This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Friday, January 6, 2017

Fear and Lotharioism in Trump Land


     Better for the news networks to just report the facts and the stories rather than repeatedly give us their opinions and tell us how we should think.  In my opinion this is the biggest cause of the divide we see in our nation now...

Ken & Barbie Dolls by Mattel Toy Company

     
       Sorry for taking so long to get to this particular post--holidays and other distractions as I've indicated in previous posts.  Also, blogging has taken a neglected seat far in the back of the bus of late as far as my life goes.  I offer no apologies for that because it's just the fact of my life these days.

        Considering that time span of neglect in regard to my President Trump Acclimation Series, if you missed my first part of today's post--Let's Talk About Sexism--you might want to return to it in order to understand the parameters of my current post.  That post rankled at least a few readers, but anything I write on this topic is sure to bother those same readers and I'll probably continue to lose more followers as my series progresses.  And as I've stated earlier, the worst and perhaps most upsetting to some points are yet to come in later installments of my series.  So hang on if you're bold and open-minded enough.

        To summarize said previous post in this series. my primary argument regarding the claims of sexism. objectification, or misogyny (oh, how I abhor the use of this ridiculous word--often by people who don't understand its exact meaning in my estimation)--is that Donald Trump, like a good many of us, is merely a product of his culture.

        We don't have to venture much further than our television sets, magazines we read, or any other medium of popular culture to know that sex drives our society.  Our culture heavily promotes objectification and we are in many ways still stuck in sexist thinking about the world around us.  I'm not going to make any judgement about how much of this is good or bad, but I will merely point out that this is the way things are just in case there are any of you who might think otherwise.

        Our children grow up in a Barbie doll culture where a bad boy image of many pop stars and celebrities is not only accepted, but often encouraged.  Like some of you, I am of the same generation of Donald Trump having grown up in a culture of beauty pageants dictating standards of attractiveness for women and advertising reminding us of how we all should look.   If there are any women who feel angered by that then I'd better never catch you reading one of those steamy romances with hot half-naked men on the cover.   Sex sells--no doubt about it.  Most of us aspire to look as attractive as we can.  Superficial to some perhaps, but it is a standard by which many of us cast judgement.

        In any case, since this post will be plenty long as it is, let me bring up some of the major accusations pointed at Trump regarding sexism and other similar charges


The leaked NBC tape--Since this was one of the incidents that snowballed into the biggest threat to Trump's candidacy, I'll start with this story since it is also one of the stupidest with the most incredulous outcome.  The timing of the release of this older tape by NBC was strategically schemed to hurt Trump by a network that was in collusion with the corrupt Clinton campaign.  Sure, it was stupid and sophomoric behavior on Trump's behalf, but it was also egged on by the host Billy Bush.  Having been secretly recorded and saved, this tape was akin to a blackmail tactic comparable to tapping a phone or hacking an email for information.  So all is fair in politics on either side I guess. 

      The truth to this dumb Trump move from actions in 2005 when he was playing the role of TV celebrity and man of the world is that Trump was playing a role.  Just listening to the content of the tape, anyone with common sense can hear that this is absurd macho riffing--"locker-room banter as Trump accurately called it--crude exchanges for the sake of humor or braggadocio that men (and women) will sometimes engage in when together in lax private situations.

       The thing that I found most incredulous was the feigned shock that so many expressed upon hearing the tape.  People exclaimed that they'd never heard anyone talk like this before.  Many men were on the record of stating that they or those they knew had never said anything like this.  Liars!  Liars all!  Or most--okay, so maybe a few were raised in monasteries or very sheltered surroundings, but I've heard such talk and worse from people I know, overheard from people I don't know, read in books, and heard in movies.  This is the way a lot of people speak.  Not that I condone this, but it's out there.  Trump should have had more class than to engage in such banter, but he was heading to a soap opera set on an Access Hollywood bus.  Think about it.  Is this really a setting where you expect to hear lofty talk?

The women accusers--Immediately after the release of the NBC tape, coincidentally a parade of women came out in mainstream media with accusations that Trump had assaulted them.   Well, number one, let's say that the accusations as I heard described were true, then I and probably most other men who have pursued women in their lives would be also guilty of assault.   None of the barely credible sounding accusations seemed anywhere near as serious as anything that Bill Clinton was ever accused of and for that matter all of the accusations sounded rather absurd.  At the end of the day all of the accusers quickly seemed to disappear as they were proved to be liars or unreliable sources with media ties.    I believe Trump's denials of these accusations more than what any accuser claimed.  Most likely these women were either opportunists seeking some kind of personal gain or they were connected to the media or the Clinton campaign (if there was any difference between these).  The timing of their appearances on the scene was very suspicious and I doubt we'll ever hear of any of these women again--not even as trivia questions since no one remembers their names.

Carly Fiorina--Here's one that came early in Trump's campaign.  When Trump was spending a day with a Rolling Stone reporter who was doing a story on him, at one point Carly Fiorina appeared on television and Trump made the comment, "Look at that face.  Would anyone vote for that?"  When I heard this story on the radio I knew exactly what Trump was saying because I've said similar things about other political candidates.   John Kerry and Lindsey Graham are two who come to my mind.  When I see certain people like these talking on television I see their pinched austere expressions and think to myself that they maybe should take an Ex-Lax and spend an hour on the toilet.  I find their expressions to be annoying in their austerity and smugness and they kind of bug me.

        That's what I heard from Donald Trump when he made the comment about Carly Fiorina and the interpretation that I understood was that she often looked pinched and severe when she spoke.  I happen to think that Fiorina is an attractive woman, but sometimes she comes across in a kind of hard way. A good thing for a leader to have I suppose, but still, I wouldn't necessarily want to deal with her facial expressions just as I wouldn't want to deal with having to see John Kerry give speeches--or Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for that matter.   Later, Donald Trump explained that when he had made the comment about Fiorina he was talking about her demeanor.    Demeanor is exactly the word that came to my mind when I first heard the story.   No sexist attack there in my opinion.

"Miss Piggy" and the Beauty pageants--To start with, Donald Trump did not invent beauty pageants.  Like them or not, the beauty pageant concept has been around for decades.  I grew up watching beauty pageants on television along with my parents and sister.  The beauty pageant has long been a big part of American culture.  As someone interested in the entertainment industry and who appreciates an attractive female, Donald Trump gravitated toward beauty contests and invested in several of them as a money making opportunity.  There is big money to be made in the beauty pageant industry.  In fact, in the late sixties, my own father even invested in a beauty pageant franchise that was short-lived, but it was something in which he anticipated the possibility of making some big bucks.  The beauty pageant industry is a legitimate and potentially lucrative entertainment vehicle which was a natural direction for someone like Donald Trump to pursue.

          As far as the most notable charge of shaming Alicia Machado because of her weight gain, this is a silly charge dug up by the Clinton campaign.  Winning beauty contestants are always under contract to maintain a certain image that reflects the standard of beauty and physical perfection that led to their winning the contest.  The situation with the Machado case was publicity oriented for the benefit of the pageant and Machado herself.  This is a big nothing publicity stunt by the Clinton people that essentially had little effect to diminish Trump and probably did little to help Machado.  

          The other past beauty contestants that came out to denigrate Trump were far outnumbered by those who praised Trump and were appreciative for opportunities they gained from their association with them.  Considering those charges that he would walk through dressing rooms where contestants were naked or changing clothes, this is the nature of the business. Having long been involved in the entertainment business I know how this goes.  Changing clothes and being scantily clad in the presence of the opposite sex is common and typically no big deal.  Those who have never been a part of this kind of culture need to accept what it is and just get over it in relation to Donald Trump.

Rosie O'Donnell--What is there to say really?   In my opinion the woman is a disgusting pig who is offensive, annoying, and with a talent I would deem negligible.  Anything Trump said about her is probably in line with what many think.   She could have been a man for that matter and if Trump had said the same things nobody would have cared.   Who actually admires Rosie O'Donnell and enjoys her dubious talents?   Case closed unless someone wants to reopen it.

Megyn Kelly--I'll admit to being a fairly regular Fox News viewer so I am well familiar with Megyn Kelly's show.   At first I liked her, but then her head gesturing, mugging, eye rolls, and other gesticulating that was like a wordless commentary on the news began to annoy me.  I began to realize that she is more of a news entertainer than the legitimate journalist that she claims to be.  Megyn Kelly is better suited to a show like The Today Show or The View than actual serious journalism. That's my opinion. 

        Trump's feud with Megyn seemed ridiculous to me, but I wouldn't call it sexist or misogynistic or anything of that nature.  He used charged words that some construed as being sexist, but personally I think Trump just knows what will get a rise out of certain journalists and wannabes as well as certain segments of the consumers of public affairs news.  And he certainly milked the publicity for all that it was worth.  So did Mugging Megyn.   I'm sure the feud helped her sell her recently released book (which I would never consider buying).  

        The dumbest Megyn related controversy was after the debate co-hosted by Kelly.  Later Donald Trump said in relation to one part of the debate exchange that, "She (Megyn) had blood coming out of her eyes...out of her wherever..."  and this was immediately conflated by the media morons as being a sexually charged insult referring to menstrual flow.  As usual their minds were in the gutter assuming that everything has to do with sex.

         To me what Trump said had nothing to do with what the pundits claimed.  What I heard was Trump using an old idiom to express rage or anger.   "He/she had blood coming out of her ears" used to be a somewhat common thing to say prior to the seventies or so.  I remember my father using that expression sometimes.  Since Donald Trump and I are products of the same generation, he undoubtedly frequently heard this expression used in his life.  Like me he probably has rarely or never used this expression, but maybe it came to his mind when he was saying "blood coming out of her eyes" and upon realizing that the expression wasn't quite right and to keep his flow of patter quick he added "her wherever" with no intent to mean anything more than that.

        Listening carefully to the nuance of his phrasing, that was my first impression upon hearing his words and it's the only thing that makes sense.  Donald Trump can certainly sometimes be crude in his speech, but in this case I'm sure that he had no intent to be so.  He misstated an idiom and instead of floundering to remember the correct one he improvised to move on.   I pass more judgement on those who interpreted his words otherwise.

Multiple marriages--He's been married three times.  Not something to be proud of, but in no way does that mean Trump is sexist or hates women or anything like that.  Plenty of men have been married more than once including me.  It's not something that I ever planned on, but it just happened that way.  Partly it's the society we live in.  Divorce is easy and it is something that happens to plenty of us.

Outrageous statements on the Howard Stern Show and elsewhere--Plenty of celebrities appear on the Howard Stern Show and say very outrageous things.  Stern encourages it as well because that's mostly what his show is.  He's a shock jock.   I used to listen to the Stern show all the time until it became too much for me.  Nevertheless Stern remains popular and so do a lot of other shows where crudeness, sex talk, and political incorrectness is the norm.  All sorts of people appear on these shows to say things many of us would never consider saying and many listeners continue to tune into these shows on a regular basis.  Once again this is all a reflection on the society and Trump has been a part of that culture.   He probably kind of regrets those appearances now, but what are you going to do to change the past.  Nothing.

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

       That's all I've got for now, but I'm sure there are some of you who can come up with other examples.  Feel free to name whatever you think of in the comment section or give your thoughts on the examples I've mentioned.  But when you do, please remember the generation of Trump (which is also the generation in which I grew up).   This is the era that gave us free love in the sixties, crazed sex of the Disco Era, nudity and sex in mainstream movies, and willing acceptance of rampant use of foul language.  Things that Trump has said are mild compared to what we hear in much popular music or see in top ranking films on a regular basis.

       We're listening so go ahead and spout off.

        Next I'll get into some really offensive issues (to some) that are guaranteed to lose some followers and readers of this blog.

 There's still time to vote in my current Battle of the Bands post.   Please come over to visit if you haven't voted yet.  I'll be posting results on Monday January 9th.




39 comments:

  1. My favorite quote, Lee:
    :) “Don’t waste your energy trying to change opinions … do your thing, and don’t care if they like it.” Tina Fey <3
    My idea of a good leader is someone who rises above the negative cultural climate and leads the way to a higher calling. DT is our president and so far shows no signs of doing that. You seem to be trying to excuse him. A worthwhile read is learning to understand a co-depedent who enables a narcissist. DT has a lot to prove to Americans to gain our trust, even of those who voted for him. We shall see. :)

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    1. MLQ, The irony of the Tina Fey quote and what has been most disturbing to me is that the supposed purveyors of news delivery seem to be more engaged in trying to change public opinion rather than just delivering facts to the public so we can make up our own minds. We are continually bombarded by continuous opining based on minimal reportage of facts.

      So now I'm offering my rebuttals to all the so-called journalism that has gone on throughout the Trump campaign that was mostly geared to put Hillary Clinton into office. With great frustration, I continue to hear this garbage spewed by media spokespeople for whom I do not have the most respect.

      My goal is not so much to excuse Trump as to put the outright lies.the misinformation, and the distortions of facts into more perspective. Maybe it's mostly cathartic for me because I've grown to have a great distaste for mainstream media which shapes the thinking of so many people. Just listen to anyone tell you why they don't like Donald Trump and you don't hear much of anything original, but the same silly lines parroted from the leftist media sources.
      I've become bored with it so I've decided to entertain myself and talk to anyone else who is willing to listen.

      As I've been saying, the media and the party puppets have become like those dolls where you pull the string and the same old stuff comes out of them. You can't really discuss or reason with them, you can only hear them and do what you like with what you hear.

      Now I'm my own talking doll with my own digitized message on repeat to counter the others. Not sure what your statement about "A worthwhile read" exactly means, but I agree about Trump needing to gain our trust and prove himself. So far I do see him doing that. I don't mind when people disagree with logic and reason, but when they disagree with unfounded predictions about what is going to happen according to them or just because they hate Trump, conservatives, Christians, or whoever then it's just more foolish divisive prattle that I find repetitive and boring.

      Lee

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  2. Oh yeah, the tape was clearly used to try and end his campaign. Timing was perfect. And yeah, I've heard such remarks, still doesn't make them any less pathetic though. I don't care who you are, male or female, if you have to resort to such tactics to "entertain" shows what little brain power you have. Whether its common or not, still pathetic. It may be common but common sense isn't any longer. Whether it's Trump or Joe Schmo, as far as I'm concerned, it shows what little brain cells one has when it comes to such conversations.

    As for sexism and beauty pageant, pffft anyone whining about that needs to get a grip. They were going on long before him and will go on long after. Sex is what sells and as long as the sheep follow such marketing tactics it forever will.

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    1. Pat, I agree about the obtuse remarks that people say--especially guys with other guys. This has always offended me and I've tried to avoid such people as much as I could. However even I have had my moments of crudity in stupid moments when I was trying to be funny or "impress" others who I shouldn't have been trying to impress in that way.

      This boorish attempt to "entertain" others has been something I've disliked and even railed about on my blog. I even got into a rather heated controversy about this subject on my own blog in regard to adding an adult content label to certain blog links on the A to Z list when some people were complaining about being offended by certain blogs (I've been among the offended). Personally I'd like to eliminate most profanity in writing and everyday conversation, but it's a losing battle. It's hard to find a hit movie that doesn't have this these days and that's why my wife and I tend to watch a lot of Christian films or movies made prior to 1965.

      There seems to be a double standard among many regarding Trump that they don't apply to the rest of society. Do people think Trump is the first U.S. president to be crude at times? I would maintain based on what I've read and heard that many, including the Clintons, have been or are far worse than Trump.

      And you're right--"sex sells" and the public is a bunch of sheeple who go along with whatever the media and entertainment moguls feed them.

      Lee

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    2. Yeah, it is a double standard, even JFK was a real douche to women at times, if the stories are true.

      As for swearing, it has it's place, like it slips out or to mumble or something. But when all one's vocabulary consists of is f this and f that and far worse, which I recently had to deal with such a douche who said f*** more times in 20 minutes than I did in the last decade, pffft is what they get from me. Agreed that it is used far too much.

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  3. Lee, what an extremely well thought out, analytical post. I've really enjoyed your series on Trump. When the Access Hollywood takes came out I could not believe the hypocrisy of liberals carrying on about it. I've gritted my teeth over MTV in the eighties, keeping it off my TV so my kids wouldn't have access to it. Movies geared to children that are profane and disgusting in their foul language and crudeness. Now pornography easily available to our children on their cell phones. And then all of a sudden there's outrage over comments Trump made as an entertainer and private citizen 15 years ago? I was outraged by Bill Clintons sexual escapades while in office and seeing how the media downplayed it as no big thing. But when it serves their purposes then the left shows their "outrage" over these comments? Like you, I've lost all respect for the mainstream media. They no longer report the news they try to create it to serve their own leftist agenda.

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  4. Karen, Thank you! The so-called news is a joke these days. In fact, even the pretend journalists engage in salaciousness and crudity as they become entertainers more so than news reporters. I miss the old days of Huntley-Brinkley and Walter Cronkite news delivery when there was a sense of gravitas regarding what they were doing instead of this mission to give some facts and add opinion in the mix.

    I'm disgusted with the Jorge Ramos philosophy that the audience must be told how to think. No wonder so many Latinos have a skewed view of Trump and the Republican party if they are listening to Univision for news information. MSNBC is mostly a joke when it comes to delivery of news and CNN is little better.

    The left is a bastion of hypocrisy and they have absolutely no credibility in my eyes.

    Thank you, Karen, for sticking with me on this series which I know many have not liked and are beginning to like less. I just feel that there need to be some voices to counterbalance what is being fed to the public by mainstream media. My little voice doesn't change much, but maybe it might make a few people think a bit.

    Lee

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  5. Karen has a vary valid point. I was thinking the same thing about Clinton while reading this.
    Our world used to be very un-PC. A lot of it still is. That people have taken PC to the extreme in the past few years just blows my mind. People are too scared to say anything now.

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    1. Alex, the PC attitude is selectively applied and certain people become selectively indignant about certain other people. Double standards are the norm with the left and, yes, many folks are so afraid to say certain things because they might be boycotted, blacklisted, or publicly ostracized. It's absurd and in many ways fascistic in the attitudes of the left leaning liberal factions.

      Lee

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  6. You may lose some followers, but after I read your post aloud to my husband this morning (though he most assuredly CAN read...) he will be following you.
    You've said so many things that we have been saying. We're getting tired of all the sad and depressed people, and teachers who are scaring kids with their talk of Trump's presidency. I don't feel like ranting here, so I am going to stop and thank you. Thank you.
    You aren't losing followers; rather you are more likely sorting, culling and exchanging.

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    1. Donna, thank you for your support and I'd agree with what you assess. I am merely cleaning out my readership of those who would condemn me for what I say. I like fair exchanges of ideas, but there is no fairness where some people are concerned. I welcome the readership of those who are willing to consider what I say and intelligently disagree when they feel as such. It's scary what is happening from those who dislike what Trump voters and others on opposing thought sides and are willing to say and do vile things in order to shut us down. Actually it's an ironic display of gross intolerance towards difference of opinion.

      Lee

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    2. The irony of the situation escapes many.

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    3. Donna, this is especially so in the supposed hallowed halls of academia where free exchange of ideas and radical thought theoretically should be encouraged. Instead, those academes are the worst offenders of freedom of ideas. It's either accept their leftist thinking or to be deemed as ignorant or wacky which in truth is the opposite.

      Lee

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  7. I do believe sexism is something we need to rally against despite it being rampant. Though the definition of being objectified has become construed. Choosing to be on a magazine cover is not being objectified. The woman who society pushes to look that way despite it being impossible is being objectified. It's just like the silly claim that wearing a swim suit at a beauty pageant is objectifying. No it's not. If it is then naked beaches must all be rape by ways. Which they're not. Haven't been to one but I think they'd fade out if they were overrun with rapists.

    Trump put himself in a corner with multiple things that he said. Some of which did indeed disgust me. But the timing and tolerance of these things until he became a presidential nominee is also disgusting and needs to be spotlighted. It's okay for a celebrity to behave in a way deemed sexist but oh my God not the presidential nominee! Be real, if Trump had been typified as an awful man long before then he wouldn't have run. Instead he was a fun successful businessman. Until he ran for president. Then he was a white vagina grabbing demon. This is how prejudices and other issues get swept under the rug. Only brought out when parts of the media or society don't like where they are going. Sure a farmer could run for president but a successful businessman who runs his mouth a lot and smiles? No way!

    And I won't even touch that stupid menstrual flow thing. And while I thought it was no nice to call Rosie a pig, she's awful and bullish too. Why didn't more of the media comment on that? I've loved stuff by her but from what I've gathered she's not very nice. If I had to chat with her or Trump, I'd choose him. Neither are perfect but Trump seems better able to accept the opinion of others and give better banter. I mean didn't people see her on the talks how The View?

    Anyway, enjoy your weekend Arlee and thanks for all your various posts. You are indeed an every man.

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    1. Sheena-kay, Trump wasn't the most precise communicator in many ways--at least not like the tradition lawyer/politician types--but he said what was on his mind and those who were listening the right way got it. If he put himself in a corner then I think it was in some ways intentional marketing decisions (look at the attention he got when he said what seemed like crazy things) or, in many cases, it was the media or opponents twisting what he said into something he didn't really say. Trump made it easy to twist his words, but I think it always worked to his favor in the end.

      We'll see how he deals with things in the months to come. So far I think he is remaining true to the image he set for his fans and shaking up the status quo. I think this is a good thing that this country needs right now.

      Thanks for your continued support in my efforts.

      Lee

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  8. Men can be pigs, I know that (so can women) and thankfully there is no hidden mike on every man or there would be a lot of hell to pay but that being said, It is not really what he said that bothered me but that he truly believes it in his heart and soul. He Has said, not just on that show, but has said remarks about many other women that just makes me want to slap him. He is not just like a regular man because he truly believes women who are heavier are pigs. He judges women and thinks low of them. I am not a Rosie O'Donnell fan but what he said about her was plain wrong (so was she). Yes, he is/was head of the beauty pageant which is about looks first but to state the girl is becoming a pig because she no longer is a size 2 was purely disgusting. My hubby can be crude on occasion and he grew up on the "wrong side of the tracks" and spent 2 years in prison but he even stated that what Trump said was wrong and disrespectful to women and to men because not every man thinks of women as a commodity the way he does. If you think he doesn't, think again because he doesn't truly respect women-a narcissist can't and he is one for sure. I don't care if he has been married 3 times, that happens to many people but I bet you that if he was Donald trump, from midtown USA who worked in an office and nobody knew him, he would not have these "beautiful" women but he would be a womanizer and unfaithful. There I gave my 2 cents worth and i know you very much disagree but..oh well:)

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    1. Birgit, a lot of guys get pretty stupid when they are together and striving on one upsmanship. I think to some degree you might be right, but I also think maybe you aren't giving Trump some due credit. I've heard more good things about Trump from those who have been associated with him than bad and I think the bad has mostly been sour grapes. We can't believe everything we've heard that Trump said or did and often I think the reports about him were misconstrued or distortions of facts.

      Lee

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    2. The problem is that I heard it from his own lips! This man is not to be trusted

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  9. I would like to add to the parade of fine comments to this well-thought out post, but having just posted the yearly Time Machine Beauty Contest, I prolly have no leg to stand on, lol!

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    1. CW, I like "well thought out post"--thanks!

      Lee

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  10. I am not a fan of Mr. Trump. I wasn't a fan of Secretary Clinton, either.

    These character issues can go into the mix during a campaign. If people choose to vote for a candidate anyway (and assuming we're not talking about a crime) then I tend to move on from it.

    In any Administration, there are enough bad decisions made that I can limit my criticisms to what the person is doing as President. I believe I can, anyway...

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    1. Nasreen, history is ultimately the judge of any leader so we'll see. I do think Obama was crap and will be judged accordingly by history depending on who the historian is making the judgement. But we'll see where this all goes.

      Lee

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  11. Hi Lee.
    A very well thought out post and well written.
    Whatever Mr Trump said or didn't and whatever the Democratic party tries to do about what they feel is their right to do and say, American people have chosen to have Mr Trump as their president in the coming years whether the mainstream media and the democrats like it or not. Mr Trump is the President Elect and will, on the twentieth of January 2017, become the President of the United States of America, no getting around it.
    From a non American point of view, I think that is the best thing that can happen to America and the rest of the world. We need to get away from political correctness and start moving towards a world that puts truth first and stops accusing each other. Mr Trump isn't a politician so political correctness no longer has a place to force compliance on others. I live in a country where, as a white man, I have absolutely no say what so ever. If one of my crew aren't doing their job properly I cant say anything without being called a racist. If I say something about a woman I'm automatically called a sexist or misogynist. The result; the country is falling apart, the economy has collapsed and the future for everyone in the country looks bleak indeed.
    Mr trump, go for it and make America great again. Those who don't agree with him, come to Africa and see for yourself what Barack Obama was advocating for all of you, you will be shocked.
    God bless America, Donald Trump and the people who really want change, Geoff.

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    1. Geoff, you said it very well my friend. The real issue goes deeper than Trump or this U.S. election. What is happening is a world problem that is very much found in Biblical prophecy. In some ways these are frightening times if we merely consider it all through the eyes of the world. What is going on has far-reaching repercussions that I believe will continue to be more evident as time goes by.

      People may think things have been crazy already, but just wait until the U.S. policy gets behind moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing that city as the center of the Jewish people. We ain't seen nothing yet.

      Lee

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  12. I read this with interest Lee, as I have already said I am not into politics, but found this most absorbing.

    Yvonne.

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    1. Yvonne, I appreciate your coming by to consider my thoughts.

      Lee

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  13. LEE ~
    I thought this was a fine blog bit, and taking into consideration what you wrote, and having read all the comments, I haven't much to add.

    However, I will say just a couple things, which I will keep subdued since it is your blog and I respect that. (If it were my blog, what I'm about to say would be laced with profanity and some really A-List, E-Ticket name-calling, as my tolerance for socialists and hypocrites is at an all-time low.)

    The great vast majority of men I've known -- particularly before the grey hair stage set in -- spoke dirty about women when alone with the guys. I myself would make some humorous allusions and use much less offensive double entendres and such because I was never obsessed with sex and didn't really think of women solely as sex objects. In fact, in my youth, I put them on a pedestal and thought them, in most ways, better than men -- kinder, more civilized, less violent, less narcissistic. (I'm 57 now and life has taught me how wrong my youthful impression was. UHP! I WAS AN IDIOT!)

    But most of these women (and girlie men, like Andrew Leon) who feigned such outrage at Trump's (admittedly gutterish and uncivilized) dirty talk are a bunch of awful hypocrites! I have it from several VERY RELIABLE female sources (friends of mine) that when most women get together privately, the sexual stories and jokes they tell are AT LEAST as bad as anything Trump is reported to have said, and VERY OFTEN much dirtier. So, all those liberal hypocrites can kiss my--

    Secondly, almost no one believes that Trump was ever really "grabbing pus*ies". He was just yakking to show off in front of the guys. But even if he DID do this (which I doubt, and all his accusers have since slithered back into the Democratic woodwork from whence they came), remember that Trump said they "let" him do it. If they "let" him then it wasn't really a sexual assault, was it? And if they "let" a man they didn't really even know grab their "pus*ies", what does it say about THOSE WOMEN?

    Again, just a bunch of inflated crapola from the Marxocrat party which will stoop to ANY LEVEL to get what they want. (Anyone who doubts that can forthwith explain the post-election rioting to me.)

    Meanwhile, these awful hypocrites, condemning Trump, were totally ignoring the fact that Hillary's husband (whom she defended and remained married to) was guilty of many true sexual assaults on women and at least one real rape! So, Trump bad; Rapist Enabler good. Vote for the Rapist Enabler; don't vote for the man with a dirty mouth. (Here's where I'd like to use a lot of profanity and name-calling.)

    Anyway, you did a nice job with this post. There are some people for whom facts are irrelevant -- they are going to stick to their current misguided opinion no matter what -- and lacking any real critical thinking ability and respect for objective truth, they are beyond reasoning with. (And in my opinion, your Trump series has exposed some of them.)

    Like I told you privately, my original thought that this Trump series was a waste of your time and only going to lead to frustration on your part was WAY WRONG! I have plenty of faults, but I also have enough intellectual honesty to admit when I've been wrong. We'll see in the years to come how many Liberals are able to say the same thing about themselves.

    In closing I want to add that I wish GEOFF MARITZ would become an American citizen and move here. I'd trade millions of current American citizens for just one GEOFF MARITZ!!

    ~ D-FensDogG
    Check out my new blog @
    (Link:) Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...

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    1. STMcC, Exactly! You are right, sir! Correctomundo!

      Thank you for your kind words and your support.

      Hypocrisy and lies has been the rule of this past season of campaigning, the election, and continues on until even now. The antis say we Trump supporters won't let things go and feel compelled to defend our support of Trump and yet they show an even greater compulsion to hang onto their indignation and anger about the fair election results. Their resistance to the changes the new party rules might be a thorn in the side of change for the new or merely an ongoing annoyance, but they are flaunting their own stupidity and lack of moral reasoning.

      It might sound like I'm hounding on these issues with my series, but I'm merely reacting to what has been said and continues to be repeated even when proof has shown how wrong the opposition has been.

      If the left thinks they are riding some white horse of morality then they need to take another look. Their beliefs and acceptance of immorality have brought us to what they now complain about. Ignorant hypocrites all and they are becoming boringly repetitive to me and many.

      Agreed about Geoff. He has been a decent follower for many years now and I understand what he is saying.

      Thanks for weighing in here today and I'd say that for some the worst is yet to come in my series. Time to expose certain elements of the blogging community for the phonies they are.

      Lee

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    2. >>... "I'd say that for some the worst is yet to come in my series."

      Sometimes you just gotta cull the herd.

      ~ D-FensDogG

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  14. Well said, Lee. I read the Art of the Deal not long after Trump threw his hat in the ring and read about his hiring practices and his praise of the women he placed in high positions in his organization. I've ignored the nonsense about sexism ever since.

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    1. Patricia, as I said earlier, I've heard more positives from those associated with Trump than negatives. There will always be those who have something bad to say about former bosses or others.

      Lee

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  15. What's that saying... There is no reality, only perception.
    In this very diverse country of many races, religions, economic statuses, educational levels, and ages, there are so many varied opinions of Donald Trump and his actions and everyone has their own reality, i.e what is the real deal? It seems that you are trying to figure it out or trying to convince others to feel as you do. Trump will be our president. Period. Final. The issues you speak of seem moot. However, his fascination remains and I suspect that's why everyone is still talking about him.
    I haven't read your previous posts, so I may be responding to an incomplete story; however, I think I have to pass on future Trump posts, Lee. It was an exhausting 2016! I wish him well and that his leadership benefits us and our country.
    Happy New Year!

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    1. Anita, this series isn't for everyone and has even upset some. AS I keep saying, this is a rebuttal to things that keep getting repeated in media and elsewhere and much of what is said is untrue as far as I can tell so I keep rebutting. Thanks for checking it out at least.

      Lee

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  16. Well said, Lee. It’s a shame there are so many who believe only hearing what they want makes them informed enough to choose corruption over integrity, and poverty and empty discourse - for those they don’t have to look at - over prosperity for all. We’ve seen the end of professionalism in mainstream media, the ruination of respect and common decency and the near demise of the greatest nation on earth. It remains to be seen, but Trump had one thing right: What do we have to lose?

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    1. Diedre, we all listen through filters, but unfortunately the filters based on logic and reason have been replaced with the filtering based on the interpretations of others--most often the left-leaning media. If there is any "professionalism" left in the media it is that of the professional propagandist and mind-shaping. We certainly don't have any more to lose with Trump and much more to gain than what has been offered to this country in the past couple of decades.

      Lee

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  17. Some of my messages and emails to people would certainly be as colourful as Trump's language - often joking with women, saying they have a lovely pair...of eyes...or some nonsense. As you say, Lee, people do it all the time.

    Trump's campaign was run by a woman.

    I do feel that he has huge double standards in terms of calling women ugly (if he does so). He's no oil painting.

    And I disagree with your interpretation of the news - I'd see more truth in what he consistently calls out as "fake news" than you do. However, I am not concerned about whether Trump is a misogynist (woman hater), or a sexist (the distinction in my view here being that he might place weight on being a family provider, for example - which would be sexist technically speaking, in this day and age) or whether he pulled Ivana's hair, or whether he took advantage of women in the past. So although I am onboard with a lot of this post, some of it does speak to his character.

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    1. Richard, if I am correct in thinking that you are in the UK then the news you receive might be vastly different than much of what I see, read, and hear in the US. So much that is called "news" is this country is either in reality more akin to entertainment (sensationalism) or propagandizing. A lot that I consider "fake" might be based on actual reporting that degenerates into attempts to shapes the minds and opinions of the audience. There is a divide within the media that to a great extent is responsible for the vast divide of the citizenry of this nation. Maybe a better term for fake would be highly-biased reporting.

      No matter what the case I find myself aggregating information from numerous sources in order to come to the conclusions that I come to in regard to what is going on. To some extent I guess we all create our perceptions of news according to what we want to understand or hear and that might be another factor. I tend to agree more with the perceptions as Trump sees them.

      Lee

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    2. This is one issue he shouldn't be hauled over the coals about. I'm with you as regards locker room talk - I've worked alongside locker room talkers who discuss work colleagues and what they would do to them. It made me uncomfortable. I'd rather talk like that directly to the women - mostly just having a laugh - but I have no doubt that if these messages were brought to light, if I planned to run for office, I would be facing some heat! :-) So I do call foul on all that stuff, and in the main I agree with what you say there. He's got a number of women backing his transition too.

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Lee