and Seattle fail so badly that politicians other than a radical Left minority will let it die. In the meantime my microwave is ready to pop my popcorn. Anthropologists:  fire up your computers!

MIDDLE EAST:  (I don’t believe you addressed this).

Israel has a PERFECT right to exist.  Middle East history is complex.  I know little about it but I have begun reading a  book about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Although some Jews settled in the area prior to WW2, the majority were resettled there for humanitarian reasons after WW2.  They have a right to live unmolested.  Funny that when the Islamic folk attack Israel the attackers lose the war, lose land and then want the UN to require Israel to give the land back.  Reminds me of Lucy, Linus and the football Lucy pulls out from under Linus time and time again as he tries to kick it.  What did Einstein say about that??

I am not Jewish and have never had a Jewish friend, BUT they have a perfect right to unfettered existence and prosperity.

In whatever capacity you have as governor, defend Israel.  

EDUCATION:

Public "education" is, especially in big cities, is nothing more than incarceration of and inculcation of woke/marxist values in children. Public education is an atrocity and gets worse.  A few years ago an independent study demonstrated that NOT ONE 4TH GRADE STUDENT in the Baltimore school system could perform 4th grade math. I would bet a beer it is the same in NYC.  The rich parents take their kids out of public schools and the poor parents don’t have  a choice.

Weingarten is truly a horrible person but I have little praise for the millions of teachers who lack the integrity to speak up against public education despots.  Since they can’t be fired, what they have to lose I do not know.

I want children to learn the “three R’s” an art, some physical fitness and mutual respect, NOT respect required only by whites, males and the physically-able. A lesson or two in the Constitution might be thrown in as well.  Oh, yes, learn finances and how to balance a checkbook.  Being told that the earth is warming catastrophically and we Americans are solely responsible for that or we stole land from Mexico and American indians is not as useful to the next generation as fundamentals as we prepare the to thrive.

Open the doors to private and home schooling. The SOLE purpose of the education dollar is the education of children, not the support of unreproachable teachers or bureaucracies.  The “separation of church and state” argument is a red herring.  I understand the issue but believe it can be overcome, with the cooperation of private religious schools.   I believe, with no proof, that the wealthy are not openly supportive of this because they want their kids in the limited “slots.” Shame on you!  Voucher systems, over time and with private school cooperation will create more private schooling opportunities.  The unions, teachers and bureaucracies create a new argument against private schools almost daily but their arguments really are red herring.

In the universities, any professor who is reasonably deemed, including fair and proven accusations, to have deprived a student of his/her freedom of speech, loses tenure at incident number one and is dismissed at incident number two.  Educators MUST NOT teach what to think but teach how to think.

Again, big city schools do little more than incarcerate kids.  Pull a heinous criminal off the streets, how cruel!  Incarcerate kids, providing no hope for their future, good public and education policy!!!

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:

The term "undocumented aliens” is feel-good.  They are illegal.  They should be labeled as such. Don’t use terminology intended to make them or their supporters feel good about themselves.  I tend to get along with Hispanics more than any other race/ethnicity (including caucasians, actually) but if they are here illegally, deport them.  Their drain on our nation’s, state’s and city finances is repeatedly documented.  AND democrats aim to legalize the immigrants, hopefully gaining millions of democrat votes (fewer than they might hope for however).  NO health insurance, SNAP or cash. No protections under the constitution.  Try walking into the countries from which these people emigrate, and demanding benefits similar to ours. Let us know how that works out for you.  Once upon a time I researched moving to Norway, not seriously but with an interest.  Immigration rules are not horrible there but the potential immigrant HAD TO PROVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY.  Were I in a negotiation on this issue I think there is room for compromise but unmitigated  immigration and draining of AMERICAN resources is not acceptable. Frankly I believe the judges that stop deportation ought to be doxxed.  The radical left is doxxing ICE  agents and public officials who support deportation.  What is good for the goose is good for the gander and perhaps the Boesberts of the world would develop some temperance.

Separating children from adults is not our problem.  Parents are free to take their children along.  They are not allowed to stay in the U.S. because they have children.

MEDICARE, MEDICAID AND SNAP:

There is no such thing as a “free lunch.”  I am 79; I paid into social security and medicare for my 55 working years and I continue to pay for medicare as well as a private supplement. And I pay taxes on social security. My Lord.  There are no circumstances in which my health or pension should be compromised.  I don’t care how Canada or Europe treat health care; I would rather live here. I do not understand the complexities of health care or medicine.  It is expensive but I do not believe the public is being told the truth, not just “poor me” rhetoric.That the government has horrible actuaries and fiscal policies does not compromise my entitlement. Want an abortion (I am in the middle on this issue) get your checkbook out.  People who believe it is immoral must not be forced to pay for it.  Cut government as necessary to keep my entitlements intact. I have some thoughts on meeting the needs of kids if I am ever engaged in that discussion. I trust you have heard purple-haired mothers or others with five kids griping that SNAP does not permit the buying of snacks.  Did they not read the word “Nutrition” in that acronym?  And how about the welfare leeches with five kids who planned to rob WalMart if their benefits were cut. While I think many of these posts are “click bait” the posters deserve criticism. Back in the seventies my wife and I were on “food stamps” for two months while I was between jobs. One month of benefits fed us for two months and included a steak on rare occasion. The term ‘food insecurity” is one more red herring. Smart eating (diet) might be another subject taught in our schools. Certainly more important than “global warming.”

Starving children:  provide two or three full meals a day in school; provide neither food nor cash to the parents.

I have never accepted that I am “my  brother’s keeper.” I am compassionate more than most but “God helps him who helps himself” perfectly matches my belief.  The natural consequence of doing nothing for oneself is death.  Our country seems unable to say “no” to leeches. Since Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” we have become the land of “gimmes.”  It might be too late to reverse that mentality but we might slow it down. Trump is trying to do that. We have a country in which people believe they are owed simply because they exist.  Most of my career was  with the Washington State agency “Department of Social and Health Services” (DSHS).  More about this later but I was a part of a meeting with an agency senior official who was lamenting Clinton’s work (never serious) requirements.  I spoke out in favor of them.  This idiot turned red-faced and said "they are not used to getting up at 5:30 in the morning.” I just shook my head.

ENERGY AND GLOBAL WARMING:

The hatred the woke/marxists have rained upon the U.S over this issue is appalling. As in the issues of race, economic disparity, our “collective national guilt” (my phrase) has tolerated this damaging nonsense since Al Gore stepped out of his 38 room house and declared we are all about to die.  Several glaring inconsistencies and half-truths.  There is not a peep in the U.N. about China and India, who, combined, are responsible for more air pollution than all other countries combined.  There is no complaining about Gore or deCaprio or Taylor Swift flying private planes or Pelosi, one of few passengers on a government plane. I was one of the last ones on the bus with respect to the reality of global warming and still do not buy it is man-caused.  Assemble a panel of true experts, all of whom are heard with no hatred or name-calling and I will watch that panel.  I doubt you watch Sky TV (Australia) but a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences was removed from the air because he made a case against global warming. Anyone who wants to learn how to think, not what to think, ought to be incensed. No one has convinced me that in the 4.5 billion years the earth has existed warming and cooling have not been regular and cyclical. 

No windmills and solar farms. “Fire” up the production of natural gas, oil and nuclear.  DeCaprio and Gore want to place windmills on their ranches, great.  I do not want to pay for their windmills and solar panels either in tax dollars or utility rates. You might have some control over this policy but might not over the next.

Rescind Hochul’s ban on natural gas use in new construction.  It is dangerous and not practical. Natural gas is useful, for example, in power failures (fireplaces and cookstoves, not central heating). I understand the legislature is obscenely woke-marxist but you can start the ball rolling by speaking publicly on this issue.  My next proposal might seem ludicrous but give it some thought or study.

On Long Island, and I trust, most other parts of the state, electronic traffic management is archaic.  I live near a major intersection and at 5:30 a.m. when no one is approaching from any direction, it takes NINETY SECONDS for the light to turn green.  Eventually, making sure it is safe and after I stop I proceed on the red light.  Hochul is concerned about air pollution and conservation (?). I can only imagine over millions of motorists, the pollution and fuel waste this abominable engineering costs.   I want EVERY electronic signal to be engineered for safety, yes, but for the most efficient movement of traffic. Three simple and inexpensive solutions. 1.  After certain hours, depending on the intersection, signals switch to blinking red (one direction) and yellow (other direction.) 2.  Or, after certain hours, signals become “on demand.”  One direction may remain green in perpetuity until a car approaches from another direction and causes the signal to change in his favor. 3,  Remove some signals in favor of yield or stop signs.

There are other solutions, none of which are rocket science. AI, informed me, considering all the variables, that the “average commuter”  working 40 years in the "average city,” will spend 4.6 MONTHS waiting at stop lights.  In the perfectly engineered world the time would not be “zero” but let us say it is one month.  Imagine all the fuel and air pollution that unnecessary wait causes given several million drivers on the road.  BEFORE one dollar is spent on any feel good projects, or on any state project of dubious value, engineer traffic and spend the money on necessary technology projects designed to implement the study and improve traffic flow.  Truly an aside but before a freeway was built in Tacoma, Washington there was an intersection of a well-used arterial and what would later become a freeway.  The green light time for the freeway was FIVE MINUTES during morning and evening  commutes.  A long time for the guy on the arterial waiting to cross but the effect was the “freeway” traffic, once it started moving, was generally cleared before the light turned in favor of the arterial.  That type of engineering is what I am talking about.

ABOUT ME:

I am 79, a transplant from Washington State.  I graduated from Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington in 1972 with a B.A. in business and a minor in Philosophy.  This after I left the army with an honorable  discharge, having served between 1966 and 1969; before that two years at a junior college in Marin County, California.  I was a banker for eight years, a paid firefighter for two (no they are not heroes).  My years with DSHS were as one of six “regional business managers.” The shortest description is:  responsibility for a geographic region of welfare offices, supervising facilities, purchasing and non-staff budgeting.  I retired from Spokane, Washington in 2011, married my third wife immediately and moved to her ‘hood, Suffolk County. Horrible place to live; wonderful choice of a spouse.

POLITICS/PHILOSOPHY:

Until I was about forty I identified as a conservative Republican.  I lost faith in the Republican party for many reasons.  In 1996 I campaigned for a seat on the Lacey, Washington fire commission.  Lacey is a suburb of Olympia,  I was a long-time volunteer in that department but the loathsome International Association of Firefighters was aggressively forcing out the volunteers in favor of an all paid (union) department.  My goal was to block that.  I was shellacked. Lacey/Olympia are heavy union cities (aren’t all state capitols?) and I was not well-prepared.  I learned a lot and I was proud I walked my talk.

During the campaign an officer from the Washington State Libertarian Party contacted me offering help.  I knew nothing about the libertarians and will not join groups unless I know them and align with the group’s values.  After the fire commission election I attended some conventions of the party and truly found a political/philosophical home in that group.  I don’t participate in the party any more but the party’s values have never caused me any grief. If I know a Republican candidate and align with his/her values I will vote for him/her but I am highly skeptical of all politicians and as I wrote before often vote for no one on a given ballot. I voted for Dixie Lee Ray, a democrat for Washington State governor before your time  and would have voted for Tulsi Gabbard, had I been in her district, suspecting (correctly) that she was a Republican in Democrat clothing, I am glad Trump brought her to his cabinet.

During my time in Olympia, I hosted a public access TV show called “Libertarian Forum” once a month. The show only lasted  for a year but what a hoot.  We did not accept call-ins but hosted some famous guests and had great discussions on many issues.  Later I co-hosted a radio talk show in Centralia, Washington.  This show did accept call-ins.  Fun as well. Okay, I did hang up on an uncivil caller.

I am clean - unless being married three times is a scandal. I was arrested for a weapons violation in 2013.  What happened was after moving here I bought a house in Washington and attempted to carry a pistol to that new house. I prepared it for transport but I did not know I needed a license even to own a pistol in this state.  Fun being arrested at McArthur, placed in handcuffs and politely escorted to the police car.  $5,000 later the charge was dismissed and as I said I have since obtained a concealed weapons permit. None of the  interviewers was concerned about my arrest as it turned out.

PERSONAL INTERESTS:

My credit is clean.  My chief hobby is home improvement.  I live in a co-op so little of that is permitted but my stepdaughter recently bought a house so I have been doing some improvements for her.  I love softball but, other than pickleball, have yet to find any sport at which I am decent.  For one year in Spokane I was an American Softball Association certified slow-pitch softball umpire.  What a ball (pun intended).  After moving to Long Island I did not pursue that.  I have 17 years of volunteer firefighting experience in addition to two years paid.  I was terminated from the Saint James department after working against a bond issue the chiefs and commissioners wanted. I was sorry about that and have an NDA so can’t talk about that much. Delightfully, using that term again, the bond was shellacked at the ballot box. My favorite time of the day is “morning coffee”with my son and wife…and plenty of TV.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU:

If I become better acquainted with you or your subordinates and find our values align as well as I think they will, I would love to help your campaign. I write well; I am probably a “6” on computer literacy. I have no familiarity with graphics but plenty with Google documents and some spreadsheet applications. I know how to research.  I speak well though I understand that would not be a likely assignment.  I can perform logistics for events. I will canvas for votes, with another member.  I can write letters to editors.

WHAT I WON’T DO:

Canvas solo.  There is strength in numbers. I will not phone solicit. I drive as little as possible in these lawless Eastern Seaboard states.  Short local errands or tasks are fine.  If it helps you to understand, I have lived on Long Island for  14 years and have driven to NYC ONE TIME. Exceptions are possible if I am reimbursed my costs.  I will not give you money but may occasionally contribute in kind, such as running errands with no reimbursement.  Again, I will not give you money.  It took awhile, much like Linus, Lucy and the football.  I learned that politicians asking my opinion on issues really did not want my opinion; they wanted my money.  If you get my money, you get my opinion and you reply to it.

FINALLY:

I am not encumbered.  I have plenty of time (at 79, not sure how much) and would have fun working on your campaign (similar ideology assumed).  I do not know how a campaign works but assume meeting other people, you, and planning strategy sessions would get me on board. My energy stems from your values - as I understand them. I have no hard feelings if I am not a match; developing this “application” has been a clarifying effort for me and thus has been valuable and in any case I will follow your campaign.

Sincerely and good luck,

John M. Tyson

Good Bye, NPR and PBS, or at least their public funding

 Don’t worry, woke leftists; Soros, Gates, Bloomberg et al will continue private funding for your beloved National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting System (PBS). Don’t take those cyanide tablets quite yet.

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NPR and PBS have been tools of the Left for years.  Previous  Republican majorities have been too frightened of pushback to stop government funding of these operations.  Never should government fund any programming that aims to move people along the political spectrum. Actually it should fund no broadcasting at all.  There is a plethora of private networks available across the political spectrum.  Claims that revoking funding of NPR and PBS is an infringement of freedom of speech. Is contrary to the truth.  Government funding of opinions with which I do not agree restricts my freedom of speech by taxing me to pay for these opinions, i.e. paying for opinions with which I do not agree but have no avenue to rebut.  Attempting to silence privately funded networks: CNN, FOX etc IS infringement on the First Amendment.  These horrid leftists who shriek that ceasing funding of “public” radio is an infringement of the First Amendment are not ignorant; they are malicious. They know better and thus resort to fear-mongering as they have no viable constitutional argument. The woke/marxists speak freely and they have many venues.  They just can no longer count on the government paying for political programming..

The vile director of NPR testified to Congress that there is no slant in their programming and when shown evidence there is she repeated, several times, that there is no slant.  I heard recently through a source I cannot verify that for every one conservative guest there were six leftist guests.  I resent my tax dollars funding opinion with which I disagree and which I believe, if implemented, would harm me.  That previous Republicans lacked the backbone to stop this heinous expenditure of tax dollars is one reason I am now Libertarian though there are occasional Republicans for whom I will vote.  I did vote for Trump in 2016; did not vote for him in 2020 but did in 2024 when I came to understand that a Kamala Harris regime signaled the end of our Republic.

I do not understand the Democrats grasping at this straw. I am glad they did but literally do not understand it. I think the Democratic party is now self-destructive and were it in power, would destroy our Republic; but if I were a Democrat strategist, I would have said to Chuck Schumer (Senator, New York State) that - in their politically left best interests - to retain public funding of these operations, significant changes had to be made to programming and financial accountability. IF Schumer really believes that those poor  despicable rednecks(?) in rural areas (whom he despises) were no longer going to get the likes of tornado alerts, he would have been much wiser to propose the establishment of a perfectly unbiased(?) “board” to oversee the content and finances of these operations.  Now, fortunately he has nothing.  He and the democrats shot themselves in the foot. The Lemming followed Schumer to the end of NPR. Again, I really don’t understand that.  Pragmatism would have dictated he put his fear-mongering to the side and suggest/agree to serious changes in the content and funding of these two operations. Because he does not care about those redneck/fascists/right-wing-extremists in rural America, he lost nothing but the tool to move voters to the left. Because I believe he saw the best purpose of NPR and PBS as tools for the left, he would not have been interested in the assurance of unbiased news; thus he probably thinks he lost little in the end. IF those stations could not be a political tool they had little use.

But, let us say I were a democratic strategist, or a Republican friend of a democratic strategist, I would have advised Schumer, et al, to establish a board that had carte blanche authority to review the content of all broadcasts and to publicly account for all expenditures these operations made.   The board would have censor authority and would receive, log investigate and reply to complaints from citizens about lack of content neutrality. Again, such censorship and policing is NOT a violation of the First Amendment, CNN, MSNBC, FOX and OANN are free to opine nearly without limit.; Publicly funded programming will not be allowed that freedom. Your right to freedom of speech places no obligation on me to pay for it.

Were my suggestions to be implemented, every opinion, on either side would be allowed rebuttal, by a credible opponent, same time of day, no editing, no further rebuttal.  News would be just that, news; no inflammatory or suggestive wording.  A network I think is outstanding is Straight Arrow News (SAN) available on the Internet.  The lovers of NPR could have learned objectivity from SAN and put it into practice.  “NEWS” is a tornado warning.  “Opinion” is “Climate change deniers can be thanked for the tornado that is approaching.”

If Schumer and his fellow liberty haters did not want to use NPR as a political tool but as a major source of news, they lost that opportunity.  I believe a few Republicans MIGHT have voted differently had the Democrats elected to move NPR strictly to news and balanced opinion.

Again, NPR and  PBS will continue; the "elitist" and “rich” will fund those operations.  Happily, I won’t have to. I did not listen to those broadcasts anyway and live on Long Island (New York) so if a tornado is on it’s way, between CBS, NBC, FOX the NWS and phone alerts I will not go without warning and imagine those poor skinheads in rural America, whom Schumer loathes, will get the word as well.

As an aside, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), parent of The National Weather Service (NWS), should “enjoy” a product review. I caught an opinion article on the (NWS) website and complained about it.  I did not check later to see if it was removed.  Given the loathing and disrespect the Biden administration displayed toward dissidents; I trust NWS was not asked to remove the article. Trump probably would but I do not know how to draw it to his attention.

Bye, bye, NPR, you will take your place in history as a tool of the American left and no more. You democrats who voted against this rescission package either failed to resist “leadership” pressure or have no understanding of the First Amendment or of the core functions of government.  

I smile at your loss.

Democrat Hate is My Joy

 I am not a bit surprised at the depth of the hatred the woke marxists have toward Trump. And MAGA supporters  I am 78 and for as long as I remember democrats pushed social programs with which I did not agree (welfare, selective enforcement of non-discrimination law, control of my property).  When Republicans would “control” government they slowed the race to marxism but never reversed it.  I am a Libertarian because it became clear to me (in the 90’s) that there really was no representation of my beliefs on the candidates’ ballots. The differences between the parties was minimal and because I don’t vote “lesser of evils” I became a libertarian.  That the libertarian party has never been a serious threat is sad to me but that is where my values lie; again, I do not vote lesser of evils. This election was different.

Trump changed that; he engineered the marxists’ train off the rails.  Some woke marxists anticipated this, I suspect they simply could not tolerate any philosophy/policy to the right of Karl Marx.Thus their hate for Trump (and his supporters) was early, irrational and strong. They believed a free America just might happen and knew their agenda might be in trouble.

I am delighted to see the hate since the hate will attract no one to the “democrat” party and improves the chances Vance will get the presidency in 2028. The dems have nearly four years and they may get the message in time to become a threat to liberty in 2028. I hope not. Bring on the hate. The utterly failed to read the voters in 2024.  I hope they do again.

I did not vote for Trump in 2020 though I did in 2016 and in 2024, the latter election because the thought of Harris was quite scary.  In his first term there were serious questions of policy which he ignored or was ineffective changing.  It does appear he is aware that the Marxists will use any tactic (the favorite is clogging the courts) and four years just might not be enough to effect the middle-class agenda but he is much better prepared this term than he was for his first term. At the end of four years our country will be better off.

The dems did get the memo on how to behave during Trump’s State of The Union address.  Al Green was the star performer. Not surprised we hear him say he was removed from the address because of his race - “no one else was treated similarly”- except that no one else stood up and refused to sit down when ordered to do so. The race card is no longer the best defense!

Then there was Pocahontas (Elizabeth Warren) who was playing with her cell phone while Trump was spotlighting families who had lost loved ones to criminals from south of the border.

I honestly do not understand this hatred and behavior. I like it but do not understand it.  Pundits, including some democrats have been shrieking to an empty room that the public did not want the leftist agenda (you know, men playing wonens’ sports, no more gas stoves in New York, prosecuting hate crimes only if perpetrated by whites).  Nor was the voting public happy with millions of illegal immigrants draining financial resources and murdering people.

Despite polls from a variety of media, including - gasp, CNN - showing public support for Trump's initiatives the woke marxists kept hammering him and Vance and Musk and me and I really do not get it.  Had I a chance to with Harris, not sad I did not have that chance; I have questions but would be respectful addressing her. Hopefully she would have understood my questions and had an intelligible  answer.  It seems the loss of their unpopular causes has given them license to throw civility and reason out the window. Violence has followed on a small scale and may increase next summer. I am armed.

I lost a good friend and confidant when she learned I supported Trump.  A PhD and in all respects a wonderful woman - who was not able to accept that I had an opinion that was not in lockstep with hers.  I regret losing her as a friend. My values are more important to me than being popular but - knock me over with a feather - I could not believe she was that intolerant of my support for Trump.   

Watch the news and witness behavior. I will list democrat dogma that is counterproductive to the moderate democrat causes (but not to mine, happily).

1.  The democrats have not and will not recognize any achievement Trump has made or will make. Partly this is because what I call an “achievement” they call children dying in the streets and old folks shivering under overpasses. An individual who believes any of this garbage either went to an Ivy League school or spent too much time in the public school system.  In my opinion, an individual who is afraid of cuts to social security (I am on social security and am not at all worried) should applaud Trump’s rooting out fraud in government, finding money that could be used to bolster social programs such as social security and Medicare for both of which I prepaid.  To do so would be to concede his agenda has some merit and they mistakenly believe (in my opinion) that to give him any credit assures they will not win back the white house in 2028. As a long time supervisor I complimented employees on their work even while I had to criticize some parts of their performance. The criticism is more balanced and produces a balanced outcome.

And Federal employment is a democrat voting base.  What effect the reductions will have on the former employees’ attitudes and future will play out over a long period of time but government does not exist to provide employment; it exists to provide services.  Personnel is a resource; “use” only the amount you need. There is no competitor to government so it has a moral and fiscal obligation to cost the taxpayers as little as possible.

2. The army listing anti-abortion groups as domestic terrorists but not gang members or Black Lives Matter, wow! Trump’s sweeping senior military from the Pentagon is a blessing to our armed forces; the rank and file who protect the country not unconstitutional objectives.We have seen (General Milley) truly destructive “leaders” of our military. Somehow, as a toxic male I have avoided the army’s hate list.

3. No tolerance, at all, for dissent.  The party who shrieks that Trump is turning the country into a dictatorship vilifies any opinion opposing the woke/marxist agenda and that evil fear-mongering. It is the woke/marxists who are horrid dictators.  The democrats are flopping in the streets like a fish out of water that Trump has created a “constitutional crisis.”  He has not and cannot in our Republic.  These claims are baseless, uneducated and fear-mongering.

4. That we owe anything to Europe other than basic civility is nonsense.  I know very little about Europe but from my reading I have little respect for England, France or Germany.  Italy was one of the few countries not offended by Vance’s speech to the European Union. Apparently that country gets it.  I have a difficult-to-define attachment to Poland and hope Russia leaves that country alone. I admired Vance for that speech.  Europe is quite free to hate us or lose respect and over decades has shown disdain - smugness - to our county.  Other than trade issues; I think we have little to regret about that. Trump’s insisting Europe invest in Nato at a level equaling ours is valid on its face.  I believe he tackled this same issue at the beginning of his first term. Zalensky (Ukraine) commented that we are only an ocean away from Russian missiles.  I smile at that.  When (if) the balloon “goes up” we will live 20 minutes longer than the Europeans.  I would prefer to not know when that happens.  I do wonder what that radiation will do to my skin tags but won't have long t wonder about it.

5. “Free” health csre for everyone?  No thanks.  I paid for mine during my working years and prepaid for health care in my retirement years. I still pay as a retiree.  I do not want to stand in line behind the welfare mother with five kids who has contributed absolutely nothing to our society - except for her five kids. Remove  the children from her care, provide them health care and put mother to work cleaning the streets. That is survival, not “cruel and unusual” punishment. Living is simply not free.

I have paid attention to politics and our nation for 50 years and as a 78 year-0ld white male I was freed from Federal prison on November 5, 2024..  The miscreants who are suing Trump now will do so with their own money.  Under Biden the Feds accepted litigation on behalf of causes that were hurtful to this country saving miscreant money. Now these same miscreants have to fund themselves.  The Federal government will no longer subsidize the hatred of white, older, successful males who live in a great country and who enjoy using their fireplace and gas-fueled cars with impunity. Any “buttercups” who chance upon this, be advised when I say I am “successful,” I am in the middle of thee middle class, not one of those hated “rich.”

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