leadership

Impeachment Is Threatening Our Democracy

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

The swamp known as Washington, D.C., is becoming more toxic every day, and the impeachment of President Trump is threatening our democracy.

The impetus of the growing peril to our country is, of course, the election of Trump, who strode into office in response to voter dissatisfaction. The Trump experiment has been anything but a smooth ride for our nation.

The Obama administration swung far to the left and disenfranchised the very people Obama promised to help, the black community and young Americans. Ironically these groups did the worst during the Obama years, and yet both groups remained loyal to the president.

The backlash to an incompetent and ineffective president has been over cooked. Voters looked outside of Washington for new leadership. Donald Trump, a man known for his quirky, aggressive and self-promoting disposition defeated several stalwarts of his party in the primaries in a wild and whacky primary contest.

To no one’s surprise Trump attacked opponents personally and brought them to their knees. He denigrated the Republican establishment and proclaimed it was only one notch above Democratic progressivism. Trump decimated his competition. And America chose a shady real estate developer with absolutely no experience to lead the party.

Even more ironic, Democrats chose about the only person in their party who could not defeat Trump. Trump out-campaigned Hillary Clinton whose attitude of entitlement proved to be her downfall. She was not going to be president, and was decisively defeated in the one and only metric that matters- the Electoral College.

Trump was just as surprised as anyone when he eked out a win in Florida, and then Ohio, then Michigan, then Pennsylvania and so on. Voters were sick of the old guard, dynasties and bold-faced liars, and yet they chose a man who has proven that he is a greater liar than any presidents before him.

Now we are on a precipice. Do American voters cast their ballot for a continuation of the bizarre, self-indulgent, idiosyncratic and non-statesman-like leadership of the incumbent? Or do they opt for a socialist and make a complete U-turn politically?

How has the country painted itself into such a corner? Opponents of Trump have moved left to deflect Trump’s right persuasion. Both parties have become far more extreme and the ultimate outcome of the impending election will be another president that cannot bring the country together.

Historically candidates were radical in the primaries and more centrist in the general election. No more. What you see in the impending primaries is what you will get if any of the current crop of candidates are victorious.

But there’s another sinister trend at play in the halls of Congress. Under the pretense that Trump is trying to unconstitutionally increase the influence of the president, Congress is moving forward to usurp the power of the vote from the people. Why would Democrats be so anxious to impeach and possibly oust a president one year away from a new election? Even more important, why would Congress attempt to undo the legitimate election of Trump in 2016?

This perspective is not an endorsement of Trump, the president or the man. But if he did not commit an impeachable crime, Trump should not be distracted from his duties as president to contend with a House that is hell-bent on prosecuting him.

The precedent of such an action would be very dramatic and meaningful. A House that opposes a president at any time will now be less constrained to begin impeachment proceedings with a simple majority, thereby bringing government to a halt. Of course being convicted by the Senate with a super majority will likely result in few if any convictions.

The hatred, venom and unprofessional behavior of Democratic leaders is unmistakable and has been fostered by spinning of information, illegally leaking confidential testimony and denying due process. In America we change leaders by replacing bad performers with replacements that are duly elected, not through proclamations by Congress.

Presidents are not above the law. But if a president is to be impeached it should be done fairly, according to the rule of law and without political interference.

Of Course Trump Takes Credit For Killing al-Baghdadi

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

The hunt for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was a crowning event for our brave special operations soldiers. Going deep into enemy territory, these operators rooted out a vicious murderer. It’s too bad President Trump made such a spectacle of the event, and spent so much time taking credit for the work of others.

Frankly I would prefer being told that the terrorist was “eliminated” in a much more somber announcement. The editorializing and drama displayed by the president was disconcerting and not statesman-like.

Americans and peaceful people around the world appreciate that a mass murderer was taken out and would no longer kill innocent individuals with beheadings and immolation. But, Americans should derive little solace that al-Baghdadi was screaming, crying and dying “like a dog.”

Once again Trump made it all about himself. He tried to make us believe that he suited up for the mission with the Delta Force and personally drove the terrorist into the tunnel where the bad guy blew himself up. There’s nothing brave about watching and commentating on an assassination on a big screen in the White House, 7,000 miles from the action.

The politicization of this occurrence by conservatives and liberals is unfortunate. We are not playing war games. Innocents died, including 11 children that the terrorist used as a shield against US troops. Feeling relief about the demise of a very evil person is human and understandable. But reveling in his death takes our country down a notch.

Donald Trump has very low social IQ. He lives his life trying to prove that he is superior to all others including people who dislike him, competitors in business and now in politics and other countries and their leaders. It’s sad to say, but Trump is a very poor version of an elitist who has no regard for anyone who sees the world differently than he does.

Unfortunately Trump’s accomplishments are clouded by his self-aggrandizement and ego. He thinks he’s a master of adversarial confrontation that is often violent, degrading and scornful. Trump wants to eliminate and humiliate anyone who is not like him.

Notwithstanding all this, strongman tactics and aggressive negotiation has its place in this turbulent world in which we live. The US should be tough dealing with China, Russia and all the two-bit despots in the world who try to take advantage of others. But battling with politicians across the aisle and with long-term allies is unproductive.

Trump has done some things well. The economy is going great guns, and the US is making gains diplomatically with certain leaders and countries for the first time ever. Trump is honestly trying to end US intervention in places we should not be. He is unafraid to point out the missteps of others (but not himself). But he’s not a good man, a peacemaker, a leader or a genuine patriot.

The next five years are going to be very tumultuous. Trump is greatly responsible for the bad behavior of his opponents who have stooped down to his level. Everyone fights to the death on every issue. Compromise is nonexistent. I’m petrified about what will happen if the president is reelected, or if an irresponsible socialist wins the White House.