Open Letter to Codepink Activists Trixie Lamonte and Ariel Gold

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Dear Trixie and Ariel,

You are actually somewhat fortunate.  An older, wiser, more experienced individual recently suggested I would do better with these letters if I was a little less vicious and a little more educational. Said individual’s logic was that if I jump all over someone I find to have expressed ignorant or distasteful viewpoints against Israel and or the Jewish people, the likelihood of the target of my attack paying any attention to my words is minimal at best.  So yes, since I received this advice from this individual who I highly respect, I will refrain from calling you the names I so wish to call you.

What I will do instead, and to be frank I will do so in only a few words, is attempt to wake you up to the misrepresentation of reality your stance as a pro BDS Jew displays.  I’ll throw you a bone and start from a place that says peace can be achieved and Israel’s occupation of the territories is the biggest obstacle, even though I know better.  The BDS movement is an organization whose ultimate purpose is to bring down the Jewish government in Israel.  It is not in place to protect Palestinians, to fight terrorism and violence, or to better the economic lives of the Palestinian people.  It exists for one purpose and one purpose only.  To destroy Israel as it exists today.

Don’t be fooled by the eloquent words of its leaders, the highest ranking of which was educated in Israel at a Jewish run University by Jewish people and Jewish professors.  Don’t be fooled by its claim to improve labor conditions of the Palestinian workforce.  Their attack on Sodastream caused the unemployment of countless Palestinians, Palestinians satisfied and comfortable working for what BDS calls “the Occupier”.

This is hypocrisy on the highest scale.  The BDS movement, supported by some misguided entertainers such as Roger Waters who lives off his millions upon millions while using the Palestinian people to either satisfy his hatred for Jews or at best make himself feel important, is a movement riddled in inconsistency.  It does nothing to better the lives of the Palestinian people.  It keeps quiet while Hamas uses the people as human shields, yet it attacks businesses that provide Palestinians with an income.

So when you make the choice to show your support for an organization whose sole purpose is to destroy Israel’s Jewish government, you are doing nothing remotely humanitarian.  Peace is a beautiful thing.  I often pray for it.  But know this.  All the BDS Movement is is an offshoot of the terrorist organizations that ultimately wish to see the death of all Jews, the two of you included. What I hope you will come to realize is that in putting your support behind BDS, and doing so in front of a holy Jewish site, all you are doing is feeding into their devious ways, and ironically making peace for everyone more of a long shot.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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Who really cares about us?

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A long time ago, many moons before Donald Trump became a front-runner and Ben Carson became a competitor and Bernie Sanders became more than just a socialist with a cartoon character voice and Hillary still pretended she might not run, I publicly stated unequivocably that my next vote would be for whatever candidate would be most pro-Israel and toughest on foreign affairs.  Not so easy when you realize how badly every one running wants the Jewish and tough guy/gal vote.

In some ways it’s not surprising that The Donald’s no-nonsense speak the mind approach has resonated in the halls of the malcontent and straight-talking at least somewhat conservative voters.  On the other end of the spectrum, those who either feel world affairs are impossible to resolve or  just not as important as our growing internal problems have gravitated some to the socialist ideas of Bernie Sanders or what they see as the safer, more predictable, dare I say nice Democratic Party ways of Hilary.  Then there is everyone else vying for the top spot in the most high-profile, time-consuming, expensive and critically important popularity contest the world has to offer.

I still believe the future of the entire planet rests heavily on who is elected the next president of the United States.  What I don’t claim to know at this point is which one of the candidates is the best person for the job. They all want the job and will consistently say whatever they think the people want to hear.  Almost no one enters the presidential race just to get their voice heard  for a few minutes.  They actually want to win the contest  and  are scheming  to find the best strategy to do so.

What this actually means is that whether you like gambling  or not,  you’re stuck making what at best is just a calculated guess. You really won’t know if you’re right until it’s too late.  At that point all one can do is hope that if they made a mistake,  it wasn’t one you can’t live with.

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Exposing the Double Standard

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a smart man.  He knows history as well as the rest of us.  Unlike many others I’ve spoken to and likely reading this article, I personally refuse to jump on the anti-Bibi bandwagon.  It is my belief that the recent comments made by Netanyahu at a World Zionist Congress conference claiming that the Palestinian Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini convinced Adolph Hitler to kill the Jews, was part of a much larger overall strategy to bring the situation to the forefront and expose the blatant worldwide hypocrisy as it relates to the value of Jewish life.

I’ve listened to a lot of people express their anger or disappointment in Netanyahu’s statement regarding the Mufti’s influence on Hitler and how damaging his Holocaust revisionism is to the overall situation.  Let’s see now.  What negative impact will it have exactly?  Will it open the door for random terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians?  Will it cause the world to turn a blind eye to the murder of Israelis?  Will it cause Israel’s allies to open the door to a nuclear agreement with a terrorist government hell-bent on Israel’s destruction? Will it cause Palestinian leadership to tell lies about Israel? Oh wait. Those things are already happening.

Being the son of Holocaust survivors and having penned a book that covers their experiences during the Nazi occupation, I understand how sacred the discussion and memory of the Holocaust is to so many.  I understand the responsibility a Jewish leader has to guarding this sanctity.  That  being said, Israel’s leaders have one overwhelming responsibility, and that responsibility is to keep Jews safe, not only in Israel but all over the world.  Did Netanyahu’s comments make Jews less safe?  Were they safe before his speech? Will the world remain silent as Jews get murdered in towns that were once peaceful homes?  Was the world showing any real anger before his speech?

We all know the answer to these questions whether we care to admit it or not. Instead of expressing outrage for the murders of innocents in Israel, the UN was preparing to discuss the merits in declaring the Western Wall, the holiest site in the world for Jews, a Muslim site.

Let’s pretend that Netanyahu knowingly revised history here. Is it worse than Hamas consistently accusing Israel of targeting civilians?  It’s certainly being approached as though it is.  Is it wrong if Netanyahu is playing their game, telling a lie for impact? That’s debatable.  I understand the concept of taking the high road, of not sinking to their level.  But truth be told, Netanyahu’s comments brought the entire situation far more to the forefront.  In fact the frequency of attacks seems to have slowed down since his comments.  Maybe the Palestinian leadership that claims to have no direct influence on its citizens’ fury are actually reeling in the violent protagonists.  And maybe, just maybe, in making this claim today, Netanyahu is attempting to alert the world to the real intent of today’s Muslim extremists.  That intent is clearly another genocide committed against the Jewish people.  Exposing them is not incendiary, it’s enforcing the concept of Never Again.

Is what Netanyahu said accurate?  All evidence I know of shows it not to be.  Is what he said commendable?  On its own merit we would have to say no.  But if we dig deeper and see its true impact we have to be careful to jump on the anti-Bibi bandwagon.  Maybe, just maybe his comments do more to protect Jewish lives than hurt them.  Either way, as the world tends to remain quiet as Jews get randomly murdered, I personally believe attacking Netanyahu, even if based in some legitimacy, does nothing more than feed into the double standard, something far more damaging.

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Stop F*ing with Our Wall

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In what is one of the most disturbing developments in quite some time, 6 Arab nations are leading the charge in a proposal to the United Nations declaring the Western Wall part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, subsequently labeling it a Muslim site.  Personally I could care less whether they think it is Muslim or not, what concerns me are the potential dangers this proposal creates, and what angers me is the immense disrespect this shows towards Jews all over the world.

Although it’s been far too many years since my last visit, I am fortunate to have been at the Western Wall, the “Kotel”, more times than I can count.  For these antagonists using the Western Wall as a political weapon, the Wall is nothing more than a place representing Jewish existence, something appalling to them.  For Jews the Kotel is more than just a wall.  It is home.  It’s the only place I’ve ever been where it felt to me as though everyone felt the same intensity and deep meaning.  It’s just a wall to some, but to a Jew who believes in God, it’s a portal to the heavens.

The Kotel can never be taken from the Jewish people, of that we must be certain. My more immediate concern is the violence this political maneuver will incite.  If this causes nearby Palestinians to feel empowered to possess the wall, serious violence will threaten the holiest place in the world for the Jewish people.  But who do they think they are kidding? Violence is their goal.  Incitement their intention. To Israel’s opponents this feels like checkmate.  Well it’s not. It is most certainly check, but for those who play chess, one of the most certain ways to lose is through over confidence.  It is my hope that this wakes up the Jewish people worldwide and that the Israeli government makes very clear that the Western Wall is not open for discussion.  Otherwise we may not be far from checkmate.

With all the land and all the so-called holy places the Muslim people have, for any one of their leaders to suddenly at this time make a move for Israel’s holiest site is not about devotion to God or religious practice. What this is about is blatant disrespect for the Jewish people, and anyone in power who remains quiet, certainly anyone who supports it, is an accomplice to this unconscionable slap in the face to all Jews worldwide, and for anyone to tolerate it would be to open the door to a greater tragedy.

Let it be known, when you F**k with our wall, you F**k with us.

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Palestinian Pawns in a Deadly and Terrorizing Chess match

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It’s hard to come up with an original thought when it’s the same old story over and over again.  Sure the Palestinians murdering and terrorizing Jews in Israel are changing their tactics, entering places previously considered safe and using knives and cars more than guns and bombs, but their mission is the same as it’s always been.  They want to murder and terrify the Jewish population without any consideration of morality, and maybe even more disturbingly, they likely don’t even know to what end. It’s easy to say they want a free and independent Palestinian state that encompasses territory currently controlled by the Israeli government, but the truth is that those committing these atrocities aren’t doing it because of any deep-rooted idealism. They’re doing it because they’re being programmed to.

The ironic fact is that Palestinians truly are victims of this incredible mess and potential catastrophe, but despite the efforts of the public relations campaign of their leaders to convince the world otherwise. it is these very leaders holding them back from having a real life and prosperous future.  These same leaders who are getting wealthy off their people’s misery and manipulating their populace to increase their personal power are not the one’s to work with towards a solution.  What the Israeli government needs to find a way to do is to reach the people.  If they are not successful, and time may be running out, the other alternative is killing large numbers of them, something we all know is considered appalling to a very moral Israeli government and its people.

As tragic and painful as the events in Israel may be, this is not the time for emotional responses.  Yes there are consequences for all actions and anyone who has spoken with me or read my words knows that I am not against a strong use of force, but the issue I am addressing is not the means to which we stop the immediate crisis, what I am addressing is what I see as the only way to stop this downward spiral of violence and destruction.

I’m just a guy in front of a computer giving an opinion, so I really can’t speak to how it gets done, but the best way to describe what I’m espousing is ideological infiltration.  Somehow creating, and yes even protecting a new grass-roots leadership within the Palestinian community, because the current leadership cares almost as little for its own people’s well-being as it does for the well-being of Jews in Israel.  If the people in the West Bank and Gaza are not made to understand this, more and more innocent Jews will die in Israel and ultimately the fate of the Palestinians will be determined by the force used by the Israeli government, something that plays perfectly into the plans of the current Palestinian leaders.  After all, force used by Israel to defend its people is the perfect distraction from the methods being used to morally and financially bankrupt the Palestinian people by those claiming to care about them the most.  Ironically I don’t care about their fate and what I am proposing for them is a better life.  I just have no clue how it gets done.  What I do know is that there are enough brilliant minds in Israel to figure it out.  I just hope they do it soon.

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Is it more than A lot of Hair and Hot Air over there?

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Let me start by saying I know some very intelligent people, people I like and respect who are supporting Donald Trump for president. This article is not about them.  This is about that segment of the general public who whether they care to admit it or not are supporting “the Donald” just because they know more about him and find him more entertaining than anyone else in the presidential field.

When asked recently by a friend what I personally think about Donald Trump I said, “I like watching him on TV and find what he says occasionally entertaining, but I don’t want him as my next president.”  I admit there’s always a chance I can change my mind, but as I sit here today I am fairly certain I won’t.  It’s my feeling that when there’s a vacuum left by the lack of any one candidate doing anything to excite the masses, the loudest and most eccentric candidate ultimately will get the most attention.  Couple that with Trump’s no-nonsense and tough-talk approach and you have yourself the most talked about and at least today, the number one recipient of positive poll numbers in the entire presidential field.

Let’s be honest here.  Presidential elections are not won the summer before the primaries have even started.  By the time the Iowa caucuses take place in February the Trump phenomenon may be an amusing memory.  Then again it’s not impossible that by the time the primaries start there will be little mystery left and Trump runs away from the field.  Time will tell, but I tend to believe the final story is far from written.

We live in a society where the choice for president is not made on pure qualifications.  Like him or love him, the most qualified individual to become president, at least based on positions held prior to running for the office was George Bush Sr.   Having been Ambassador to China, Head of the CIA and Vice President for 8 years, it was hard to have a better resume when running for president.  That by no means he was the best president, it doesn’t even mean he was a good one, it just means it’s the only time, at least in my lifetime, that someone with the strongest qualifications, at least on paper, won the general election.

So what wins presidential elections?  Mainly popularity and familiarity. Already an appreciated television personality, Donald Trump is fun to watch.  Even if you hate what he says, just as you hate to drive past a terrible car accident on the highway, you just can’t help but look. And look again and again.  It may be awful, but it is also fascinating.  If you can ignore the perceived demeaning of Mexicans and women, Trump is fascinating without the awful.  Whether you like him or not.

So what does it say about American society that Donald Trump is all the rage? Well first let me say that I love America and its people as much as anyone.  That being said, it doesn’t say anything good.  Even the intelligent people I spoke of earlier who support Trump are doing so out of serious concern or anger over the current state of affairs in the country and the rest of the world.  By no means am I saying they are wrong to have that concern and even anger, I’m merely stating the fact that their support for Trump is based in the negative as opposed to the positive.  The remaining, and I believe the largest percentage of Trump support is based on familiarity and entertainment.  They know the hair, the image of “the Donald”, and they enjoy hearing his straight-shooting tough talk.  For many, whether they admit it or not, they don’t need to like or even understand what he is saying as long as they like how he is saying it.

What it also says is that for those looking for answers in the Republican pack, there are not many separating themselves from everyone else.   It makes me think of the Bruce Springsteen song, “57 Channels and nothing on”.  17 candidates in the field and with the exception of Trump and Ben Carson no one is doing anything to distinguish themselves in the Republican field.  In the Democratic field Hillary Clinton has been stuck having to talk a little too much about emails while being challenged by the very left-wing Bernie Sanders.  While Sanders is having his moment in the sun and becoming a little more well-known than he was before the campaign started, Clinton is laying a little low and waiting it out. A smart move as Republicans beat each other up and distract the masses from the issues her opponents are trying to bring to front and center, Bernie Sanders has his 15 minutes of presidential candidate fame and Joe Biden keeps us hanging.

So with all this said do I believe Donald Trump is going to be the next president?  Maybe.  Do I think it’s the worst thing that could happen.  To be very honest, despite the fact that I don’t want him to be, the answer is no, it wouldn’t  be the worst thing.  That is a status I give to the idea of a Rand Paul presidency, a possibility basically destroyed by Donald Trump’s candidacy.  I actually believe that when you look throughout history at how struggling nations picked their leaders in tough times, if America chooses Trump it’s not THAT bad compared to what other nations throughout history have done with angry or concerned votes.  After all we’re not looking at a fascist looking to wipe out an entire segment of society, just someone feeding into societies fears and discontent.  Not a good thing, but it could be worse.

For the record, I still believe that the general election will be Jeb Bush against Hillary Clinton even knowing that Trump against Biden is not yet out of the question.  Bottom line is it’s too soon to know.  Which goes back to what I said earlier. Presidential elections are not won the summer before the primaries even start.  Right now all we know for sure is that we are watching the Donald Trump show. Something that may entertain people now but doesn’t elect a president.

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justpolitics@ bushpoliticalmachine.org

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I have not as of yet gone on record as a supporter of any of the current candidates for president.  I have however gone on record as saying I believe when there are 2 names left standing in the race it will be a familiar 2, the names of Bush and Clinton.  CLICK HERE.  That being said, after a Sunday of watching many news programs I have come to the personal conclusion that the force behind the so-called Hillary Clinton email scandal is a familiar force. That force, a previously and still underestimated Bush presidential machine.

Earlier today I listened to Michael Mukasey discuss the email scandal.  This is a smart man who has had important positions in American government.  He was introduced as one of the most vocal critics of Hillary Clinton and her email issues. He was also Attorney General under George W. Bush.  I listened carefully to what this well spoken man said, nevertheless nothing he said made any sense, and the only thing I heard that explained his viewpoint was his connection with the Bush family.  This made me personally conclude that the email discussion is the trump card, no pun intended, for the Bush machine in a general election that pits Bush against Clinton.

I really tried to assess this so-called scandal objectively.  As hard as I tried I came up with nothing.  At worst, it appears to be an attempt to micromanage the communications of the highest ranking diplomat in U.S. government, something I believe is far more dangerous than the Secretary of State deleting emails.

When a presidential candidate is struggling to generate excitement by his or her personality and oratory, what is left is getting their name in the discussion through a one on one conflict.  While Trump mania is hurting some candidates in the Republican Party, it is helping one candidate in particular.   That candidate is Jeb Bush.  Previously lost in the crowd, Bush is now being positioned as the Trump alternative.  When the novelty of Trump wears off, or the Donald offends the wrong base with an off-the-cuff insult, it is Jeb Bush who has the best chance of picking up the pieces.  Understanding the  big picture as the Bush machine always has, the fact that no one really cares who loses the general election, the Clinton email scandal has Bush ready to battle the presumed Democratic candidate for the big prize.

It’s political theater at its best, but in my estimation that is all it is, theater.  Until someone can prove to me otherwise I see it as nothing other than political positioning and manipulation.  Something we will see more of as we get closer to the Iowa caucuses.

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Open Letter to Senator Charles Schumer

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Dear Senator Schumer,

I write to you today in the hope that when the time comes for you to make a choice, a choice that will confirm your legacy not only as an American Senator but as a Jew, that you make the choice you know to be right, not the choice you see as politically expedient.  I am of course referring to the vote on President Obama’s deal with Iran.

I have heard the arguments in favor of making a deal with Iran. I also understand the difficult position politicians in the Democratic party, particularly Jewish politicians, find themselves in at this time.  Your president is calling for your support. Your party is calling for your support.  Politics is at play on the grandest scale.  Oppose the deal and you risk alienating yourself from the top people in the party who have chosen to maintain their ranks by supporting their leader.  Oppose the deal and you yourself may fall far down the political ladder, destroying all you personally have done to achieve your current status.

I am not a politician, however I have a layman’s understanding of the basics in politics.  Sometimes you have to go against your better judgment and principles in order to ascend in the ranks.  I also understand that sometimes doing this causes an internal struggle only another politician can truly comprehend.  That being said Senator, as much as I sympathize with the personal challenge you are faced with, this is one of those times when you are required to answer the bell of those who elected you into office and supported you till now.  This is a time when the choice you make may determine the future safety not only of your home state but of the entire planet.

I have heard you say enough over the years to believe in my heart that you know that making this deal with Iran is a mistake.  That leaves me believing that the struggle you have is far more a personal one than an ideological one.  To make my point I will quote a line from the movie The American President, in which President Andrew Shepherd, played by Michael Douglas says the following: “I was so busy trying to save my job that I forgot to do my job.”

Senator Schumer, your job is to protect and serve the citizens of NY State and to represent us nationally in what is right and safe for all Americans.  It is my absolute belief that you know that dealing with Iran is wrong for the country and that the only reason for any hesitation on your part is concern for losing your job and or standing in the Democratic Party.  I urge you, as do so many others to do the right thing and oppose what you know to be wrong not only for New York, but for the rest of the country and the entire civilized world.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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Observing Tisha B’Av: Obligation, Guilt, or something else?

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As I sit here on a Sunday, not feeling very well and giving up a beautiful beach day, I ask myself what motivates me, a man in no way consistently observant, to acknowledge Tisha B’Av, the day widely recognized as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.  Although by no means do I minimize anyone else’s observance of this sad day that commemorates the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem, but for someone whose observance is a daily integral part of their life, fasting and acknowledging the day is not even a question, very much like the observance of Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath would be.  For someone like me it can almost be seen as random that I take the day as seriously as I do, to the extent that I myself have questioned its origin.

As the title of this piece states, obligation has to be considered as a motivating force.  However, logically speaking, there are observances considered far more important than the observance of Tisha B’Av.  Frankly, as someone who truly believes each man and woman on the planet only really gets judged by God, I can honestly say I do not do it out of obligation.  Other than maybe 2 or 3 people, and now anyone reading this, no one coming in to the day had any idea that the day holds the importance to me that it does.  The other option I proposed was that I am motivated by guilt.  That too is not the case since when it comes to religious practice and honestly mostly every other aspect of my life, guilt does not motivate me.  That being said there is a personal element involved that is so inherent in my being that one can say it encompasses many factors including obligation and guilt.  Growing up the son of Holocaust survivors, and seeing how my parents used Tisha B’Av as the day they commemorated the murder of family members whose exact date of death was not recorded, as clearly as I felt the sadness of my family’s loss I felt the sadness of Tisha B’Av.  It is this fact that allowed me to identify what it is that makes the day so important to me.

As negative as the day may be, it is one of humanity’s most positive features that motivates me.  That feature is love.  Love for the Jewish people. I see humanity as one great force and see all people as equal in the most basic terms, but as a Jewish man raised in a positive Jewish household, I sit here as someone who loves the Jewish people.  Just as we observe the loss of a loved one and do so naturally, for me the tragedies that have happened to the Jewish people causes me an instinctive sadness.  As one Rabbi once told me in speaking of the fasting required on Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av, “knowing what Yom Kippur stands for who is able to eat? And knowing what Tisha B’Av stands for who would want to eat?”

I don’t believe that this makes me love the Jewish people more than someone who feels differently about Tisha B’Av, but on this day as I sit here acknowledging the day I realize my motivations to be pure and my love for who I am and where I come from to be solidly in tact.

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Bush, Clinton, the Borg, and the futility of the voting process

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As a fan of Star Trek the phrase “resistance is futile” comes to mind when thinking about the American presidential election process.  For those who are not Star Trek geeks like me, this refers to the alien race known as the Borg that appeared in some of the Star Trek series and movies and had their way with every race they wished to assimilate into their culture. For the most part I am not a conspiracy theorist, so I am not that guy who believes that a few people have predetermined who is going to run things, but I do believe our democracy is controlled by money and power and when deciding the presidency, any resistance is indeed an act of futility.  When it comes to money and power on the Republican side, the Bush family is certainly entrenched near or at the top of the pile. Although the Clinton’s don’t wield the same amount of either money or power as the Bush clan does, they’ve achieved a power and influence within the Democratic party that leaves Hilary Clinton virtually unchallenged in her pursuit of the presidency.  Is this a good thing? I guess it depends on who you ask.

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We could start by saying that the fact that “resistance is futile” is never a good thing.  Of course this is up for debate since there are plenty of Republicans who will tell you they prefer Scott Walker,Ted Cruz, even Rand Paul or any of the other cast of characters throwing their hat into the ring, but the reality is that once the Bush people start spending their money and wielding their influence it’s hard to see anyone else in the Republican party winning the nomination.  From the Democratic Party side, even if one was a strong supporter of the Bill Clinton presidency, some questions still remain at the wisdom of a Hilary candidacy.  Maybe she would rise to the top of a more competitive field anyway, but the reality is that she is so assured of the nomination that Republican hopefuls already find themselves campaigning against her. So the truth is, not only is resistance futile, one might say voting is as well.

I’m a sports fan.  I love when the outcome of a season is uncertain.  So 2 years ago in the NFL when Seattle predictably made it to the Super Bowl against Denver, and to many predictably won the game, despite my love for the sport I was not thrilled by what I watched that entire postseason. I always love the presidential election cycle.  I find it enthralling, exciting, even fascinating.  I find it hard to stop watching.  Unfortunately this time I find it very predictable and subsequently losing a lot of its luster.  I am rather certain it will be a Bush against a Clinton, and since the Democrats just had 8 years in the White House, most likely it ends up with the Bush winning.  I won’t even talk about who I like better and whether or not I think either one would be good for the country, because in the end this is how it will turn out regardless, and my opinion, let alone my vote, will have no impact on the end result.  The frightening part to all of this is that this upcoming presidential election may be one of the most important in recent history and the American people are at the mercy of the money and power of a small group of people.

At least that’s my opinion. If it turns out otherwise I’ll eat crow, but I’m rather confident it won’t. After all, resistance is futile.