The Revenge of the Politically Incorrect: Don Trumphalism

triumphalism: "excessive exultation over one's success or achievements (used especially in a political context)"

"an attitude or feeling of victory or superiority: as
a : the attitude that one religious creed is superior to all others
b : smug or boastful pride in the success or dominance of one's nation or ideology over others"
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

triumph:
"late 14c., "success in battle, conquest," also "spiritual victory" and "a procession celebrating victory in war," from Old French triumphe (12c., Modern French triomphe), from Latin triumphus "an achievement, a success; celebratory procession for a victorious general or admiral,"

"from Old Latin triumpus, probably via Etruscan from Greek thriambos..."
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=triumph

But beneath the Trump-halism and the Hilary-Everestism:

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico: "As you have probably noticed, as more polls include my name and show us in double digits..."

"Not only is the news media taking TO Governor Weld [former Republican governor of Massachusetts] and me more, they are now talking ABOUT us more."

"And, of course, that is precisely what we need...the media, and voters, will take note of the fact that 15 percent puts us in the presidential and vice-presidential debates this fall...Being in the debates is a game-changer."

Even though this is impressive: two former conservative/libertarian governors running in the presidential election, what can it really achieve?

Will it throw an odd curve ball?

Could it possibly throw the election, like the infamous election of 1860?

Republican Party Abraham Lincoln 39.8%

Democratic Party Stephen A. Douglas 29.5%

Southern Democratic Party John C. Breckinridge 18.1%

Constitutional Party John Bell 12.6%
--

Who will benefit from the Johnson-Weld run, Clinton or Trump?

Or will the curve be split?

In the current 4-way race, NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll:

Libertarian Party Gary Johnson 10%

Green Party Jill Stein 6%

Democratic Party Hilary Clinton 39%

Republican Party Donald Trump 38%
--

Businessman Ross Perot in 1992 earned 18.9% but that was no cigar.
--

In the divided election of 1912,

Democratic Party Woodrow Wilson 41.8%

Bull Moose Party Theodore Roosevelt 27.4%

Republican Party William Howard Taft 23.2%

Socialist Party Eugene V. Debs 6%
--

Other Third Party Runs:

1968:

American Independent Party, Former Governor George Wallace 13.5%
& General Curtis LeMay

Republican Party Richard Nixon 43.4%

Democratic Party Hubert Humphrey 42.7%
--

1924:
Progressive Party Robert M. La Follette 16.6%
--

1980:

Independent Congress John B. Anderson 6.6%
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Could the current election get such a severe split this time around, over 100 years later?

Unlikely, but then no one thought Trumphalism was going to defeat the usual standard bearers of the Republican Party in the Primaries.




But where in all of this rhetoric, propaganda, and multi-millions spent, is there any LIGHT?

Daniel Wilcox

What Is Wrong with This Picture?

New Hamphsire Combined campaign/SuperPAC spending
$36M Bush
$18.5M Christie
$15.2M Rubio
$12.1M Kasich
$3.7M Trump
$1.8M Fiorina
$580K Cruz
from Stephen Hayes

New York Times
From “…Competitive in Fund-Raising”
By Nicholas Confessore and Eric Lichtblau

"Outside groups have stockpiled tens of millions of dollars on behalf of establishment candidates such as Mr. Bush and Mr. Rubio, most of it destined to be spent on television advertising. But those groups cannot cover the candidates’ core expenses, such as staff salaries, plane tickets, polling and office rent."

"Mr. Cruz and Mr. Carson lead...with about $12 million for Mr. Cruz and $11 million for Mr. Carson...Mr. Bush and Mr. Rubio each appeared to have about $10 million."

"The billionaire real estate mogul Donald J. Trump...raised about $4 million...Mr. Trump is no longer a self-funding candidate...with money from his supporters."

"On the Democratic side, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who secured commitments from many of the party’s biggest donors...barely outraised Senator Bernie Sanders...bringing in half as much money...Mrs. Clinton began October with more than $31 million...compared with about $27 million for Mr. Sanders [who] raised more than 3/4 from donors giving less than $200 each..."

"Mr. Carson has relied heavily on expensive direct mail and telemarketing consultants to raise money...Of the $14 million he spent during the third quarter alone, fund-raising costs totaled $11 million...But Mr. Rubio and Mr. Bush spent at an even higher rate..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/us/politics/outsider-presidential-candidates-prove-competitive-in-fund-raising.html

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

Political advertising, fund-raising, staffing, meetings, rallies, travel, etc.--they all take money.

That's been true for many years, dating back at least to the early 1800's.

Election campaigns have spent and misspent billions over the years.

So what's the problem?

THAT is the problem. How commercial politics is, especially those of a presidential election! How so much wealth is squandered! In contrast, those billions could be used for real problems, for specific future goals.

I admit there is no easy answer to solving the bloated nature of election campaigns in the U.S.

But, maybe, several first steps would be to:

#1 Limit the time of the election campaign to 2 months.

#2 Require each candidate to offer a concrete 20-page proposal of his/her key plans for the U.S. future,
10 pages outlining domestic issues, 5 pages on foreign policy, and 5 to wrap up his/her overall outlook.

#3 Outlaw ALL ad hominem attacks, the constant emphasis on personalities, political "reality-show" interviews, one-liner debates, propagandistic ads, etc.

Of course in this real world, some of the current bloated political sludge would still seep into the clean pool.

But hopefully, multi-millions of that smog money would, instead, be spent on actual specific problems--acceptance of desperate refugees, ending cycles of poverty, education, police and fire-fighters, the environment and so much else.

NO MORE ANIMAL FARM!

No more war is peace.







In the Light of Goodness and the True,

Daniel Wilcox

Corny Quaker Humor #8: Politically Off

Like in movies and TV shows: This blog post doesn't necessarily represent--nor is it meant to create a precedent--the views of this station or its owner;-) or any Friends, cronies, or nuts
and
as for book illegalities: All the characters in this slapstick
comedy are real and accurate:-)

This time around the spam and spin and spar of the presidential election is even worse
than those horrible bad old days! Silence is olden'. "Sue! Sue!" shouted the Missouri
Quaker pig farmer. "Don't 'Show me' all that political hog wallow."
While many others are lamenting and rocking,
"Roll over William Penn."

So, I’ve lost my oats and am going home, down corn-pone way…

First, take this Friendly quiz:

Which one of these presidential candidates grew up in an historic peace church similar in many ways to the Quakers?

Ted Cruz?

You want to vote for a low rider candidate
from You-stun, Texas, who used to cruise ‘Cowlgary’
Boulevard up north?

Doesn’t anybody question his ‘birthright’?
Like the bomber, no legal father!
Born on an island so to speak.

'Bordering' on trouble too....

--



Donald Trump?

To all Christians at Liberty University,
…”that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope…

with a cry of command,
with the voice…
and sound of the trump of God.”
1 Thessalonians
4:13-16

"I’m all ears" is what the ‘hare’ said. Are they ‘rabids’?
--

Well, at least Trump and others aren't yet making
Americans kiss-up to them.
"Nayler and his followers refused to remove their hats
while Fox prayed, which Fox took as both a personal
slight and a bad example."
Wikepedia
Then Nayler refused to kiss George Fox's hand, so
Geroge ordered Nayler to kiss his foot instead.
They parted angry.

Hmm...some things never change.

--


Hilary Clinton?

Hilarious! Surely you’re not serious. Do I detect a ‘clint’
in your eye?

Yes, we know ‘Hilary’ wants to reach the highest,
evermost peak, a real precedent.



--





Rand Paul?

Isn't he related to Ayn Rand?

With a little bit of Paul from Scripture?






--







Bernie Sanders?

People claim that if you use a sander for the body politic it will burn;-)

But with new ideas, one can burnish old things.




--





Marco Rubio?

His name doesn’t sound American. True, he was born in Florida--
‘close but no cigar.’
Remember his parents weren’t U.S. citizens.;-)

Just like Obama’s dad wasn’t; Obama was born in a U.S. 'terroritory.'
Anybody want to hop in that political pool
and play marco polo?
Just cruisin’ too.




--

Ben Carson?

Been moses' son? Would you buy an historic artifact
from this pyramid scheme?

He seems to ‘doctor’
the facts according to his own creation;-).




--





Carly Firoina?

Can you trust a business 'mogal' whose name is Carney Fear-orina?

Who uses guilt by association against
another candidate? She’s running an age old game.



--




Mike Huckabee?

Every time he gets the mike….what a hick to be claiming the
President is marching Jews. He's not at all like Elias Hicks.
More like those right-wing Quakers in Indiana in the 1920's.

And now he defends famous negligent
parents whose past has been ‘dug’ up. Surely you’re ‘joshing’?



--





Jeb Bush?

Don't 'jeb' us in the ribs.

And don't beat around the bush;
be honest about how your brother preysident said,
"I ran and I reck."





--


Trying to laugh my way up from the political darkness,

Daniel Wilcox