HALF-FULL REPORT 01/29/16

I woke up this morning to a deluge of Forum comments on my Trump Derangement Syndrome yesterday. A large number of them were from Trump supporters who strongly disagreed with me.

They did so with courtesy and grace, with reasoned arguments rather than schoolyard insults. Trump could learn a lesson from them. I can’t thank them enough. We can continue to agree to disagree, and do so with mutual respect. I am so proud of my TTPers.

I was also criticized for not meeting Trump when invited by him to do so. Again, the criticism was well reasoned. The fact is, however, that even if I thought it could accomplish anything fruitful (which I still doubt), the earliest would have been next week – and I leave for my Hidden India 48 hours from now. I’ll be in India for all of February.

Which brings me to my gratitude for Rod Martin. Rod has been a dear and close friend of mine for more years than we both care to admit. Ours is a mutual admiration society. And of course, he’s an avid TTPer. Read his bio in the link, and you’ll quickly be excited to know Rod will be manning the HFR helm in my absence. Thanks, Rod!

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

Here’s the full text of the GOP candidate debate last night (1/29). It was glorious to have a real debate without Trump in the way, a clear demonstration of how much better the whole Pub primary campaign would have been without him.

When Megyn asked right off the bat:

“Senator Cruz, before we get to the issues, let’s address the elephant not in the room tonight. Donald Trump has chosen not to attend this evening’s presidential debate. What message do you think that sends to the voters of Iowa?”, Cruz hit it out of the park:

It was a home run, eliciting uproarious laughter and applause. There were other funny moments, like when Jeb said, “I miss Donald, he’s like a little Teddy bear to me…” Or Marco, “If Hillary is elected, her first presidential action will have to be to pardon herself…”

Overall, the questions were hard-hitting than ever, and the answers the most substantive. That’s a relative comparison. All of the seven men on the stage (and that’s a disgrace, Carly should have been there) gave excellent answers most times, disappointing on others. An example of the latter was Christie’s when asked, “Can you name even one thing that the federal government does now that it should not do at all?”

Christie’s answer was end fed funding of Planned Parenthood. Okay, agreed. But when asked “Anything bigger than that?”, he was stumped by this softball, like eliminate the Department of Education or the EPA or all Executive Agency regulations enforced as if they were laws passed by Congress. Pathetic.

Cruz by contrast was at his best when asked for specifics that went beyond the “repeal Obamacare” pledge:

“Healthcare reform…should follow the principles of expanding competition, empowering patients, and keeping government from getting in between us and our doctors.

Three specific reforms that reflect those principles. Number one, we should allow people to purchase health insurance across state lines. That will create a true 50-state national marketplace which will drive down the cost of low-cost, catastrophic health insurance.

Number two, we should expand health savings accounts so people can save in a tax-advantaged way for more routine healthcare needs.

And number three, we should work to de-link health insurance from employment so if you lose your job, your health insurance goes with you and it is personal, portable and affordable.”

You should read the transcript and judge for yourself who won. All seven were more thoughtful and presidential than Trump, Hillary, or Sanders could ever be. My bottom line is that Cruz clinched his victory in Iowa on Monday with this home run on ethanol.

Chris Wallace asked: “Senator Cruz, you called for an end to the renewable fuel standards which mandate that refineries blend biofuels, including ethanol into gasoline. As you well know, ethanol’s a big industry in this state, $10 billion dollars a year. Last week, Terry Branstad, the popular Governor of Iowa who is in the hall tonight, said that you’re bankrolled by big oil, and that Iowa voters would be making a mistake supporting you. Why should those voters side with you over the six- term governor of the state, sir?

Cruz’s answer:

“Well, Chris, I’m glad to discuss my views on ethanol and energy. I think God has blessed this country with enormous natural resources, and we should pursue all of the above. We should be developing oil, and gas, and coal, and nuclear, and wind, and solar, and ethanol, and biofuels. But, I don’t believe that Washington should be picking winners and losers. And, I think there should be no mandates, and no subsidies whatsoever. (Applause)

And, indeed, my tax plan that I’ve introduced, it’s available on our website. It’s a simple flat tax for everyone. It’ll produce enormous economic growth, and it eliminates every mandate, every subsidy, so there’s no subsidies for oil and gas, no subsidies for anyone.

Now, it is true that there are a bunch of lobbyists, and a bunch of Democrats in this state spending millions of dollars trying to convince the people of Iowa that I somehow oppose ethanol. It’s not true. I have introduced legislation that would phase out the ethanol mandate over five years, but that is in the context of having no mandates whatsoever for anyone.

And, I would note that there’s a much more important government regulation to ethanol, and that’s the EPA’s blend wall that makes it illegal to sell mid-level blends of ethanol in gasoline. I will tear down the EPA’s blend wall which will enable ethanol to expand its market share by up to 60%, all without mandates. All without any government mandates whatsoever through the marketplace.

And, I’ll note finally, Chris, there is a reason that Iowa’s Congressman Steve King, perhaps the fiercest defender of farmers in this state, is chairing my campaign. Because he understands that I’m committed to a fair and level playing field for every energy source without lobbyists, and without Washington picking winners and losers. (Applause)

This is stone brilliant. Let the market, actual consumers, decide how much ethanol they want in their gasoline, not corrupt lobbyists and politicians. They could want 60%, not just the measly 10 or 15% they’re limited to now! I think that any Iowan who believes people are chomping at the bit to ruin their engines with lots more ethanol is delusional.

I also think that Cruz believes that as well, but he’s arguing freedom, economic and political, which will bring far more prosperity to Iowans and everyone else than being dependent on government subsidies, mandates, and handouts.

I gave this long quote because it may prove to be what master military strategist Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) called the schwerpunkt, the decisive point.

Trump made a disastrous mistake in wimping out of the debate, afraid of a girl. The Fox debate last night dwarfed Trump’s egomaniacal competing rally, 4.5 times as many, 12.5 million vs. 2.78 million viewers. In fact, the headline is: Debate Without Trump Got Better Ratings Than Last Debate With Trump.

Cruz took advantage and closed the deal with Iowans. At least, that’s what I think will happen Monday. We’ll see.

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

One mistake most every Pub on the stage last night may have made was to keep hammering on Hillary. To bring up the nightmare, as Marco did, of her saying she’d nominate Zero for the Supreme Court if elected is effective. But to keep up the incessant comparisons of how much greater they’d be than her – well, it’s all moot if she torpedoes herself like she did in 2008.

She looks terrible, is having ghastly coughing fits when speaking, has to ramp herself up with a dozen Red Bulls and Mountain Dews. She’s going to lose badly to Bernie in Iowa and New Hampshire, which is prompting South Carolina Dem Jim Clyburn to predict that her “Southern Firewall” in his state may collapse:

Her popularity is sinking so low that Chelsea Clinton’s “Soul Cycle” fundraiser for her on Wednesday (1/27) was a total flop. Plus the FBI investigation of her is full bore. It may soon reach the level of High Treason.

Once the FBI recommends Lynch Justice (isn’t that the most appropriate title in the whole Zero Administration?) indict her, it’s over. Of course Lynch will refuse, but she’s toast anyway. The PIAPS’ future is dark.

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

Marco got a great laugh line last night saying Bernie Sanders would make a great president… of Sweden.

He may have to take that back, however – as Sweden yesterday (1/28) announced the deportation of 80,000 Moslem refugees.

Seems like folks in Scandinavia are finally waking up. This morning (1/29), Finland announced the deportation of 20,000 Moslem refugees.

Meanwhile, libtards everywhere are bemoaning today Denmark’s Hardline New Immigration Law.   The weeping moonbats at the London Guardian sniffed: “Denmark is now in competition for the title to be the least attractive country for asylum seekers.” High praise indeed.

Especially when you consider the just-released (1/27) Transparency International’s Global Corruption Index lists Denmark as the least corrupt country in the world – with Finland 2^nd and Sweden third. The US, by the way, is 16^th.

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

Also released this Wednesday (1/27) is a report on The 50 Most Violent Cities in the World. An astounding 42 out of the 50 are in Latin America (including 1 in Jamaica), 21 alone in Brazil. 4 are in South Africa. That’s 46. The remaining 4? Nowhere else on earth but America: St. Louis (#15), Baltimore (#19), Detroit (#28), and New Orleans (#32).

All 4 of course are run by Democrats. That’s what Dems do best, turning cities into Third World pestholes. It’s their dream to do it to all of the USA.

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

The grimmest news of the week is the cold-blooded murder of a very decent rancher and American patriot, LaVoy Finicum, by FBI agents on Tuesday (1/26). Finicum had his hands in the air when supposedly he “reached for his pocket” and was gunned down. There was no proof at all he was drawing a gun, or that he had a gun in his pocket at all.

The Federalies ambushed him and his family on an isolated road while they were driving to a community meeting where they planned to talk to the Sheriff.  Fortunately, the soft hollow point handgun ammo that the Federalies use didn’t penetrate the heavy steel car doors on their ranch vehicle or women and children would have been killed.

I accuse the FBI agents of murder in the first degree with malice aforethought. The worst crime any human being can commit, more than child rape or genocide, in the eyes of government thugs, is Contempt of Cop.

Just look at Waco. For a terrifying account of what really happened there on April 19, 1993, see my America’s Saddam from 2002. A Waco Redux was only prevented by all the video cameras and communication links from the cowboys’  building. Thus the ambush and murder of an old unarmed white haired rancher.

If Finicum were black you’d never hear the end of the protests. But he’s white, so he’ll be forgotten, his murder ignored. The truth is: WhiteLivesDon’tMatter. Why isn’t there a hashtag for that?

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

The most satisfying news of the week is the annual Harris Poll of America’s Favorite Movie Stars, conducted last month and released today (1/29). Number one is Tom Hanks. There’s Johnny Depp and Harrison Ford and Sandra Bullock, ten in all, everyone current and contemporary.

Except one. The greatest movie star who ever lived, who died 36 years ago, yet remains so beloved by Americans that he ranks in the Top Ten every year for the last 20 years. Who might that be?

John Wayne.

In your darkest moments of fear for America’s future, hold on to this thought: there’s always hope for a country that admires John Wayne. Here’s an example of why:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9n-1mJjjhc