Squid Burgers and Politics: Hey Schumer, Are You Getting This?

The Democrats are an intriguing group, when you think about it. Are they even aware of their situation yet? Not only did they lose the presidential race, but they also lost everything, and decisively. The critical swing states all went to Donald J. Trump, who also managed to secure votes from the black, Hispanic, young, and even union demographics.

Yet, here we have Chuck Schumer rallying his supporters with chants of, "We will win! We will win!" For any rational observer, the question becomes, "How exactly do they plan to achieve this?"

Not that I have any interest in seeing Democrats succeed, of course. Considering their extremely radical ideas, I'm grateful they did lose.

What astounds me is their sheer lack of comprehension. They really believe they are still championing causes people care about, when, in reality, the American public has completely rejected their entire platform.

We don't want men competing in women's sports. We don't want tampons in boy's rooms. We don't want transgender people serving openly in our military. We don't want DEI initiatives. We don't want open borders. We don't want widespread smash-and-grab store robberies, and the list goes on.

We rejected their ideas and policies at the polls. Rather than listening to the American people—something Democrats seem incapable of—they are doubling down on even more radical policies and ideas. 

It simply defies logic.

Let's be honest. A great product will naturally attract customers. No amount of savvy sales techniques can turn a subpar product into a success. So, you have two choices—either acknowledge the shortcomings of your product and improve it or reach out to your customers to understand what they truly want that your product currently lacks. Otherwise, you're just beating a dead horse. 

Speaking of beating dead horses, and not to necessarily beat my own, but I've often been saying over and over again, that if you don't understand why you lost, you can't know why you weren't winning.

The voters made it crystal clear—they don't want what the Democrats are selling. I understand the need to rally their most loyal supporters. However, it is astonishing to me that they don't get it, that their core base wasn't enough to win any part of the election. They should be addressing the masses who didn't vote for them. Instead of huddling in back rooms discussing better sales tactics for their unwanted products, they should focus on fulfilling the duties they were elected to perform.

To speak and act on the behalf of the American people!

How can they not grasp that their role isn't to reshape America into their personal vision, but to represent the desires of the majority? What's the point of pushing a platform that nobody wants?

If you're selling squid burgers and nobody's buying them—because, let's face it, squid burgers just aren't good—who in their right mind would continue trying to sell them? At some point, someone has to realize they'd be better off offering something more traditional.

That's not to say you can't try new things and present fresh ideas. Of course, you should do that. People might be interested. But they will also let you know when they think your ideas aren't good, and at that point, you move on. 

No matter how hard you try, or how much you want it, if people don't want your squid burgers, you will continue to fail while others succeed. Chanting outside your restaurant, "Squid, squid, squid!" in the face of defeat won't change anyone's mind.

The fact is, even if it's hard for the Democrats to accept, the American people said no. When that happens, it's time to change and adapt. Especially with radical ideas, it's wise to return to more traditional, commonsense approaches.

Like the squid burger concept, sometimes things just go too far, and when they do, you need to pull back on the reins a bit.

The more the Democrats pound their fists and push their failed agendas, the clearer it becomes to anyone paying attention that they are out of tune with the American people. It's like a guitar. It can sound good on its own when it is in tune with itself. But the moment you join a band, if your guitar isn't in sync with the rest of the group, it won't sound good and it will stand out as bad in the mix. 

If Chuck Schumer and his fellow Democrats want to win, they cannot hope to achieve it by acting against the views and interests of the very people they need to win over. Right now, all that Schumer and his buddies are doing is making it abundantly clear why they lost.

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© 2025 Jim Bauer

Celebrities vs. the Real World: The Illusion

At the end of the day, there is one big detail I think is important to note as we now have confirmation that Trump's run for the White House was successful, and quite so. Celebrity's opinions in elections really don't matter.

Granted, if you were to ask them, I think they'd tell you they disagree, but that's because they are largely out of touch with the rest of the country and do not face the same challenges the rest of us do. They have money. They have notoriety. What they don't have is as much influence as they would like to believe.

Sure, some people will listen to them. People who agree with them, of course. But it's not like any message they may try to push is going to change any minds.

"Well, I mean, it's Robert DeNiro. He must be on to something, right?"

The thing about celebrities, which is rather telling when you think about it, is their reaction when they don't get their way. 

They act like children that are denied their day at the park.

Children want all sorts of things, and a lot of the time they are things that are denied by the adults in the room for good reason. Adults have to be the hitch that keeps the trailer attached to the tow vehicle because the trailer is not equipped to drive itself. But what happens when the child is denied something they want so badly, even if it's not good for them?

They throw tantrums.

Isn't that what celebrities largely do? Jimmy Kimmel is on his monologue brought to tears. Sally Field is caught ripping up a Trump sign. And how many of them took to X and other social media declaring they'd leave the country if Kamala lost?

Isn't that sort of like little Johnny packing up his Radio Flyer and pulling it up the block in defiance? "Take that. I'm running away!"

What are they mad about, really, though? Is it that Kamala Harris lost, and Trump won? I mean, that's part of it. Sure. Is it that they didn't get their way? You bet. But more than that, I think, is that no one cared what they thought. In a moment like this their strong feeling of self-importance is literally crushed.

They are big stars, after all, and they must be important because so many millions of people adore them. Even when a child throws a tantrum, it's not necessarily because they didn't get what they wanted. It's because they were powerless to have things go their way.

That's a frustration that's hard to get over.

But it's the message that the reaction sends that I think is the most important to examine. What they wanted weren't rational things that would be good for them.

The reason their message was denied was because the things they wanted did not make any sense. Their message was as irrational as their response is, of course. The adults in the room stepped in and said no, and this hurts them immensely.

This can be seen in the liberal media as well. Their reactions which can only be defined as tantrums. Because just like the celebrities, they are supposed to be the news, and we're supposed to take them at their word and heed every single one they utter.

How could The People have gotten it so wrong? Why did they not listen to us? It simply can't be.

That's the pill that is hard to swallow for them all right now. The reality that their influence is imaginary. Their importance is something that really only resides in their own tight-knit circles of people there only for the ride and the benefits, that the celebrities believe is real.

They are used to the usual, "Yes sir, and certainly sir." 

And certainly, the Democrats thought this celebrity endorsement, as they usually do, would matter as well. After all, they had Taylor Swift and Beyoncé in their corner, and untold many more people on their side, delivering their message. Certainly, it would matter. Certainly, people would listen.

After all, it's Taylor Swift and she's got hundreds of millions of adoring fans.

One other thing I want to point out when it comes to celebrities—how about the conservative ones. Yes, they exist, and actually the list is longer than many might think. When Robert DeNiro was in the streets shouting down Trump supporters and calling them idiot and morons and despicable people, what were the conservative celebrities doing?

Simply supporting their candidate and explaining the reason. They weren't yelling at people and calling them names. They weren't threatening to run off to Canada if Kamala won. And even when Trump lost in 2020, they weren't throwing tantrums.

The bottom line is that it's great to have opinions and be able to share them. It's part of what makes America great is that we can have differences and voice them. But sometimes how we act when we give them, and how we react when the majority disagrees, is rather telling of the quality behind those opinions, and the reason for delivering them.

These celebrities were not interested in winning an election. They were interested in winning on the idea that their opinions mattered and could impact winning an election. When they lost the election, they didn't just lose the race they were fighting to win. They lost a sense of their importance.

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© 2024 Jim Bauer

Kamala Harris and the Illusion of Change

Looking at the Kamala Harris campaign, I can't help but recall the early 90's Jack in the Box E. Coli outbreak, which tragically killed four children and infected 732 people across four states. This comparison isn't meant to disparage Jack in the Box or dredge up old events that they likely prefer to remain in the past.

The truth is, it was one of the worst incidents of its kind at the time, and Jack in the Box nearly went under for good. Their name was tarnished, and no one would dare eat there. So, what did they do? They tried to rebrand themselves as Monterrey Jack's instead.

The problem is, it's essentially still Jack in the Box with nothing more than a new sign and name. The leadership, business practices, food sources, quality standards, and sanitary standards all remain unchanged.

Which brings me back to Kamala Harris. They've done nothing more than slap a new label on the same product. It's the same Kamala Harris as always, just with a different facade.

There was a time when you could be fairly confident that a rebrand wouldn't fool anyone. People would catch on quickly. "Hey, wait a minute, this is just a Sourdough Jack with a new name. What's going on?" But the difference is that the times we are living through now are probably the most politically divided as we have ever seen.

In times like these, logic and critical thinking go right out the window, and they have.

Yet, I can't shake the feeling that times might not be so different after all. Perhaps it's just hope, wishful thinking, or even naivety. But I want to believe that as a people, we haven't entirely lost our grip on reality. Can it be that now, when it seems like we've lost all sense, it's really still there? Lurking in the shadows. Just waiting for the right moment to emerge and bring back our faith in the system and what's right in the world.

When you look at the polls, there are so many things that point to this presidential race being a very close one. Based on what we know, it shouldn't be. Not if the elements that make up commonsense were working properly.

Moreover, the media should be falling all over itself over what the Harris campaign is trying to pull off. After all, they own the archives. All they have to do is rewind the tapes, and not all that far back, to see we're being lied to and badly.

The rebranding shouldn't work. Not only based on what they are trying to sell us as the new and improved Kamala Harris. But based on the last four years that Kamala Harris was part of. She went along with all of the policies Biden put into place, and when those policies failed, she went out and defended them.

The economy is humming along. The border is secure. Inflation's not so bad (hey folks, dontcha love this thing we call Bidenomics?)...

How could it ever be possible that the past four years could be in such stark contrast to the four years prior, that we could be lied to about the president's health, and that Kamala Harris could go on the view and tell the hosts she would not change a single Biden policy decision, and still be elected president?

If Kamala Harris pulls this off, take note Jack in the Box. If you ever need a comeback, she's your gal.

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© 2024 Jim Bauer

It's Like it Never Really Happened

It's not necessarily that what Kamala Harris is saying is wrong. The economy sucks, inflation sucks, the border sucks, we're lacking opportunities, and it's harder than ever for the American people to succeed and achieve the American dream. America is in bad shape, and we need someone in the White House who can recognize the problems, offer the right solutions, and turn it all back around.

I am so glad, Mrs. Harris, that you have finally awakened to the reality that we've got some serious problems here. Where have you been all these past four years?

Oh, wait. Weren't you in the White House? 

Wherein, not only was she party to all of the no-good policies and bad decisions that got us here, but she also defended them all along, right out there standing alongside Joe Biden telling us what our eyes and wallets knew damn well was a lie was wrong.

"Everything's running superbly. This is Bidenomics, folks. Isn't it wonderful?"

She's saying the right words. What she is saying is true. Things are bad and we need to take a different course. But the amazing thing to me is that, at the core of her campaign, it's as though Biden never happened. He's been wiped out of memory completely. Joe Biden, who? The way you hear Kamala Harris talk about it, Trump was the guy in the White House all along, these past four years, Harris is the newcomer on the block, and it's Trump's fault that all of what went wrong in America happened.

The remarkable thing is that I think the Democrats believe it, and so does the media. It's remarkable to me how quickly Joe Biden has been erased from the political landscape. Do we even feel like he's president anymore? Has anyone in the media even mentioned his name?

If they have, it's been in passing. "Oh yeah, he's still president."

The thing that scares me is that, even if in my heart I don't want to believe it's as tight at race as the media portrays it, maybe it is. Trump suffers from a lot of hate out there, and when all that hate is clouding judgements about what Biden did and what Trump will fix doesn't matter.

Even if, in their hearts, anyone who wants to cast a vote for Harris, they know it's all a lie. That it's all a big game of smoke and mirrors. The magician has pulled the rabbit out of the hat, and everyone is convinced that the rabbit wasn't there all along.

They'll still vote for her and hand over the keys to the Oval Office.

The second part of the problem is that while Trump has the right ideas and even the proven track record, the reality is that he's not a great orator, and so his message gets trapped in the mud. In a moment in time such as this, what we need is a Reagan-like delivery. 

On spot. Front and center. Straightforward. Here's the problem, here's who caused it, and here's why these are the people responsible for it.

The hope is that the American voter has become accustomed to Trump's style enough that they understand that he means more than what he says and will do more than what he doesn't say. The hope is that memories have not failed, and that voter's don't fall for the rouse.

Harris isn't the solution. She's the problem.

With all that's happened in the past four years, this should be the markings of a landslide victory for Trump, but here we are looking at polls suggesting Trump may actually lose the election. I do think the voters are smarter than all of this, and I have trust in my cynicism of what the media is trying to sell us.

Can you really erase Biden's four years and pass the blame onto the guy that wasn't there through it all? I guess we will find out in November.

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© 2024 Jim Bauer

The Debate is Critical for Both Candidates

So, folks. We have a debate. For emphasis, you need to say that like the Arby's, "We have the meats," guy. The scheduled debate, which will air on ABC, will be held on September 10th between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, and I have to say, it will either be a defining moment for one or the other or an end to the honeymoon period Harris has enjoyed since Biden announced he would be stepping out of the race, making Harris the presumptive nominee for the Democrat party.

What will be interesting first and foremost, for me, will be how well Kamala Harris, unscripted and without a teleprompter, can command her words. She is, of course, well known for her many word salads, and from what we have seen in previous debates, she typically does not perform well in that setting.

In the Democrat primary debates leading up to the 2020 presidential election she never even made it to Iowa before being forced to drop out of the race.

The key thing for me is that Trump needs to maintain a sharp focus on the issues, especially the ones he is winning on, according to all polls. Those would be inflation, the economy, and the border. Regardless of how Kamala Harris tries to sell the success of so-called, "Bidenomics," the American people already know that it didn't work.

Trump needs to dial in on that and make it clear that it didn't work, and why. 

As for Kamala Harris, the hurdles for her are many fold considering that among former vice presidents, her favorability ratings were literally in the tank, and she trailed far behind even Joe Biden's. She's not a likeable person. If she cackles one time too many, it's going to make her appear as she has appeared in the past.

Out of touch and a little bit unhinged, and not to mention, not a serious person.

The thing is that this is "a moment" for Kamala Harris to try to erase any preconceived ideas about her, which she has largely been able to duck a bit from since the announcement of Biden stepping down. She's made no major media appearances and held no interviews. So, aside from some very well scripted rally venues, this will be the first time following Biden's departure that the American people will get to see, what presumably would be an attempt to showcase, a newly refined Kamala Harris, complete with some policies she is trying to distance herself from.

Including her own policy stances, by the way, which by even the most conservative measure are so far left, a walk to the center would take years.

She's going to try to deliver two direct messages, "I am not Donald Trump, but I am also not Joe Biden."

The first one is an easy one, of course. But what about the second one? For the past going on four years, Harris told the American people Biden was doing a remarkable job and touted success after success of the Biden administration, even joining in on the big stretch lie that Joe Biden is a president who accomplished more than any other president in past history.

The problem is, if she distances herself too far from Biden's policies, it is a de facto admission of sorts that it was all a big lie. Granted, she might get a small pass considering she was, of course, the vice president. But she still went along with the program, and she still owns the policies of the man she served under.

This inflation, this economy, and this border are all hers. Not only does she need to explain to the American people what her plans are to fix these issues, she needs to explain why they are issues after four years of her time in office.

If ABC asks the right questions, maybe we get to hear what she has to say about that. But it's the media, and if there's one thing you can bet, they probably won't ask the right questions. 

Either way, both candidates have a major opportunity to make an appeal for their cause, and both candidates, admittedly, have some issues in that regard. This debate, I think, has far more importance than the previous one held between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. The outcome of it, I think, determines the election, and because of that, both candidates have to be at the highest level of their game ever in their political careers.

Everything is at stake on September 10th for their future prospects. Literally, everything. Especially considering, I believe this may be one of the most watched debates ever in the history of American debates.

All eyes will be on. Neither one can lose sight of that. Especially Trump.

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© 2024 Jim Bauer 

They're Stepping Up the Campaign, But Not Stepping Up the Game

Is it any wonder that Donald Trump is winning in key swing states, and not just by a little? It's by a lot. At the same time, one demographic, the black vote, that Democrats heavily rely on, is showing signs of deep attrition. They are also losing Hispanic votes. And let's not ignore the reality that they lost the blue collar vote to Trump before, and they really haven't gotten it back since.

And it's not just on one issue that the Biden administration is flailing. Bidenomics has been an abject failure as a campaign centerpiece because no matter how hard they try to sell Americans on the idea it has worked, people aren't seeing the results when they open their wallets or pay their bills.

Then there's the border crisis, ongoing supply chain disruptions, and of course billions of taxpayer dollars being sent over to Ukraine to aid them in what can only be classified as a losing battle.

People are also seeing all of the chaos that seems to be rampant across America, and they are blaming Biden largely for most of it.

Protests are happening on nearly every street corner from every issue imaginable. LGBTQ+ flags being displayed on the White House, even in one case overshadowing the American flag, doesn't sit well with most Americans, despite the Democrats and the media trying to convince us it's a "mainstream movement." We have had multiple disasters in infrastructure and travel from train derailments to bridge collapses and in-flight mishaps. The same guy heading these disasters is still there and they say he's doing a good job. Crime rates in nearly all metrics have risen, and dramatically.

Very little is good, right now.

Of course, as poll numbers continue to be abysmal for the Biden administration, they are ramping up efforts to try to convince people that voting for them is the answer to all of the problems we are faced with now.

The question is, how do you sell this? It wasn't like this four years ago when Donald Trump was president, and everyone knows it. Even some staunch Democrats. If they don't know it, they have their heads buried in the sand. 

To top it off, everyone knows who is at fault for all of it as well. And it's not Donald Trump. The issues we have now that are important to the American people to be solved were caused by the Biden administration and their policies. 

Interestingly, Biden isn't doing much of this campaigning. They are sending out Kamala Harris to make the appeals. The problem is, she is disliked more than Biden is. How is her message going to resonate when she is considered to be worse, and moreover, when Americans have to consider that if Biden wins, she may well become the president?

The thing that the Biden administration seems to have missed in all of this is that in order to win elections—at least to fairly win one—you have to deliver the goods. They haven't done that. In other words, it's too late. The record is the record and it's not a good one. You can't sell a man a car with no wheels and suddenly convince them you can make it drivable.

The damage has already been done. Beyond that, to have a situation where it is clear their ideas weren't better than Trump's makes it even harder to convince people, "Well, now we've got it. Just give us another four years to prove it."

One key issue Kamala has been sent out to address is the economy. Especially into the black communities where they are trying to shore up some of the attrition. It's a disaster, though. And it's that way because of their policies and their actions. 

And what is she going to do? She's going to try to talk up Biden's initiatives and plans for the future. Except, those initiatives and plans already caused the economy to be an issue Americans are concerned about. It's already siphoned off wealth and opportunity. 

You mean you want to do more of what hasn't worked? And even if you come up with a different plan, if you had no idea the cause and effect of the old one, what makes us believe now you have the right idea this time?

I think the bottom line is that all the campaigning in the world can't and won't undo what they have already done. Like I said before, it's just too late. Going out now and promising gold and silver in the next four years is a moot effort, because your effort should have been exhausted in the last three years with provable results to show for it now.

Voters are essentially thinking, "You keep telling us things will be better. We keep waiting for you to show us that."

Meanwhile, at the same time they keep promising results, they aren't doing the actual work that will produce them. And voters haven't missed that little point either. It's one thing to say what you are going to do. At some point you have to actually do it.

It seems that what their campaign has been reduced to is, "But, but, but." They are going to make excuses for their failures, pass blame unfairly for the problems, overstate the dangers if they don't win, and promise more "solutions" they don't actually have.

The question is not really, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" It's, "Why aren't we better off now?"

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Even the Democrats Themselves Aren't Falling For Bidenomics

It would seem that not only is the Biden/Harris administration continuing to pursue this fantasy of glowing economic policy they call Bidenomics, but they are also doubling down on it. They really believe that all of their comparisons to purposely monikered Maganomics is true.

But of course, Americans are not buying it. And the reason is simple. Because Americans both experienced Trump's economy and are now living in Biden's.

Naysayers of Trump can say what they want about Trump as a president in general. Even outwardly they can tell their friends, "Things are much better now economically." But behind the scenes and behind closed doors, as they sift through their utility bills and monitor their stock accounts and see directly the dwindling values of every dollar they earn, penny after penny being siphoned away by the higher cost of everything, the truth simply cannot be denied.

Bidenomics does not work. And it is definitely not working for the hard-working Americans it wants to reach to prove that it does.

The problem is that while you can easily tell a lie, there has to be at least some sense that it can be true in order to sell it. Take fiction. Especially fantasy, horror and science fiction. There is something that a writer must do in order to convince readers, even for just a moment, that ghosts and goblins and dragons do actually exist.

Suspend their disbelief.

When it comes to the economy, one look at one's grocery tab and it's all bets off. Every trip to the gas pump, and it's an instant yanking back to the reality that the dragon is just a thing created out of a wild imagination.

You simply cannot, by any stretch of the imagination try to sell a booming economy when the people living it can't see it or feel it or touch it in some way.

And the democrat party who badly wants to win a reelection knows it's a bad idea, and through backchannels, many prominent democrats are urging the White House to ditch it. Or to at least reframe it. 

"The voters aren't buying it," is what they are essentially saying. And if you (the Biden/Harris administration) keep on trying to sell it, the voters are going to rightly wonder what else you might be lying about. Your entire presidency becomes open to criticism, deeper examination and scrutiny.

Even from your own side. And maybe particularly so.

Because not only do democrats want to win. They want to be right. They want to be able to prove that they have the better ideas and can offer the best alternative in real solutions. Not that it's their favorite thing to do, but dammit they want to be able to say, "See? I told you so."

Bidenomics is falling flat. As a policy, as a plan, as a campaign slogan. It's just bad for everyone and especially bad for the person behind it who can't prove it to be anything more than a simple man dressed in a zippered dragon costume.

And by the way, how do you even reframe it? Why would you even necessarily want to? What? Just to make the lie sound a little better? A little more believable?

Why not just be straight with the American people and admit, "We messed it up," and then tell the American people what you got wrong and how you plan to actually fix it? It's like the border crisis issue that everyone knows is real. You will never gain the trust of the American people by outright lying to them.

Especially considering people are about to be fed up if they aren't already. We had to suffer through the 2-years of shutdowns during the Covid pandemic, having our lives entirely upended and halted, only to come out of it with new problems to face regarding our lives and money. And wait, it's not over. A recession may soon be coming, and that's just going to mean more months and months of economic pain.

Perhaps the Biden/Harris administration simply feel they've got this election in the bag. If it's down to them vs. Trump it's a shoe-in. And Lord knows they've done their very best to try to make Trump out to be the villain of all villains—a villain to make even the worst enemy of Gotham City look like a friendly circus clown with just a little benign nervous tick.

But even with that effort, is the public at large buying into it? Polls indicate maybe not. And just like the earlier example of people outwardly saying the economy is fine, behind closed doors when it comes to Trump, people know deep down they are being played for fools. They know there's a lot more going on behind the scenes that so much energy is being spent on someone they (the democrats) insist is no threat to their power.

In other words, there's no reason to try to get rid of Trump if the left thinks he's such bad news no one could even remotely consider him to be a serious candidate for the other side. Or even independents.

And speaking of polls, that's the other problem of course with Bidenomics. On the very issue Bidenomics is trying to sell is great, all the polls clearly show that the economy is one of Biden's worst performances. No one is buying it. Not even democrats. 

What's worse is that it does just the opposite of what I think the democrats want it to do. That is to put the economy front and center for the American people to think about every time they say it. Because again, it just serves as a constant reminder that the economy is not as good as they say it is, is not recovering at the fast pace they want people to believe, and worse—like with the border crisis—if you don't even know it's a problem how do we ever make it right?

How do we trust you have the goods to make it right?

Will the Biden/Harris administration ditch the slogan? Probably not. And part of the reason for that goes into something a bit deeper than the problems we face with the economy and frankly with every other serious issue facing America today.

Who is actually in charge?

Is it a single person? Is it a collective? Has the bureaucracy finally tendered the reigns of the big white chariot in Washington? One can never know. But the one thing we do know is that whenever we find ourselves in a situation where there are too many chiefs in the room, all goes haywire very quickly, one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing, too many hands are fighting for the final say, and nothing of value ever gets accomplished. 

And of course, with so many chiefs, not a single one of them thinks there's a problem that needs to be solved. And you can shout the problem as loud as you want, but the chiefs aren't listening. They can't hear you. And the Biden/Harris administration can't hear you. The American people. Even their own party. 

They are simply too busy focusing on winning than anything else. For them, it is all that matters. Meanwhile, as far as Bidenomics goes? Well, you're just going to have to take their word for it.

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"No Crisis on the Border," Says Harris

It could be said, and difficult to deny, that the Biden/Harris administration may not have invented gaslighting, but they sure have at least perfected the art of it. Take any issue you want, be it the economy, how many jobs they've created, working from the middle up, or the border crisis.

It's all a farce. They have accomplished nothing and yet they continue to tout false narrative after false narrative about how well it's all working for the American people.

The silver lining, if there is one, is that it would seem that the majority of the American people simply aren't buying it. Even the media has had to say more than once, "Something isn't right." And no matter how badly they may want to, they can't deny the polls either.

Biden is disliked and his approval ratings are in the tank on almost every issue, and Kamala Harris' polls are so bad even an abacus wouldn't work to try to get the numbers right.

While there are myriad issues plaguing us right now, the border crisis is one that stands out like a sore thumb, inflation notwithstanding, and Kamala Harris, the supposed border czar is fit to stand before the American people and all but outright deny that a crisis on the border even exists.

How many times has she even been to the border, by the way?

In an ironic way, one guesses, who do we really have to thank for at least a heightened awareness of the border issue? Republican governors like Ron DeSantis of Florida and Gregg Abbott of Texas who were left essentially to just "deal with it," until they decided to send the illegal immigrants they were dealt to the places where the liberals live.

From the liberal pulpits they shouted to the high Heavens that illegal immigrants are no more than regular folks just looking for a better shot at life who deserved a chance just as much as anyone, and that we should welcome them with open arms and see them as an opportunity to make America a warm, welcoming better place. To see not their intrusion on our lives, but to see what wonderful things they can offer to society as a whole.

Of course, that liberal tune quickly changed not long after the illegals were sent straight to their doorsteps. The reality suddenly didn't seem to jive with their narrative and not in my backyard stepped up to rear its ugly, glaring head.

Be careful what you wish for, you may just get it. 

The reality is that it's, well...it's a bitch you know. And what some of the border states did was to shine some of that real light on the issue which even democrats themselves can no longer deny. The border is an issue and the situation that we have is clearly a crisis.

Unless you're Kamala Harris.

She recently told Margaret Brennan on CBS' "Face the Nation," citing images of thousands of illegals flooding the border in hot spots like Eagle Pass, Texas, "What it means is that we have to stay focused on a number of issues related to the irregular migration that we're seeking around the world and America is not immune."

By the way, what the hell does that actually even mean?

How are we staying focused on the issue? What means are we using to stop the flood? What policies are we implementing to secure the border? What tools and other resources are we offering to our Border Patrol agents? What resources are we offering or providing to the border states most impacted by the problem? What consequences are we imposing on those who enter our country illegally? What sanctions are we considering against Mexico if they do not work with us to solve the issue?

The fact is that when Joe Biden took his oath of office, he shut down nearly all, if not all, of the tough on immigration policies imposed by former president Donald Trump and essentially opened the floodgates wide, only to turn around and pretend to solve a problem that existed (that did not) before he took office.

And by the way, just for optics sake, why even appoint a supposed czar to oversee something that isn't supposedly a problem? And if the czar herself, directed with the responsibility of addressing the problem doesn't even see a problem, how does that qualify her to be a czar at all?

It is a problem, and everyone seems to know it except for the person who is supposed to be charged with fixing it.

Democrat New York Mayor, Eric Adams, has been highly critical of Harris and her lack of leadership on the issue of the border as tens of thousands of illegals pour into his city. In his eyes, despite any denial, it is indeed a crisis and said publicly, "Never in my life have I had a problem I did not see an ending to. This issue will destroy New York City."

Those are poignant words that should raise eyebrows for anyone. The people of New York City, long considered to be a resilient and strong people, able to deal with anything that comes their way, who have turned around a damaged city more than once in its history, is now reduced to being helpless?

And where is the communication between the Biden/Harris administration with Border Patrol chiefs outright saying they have never seen a worse situation on the border than they are seeing now. In other words, if the men and women on the front lines are saying, "This is bad," or in fact, "this is the worst I have ever seen it," where are the efforts to ramp up the response? If you had a general come to you and say, "We are going to be attacked," you'd probably want to perk your ears up and listen to what the general has to say.

But it's a moot point according to Harris. You have to ask yourself, why would they lie? Not just the Border Patrol agents. But Eric Adams. Why would they lie about an issue that supposedly doesn't exist? What purpose would it serve? 

Maybe it just all comes back to Trump in an odd sort of way. You know, I've said it multiple times, but it bears repeating. I am convinced that in the eyes of the democrats, or at the very least, in the eyes of the Biden/Harris administration, that the destruction of America itself is, to them, simply collateral damage in what the real goal is.

Taking out Trump no matter what it takes and no matter what the cost is. Everything else be damned. The border crisis is part of that. Reversing other highly effective Trump policies is too. 

The bottom line is that we have a serious issue facing us when it comes to the border, and with a clear lack of acknowledgement or leadership on the issue, the reality is that the issue will only worsen. It's like an early missed diagnosis of cancer. Once you finally realize it's a problem, it's too late.

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Too Old to Serve? Election 2024

Age is certainly a factor in the next election for president in 2024. Beyond all of the flubs from the Biden administration, which is a complete disaster, and all of the chaos and infighting among republicans right now on the GOP side, the one thing that should be abundantly clear is this.

Joe Biden has not earned reelection and is too old to serve, and likely won't make it through another four year term. Kamala Harris is not fit to be president. And even though I think Trump not only deserved another four years in 2020, even he may be too old to serve.

It's a bit of a slippery slope because what it leaves us with is a "big picture" decision at the polls. Who exactly are we ultimately having to choose to vote for? The person running for president? Or the running mate? And while we have had times in the past when a vice president did become the president for various reasons, it has not always been the best course for America.

Trump seems vibrant and full of life, but that doesn't guarantee nothing will happen.

I do think that Trump still offers the best opportunity to get America back on track. He's become a politician, for sure. But he's still an outsider. He's got bite. He doesn't play like other politicians do. He fights back, gets contentious and pulls no punches. 

I like that.

DeSantis, so far, seems like a strong and clear alternative choice. But I also think that what DeSantis brings to the table is more of the same old politician stuff. He's an establishment guy even if he says he isn't.

He is also much younger which presents an interesting alternative as well. And regardless of what my opinion overall may be about DeSantis vs. Trump, the one thing I do know is that he would still present the better choice over Biden in 2024.

I do wonder, if Trump were to become the nominee, if there could ever be a Trump/DeSantis ticket that could potentially pave the way for a determinable victory for DeSantis in 2028 and beyond, and a victory for the republican party to boot.

The thing is, we're going to also be in this boat again in 2028 necessarily since Trump can't run for a third term no matter what. So, with that in mind, we also have to make sure that in 2024, at least on the GOP side, we have to get this right.

If the next four years with Trump, for example, is like the first four years with Trump, and I am not referring to what he did, because I think Trump's presidency was a stellar success, with the media and the democrats out to take him out at every turn, that will only present more of an uphill battle for DeSantis, if he were to be vice president, because he'd be running directly as a Trump candidate.

It's a lot to consider. There are so many moving parts here. We only know we can't afford another four years of Biden and we certainly won't survive a Harris administration. So, it's a big task ahead. I think what we need to do, not just as a party, but as Americans who want to see the country headed back in the right direction, is to really think long and hard about what the best course for America is.

In the end, nothing else matters more.

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