The 2016 Republican presidential candidates and many other Republican elected officials and leaders are constantly bashing President Obama. Russia is among their favorite topics to complain about and right now it seems to be the flavor of the month.

Of course, that could change at any given moment. After all, their political bashing of the President is a political game of opportunity. And because Putin has been very active lately they are content to focus on Russia. They say that because President Obama is such a weak President, Russia has lost all respect for America and become emboldened.

They say that Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea and is boldly expanding Russia’s presence in Syria and grabbing power there because of President Obama’s weakness as a leader. I beg to differ; all of these politicians that are constantly complaining about President Obama being weak and blaming him for what Putin is doing are doing so strictly for political reasons.

They are well aware that the situation surrounding Vladimir Putin’s decision to ignore American warnings and take the recent bold steps that he has to grab power are much more complex than what they label as the results of America’s weak President. They know full well that it is not America alone that is entangled in Russian President Putin’s strategic web and grappling with how to address this problem with the necessary political adroitness; they know that there are European countries which are also involved and that they are struggling with this issue as well. Mr. Putin also knows this and he knows that everything is all about the money.

Politics seems to always be all about the money and that is why I – and likely many, many other Americans – find politics so hard to swallow most times. We know that politics is what makes our democratic system run but we loathe the fact that far too many of our politicians choose to play politics rather than to make a sincere effort to fix the system so that it will run properly, fairly and – possibly, more smoothly.

To all of the politicians who are finger pointing, calling President Obama a weak leader and blaming him for what Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing and everything else that is not right in the world, I say shame on you! Unfortunately, this is what we Americans have grown accustomed to and accept as ‘just the way that it is’ because this is how our political system works and we cannot do a thing about it. Shame on us!

We should not allow these politicians, politicians that we elected to office and can remove from office, to fool us and dictate to us that we must live with a political system that serves them and their interest rather than the interest of all of the American people. How is it that we have become so gullible and weak?! If anyone is weak it is not President Obama; it is us, the American voters!

If you have been following the Republican presidential debates then you know which candidate is leading in the polls. In the event that you are not aware of who is leading, it is Mr. Donald Trump (a.k.a., The Donald). The Donald is a highly successful businessman with no political experience. He has made comments that would have long ago brought about the demise of any conventional candidate; yet, he continues to remain at the top of the polls. Even if you eschew politics and know very little about it, you likely know that this is a real anomaly.

Those who support Mr. Trump are avid in that support and it seems that he can do nothing wrong in their eyes. Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to a female Trump supporter on the ‘All In With Chris Hayes’ show as she explained why she so strongly supported Mr. Trump. She was very articulate and did not appear to be at all nervous.

She was never at a loss for words when she defended the negative statements that Mr. Trump has made and she was not intimidated by Chris Hayes when he tried to make her see why many Americans are oftentimes offended by Mr. Trump’s remarks. Instead, she fired back at him with statements supporting Mr. Trump’s rationale. She also strongly defended him on how he handled the latest situation with a man in the audience who made some very unflattering remarks about Muslims.

Before Chris Hayes closed his interview with her she said that Americans are sick and tired of politicians who do not listen to the American people. She said that America needs a businessman in office who knows how to make and close deals that will be favorable to Americans and that Mr. Trump could do that. And finally, she said no matter what he does or says the establishment and the media would be against him.

This woman voiced the frustration that many Americans are feeling. It is due in large part because of these feelings that Donald Trump is leading in the polls. Right now there are few if any indicators that signal a possible decrease in his momentum. If traditional Republican presidential candidates continue to underestimate Mr. Trump it is possible that he could end up as the Republican nominee.

No matter who the ultimate nominee is for each Party, I ask that all voters exercise their right to vote. Whether we are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent we have the power to force our politicians to fix the problems in our political system. That power lies in our vote and we should always make our vote count. So always remember, your vote is the most important one of all… unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis

If you watched the video of the takedown by a plainclothes NYPD police officer of retired tennis star James Blake in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, I think that you would agree that policing is still a problem when it comes to people of color. Both New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio and police commissioner William Bratton have since apologized to Mr. Blake for the incident.

Initially, however; Commissioner Bratton defended the officer involved saying that Mr. Blake looked exactly like the suspect in an identity theft ring. Based on a CNN report, when questioned as to whether how the arrest took place was related to race, the commissioner responded, “Let’s put that nonsense to rest right now, race has nothing to do with this.”

In addition, Patrick Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) was indignant because the officer – James Frascatore, who was involved in the incident, was assigned to desk duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Surly you remember Patrick Lynch; he was prominent in instigating the disrespect that was displayed toward Mayor DeBlasio after a deranged man shot two unsuspecting NYPD police officers to death. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by Pervaiz Shallwani, Mr. Lynch “said that placing the officer on modified duty was ‘premature and unwarranted’.”

Subsequent to that comment, per Polly Mosendz of Newsweek, Mr. Lynch sent the following email to reporters:

“To all arm-chair judges:

if you have never struggled with someone who is resisting arrest or who pulled a gun or knife on you when you approached them for breaking a law, then you are not qualified to judge the actions of police officers putting themselves in harm’s way for the public good.

It is mystifying to all police officers to see pundits and editorial writers whose only expertise is writing fast-breaking, personal opinion, and who have never faced the dangers that police officers routinely do, come to instant conclusions that an officer’s actions were wrong based upon nothing but a silent video. That is irresponsible, unjust and un-American. Worse than that, your uninformed rhetoric is inflammatory and only serves to worsen police/community relations.

In the unfortunate case of former tennis pro, James Blake, — who was clearly but mistakenly identified by a complainant — there certainly can be mitigating circumstances which caused the officer to handle the situation in the manner he did. Do they exist? Frankly, no one will know for sure until there is a full and complete investigation. That is why no one should ever jump to an uninformed conclusion based upon a few seconds of video. Let all of the facts lead where they will, but police officers have earned the benefit of the doubt because of the dangers we routinely face.

The men and women of the NYPD are once again disheartened to read another the knee-jerk reaction from ivory tower pundits who enjoy the safety provided by our police department without understanding the very real risks that we take to provide that safety. Due process is the American way of obtaining justice, not summary professional execution called for by editorial writers.”

Sincerely,

Patrick J. Lynch                                                                                                                   President

I don’t know about you but I think that by addressing his email to all ‘arm-chair’ judges and then talking in the body of that email about those who jump to conclusions based on a few seconds of video, he is not just referring to reporters and pundits; he is referring to people like me as well. I am among those who strongly believe that policing is a problem in our country, that all citizens are not treated the same by some of our police officers and that – but for the fact that some of the excessive force used by some police officers was on video tape – those policemen would have gotten away with murder. That must be taken into consideration and this problem must be confronted, addressed and solved.

As regards Commissioner Bratton, he seems to be a good and reasonable person who is simply trying to do his job. He might truly believe, as many others do, that the police treat all citizens equally and do not judge anyone based on the color of their skin. The preponderance of the police officers on police forces around the country probably know that this is not the case and they do not agree with or condone what their fellow police officers do when they use excessive force based on race or for any other reason.

But the problem is that none of them are strong enough to speak up and participate in doing something to address this problem. They are all too scared to touch it! Can you believe that? I can. Although it would appear that – if simply by virtue of the career that they have chosen – these officers are not cowards, there has to be something that is preventing them from taking on this issue.

If we refuse to admit that we have a problem then there will be no way that we can formulate strategies to correct it and ultimately rid ourselves of it. Although those like Commissioner Bratton and the president of the PBA might be good and reasonable people with good intentions, they are actually a part of the problem. They need to resolve to take as many steps back from the situation as necessary so that they can become reasonable participants in discussions and the development of strategies to attack this problem.

I believe that every reasonable and law-abiding person, no matter the color of their skin, want to see the police do the job that they were hired to do and to see justice served. They just want to see it served equally under the law for all people regardless of the color of their skin.

They want to be willing to step up and assist the police in any way that they can – even if at times it may involve risking their own life, to prevent a police officer from being harmed and to apprehend criminals. But many people, especially people of color, are afraid to do this because of the current relationship that exists between the police and the community members that they are sworn to protect and serve. They – again, especially people of color, are afraid that if they are not a known and accepted member of the ‘police family community’, even if at a crime scene they are making an effort to assist a police officer, they are more likely to be viewed by officers who respond to assist a fallen officer as foe rather than friend.

And under these circumstances, that could equate to a life-or-death situation for them; especially in light of the fact that there are those officers who readily and constantly use excessive force. It does not matter how few of them that there are on each police force. What matters is the image of the police force that those few have instilled into the minds of community members and the fear that those community members have of them.

This is likely why that many citizens who want to assist law enforcement officials do not do so. And that is also why that people like Commissioner Bratton, PBA president Patrick Lynch and police officers – from the street cop to the top cop, on police forces around the country must take their heads out of the sand and rationally assess this continuously eroding situation that exists between the police and communities. They must step up and help to resolve the problem of unequal justice under the law and the use of excessive force by police officers.

Mr. Blake was unwilling to say that his arrest was based on race or that the quick release and apology that he received was based on his celebrity status. But he did say that he has a voice and a platform from which to address what happened to him. He then asked, what about those who are not celebrities and who do not have a voice? Would they have been treated the same way that he was subsequent to their arrest?

What do you think? And no matter whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent; whether you are a liberal, conservative or Libertarian; no matter your color, creed or ethnicity; do you really believe that a white person in that same setting – whether or not they were a celebrity, would have been treated in that same manner? Really think about it. Do you?

Eulus Dennis

The longer that I follow Senator Bernie Sanders and the more that I listen to him talk about what he stands for, the more I like him as a 2016 presidential candidate. He is saying a lot of things that I agree with, he is a straight talker and – when someone asks him a question about where he stands on an issue, he tells them. He does not deflect the question that was asked, talk about everything related to it and then formulate his own question and answer that. I like that about him.

Although he has been in politics for a long time he does not conduct himself like the regular politician. Americans are not flocking to Senator Sanders only because he has a message that resonates with middleclass Americans; they are flocking to him because although he is a longtime politician he does not conduct himself like all of the other longtime Washington politician.

He constantly emphasizes that he does not accept contributions from big money and that he does not have a PAC. He says that he has taken this position because it is time for billionaires and millionaires to accept the fact that they cannot continue to buy elections and that they must carry their fair share of America’s financial load. He says that it is time to rebuild the middleclass and stop ignoring them. If we mobilize enough people we can accomplish this, he says.

Although Senator Sanders caucuses with the Democrats he is not a Democrat he is an Independent. At this point, I do not think that he can derail Hillary Clinton’s run to become the nominee but he can push her to step up and become a stronger and more forthright candidate. I believe that Secretary Clinton would be a good and strong President but I think that she is going to have to be willing to display and, if she is elected, provide strong support to middleclass Americans. She will need to work hard and find a way to revive this all but extinct class that was once the backbone of America.

Secretary Clinton has admitted that she made some missteps when she was Secretary Of State in how she dealt with setting up a server that was, at best, unconventional. Although she says that she will ultimately be exonerated of any wrongdoing and this will be made evident to the American people, it has given the Republicans a vehicle by which to keep the public focused on the possibility of a smoking gun in her emails rather than on the real issues that she would like to discuss in her presidential campaign.

Senator Sanders is unlikely to become the Democratic nominee but stranger things have happened. And with the way that things are going right now even though Hillary Clinton still appears to be the heir apparent all of her supporters should be shouting to her, ‘just run Hillary and don’t look back!’ They should leave out the ‘something is gaining on you’ part because that might frighten her and cause her to stumble; that would only make matters worse!

One does not have to look too far to find that stranger things actually have happened. Case-in-point; The Donald! Who would have ever thought that he would still even be in the race let alone leading the Republican pack? There is still a long way to go to reach the primaries and Mr. Trump can still stumble. But don’t count him out. He is a lot smarter at reading people (voters) than his opponents and the public give him credit for. He has a knack for reading the people, doing a risk analysis on the fly, making any needed adjustments and attacking from a more advantageous position. It’s the art of the deal…political version!

And with the large lead that he has on all of the other candidates, he could lose a lot of points and still be fine. So everyone who is working and betting against him had better have all of their ducks in a row and even then they had better proceed with caution.

And as far as Secretary Clinton is concerned, what she needs to take from this situation with The Donald is that ‘stranger things have happened.’ Then, she should act accordingly as she moves forward in her own campaign. Otherwise, if she is not careful, she may find herself totally engulfed in the berning flame of a Senator called Bernie Sanders and that would not be good. It could spell her demise. Not likely; but stranger things have happened!

Eulus Dennis

Don’t you find it interesting that the RNC pressed Donald Trump until he signed the RNC loyalty pledge, which requires that he support the Republican nominee no matter who the nominee is; yet Republicans are not willing to reciprocate? Instead, they are refusing to allow him access to some of the same information that they are making available to other candidates.

At the same time, according to an article in The New York Times by Nicholas Confessore dated September 4, 2015, “Republican strategists and donors have assembled focus groups to test negative messages about Mr. Trump” and they are huddling in various small groups and strategizing on how to sabotage his campaign so that they can foil any chance that he might have at becoming the nominee himself.

They want to stop The Donald. They want to trump The Trump! Can you imagine that? What Republicans do not seem to realize is that there are Jokers in this deck, that in this game Jokers are wild and The Donald is holding both of them. With what they are doing to try to stop him could you blame him if – should he not become the nominee – he rips that RNC pledge that he signed into really tiny pieces, summons Reince Priebus to his office (again) and declares it null-and-void as he tosses those pieces into the air and lets them rain down on Mr. Priebus’ head?

It is glaringly obvious that the Republican Party wants The Donald gone but right now, they are totally baffled as to how to get him there. None of the key players wants to attack him directly because it could backfire on them, hurt the candidate that they are supporting and slingshot Mr. Trump even further ahead of the pack.

Even worse – whether successful or not, this frontal attack – where the responsible party or organization could be easily identified – could doom that party or organization as a viable support mechanism for any 2016 presidential candidate because they would have no cover at all to deny (lie) to those who support Mr. Trump that they had any part in trying to sabotage his campaign. The ability to deny complicity and deflect blame would be extremely important because, if they are successful at stopping Mr. Trump or should he simply falter at some point, their candidate would likely need those Trump supporter’s votes to help them become the nominee.

Right now, Republicans are quietly recruiting as many cohorts as they possibly can, including the media, to turn on The Donald and pummel him with everything that they’ve got. I have read articles that have condemned Mr. Trump as being a hypocrite for saying that those candidates who are supported by big money and PACs are nothing more than bought puppets.

One article that I read even implied that The Donald was basically trying to do to the media and some of the 2016 presidential candidates what he has accused big money and PACs of doing to those candidates; kind of in the same vein as, or like, what some people came to refer to as reverse discrimination. It’s the same thing, only different. It said; “Fans boast that Trump is so rich, he’ll never be beholden to anyone. Maybe. But just as important, who is beholden to him? Other Politicians? Members of the media? Insiders whisper that some media folks have received free memberships to Trump’s Palm Beach club, Mar-a-Largo. Such a gift doesn’t necessarily buy favorable coverage, but one wouldn’t be silly for thinking so.”

Oh, if only the media had – or just as important, would, pound on having big money and PACs removed from political elections with the same spirit and intensity with which some of these articles are now pounding on The Donald. Instead, decisions like Citizens United cruised in and were quickly forgotten as the media moved on to the next big political story. I know: we can’t dwell in the past and moneymaking sought after ‘news’ is by definition current events. Alas, we must move on.

But I, along with a myriad of other Americans have been longing for and admonishing our Washington politicians to find a way to remove big money from politics for years but to no avail. Those admonitions have fallen on deaf ears because too many politicians are afraid and loathe going against big money, which is synonymous with power.

But now that we have entered Trumpdome (The temporary age of Trump…hopefully only temporary) and big money is baffled because their plane loads of money can’t even buy them a toehold against The Donald, they want to cry into their morning cup of coffee and cry out, unfair! I would like to say that now they know how the everyday American feels and has felt for years but they have not yet even come close to that feeling.

They have barely received a sip of what they perceive as this unfair concoction and have immediately spat it out because of the awful and all but unbearably bitter taste that it left in their mouth… But, for whatever reason, they view it as alright when they do to everyday Americans what they allege that Mr. Trump is doing to them. Their thought process is puzzling.

Just like Mr. Trump has forced the Republican Party to talk about things that they previously never talked about and address issues that they have previously refused to address, perhaps he will be the catalyst that forces them to stop building facades of a Party tent that is bigger and more inclusive and actually build a real bigger and more inclusive Party tent. While Republicans complain about The Donald being the man who is destroying the GOP, he may ultimately turn out to be its savior.

Republicans complain that Mr. Trump is chasing African Americans, Latinos, immigrants and women away from the Republican Party but he is really chasing them away from the facades that it has built and continues to build. This will force the Republican Party to be genuine in their pursuit of these groups and ultimately, they might have to say thank you to Mr. Trump whether or not he becomes their nominee because he will have saved the Party from utter ruin. Win or lose – if that ever happens, as I have said before and will probably say many more times before The Donald leaves the 2016 Republican presidential candidate stage, can’t you just see that patented Trump smile?

If he loses, even if he didn’t verbalize it, no problem you bunch of losers, he would likely think! And if he wins…no problem you bunch of losers, he would likely think! That’s Trump for you.

Eulus Dennis

Did the GOP totally underestimate Donald Trump and as a result are being summoned by him to their day of reckoning? It is still too early to say that this is the case but should things continue to go in Mr. Trump’s favor we all know that he will not be shy about calling them onto the carpet. You’re fired, he would likely arrogantly bellow to those that he would even more likely label as a bunch of ‘losers!’

Although Mr. Trump is still a long way from becoming the Republican nominee so has not yet declared this ‘day of reckoning’, many Republicans now recognize him as a formidable force and are beginning to formulate strategies on how to stop him or, at least, slow his momentum to a manageable pace, which would give them more time to…figure out how to stop him.

The problem is that in trying to meet the challenge that Mr. Trump has presented the Party with, they are continuing to stubbornly hang on to politicians’ old, worn-out, self-serving, Washington ways of doing things. Just as they have done in times past (e.g., the 2012 presidential election) they either assign little meaning to or totally ignore any polls that do not coincide with their numbers and way of thinking.

For instance – and there have been other polls and articles that have suggested this before, on August 31, 2015 Jim Tankersley wrote an article in The Washington Post that talked about how many Republicans and Americans overall feel about the economy in our country. The article is entitled Trump upends GOP message on economy. You can read the entire article, which I recommend that you do, by clicking on the preceding link. But following is some information quoted directly from Mr. Tankersley’s article that might be of interest to you:

In a 2014 Public Religion Research Institute survey, 57 percent of Republicans said immigrants mostly hurt the economy by driving down wages, compared with 33 percent who said they helped by providing low-cost labor. The nation as a whole split evenly on the question.

This year, the Pew Research Center found Republicans were evenly split on whether trade agreements helped or hurt their families; Americans in general were slightly more likely to say they had helped. Majorities of Republicans — and pluralities of all Americans — said trade deals lowered American workers’ wages and led to job losses in the United States.

Appealing to those sentiments is one way for GOP candidates to deliver on a promise they’ve been collectively making since the start of the campaign: to offer relief to American workers who have not only struggled through the Great Recession and its aftermath, but have seen their incomes stagnate over the past quarter-century.

That appeal is one that many conservatives, increasingly angry at GOP leadership, have embraced, and that they believe is a political and economic winner, the article said.

But the GOP leadership continues to reject having meaningful discussions on how to Address America’s economic challenges if those seeking these discussions do not first espouse the Republican Party’s long-held view of how to best fix the economy. It is Mr. Trump who is openly and boldly stating that measures considered to be taboo by the Republican Party also need to be considered in order to address these issues.

He is suggesting that things be done that fly in the face of how for about the past 30 years Republican leaders have said will be the best way to fix the American economy, help the middle class and assure the economy’s continued growth and success. He has even hinted at increasing taxes on the rich and big business. Establishment Republican leaders hate what Mr. Trump is doing and they are furious at him for doing it. With Donald Trump being who he is, all of this fury and anger seems to roll right off of his back and he just continues to press forward full speed ahead.

Right or wrong – for some reason that I cannot exactly put my finger on, the fact that Mr. Trump is saying a lot of things that make sense and sound appealing to me is scary. I do not think that he would make a good President and I do not want him to become President. However – at least at this point, I am not totally disappointed with the success that he is having because it is forcing all Republicans to bring to the fore and discuss issues that they have staunchly refused to even recognize as legitimate issues let alone to have discourse around them.

I have long said and will continue to say that there are many Republicans that have good and innovative ideas that would benefit all Americans if they were put forward, discussed and made law. Unfortunately, too often even the potential for these efforts to blossom are doused by powerful politicians who are either political hacks for their Party or are simply self-serving politicians who are primarily interested in lining their own pockets and/or furthering their political career.

If it takes Donald Trump to force politicians to finally step up and do the job that they were elected to do then so be it. Republicans are not the only politicians who are besmirching their oath of office and neglecting their responsibilities as elected officials; Democrats have their fair share of politicians who do this as well.

Since Mr. Trump is a very successful businessman he knows the lay of the land when it comes to big business and finance. Just because what he is saying is angering Republicans and causing them a lot of angst does not mean that what he is saying does not make sense and if implemented, according to the Republican leadership, would only lead to economic disaster.

What it does mean is that Republican leaders are afraid that because Donald Trump is a highly successful businessman who obviously knows the lay of the land his opinions will carry a lot of weight and to some degree reinforce and provide credibility to what Republicans reject as a liberal way of thinking. And because this does not fit into the Republican leadership’s way of thinking – kind of like Mr. Trump does not fit in, they feel that they must stop it in its tracks if not totally destroy it.

I think that all of the shouting, screaming and flailing of arms by many Republicans is more about Donald Trump not being a meaningless threat and as stupid as many in the Republican Party and the public thought that he would be than it is about him offending and alienating voters that the Republican Party direly needs if they are to win in 2016. After all, they have proven time-and-time again that they either have no real interest in building a bigger and more inclusive tent or they are incapable of achieving such a goal.

Well – so far, Mr. Trump has fooled a lot of folks. And since he is a Republican, it is members of the Republican Party and their 2016 presidential candidates that he has babbling and running around in circles as if they are completely psychotic. But Democrats had better not become so engrossed in enjoying the show that they become complacent. Because if the Democrats and their 2016 Democratic candidates for President fail to learn anything from what they have witnessed of Mr. Trumps foray into politics and are not extremely careful, ultimately, he may fool them as well.

Eulus Dennis

The Republican Party is at it again, when they really do not have to be and should not be, because they think that that is the only way that they can win. Although some of my readers are likely tired of hearing me say it I must say it again. Republicans have an awful lot of talented leaders with an awful lot of good ideas on how to run America and work to assure that it will prosper.

But this talent and all of these wonderful ideas are being squandered because there are no Republican statesmen that are willing to stand up for their party even in order to save it from demise. What a shame! Politicians have always played politics but there was a time when before things got to be completely ridiculous as a result of these political games other politicians in the Party would step forward and declare that enough was enough and put a stop to the antics.

It is becoming more and more apparent that this is not the case anymore. What is happening now in the Republican Party seems to be the new normal. There seems to be a win if you can, lose if you must but do whatever it takes to try to assure that you always win mentality. It is no secret that Republican Party run legislatures in many states around the country have set up roadblocks to obstruct as many people as possible from voting who normally vote for Democrats.

Based on the fact that there are not a lot of Republicans who have pushed back against what these states have done and are continuing to do speaks volumes about what matters most to these politicians; they would rather shore up their chances of being reelected than to stand up for what is the right thing to do. It is no leap whatsoever from what these states have already done to block voters from voting to what they are now doing in their efforts to rid their Party of Donald Trump as a 2016 presidential candidate.

What are they doing to try to stop Mr. Trump? Some state Republican Parties have decided that in order for a 2016 presidential candidate to be eligible to be on that state’s ballot, that candidate will be required to sign an oath to support the 2016 Party nominee. Why are they doing this to stop Mr. Trump? It is because they are afraid that he will kill all chances that they have of winning the White House in 2016.

Maybe this would not seem so bad if the Republican Party had not been tampering with democracy for the past six to eight years because they are afraid that, without doing so, they cannot effectively compete for the office of President of the United States. Again, the sad part about this whole Republican Party fiasco is that they did not – and still do not, have to resort to these kinds of tactics in order to win. They have plenty of capable politicians with good ideas that could be workable and good for the country if brought forward and given a chance to be implemented.

Republican politicians at local, state and federal levels are responsible for not giving these ideas a chance to be debated, possibly implemented and tested to see if they would be good for America and help our country to become a more perfect union.

I am genuinely concerned that there are not more meaningful solutions and innovative ideas that are being offered up by both political parties in an effort to solve the many problems that our country is faced with. And because these solutions and ideas are not being offered up, obviously there can be no debate happening around them. There is no doubt that our elected officials need to be working on potential solutions to our country’s problems rather than fooling around with political posturing and honing their political skills.

Americans are fed up with all of the political posturing and they are angry because this is what politicians have chosen to engage in rather than taking care of America’s business. They are expressing their anger via Mr. Trump. This is why he has the staunch following and support that he currently has; he is not a politician and he is not doing the regular politician stuff.

If the Republican Party really wants to rid itself of Donald Trump and have a chance of claiming the White House in 2016 then Republican elected officials at all levels of government had better wake up. They had better step up and start offering up the genuine good ideas that they have for making America better instead of dallying with all of this nonsense like trying to figure out how to best block the vote (or candidacy) of those who do not agree with them.

The fact that congress is doing virtually nothing to address the real problems that America is faced with should be of great concern to all Americans whether they are Democrats, Republicans or Independents. Those who deny that climate change is a real issue and that how we now live our lives in this country is a major contributor to it are dangerous to this and future generations; especially if they are elected officials who collectively have the power to prevent those who want to address the problem from doing so.

Once again, I encourage all eligible voters – no matter your Party affiliation, to do whatever it takes within the boundaries of the law to get beyond all roadblocks that are set up to prevent you from voting and get registered and vote. And always remember, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it! Hopefully, this slogan will help to encourage you as you fight your way through all challenges that you might be faced with anytime that you must overcome obstructive and unfair laws that have been implemented to prevent you from exercising your right to vote.

Your vote could be the one that decides which path that America will take. Will she take the path to mitigate the dangers that we are faced with by the warming of the earth to which we are major contributors or not? Will we fight to have equal justice under the law for all people or not? Will we address women’s rights issues in a reasonable way or will we simply allow it to be handled the same way that these same unreasonable politicians have chosen to handle voting rights and their problem with Donald Trump? Will America take the path of war, without any effort at diplomacy first; or – whenever possible, will she take the path of peace?

The problems that we are faced with in our democracy are not just a problem for people of color, women or immigrants to deal with; it is a problem for all Americans to deal with. Reverend Doctor William Barber of North Carolina was able to bring a large and diverse group of people together to address the aforementioned problems because he was able to convince them that each of those problems was not independent unto itself but they all come together to form the whole problem that we have in this democracy, which constitutes the lack of equal justice for all Americans.

We must come to realize and accept that America’s problems can be likened to the spokes in a wagon wheel. They are all like conduits that are connected to (feed into) the hub. Some spokes in a wheel can be ignored and become faulty – or even destroyed, without the wheel losing its ability to continue to function. But if spokes continue to be ignored when they become faulty or are completely lost then eventually the wheel will lose its ability to function. We must address these problems and fix them as Americans and not as individual political factions.

Decisions to questions like those mentioned previously and many other questions like them rest partially in our hands because the answers will be determined by those that we elect to represent us and how much serious thought they give to their responses to them. Let’s be sure that we do our part to put people into these positions whose first and foremost concern is to serve their country with honor. If we do that, then America will be able to meet and surmount any challenge.

Eulus Dennis

The closer that congress gets to the vote on the Iran nuclear deal the more that I find myself thinking about Senator Chuck Schumer and the power that he will hold as Senate Minority Leader. He seems to be the anointed one to succeed Senator Harry Reid; Senator Reid has even endorsed him. Not so fast. Unless there is some major political strategy (that has been discussed and agreed to between Senator Schumer and Senator Reid) going on here maybe senate Democrats should take a long, hard look at Senator Schumer before they decide whether they want to make him their official leader.

From my perspective (on the outside looking in), the Iran nuclear agreement is a big deal and for Senator Schumer to be among those Democratic Senators who will vote against it is also a big deal. Compared to the nuclear deal itself, of course, it is miniscule. But to compare it directly to the nuclear deal is not my intent. Instead, we can separate it out and move it over to the pile of congressional Democrats and Republicans who will be voting for or against the Iran nuclear deal. Then (in my humble opinion and from the outside looking in perspective) it is just as big a deal.

Not only is Senator Schumer voting against the deal but if he is calling other Senators and telling them why he is voting against the deal – although he says that he is not lobbying them to vote against it, in essence, he is. As important as this deal is and as intricate a part of the Obama Administration’s foreign policy as it is, the likely future Senate Minority Leader should not be working against the White House.

With the way that things are going, President Obama badly needs the help of every influential Democrat in congress to be working with him to assure that the Iran nuclear deal passes. He especially needs the likely future Senate Minority Leader to be in his corner. Harry Reid is there and so is House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. We all know that there have been plenty of rough roads that these two leaders have traveled with the President and that they have experienced many tough times when they disagreed with him but they have always come through in the clutch!

That is what a Democrat, whether they are the Majority Leader or Minority Leader, should do. Of course there will be times when ones principles demand that they stay the course whatever it might be. Let me be clear though, I am talking about one’s principles demanding that they stay the course and not one’s need to play politics, for whatever reason, making that demand.

Among those who are most likely to replace Senator Reid when he retires, Senator Schumer is probably the most experienced. Senator Reid obviously believes that Senator Schumer deserves the job or he would not have endorsed him. But the question is not whether or not he deserves the position; the real question is, based on the responsibilities of the Minority Leader and the strong and positive relationship that they must forge and maintain with the White House, is he equipped for it?

Based on the position that he has taken on the Iran nuclear deal there are some who think that he might not be equipped for it. Even the White House hinted that he might not be when, according to The New York Times, White House press secretary, Josh Earnest said “I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if there are individual members of the Senate Democratic caucus that will consider the voting record of those who say they would like to lead the caucus.”

Senator Schumer is a well-respected Senator who is looking forward to replacing Senator Reid when he retires. He likely will replace him. But he certainly did not do himself any favors by coming out against the Iran nuclear deal. This raises questions, and rightfully so, about whether or not he is equipped to do the job. Be careful, Senator Schumer; don’t become so overconfident that it evolves into cockiness or you might find yourself like me; on the outside looking in.

Eulus Dennis

Anymore, politicians are so involved in playing politics that they seem to have become blind, deaf and mute. They seem to have become completely blind and deaf but they are only selectively mute; they still talk plenty. They still practice demagoguery and pontificate on all things political and otherwise but they seldom have a principled conversation with American voters. They do not even talk to one another but talk passed or through each other in their endless campaign to get reelected.

It is for all of these reasons and more that they do not really see Donald Trump. Instead, they see a buffoon who they feel is too stupid to even know that by running for president he is only embarrassing himself, the Republican Party and the country. They are too busy basking in the sunshine of their own resumes and their ‘oh, look at me and how great I am’ mentality to realize that they are like the frog in a cool pot of water that is being slowly turned up. By the time that it realizes that it is going to boil to death, it is too late because it no longer has the strength to hop out of the water.

I think that Mr. Trump might be immune to insults. I think maybe that he is just sitting back and watching these politicians, evaluating their reactions to his moves, calculating their next move and then out maneuvering them. Then, I think that after he considers what the public reaction will be and runs a risk analysis – even if it is just a mental one (it would not surprise me if it is much more than just mental), he makes his next move. I think that he is loving this stuff. Can’t you just see that patented Trump smile?

Our politicians are in a quandary whether they realize it or not. As a result, Donald Trump is a real threat; and not to just Republicans. It is starting to look like he could stand a real chance of becoming the Republican nominee to become President of the United States of America. That is a scary thought. I’m afraid to even put into words that he might even stand a snowball’s chance in h – – – of becoming the President of… That is just entirely to frightening to articulate!

All of the top political pundits said that he would not last as long as the blink of an eye in the whole scheme of the presidential election process; but he has. Then when he made his infamous comment about Mexicans they again said that he would not last; but he has. And later when he followed up his comment about Mexicans by bashing Senator John McCain and his war record they said he would not last for sure; but he has. And finally, when he attacked Fox News’ Megyn Kelly and all of the other Republican presidential candidates piled on and criticized him for it they thought, really for sure he is gone this time; but he is still in the race.

Not only is he still in the race but he is still at the top of the polls. He is capitalizing on all of the frustration and anger of the American voters at Washington politician for ignoring us for so long while cozying up to big money and other special interest groups. Yet even with all that is going on around them these politicians remain so hell-bent on playing by the political rules that they have become so accustomed to that they are unable to recognize the potential disaster that looms for both Parties; Donald Trump has the potential to actually become…

Perhaps he would not be any worse than any of them but the same as them only in a different way. Whereas they would continue to play politics and ignore us, continue to cater to big money and other special interest groups; Mr. Trump would likely listen to us – and if he did not like what we were saying, belittle us and call us a bunch of losers then do whatever he wanted to do anyway, the results would be the same. We would still be ignored and our collective voice as voters would remain without meaning until we implement effective election reform and make sure that we exercise our right to vote. Then when we vote, we could make them hear our voice instead of just those voices of big money and special interest groups.

In the meantime, Donald Trump marches on. According to an article in the Associated Press by Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey, Mr. Trump showed up at the Iowa State Fair in his helicopter while Hillary Clinton was being followed by a large crowd seeking to “get a photograph, a handshake or a quick hello.” While they were following her, Mr. Trump’s helicopter circled overhead. According to the article one man shouted, “There’s Trump!” His helicopter landed and he offered free rides to children before taking questions from reporters and working the crowd, the article said. Quite the showman, huh?

If Washington politicians do not wake up, shape up and straighten up and fly right, who knows, there just might be a big ‘T’ on the White House after the 2016 elections: scary thought, isn’t it?

Eulus Dennis

New York Democrat Charles Schumer, the Democrat who is in line to replace Harry Reid as U.S. Senate Minority Leader, announced recently that he would vote against the Iran nuclear deal. He also said that he would be encouraging other congressional Democrats to do so as well.

In the meantime President Obama has stated repeatedly that the Republicans strong opposition to the Iran deal is based on politics and not on merit. Knowing what I know about how the Republicans have opposed the president on almost everything that he has supported, including many proposals that they also supported until he put his support behind them, I agree with President Obama’s assessment. Republican leaders have long made it clear as to what their main goal is concerning President Obama.

Not only did they want to make him a one-term president but it appears that since that did not work, they are still determined to ruin – if not completely destroy his legacy. Having said that, I want to return to my thoughts about Senator Schumer and his decision to vote against the Iran nuclear deal.

I have consistently stated that we need to have political leaders in place who will not constantly pander to voters but who will use all of the information available to them to make decisions that are in our best interest and in the overall best interest of America. As informed American voters we know that many times they are privy to information, which we are not privy to. When they make decisions that are more controversial than usual that some of us disagree with we expect them to explain why they decided as they did.

Sometimes their explanations will assuage our anger and sometimes they will not. We will use that information, as we should, come the next election cycle to decide whether or not we should still place our confidence in them to represent us in elected office. Because we live in a democracy, the majority of the electorate – not having been in any way obstructed or prevented from voting, should determine whether that person will be returned to office or if they will be replaced by someone else.

Senator Schumer stated that he reviewed this deal thoroughly before he arrived at his decision to vote against it. I am not aware of any meaningful blemishes on his record that indicate that he has not served with integrity and honor so there is no reason to believe that that is not the case now and that there is some hidden motive involved.

Where I have a problem with Senator Schumer is that he not only announced that he would vote against the Iran nuclear deal but he would encourage other congressional Democrats to vote against it as well. This might be okay if he were not all but the heir apparent to be the Senate Minority Leader when Senator Harry Reid retires.

I would not agree with what he did even if this was not the case. But this is one of those times like I mentioned previously in this article where he may need to explain to his constituents why he made the decision that he made. They will then be able to decide if they are satisfied with his rational. He will likely also need to explain his decision to the rest of America if he wants to help assure, to the greatest extent possible, that he will replace Senator Reid when he retires.

He needs to do this because his fellow senators will be the ones to decide if he will indeed replace Senator Reid as Minority Leader and many of their constituents have signed a petition that questions whether Senator Schumer is ‘fit’ to hold that position. No matter how these senators personally feel about Senator Schumer, they are still politicians and they will likely do what politicians do.

I applaud Senator Schumer for his willingness to stand up and do what he believes to be right. Now, however, he must accept the consequences of his decision and that includes what ultimately could prove to be a tougher road that leads to him becoming the Senate Minority Leader. I just happen to be among those who disagree with him on the Iran deal. And I hope that if he does become Minority Leader he won’t prove to be an easy target for shrewd Republican leaders like Senator Mitch McConnell.

Ah, I’m probably wasting my time thinking about stuff like that. It is more likely that should Senator Schumer become Minority Leader, he can ‘get a drink with Senator McConnell’ and they will be able to work all things – current and future, out equitably. However, in light of the current relationship that Senator Schumer has with the White House I am not positive that he will be the next Senate Minority Leader. Instead, it seems that with all of the praise that he is receiving from congressional Republicans right now, he might stand a better chance of becoming the next Republican Senate Majority Leader.

Eulus Dennis

I watched the Fox News folks moderate the first debate of the Republican field of presidential candidates for president in the 2016 election. I must admit that I did not watch the candidates who were relegated to the non-primetime spot although I had intended to watch them. Unfortunately, I had to run to Walmart and pick up a few things that I knew my wife would soon be pressing me to pick up and when I returned, I had to take my get-in-shape-and-stay-in-shape walk. When I got back home from my walk, the pre-primetime debate that Fox had relegated those who did not make the top 10 to had just ended. But I did watch the primetime big 10 as they went at it.

Actually, and this is probably just me because I do not normally watch Fox to get my news – let alone my political information, I found the debate decorum to be kind of weird. First of all, the seriousness of the atmosphere and moderators seemed more like that of entertainers than that of serious journalist who were probing candidates to help American voters determine which of them might make the best candidate to be the next President of the United States of America. Second, the longer that I watched the more that this debate seemed like some sort of a strange vetting process or cat-and-mouse game to somehow tame Donald Trump and bring him under the Republican Party’s control. And third, I felt that just below the surface of the debate there was a sub-plot – somewhat similar to what the entertainment world might call a catfight, between Megyn Kelly and Mr. Trump (I am not sure that the entertainment world allows for a guy to be a participant in a catfight but if they do, this is what seemed to be occurring between Ms. Kelly and Mr. Trump). It was entertaining.

The problem for me as a political junkie is that I was not looking for entertainment but for some real political facts from each of these candidates about how they view moving America forward in a very dangerous environment. An environment where we are not only bombarded by domestic problems but where our foreign policy is extremely important because of the possibility of a nuclear Iran and ISIS and their expanding ability to use the Internet to bring their deadly war to America.

Then after the debate while I was surfing the various cable news channels to hear what various commentators and pundits were saying about it, I flipped to Megyn Kelly’s show and found Charles Krauthammer telling Ms. Kelly what a great job she and her coworkers had done in how they handled the debate. He talked about how sharp, precise and focused their questions were and how they had managed the time and kept the candidates from speaking beyond their allotted amount of time. In essence, he said that they were perfect. Well now I know that there was at least one person who felt differently and just the opposite of me.

The bottom line is that a lot of American voters likely watched these debates and began to form an opinion on who they think would either be the best nominee for the Republican Party and hopefully the next President of the United States of America or, if you are a Democrat, who will be the likely Republican nominee and likely be the most formidable candidate to face the Democratic nominee and how to best go about defeating that person.

I will continue to follow the Republican primary debates but, personally, I hope that the remainder of those that are hosted by Fox will be more substantive. I hope that they will be focused more on the issues that are currently in the forefront in America. For instance, in the debate that I watched there was only one question on policing and no questions about the Voting Rights Act in particular or Civil Rights – other than the NSA’s questionable information gathering, in general. For the record, the question about policing was a softball question and the moderator did not press for any additional detail from the respondent.

Should you compare my opinion of the debate to those of Mr. Krauthammer you will obviously find that we are on completely different ends of the spectrum when it comes to the debate and the value of its content. Despite our difference of opinion, it is apparent that both of us watched the debate. I have said before and will continue to emphasize that all Americans, especially those of voting age, should follow politics and familiarize themselves with the voting record of our politicians so that we will be informed voters. It matters not whether we are Democrat, Republican or Independent or whether or not – in the case of this 2016 presidential election, we agree on who should be our next president.

What matters is that we exercise our right to vote. Although I constantly fret about how people of color are being treated by those who would deny us the right to vote, whether it is out of fear or for some other reason, I know that I must be willing to listen to the voice of those people. If we are not willing to listen, there can be no discourse. And if there is no discourse, we cannot expose the true reasons for our differences of opinion, mitigate them, and resolve our problems; kind of like me and Charles Krauthammer. What’s wrong with that guy? We need to talk.

Eulus Dennis