THE REAL "TEFLON DON"

1. Presidential candidate Gary Hart was forced to drop out of the race when it was revealed he had extramarital affairs.

Trump cheated on wife #1 with wife #2 and on wife #2 with wife #3.  He paid a porn actress to keep quiet about their affair.  And he had an affair with a Playboy model.

Trump Supporters: “Trump is an honest and decent Christian and conservative.  We support him 100%.”

2. Senator Al Franken was forced to resign from Congress because he engaged in minor sexual improprieties.

Trump gleefully bragged to a tv reporter that women let him grab their pussies because he is famous.  Many women have accused Trump of various degrees of sexual assault, including rape.

Trump Supporters: “Trump is an honest and decent Christian and conservative.  We support him 100%”.

3. The campaign of Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was damaged because he paid a low effective tax rate (partially due to excessive charitable contributions).

Trump refused to release his tax returns, but when one was leaked it was learned that he paid absolutely no federal income tax in at least one year.

Trump Supporters: “Trump is an honest and decent Christian and conservative.  We support him 100%”.

And the list goes on and on.

The one and only true statement Trump has ever made is that he could shoot a man on 5^th Avenue and his base would still love him – and he would get away with it.

The bottom line –

1. Trump has committed every single “bad act” that has in the past damaged or destroyed a political career without consequence.

2. Trump supporters are complete fucking morons.

TAFN

RELIGIOUS RAMBLINGS

While today I am truly a “lapsed” Protestant, I grew up as a Methodist in northern New Jersey.  Most of my family’s social life revolved around our local church.

While I have always believed that in the history of mankind more evil than good has been done in the name of a god or God or religion (sadly more true today than at any other time in my life), I credit my local church and my family’s involvement in it with shaping me into the person I am today – not because of the worshipping of a God but because of the sense of community and social activities of the congregation, the humanistic (“a strong interest in or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity”) teachings of love, acceptance, social responsibility, and “Christian” charity (these teachings are apparently no longer part of so-called “Christianity” today) and the “good works” it did in and for the larger community.

I have always thought it would be good as an alternative to actual “religion” and “worship” to be a part of a church-like organization without God that had the same sense of “community”, taught, promoted and celebrated humanistic values in a “Sunday School” and “Bible School" (without the Bible) setting and through regular weekly meetings, and engaged in social and cultural activities and “good works” – a “Summit Avenue Humanistic Fellowship” instead of a “Summit Avenue Methodist Church”.

Does this make sense?  

TAFN
 

TRUMP IS NOT A CONSERVATIVE AND TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NOT CONSERVATIVE

 

I have said it before and I will say it again.  Trump is not a Conservative.  Today’s Republican Party is not conservative.

True conservative principles, based on libertarianism, include 

* Individual Freedom, 
* Limited Government, 
* Human Dignity (every person should be measured only by the content of their character), and 
* The Rule of Law.

Trump and today’s Religious Right controlled Republican Party wants the government to limit individual freedom and to tell citizens what they can read, what they can think, who they can love, and how they can act and behave based on extreme fundamentalist Christian beliefs, which are themselves contrary to true Christian teachings.  Today’s Republican Party supports banning books, censoring history, and suppressing the teaching of anything that does not conform exactly to fundamentalist white Christian nationalist propaganda.

Trump belittles every person who is not a healthy American-born white heterosexual male, who does not kiss his ring and arse, and who challenges his delusions of personal infallibility and superiority.  He encourages and empowers his followers to openly embrace their hatred, prejudices and racism.

Trump believes he is above the law and cannot be held accountable for his multitude of crimes and misdemeanors (and felonies).  Today’s Republican Party agrees and also believes that the rule of law and being held accountable applies only to Democrats and to those who do not bow to the Republican Party.  It is truly the Party of “do as I say, not as I do”.

Today’s Republican Party does not care one ounce about the content of one’s character.  They continue to support and promote candidates who are crooked, corrupt, serial liars, ignorant, racist, bigoted, fascist, etc., etc. – Trump being a prime example.

TAFN

TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY

 

Today’s Republican Party represents ONLY morons, racists, bigots, white supremacists, and extreme fundamentalist Christian fanatics.

Today’s Republican Party is truly the White Christian Nationalist Party.

Today’s Republican Party does not care one ounce about true conservative or “traditional” Republican political policies or beliefs.

Intelligent conservatives have absolutely no voice in American politics today since they have been totally abandoned by today’s Republican Party.

The greatest threat and danger to America, American freedom and democracy and the American people is today’s Republican Party.

It is vitally important that every American with a brain who actually cares anything about our country vote against EVERY Republican candidate for EVERY office in EVERY election at EVERY level.

The future of America truly depends on defeating today’s Republican Party!

TAFN

RELIGIOUS OBSERVATIONS

 

After a month’s hiatus BOBSERVATIONS returns with some religious observations – or rather Bobservations.
 
Many years ago, when visiting Mexico City, I took a local “Grey Line” bus tour of the city.  One of the stops was a prominent local Catholic church to view the splendor of the architecture and the sanctuary.  That day in the sanctuary parishioners were hard at work polishing the gold and silver in the statuary, artwork and fixtures.  Outside on the steps of the church poor individuals with a variety of illnesses and deformities were begging for coins.
 
While I acknowledge the good works, in terms of social welfare and charity, done by churches, church groups and religious individuals, I very seriously believe that in the history of mankind more evil than good has been done in the name of a god or God or religion – up to and including the damage done to American freedom, democracy and values today by the fake Christian so-called “Evangelicals” of the racist and repressive Religious Right.
 
Too many Americans who call themselves “Christian” today have no concept of, and do not believe or follow, the actual teachings of Christ.  They use and distort religion and the Bible to justify and legitimize their prejudices and bigotry.
 
TAFN

TODAY'S REPUBLICAN PARTY

Today’s Republican Party –

· Downplays and excuses an armed insurrection and assault on the US Capital.
 
· Promotes lies that undermine our democratic elections.
 
· Attempts to repress the free education of history, social studies and science.
 
· Attempts to repress voting by those who oppose its agenda.
 
· Promotes and attempts to legislate the erroneous racist and repressive beliefs of a specific religious sect.
 
· Refuses to take measures to stop constant mass shootings by properly administering and controlling gun ownership.
 
· Refuses to hold Republican office-holders and leaders accountable for crimes.

 
If you support today’s Republican Party you obviously support the above policies – and you are a threat and danger to America and American democracy.

TAFN

LOOKING BACK AND LOOKING FORWARD

 

As we approach the end of 2022, I acknowledge that there was much to celebrate this year. 

1. President Biden and the Democrats in Congress continued, and continues, to work to undo the damage done to America and the world by the Trump presidency and to deal with the problems facing our country today with competence, intelligence and integrity.

2. In November intelligence and patriotism won out over ignorance, bigotry and treason in my home state of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the country.   

Unfortunately, the three absolute worst Republican Congresspersons - Taylor Greene, Boebert and Gaetz - won re-election.  Two complete morons and a suspected pedophile and sex trafficker.  This is a sad commentary on the state of ignorance, racism and bigotry in America today.

3. The Trump Organization was convicted of tax fraud.

4. The January 6^th Committee completed its extensive investigation of the insurrection, released its report, and recommended criminal charges be filed against Trump.

There is much work to be done in 2023.  We must continue to be vigilant and to oppose and denounce the Republican Party and vote against all Republican candidates for all offices at all levels.

As I have said before in various venues, although it is beginning to finally attempt to distance itself from Trump and his lies, by continuing to embrace the racist, bigoted and repressive agenda of the fake Christian “Evangelicals” of the Religious Right today’s Republican Party remains the greatest threat to America, American values and American freedom and democracy.  The once “Grand Old Party” has truly become the White Christian Nationalist Party.

By playing down and whitewashing the January 6^th insurrection and opposing the work and findings of the January 6^th Committee, not because it believes the attack or the reasons for it to be legitimate but because it does not want to lose the votes of Trump’s cult of ignorant racists and bigots, the Republican Party has proven that it has no conscience and puts the Party’s interests, and remaining in power, ahead of the Constitution, democracy and the country.

And let us hope that 2023 brings the indictment, prosecution, conviction, and imprisonment of Trump for his multitude of federal and state crimes.  It is vital for the future of our democracy that this corrupt, deplorable and despicable malignant narcissist be held accountable for his actions.

On a sad personal note, this year I mourned the passing of a long-time friend from grammar school, high school and college – Howard Levine.  We have been friends for almost 60 years - I believe we first met in the third grade.  In our high school and college days we were involved together in various political issues of the day – as leaders of the local Vote 18 campaign.  He is one of the small handful of friends from grammar school that I saw in person at least once a year every single year since we left school (at tax time).

TAFN