kanesrealm

The first rule of politics is never underestimate your opponent. Every Republican candidate did this concerning Donald Trump. Not one of them took him on aggressively from day one. The presumptive nominee, Jeb Bush, allowed Trump to define him as a low energy clueless dolt for weeks before attempting what repeatedly was a weak counterattack. The rest of them ducked for cover hoping not to be a target. Trump chose Bush as his first victim because he knew that strategically he had to dispatch him quickly. Trump has repeated this pattern each time a new person rose in the ranks. But still the field failed to take his candidacy seriously. Donald Trump has been threatening to run for President since 1996. The Republican Party in theory should have a massive oppo research file on him but they don't. The reason is as simple as underestimating him and also repeatedly going to him for political donations. Like any smart businessman he has spread the wealth over both major parties and indiv...

When last we metaphorically met Jeb Bush was plotting his long-term plans to take the nomination through a strong showing in South Carolina. He dropped out within a few hours of the polls closing. It couldn't have been an easy decision but it was the right decision, the man who would be king finally realized it was never going to happen. Ben Carson finished in an even weaker position and he has failed to catch fire in anyway in any of the contests so far. Here's the big reveal, he never will. He too should have already dropped out but he just can't bring himself to end his vanity campaign. Perhaps he thinks he can be a Vice-Presidential contender but that too is not going to happen. He wouldn't bring anything of value to the ticket. John Kasich is simply never going to build the enthusiasm necessary to succeed. He will be irrelevant, if not gone, after Super Tuesday. Ted Cruz came in third in South Carolina, proving that his alleged strength with evangelicals is not...

Far be it from me to toot my own horn but, toot toot. Alright maybe I don't deserve that second toot. I got the Republican lineup in New Hampshire right except Kasich was not within 5 points of Trump. Cruz squeaked in at number three with a 1 point difference between he and Bush. Trump's victory speech was delivered like he had just won an Oscar. I'd like to thank my family, my assistant and the academy. It took a long time to get to the thanking of the people of New Hampshire. I'm beginning to wonder if any of the other Republicans are going to be able to stop Donald Trump. The popular opinion among the pundits is that once it becomes a one on one race Trump will be taken down, I am not convinced. The question mark surrounding Trump is this; is he your loudmouth uncle that makes you cringe but essentially has a good heart or is he our own Mussolini? On the Democratic side my prediction was partially correct except for the fact that Clinton did not close the gap, she ...

I watched the ABC Republican Debate on Saturday night, unfortunately until they get down to two or three candidates left standing on the stage it's just not informative. It was fun to watch Chris Christie rip Marco Rubio to shreds. More interesting is to see that Rubio really does come across as a pod person. He is so programmed with his answers that they are not answers. It's one thing to be disciplined and stick to your message, it's quite another to appear incapable of thinking on your feet. I stand by my own analysis in contradiction to the talking heads prior to that debate, Rubio is not going to be the nominee and he will fizzle. New Hampshire votes tomorrow and I know you're on pins and needles waiting for my predictions. So it's game on. For the Republicans the order will be 1. Trump 2.Kasich 3. Bush 4.Rubio 5. Cruz. Now watch closely because Kasich is going to be within 5 points of Trump. If Republican primary voters going forward were thinking strategica...

The Republican Party is officially scared of Donald Trump but they shouldn't be. Sure, if he gets the nomination they will once again lose the White House but that might actually be what needs to happen to reshape the party into a modern forward thinking ideology that can actually have appeal. Donald Trump is an anathema. Any other person would have already been driven out of the race for their frequent insults and fact challenged speeches. Fortunately for Trump his supporters don't care about his behavior, in fact it's why they're following him. They want his outrageousness. They want to hear his vitriolic assaults on those he dislikes and to listen to him bash entire cultures and nationalities. They are angry and  letting Trump be their blowhorn. The big question is will they actually vote for him when the caucuses and primaries begin? What does he actually stand for? Advancing the Trump name is the answer. It certainly isn't because of his carefully thought out...

Jeb Bush wants to be President of the United States but his campaign is stuck in a muddy ditch. The wheels are spinning and it seems he can gain no traction. So what went wrong? The Bush Campaign has announced it's slashing salaries by 40%, a fiscally wise decision but a horrible political one. Is there blood in the water? As an observer I've struggled to understand why such a well known figure in American politics is struggling so hard to gain momentum. It's not because the field is so large, it's about Bush himself. What exactly does he stand for? Sure he repeatedly denounces the Obama Presidency, repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act, bad foreign policy, blah, blah, blah...It's boring and uninspiring. What does he really want to achieve other than to be the Republican who replaces the Democrat? There are plenty of those to choose from. Not only has he not distinguished himself but he often comes off as being pissed off that he needs to. On paper he's the pe...

Republican Presidential hopeful Scott Walker has declined to take a public position on Donald Trumps recent immigration policy recommendations, including his comments about so called "anchor babies" and the 14th Amendment. Not exactly Presidential but perhaps wise for his campaign. In the interest of truth and intellectual pursuit I decided to revisit the 14th Amendment. There are five sections but it is the first that is applicable. Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The 14th Amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868 and was largely about ...

Media reports and punditorials (not a real word but it should be) are trying hard to spin the narrative that we have a brewing battle between rival political dynasties. In one corner the Bushes and in the other the Clintons. Our crack editorial team or is it cracked, has consulted with the prestigious word consultants Funk and Wagnell. According to them the analogy is slightly off. In our beloved country we do have some families that seem to have members that are always running for something. They prefer to think of themselves as civic minded individuals following proud family traditions. Speaking of dynasties wouldn't it be exciting if there had been a Presidential battle royal between Blake Carrington and Alexis Carrington-Colby, oh, even better, J.R. Ewing versus Angela Channing. Are these T.V. references too old? Angela Channing was played by Jane Wyman, who was Ronald Reagan's first wife, so by the  transformative laws of celebrity this could have all happened. Now bac...

I have little patience with ignorant people. I'm not referring to those who have never had an opportunity to learn or the encouragement to pursue knowledge on their own. I'm talking about the willfully ignorant. Those so proud of their ignorance they want to share it with the world. Some of the biggest offenders are those who wish to wear their faith like a lapel pin. Former U.S. Senator and Presidential candidate once again Rick Santorum is a Roman Catholic who sings it from the bell tower. Lately he's expressed unhappiness with Pope Francis' views on a wide range of topics. Most recently he said the Pope shouldn't be talking about climate change. Pope Francis is about to issue a 192 page encyclical on that subject. Santorum has said that he himself is not a scientist, but he doesn't believe climate change is a real issue. He said the Pope should leave science to the scientists, that the church has gotten science wrong before. Francis has a masters degree in c...