BloggeRhythms

Donald Trump’s taken full advantage of significant name recognition. Primarily as host of a reality game show. Additionally, he’s leveraged inherited wealth into real estate ventures of questionable worth, perhaps as much as several billion dollars depending on whose evaluation is used as a measure.

 

As many citizens currently realize, he’s now devised a presidential campaign primarily based on selecting several hot button issues having significant interest to voters, then sniping at other candidates from the sidelines though having no identifiable service in public office himself. In effect, he’s taken the same approach as outsiders Ralph Nader and Ross Perot, nitpicking issues and other competitors. While neither proved able to garner much success, both were far more dignified and professional in their political quests.

 

As far as Trump’s concerned, he’s received little mention here, because his commentary’s not worth the exercise, while his campaign’s more like a sideshow than a valid run for the office. However, he’s now reached a low in mudslinging that even Richard Nixon might think nasty and politically unwarranted. 

 

According to politico.com, at the Family Leadership Summit Saturday in Ames, Iowa, Trump attacked Senator John McCain saying, “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

 

That slur on McCain, caused some research which shows that on April 28, 2011 as per @thesmokinggun.com: “Despite Donald Trump’s claim this week that he avoided serving in the Vietnam War solely due to a high draft number, Selective Service records show that the purported presidential aspirant actually received a series of student deferments while in college and then topped those off with a medical deferment after graduation that helped spare him from fighting for his country, The Smoking Gun has learned.”

 

On the other hand, Wikipedia contains information from October 26, 1967, that Senator McCain was ”flying his 23rd bombing mission over North Vietnam when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi. McCain fractured both arms and a leg ejecting from the aircraft, and nearly drowned when he parachuted into Trúc Bạch Lake. Some North Vietnamese pulled him ashore, then others crushed his shoulder with a rifle butt and bayoneted him. McCain was then transported to Hanoi's main Hỏa Lò Prison, nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton".

 

Additionally, Wikipedia states that, “In mid-1968, John S. McCain Jr. four-star United States Navy admiral (Senator McCain's father) was named commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater, and the North Vietnamese offered McCain early release because they wanted to appear merciful for propaganda purposes, and also to show other POWs that elite prisoners were willing to be treated preferentially. McCain turned down the offer; he would only accept repatriation if every man taken in before him was released as well. Such early release was prohibited by the POW's interpretation of the military Code of Conduct: To prevent the enemy from using prisoners for propaganda, officers were to agree to be released in the order in which they were captured."

 

Therefore, whatever one’s feelings about Senator McCain or his politics, when his country called he stepped up like the man he is and not only served with honor, risked his life many times while doing so. To the extent that he chose remaining in one of the world’s worst hell-holes, the “Hanoi Hilton” rather than capitulating to an enemy for their propaganda purposes.

 

What’s most depressing about the preceding scenario is that, aside from a back-seat driver like Trump disparaging an American hero, there seem to be many illiterate, uninformed, similarly spoiled parasites willing to listen to and support self-promoting blowhards who’ve done nothing to earn the positions they seek.

 

Which means that the next time the U.S. is attacked, Trump supporters wouldn’t mind if the entire armed forces sought deferments or instead, called in sick.    

 

Which brings us to today’s update on Bill Clinton’s wife.

 

John Wagner @washingtonpost.com, writes that “Bernie Sanders drew more than 11,000 people to a rally Saturday night in downtown Phoenix -- the largest crowd to date for a presidential candidate whose audiences have been swelling in recent months.

 

“The Vermont senator, who has emerged as the leading alternative to Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic nomination, got a rock-star-like reception from supporters who streamed into a cavernous lower-level room of the city's convention center.

“Aides to the self-described democratic socialist had originally booked a Phoenix theater that could accommodate fewer than half the number of people who turned out. The crowd estimate of more than 11,000 people was provided by staff at the convention center, where Sanders also appeared Saturday at a convention of progressive activists.”

While the article speaks for itself, the most important thing to note is that there is still almost a year and a half left to go until November 2016. Leaving plenty of time for Democrats to throw their support behind another presidential contender, such as Mayor Bloomberg or Joe Biden.

So, the question remains: Are they reading this?

That's it for today folks.

Adios