Is there only one Democratic candidate who could possibly defeat Trump in November 2020?

Everybody needs to come to grips with the FACT that Trump is DISMANTLING everything good that he can possibly touch. That most definitely includes trust in our electoral infrastructure.

It's no longer significant for someone like Ms. Weintraub (FEC commissioner) to make a specific claim like that.

Rather, he has and continues to aim at EVERYTHING about ANYTHING related to the American federal government and any other institution that he can in ANY way touch. Has he done anything to BUILD ANYTHING to improve anything the government does? He only intends to destroy.

Be vigilant. But don't be shocked. Focus your energy and activities on rebuilding our American institutions. Blogger Teri Kanefield has suggested a starting place for that endeavor. She has further spelled out how and why we need to focus on rebuilding. Beside the fact that Trump's EVERY effort is to destroy, allowing ourselves to be shocked or dismayed by it is exactly what he wants.

Do you remember him making campaign rally "off the cuff" comments about serving more than two terms?

By denying him the satisfaction of engineering a general mood of helplessness, we will ensure that he cannot reach his ultimate goal.

His support is going to drop like an anvil in a Roadrunner cartoon, except for REAL.

And soon.

Face it. EVERYbody who is anybody in power in our country HATES Trump.

Ponder that for a good long while. Do you know of anyone who loves and/or respects him for him?

Consider Arizona governor Doug Ducey. Has he capitulated to Trump privately and then declared his agreement with the presider publicly on any issue or problem that people in our state generally understood and expected that Ducey should have stood up to Trump?

Picture this, Trump is impeached (matters not whether the Senate conducts a trial, Trump will still be impeached). What's going to happen to Trump's power in such a scenario?

The people who now fawn over Trump? Will they still fawn when he no longer has the authority of the Office of the President?

Really? What really will Trump do? Will it be difficult to predict, generally speaking?

First, Trump will lash out on Twitter. Will anyone respect or love him for the outlandish things he will say attacking anyone and everyone he blames for his own problems?

Wait, what? You DOUBT he will do that? On what possible basis could you figure Trump would do anything other than lashing out irrationally on Twitter?

What about the Religious Right? They make up a substantial portion of his base. There's already reports that those voters do not like the vulgarity he spews.

Is there any record of Trump taking ANY action as presider to do anything emotionally mature or genuinely self-effacing when faced with any kind of criticism or accusation of crimes or even small mistakes?

Please, tell me about it. I'm all ears.

What I've heard Trump himself say repeatedly is that the American people should not believe what they see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears that comes out of his mouth.

Those claims will begin falling on ears deaf to his words very very soon.

However, this is not cause for celebration. Nor is it cause to let up in your canvassing efforts or other advocacy regarding the 2020 election. The work still needs to be done. There is simply no cause for shock or dismay.

From the "Will this Nightmare Ever End" Department: YES!

Last week, The Atlantic's contributing editor David Frum wrote,

Reactions to actions by Trump are always filtered through the prism of the ever more widely accepted view—within his administration, within Congress, within the United States, and around the world—that the 45th president is a reckless buffoon; a conspiratorial, racist moron, whose weird comments should be disregarded by sensible people.

By now, Trump’s party in Congress, the members of his Cabinet, and even his White House entourage all tacitly agree that Trump’s occupancy of the office held by Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and Eisenhower must be a bizarre cosmic joke, not to be taken seriously. CNN’s Jake Tapper on August 2 quoted a “senior national security official” as saying: “Everyone at this point ignores what the president says and just does their job. The American people should take some measure of confidence in that.”

Everybody at this point ignores what the president says.

Of course, except for when they do not ignore his insane babblings. Which is, unfortunately, too often.

However, the Arizona Eagletarian has confidently said repeatedly (in person, on Facebook and Twitter), for more than a year, that Trump "is going down." We just do not know how long it will take.

Last week also House Judiciary Committee chair Jerrold Nadler told CNN that formal impeachment proceedings have begun, with the lawsuits his committee filed to compel testimony of various impeachment witnesses. In that same interview, Nadler predicted Articles of Impeachment could be presented to and voted on by the entire House of Representatives by the end of 2019.

Then today, author and columnist Windsor Mann wrote,

It's too soon to say when Donald Trump's presidency will end, but it's not too soon to say how it will end. It will end in disgrace. And when it does, Trump's defenders will turn on him.

Some already have. On Sunday, Anthony Scaramucci, Trump's former communications director, said that Republicans should "replace the top of the ticket in 2020."

Former White House aide and Apprentice contestant Omarosa Manigault never had a bad word to say about Trump when she worked for him. Trump said he hired her "because she said GREAT things about me." But after she left the White House, she said Trump was "mentally impaired" and accused him of saying the N-word.

Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, said he was "mesmerized" by Trump when he worked for him. It wasn't until after Cohen quit working for Trump and was sentenced to prison — as a result, in part, of lying for Trump — that he ceased to be mesmerized and instead became disgusted. In congressional testimony, he called Trump a "racist," a "cheat," and a "conman."

Trump's sycophants are as loyal as he is — which is to say, not at all. In The Art of the Deal, Trump counted Roy Cohn as a friend, calling him "a truly loyal guy." After Cohn contracted AIDS, Trump "dropped him like a hot potato," according to Susan Bell, Cohn's longtime secretary. That's the kind of friend Trump is — the kind you don't want.

The people who are loyal to Trump are loyal not because they like him as a person but because they have something to gain from him. [...]

Trump's cult of personality is a cult of power-worshippers. "It is the place and power we bow to, not the man," William Hazlitt wrote in his 1823 essay "On the Spirit of Monarchy." When Trump is deprived of his place and power, people will stop bowing to him.

However, increasingly, for whatever reason (might that have something to do with corporate media playing up Trump's insane babbling?), people with whom I interact either in person or online, seem increasingly to be concerned, skittish, or some outright scared that Trump will not relinquish the Office of the Presidency when his term is up... or he is ousted from the White House. That is, if the US Senate actually holds a trial on Articles of Impeachment.

Blogger Teri Kanefield has digested some very important insight from political scientists and legal scholars who cogently see through the bluster that constantly spews from the White House. She has become one of my favorite authors. Her background as a criminal appellate attorney and author of quite a few books on figures in the Making of America tells me she has great insight that can provide hope grounded solidly in American political history.

Last night (Wednesday), I posted one of Teri's blogs to Facebook along with this quote from it,

Angering & discouraging people so they don’t want to vote is easier and less costly than manually flipping votes or hacking computers. What can we do?

Stop being shocked.

From Prof. Timothy Snyder: “Being continually shocked is a luxury. It’s pre-helpless”

Understand that the GOP is acting from desperation. Don’t take the bait. Grass roots politics keeps tactics like this from working.

Understandably, some smart, politically thoughtful and active people responded. A couple of those comments sounded discouraged. I responded to one of them with this,

I understand. I read on current affairs regularly/frequently (some friends say I'm obsessive about it). I've been deeply engrossed in politics for more than 25 years.

If I was pessimistic, I would have either died long ago or found something else to focus on.

I don't make statements lightly or flippantly... even though it may seem that way at times.

In a sense, we've needed to suffer the buffoon presidency to allow us to recognize what we need to do to rebuild American institutions.

America is RESILIENT. We focus. We persist. We survive and we WILL thrive.

Long ago (maybe a year or so ago), I learned a bit about the surprising science of Alpha Males. 45 is NOT an Alpha Male. He is a crazed bully.

45 IS going down. He WILL be impeached, even if the Senate doesn't try him and oust him from office. He will not preside over the American federal government after January 20, 2021 if he even lasts that long.

Note especially at 13:00 to 13:15 the speaker's insight on what it takes to be a good leader and what happens to bullies.

Back to Windsor Mann's column,

Trump's post-presidency will be sadder and more pathetic than his presidency. His presidential library will be neither presidential nor a library. His memoir, if someone writes one for him, will be dreadful — ghostwritten, poorly written, replete with falsehoods and errors, and bereft of insights and useful information. His presidential papers will contain such statements as "Horseface"; "trade wars are good, and easy to win"; "a very stable genius"; and "your favorite President, me!" No mainstream public figure will want to be associated with his legacy.

How many Members of Congress speak candidly about Trump with admiring language? In hearings held recently in the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees that prefaced the now formal impeachment proceedings, did any of the Republican members speak glowingly about Trump? Or did they instead sound spiteful, vindictive and most importantly -- highly defensive?

Make no mistake, there is and will be work that has to be done. Does anyone believe that we can "coast in neutral" from now until November 2020 and expect a good outcome for our country? I doubt it. But the urgency is clear and will not subside.

There will be an emergent Democratic front runner. One with vision and unstoppable energy. One who has already thought through a helluva lot of what needs to be done. And to the degree that the rest of the candidates AND their supporters rally around that front runner when the time comes, Trump will be buried under the biggest landslide in American electoral history.

Phoenix Climate Strike event September 20, 2019 Please join us

Youth world wide are conducting a Climate Strike event on September 20 this year. They have invited/challenged adults to join them for this one.

Please join us for the Phoenix, Arizona event. The starting point for the march to the Arizona Capitol is adjacent to a light rail stop. Please take the light rail to make parking and access to downtown Phoenix much easier.

Please bring (enough) water in a reusable container and if possible wear green.

Climate Strike Phoenix

Start: Friday, September 20, 2019• 2:00 PM

Location:Maricopa County Courthouse (Old City Hall)•125 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1209, AZ 85003

Host Contact Info: arizona@youthclimatestrikeus.org

Climate Change is the biggest problem we as a state, nation and world face today. On September 20th students from across the nation and the world will be striking again to protest inaction on the climate crisis. We will be marching from the Maricopa County Courthouse across from Phoenix City Hall to the State Capitol. It is a 1.3 mile walk. If you don’t want to or are unable to march you can meet us at the capitol where we will be holding a rally.
You don’t have to be a student to come, all are welcome!

Organizer: AZ Youth Climate Strike

Event Website: https://actionnetwork.org/events/climate-strike-3
Date of Event: Friday, 20 September, 2019
Time of Event: 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM MST
Address: Maricopa County Courthouse, 125 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ
City: Phoenix, AZ

House Judiciary chair Nadler: Formal Impeachment Proceedings are Underway

"This IS formal impeachment proceeding," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler stated unequivocally in an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett. He also indicated that the question of whether to recommend articles of impeachment for a vote by the entire House of Representatives will likely be decided by the end of this year.



One caveat that might forestall personal anxiety for millions of American voters (but not any anxiety for the current occupant of the Oval Office): Pay NO attention to questions posed to Members of Congress, or Party leaders when the pundit of the day or hour is seeking to muddy the waters rather than make things more clear.

Note: this is the 1,100th post published on the Arizona Eagletarian since its inception in December 2010.

Too Hard? Quit Now? Not on your life. We (WILL) PERSIST (until we succeed)!

In June 2016, former President Jimmy Carter, at the Carter Center in Atlanta, gave opening remarks at a forum of human rights workers,

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter said Monday that the world is at a “turning point in history” and governments must choose policies of peace and human rights over war and human suffering.

“What is needed now, more than ever, is leadership that steers us away from fear and fosters greater confidence in the inherent goodness and ingenuity of humanity,” Carter said.

At age 91, Carter is far from naïve. Besides tireless work for Habitat for Humanity since the end of his term in office, before then, Carter moderated peace talks at Camp David, which led to an historic peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Think about this: since 1980, has there been any time when Israel and Egypt have been at war with each other? Why might that be?

In other words, President Carter has the gravitas to warrant taking him seriously on this subject.

Turning points are opportunities for bold structural changes for societies to rapidly implement. In 2016, we came to an unexpected turning point with the election of a demagogue to the presidency. He made things change rapidly. Not in a good way.

Time Magazine's list of 25 Moments that Changed America might provide at least 25 more reasons why it's reasonable to expect that with bold leadership, more favorable structural change can rapidly occur in the near future to, as the Preamble to the Constitution declares,

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Segue back to Liz Warren's Thursday Town Hall. She has gravitas that warrants taking the words of her speech to heart. One of the things she said then -- that a president can do quite a bit "all by herself" -- bears further consideration.

I've cited Warren's January 2016 NYTimes op-ed in this blog previously. It's worth bringing up again, mainly because far too many people don't understand civics enough or simply don't remember.

WHILE presidential candidates from both parties feverishly pitch their legislative agendas, voters should also consider what presidents can do without Congress. Agency rules, executive actions and decisions about how vigorously to enforce certain laws will have an impact on every American, without a single new bill introduced in Congress.

The Obama administration has a substantial track record on agency rules and executive actions. It has used these tools to protect retirement savings, expand overtime pay, prohibit discrimination against L.G.B.T. employees who work for the government and federal contractors, and rein in carbon pollution. These accomplishments matter.

Whether the next president will build on them, or reverse them, is a central issue in the 2016 election. [We NOW know how that worked out] But the [Obama] administration’s record on enforcement falls short — and federal enforcement of laws that already exist has received far too little attention on the campaign trail.

I just released a report examining 20 of the worst federal enforcement failures in 2015. Its conclusion: “Corporate criminals routinely escape meaningful prosecution for their misconduct.”

Legislative agendas [and flipping the Senate] matter, but voters should also ask which presidential candidates they trust with the extraordinary power to choose who will fight on the front lines to enforce the laws. The next president can rebuild faith in our institutions by honoring the simple notion that nobody is above the law, but it will happen only if [when] voters demand it. 

The report linked above (on Warren's Senate website) is still available. It provides evidence that SHE represents the political revolution Bernie has preached about. Said revolution takes hold as soon as she gets elected.

Liz Warren represents the next American historical turning point that will rapidly change our society. This time, it will go in the direction we need it to go rather than in a direction that only enriches the top .01 of 1 percent of American households.


An aside: Do you think Status Quo Joe is capable of enforcing the law so that corporate criminals will stop plundering and pillaging the lives and livelihoods of Main Street American families? If you do, please explain -- in as much detail as possible -- to your own family and your own friends exactly HOW he could be capable of doing so. I'll wait.

*****

Here's an excerpt from the end of Warren's speech. In the clip, she answers the question I intended to ask if given the opportunity at the Thursday evening Town Hall.



Dream BIG. Fight Hard. PERSIST.

This is our moment to build an America that actually reflects our best values.

Liz Warren will be the next president.

Last night, a friend from high school (and long time Facebook friend) had the audacity to blame me for Donald Trump's election.

This because I cannot abide Status Quo Joe.

Anyone who has paid attention to the Arizona Eagletarian or my Facebook posts for the last four years knows that before the 2016 Democratic Convention I advocated emphatically and enthusiastically for Bernie Sanders. They also know that, citing the work of Maurizio Viroli and his research on Machiavelli, I emphatically denounced calls to vote for the Green Party candidate in the general election (as well as calls to vote for Trump).

It shocked and astounded me that this person would do that.

Today, I shake the dust off my feet.

THIS is primary season, NOT general election season. Despite (fearful) exclamation for people to "vote blue no matter who" those calls are woefully premature.

Primary season is crucial. In 2016, Bernie's unequivocal calls for a political revolution dramatically changed the tone of presidential campaigning forever. For that I am most thankful.

For those of you who suggest that Liz Warren's call for bold structural change is unrealistic, I feel sad and disappointed.

Anti-Abolitionists in the 1800s would have appreciated your sentiments.

Anti-Suffragists in the late-1800s and early 1900s would have appreciated your sentiments.

Anti-LGBTQ activists over the last couple of decades would and probably still do appreciate your sentiments.

I do NOT appreciate them.

There have been numerous examples and incidents of bold structural changes in societies occurring rapidly. Certain social conditions expedite such change.

Trump's atrocities worldwide represent those conditions.

To achieve bold structural changes requires bold leadership. Today, there is only one person who, in my opinion, properly embodies the leadership necessary.

Liz Warren.

Senator Warren is authentic, fierce, smart, with plenty of heart. And she has a helluva lot of energy! I'm going the direction she's leading.

Do not construe this as me knocking Bernie. I don't. But I choose Liz and believe she is the person who can and will energetically and methodically provide that leadership this time.

Please enjoy this video of Liz addressing thousands of us in person at the Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona and via YouTube, many many more. Then join me in supporting Elizabeth Warren for president.