Dear Bernie, get out!
Let me preface my comments by saying I have a great deal of respect for Senator Sanders, as well as many of his supporters. Let’s be honest. We have a lot in common. All of us want the tremendous dangers of climate change to be seriously dealt with. We also want abortion rights to continue, the Supreme Court to be filled with progressive judges for generations to come, the LGBT community to no longer fear being terrorized by bigots, and campaign finance reform. It’s all really good stuff! Why anyone who considers themselves a “progressive” would vote against their own interests is beyond me, and I’m a fairly smart guy.
In a recent poll, 17% of Sanders supporters say they would vote for Trump over Clinton. Are these people just stupid, or is there something wrong with their brains that keeps them from thinking rationally? Let me be clear. Donald Trump is the most reprehensible Presidential candidate I’ve seen in my lifetime. He hates Hispanics, Women, Immigrants, poor people and taxes. I know. We all hate taxes, but we still have to pay our share. It’s the price of living in a democracy. The Trumpster sees himself as being above the average schmo and sees no need to pay anything, let alone his fair share.
There will be plenty of time to list all the things wrong with Trump. I would likely have to blog every day until the election to touch on everything. For now, I’ll speak in generalities. Donald Trump is a bad man. Again, I wonder. Why would anyone who believes in progressive causes vote for a guy who will destroy all that we hold dear? The answer, at least in my mind, is this. Sanders supporters, many of whom have never participated in anything political before, are obnoxious sore losers. Ok, not all of them, but many of them are like spoiled children who pout until they get their way. Well, guess what, Sanderistas? You ain’t getting your way.
I use this sports analogy. Imagine, if you will, playing 2-on-2 basketball. Your teammate nails a lovely shot from the top of the key, but you’re pissed because you were wide open. Instead of patting your teammate on the back, you become so mad that you decide to join the other team. It’s silly, right? Welcome to the warped minds of Bernie Sanders supporters who would rather vote for hell than something a lot closer to heaven.
Oh, how the Texas GOP misses the good, old days!
The Texas Republican Party recently held their state convention right here in Dallas. Fortunately, I avoided the city during that time, although I’m sure many of my Flower Mound neighbors made their way to the convention, like the good sheep that they are.
Republicans love to shoot down any claims that they are a racist, homophobic, gun-hugging group of people. Their platform would say otherwise. Allow me to fill you in on a few things the Texas GOP believes.
I’ll begin with my favorite, which must of come as a shock to many Texas. Thanks to a grammatical error, it seems a good percentage of them enjoy an alternative lifestyle.
- Homosexuality is a chosen behavior that is contrary to the fundamental unchanging truths that has been ordained by God in the Bible, recognized by our nations founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. (Am I the only one shocked by this? I guess I’m in the minority in more ways than one?
- Of course there’s a plank that bitches about having bathrooms for the Transgender community. In fact, that’s one of several anti-LGBT planks in the platform. People fear what they can’t understand. I guess that’s why most Texas Republicans fear science.
- Another new plank calls for the state to defy the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2015 ruling in favor of nationwide marriage equality, while others seek to preserve the right of businesses to turn away same-sex couples based on religious beliefs.
- They approved a plank calling for all abortions to be made illegal in our lovely state. No stunner, there.
- They are in favor of the repeal of the 17th Amendment and the appointment of United States Senators by state legislatures.
- The Texas GOP would like to eliminate environmentalism that obstructs legitimate business interests and private property use, including the regulatory taking of property by governmental agencies.
None of these are particularly surprising. There are plenty of other planks that continue to reveal just how cuckoo these folks are. I will say this. They decided not to secede from the United States. Better luck next time.
Bottom line…while Democrats talk about inclusion and pulling people into the proverbial tent, Republicans talk about bigotry and keeping people out. If only they could go back in time to 1955 when racism was more in fashion.
Update: There is hope!
Mary Lou Bruner, the whack job I talked about in my last post, lost her Republican primary runoff election for the Texas State Board of Education to a guy named Kevin Ellis! Admittedly, I don’t know much about Ellis, but unless he’s had a lobotomy, he can’t be nearly as bad as Bruner.
Congrats, Texas Republicans. You got one right! It just goes to show. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.
That’s all for now. As always, your thoughts, suggestions and comments are welcome, and yes, I do realize I basically said the same thing three different ways.