Some consider the Nation’s Capital as “Fantasyland on the Potomac”. Other outsiders are “Fed Up” with the Federal City. It's better to consider D.C. as “the District of Calamity” (sic).
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has been representing West Virginia in the Senate since the death of Senator Robert Byrd in 2010. Manchin ran on a pledge protect Second Amendment rights as well as to to take dead aim of Barack Obama's Cap and Trade policy, which severely threatened the coal industry.
While he may call himself a centrist or perhaps a conservative Democrat, in modern terms he ran as a Republican. But now Mountain State voters may well wonder if Manchin was just blowing smoke around election season.
As Manchin vies for a second full term, he is considered the most vulnerable Senate incumbent for Election 20118. Manchin's refusal to drift to the left endangers himself with the progressive drift of Democrats, yet he is chary about crossing the aisle to the Republican side.
So in a bid to save his seat, Senator Manchin took the the Senate floor to promote a pledge of bipartisan cooperation and agreement. While that sounds noble and constructive, the reality is that Manchin was coercing his colleagues not to campaign against him or raise money against him.
An incumbent wants to ensure that notable opposition can not criticize him on the hustings because of a supposed pledge of bipartisan cooperation. How convenient! No wonder pundits and comedians are so critical of anything labeled bipartisan.
Radio commentator Larry O'Connor surmises that Manchin is trying to obscure the fact that he votes with Democrat Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) regarding the tax reform. Manchin also campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton in 2016, which proved quite out of step with his West Virginia constituents.
The Republican National Committee used Twitter to expose Senator Manchin's Janus faced campaigning, as the supposed maverick conservative Democrat posed with both Planned Parenthood as well as Pro Life activists.
Manchin laughed off this apparent hypocrisy saying that he'd pose for pictures with anyone. Larry O'Connor laments that this was one more victory for the swamp co-opting a maverick.
It may be better to think of this as sort of a pyrrhic victory which salts the swamp and causes the District of Calamity to be drained of unviable swamp creatures and Congress critters.
The first day of the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland was the regular season premiere of The Trump Show. This was the chance for the presumptive Republican nominee to shine as he re-introduces himself as the standard bearer of the GOP. While it was not a Trump Train wreck, per se, there were some snafus which portend poorly for the future. A standard operating procedure for conventions is to start with a benediction from clergy. This ought to be a pro-forma prayer which raises the profile of a religious figure while asking for divine blessings upon the proceedings and their chosen leader. The Trump Show picked Pastor Mark Burns, a black evangelical televangelist from South Carolina’s high country. Burns was a last minute addition after the assassination of three Baton Rouge Police Officers. Burns claimed that he was going to talk about unity and love. However, Pastor Burns 187 word benediction alienated many evangelicals and mainline Christians for his idolization of Donald Trump in prayer while effectively demonizing Democrats and especially the “enemy” Hillary Clinton. It would be easy to dismiss this bumbled benediction, but it may have set the tone for the rest of the Trump Show regular season premiere otherwise known as the RNCinCLE. Casual political observers may wonder if political conventions do any real work, because what they watch in prime time tends to be speechifying (both electrifying as well as stupifying) and people wearing funny hats and odd apparel. Prior to the age of television and jet airliners, conventions could be both decisive and raucous. But since then, with few exceptions (like the RNC in 1976 or the DNC in 1968), now prime time coverage is effectively a soft sell earned media party commercial framed as public service programming.
Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson
As he was emerging victoriously from the primaries, Donald Trump insisted that the party add some pizzaz and show business to conventions so that the audience does not fall asleep. So The Trump Show started prime time coverage spotlighting luminaries like Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson and Scott Baio (from the 1970s sitcom “Happy Days” and the mid 1980s sitcom “Charles in Charge.” Later in the convention, the organizers will amp it up by featuring lingerie models extolling the virtues of “The Donald”. Alas, this is not a tongue in cheek suggestion. There is some party business that is still conducted in the afternoons of conventions. For the 2016 Republican Convention, there was an effort by delegates in the minority for floor consideration for future party rules. In the 2016 cycle, Donald Trump managed to win pluralities in many early primaries with a crowded field of 16 real candidates (sorry ex Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore was a Walter Smitty candidate this year). Several significant contests were open primaries, in which a voter need not have been a registered Republican. This may have allowed for a significant crossover vote by Democrats to choose to GOP nominee. Some states also bound their delegates to the winner of the “beauty contest”. Conservatives were also concerned about ceding grassroots power to the Chairman of the RNC, who could arbitrarily change the rules at the whim of the Republican Establishment. Efforts to unbind the delegates failed in the Rules Committee last week, so conservative grassroots delegates fought to have a floor vote. It seems that the Trump campaign thought this was an earnest effort to dethrone him so they characterized this as the last vestiges of the Dump Trump movement and wanted to kill the effort at all costs. When the motion looked like it might succeed, the Chair abandoned the dais for 10 minutes and then the convention unexpectedly adjourned for four hours. During this time, delegations were said to be strong armed. The Iowa Delegation was one of the petitioners, and they were threatened that they would lose their first in the Nation’s Iowa Caucus. The Alaska Delegation was given false and conflicting information on how to submit the signatures for their petition. A delegate from Utah was verbally accosted by some de facto Trump thug delegates who inveighed that she should die. These hardball partisan political tactics are the hallmark of Trump Convention Manager Paul Manafort. Manafort has a history of winning at all costs, as was demonstrated by the aggressive means of persuasion at the RNC in Kansas City in 1976 in which incumbent President Ford was seriously challenged at the convention by former California Governor Ronald Reagan). Trump also had to distance himself from long time confidant Roger Stone after he “suggested” that Trump partisans get the delegates names of the Pennsylvania delegation and lobby them in their hotel rooms. In the end, the party establishment ruled that the champions of the Rules Committee Minority Report were ruled to not have sufficient support. Although the insurgents submitted signatures from nine state delegations (two more than necessary), the chair reported that three states had withdrawn their petitions so there would be no roll call vote but gave no more specifics. Microphones on the floor for delegates to petition the chair or call for points of order were switched off. The Chair pretended to conduct a voice vote to table the measure, but despite thunderous opposition, it was killed by the Establishment on the dais. The media, which had not been given access during the convention kerfluffle, was fed a line that this was the end of the Dump Trump movement, even though that was not the realistic goal of vote on the minority report. The Trump Show was not to be pre-empted by unscheduled convention business. From an impartial politico perspective, the impetus to quash this roll call vote was imprudent. The insurgents knew that they didn’t have enough votes to prevail. Presumably, many of these delegates were Tea Party inspired and they just wanted to play it out to honor the rule of law. By crushing dissent, it calls into question the confidence of the Trump campaign. In a broader perspective, slapping down dissent does little to build party unity or loyalty. It also shows an imperious, autocratic approach which is incompatible in a democratically elected Republic with rule of law. A third gaffe was stepping on message. The theme of the evening was “Making America Safe Again”, playing off the Trump mantra “Make America Great Again”. To wit, The Trump Show arranged to have Pat Smith, mother of Sean Smith who was slain during the 09/11/2012 Bengazi bungle. Mrs. Smith gave emotional speech in which she blamed presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (D-NY) for her son’s death. Pat Smith also acknowledged a sign from the crowd which read “Hillary for Prison”.
Benghazi Mother Pat Smith at the 2016 Republican National Convention
These points were right on message with the emphasis for improving National Security and demonizing Hillary Clinton (in more than just the benediction). But many viewers of the Trump Show on the Fox News Channel missed out on these momentous moments, as this was the time Donald Trump chose to call into Bill O’Reilly and insist that he was not a racist. For a guy who’s widely acclaimed as a media genius, Trump either was not served well by his media hog instincts or his staff was remiss in conveying the conflict. Then there is matter of scheduling speakers. The highlight of the first night of The Trump Show (the RNC edition) was supposed to be the candidate’s wife, ex supermodel Melania Trump, She took the stage after The Donald entered the dais with great flair to introduce her a little after 10 PM EDT. Melania spoke for around 20 minutes, which was remarkable for a non-professional speaker for which English is a fourth language.
Melania Trump at 2016 Republican National Convention
But after the sexy spouse left the stage, the media more or less cut away for the night for commentary, though Fox News carried some of Lt. General Michael Flynn’s comments about National Security. Several speakers later, Republican rising star Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) spoke to a mostly empty Quicken Loans arena. It is sad to consider that both Flynn and Ernst were touted to be Trump running mates, yet both got the short end of the deal with order on the platform. If Trump or his cohort cared about building the GOP brand, the speaker’s schedule could have easily been adjusted to effectively finish prime time with Melania while bolstering the party’s position with respected representatives on center stage with a spotlight. But the Trump Show seems to be all about Trump and the Trump Family (and Trump Wine). Although Melania gave a good supportive spouse speech, what people will remember is the plagiarism. Melania spoke of how she was raised, she declared:
"My parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise; that you treat people with respect.”
This paragraph echoes almost word for word how Michelle Obama described her family’s values during the 2008 Democrat National Convention. Miraculously, this similarity was immediately trumpeted on Twitter by writer Jarrett Hill minutes after Melania uttered the “mimeographed” maxims. This became the talk of the town. This was only fueled by Trump campaign staff denials with aggressive counter-punching. Trump Convention Manager Paul Manafort asserted:
Trump Convention Manager Paul Manafort
“There’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama's speech. These were common words and values that she cares about her family and things like that,. I mean, she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night, she knew that. To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama's words is crazy...“I mean, this is, once again, an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, how she seeks out to demean her and take her down. It's not going to work.”
So Manafort denied the obvious and somehow claimed that the kerfluffle was Hillary Clinton’s fault? Right. The Trump Campaign turned a tempest in a teapot into a torrent of off-message newspegs. It all would have gone away had Manafort or aides admitted the obvious. For a civilian speaker like Melania, there would have been little lasting effect. Instead, the incident reminds everyone of the thin skin of the Trump Campaign, which cannot countenance any criticism while in charge or admit error. Frankly, it exposes the thin skin of the Trump organization. Former George W. Bush White House Adviser Dan Senor quipped that :“The whole organization is an advance team and a Twitter feed...and that’s it.”
Milwaukee Cty. Sheriff David Clarke
Rudy Giuliani at RNCinCLE
There were some positive aspects of The Trump Show (The Convention Edition). Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke (D-Milwaukee) made a strong impact to thunderous applause when he exclaimed that “Blue Lives Matter!”. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani gave an impassioned address in which he shouted into the microphone Hillary Clinton’s foibles from Foggy Bottom. Some commentators appreciated the authenticity of Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell. And while Benghazi mother Pat Smith lacked professional polish, her genuine grief which she attributed to the hands of Hillary Clinton was impactful. The Donald’s WWE entrance was cool, but it seemed a bit overblown just to introduce his wife for a supposedly softball speech.
Donald Trump's entrance on first night of 2016 GOP Convention
From afar, it seemed like opening night of The Trump Show sated those convicted for Trump, but did little to build unity of the party or advance allies who can help implement the platform. It seemed like overhyped sizzle with little steak. Most of the Make America Safe Again evening seemed just about slagging the former Secretary of State rather than asserting an actual agenda. But that may be the theme of The Trump Show through November- Trump is better than the alternative (or so we hope).
One of the virtues which Manhattan mogul Donald Trump has capitalized upon to become the front-runner in the 2016 Republican Presidential race is a perception that the blustery billionaire "tells it like it is". Even Mark Cuban, who has had some public dust ups with the Donald, has praised Trump for giving honest answers instead of prepared answers.
Well, this straight shooting image has been impeached by a Trump Senior Aide as he wooed the RNC Rules Committee in Florida. Paul Manafort, Trump 2016's recently named Convention Manager, told the GOP party establishment that during Phase One of the campaign, Trump is projecting an image one stage to appeal to voters. But that his image will change and a softer-side will come out.
After Trump convincingly won the New York Primary, it seems that he thought that the Trump campaign tried to implement Phase Two with a revealing NBC Today Show Townhall, in which Trump vowed to raise taxes on the rich (including himself), change the RNC Pro Life platform to make exceptions (which would please his friends at Planned Parenthood) and Trump urged North Carolina to accept Transgenders Bathrooms (because it was hurting business and not a problem).
Towards the Transgender topic, there was a firestorm on social media, and Trump relented during another friendly interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, in which Trump clarified that he believed in States' Rights. Perhaps they implemented Phase Two too soon. Such much for a candidate to tells it like it is and does not pander to anyone.
Trump supporters seem imbued with anger about the establishment and politicians lying to them. This probably explains Trump's mantra against "Lyin'" Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the new sobriquet against "Crooked" Hillary Clinton (D-NY). Trump's flip flop on transgenders in bathrooms challenges his projected anti-politically correct image as well as the perception that he stands firm. Those mesmerized in the Trump cult probably will believe whatever Trump tells them today, but it plays poorly in expanding his base, particularly for the general election.
Thoughtful primary voters have wondered about Trump's pro-life conversion. Trump took three purportedly pro-life positions in one afternoon, including the modest proposal of punishing the aborting mother, sound like a pro-life parody from Planned Parenthood. It was bad enough that Trump settled on the status quo, but the Trump Today Townhall creates a loophole so large that it threatens abortion on demand until parturition. Pro Lifers probably were not already keen on Trump but his vacillation on an issue of monumental proportion for the last 44 years does not project an image of thoughtfulness or stability.
As for Paul Manafort, his claim to fame was helping wrangle up delegates for President Ford in the quasi-contested 1976 convention in Kansas City. Manafort seems to have pushed Corey Lewandowsky back to being Trump's body man (a role he relished regarding manhandling Michelle Fields). Manafort managed to keep Trump tame on social media for a fortnight and temporarily curtail insulting opponents.
But Manafort's style may be anachronistic. Forty years ago, it would have been easy to lobby the RNC's meeting without being noticed. But when there are diffuse information platforms which reach millions at the touch of a button, this pandering would not go unnoticed. Of course, smart phones make any off-the-record chats suspect. So Manafort's revelations were not to remain secret long.
Wooing waivering delegates may be more complicated than in the '76 campaign. If Trump needs to win more than two score of delegates for a first round victory, he does not have as much leeway as President Ford to shower favors on waivering support, as nice as golfing at Mar-a-Lago may be. Hugh Hewitt has pointed out Paul Manafort's relative dearth of twitter contacts. So who cares? Well, during a contested convention in an information age when a campaign may have to immediately reach out to 2474 delegates, not being Twitter savvy is a liability.
As Manafort joined the Trump organization, a desperate plea was sent out to allies in Washington to register to become delegates. Two problems with that missive. Firstly it was sent to Washington DC prospective delegates (which held its Caucus on March 12th) instead of Washington state. Secondly, the email was sent the day after the deadline. Oops.
While it is unclear how much input Manafort had on Trump's decision to spend $20 million between now and the California primary on June 7th, it seems like a spending strategy from yesteryear. As Jeb! learned in this cycle, dumping a ton of money with carpet bombing commercials may not nudge the needle up. Trump recently hired a California campaign point person two months before the crucial Golden State primary. Cruz has been working those fields for a year. So earned media from friendly sites (like Fox News, Breitbart and Drudge et ali) and profligate paid media may help grease the skids but it does nothing to Get Out the Vote via organization.
Not to mention Paul Manafort experience as being a Washington lobbyist, who has some uncomfortable Saudi, Pakistani and Russian mob connections. Lobbying for foreign interests may be lucrative and par for the course for established Washington insiders, but it runs counter to a Populist, anti-establishment "Throw the bums out" mantra to "Make America Great Again". Moreover, Manafort's cozying up to the GOP Establishment and claiming that Trump is just doing a schtick in Phase One of the campaign obliterates the aura of authenticity.
Manifort may be heralding Trump 2.0 but based on the recipe formulation, it may go over like New Coke, with customers yearning for "The Real Thing".
Funny stuff. But it contradicts Mick Shrimpton's wisdom from Spinal Tap: "I used to say 'sex, drugs, and rock and roll.' As long as there's sex and drugs, I can do without rock and roll." Of course, he supposedly spontaneously combusted in concert, so he had no chance to be part of the rock of ageds. What a drag it is getting old. Guess it's time for Mother's Little Helper or the ilk. But is there more than element of truth in Mick's admission about getting Satisfaction? Some rock critics identify those immersed in the Rock and Roll lifestyle as being in arrested development. Does that mean that Mick Jagger is Stuck in the Moment? And U-2 (sic)?
This works out well if you are in the pantheon of Rock legends. But if you are not featured in the motorcade of generosity, how do you afford your rock and roll lifestyle?
College graduates should not have to live out their 20s in their childhood bedrooms, staring up at fading Obama posters and wondering when they can move out and get going with life.
Must we all be stuck in the moment, whether it is at the Mom and Pop Pension or depending upon Uncle Sugar? Well you can't always get what you want--but if you try sometime you just might find that you get what you need.
Republican Vice Presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI 1st) was passionate during his acceptance speech at the RNC in Tampa, Florida where he affirmed the importance of individual freedom in the American experience.
During the only Vice Presidential Debate in Danville, Kentucky, one could not help but notice sitting Vice President Joe Biden's laughing demeanor.
Biden was chosen four years ago by President Obama to give gravitas to the ticket particularly on foreign policy. Will attentive votes who watched the debate have such an impression as Biden from the debate? As his opponent ticked off facts about the mess in the Maghreb, Biden condescendingly smirked during answers about Ambassador Steven's assassination in Libya, or as the Vice President lied about the facts in the September 11th attack.
Some playful pundits suggested a drinking game during the debate every time old "Lunch Bucket Joe" mentioned the term Scranton. In that sense, Biden's performance was a sobering affair. The Vice President focused his faux smile to dismiss his opponent as he interrupted GOP V.P. nominee Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI 1st) 83 times in 90 minutes.
This bravado blustery performance may have feed the party faithful with some red meat to sustain them after President Obama's listless demeanor in the Denver debate. But surely campaign staffers who were ready to rumble must have remembered then Vice President Gore's debate of sighs, where the incumbent lost ground due to public perceptions of personality. Granted, many already consider Biden to be a fool, but is the independent voter inspired by an insufferable boor?
Vice Presidential debates do not seem to decisively determine a Presidential campaign. However, they can impact momentum as well as setting a tone. Biden's boorishness will long be remembered for its egregiousness, but the question for undecided voters may be is laughter becoming a Vice...President, who will be just a heartbeat away from the Oval Office.
At DNC, Obama advocates tossed out red meat to enthuse the base while at RNC Romney seemed to give independents space to change their 2008 support. Will the treasured mushy middle opt for "The Break Up"?
Clint Easwood's remarks on the last night of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida involved unscripted remarks as the actor spoke to an empty chair while addressing President Barack Obama.
It used to be an honored American tradition that Presidential candidates ceded the lime-lights during the week of his opponent's political convention, spending only a truth squad of tier b surrogates to counter charges in the news.
Like so many other things, the Obama 2012 campaign has broken this civil tradition by tapping our national treasure Vice President Joe Biden to campaign in Tampa and vicinity at the start of the Republican National Convention.
Between dodging the rain from Hurricane Isaac, Secret Service Security for the Vice President and Mr. Biden's incorrigible incompetence, this should be a hot mess in Tampa.
As Mr. Biden was chosen to lead the Truth Squad for the Democrats, it seems only right to share a blazing light of truth on Biden's bloviatations.
As you watch, please remember that the 69 year old Mr. Biden is the next in line for the Presidency of the United States and that Mr. Obama chose Biden in case Mr. Obama be unable to perform his elected duties.
Naturally, Hurricane Isaac could also be a convenient excuse to avoid having voters scrutinize the sayings of Our National Treasure. And it would alleviate answering uncomfortable inquiries about empty chairs at Biden campaign events.
"They are worried that Tropical Storm Isaac could hit Florida during next week's Republican National Convention. But Florida is ready for it. Thanks to President Obama's economic policies, many businesses down there are already boarded up." ~ Jay Leno
Tampa Bay Democrats seem quick to claim credit for Tampa triumphs during the Republican National Convention, yet these same Cigar City pols bemoan the urban "hot mess" from the lack of density and lack of mass transit. And progressives fear that Tampa-fication may spread in a prospective Romney Administration. READ MORE at the DCBarroco website
