Enough, already

There is a story about a boy who had difficulty in controlling his temper. His father asked him to hammer a nail into a fence each time he got angry. Over time, the number of nails he drove into the fence on a given day declined until he reached a day when he had not hit a single nail onto the fence. Now, his father asked him to remove a nail each day he was anger free. In a few weeks, all the nails were removed from the fence. The boy proudly showed the nail-free fence to his father. The father said, "Do you see the holes in the fence? It is scarred. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like these. No amount of apologies will restore the fence."

Donald Trump's apologies for his reprehensible comments are similar. If his (insignificant) position 11 years ago made him think he had the power that he refers to, imagine the power he would have as commander-in-chief. As Lord John Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." The very thought of absolute power to Donald Trump sends a shiver down my spine.

I want to take cue from the fictional character, Howard Beale, (played by the oscar winning Peter Finch) and say, "I'm as mad as hell, and I am not going to take this any more." I certainly am mad as hell with Donald Trump. I am collectively asking the nation to not take this any more. Earlier, I had requested a favor to not nominate Donald Trump. Now, I am requesting the Commission on Presidential Debates to stop the farce on the debates. I cannot stand to hear more lies and false accusations from this disgrace that is the Republican nominee. I find Mike Pence to be a worthy Presidential candidate. He would still lose to Hillary, but a better candidate, nevertheless.

I have often heard people refer to Hillary Clinton as the "lesser of the two evils". I am with the Corpus Christi Caller Times editors in their endorsement of Hillary Clinton while debunking this myth.

Not everyone is perfect. Even Abraham Lincoln, considered by historians as the greatest US President ever, made several egregious errors. John F Kennedy had his transgressions. Hillary Clinton has her share. Her lifelong public service, her leadership, her ability to listen to people and the respect that she has from world leaders make her the only choice in the elections this November.

Do us a favor, GOP - do not nominate Mr. Trump

This is a cry in anguish.

As a nation, we are about to commit a travesty and nominate a racist, egomaniac, misogynist and generally unfit for office, candidate for President. To show that these are not merely "labels", allow me to provide instances that illustrate these traits in Donald Trump. In fact, there are so many outrages that is hard to keep track of all of them, put them in context and list them here.

When Indiana-born U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel was hearing a suit against Trump University, Donald Trump went on a tirade against the respected, federal judge "because he is a Mexican". His bigotry does not stop there. When he saw an African American in one of his rallies, he remarked, "Look at my African-American over here".

Aside from Trump's public, sexist behavior (at the Republican debate) against Fox's Megyn Kelly, he has consistently insulted, stereotyped and belittled women. He has taken the time to insult notable women like Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Middler, Rosie O'Donnell and Cher. In fact, the Telegraph maintains a site that keeps track of all his offensive remarks!

His shocking ignorance of government policy is even more appalling. I think Cheryl Cook-Kallio's We The People students at Irvington High School know more about Government than Donald Trump. He appears to know next to nothing about the issues that would confront him in the job. If you like chilling horror stories, read the transcript of his meeting with the Editorial Board of the Washington Post. It is not as if the editors were trying to play "gotcha" or "trap" him. In response to straightforward questions, Trump's responses are vacuous. On topics ranging from racial disparity to foreign affairs his responses are vague. As Eugene Robinson aptly opined, "How is it conceivable to put a man who knows so little in charge of so much?"

The likes of George Bush (father and son, the 41st and 43rd presidents) and Mitt Romney have shown statesman-like courage and refused to show their support to Trump. In fact, the only living republican president or presidential candidate who will be at the Republican Convention is 92-year old Bob Dole. Even the most ultra conservative republican journalist, George F. Will has written an eloquent, scathing attack on Donald Trump.

I think President Obama summed it best when he said, in six short sentences, everything that is wrong about Donald Trump. This is not party politics playing out. Just a concerned citizen expressing his opinions.

Despite all of this, there are some polls that show Trump ahead of Clinton in the race to the White House. It is too late in the process to find another candidate to represent the Republican Party. So, this is a request to the GOP to sit this one out. Do not endorse Donald Trump. He has indicated that he will run as an independent. That is better than sullying the party of Abraham Lincoln (1861), Theodore Roosevelt (1901), Dwight Eisenhower (1953) and Ronald Reagan(1981). You can have your convention and groom candidates for the 2020 elections. Have the dignity and courage to say that there will not be a representative of the Republican Party in the 2016 elections.

After I published this blog, I came across a video (embedded in the following NY Times article) where David McCollough expresses a similar opinion more eloquently.

Conversation between Gandhi and Boehner

[On the eve of Mohandas Gandhi's 144th. birthday, the following is a hypothetical conversation between Gandhiji (MG) and Boehner (JB). Note that Gandhiji was often endearingly referred to as Bapu or "Father"]

MG: You know John, I am going on a fast-until-death to protest against this move of yours to shut down the Government and hold the country ransom.

JB: Bapu, please don't do this. You are being swayed by Democratic propaganda in saying that we are holding the country ransom. Wait a minute, I thought your platform for non-violent protest was only in situations of war, terror and tyranny. None of these are applicable in our current situation.

MG: You obviously are unaware of the Dandi March to protest against Salt Tax by the British Government. There too, my goal was to drive sense into the British Government that they cannot levy high taxes on Salt. In a similar vein, you cannot shut down the Government just because you do not like the Affordable Health Care Act.

JB: Bapu, I am going to let you in on a secret. We (the GOP) cannot think of any other way to stop Obamacare. If we allow this to move forward, it will doom our party. You see, numerous Presidents in the past have tried to enact "Affordable Health Care" into law. They have all been foiled thanks to partisan politics. This one "slipped through".

MG: Why is that a bad thing. I was reading an article in NYT that this will benefit a large cross section of people.

JB: You are so wet behind the ears when it comes to politics, Bapu. If Obamacare becomes popular, that would shut the GOP from the White House for at least the next 12 years. We are grooming Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio as candidates for the 2016 elections. We want them to have a fighting chance to win. We have to stop this one way or the other. It is unfortunate that it came down to our final option - to shutdown Government.

MG: Well! you have deal with me now and my fast-until-death if you do move forward with your I-will-because-I-can plan to shut down the Government.

JB: You are overestimating our sensitivity to your "threats", Bapu. Right now, all our focus is on the 2016 elections.

MG: Once again, you are demonstrating your short-sightedness, John. It is not "your sensitivity" that is  "under the gun" when I proceed with the fast. This fast is likely to gain the nationwide interest. I heard that CNN will be covering it live.