Debbie Does Despicable

I had an entire different blog planned for today, but then Debbie Wasserman Schultz got in the way. 

Booed off the stage

Let me just say getting rid of DWS is long past due. The woman was molded in the style of Boss Tweed, and that's not exactly a compliment; frankly, the only thing missing was the cigar. Her brand of politicking is old fashioned and opaque; a throwback to Chicago under the Daleys. At a time when We, the People are demanding transparency in all manner of political process, her specialty is smoke and mirrors. We, the Democratic Party, are better than that. I don't ever want to hear that a Democratic party official sandbagged another Democrat; that's not their job I expect the party to allow all potential nominees their chance to present. What she did, what she allowed to happen, was unforgivable in my book. 

The opening of the convention was definitely a study in contrasts. Despite the Debbie Debacle this morning, the opening night events were well coordinated. The speakers were, overall, pretty upbeat, except for Elizabeth Warren who was a bit dark, but totally spot on. It was about being a unifying force, not a divisive one. And the evening progressed well. The crowd was as diverse as the population. It was a crowd; people banded together for a cause. They listened, they responded, they were engaged. It was the antithesis of the GOP convention.

Michelle Obama just finished speaking. This lady is a class act. Sarah Silverman, with Al Franken as her straight man, was a breath of fresh air. Cory Booker was inspiring. But the First Lady was a tour de force. We owe both her and the President a debt of gratitude for 8 scandal-free years. They have shown themselves to be committed to each other, to their daughters, and to this nation. They have set as fine an example of deportment as anyone could ever have done. They brought Grandma to live with them in the White House to provide additional stability for the kids. They went to school events just like any other parents. Their daughters are models of decorum, although I'm sure they aggravate their folks like any other teenagers on the planet. The Obamas are the embodiment of family values; we should be thankful that for 8 years we were privileged to watch them be a family. 

On the other hand.....

Just to be sure I wasn't making stuff up, I also read the GOP 2016 Platform. A lot of it read like science fiction. There were some very interesting quantum leaps, but this one, about repealing the ACA, stuck out: 

In its place we must combine what worked best in the past with changes needed for the future. We must recover the traditional patient-physician relationship based on mutual trust, informed consent, and confidentiality. To simplify the system for both patients and providers, we will reduce mandates and enable insurers and providers of care to increase healthcare options and contain costs. Our goal is to ensure that all Americans have improved access to affordable, high-quality healthcare, including those struggling with mental illness.

And then Ward and June took Wally and the Beaver over to good ol' Doc Welby's office. The genial GP looked at the large red lump on the Beaver's rib cage and said, "Oh, don't worry about a thing. Just put an ice pack on it and it'll be done in the morning." 

The rest of the platform is equally other-worldly. And it is very close in supporting what went on at the GOP convention....which was nothing. The only thing they had was hatred: hatred of Hillary, hatred of the world, hatred of, quite frankly, most Americans. Other than Trump saying, "trust me," what program did they propose? What progress did they suggest? What policy did they illuminate? None. The speeches were filled with vitriolic hyperbole

Do yourself a favor...read the platform, especially if you are planning to vote Republican. You need to know and understand what you are voting for. 

The other thing I do want to mention this week is about Trump the man. He bills himself as a successful business man, but how successful are you if you stiff your workers time and time again? 

Of all the wacko things I've read this past week, the list below was, I believe, the most important. 

• Number of times Trump has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcies - 4
• Number of lawsuits involving Donald Trump - 3500
• As plaintiff - 1900
• As defendant - 1450
• Bankruptcy and 3rd party cases - 150
• Number of times New York State has sued over non-payment of taxes - at least 36

If this is a successful business man, I think I need to revise my definition of "successful," as well as "business." You can read a fairly well documented list of his legal proclivities on Wikipedia.

From the article on Wikipedia:

Donald Trump's third corporate bankruptcy was on October 21, 2004, involving Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, the publicly-traded holding company for his three Atlantic City casinos and some others. Trump lost over half of his 56% ownership and gave bondholders stock in exchange for surrendering part of the debt. No longer CEO, Trump retained a role as chairman of the board. In May 2005 the company emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings. In his 2007 book, Think BIG and Kick Ass in Business and Life, Trump wrote: "I figured it was the bank's problem, not mine. What the hell did I care? I actually told one bank, 'I told you you shouldn't have loaned me that money. I told you the goddamn deal was no good.'"

To Donald Trump, we are all stupid and he is the only smart one in the room. He tell us that over and over. Do you really want to believe that?

I'm not crazy about Hillary, but she has experience and skills. And she's smart enough to surround herself with equally skilled people. That has to count for something. And right now, she's the only choice on the podium. 

Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Do your homework, folks. You have to make a choice; make an informed one. 

BONUS TIP

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