Guard Dog

One of the rabbits died today. It was around 4 years old. Not bad for a rabbit. Especially since i bought them for cooking. Well... that didn't happen.

Drowsy Emperor is, of course, completely correct. The name of the person elected President will make little difference in how the US conducts business. Barack Obama has been President for seven years and six months. When he took office the US had troops in Iraq & Afghanistan. Guantanamo Bay was still holding prisoners. Taxes were lower than the US historical average, you had to buy health insurance if you wanted health care at a reasonable costs and unemployment was 6.5%. After that 7 & 1/2 years the US has troops in Iraq & Afghanistan. Guantanamo Bay is still holding prisoners. Taxes are slightly higher on average but still lower than the US historical average, you have to buy health insurance if you want health care at a reasonable costs and unemployment is 5.1%

In other news it looks like Rubio getting back in the Senate race was a good move. He's all but goth that locked up. Of course it helps when your opponent has been discredited as a liar. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2016/senate/fl/florida_senate_rubio_vs_murphy-5222.html I know the Democrats were counting on that one as a pick up. Looks like that won't happen. I am pleased about that. Unlike Presidential races there are few surprises in the House & Senate races. The candidate polling ahead wins 99% of the time.

I think he woke up one day and "What the hell, I think I'll run for President". I don't think anyone is more surprised than he is about where he us today.

The Dems running for Senate are not happy with the Clinton BS: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/287845-democrats-freaked-out-about-polls-in-meeting-with-clinton I LOVE this quote:

Totally! Sign me up for that job. I've got an old trench coat and can do the burned out. world weary look! I'll even drop hints that might make folks believe I'm secretly a Muslim as I take 'em out!

A Trump victory could make everywhere a very interesting place. As in "may you live in interesting times" special kind of interesting. To quote one of my all-time favorite Americans Thomas Paine "These are the times that try men's souls" kind of interesting. But I must admit, we make a lot more out of this that it deserves. Suppose Trump wins and becomes the worst President in our history. The President is not all powerful. Not even close. he is just one leg of the US tripod. He can do nothing without getting Congress to go along. And there is a better than average chance the Senate will go back to the Dems. They will neuter him the same way the Republicans in the House of Representatives have neutered Obama the last five years. For everyone who is truly worried about this election... don't be. I'll give the same advice I gave when Obama won. In four years you will barely notice any "real" change in how the US is doing business. She is a big ship and does not turn on a dime. Speaking of Obama did anyone see him on the televised Townhall last night? He looks exhausted compared to seven years ago. He looks used up. It's amazing anyone would even want that job.

You don't understand how it is with us and our British cousins. Yeah we talk trash about each other and it might seem we don't like each other much. But make no mistake, anyone who messes with them is messing with US!

I must admit... a Trump victory would make this forum a very interesting place for a few weeks!

I fear we're all underestimating the rapidly growing discontent of the western middle class with the status quo.. To the point that I fear both Trump and Le Pen have a very real chance to win in their respective elections. Immediately after the Brexit vote I thought that there was that risk, but Trump seems to be intent on staying within his primary talking points, which appeal to the Republican base and almost literally no one else in the US. His VP pick appears to be dire, and has already been lambasted even before it has been officially announced. Guys Hilary Clinton is going to win the Presidential race in November, I thought this was something we had all begrudgingly or kind of agreed on? Why are we even doubting this? Well she is now trailing in the major polls by 5+ points. Once again we haven't even had the conventions yet so make of that what you will. But a Clinton victory is anything but assured. November is an eternity away in the sense of election time. The third parties are gaining steam, Clinton hasn't selected a VP yet and that is an opportunity to help or hurt herself. There is still a very long way to go and the outcome is far from certain for anyone.

The problem is when Muslims self-segregate which it seems they do there from what I'm reading, assimilation isn't going to happen. They have to want it and it seems they don't. It's becoming a problem here in the US in the refugee communities. The Islamic refugees are forming isolated and insular groups that choose not to participate in the society they live in. You can't force someone to assimilate. Unless of course you are Borg. So France is one of the worst examples of successful integration, the reasons are complex and its not all the fault of the French. So yes the French Muslim community also needs to accept its share or responsibility But you dont want the USA to end up like France with real examples of Muslim segregation. But in the USA I cant see this happening, its unlikely? Let me preface this by saying all I know about ho European countries are handling refugees is what I read in the Washington Post. Basically they are choosing where they have to live and what they are allowed to do for them. In the US that isn't how it works. They are being placed in communities and given assistance. I believe effort is taken not to place too many too close together. The children are assigned school, there are mosques and worship centers everywhere. After 1 year if they haven't broken any rules they get a "green card" which is permanent non-citizen residency. Then they can go anywhere they want and do anything they want. If they want to self-segregate that is when they can do it. And from what I've read in the news that appears to be happening. It's a breeding ground for trouble.

Agreed. Speaking as an objective observer, Newt Gingrich would have been a fatal error. He is a very intelligent man and he knows how to get his way in Congress. He's on a first name basis with all the power players in Washington. But he has a history of doing cold hearted and unsavory things to family and associates. Most of his dirty laundry is old news but it would be dusted off and hung out again if he were the running mate. Some voters hay not have heard it yet. Like Hillary and Trump himself he is not a likeable man that people are going to trust. Plus he wrote a series of novels that examined what the country would be like if the South would have won the Civil War. By itself it is an interesting exercise in historical fiction. But in today's political climate with racial tensions elevated a lot would be made of it.

The problem is when Muslims self-segregate which it seems they do there from what I'm reading, assimilation isn't going to happen. They have to want it and it seems they don't. It's becoming a problem here in the US in the refugee communities. The Islamic refugees are forming isolated and insular groups that choose not to participate in the society they live in. You can't force someone to assimilate. Unless of course you are Borg.

Looks like Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana will be Trump's VP pick. It's a safe pick. He's a middle of the road Republican with appeals to some groups Trump is weak in. He won't grab headlines or embarrass the ticket but not much name recognition beyond the Midwest.

This one is for you Oby!'

Well the LP used to be a fringe with a capital "F" group. It still has a lot of 40 year old adolescents in it. But in the 80s & 90s we had a Republican and Democrat parties that were two different and relatively sane groups. Throw out Trump for a moment. He is an aberration. Suppose Jeb Bush was the nominee. Could you even make a list of meaningful differences between him and Hillary Clinton? Now the Dems & Repubs are practically the same thing from an aspect of governing positions. And this despite all the sniping they do at each other. So now there is a real need for a "third way". Well, staring a political party is hard. It's expensive. It's better to join one that already exists and already has an infrastructure. The Libertarian Party has that. It's been around since 1971 and is only recently beginning to have any electoral success to speak of. So it's only now beginning to become a viable thing. In 2004 there were 1300+ Libertarians in elected office around the country. In 2014 there were 3300+. It was just a party in the literal sense in the 80's and 90's when there was no real need or demand for a 3rd option. Now there IS a need and it's time for it to "grow up" and become what the founder David Nolan envisioned when he was horrified at the machiavellian big governments of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. We don't need to win the Presidency. All we need to move forward is just 5% of the vote and to see at least one or two libertarians win congressional seats. Then maybe a few more and a few more. 10 Libertarian representatives in Congress forms a caucus. That means things they do, positions they take will make news because suddenly there are enough to swing a vote one way or the other. And we need to continue seeing LP candidates get elected at the state level. This is already well underway.

You know how Trump could win this thing right now? When he accepts the nomination this weekend during his speech say something to the effect of "I am seeking this office to solve a problem. That problem is (picks something popular like TPP, Keystone, etc) and I will solve that problem in on term. I will not seek a second term". What that does is it gives voters who hate them both an out. An opportunity to kick the can to 2020. We can endure any a-----e for four years. Hillary will be an eight year proposition. I think that message wins this thing if he's willing to do it.

Running through the woods hunting magical creatures that I can see but don't actually exist? Shoot, I've been doing that for years. I set that trend!

Well the Republicans are defending more seats than the Democrats this election and enough of those are in blue states to swing the Senate. It's impossible to predict what effect Trump & Hillary will have down ballot but the percentages favor the Democrats recapturing the Senate no matter what happens. That means Hillary can name whomever she pleases and she is WAY too friendly with judges like Carolyn Walker-Diallo (now there is a f-----g winner) and David Jeremiah Barron for my comfort. She could easily select either and that would be disastrous.