My hero, Michelle Obama

The personal connections hit me deeply:

"I had failed.

I had never in my life failed a test. . . . But I'd blown it with the bar. I was ashamed, sure that I'd let down every person who'd ever taught, encouraged, or employed me."

Like Michelle, I failed my first bar exam. It wasn't because we weren't smart or didn't study hard. It just happens to a lot of people when the two-day test is extremely tricky to keep the passage rates low. It was only 58% on my first try of the Maryland bar exam and only 56% six months later when I did pass. Michelle passed the Illinois exam on her second try too.

The second one also hit me joyfully:

He worked late at night in a small room we'd converted to a study at the rear of our apartment--a crowded, book-strewn bunker I referred to lovingly as the Hole. I'd sometimes go in, stepping over his piles of paper to sit on the ottoman in front of his chair while he worked, trying to lasso him with a joke and a smile, to tease him back from whatever far-off fields he'd been galloping through. He was good-humored about my intrusions, but only if I didn't stay to long.

Barack, I've come to understand, is the sort of person who needs a hole, a closed off little warren where he can read and write undisturbed. It's like a hatch that opens directly into the spacious skies of his brain. . . ."

Socially-distancing in my "hole," I finally go around to reading Becoming by Michelle Obama.

What the WHAT!?

So, in case you somehow haven't heard, trump fired James Comey, the Director of the FBI for, get this:

Lying about Hillary's emails!

OK. I can't help it if I find it hilariously funny in a dark humor sort of way.

I just got an email from a friend who has been walking the world since retirement from my office. He says:

We got through Nixon. We will get through this. I am more concerned in the long term about global warming than I am about Trump.

He has a couple of good points there.

Some Kind Words for Trump Voters

There are those explanations on social media as to why liberal-minded souls are upset, hurt, and angry at their Trump-supporter friends and family. They are sincere about the concept that if you voted for the vile man who spouted and acted out such ugly views of the disabled, women, ethnic, racial, and religious minorities, etc., you  must be insensitive or complicit in such things. Let me take a slightly different tack.

One reason why we progressive, anti-Trump voters are so upset is that the election result was such a shock to our very being. Admit it. The results were a surprise to nearly everyone.

For myself, I was not a big fan of Hillary Clinton. I think you can see that in this blog especially if you go back to see some posts when I was supporting Bernie Sanders in the Primaries (although a Joe Biden would have been my ideal choice). After she locked up the nomination, I tried to support her to the best of my ability as a loyal Democrat agreeing with her on most issues. And my biggest issue was that she was the best and only chance to defeat the Republican nominee, the man for all malfeasons  [OK, I just made up a word. If Shakespeare can do it, I can, even if not as well].

So here's my idea.

We're . . . Trumped

The temptation is great is to start making up "fake" news on my own. I just wouldn't know where to begin. Truth is stranger than fictional news anyway even if a bit harder to get at.

On December 19, the Electoral College will meet in their respective locations and cast ballots most likely for Trump. As most of my predictions have been off this year, that is our best hope for magical thinking that maybe he won't be our president. Still, I would hate to see the consequences around the country should the Electoral College do something that does not result in a President Trump.

Eew, I still can't get to the acceptance stage. I've had plenty of anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and all the rest. I just can't believe this.

Post Election Post

Today has been a passage through the stages of grief, although the anger stage seems to keep circling back.

I went to work and did what I had too. Well, after my boss brought me out of my closed door and tried to cheer me up, finally getting there when he asked, "What do I have to do? Wrestle you to the floor and tickle you?"

He gave some optimistic perspective that this was a populist election, not a new, conservative President. He is right that this is a problem of the elites and populism can help us reform that. Of course, no one, probably not even the donald knows what he is going to do. Talk of Sarah Palin as Secretary of the Interior is enough to gag me without a spoon.

The Washington cesspool does need some cleaning up. But I see it more as the fancy-pants lawyers and lobbyists of K Street than the wonderful family  in the White House, completely free of scandal. And yes, the Democratic Party blew it big time. At least we won't have Bill Clinton to kick around anymore. Yes, the Democrats need some serious reforming. The Republicans, a lost cause. Let them attempt to govern in their bubble of ignorance, prejudice, and fear for a couple years and see how it goes.

For All Flesh

Norman Rockwell's, The Right to Know

On this election eve, there was a typically provocative tweet from a certain Ms. Coulter that if only those whose four Grandparents were born in the United States were allowed to vote, the vote would be a landslide for Donald Trump. My father would not be able to vote under this rule as his Grandfather was born in Britain.

I responded on Facebook and Twitter, and I repeat here.

This is what needs to change tomorrow. A multi-cultural majority nation will take the place of a White, Anglo-Saxon, Christian dominated nation. The Constitutional principles were intended for the universe of mankind. We can do this. Go, Latino Citizens! And ALL of us! WE the PEOPLE!

Yes, we elected a President eight years ago of mixed-race. Part of his ancestry went back to the European immigrants to this country. His father was from Kenya. The President was born in the State of Hawaii. His wife and daughters are the descendants of Slaves brought to this country by force.

We Know Hillary All Too Well

I think I figured it out. Hillary ain't perfect. We all know that.

I think the reason why so many don't like her is because we know her all too well. We know everything. TMI to the max! And in spite of knowing everything, she will be the next President of the United States because more people know that she is more good than bad.

Who else running for President has been the subject of numerous investigations, so many that we've lost track? - special prosecutors, Congress - it goes on and on. And yet, there is no crime to charge against her. Sure, I don't like some of her decisions. She's admitted that voting for the War in Iraq was wrong and I don't think she's learned all of that lesson because she's still too much of a Hawk. She's also a little too friendly with Wall Street. But Bernie and Sen. Warren will hold her back a bit on both of those.

What do we know about this McMullin guy? Pretty much . . . nothing. And what we know about Trump is pretty much all bad.

Hillary Explains Abortion

This is too important not to share. In the debate last night, Secretary Clinton explained for the Religious Right and Trump supporters why abortion can be very appropriate.

And as my position has been for some time that if such situations may even be recognized by my church as a rare exception, then government should have no business interfering with a women, her doctor, and her religious beliefs.

This from Vox:

Good Enough for Me and Anonymous D

Just to reveal the kinds of things Anonymous D and I talk about in private, I thought I would share the discussion we had after last Sunday's very disturbing Presidential Debate. I edited very lightly. If the original tapes surface of this or any of our private conversations, from any time, anywhere, they won't be anything near as shocking as the Donald's:


SUN 10:09PM

Oh, Grant, I just don't know anymore. Based on my Facebook feed I'd say a good portion of the country are just like Trump. We scarcely deserve our democracy.

Yes. Fascism is at our door but it won't win.

I was just telling a friend yesterday that things are really pretty good too and you know I believe that.

I just don't understand. It's like they're saying, "Bill was an adulterer and I want my own adulterer in there.". Where does Hillary come in?

Ugliest Political Event Ever!

I do not wish in any way to condone what went on in the Presidential debate last night. But I do think it would be good for America to sit back, think a bit, and maybe watch Spielberg's Lincoln, or listen to Miranda's Shakespearean Hip-hop tragedy of Hamilton.

You could even Google a few of these historical nuggets:

"You Would Be In Jail!"

There are a few people I'd like to see in jail that aren't right now. I still think Dick Cheney ought to be in jail for promoting war crimes. But even if I were running for President against him, I don't think I'd tell him that I'd throw him in jail if I were President. I might try to investigate or refer a matter to the International Court of Justice. But then I might also equivocate because this country doesn't need more turmoil over Iraq. We still have plenty.

There are also friends and family of mine that think Hillary Clinton ought to be in jail. They are among millions of Americans who agree. And I also think that if they were running for President against her, they would not threaten her with jail in front of an audience of millions.

Trump vs. Clinton (Sexual Assault, not the Presidency)

Regrettably, it seems necessary to lay out my views about the latest revelations of the Republican Nominee's crude language relating to sexual assault on Women and explain why I support Hillary even if she is married to Bill.

First, the latest revelations are only the culmination of numerous inappropriate statements and views of Trump about Women, Immigrants, Religions, Ethnic Origins, Physical disabilities, Veteran's struggles, etc. On every one of these issues he has been consistently offensive and over-the-top. His base seems to love it as he plays up the outsider role refusing to respect "political correctness." It's part of his shtick. He's a TV Personality and a bluff and bluster, entrepreneurial Capitalist famous for his own personal brand. No one should be surprised about this. His supporters who are now bailing on the "moral high-ground" never should have been with him.

Second, the latest comments along with many from earlier in this campaign, are not just sexual dirty talk that might be OK in private but inappropriate in the public square. They are inappropriate in any context. They reveal a deep-seated antipathy towards women treating them as sexual objects rather than human beings. And his actions speak louder than words. They include: multiple marriages and affairs during and between of which he has publicly bragged and sought media exposure; overt participation and self-promotion of a crass, sexual nature in Playboy publications and videos; appearances on the crude Howard Stern show where these things were openly discussed; comments during the campaign critical of the physical appearance of women and their very nature as women ("blood coming out of her . . . wherever") and nothing in the present to indicate these offensive attitudes and behaviors are a thing of the past only and not of the present.

All of this should disqualify anyone for the office of President of the United States. Now, on to Bill Clinton.

An Atypical Election

To my Republican and other Anti-Obama friends:

I have heard your dire predictions that President Obama would destroy the world or at least the United States. Yet here we are nearly eight years in and it hasn't happened. I heard the same thing from many of you about President Bill Clinton. And it didn't happen. And now we hear it from you about Hillary. I don't think it's going to happen with her either.

Now, Hillary Clinton would not be my first choice for President. But she is the best option we have at the present. I know Gary Johnson, I've met him and once had a conversation with him over dinner. He's an OK guy, but I wouldn't want him for President. I'm not real excited about his history of drug use and the really nice family he had that he seems not to have any more. Jill Stein seems to be even more freaky.

If They Shot Everybody for Violating E-Mail Protocols . . . .

Whether government or corporate workplace, if you are honest enough to admit it, yeah, everybody violates email rules and policies.

not Tim Curry

not a Congressman from Utah

A certain Congressman from Utah who bears a striking resemblance to the actor, Tim Curry, has obtrained the FBI files determined to further investigate and prosecute Hillary Clinton for her email abuses while at the State Department. Never mind that past, Republican Secretaries of State have also used private email accounts. And never mind that pretty much everyone fails to follow "best practices" in email protocols.

Trump Bites Off More Than He Can Chew

In spite of the Constitutional provisions of Freedom of Religion, no Establishment, and No Religious Test (for the Pharisaical Hypocrites out there). See Art. VI of the U.S. Constitution as reference. Hillary Clinton seems to be consistently Methodist, maybe of a Welsh* strain, throughout her life. Your can check out this article from The Atlantic.

And another article of interest from the the British Guardian, is one that Trump should take as a warning. His bullying bluster is going to come up against a man of real integrity, morality, and American principle, President Barack Obama. Mark my words. Trump is a man of poor moral character as most LDS or Mormon voters have figured out, some following the lead of Romney, others of us having long figured it out on our own.

Hillary Owns the Tweets!

Ya gotta admit, these are pretty good!

The Opposite of Buyer's Remorse

That's the feeling you get when you realize that your party's Presidential candidate isn't nearly as bad as you thought she might be initially.

The Republicans are having the more traditional buyer's regret with the unsurprising realization that they are poised to nominate the vilest bully and self-centered ignoramus the body politic has ever seen - and we've had some doozies!

Most recently, Newt Gingrich, Newt! of all people! has been chiding the inevitable nominee Trump on his blatant racist whine about the judge who is hearing the case on the Trump University fraud. You can read about it in the Washington Post, here. The only thing the newt and the donald seem to have in common these days is the number of wives they cheated on before they married the next one.

Dear Hillary-Haters

First up, I don't like her that much myself, but I don't hate her.

And I'm not going to try to convince you of her competence and political abilities. I have my own issues with her. Still, I know she can do the job and work with the Congress and execute the laws.

I ask you this:

Trump Es un Payaso!

The Chilean Author, Mario Vargas Llosa, has given an appropriate name to the presumptive presidential candidate of the Republican Party. He calls Trump a "Payaso." That means "clown." If only it weren't so true.

Now the Republican elite are slowly coming to accept this clown in an attempt to unify their party. This week, the President Pro Temp of the Senate, and our own Senior Senator from Utah, Orrin Hatch, declared he was for the clown and expects him to shape up as the election draws closer. Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, issued a statement after meeting with Trump that they are payasos amigos.

And Trump has moderated his speech somewhat. He said he was only making suggestions when he made some of his more outrageous statements like banning all Muslims from entering the U.S. Maybe that applies to his Great Wall with Mexico to keep out all the rapists too. I don't really know when the Payaso is expressing presidential policy or just making suggestions as part of his payaso act.

Trump Я US

It is our own fault, that of all of us. Existential guilt creeps in for our national failures.

Jimmy Carter, God bless him, was and is right. His Malaise Speech of 1979 was prophetic:

In a nation that was proud of hard work, strong families, close-knit communities, and our faith in God, too many of us now tend to worship self-indulgence and consumption. Human identity is no longer defined by what one does, but by what one owns. But we've discovered that owning things and consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We've learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose. . . .

As you know, there is a growing disrespect for government and for churches and for schools, the news media, and other institutions. This is not a message of happiness or reassurance, but it is the truth and it is a warning. . . .