Is Ben Carson not “black enough” or not liberal enough?

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Armando Diana

Did you know that Ben Carson is not “Black enough”?  I heard two African Americans complain that Dr. Carson is “not really black”, not “black enough”, and “does not understand the true black man.” In truth, much like a media that ignores him, they disagree with his conservative views.

Apparently, a black conservative can’t possibly understand the plight of his fellow race.  Does an entire race of people need to adopt the same views to be in the club?

I recall in 2008, if anyone opposed President Obama they were immediately called a racist yet the Liberal media does not make the same condemnation if you oppose Dr. Carson.  In short, a Liberal who opposes Dr. Carson is intellectually honest but a Conservative who opposes President Obama is a racist.  I love an even playing field.

I guess an inconvenient truth for Liberals is racism only applies when it suits their purpose or agenda. For example, if a white police officer shoots a black criminal the media screams we have a racism problem. However, if a black criminal shoots and kills multiple white people then we have a gun problem. It’s all relative.

Why are we not hearing African Americans condemning the fact people think Dr. Carson is not “black enough?” I sincerely doubt to be an “authentic” black person you have to think and vote alike. Even if there was a groundswell of support for Dr. Carson from the black community the media would not run that story.

It seems Liberals pigeonhole all black people into one stereotype and play to that theme.  Isn’t that profiling?  Conservatives have the quaint notion that individuals have the right to make their own choices. So tell me; which party is racist?

Dr. Carson makes a lot of sense when he speaks. He is measured and deliberate in his approach to the issues.  He is smart, articulate and seems like a dedicated individual.  I do not think he has a chance to get the republican nomination and one reason is the way the media ignores him.  They will not give him the forum he deserves because he does not meet its criteria of being a black politician.

Tell me again who is being racist?

Dr. Carson has a good story. He rose out of poverty in Detroit and worked hard to eventually become one of the world’s most talented pediatric neurosurgeons. His only accomplishment is saving lives.  What has Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton done that matches?  What did President Obama do in his career to match Dr. Carson’s feats?  Why do they get the headlines while Dr. Carson gets relegated to the bench?

The media would rather waste our time stirring the pot in Ferguson and re-living Katrina then promote a man who improved his life through hard work and dedication.  I bet if he were able to catch a football and run the 40 yard dash in under 4.5 seconds he’d get more attention.

The mainstream media has an aversion to opposing viewpoints and immediately brands such obstinacy as extreme.  Isn’t it about time for the media to acknowledge there is also diversity of thought?

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Going for a populist may not be the popular choice to make

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Armando Diana

Uh-Oh, I think some in the media don’t like a taste of their own medicine.

I like how Donald Trump is upsetting the apple cart and giving people in the media a dose of one-upmanship. For too long, they have conducted themselves as hallowed bodies surrounded in Teflon much like the political ruling class has enjoyed. It’s good to see them get a little comeuppance.

I don’t particularly care for his abrasive style but I suppose you cannot have one without the other. The most recent episode of Trump calling out Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly is a good example of the dichotomy Trump brings to the dialog.

During a news broadcast hosted by Kelly, Trump Tweeted “I liked The Kelly File much better without @megynkelly. Perhaps she could take another eleven day unscheduled vacation!”  Followed by “Megyn needs to go back on vacation. What a waste of an hour on Fox.”

I question Trump’s motives for his latest salvo against her but I also questioned Kelly’s motives during the first presidential debate. In both cases I think the motive was more personal than professional. If that is the case, good for Trump for giving the media a taste of its own medicine. I want news reporters to ask the hard questions providing the desire is to uncover the truth on a topic of substance, not scoring points on the political correctness meter.

And that is what I like most about Trump. He is blazing the trail that screams it’s OK to be politically incorrect. Of course, having nine billion dollars in your bank account helps ease the pain of the backlash of being politically incorrect but he seems to be appealing to what can be described as the disenfranchised middle class.

This is the group hardest hit by President Obama’s policies. This is the group that does not qualify for government assistance because “they make too much” but pays the most in taxes. They do not earn enough to actually be rich but are considered rich by government standards.

Although I enjoy watching him make the elitists squirm, how does any of the rhetoric help us learn if Trump will make a good president?

His Tweets about Kelly’s journalistic abilities are his opinions. I’m sure she gets more venom from other non-fans. However, the re-tweet Trump made referring to her as a “bimbo” tells me more about his character and judgment then any of his shifting positions.

Some people like that in-your-face behavior while others believe he is a bully and refer to his behavior as “non-presidential.”  Given the fact President Bill Clinton put a stain on the White House during his presidency and the current resident is thoroughly inept, what does “non-presidential” mean? There are those who say the same about President George W. Bush and President George H. Bush.

So saying “non-presidential” is a non-starter for me. I like a president who will stand up for America, has convictions, and is unafraid to state and stick by his principles. You can make the case, Trump is all those things but I am not convinced he is the right choice for president. Perhaps I’m being more personal than practical or vice versa.

I’m not sure yet. What I am sure of is Trump is making a strong case for why he should be president while at the same time making a strong case for why he should not be president. We need to be smart about our next choice for President. President Obama and his failed policies has proven making a populist choice is not a popular move.

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The only scandal without a gate is a private server

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Armando Diana

What’s the difference between 18 and-a-half minutes of missing audio tape and missing e-mails from a server?

The media is quick to add the suffix “gate” to any political scandal but as of yet I have not seen nor read the term e-mailgate anywhere to refer to Hillary Clinton’s illegal activity when she was Secretary of State.

As an aside, I love the irony that Mrs. Clinton began her legal career advising the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate investigation and is now faced with a similar issue.  Didn’t she learn anything from President Nixon?  The cover up – not the crime – is what brings the politician down.

In April General David Petraeus was sentenced to serve two years on probation and to pay a fine of $100,000 for mishandling top secret information.  It seems Mrs. Clinton is guilty of the same thing but I do not hear the same drum beat to punish her that General Petraeus heard.

To be fair, General Petraeus shared classified information with his biographer while Mrs. Clinton basically allowed classified information to go unprotected.  It’s not really the same thing but where is the outrage from the media?

The Federal Records Act requires federal employees to preserve records that contain “informational value” or that document “the transaction of public business” and “the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, operations or other activities of the government.”  In typical Clinton fashion, she is playing games and suggesting since the law was not amended to prohibit government officials from using private emails until last year, she did not violate the law.

That’s like saying someone did not commit a crime once the statute of limitations runs out.  Technically it’s true.  Realistically the person committed the crime.  Mrs. Clinton also claims she did not send any documents marked classified. When it comes to Clinton speak we must pay close attention to the words used.

It may be true the document may not have been marked classified when she sent them but that doesn’t mean the information was not classified.  According to recent news reports more than 300 e-mails that traversed her private server meet the standard of being designated as classified.

Mrs. Clinton faces a dilemma with her claim she did not send any documents marked classified.  We can question her ability to determine what is considered sensitive information.  Do we want a president that cannot make that distinction?  We can question whether she knew the information was sensitive but was too arrogant to care.  Do we want such a person as our president?  We can even question her competence as a leader.

We see what happens when we elect an incompetent person as president for the past six years.  Do we want a sequel?

This episode raises a lot of questions about Mrs. Clinton.  Her supporters and mainstream media will make the case we shouldn’t question her and brand us sexist.

Forget all that noise.  I think we should question is her motives!  Why would anyone conduct public business on a private server?  We’ll never get an answer but deep down most of us know she believes herself to be above the law.  Do we really want that attitude as our president?

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Where would we be if the Founding Fathers chose diplomacy over revolution?

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Armando Diana

How would you react if you were told you did not have the “right” credentials to join a club?  A team? Any organization for that matter?

I’m sure the screams and howls would be heard across the nation if you were a minority or illegal alien but what if you were a white, middle-aged male? No one would care and, unfortunately, that is acceptable in our society.

Now, what would you do if you were running for president but told “Sorry, you do not fit our mold so you can’t run?”

According to the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, Larry J. Sabato‘s Crystal Ball gives Donald Trump no chance of earning the republican presidential nomination in the latest feature article called Republicans 2016: What to Do With the Donald?

I agree with his findings but I despise the reasons he gives for Trump coming up short.  I am not a Liberal so I do not blame Sabato for the message.  I blame the establishment for skewing the playing field that would make the Hunger Games proud.

The first reason Sabato gives is the eventual nominee needs to have the backing of party elites.  He defines party elites as “… those in public office (many of whom will have to run on the same election ticket), the people in party leadership positions, large donors, and the heads of factional, well-funded organizations outside the party structure but still under the broader partisan umbrella.”

Hmm. I thought my vote counted.  I guess it only counts if the powers that be say it does.

His second reason is the likely nominee needs to have strong organizations in every state to do the grunt work to get the vote out.  Trump is a celebrity and celebrities cannot comprehend actual work.  They get “their people” to do it for them.  This is basic block and tackle stuff and I have to imagine that a successful businessman knows who to hire to get the job done.

His third point is the most disturbing to me.  He states in order to be electable the nominee must speak in political correct tones.  The premise is plain speaking people are fun at first but let’s not trust them with the keys to the castle.  Remember, I do not disagree with Sabato.  I find it sad that it’s true.

I wonder where we would be if our Founding Fathers chose diplomacy over revolution?

Finally, he says most voters become more circumspect with their vote as Election Day nears.  If that were true, how did we end up with President Obama?  Twice?  I think the educated voter acts in the way Sabato suggests but the uninformed voter basically votes for the one they like the best or the one who is going to give them more free stuff.  In any case, Trump also loses on this front.

The article is an excellent analysis of the political scene and I encourage you to read it.

The fact that only “the chosen” ones can run for president seems totally un-American to me and I hope Trump turns the establishment on its ear.  I’d like to think his growing popularity is because most Americans are fed up with the establishment and want change.  Helpful change not the Obama type change. I’d like to think that but chances are the mindless drones we call voters will choose who the “elites” want us to choose.

Is that the America you want?

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The issues of the day are nothing more than a litmus test; that’s no way to choose a leader

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Armando Diana

Someone needs to tell the today’s media they are not and will not ever be Woodward or Bernstein.  Those two were journalists and today’s media types are nothing more than self-aggrandizing empty suits that care more about the sizzle than the steak.

Wait.  Isn’t that how most of the media refer to Trump’s presidential candidacy?  I guess it takes one to know one.

I am still not sold on Trump as president but I do enjoy watching the media, Democrats and Republicans stumble over themselves as they try every trick in their arsenal to trip Trump. I think they will eventually succeed but Trump already won.  He changed the political landscape.  He changed the dialog.

In this crazy political arena cultivated by a society that lost touch with what truly matters, it only seems appropriate for a billionaire to be perceived as “one-of-the-people” while the establishment is forced to eat the cake he is serving.

Before Trump eventually tires of the idiocy and leaves, I wonder if he’s enjoying his last laugh in each aborted media attempt to derail his campaign.  You have the conspiracists saying he is only in the race to help Hillary Clinton get elected.  There are those who claim he is a showman and only interested in attention.  Then there are the ones who try to make him seem anti-women.

I do not have a problem with the questions the “journalists” at Fox News hurled at the candidates.  I can guarantee the other lightweight news channels like CNN, MSNBC, and network channel will ever be half as hard on their Democrat brethren.  So much for the theory that Fox is a Conservative shill.

I do not think using one public argument Trump had with a woman proves anything other than he defended himself against an initial attack.  Much like Fox News asked him to show evidence of the Mexican government sending rapists and murderers to the US where is Fox News’ evidence of other women he disparaged?  Isn’t it odd that most news outlets turned a blind eye to the multitude of women that came out against Bill Cosby yet use one case to condemn Trump?  That tells me there was another agenda at play.

Some say he doesn’t look presidential.  Compared to what?  President Obama? I get the fact some of us like to have a leader who is calm, cool and collected but is that what this nation needs?  It’s like choosing between Billy Martin and Art Howe as your baseball team’s manager.  In some cases you needed the fire of Martin and in others you needed the stoicism of Howe.  I do not pretend to know what the nation’s need but I know what I want to see in our next president.

I want someone who believes in the brilliance of our nation and not an apologist.  We are a great nation for a reason and if other nations hates us for it, oh well.  I want a president who does not allow other nations to take advantage of us, mock us, or disrespect us. I do not want those things borne of fear but earned by action.

I do not want a president eager to appease or please but one willing to lead by example and stick to core principles without wanting to pander for votes.  I do not want a president who dismisses our allies and leaves them behind.

I want a president with a vision to advance this nation by the principles it was founded on – rugged individualism not a nation of handouts. We need a president that understands the value of fiscal solvency and an unending desire to defend the nation from all threats – foreign or domestic.  But most of all I want a president who believes in the Constitution.  Anyone not fitting these base requirements need not apply.

Notice I did not outline a single “issue.” We do not need candidates talking about where they stand on issues.  The issues of the day are nothing more than a litmus test.  As you know from chemistry, a litmus test only shows whether a substance is acidic or basic, not where it falls on the pH scale. That is no way to select a leader.

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Trump is good for politics but is he good for government?

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Armando Diana

I enjoy watching Donald Trump drive the Republican establishment nuts while befuddling Democrats.  Politicians are not used to saying what is on their collective feeble minds without couching it in political correctness.

To that end, Trump has opened the door to dialog and both parties cannot figure out why people are flocking to him.  Maybe it’s because he is saying what’s on our minds? Maybe it’s because he’s a breath of fresh air in an environment where fecal matter in the head passes off as brains.

Whatever the reason, Trump is attracting attention and bringing more people to the table.  Primary debates are notoriously boring with political correct speak camouflaged as policy points. Trump has changed that and the upcoming Republican Primary debate scheduled for Thursday may actually garner good ratings.

Most people tuning in to see Trump in the debate are like the casual NASCAR fan watching races to see who crashes.  Or the casual women’s soccer fan tuning in to watch Alex Morgan.  It may be more for the theater than the substance but at least he’s forcing more people to pay attention.

That may help his opponents. The more viewers that tune in, the better the opportunity for one of his opponents to make a case for his electability.  Of course, most of these buffoons will probably do the opposite because they will not address the issues that is on our minds.

They will spend the majority of their time jockeying for position and trying to get to the right of their opponents.  The casual observer is tuning in to watch Trump blast someone dumb enough to try and attack him. Trump cannot disappoint them otherwise he risks losing their attention.

At the same time, there are serious viewers interested to see which candidate can save the nation from eight years of President Obama’s reign. Can Trump prove to them he is the right person for the job?

The primary process caters to the respective parties’ diehard base.  For Republican’s that means the right wing zealots are out in force so Trump needs to appeal to them to prove he is electable.  However, his presence will bring non-zealots hoping for that zinger moment so he – and the rest of them – needs to appeal to that group.

But therein lies the problem.  Each candidate is trying to prove he’s electable.  I prefer to find the guy who can govern.  President Obama was electable and how did that work out for the nation?  The only happy person is Jimmy Carter who will no longer hold the mantle for worst president.

Before Trump, Governors Chris Christie and Scott Walker were the bomb throwers so what do they do now?  Will Christie try to out trump Trump, or will he take the occasion to prove they can govern this nation?

Thanks to Trump, the debate will have more people tuning in than usual for a primary debate and may not even be a snooze fest.  Those tuning in will want to see the crash and burn but maybe a few will find the next president of the United States.  God knows we need a real president.

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Mets fans would have made great fodder for PT Barnum

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Armando Diana

Mets fans are going to let the Wilpons off the hook again. They are being snowed once again.  In desperate need of offense but even more desperate not to spend money, the Mets have promoted Michael Conforto from Double A.

This move satisfies a rabid fan base eager for anything resembling an offensive weapon but it is nothing more than a shell game.  The Mets front office has you looking one way when you should be looking the other way.

Conforto is a talented player but most scouts say he needs at least 50 to 100 more games in the Minor Leagues to be ready for the Major Leagues.  But that would require the Mets to pay a Major League player, major league money versus a Minor League player the league minimum.

But the fan base is so close to the adult table and starving for offense that it will be thrilled to get what looks like the Mets making a move.  In reality, the Mets fan base was just given a thimble and asked to start bailing the Titanic.

Conforto is not the answer.  I’m sure he will have an impact – especially in future years – but to think a Double A player hitting .312 will jump to the Major Leagues and turn an offense around is silly.  And to think the poor kid won’t put added pressure on himself to be a savior is even more foolish.

The Mets should trade for an available Major League rental player and let Conforto spend the rest of this year in Triple A and bring him up next year.  That would be best for the kid and for the team.  Instead, the team is taking the cheap way out again and conning the fan base to attend games.  The Wilpons are making money and you are spending money for basically the same product.

It seems PT Barnum had it right.

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Time for a different ruling class to try and right the ship

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Armando Diana

Did he just say what I thought I heard?  That depends on whether you actually heard what he said or are relying on the media to interpret it for you.  And make no mistake, the media does not objectively give you the news.  Our Liberal friends will agree with that statement as it pertains to Fox News and our Conservative friends have the same opinion of CNN.  For once, the two groups have something right.

Who is he?  Oh yeah, that would be Donald Trump.  He points out the truth about the Mexican government and the media spins it like he’s anti-immigration.  If you listen to what he actually said you would know he is against illegal immigration in general and the Mexican government in particular for encouraging its non-desirable citizens to go to America.  The ultimate not-in-my-backyard approach.

I was trying not to write about Trump because I do not believe he will be in the race for the long haul. He’s too smart for that and, as a businessman, he’ll do a cost-benefit analysis and realize it’s better to let the ruling class masquerading as politicians kill each other rather than him.

It will be a shame when he leaves the race.  I am not one of his big fans but he is growing on me and I think he is good for the dialog.  He says things the way real people say things and not shrouded in the political correctness speak that infects our ruling class.  Ask Jeb Bush a question and once the deer-in-the-headlight look escapes his face, he checks his notes, removes Karl Rove’s hand from his butt and responds in the most arcane way.  I like some of the candidates but most do not answer the question. They simply look to hit their talking points and move on to the next victim.

Trump answers the question. You may not like his answer or the way he says it, but he answers the question.  The Halo Effect dictates that he can also “get-the-job-done” but that may or may not be accurate.  As the boss of a business, Trump has the, well, trump card.  He can hire and fire and people have to do what he says or they find themselves elsewhere.

Politics doesn’t work that way.  It takes finesse.  It takes using a sphere of influence to get what you want but not always everything you want.  That is the nature of the beast. Once you gain momentum and results you can begin to push for only your way.  It takes time – and high poll numbers.  A man with the successful track record that Trump boasts is what we need to get this country back on track.

People like that are notoriously impatient with slow progress and, at one point, they say “screw this” and move on to other areas that give them their results fix.  I’m not a fan but he’s growing on me because he can get things done and that is something different for Washington, DC.  The country needs something different in Washington DC. It’s too early to say whether he’s the difference we need but we need something different.  Can he be any worse than the mess we now have?

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Time to stand up and put your name to the deal

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Armando Diana

What will he do or say when the deed is done?  Will he proudly accept the mantle he so insatiably desires and be held accountable for the consequences or will he blame President George Bush?

If Iran does what he claims it won’t and creates and uses a nuclear bomb against us or Israel or anyone for that matter, will President Obama stand up and say “I did that.”  Will he get his Urkel on?

President Obama claims the agreement he made with Iran “is not built on trust. It is built on verifications.“  Yet, it gives Iran more leeway than not when it comes to inspections.  The agreement requires Iran to grant permission before international inspectors have a chance to inspect.  Not only that but it gives Iran 14 days to decide whether to grant it after the international community asks for the permission. If Iran decides not to grant permission, the international community has 10 days to figure out what to do next.

That gives Iran 24 days to hide whatever it wants to hide from inspections.  So, professional athletes have no warning a drug test is coming but we give a nation that harbors and promotes terrorism 24 days to clean its house.  We give a nation that outwardly calls for the death and destruction of America and Israel 24 days to play hide and seek.

You know, if the President and Secretary of State John Kerry thinks this is a good deal then I’d like to see them stand up and say “I approve this and take full responsibility for anything that happens to the world because of this deal.”  If they are not willing to do that, if they are not that sure this is a good deal, they should not subject innocent people to its consequences.

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More governing, less grandstanding is what we need

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Armando Diana

When I hear politicians speak of “the poor” I immediately think of the impoverished children I used to watch in those videos they showed in my grammar school. It featured a bony child surrounded by flies and bugs sitting in a cesspool he called home and looks longingly into the camera.

I think most of us think of impoverished people when we hear the term “the poor” but unscrupulous people take advantage of others good nature.   In theory, government programs aimed at helping the poor are helping a class of people that does not need assistance.

A few years back, my church hosted homeless families in our parish for two weeks. I was surprised to see the families designated as poor had the latest cell phones and $100 sneakers. Taking a walk down the halls of any public high school and you will find a good portion of the students eligible for free breakfast and lunch have those same luxuries.

Meanwhile, those that are truly at the poverty level receive less aid because of these classless slobs and those in the middle class become more jaded since they are the ones paying for these programs. Does it surprise anyone why those in the middle class resent paying taxes when we see our money going to waste?

Would you be upset if you lent your friend $10,000 to help him pay for his mortgage and utilities and later find out he bought stereo system for his house, added a gazebo to his backyard and went for s pedicure?  Then why aren’t you upset at people gaming the system and politicians turning a blind eye so they can continue to get your vote?

The problem with the middle class is the fact we are in the middle.  We are not wealthy enough to sit at the adult table in the exclusive country clubs but we are not poor enough to qualify for such government programs like financial aid for schools.  Meanwhile, we pay the most in taxes and receive the least in benefits.

People being allowed to game the system leads to increased cynicism and resentment among the middle class. Eventually, this house of cards will fall. We do not need politicians grandstanding and droning on about “the poor” and how government has a moral obligation to help them.

The government has a moral obligation to help all its citizens.  Redistributing wealth never works to lift a nation.  It only serves as its downfall. The federal government needs to focus on defending the nation, ensuring a sound infrastructure, and enabling commerce between the states.  The states need to worry about the infrastructure within their borders and keeping its residents safe.  The rest belongs to business.

A sound economic policy has the same effect as rising water.  It lifts all boats. A nation of successful people creates more revenue for the government which should be re-invested in the country.

Is there a political candidate brave enough to eschew populism for sound policy?

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