Respect: (Gold Star parents, the Khans.) Post updated.

(YT video link. No affiliation.)

(Originally written 7/28/16:) A (likely-)scripted... (Update: Maybe not...(off-site article link)) ...moment better than anything offered at the Republican gathering. (Though Melania's ripped-off speech was up there.) We'll see if Trump or the GOP (mindlessly) attempts to impugn this man, and/or if  D. Trump hastily thumbs through a section or two of the U.S. Constitution (belatedly) and passes that off as knowledge (via Twitter), for his dupes..... 

Update -- Bad temperament: ↓This volatile, thin-skinned bully cannot handle criticism or dissent. Off-site article links, new windows open: 

 http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/28/politics/donald-trump-dnc-response/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-goes-after-democratic-conventions-clinton-boosters/

7/31/16 update/comment: As wondered-aloud above, we now know that candidate Trump has in fact "gone after" the Khans, to the disgust of many.  

>>>.. How much more will be tolerated from this "black soul"? <<<

Plus, a question of increasing significance: How does (or how will) the country respond to a major-party, top-ticket candidate who refuses to seriously address policy and governing issues? Choosing instead to spew-out insults via (social) media, launch rambling tirades, etc., à la the epic wing-nut on the right in the↓image below:

(Image is linked to source)

(P.S. Echoes of Palin-Katie Couric right here (off-site link, new window))

(Continuing:) I'm not generally a supporter, ↓but as John Kasich noted:

There's only one way to talk about Gold Star parents: with honor and respect. Capt. Khan is a hero. Together, we should pray for his family.

— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) July 31, 2016

GOP leadership -- and all Americans -- must repudiate this offensive Trump response. Failure to clearly denounce is to basically agree, and to support Trump's unworthy attack. (An abject, sincere apology to the Khans (for starters) from Donald Trump is necessary....  Which of course is highly unlikely..)

 “I’d like to say to Mr. and Mrs. Khan: thank you for immigrating to America. We’re a better country because of you. And you are certainly right; your son was the best of America, and the memory of his sacrifice will make us a better nation — and he will never be forgotten.”

-- Senator John McCain, attributed, off-site 8/1/16 article link





(Previously written:) P.S. Acknowledging that -- one way or another -- he accumulated great wealth. But is this how ↓Donald Trump "sacrificed"?



(YT video link. No affiliation.)

...More great "sacrifices".... (off-site link): http://www.mediaite.com/online/trumpsacrifices-blows-up-on-twitter-over-what-trumps-comment-about-what-hes-sacrificed/

Briefly imagining 'Mr. Sarcasm' Donald Trump, as Jokester-in-Chief

"Of course I'm being sarcastic..."

-- Candidate for President of the United States  Donald Trump, after publicly encouraging Russians (..."intelligence" agencies?) to track down (or 'hack') Hillary Clinton's deleted emails.

A definition of 'sarcasm':

the use of words that mean the opposite of what you really want to say especially in order to insult someone, to show irritation, or to be funny

("Sarcasm." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 28 July 2016.)

..."He was joking around. If he tells you I'm joking, you take him at his word." -- Attributed to Trump cheerleader Rudy Giuliani.


(Commentary:)

So, we have a candidate for the highest elected office in the land who -- without offering sufficient elaboration or context -- apparently enjoys popping-off the 'sarcasm'. No matter how irresponsible.

Who knows? When (political) reality means that nightmare-future-President Trump cannot fulfill the myriad of far-fetched "promises"↓  (..by himself)......Might it all be excused  - by him - as just "being sarcastic"?

(YT video link. No affiliation.)


A couple quick, imagined scenarios involving the oh-so-sarcastic 'comedian-in-chief Trump':

'President Sarcasm', via the secure computer-link 'hotline': "Vladimir, you knucklehead! 

...I hope we're able to find the 30,000 Russians that have gone missing in recent years under your regime. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by your corrupt oligarchs."

"Vladimir Putin": *transmission terminated*

(....A few moments later, ↓patched-in to the Oval Office:)

(Edited YT video link. No ownership.)

.......

'President Sarcasm', via Korean emissary Dennis Rodman: "Chairman Kim, you loser! 

...I hope we're able to find the 30,000 North Koreans that have gone missing in recent weeks under your regime. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by your sycophants."

"Kim Jong-un": *emissary terminated*

(....A few moments later, ↓patched-in to what's left of the Oval Office:)

(YT video link. No ownership/affiliation.)

Imagined: Mainstream media dares to ask Donald Trump a climate change question

(Commentary:)

That question isn't often posed (currently) -- even though a recent, prominent U.S. opinion poll indicates growing concern about the problem.  So let's imagine part of a Q&A:

Candidate "Donald Trump" (..finishing rambling diatribe):".....Putin likes me."

Mainstream media's "Wesley Thrall": "Sir, if we can get on to another topic...."

'D. Trump' (interrupting): "...America will be great again, Wesley, and NATO better think about fulfilling their obligations to us!"

'Thrall': "Mr. Trump...."

'D.Trump': (continuing): "Excuse me!....And when South Korea and other countries all have their own nuclear weapons we won't have to worry about supporting them so much either!"

'Thrall': "I have a different question for you Mr......."

'D. Trump' (interrupting again): "Excuse me Wesley!....Don't miss my huge guest-starring cameo on "WWE Battlefield". It's great!"

(No affiliation)

'Thrall': "Mr. TRUMP! Please. Let's get on with the interview that you agreed to do with this network! 

Now sir: Recent public opinion polls indicate increasing concern among Americans about climate change and its effects, sometimes referred to as 'global warming'. Global temperature data shows the hottest years have all occurred since 1998.  Both you and Mr. Pence are on record as, one way or another, doubting - if not outright dismissing - the issue of climate change and the science supporting....."

'D. Trump' (interrupting): "It's all Hillary's hot air..."

'Thrall': "Sir. if you'll let me finish the question..."

'D. Trump' (interrupting): "Excuse me! Mike Pence is a great choice who is going to help me "Make America Great Again!""

'Thrall': "That wasn't the q....."

'D. Trump': "Look...: Coal is from America. Coal-miners are Americans. Fracking is American. Frackers are American. We've got to Make America Great Again! I don't see the problem here....

'Thrall': "Carbon dioxide emissions from coal combustion represented 24.5 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2012... It has the highest carbon content of any fuel..."

'D. Trump' (interrupting): "What about China? Don't they burn a lot of coal?"

'Thrall': "...And how as a world leader would you go about addressing that aspect of the issue, sir?"

'D. Trump' (ignoring): "Regulations that shut down hundreds of coal-fired power plants and block the construction of new ones — how stupid is that?” I'll rescind all of them!"

'Thrall': "Sir, the U.S. president doesn't currently have legal authority to do that...."

'D. Trump': "When I get very dumb, embarrassing Ginsburg off the Court, I will!"

'Thrall': "But the president doesn't..." 

'D. Trump': "...And Obama's Paris Agreement gives foreign bureaucrats control over how much energy we use on our land, in our country. No way."

'Thrall' (exasperated): "The Paris Agreement is comprised of voluntary pledges by countries....".

'D. Trump' (interrupting): "It's cancelled when I'm president! I alone can fix it! Nobody knows the system better than me.  We’re going to bring back the coal industry, save the coal industry. I love those people." 

'Thrall' (slumping in chair): "How, Mr. Trump...Exactly how will you alone do these things? 

....We have to break now for a message, ↓brought to you by America's coal industry:"

(YT video link. No affiliation. No ownership. No endorsement expressed or implied.)

P.S. Upcoming televised presidential debate planners and 'moderators': Please, no brow-beating interruptions of other, participating candidates tolerated. (Or the moderators.) None. Halt the 'debate'. Publicly admonish the offending party. Enforce time limits. ...Send them off for a 'timeout'....whatever. Etc.
... And, if necessary: No studio audience of rabid, shouting 'supporters', turning the debate into a grandstanding spectacle. Please, let the rest of us hear the candidates - by themselves -  speak to the issues. 

Alternate reality: Double-down on guff, bunk and nonsense to concoct and sell "truthiness"

(Commentary:)

A "truthiness" definition:  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=truthiness

Making facts irrelevant: Today's alternate-universe Trump campaign (partial) example (off-site story link, new window opens, no affiliation):
 http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/07/24/trump-to-haters-who-found-rnc-speech-totalitarian-im-running-against-hillary-not-rest-of-the-world/

(Another view of the July GOP convention speech. Off-site article link:
 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/us/politics/donald-trump-fact-check.html?)

...Suggested insight as to why the future would-be president of the United States keeps pulling 'b.s.' like that↑ (and this). (Off-site article link, new window opens, no affiliation:)

 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/us/politics/donald-trump-roy-cohn.html?

****************************************************

....Oh. Here's an interesting, unambiguous song. Absolutely no affiliation, association, approval, agreement etc. with this tiny blog, whatsoever:



(YT video link)


(Off-site link:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiAR8I8wRmk

He's nominated for U.S. president/Commander-in-Chief: Observation, monitoring, coverage now required.

(Commentary:)

Good news is Melania's speech got more publicity than any in the history of politics especially if you believe that all press is good press!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2016

(No affiliation)




(YT video link. No ownership.)


...'Buffoon' definition: (off-site link, new window opens)

 https://www.google.com/#q=buffoon+definition


'Buffoon', alternate description. (Off-site 7/14/16 news article link, new window opens, no affiliation:)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/14/so-mike-pence-has-been-a-huge-supporter-of-the-thing-donald-trump-says-is-terrible-for-america/

The U.S is a nation of immigrants/#NotMyVoice

(Temporary post. Commentary:)

(Off-site links:) Bigot, xenophobe, sexist, seething, thuggish, climate science denier, economic statistics-distorter,  privileged one-percenter, public-company-pillager, fear-mongerer (..etc.)...Donald Trump: 

#NotMyVoice

(If Mr. Trump is somehow your 'voice', in essence you support the above, as well....
...The Fear and Hate GOP 'ticket'. (Fear and Loathing...: Already taken...))

Update: Oh, BTW. ↓A key Trump supporter:

Great Trump Speech, America First! Stop Wars! Defeat the Corrupt elites! Protect our Borders!, Fair Trade! Couldn't have said it better!

— David Duke (@DrDavidDuke) July 22, 2016

(No affiliation)

 ***************************************************

...When we hear the GOP's nominee for president  -- a descendant of immigrants himself-- rant about U.S immigrants and unauthorized immigrants, about building an infeasible, very expensive wall, etc.; please take a minute to reflect upon the following:

Per 2014 statistics, immigrants comprise slightly over 13% of the U.S population. About 42.4 million people (at the time). The U.S. is a country so large and populous that 42 million people represents only about 13% of the total population. (2014)


Unauthorized ("illegal") immigrants (- a group/issue that must be managed, few doubt -) have reportedly stabilized at around 11 to 11.5 million individuals, according to the following three sources. (Via a quick search I have not found more recent statistics from what I consider to be reliable sources.)

11.5 (million, I used the 2011 slightly-higher reported number) divided by approx. 314 (million, roughly the U.S population in 2012) equals about 3.7% of the U.S. total population at that time.

Hardly an "overwhelming" number, esp. in terms of percentage.

Insert: The Pew Research link below reports the 2014 number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. at about 11.3 million...I.e., the total did not increase; may have actually slightly decreased..(11.3 (million) divided by (approx.) 318 (million) = 3.6%


(Off-site links to three sources, no affiliation, new windows open:)

http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/frequently-requested-statistics-immigrants-and-immigration-united-states

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/19/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2016/01/20/u-s-illegal-immigrant-population-falls-below-11-million-continuing-nearly-decade-long-decline-report-says/





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  P.S.  "The Party of Fear": Why are U.S. Republicans so afraid...? One somewhat-related off-site article link, new window opens:
 http://time.com/4158007/american-fear-history/

Did John Kasich potentially save the republic?

(Commentary:)

(8/7/16 update: Temporarily re-featuring this post, as John Kasich has now confirmed the New York Times story linked below.)

...(Previously written, 7/20/16:)

....from a Trump presidency?  

A New York Times Magazine article describes how Kasich was -- at one time -- viewed by some in the Trump campaign  as "the perfect (Vice-President) choice". Off-site link to the story follows, new window opens, no affiliation:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/magazine/how-donald-trump-picked-his-running-mate.html?

....He (reportedly) declined Donald Trump Jr.'s offer to be "....the most powerful vice president in history...." 

Kasich reportedly would have been "...in charge of both domestic and foreign policy".

(More to come here about this story.....E.g., Why might Kasich have turned down such an opportunity? A guess: Maybe he didn't believe the proposed power-sharing arrangement would actually exist (or develop) in such a manner. Or would quickly unravel..)


>>>Trump-Kasich might have been tough(er) for Hillary to defeat. Kasich reportedly polled well (head-to-head) versus H. Clinton earlier in 2016.

(Related note: Some question how much a V.P. choice really matters.)


Mike Pence? Not governor of a major 'battleground' state, for starters.....

Oh BTW: In the "powerful" de facto Kasich regime, what would 'President' Donald Trump have been in charge of??

....(Reportedly:) "Making America great again."

 (YT video link. No affiliation.)

Honesty and integrity: Our nation's shining examples, future President Faker and First Lady Fraud

(Commentary:)

CORRECTION: Melania stole a whole graph from Michelle's speech. #GOPConvention
WATCH: https://t.co/8BCOwXAHSy pic.twitter.com/zudpDznGng

— Jarrett Hill (@JarrettHill) July 19, 2016

(No affiliation with Twitter poster. Source article link, new window opens.)




(YT video link. No affiliation.)


 More: (Off-site 7/19/16 articles, new window opens, no affiliation)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/melania-trump-college-claims_us_578dd95ce4b0c53d5cfac0dc?


Updated story link: An investigative article about the creation of the partly-plagiarized speech. (....Raises questions and concerns beyond Ms. Trump's (yeah..it was apparently mostly hers) improperly vetted speech.) Off-site link , new window opens, no affiliation:
 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/us/politics/melania-trump-convention-speech.html?


***************************************************

...What was that said by Justice Ginsburg a little while back? Something about someone being a 'faker'? (Off-site story link, new window opens, no affiliation):

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/ginsburg-trump-supreme-court/491033/

(YT video link. No affiliation.)

Suggested insert for card/teleprompter, Melania's next speech: 

"My husband is an unprincipled demagogue and a volatile threat to our nation. I wholeheartedly endorse the Democratic nominee as our next president."

...As she apparently will read anything put in front of her without much thought.... or vetting.


(YT video link. No ownership/affiliation.)


P.S. Yeah...Per the article link above, "Ms. Thong-plus-gun" (link) 'ain't' educated enough (at least) to "plan" this↓:



(YT video link. No affiliation.)