Taking the High Road

Two Emory University researchers found that: "A growing number of Americans have been voting against the opposing party rather than for their own party." Hate is easy; understanding is hard. That's why I'm going to say a few good things about the remaining seven candidates for President, starting with the most likely to win. (NOTE: This is based on poll numbers, Electoral College delegate counts and such... NOT my personal beliefs)

Thinking Positive

Hillary Clinton: Clinton is one of the most experienced candidates in the race. She's fought battles with opponents both inside and outside her party and does not get rattled by tough questions/debates. She has, easily, the most foreign policy knowledge of any candidate on either side.

Donald Trump: Trump has run an incredibly smart campaign in regard to communication. He knows no fear, will take on any subject or person, and speaks with a confidence that is unprecedented. His "outsider" credentials are backed up by his ability to finance his own campaign.

Marco Rubio: Rubio is a strong speaker who has been tabbed by his party before as their spokesman. He can appeal to both the moderate and conservative wings of his party in a way that others cannot. Has proven willing to work with political opponents without sacrificing his principles.

Bernie Sanders: Bernie is appealing and energizing. His views on Wall Street are attractive for a generation that saw relatively few changes from the Great Recession. He is not just a one-issue candidate, but has nuanced views on issues and has offered ways to pay for them.

Ted Cruz: Cruz is an intelligent debater that can connect to his audience. He is willing to make a tough decision or take an unpopular stance even if it's not the easy thing to do. He is a man who knows his own principles, and he has the strength to defend and hold to those principles.

John Kasich: Kasich has a good record of economic success not only in Ohio, but in past positions in the government. He has not fallen into the trap of negative politics and has remained positive. He is the type of candidate that would have been a front-runner even 10 years ago.

Dr. Ben Carson: Dr. Carson inspires a lot of hope in people who believe in his personal story. He speaks with a quiet tone that is rarely found on the campaign trail. Comes at issues from a different angle than most lifelong politicians.

More on the Court 

GOP leaders continue to promise to not even have a hearing on an Obama nominee to the Supreme Court. I want to hit one more point: The GOP has seized on lines by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and then-Sen. Joe Biden in years past about delaying confirmation hearings until after elections. They're wrong for four reasons: 1) Those statements were made in the summer before the election, not February. 2) Those statements were theoretical and not actual opposition. The one chance Biden or Schumer had to hold a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee in an election year came in 1988 — when Schumer approved current Justice Anthony Kennedy (Biden ran for president and didn't vote). 3) In that same speech, Biden decries the politicization of the Supreme Court nomination process. He said he'd vote for a moderate candidate and hoped, if it came to that, that then-President Bush would work with the Senate. 4) Most importantly, I think Biden and Schumer were both wrong with their statements, however out of context they were. The GOP called those statements obstructionist back then. But now that the shoe is on the other foot, it's the right thing to do?

Short version: There's a lot of hypocrisy when it comes to Supreme Court nominations. But obstructionism is obstructionism. The Constitution set a process in place. The GOP doesn't have to approve the nominee — there's plenty of precedent for that. You can vote no if you want. But to not even have a hearing is disrespectful and disingenuous.

Original Senator

I heard an interview on NPR this week with Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo. He was upset about President Obama's Guantanamo Bay closure plan. He gave three terrible reasons to dislike the plan. 1) The plan was too short! It's only eight pages, and surely this should be longer, right? But when the Affordable Care Act came out, many complained it was too long. Regulations are also too long, they say. Can Obama opponents just tell everyone what page count they're OK with? 2) Obama is only bringing this up because it was a campaign promise. He's just trying to fulfill campaign goals before the end of his term. I honestly don't know how this is a complaint, because shouldn't all politicians try to fulfill campaign promises? Is the message here that politicians should not try to do what they said during an election? 3) When talking about this issue, Obama only delivers speeches or appears on NPR to talk about it. Which is a thing that Sen. Gardner said. On NPR. That's like complaining to your Starbucks barista that your friend only goes to Starbucks.

There are many reasons to be opposed to Obama. There are legitimate, honest arguments to make about his policies or his actions. Other GOP members have made strong, compelling arguments about this issue in particular. But if these are your three best arguments, you've already lost the battle.

Summary Judgments

Having a Chick-fil-A on campus does not mean you support their CEO's views on homosexuality any more than having a Burger King supports a monarchy.  •  •  •  Oh, Trump campaign... Oaklahoma? Really?  •  •  •  It's a long read, but this Jezebel story on a conspiracy theory cruise hilariously called the Conspira Sea is worth your time.  •  •  •  NPR did a story on the 30th anniversary of the Challenger explosion, and talked about the guilt from one engineer who said the shuttle shouldn't have flown that morning. The follow-up is incredibly touching and helped the engineer come to terms with that guilt.  •  •  •  Next week's post may be delayed; it's the day we move into our new home in Liberty and the night is a big event for work. We're closing on Tuesday, moving Thursday/Friday/weekend. Meanwhile, 3/4 of our family is sick right now (I'm the only one not sick.). Next week is going to be pretty crazy.