Tag: history

Occupation: Political Grifter

publius9112 Comments

12/10/25

The latest to seek permanent employment as a “candidate” is Jocelyn Crockett. She joins Stacy Adams, Beto O’Rourke and Curtis Sliwa among others, who have found a way to milk the campaign finance laws to make a very comfortable living. The advent of “influencing” as an occupation only adds to the number of people who have turned some level of exposure into full time “get me in front of a camera/microphone” folks.

Crockett has to know she has no chance of winning a statewide election. Indeed, her kickoff had little to do with addressing what she would do as a Texas Senator. Rather she saw her bread get buttered by bashing Trump. The constant stream of anger sells her brand and she will ride that horse as long as the trough is full of money from those only to glad to have another loud voice in the wilderness of anger politics.

She won’t be the last and they exist on both sides of the aisle. Look for Marjorie Taylor-Green to join the ranks of people who turn a short stint of perceived gravitas into something well beyond their talents. Kamala Harris is doing her best to keep the money flowing. Obama can’t shut up and he needs to pay for the “library”.

The revolving door of political employment to traditional lobbying has found competition from government “advising”/ambassadorship, media, academia and now podcasting/influencing. It only entices more to seek office in hopes of not only enriching themselves while in office but the trappings that await them post “public service”. This further degrades the quality of those who are supposed to put country over their own desires.

Beware when candidates are short on what they will do for you and long on what they will do for themselves.

Worse than Watergate

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8/27/25

Senator Grassley recently said that the machinations of the years since Trump came down the escalator are “worse than Watergate”. This is the understatement of the century (so far). Recall that Watergate was a cover-up of an attempt to find dirt on a political opponent. Men went to jail and a President was removed from office as a result.

What we have today pales in comparison. It starts with a conspiracy of government officials using fictitious information to subvert a candidate first and a duly elected President second. Reflecting this back to Watergate is laughable yet here we are, wondering if we will ever see anyone, let alone those who are now found to have lied to Congress, will see the inside of a jail cell.

Having jailed hundreds of Trump’s supporters for “crimes” like entering the Capital without permission or having a phone call with a foreign representative, there is a collective “so what” when the cabal’s obfuscation and outright lies are mentioned. The clear intention of subverting an election mirrors their fictitious allegations of foreign collusion that nearly brought down a presidency. Millions of dollars and two plus years of investigations were brought to bear, causing not only domestic upheaval but international chaos.

To those that continue to say, there is nothing here, understand the enormity of what took place. Government officials. At the highest level, used their power to keep a person from being elected by using false information. Once elected, they continued to use that false information to subvert the will of the people with terrible consequences still reverberating here and around the world. (This says nothing about the “deep state” activities that undercut the first Trump administration at every turn.) Given their skulduggery, is it out of the question that the 2020 election was tainted?

The actions of those involved in this conspiracy may weasel out of any physical accountability but make no mistake, history will show them as the criminals they are. Shame on them for the damage they did to our country.

Really? No, Really?

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8/11/25

Like learning that there is no real Santa Claus, many are shocked that Democrats are actually touting their effort to confer citizenship on illegal aliens so they can vote. (See the recently exhumed Beto O’Rourke for confirmation.) Did you think they were being altruistic by opening our borders to any and all? Many screamed that this was an invasion but did not see through the haze of “human tragedy” spewed by the Marxist Democrats. The ultimate goal was always there. Flood the country with people, any people. Create “sanctuary” cities and states that have co-opted federal programs like Medicare and Medicaid, SNAP and others, as incentives to entice residency. It increased the numbers in those cities and states resulting in more Marxist Democrat Congressional seats which provides power while simultaneously, reducing the influence of non-Marxists.

This also explains the concerted effort to thwart the removal of the tens of millions that were not just let in, but also encouraged and abetted. I’m not sure why the legacy media was all in on this plan. Some may be re-thinking it as the places where they live continue to degrade. The personal protections they enjoy may not be enough as blue cities and states devolve into war zones and fiscal ruin because of their efforts. Car jackers don’t ask if you are “someone” before they pull open the door.

Will the “clean up” of Washington DC do anything on this issue?

My optimistic take is that the large embedded swampers are probably secretly hoping he succeeds in making DC safe again. When you can get shot, stabbed and or car jacked anywhere you live, work and are entertained, I have to think that survival instincts kick in. Will some of the never Trumpers finally come to see his worth? Well, as I said, I’m an optimist. It just may be the catalyst for gaining support for policies that put Americans first, including who can vote.

Rigging the Game

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8/6/25

The headlines are all about how congressional districts are drawn. Gerrymandering is named after a Massachusetts politician who was the first to use district drawing to favor his political party. Gerry (hard “G” by the way), was combined with “salamander” for the shape of a district that was drawn. Cue the current Illinois Congressional district map.

The battle for supremacy in US politics is in the state houses. This is where the power to affect outcomes is most pronounced. That is, without Congressional districts that can be won and controlled, there can be no federal power. The partisan drawn districts determine who controls Congress.

It’s been over a century since Gerry’s first 1812 “gerrymandering” and it has only led to more of it. The result is the current morass separating Americans. The political divide is most evident in the way we assemble Congress. With districts that do not reflect a mix of political views, each party has “locked” in safe seats throughout the country. Representatives no longer have to run campaigns building large war chests  that further their insulation from competition. They can ignore constituents who do not hold their party’s orthodoxy and worse, they reflect the loudest of those within their district even if not that of the majority.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 poured gas on the issue of Congressional districts. It requires there to be carved out “minority” districts. As is/was the case with affirmative action, combating discrimination with more discrimination doesn’t work. It is high time for any and all references to anyone other than an individual to be purged as has been done with college entrants. It is long overdue for congressional districts to be drawn not on the color of the residents but on those attributes that are germane to governance. The criteria should be, the number of citizens, those who are eligible to vote, and smallest physical size and geometrically sound shape. There is sufficient data and mapping software available to achieve a much more logical outcome.

The registered party of the citizen is immaterial in this scheme. Removing party labels is critically important to begin the process of knitting back the fabric of our society. Representatives should no longer be able to hide out in the shadow of one or the other party. They will more likely have to move to positions that have appeal to the majority of their constituents who now reflect a more diverse mindset. That is, the center with minority extremes no longer holding sway over the majority. My suggestion.

Step 1 – Repeal the Voting Rights Act of requiring minority districts

Step 2 – Collect data on the number of citizens and where they reside (Census upgrade)

Step 3 – Create and apply universal mapping software that utilizes citizens data with geo mapping to create compact physical areas for representation.

Turning the Light Back On

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12.11.24

The best way of securing lasting change is through persuasion. To draw someone to your position, It is far better to convey something they desire than to impose it. Human beings naturally seek comfort and the freedom to pursue that which they desire. Nowhere in the history of the world has that been easier to achieve than in the United States of America. Indeed, it is those attributes that has born the USA moniker, “the shining beacon on the hill”. It is time for the US to turn that light back on.

Rather that foist our way of life on others, we should extol and exhibit our long referenced but rarely articulated, American values. For me, those values are, we derive all our freedom from God; the inalienable right to life, to speak freely, to pursue those things that satisfy one’s desires and the personal responsibility to consider others in that pursuit. These values manifest themselves in a governance system that intrudes lightly and only exists to defend its people and inalienable rights. It bends to the will of the people who are the source of its authority.

Previous attempts to “spread democracy” have failed in most cases because it was forced. Other cultures do not hold the same foundation of inalienable rights contained in our Declaration of Independence that is the basis of our Constitutional Republic. Rather, we should succeed domestically beyond expectations and create the proverbial light to which the moth is attracted. People around the world should see our success in economics and personal freedoms as so attractive that they insist they too realize those same things in their countries.

By showing the world once again of the might of our system through economic prowess and a highly satisfied citizenry, other leaders would be foolish to ignore seeking ways to emulate the USA. The “experiment” started 250 years ago proved to be the most powerful force moving people from bondage and poverty to freedom and prosperity. It is high time to show the world, and not force it, that the capitalistic economic system, girded by strong underlying values, is the brightest path to realizing the dreams of human being everywhere.

Turning the lights back on will require a return to a more responsible governance system. Many ox will need to be gored to shift  the power center from the state back to the people. Growth of the state has undercut both individual and commercial responsibility. Both have become overly dependent on the state for their well-being, if not their very survival, in contravention of our underlying values. We need to instill in our young that they must be responsible for their own well-being. That they have a responsibility to be productive and contribute to the whole of society through their independence. Companies must understand that they too have an obligation to conduct their activities knowing that failure rests on them and no calvary is coming to bail them out if they fail.

The state must see that in the creep in the size and scope of  its reach has exceed well beyond its documented role. Putting the genie back in the bottle will yield a great example of what unleashing the power of people can do for prosperity and happiness. Doing less will actually yield much more and turn the light on brighter than ever.