Too Late to Say Goodbye

James George

How to Select an American President

6 March 2024

Too Late to Say Goodbye

Biden or Bust

When writing my book, How to Select an American President (c) 2017 Archway Publishing, I scored Joe Biden over Hillary Clinton. In 2016, Joe Biden was America’s best choice. That didn’t happen, and we ended up with Trump. 

Using my system of evaluating resumes, I see that Trump and Clinton were equally wrong for different reasons. Trump had no elected office experience. His corporate experience was from a large-scale mom-and-pop real estate enterprise, and the management comparison didn’t fit. Hillary had government experience, though she was smeared by lies and some mistakes. 

In 2020, Biden competed and won. Since then, he has managed well, and the economy is great. His problems are immigration and foreign affairs—Ukraine and Palestine. 

Trump and Republicans have attacked women’s rights and minorities. They are not aligned on the side of morality. They are unpatriotic. Trump is a crook and a convicted rapist.

What is America to do?

Go rid’n with Biden. If he falters after being elected, his backup is great. Kamala Harris has come on strong. Backed by a Democratic House and Senate, she would manage quite well. Biden may very well perform for another four years. Democracy will survive.

On the other hand, if America gives Trump another term, the nation is asunder. It is our choice as voters.

Berkeley News

Not Wanting to Be Cynical

James George

How to Select an American President

4 March 2024

Not Wanting to Be Cynical

Obama warned against it.

President Obama cautioned not to be cynical and to vote at the polls. He was correct about voting, though, in the face of the Trump cult era confounded by a corrupt and immoral Republican Party, a dysfunctional House of Representatives, and a shaky Senate, people have every right to feel cynical.

“Believing that people are motivated purely by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity, or integrity.”

America has fallen flat on its face worldwide, and it isn’t Joe Biden stumbling. I believe the Democratic Party could have and must do more to demonstrate leadership and to shore up its leader, Biden. I see VP Kamala Harris coming forward, and she appears more competent and confident onstage. After all, if Biden goes down for whatever reason, Kamala will lead the way.

Comparing Harris and Haley, Harris has more executive branch experience. Haley’s credentials and performance give me confidence — both women are excellent candidates, and Harris is the incumbent.

Trump and his cult are reasons to be cynical, to the extent that we must use our vote to purge them.

Allegations against US Representative Jim Jordan

Anyone watching the news over the past several years has become familiar with Ohio’s US Representative, Jim Jordan.

Jim Jordan was complicit in Donald Trump’s initiative to overturn the 2020 election. He obstructed justice and continued to lie about the failed insurrection. He is democracy’s enemy planted as a Trump cog.

 

To be fair, he says what he does: “Jordan has been an advocate of the taxpayer, looking for waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. He serves as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and serves on the House Oversight Committee.” (His website)

 

"What has he accomplished?

 

His Legislative Record

Jordan has sponsored 825 bills and resolutions since 2011 (when Bill Track 50 began tracking legislation). But if you narrow down to the bills where he was the primary sponsor, you're left with 16. They are set out on this stakeholder page. Interestingly, not a single one of them has passed and become law. There are some broad categories of topics. Several aim to protect second amendment rights, there are some intents on reducing federal spending and taxation and a few more defending the right to free speech. HR408 - the Spending Reduction Act of 2011, sought to slash federal spending by $2.5 trillion. It never made it out of committee. In 2013, he introduced the Life at Conception Act, which again died in committee. Other notable failures include the Welfare Reform Act of 2014 (which sought to, among other things, link food stamps to a 'healthy marriage' and restrict funding for health benefits coverage that includes abortion) and The Second Amendment Enforcement Act of 2015."

https://www.billtrack50.com/blog/house-race-jim-jordan/

 

 

Jim Jordan

 

Chair of the House Judiciary Committee

 

Incumbent

 

Assumed office

January 3, 2023

Jerry Nadler

 

Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee

 

In office

March 12, 2020 – January 3, 2023

Doug Collins

 

Jerry Nadler

 

Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee

 

In office

March 31, 2020 – June 29, 2020

Mark Meadows

 

James Comer

 

In office

January 3, 2019 – March 12, 2020

Elijah Cummings

 

Mark Meadows

Chair of the House Freedom Caucus

 

In office

October 1, 2015 – January 3, 2017

Position established

Mark Meadows

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

from Ohio's 4th district

 

Incumbent

 

Assumed office

January 3, 2007

Mike Oxley

 

Member of the Ohio Senate

from the 12th district

 

In office

January 3, 2001 – December 31, 2006

Robert R. Cupp

 

Keith Faber

 

Member of the Ohio House of Representatives

from the 85th district

In office

January 3, 1995 – December 31, 2000

Jim Davis

 

Derrick Seaver

 

Personal details

James Daniel Jordan

 

February 17, 1964 (age 60)

Troy, Ohio, U.S.

 

Republicans

 

Polly Jordan

 

 

(m. 1985)

 

4

University of Wisconsin–Madison (BS)

Ohio State University (MA)

Capital University (JD)

 

Presidential Medal of Freedom (2021)

WOSU TV

Republicans Are The Enemies Within

 While Donald Trump sews doubt about the US commitment to NATO, and he threatens to unleash Russia, the US Republican Congress tried and failed to impeach Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

Concurrently, the Republicans refuse to enact Senate-passed bipartisan legislation to help Homeland Security cope with the immigration problem. They blocked it because Donald Trump told them a solution would be bad politics for him (not the nation.)

Therefore, reasonable citizens might wonder, are Republicans good for America or are they aligned with the enemies? 

I submit Republicans are the enemies within

Republican Incumbents

Republican Incumbents have mostly declared war on American democracy. They are enemies of the state, radicals who must be expelled by American voters. 

Some participated as co-conspirators with Donald Trump, who allegedly participated in the illegal and violent insurrection. His prosecution continues as he is eligible without immunity. Trump interfered with the election process, intimidating and corrupting voting officials in multiple states. 

Donald Trump committed fraudulent crimes in business for which he was convicted. He was convicted of rape and slander against an innocent woman. 

"For years, Donald Trump hurled insults at E. Jean Carroll, saying the advice columnist fabricated a sexual assault allegation against him to sell a book.

Will Trump keep that up, now that he’s been hit with a $83.3 million defamation judgment?

A jury on Friday found that Trump had maliciously damaged Carroll’s reputation in 2019 after she went public with her accusations. Jurors awarded her $18 million to compensate for the personal harm she experienced, then added $65 million more to punish Trump — and maybe prevent him from continuing to go after her on social media."

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-e-jean-carroll-defamation-trial-6a869676243b99640002912470b62309

"Over five months, former President Donald Trump was charged in four criminal cases. In Washington, D.C., he faces four felony counts for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In Georgia, he faces 13 felony counts for his election interference in that state. In New York, he faces 34 felony counts in connection with hush money payments to a porn star. And in Florida, he faces 40 felony counts for hoarding classified documents after he left office and impeding the government’s efforts to retrieve them."

https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-reports/trumps-91-criminal-charges-and-where-they-stand/

"Mr. Bragg seized on those checks and other documents, accusing Mr. Trump of lying about the repayment to Mr. Cohen to hide its true purpose. The former president’s company falsely classified the reimbursement in internal records as a “legal expense,” leading Mr. Bragg to charge Mr. Trump with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records."

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/25/nyregion/trump-hush-money-trial-stormy-daniels.html

What Is Not To Understand?

 With the American democracy on the verge of hijacking and collapse under Trump-led Republicans, where are America's corporations and corporate voices in the press? Do our corporate CEOs and boards not fear the ramifications of Republicans in Congress and the executive branch and corruption in the Supreme Court?

Time Magazine:

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently taunted business leaders in The Wall Street Journal column, announcing, "Old-fashioned corporate Republicanism won't do in a world where the left has hijacked big business…policies that benefit corporate America don't necessarily serve the interests of America's people and economy." It used to be evident that CEOs were reliably Republican. Corporate executives wanted lower taxes, less regulation, and a stable economy. They were usually men with military experience who moved out to the suburbs with their families. Ronald Reagan was their favorite president: pro-business, pro-free markets, and anti-government. Historically, 57.7 percent of big company CEOs contributed to the GOP, but only 18.6 percent contributed to Democrats, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

It was an anomaly that FDR's administration, as a Democratic team, was packed with Wall Streeters. The Eisenhower team was more typical for the GOP, with many business leaders on board—two with the same name, Charles Wilson. "Engine Charlie" was the CEO of GM, and "Electric Charlie" was the CEO of GE. The interests of big business and GOP politics were presumed to be in tight alignment with poor Engine Charlie haunted to his deathbed by the misquote, "What is good for General Motors is good for the US." (He actually said the reverse.)"

The Supreme Court's Necks are on the line

 The Supreme Court can play fancy footwork and try to dodge the finding that Trump is disqualified for participating in an insurrection. They can ignore his behavior, including his saying he didn't sign on to the oath! What are Republicans thinking?

Trump heads to US Supreme Court with a familiar claim: He is untouchable

By Andrew Chung and John Kruzel

https://www.reuters.com/legal/trump-heads-us-supreme-court-with-familiar-claim-he-is-untouchable-2024-02-05/