Oct 23, 2015

Rove on Trump: Dunking the donald

The Donald’s Missing Details

Who would be eligible for TrumpCare? What will the border wall cost? He doesn’t say.

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump campaigning Oct. 19 in Anderson, S.C.ENLARGE
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump campaigning Oct. 19 in Anderson, S.C. PHOTO: KEN RUINARD/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Having led the polls for three months, Donald Trump has shown he’s no flash in the pan. Voters and the media should therefore treat him as a traditional front-runner, examine his temperament and require him to go beyond sound bites.
A governing agenda is essential to win the White House. Candidates must demonstrate mastery of the issues and cannot wing it. Platitudes don’t cut it for swing voters. Inquiring minds might like to hear Mr. Trump explain what specifically he would do as president.
He has said that he would deport the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S., and in two years or less, thanks to “really good management.” But what exactly is Mr. Trump’s plan to arrest, detain and deport—with all the litigation that entails—15,000 people a day? That’s roughly 10 times the number of daily arrests in the U.S. for violent crime. How will Mr. Trump round up these people in a way that is, as he promises, “very humane” and “very nice”? And how many tens of billions will this cost?
Mr. Trump says he will then “expedite” the return of “the good ones” and proclaims that he doesn’t mind “having a big beautiful door” in his border wall to hasten their return. Question: Wouldn’t it be more practical to identify the “good” illegal immigrants first, to thereby avoid the cost of deporting them merely to expedite their return? Wouldn’t it be easier to determine who qualifies as “good” before deportation?
Then there’s the billionaire hotelier’s pledge to build that wall on the southern border. Mr. Trump has neither said how much it would cost nor dealt with practical considerations. For example, would Mr. Trump build a wall along the 1,254 miles where the Rio Grande separates Texas and Mexico? Would he wall off Lake Amistad and Falcon Lake, two reservoirs straddling the border where Americans go fishing and boating? What would he say to Texas officials who, instead of a wall along most of the Rio Grande border, would prefer to spend money on more Border Patrol agents, air assets and technology?
He is similarly vague on health care. In a Sept. 27 interview on “60 Minutes,” he said health care should be a universal, government-provided right. “Everybody’s got to be covered,” he said. “I don’t care if it costs me votes or not.” When the interviewer asked how, and who would pay for it, Mr. Trump answered, “I would make a deal with existing hospitals to take care of people,” and pledged that “the government’s gonna pay for it.” During the Aug. 6 GOP debate Mr. Trump praised socialized medical systems elsewhere. “As far as single payer, it works in Canada,” he said. “It works incredibly well in Scotland.”
So how would TrumpCare operate? How many Americans would be eligible? What would it cost? It isn’t enough for Mr. Trump to go on “60 Minutes” and claim, “They can have their doctors, they can have plans, they can have everything.” Americans have heard empty promises before. They want an actual proposal that works.
There are already huge gaps between what Mr. Trump says and reality. For instance, he has complained about “hedge fund guys that are making a lot of money that aren’t paying anything” in taxes. Yet when he released his tax plan, he proposed dropping the top rate on hedge fund fees to 25% from 39.6%. True, the plan would raise taxes on their performance bonuses to 25% from 23.8%. But the result would be a generous tax cut provided to people Mr. Trump claims pay no taxes despite “making a hell of a lot of money.”
What about entitlements? “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican,” Mr. Trump says. “And I’m not going to cut Medicare.” But the Social Security Trust Fund will go bankrupt by 2034, and the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund will be exhausted in 2030. The only way the next president can save these entitlements is to reform them and help America avoid a debt crisis.
Mr. Trump has proven he can do outrageous. But soon Mr. Trump must demonstrate that which he has so far avoided: substance.
Republicans, too, face a test: Will the party choose a nominee with a conservative agenda or one reflecting populist anger? The two are hardly the same. Conservative principles provide a winning path to the White House. Populist outrage alone will end in defeat. In three months, Republican primary voters will begin deciding which they want. A good start would be to demand more from The Donald.
Mr. Rove helped organize the political-action committee American Crossroads and is the author of “The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the 1896 Election Still Matters,” out in November from Simon & Schuster.


copied from wsj.com

Kingfisher






Kingfisher

Oct 20, 2015

John Kasich: The GOP Meets Normal



Editorial: 

John Kasich, the anti-Trump

When the Trump fever breaks, Gov. John Kasich of Ohio could be a top GOP contender.
Thirteen weeks ago, Donald Trump shared with the Tribune Editorial Board an hour of his bombast, sarcasm and ... good-natured charm. Trump was a delight. And if that verdict surprises you, come sit here, because it surprised us too.
On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich took a turn in the same chair. Kasich hadn't even announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination when we, like much of America, first engaged Trump. To the essay question that begins Compare-and-contrast:
If you want a rocking-good time on Saturday night, hop aboard Trump's helicopter or yacht or limo or jet. Bring your own quick wit or you'll soon fall behind. But if you're shopping for, say, a new president for your divided nation, a grown-up who has spent decades proving how capable he is at working the levers of government to deliver solutions, then skip Trump's entertaining show and pay serious attention to Kasich. If enough Americans do, you might see his name atop your election ballot on Nov. 8, 2016.
Even if he had a weak record in office, Kasich would wake up every day as a serious potential nominee. No Republican has won the White House without winning Ohio — something Kasich has done twice, most recently with 64 percent of the vote. GOP strategists get giddy at the prospect of pairing Kasich on a ticket with Marco Rubio (ascendant) or Jeb Bush (not really) of Florida, another gotta-have swing state.
But Kasich, even with his Ohio State diploma, is more than a dutiful Buckeye. His nine terms in the U.S. House gave him 18 years on the Armed Services Committee and six years as chair of the Budget Committee. An Associated Press synopsis of his career notes that in the latter capacity he was "the chief architect of a deal that balanced the federal budget for the first time since 1969."
As governor Kasich eliminated an Illinois-scale budget deficit and grew Ohio's rainy-day fund from 89 cents (true) to more than $2 billion. Ohio's economy is in growth mode and his state government is less bureaucratic than when he took office in 2011.
All of that said, there's something in Kasich's past for almost every voter to like or loathe. He's a conservative Republican who embraced Obamacare by expanding Medicaid. He boasts of cutting taxes more than any sitting governor in the U.S. yet believes in government "helping people get on their feet to live out their God-given purpose — that, to me, is America." He would put U.S. boots on the ground to defeat Islamic State in the Middle East. But he says that if battles are won with bullets and guns, wars are won with ideas — a liberal goal he thinks the U.S. hasn't tried hard enough to achieve. He supports a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution while admitting that he might tolerate deficit spending on tax cuts to spur growth and to build up America's military, adding briskly, "with reform of the Pentagon."
What struck us wasn't an urge to agree with everything Kasich says — we don't — but his willingness to speak straight and let listeners think what they will of him. This isn't a mesmerizing guy. He's a Midwesterner whose dad carried the mail. Some find him preachy: At a conference last year he scolded a woman who challenged his moral argument for expanding Medicaid. "I don't know about you, lady," Kasich said, pointing at her. "But when I get to the Pearly Gates, I'm going to have an answer for what I've done for the poor."
Maybe Kasich won't rise in this election cycle beyond the role Jon Huntsman Jr. played in 2012: the favorite Republican of liberal Democrats. But we also can see Kasich taking the mantle of the late Jack Kemp — smart on economics, conservative in outlook, with a moderate streak that creates crossover appeal.
We aren't sure whether the Trump bump has reflected the feelings of rank-and-file Republicans or of people from several ideological tents who share a revolutionary anger. When tempers cool, though, a strong array of GOP candidates awaits. We won't be surprised if Kasich works his way into the top tier.
One last observation on the two men who sat in the same leather chair:
Trump had an absolutely splendid necktie.
Kasich didn't bother to wear one.
Copyright © 2015, Chicago Tribune



copied from the chicagotribune.com

Oct 19, 2015

Fields of Lavender in Provence, France.....okay--we're going there........





Fields of Lavender in Provence, France


Now let's visit these Lavender fields in Provence, France........It's beautiful--how can we get there--what is it like to actually stand in the middle of those purple blue rows--is it an overwhelming aroma of lavender wafting through our being.

I'm suggesting we take British Airways from San Diego and stop for a visit in London on the way.

We will see some shows and do a little shopping--we will stop for a Ramos Fizz at the Ritz.

The important question--where to have our tea.Afternoon-tea-at-The-Goring

Shall we do a little shopping--window shop on Savile Row and then look for shirting fabric at Liberty of London..........



Seriously, I know where there are plenty of really nice fabric shops, also buttons, at great prices--one cannot find these fabrics in San Diego.


Plenty of apps to help us find things......dinner, discounts, transportation.


We will be sure and stay at a hotel with a brilliant English Breakfast to get our day of sightseeing off to a good start.

We will get a package with hotel, breakfast and airline and then we will only spend on shopping, shows and transportation and dinner.

We could take an inexpensive flight to France but I am suggesting the Channel Tunnel for convenience and more fun.......it's just easier to end up at the train station and take a taxi to our destination......right, I love the Paris train stations, too.

It would be fun to stay a few days in Paris and try to find the roasted chicken and some of the food that Phil Rosenberg had in that PBS show.....I'll Have What Phil's Having.

Paris is so fun just walking around.....I love walking......I have always wanted to walk in the park that is made from an unused elevated metro track.

Let's also be sure and try the hot chocolate Phil was talking about......
Chocolat Chaud.the ronnie republic
This is where Phil had his Choc.......we will take our picture sitting here, too.


Well, the trip is starting to shape up, but what about actually seeing those Lavender Fields.........shall we jump on the TGV and head down to Provence and check it out?




Story in progress.....to be continued.........suggestions accepted










picture.....jigsaw jam.......story......cl







Oct 18, 2015

2009 Framat Celebrates the Birthday of Chuck Berry

Odyssey (James Blood Ulmer album)
Odyssey (James Blood Ulmer album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
2009framat
+Chloe Louise Hello Cloe Louise! PLEASE CLICK HEREhttps://youtu.be/druMUMDwEAo

On Sunday 18th of October 2015 CHUCK BERRY will celebrate his 89th birthday. This is my little tribute to his music - just an acoustic guitar instrumental (in the E5-powerchord tuning of James Blood Ulmer)
I hope you enjoy this quite familiar tune.
Rockin' regards
Framat






birthday tribute CHUCK BERRY: www.framat.de



















Thank you, 2009 framat, for sharing your video with us....we just love to be international here at the ronnie re.......can you tell us a little bit more about your country.....for instance....what is your favorite kind of fast food...........





chloe louise...the ronnie re

Oct 13, 2015

Hillary Clinton: My Heart, My Mind, My Body and Soul are with You Tonight on The Debate Stage.........

Hillary 069
Hillary 069 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008
Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dear Hillary,

My heart, my mind, my body and soul are with you tonight on the debate stage in Las Vegas and I wish you the best.


I have been waiting for Hillary Clinton forever and I am so excited for her to  be the next President of The United States.

............................


Hillary is beautiful and brilliant and funny....she is doing a fabulous job on the campaign trail.

She is doing everything right.


Chloe Louise.........Hillary girl forever

Oct 10, 2015

Donald Trump: Exit and Hair--Notice the lowering of the head




Photo

Donald J. Trump arrived at a campaign rally at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday. CreditIsaac Brekken/Getty Images

In unmistakable ways over the last two weeks, whether he has intended to or not, Donald J. Trump has started to articulate a way out of the presidential race: a verbal parachute that makes clear he has contemplated the factors that would cause him to end his bid.
It is a prospect that many in the political establishment have privately considered as the actual voting grows closer.
In three television interviews, Mr. Trump, who has made his standing in the polls a central facet of his campaign message, spoke about what would prompt him to quit a race in which he is currently leading in the polls.
“I’m not a masochist,” Mr. Trump told Chuck Todd, the host of “Meet the Press” on NBC News, last weekend. “If I were doing poorly, if I saw myself going down, if you would stop calling me because you no longer have any interest in Trump because ‘he has no chance,’ I’d go back to my business.”


It was similar to what he said in an interview with the “Today” show a few days earlier, and at another point to “60 Minutes” on CBS.

Photo

Donald J. Trump in Las Vegas on Thursday. His lead in major national polls and surveys in early voting states has shrunk. CreditIsaac Brekken/Getty Images North America

In interviews this week, Mr. Trump insisted he was in the race to win, and took aim at “troublemakers” in the news media who, he said, were misrepresenting his remarks. “I’m never getting out,” he insisted Friday on MSNBC.
Mr. Trump keeps noting that he still leads in every major Republican poll and is in a political position that others would envy, and he says he will spend the money to keep his candidacy alive. But he conceded in another interview: “To me, it’s all about winning. I want to win — whereas a politician doesn’t have to win because they’ll just keep running for office all their life.”
He said he had not contemplated a threshold for what would cause him to get out of the race. And he noted that his crowds were even larger than those of Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who is drawing thousands to rallies in seeking the Democratic nomination.
While Mr. Trump still leads major national polls and surveys in early voting states, that lead has recently shrunk nationally, and the most recentNBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed his support eroding in New Hampshire, the first primary state. His recent comments have lent credence to the views of political observers who had long believed the perennially self-promoting real estate mogul would ultimately not allow himself to face the risk of losing.
“Even back in the summer, when he was somewhat defying gravity, somewhat defying conventional wisdom, it seemed to me there would be a moment when reality sets in,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican political strategist who is based in California. “He would not leave himself to have his destiny settled by actual voters going to the polls or the caucuses.”
Mr. Stutzman was skeptical that Mr. Trump would be willing to endure the grind of a campaign needed to amass enough delegates to make him a factor at the Republican convention in July. That could mean a long slog accruing delegates in states where he may have to be content with third- or fourth-place performances — showings that could undercut the hyperconfident aura Mr. Trump cultivates.
Other Republican candidates are now signaling less fear of offending Mr. Trump than in the past. Senator Ted Cruz, who has treated his rival gingerly in the hope of getting Mr. Trump’s backers if he were to fade, openly mused Thursday about Mr. Trump’s ultimate political demise in an interview with a WABC Radio host, Rita Cosby.
“I don’t believe Donald is going to be the nominee,” Mr. Cruz said, “and I think, in time, the lion’s share of his supporters end up with us.”
Stuart Stevens, who was the chief strategist to Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race, also doubts that Mr. Trump will stay in over the long haul. “Trump’s the only person that pre-spun his exit — it’s rather remarkable,” Mr. Stevens said.
He pointed to one of the issues that has nagged the Trump candidacy from the outset — how much he is willing to spend on the race, particularly if his polling numbers start to sag. “I think we would all say this is a more serious endeavor if he was spending $2 million a week out of his own pocket, and I think it’s another sign that he’s not in this to win,” Mr. Stevens said.

Continue reading the main story

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According to the last campaign finance filing, Mr. Trump had so far spent $2 million of his own money on his self-financed bid for office. That is a fraction of what other major campaigns have spent, and most of it has been spent reimbursing himself for the cost of his plane and office space in Trump Tower. When financial disclosure reports are made public next week, it is unlikely he will be shown to have invested much more.
What has helped keep Mr. Trump’s candidacy strong has been the intense news media coverage of his bid — that and the universal name recognition he enjoyed heading into the race and a fractured nominating field, with 15 candidates. Most candidates would give anything for the free airtime Mr. Trump gets — and lower-polling hopefuls like Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky have publicly complained about it.
Still, Mr. Trump has also been showing signs recently of becoming a better candidate on the trail — dropping local references into his speeches and lingering to shake hands. But such discipline did not extend to his second debate performance, which was almost universally described as lackluster.
Since then, Mr. Trump and his aides have spoken repeatedly about his next act. They have made a handful of hires in some of the March primary states, pointing to that as evidence that he will keep running (his state director in Texas, Corbin Casteel, was revealed to have called Mr. Trump “a joke” this year).
Mr. Trump’s advisers say that they had been prepared to spend $20 million on ads by now but that they did not have to because of all the free news media coverage — and they hint that amount would be merely a down payment on what he will spend in the future.
His allies insist he is adapting to the race, and they point out that, after criticism that Mr. Trump was treading lightly on policy matters, his recent speeches have been more focused on issues than simply rhetoric.
“Mr. Trump has evolved to the point where he understands that a grass-roots strategy must be supplemented with paid advertising to be able to combat the negative ads that will run against him — and he is prepared or preparing to spend what it takes to make sure his message gets to the voters,” said Corey Lewandowski, his campaign manager.
The campaign has hired a Florida public relations firm to make ads, Mr. Lewandowski said. But according to people tracking media spending, the Trump campaign has yet to reserve airtime anywhere.
A failure to invest in television commercials as poll numbers dwindle recalls another businessman who ran for president, Ross Perot. His campaign manager in 1992, Edward J. Rollins, resigned after the candidate drew intense negative news media attention and Mr. Perot refused his advice to air ads hitting back. Mr. Perot relented only in October, and instead of running conventional commercials, he ran 30-minute infomercials in which he made his case for being elected with charts.
While leading national Republicans may believe Mr. Trump will look for a face-saving way out at some point, that has not affected the views of people in some of the early voting states.

........................................

from the ronnie re:
but what is donald's hair strategy.......
notice in recent photos the top of is head is getting lower....he is losing what is left of the exceedingly thin ginger forest.
note the comb over in the picture above--now starting lower and with the increased use of a glue like spray the top just is not there like it used to be...all signs that the race is taking a toll on the donald and the hair-do.
As far as getting out of the race and a pre-planned exit strategy.....of course that has to be in place--why--because the fence scenario and rounding people up for deportation is not only unfeasabe but it is also disgusting and that is not what our country is about--that is not the history or the legacy of the United States of America.
His rhetoric is ugly and unwinnable when it comes to an election...the donald knows all of this--watch the hair--the tell-tale and deflating sign.
...................................
In Iowa, people “think he’s in for the duration,” said Doug Gross, a Republican strategist. But, he added, “I think he’s peaked.”