Why is Trump heading to Mexico? – August 31, 2016

“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” – Alice in Wonderland

Trump on Freedom of Speech – August 30, 2016

Shorter Trump: “It’s a free country.  Colin Kaepernick is free to leave.”

Trump and the Teleprompter – August 28, 2016

Robertson Davies wrote an essay called “Ham and Tongue” back in 1977, when he obviously did not have Donald Trump and the teleprompter in mind.  But what he wrote back then fits today – you can always tell when Trump is speaking words written for him, and when he’s saying what he thinks at the moment.  “Politicians were probably the first to discover that the script might as well be prepared by somebody else…  Politicians – slapdash fellows with a boundless faith in the gullibility of mankind – all too often give speeches which are as new to them as to the audience, and not infrequently they come upon words that are unfamiliar to them and ideas that surprise them.”  (I have taken the liberty of changing some of Davies’ past tenses to present.)

Prediction for 2017

Who will be the first high-profile Clinton cabinet member to resign under a cloud?  My money is on current Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe.  While he’s an effective fund-raiser, he’s also the sort of politician who just isn’t able to stay out of trouble, who can’t resist taking a short cut.  Don’t know what post she will appoint him to, but I’m betting he won’t last twelve months from the day he’s sworn in.  People will be comparing him to Jimmy Carter’s OMB Director, Bert Lance.

Quotation of the Day – August 21, 2016

“You know the Republicans – honestly folks, our leaders have to get tougher.  This is too tough to do it alone, but you know what I think?  I’m going to be forced to.” – Donald Trump; the surprising thing is not that he implied he couldn’t expect much help from the GOP, but when he said it.  The writing was already on the wall months ago.  This quotation is taken from a rally in Atlanta during the second week of June.  See USA Today, June 18, 2016.

Quotation of the Day – August 20, 2016

“People are made much happier by what they freely do than by what they consume.” – Immanuel Kant

Quotation of the Day – August 16 , 2016

“The elephant in the room is the likelihood that  Congress will remain divided.” – Heidi M. Przybyla,  USA  Today 8.14.16.  Only thing wrong with this analysis is the detail that both houses of Congress are of course in the hands of one party.

Headline from Brazil – August 15, 2016

Shaunae Miller dives for Olympic gold! – Unfortunately, not in an aquatic event.  Allyson Felix, who kept to her feet, picked up silver in the women’s 400-meter.

Quotation of the Day – August 15, 2016

“Bulls make money, bears make money. Pigs get slaughtered.” – Wall Street saying

Quotation of the Day – August 14, 2016

“It is appropriate that this feeling [of embitterment among Republicans] has been in alliance with the Confederate South, the loser of a war it still thinks it should have won.” – Garry Wills