Category: Trump Running for President

LEADERSHIP, FOLLOWSHIP, AND THE WIZARD

InTheInterestOfSensibilityLeave a comment

Authored by William Robert Barber

Political leadership as expressed from national to State, even local municipalities, rely as much on the balderdash of huffing and puffing as the declarative and substantive. Noticeably however, the further away the political leadership is from the people, the more the reliance on the “huff and puff”. Nonetheless and despite the quantity of balderdash there is more to the game of political leadership than the often bombastic huffing and puffing: There is the indispensable pretense of leading by creative chimera wherein for the political election winner intangibles such as good looks, family pedigree, stylistic positives, rhetorical skill personal/professional connections, a pleasant smile, and the presumptive importance of an urbane image may prompt many a vote. Tangible qualities such as experience and proven records are nice but secondary within the scheme of attaining electoral victory.

Given the resulting wherewithal of political leaders in the current Congress, one could determine that leadership is a misnomer for simple follow ship. Today’s kinetically driven political environment dismisses real leadership as “over the top,” egotistic, demanding, and insensitive; wherein the fact that the protagonist of concern is eventful true, factually non-fiction, and palpable could very well describe an un-electable candidate. After all he or she, being human, could have acted honestly, with clear evidence of straightforward behavioral intent, and almost certainly, by doing so stepped outside of accepted popular culture. Our protagonist could have exercised the sin of independent thinking and did so without clearing with legal, campaign manager, or focus group. Whether the “thinking” was rational, thoughtful, or intelligently discerning is not the crux; the very idea of getting off script is the worrisome concern.

The self-appointed contrarian onlookers will be gunning for our protagonist, the innocuous contrivers seeking fodder to feed the choreographers of drama, the useful-impetuous and ideologically inspired counterparties, all ostensibly performing their duties in the interest of the “non-rivalrous-non-excludable public good” — by means amoral, immoral, extralegal, in sum pernicious, they are intent on destroying our protagonist.

It is therefore entirely probable that political leadership as presently exemplified is here to stay even though acknowledged as less about leading and more a characterization of following.

Stage left enters Trump, the boldly audacious who says what he wants and wants one’s vote; from stage right Cruz, who withstanding his numerable faults and missteps is the last man standing. Somewhere backstage or possibly buried in the audience is the Republican Party’s alternative. This alternative according to the cadre of stop Trump folks is the second coming of a savior. Wishing for the reincarnation of George Washington, the Republican faithful swirling in a maelstrom whiles Trump the presumptive and refuse-to-believe-it-is-happening Cruz prepares for the inevitable. The he/she savior remains a mysterious anonymous.

Trump has perfected the image of leadership and the voters have purchased his wares. He is the personification of illusionary pretense. He is the Wizard of Oz.

WE ARE NOT A DEMOCRACY

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Authored by William Robert Barber

Democracy, a word offhandedly banded about by politician, pundit, and common citizen as the working descriptive of this nation’s egalitarian system of governess, is flat out incorrect. In addition, the citizenry has accepted a natural carry-forward believe that democratic principles apply as the wherewithal of our electoral process. Of course with a bit of scrutiny one would realize that there is no egalitarian system of governess and certainly, political parties have no obligatory nor interest in anything other than selecting the candidate that will win the party an election.

Nonetheless, dull complacency and disinterested ignorance — both detrimental and injurious for a responsive republic — requires, with respect to government and politicians, a constituency with an askant perspective and inclination to be well informed. Obviously, the voters are complacent and ignorant. Swayed by colorful illusions, an agreeable physical presentation, the timely proportion of polemic accusations and placating prose, for the average voter, the candidate’s policies and merits are suddenly inconsequential.  

This nation’s 1789 constitution founded the operational workings of a republic — a representative government,not a democracy. The Electoral College requires 270 votes of the 538 outstanding to win the presidency; the popular vote is irrelevant to election success. The primaries of each of the political parties are subject to the rules enacted by the particular party’s State leaders. It is as simple as that.

If Donald achieves a majority he is the Republican Party’s nominee. If he falls short he may not be.

The founders purposefully designed a constitution wherein a republic was favored over a democracy. I do not know of a government founded on a democracy. The tallies recorded by popular vote is interesting but may not represent the electoral winner.

Please, America: COME TO YOUR SENSES!

InTheInterestOfSensibilityLeave a comment

Authored by William Robert Barber

Donald’s mindset wanders between his hubris predisposition and his indulgent sense of political principles. His demonstrated ignorance of world affairs prompts the beholder to question his solutions which are invariably detail deficient, shatteringly misdirected, and perhaps borderline preposterous. He has no discernable campaign strategy. His tactics remise of schoolyard bullying, name-calling, and deceitful accusations. The “blue collar” billionaire is a braggart, an insidious wheeler-dealer, an ideologically amoral persona, as well as an ambitious purveyor of political influence; nonetheless, since his announcement, the Donald has mercilessly dashed the competitive aspirations of the experienced and the neophyte. Yet, this businessperson-turned-politician is the Republicans’ front-runner.

Possibly, there is a static constituency of collective populous standing at the ready to enjoin in a less than clearly defined cause in pursuit of an imaginative result. Donald’s constituency actually believes (I assume) that building a wall paid for by Mexico is viable. They seem to endorse the concept of keeping (albeit temporarily) all Muslims from entering the USA as doable. Seemingly, while campaigning for the highest office of the land, Donald’s act of raffish disregard and rudeness is not a consideration or concern.

Donald’s silly and wholly ridiculous China bashing is absurd. He negatively grips about the current account deficient wherein the U.S. buys more goods (in the multi-millions) from China than the U.S. sells to China. Apple in China is a Chinese company. The U.S. buys millions and millions of Apple products for millions and millions of dollars. When these products reach the USA, the wholesale and retail aspects of these products benefit American consumers. The wholesalers and retailers employ thousands of Americans; pay taxes, invest in infrastructure, and invest in a divergent array of differing resources. Apple’s stock is a mainstay in millions of Americans’ retirement portfolios. China is the manufacturing suburb of Los Angeles. China has contributed greatly to this nation’s GNP and tax base.

According to Donald, America should renegotiate trade agreements to benefit America… hmm… withstanding America’s dominance as the largest consumer nation in the world, trade — though never static in scope and principle — requires a mutually beneficial arrangement. But then of course Donald’s gong to “make America great again,” I assume cajoling, bullying, name calling, and the uses of atavistic pejoratives while designating world leaders as incompetents, is the New Yorker’s sense of diplomacy.

The cause and effect of Donald’s 35% of voters has overwhelmed the crowded field of presidential aspires; nonetheless, a consistent and persistent 65% have resisted Donald’s call to vote. Divided amongst the remaining two candidates and delegates from former candidates, the anti-Donald 65% are fighting hard to deny Donald the required 1237 delegates.

Cruz is the beneficiary of the “anybody but Trump” movement. However, his present placement as with Donald is temporary if they do not win on the first ballot. Presently, Mr. Cruz is the “establishment’s” rallying point. Alternatively, the Texas Senator is a sacrificial pawn in a transparent effort to deny Donald the majority.

I rarely use the word hope. Nonetheless, I hope that Cleveland will mangle Donald’s efforts. I fantasize that Cruz and the Ohio governor enjoin and that Cruz accepts the Vice Presidency.

MYTHS, REALITY, AND TRUMP

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Authored by William Robert Barber  

Taught with various degrees of indulgence and accuracy, history is a compulsory subject of American academia. There is a high probability that within the teachings of American history a predominance of prejudices, out-right lies, distortions of facts, and purposeful embellishments are integral. Rendering such teachings more an indoctrination than erudition; nevertheless, for the interested erudite the differing between historical evidence, expressions of truth telling, and factoids is available.  

Despite the teachings — or possibly because of one’s interpretation of the teachings — a persistent myth emerges: a truly American derived myth, one that perseveres throughout the oral and written discourses of our leaders, our nation’s media, and common public discourse. This myth puts forth a representation of an America that could only exist in a Pollyanna Neverland.

Since the end of WW II, an ideal gathered amongst intellectual elitist. The ideal conceived a world wherein reason and rational governed nation states. Seeking credence for such an ideal America strayed from reality to the fantastic. One example, our government accepted and promoted a wholly ridiculous and clearly unachievable policy goal — peace. Peace became the a priori of American foreign policy. The very raison d’être of expending blood and treasure, seeking or defending peace has become the basis of a surreal sort of Americanism. This nonsensical illusionary assumptive has captured the nation’s cognitive sense. Pretension has replaced prudence. Illogical simplicities coupled with meaningless phraseology form the foundation of a populism, void of good sense.

When the political assumptive is that reason and rational are synergetic with cause and result, this world-view misnomer completes the corruption of one’s deductive process.

Stage left enter Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders.

For Hillary and Bernie: The very basis of liberal progressivism rests on a presumptive that the ‘well-educated’ wonk in the interest of the common good and rightfully so, should govern the common citizen. Wonk-ism is — philosophically aligned — with the precepts that man is good and evil is controllable; that goodness prevails, and that by the facile extension of one’s right hand peace is achievable.

For the Donald, the Republican front-runner: Donald is the perfect example of superfluous rhetoric run amok. The Donald utilizes a populism that displaces the deductive process with a style that “Trumps” the substantive with expressions of bumper sticker conjectures. For the great many, “I will make America great,” is evidently explanative sufficient.  

The Donald’s continuum of nonsensical tirade of variegated dispositions. His “Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” launched with scurrilous intent and cavalier forethought against all who contend otherwise. These tirades resemble Nero’s behavior rather than that of a political leader. Donald Trump is a misadventure awaiting calamity.    

Withstanding Donald’s pledge of coming together as one political party, if one talks stupidity, tweets stupid comments, and allows his hubris-arrogant-self to consul himself and the people vote him into office — America is the loser.

CLOWNING AROUND WITH TRUMP

InTheInterestOfSensibilityLeave a comment

Authored by William Robert Barber

Donald Trump is a Democratic Party lobbyist. He must be… How else could one explain such a display of supernatural arrogant ignorance? Is he simply a witless blowhard who relies on extemporaneous impulse instead of deliberative contemplation? Considering his much-touted Ivy League education and his billions of earned dollars, one would think prudence could manage vector less rhetoric; but alas, an affliction of hubris self-regard in symbiosis with wanton disregard has rendered the Donald into a spasm of babbling dysfunction.

 In fact, no unaffiliated politician has wounded the Republican brand so damagingly while at the same time offending so many Republicans as Mr. Donald.

Thousands of voters have rallied to the call of Donald’s fatuous nonsense. These Trump followers are obviously inclined to the bellicose and confrontational. For this multitude, half a page of orally expressed deal points are detail enough. Other than a profane remark such as “bomb the shit out of them,” no need for a military strategy; “incompetent dummies” is enough of a declarative to solve America’s problems. Really?! Trade treaties, once in the hands of the Donald, automatically bring jobs to the U.S. and prosperity for every American. What a fine fellow!

I hope that the CNN debate will filter out Donald’s insistence on ranting and raving and render some degree of factual circumstance.

If not the debate, then certainly the voters in the early primary States… rational and reason must take form and overtake this clownish front-runner — or Hillary will be the next president.