Had enough yet

[GroundControl]

Lee, your posts often carry a fact or truth that qualify whatever it is you are addressing. But sometimes it is what you are addressing that strikes a loud bell of awareness and is all important. This last post is one that is so important to read and understand the impact your subject has on our daily lives as Americans.

Lawyers WILL unintentionally undo the Constitution if they are allowed to represent the American people as elected officials. When they are not able to bargain with the other side because they CANNOT step out of their ever-present lawyer heart and soul that they are trained to be, they WILL revert to the win at all costs no matter the morally correct outcome or the peoples will. In the end you get a very clogged up Congress that has become a closed system of a tight knit brotherhood of the like minded. A very large percentage of elected officials that are lawyers don't have any courtroom experience and have never tried a case and they will put aside Morals and Righteousness if it means winning their election and keeping their seats of power.

Your post is an in depth documentation of the some of the most important reasons the Dems are who they are. Win at all costs, no matter the kind of attack or unintented outcome!

I am in complete agreement with your post Sir. You seem to be a very knowledgable observer of history.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Why people are opting for generators

Surging demand for power is not only threatening U.S. climate goals but power outages because of an aging grid that is unable to keep up with current needs and predicted future needs. At a time when the Biden administration is doubling down on green energy initiatives to save the planet, initiatives that are breaking the national bank as well as many of its citizens pocketbooks; many who do not have the means or the ability to engage in the plan.

Their survival will be based on having the means to keep warm / cool in extreme weather, ability to prepare and store food, keep their basements dry – simply survive. As the grid becomes more taxed and the certainty of power outages exists, more Americans are opting to purchase generators to fit their needs and pocketbooks. Even then, many Americans will not have the means or ability to generate their own power to provide their basic needs for survival and the government doesn’t seem to be concerned.

The StraitsTimes

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/a...-climate-goals

Something unusual is happening in America. Demand for electricity, which has stayed largely flat for two decades, has begun to surge.

Over the past year, electric utilities have nearly doubled their forecasts of how much additional power they will need by 2028 as they confront an unexpected explosion in the number of data centers, an abrupt resurgence in manufacturing driven by new federal laws, and millions of electric vehicles being plugged in.

Many power companies were already struggling to keep the lights on, especially during extreme weather, and they say the strain on the grid will only increase.

Peak demand in the summer is projected to grow by 38,000 megawatts nationwide in the next five years, according to an analysis by the consulting firm Grid Strategies, which is like adding another California to the grid.

In an ironic twist, the swelling appetite for more electricity, driven not only by electric cars but also by battery and solar factories and other aspects of the clean-energy transition, could also jeopardize the country’s plans to fight climate change.

Burning more gas and coal runs counter to President Joe Biden’s pledge to halve the nation’s planet-warming greenhouse gases and to generate all of America’s electricity from pollution-free sources such as wind, solar and nuclear by 2035.

“I can’t recall the last time I was so alarmed about the country’s energy trajectory,” said Mr. Tyler H. Norris, a former solar developer and expert in power systems who is now pursuing a doctorate at Duke University. If a wave of new gas-fired plants gets approved by state regulators, he said, “it is game over for the Biden administration’s 2035 decarbonization goal”.

Some utilities say they need additional fossil fuel capacity because cleaner alternatives such as wind or solar power are not growing fast enough and can be bogged down by delayed permits and snarled supply chains. While a data center can be built in just one year, it can take five years or longer to connect renewable energy projects to the grid and a decade to build some of the long-distance power lines they require. Utilities also note that data centers and factories need power 24 hours a day, something wind and solar alone cannot provide.

The stakes are high. If more power is not brought online relatively soon, large portions of the country could risk blackouts, according to a recent report by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, which monitors the health of the nation’s electric grids.

More… https://www.straitstimes.com/world/a...-climate-goals

[Lee Chowaniec]

New York State in decline: Do Democrats really care

Like the U.S., New York State is in decline. Forget about political party affiliation, media propaganda, hyperbole from radical left and radical right extremists, what are you seeing and hearing. What are you feeling? How is your quality of life being impacted? A conversation worth having as we are being directed on what and how we should think in today’s world.

America in decline: Illegal immigration
Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Are Democrats planning to use today’s illegal immigrants to help them win elections for decades to come?

Are there any Americans who would agree to pay more taxes in order to pay for the influx of illegal immigrants? Well, we cannot continue to put it on Uncle Sam’s credit card either. For the sake of our nation, our government cannot provide foreign assistance for those protecting their borders until Biden takes one, if not all, of following three steps to secure America’s border:

1. Use executive orders to secure our border
2. Return to the border security policies that were working under the prior administration
3. Use the military to protect and secure our border

Illegal immigrants have not and will not be entering America with a platinum healthcare insurance plan. All will be without healthcare coverage. Yes, that equals millions of illegal immigrants. So, they will have Uncle Sam as their healthcare provider – we call it Medicaid (healthcare for the indigent). And it costs us billions.

Last year the growth of Medicaid was three times the rate of inflation – nearly 10%. It currently stands at a cost of $800 billion and at its current rate will soon eclipse $1 trillion. We don’t have the money Mr. Biden – but you already know that. Our top money man Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has stated that the course we are on financially is unsustainable. Maybe we should listen to him.

Individually, our nation’s financial plight has rippling negative effects – high interest rates being one of the biggest ripples. For instance, due partially to high interest rates, home foreclosures are up, business, and personal bankruptcies are up 16.8%, and credit card debt is at an all-time high, a whopping $1.02 trillion. These are all facts not widely reported by our liberal media.

So why would Biden and the Democrats push America more rapidly toward the financial cliff? Paramount for them is winning elections. But Democrats have a problem with this. They have not won the white vote in over 50 years. Yes, they have lost the white vote in every single presidential election since Lyndon Johnson.

So their “Plan B” is to let the mess happen at the Mexican border. They want the flow of illegal immigrants to swell into the millions, knowing that these immigrants will eventually be included in the census and vote. That’s sad.
The cat is out of the bag, however.

That is the reason the Democrats “recruit” new voters so the party can create a clearer path to victory in the decades to come. But do not call these folks “illegals”!

Democrats are offended when their ploy is revealed. They are also offended when people come to America in a non-legal way and are referred to as “illegal immigrants.” They are immigrants and they are crossing into America with no regard for our laws. That is the definition of an illegal immigrant.

Biden, the stubborn, octogenarian, and 50-year political pro, is willing to risk the wellbeing of millions of people around the world in order to keep the water flowing, the flow of illegal immigrants moving across our southern border. He has refused to lift a finger – despite the U.S. Constitution which clearly states that “the United States must protect each state from an invasion.” Don’t forget the Democrats would say, “It depends on the meaning of ‘invasion’?”

In polls, a vast majority of Americans feel it is an invasion. Illegal immigrants are being weaponized to bring down America financially. The numbers of invaders and Biden’s inaction are historic.

NEXT: Part II: New York State in decline

[Lee Chowaniec]

New York State in decline

Do you hate Donald Trump that much that you are pleased to see New York State Attorney General Letitia James humiliate Trump and require him to possibly divest some of his properties to pay the $454 million alleged fraud fine because he is unable to bond close to $500,000 to meet the excessive fine levied on him for an alleged fraud case? A lawsuit without a victim? An excessive fine professed by many investors, attorneys, and financial experts alike.

Ever think about about the collateral damage this procedure will bring to New York State’s finances and ultimately our finances when we are already saddled with high taxes; especially when the reputation of New York is reportedly under threat as a substantial number of high-earning residents have moved away. Many feel that this is putting the financial industry of the state and its economy at risk.

New York used to be a major hub of high-paying jobs within the finance industry. However, that is apparently no longer the case, according to recent reports and statistics. Multiple reports have confirmed that there is an exodus of wealthy residents throughout the state. Manhattan reportedly experienced a loss of nearly $11 billion in gross income.

If things do not turn around quickly for the state, then multiple reports confirm that the finance industry may have to head to the "EXIT" sign in New York. This would create an even more dramatic impact for the state's economy. The business climate must also be improved in general.

Mayor Adams explained that improving the city requires investment of some sorts, but not necessarily in the way that many finance experts may think. Adams stated that "making this city more livable means investing in cleaner streets and more vibrant public spaces." In order to keep those investments going, Adam indicated that they "need financial support to cover the costs of the asylum seeker humanitarian costs."

Letitia James: Be careful what you wish for! Ready to bite off your nose to spite your face?

New Yorkers Abandon City, Posing Major Economic Risk

Taxes and a less-than-friendly business environment have driven away high-earning residents, putting the state’s financial industry—and by extension, its economy—at risk. A recent study shows that the state’s status as a hub for finance is in jeopardy. The top states attracting new, high-paying financial jobs are Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia. New York ranks a low 36th in job growth in this sector.

Losing finance sector jobs isn’t just an industry problem. Each job lost in finance can lead to almost three more lost in other sectors, affecting the broader economy. Experts say this situation needs immediate attention. It’s a wake-up call for New York to improve its competitive edge in the finance industry. Workers in New York’s financial services have the highest average pay package in the country. It stands at $309,000 annually.

Population decline is becoming a serious issue. New York saw a 2.7% decrease from 2019 to 2022, the worst among all states during the pandemic. The decline in population isn’t uniform. New York City and its suburbs, home to the state’s wealthiest residents, have been the hardest hit. Manhattan alone saw a flight of nearly $11 billion in gross income, confirming that the wealthiest are indeed leaving the area.

In 2021, New York saw a net income loss of $9.8 billion that migrated to Florida. Taxes are the likely reason for this shift. New York has the highest combined state and local tax rate for residents. In contrast, Florida has the lowest, making it a more attractive option for high earners. New York is among the few states that tax estates, commonly called the “death tax.” High-wealth individuals consider this when choosing a state to reside in. The situation is dire. If New York doesn’t address these issues, it risks losing its finance industry, one of its most crucial economic pillars.

The financial health of New York is in peril. If the finance and insurance industry declines, it could have a cascading effect on other sectors and the state’s economy as a whole. New York needs to focus on lowering taxes, improving its business climate, and making the cost of living more manageable to retain its financial dominance. The declining financial industry isn’t just a Wall Street issue. The ripple effect could lead to job losses and a reduced quality of life for all New Yorkers.

New York is at a critical point. A focused and forceful strategy is required to ensure the Empire State remains a financial leader, not just nationally but globally. This isn’t just a New York City problem; it’s an issue that impacts us all.

Investors are looking at the Trump case and thinking if this excessive fine can be imposed on the likes of Donald Trump, why not me. Why would I want to invest in New York? The Judge’s and James overreach to get Trump adversely impacts us all when the time comes to pay the bills.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Trump / Letitia James: Do you get the BS?

How can anyone living in New York not understand how bad this political vindictive move is not only for the financial wellbeing of their state, but for all markets?

Well said, Mr. Leary! Where are the adults!

Kevin O'Leary warns NY Trump fraud case is 'concerning financial markets' around the world

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/othe...3c1a1760&ei=78

"Shark Tank" star Kevin O’Leary is blaming New York for "tainting the American brand" as former President Trump is at risk of losing properties following the ruling in his civil fraud case. "What's going on in New York, it has nothing to do with Trump. That case is over. What's going on now is concerning financial markets all around the world," O’Leary told Fox News host Jesse Watters Thursday.

Trump has until Monday to secure the $464 million bond required by the court, or else face the possibility of the attorney general beginning to seize assets, an effort that O’Leary said, "is not a good look on New York." "I mean, seizing assets after 22 days, in a bankruptcy court you get years to resolve this," the O’Leary Ventures chair stressed.

The T.V. personality went on to add that "we [U.S.] are the bastion of safety when it comes to investing large pools of capital. That's what America represents. We have property rights. We have an appellate system. We have law people trust, and we give you good returns with the least amount of resistance." O’Leary voiced that he’s "very disturbed" by the legal turmoil unraveling in New York City, arguing that "it doesn’t matter that it’s Trump, it could be anybody."

"The way I view this and the way it's viewed internationally is this was like dress up court with kids running some kind of a Halloween party with no adult supervision. We need the adults now," he demanded.

"We need the adults to look at this."

Comment

The audios are well worth listening to - whether you hate Trump or not.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Who is RJK and why is his presidential campaign welcomed by many and of concern to others

Robert John Kennedy Jr leads both Biden and Trump nationwide among voters under 35. More worrisome for them is that Kennedy leads among independents as well — a demographic that now constitutes the largest political bloc in the U.S. As the campaign between Biden and Trump becomes more ugly / dirty, polarized by fringe extremists, Democrat progressives favoring illegal rights over that of American citizens, Kennedy will get a serious look and his opponents will be in full attack mode to smear him.

Kennedy’s vice-presidential running mate, which he is expected to announce this Tuesday in Oakland, California is predicted to be lawyer, investor, and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan. The 38-year-old, Asian American, California-based Shanahan is — among other things — the founder and president of Bia-Echo Foundation, a nonprofit that issues grants for issues including reproductive rights, equality, criminal justice reform and the environment. She is someone fully capable of speaking to, bonding with, and peeling off younger voters, female voters, minority voters and the disenfranchised.

Why are the Democrats suddenly so petrified of RFK Jr.?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...85692a11&ei=40

[mark blazejewski]

Why are the Democrats suddenly so petrified of RFK Jr.?

Lee,

There are many analogies linking the threat of Kennedy's campaign to the rather limited Ralph Nader 2000 third party bid, that pealed-off just enough votes in Florida to throw the state and the Presidency to Bush 43.

Some think Kennedy's threat may be more akin to Ross Perot's nationwide 1992 campaign, whose far-reaching impact in many states destroyed Bush 41's re-election effort.

In both cases, Perot and Nader ultimately served the role of a whimsically spiteful spoiler, but I see Kennedy as a viable, productive, and truly competitive alternative to two highly flawed candidates.

The more sensible liberal voters will like Kennedy's positions on the classic liberal passions, while many conservatives, who are eager to depart the Republican Party's NeoCon embrace, will be drawn to RFK because of his positions on many issues; a potential convulsive reaction to endless wars, Big Pharma, the Fauci-inspired lockdowns, the Covid vax mandates, the Deep State, and Trump's self-inflicted, self-packed, heavy political baggage.

Many, myself included, believe Kennedy will serve to bridge the bitter gap which separates many liberals and conservatives; a national unity candidate whose promise beckons a return to the America wherein the overwhelming majority shared some very important traditional, core values, while respecting their brethren's differing opinions. The terms "unity," "peace and quiet," and "common sense"" come to my mind.

[mark blazejewski]

Kennedy’s vice-presidential running mate, which he is expected to announce this Tuesday in Oakland, California is predicted to be lawyer, investor, and philanthropist Nicole Shanahan. The 38-year-old, Asian American, California-based Shanahan is — among other things — the founder and president of Bia-Echo Foundation, a nonprofit that issues grants for issues including reproductive rights, equality, criminal justice reform and the environment. She is someone fully capable of speaking to, bonding with, and peeling off younger voters, female voters, minority voters and the disenfranchised.

Lee, Kennedy as a third party candidate, perhaps fully understands the lesson(s) learned from George Wallace's selection of Curtis LeMay in 1968 and Perot's pick of Stockdale in 1992: the Vice Presidential pick should do no reckless harm or otherwise cause embarrassment, which could detract from the campaign's thematic message.

My quick take, the Shanahan choice would keep Kennedy the prominent voice of his campaign. He would not be in a competition for the limelight, as might prove to be the case if he takes a Tulsi Gabbard or a Tucker Carlson. That strategy worked well for Nixon in 1968.

Learning from his ill-advised decision to take the famous elitist Henry Cabot Lodge as his Vice Presidential running mate in 1960, Nixon's reasoning in 1968 was to search for a running mate who would be more of a curiosity than a competitor for attention or a lightening rod. He also needed someone who, at least in geographic terms, would appeal to southern and border state voters. Agnew, at least until late September, 1968, did just that.

In RFK's case, he needs to appeal to the far-Left in order to take enough votes away from Biden. Just based on your brief synopsis, she appears to be that kind of liberal, but with her existing anonymity, and with a relatively low-key participation in the campaign, perhaps her liberal works will quietly, but effectively, define her. Absent some explosively radical proposal, big gaffe, or destructive revelation, she should be able to peal-off a good chunk Biden voters. That is fine with me.

As for Kennedy's staring role, if the campaign is run in such a way as to have RFK faithfully in the center limelight, predominantly speaking to independent and conservative voters on more moderate liberal causes and on topics such as the vax mandates, endless wars etc., I should think that tactic may attract a substantial number of Trump voters.

Just a hunch, but if Kennedy approaches anywhere near the thirty percent mark in the nationwide polls, he will truly become a third candidate that could resurrect echoes of 1912, when an incumbent and former President were defeated where defeated by a challenger, was not as well known as RFK.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Bill Maher: Honor the things that make us the same.

In his “New Rules” editorial, Maher called for an end to identity politics, saying the old silos have been breached by crossovers that blend identities rather than enforce them.

“I think now more than ever, we need to start honoring the things that make us the same.”

That means getting away from wearing Kente cloth, as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer did to pander, and changing up the interracial Subaru commercials.

Instead, he pointed to the crossovers of Beyoncé, Lil Nas X, Jelly Roll and more. “The new Captain America is Black, and Spider-Man is Black and Puerto Rican, just like the Google AI George Washington,” he noted.

RuPaul is fracking on his Wyoming ranch, and the leader of the conservative Proud Boys is Afro-Cuban, “so he burns a cross on his own lawn.”

Bill Maher Lays the Blame on Just About Everyone, Including St. Patrick's Day Parades

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/bi...85692a11&ei=75

Comment

Excellent video!

Satirical / Truth-to-Power

[Lee Chowaniec]

Truth? What is the truth?

Debunking misconceptions and fostering informed discussions are crucial steps toward finding common ground and the truth. One has difficulty determining truth when misinformation / disinformation / propaganda, / hyperbole engulfs us?

Amidst the chorus of doom, the Federal Reserve sings a different tune. According to them, the economic skies are clear, with no storm clouds in sight. Their projections paint a picture of growth and prosperity, a stark contrast to the gloomy landscape depicted by others. With economic growth forecasts looking up and the labor market holding strong, they’re betting on a brighter tomorrow. The stock market’s on a record-breaking spree, corporate earnings are through the roof, and whispers of a productivity boom offer a glimmer of hope. High interest rates? No problem, say economists, confident in the U.S.’s ability to weather the storm.

Voters say they were better off under Trump than Biden by a “stunning” margin. Voters have many worries, from the effectively open border to increasingly unsafe streets in America. But the number one worry, consistently, involves an economy that only works well for the credentialed elites while the working-class masses suffer. Polls indicate that regular Americans know better.

While optimism abounds, the threat of unforeseen economic shocks lurks in the shadows. Inflation, that ever-present specter, could still throw a wrench in the works. The Fed’s balancing act—juggling growth with inflation control—remains a tightrope walk. The future, while promising, is fraught with uncertainty. Half of the American states are knee-deep in a recession and don’t even know it. Mortgage interest rates are high, and the housing market is in shambles.

The national debt and credit card debt are at record levels. Grocery and restaurant prices are obscene and continue to increase. Homelessness is increasing our citizens are being evicted from buildings to provide shelter for illegal migrants. Illegals have rights equal to American citizens and some Democrats want to grant them voting rights as well. Biden says we have never had it better. American families know better!

Despite the Senate’s declaration that the national debt is a national security risk and the [Congressional Budget Office’s] attempts to sound the alarm about the federal government’s fiscal trajectory, there’s still a major shortage of elected officials who want to take the problem seriously.

We see what happens when America is weak, and America is incredibly weak under Joe Biden. Biden’s administration lack of resolve in following Reagan's approach of "peace through strength" is quite evident. Recent events such as the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Russia-Ukraine war, and tensions in the Middle East as evidence of America's vulnerability.

The weakness of the Biden administration has emboldened America's enemies to act with impunity. Hamas's attacks on Israel and China's aggression towards Taiwan as yet more indications of the erosion of American influence on the global stage. There is a growing alliance between adversarial nations, including Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.’

These countries are becoming increasingly "emboldened" and are actively "working together" to challenge American interests. Under Joe Biden our enemies clearly don't fear us. We see aggression happening all over the world against America's allies, but our allies don't trust us." Today, Russia boldly declares they are at war with the West!

Scared? You should be!

[mark blazejewski]

Truth? What is the truth?...

Scared? You should be!

From the Team Kennedy website...

Shocking, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a paper about myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccinations.


There's just one problem: The entire 148-page report is redacted! What good is a report if an entire study is unreadable?


The level of arrogance and contempt for the public in releasing an entirely redacted document is extraordinary. The CDC is thumbing their nose at the Freedom of Information Act–and they’re thumbing their nose at accountability, honesty and they are telling you they don’t care about your health...


You see, without transparency, there is no such thing as a Republic.


That's why when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. becomes president, the CDC won't get to decide what the public sees, and they won’t be able to hide their mistakes.


Under an RFK Jr. Administration, everything, and we mean everything, will be out in the open.

[Lee Chowaniec]

Biden lies – again!

As he lies about the economy, the border being closed, inflation, cost of living, the national debt Biden and his media lapdogs are being called out.

Here by the lean left fact checking SNOPES organization regarding Biden’s claim that 15 million jobs were created since he took office in January 2021.

About 9 million of those jobs were lost during the pandemic, so the net jobs gained from pre-pandemic levels was 5.5 million.

Other

2019 (pre-pandemic)

Unemployed – 5.9 million
Unemployment percentage – 3.6
Workforce participation – 156.6 million
Workforce participation percentage – 61.0

2024

Unemployed – 6.1 million
Unemployment percentage – 3.9
Workforce participation – 161million
Workforce participation percentage – 62.5

2024 Job openings - 8.86 million jobs – reported on the last business day of January 2024


SNOPES: Under Biden Administration, US Economy Supposedly Added 15M Jobs. We Looked at the Evidence.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news...3dfa47c9&ei=13

[Lee Chowaniec]

How much gaslighting do they think we will take?

In the New York Times today (Campaign rhetoric aside, Biden has cut taxes overall) we are told in a lengthy report how Biden in just over three years in office has cut taxes overall. The math is straightforward. An analysis prepared for The New York Times by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank that studies fiscal issues, shows that the tax cuts Biden has signed for individuals and corporations are larger than the tax increases he has imposed on big corporations and their shareholders.

The analysis estimates that the tax changes Biden has ushered into law will amount to a net cut of about $600 billion over four years and slightly more than that over a full decade.

The analysis strictly looks at changes to taxes over the course of Biden's presidency, including some direct benefits to people and businesses that flow through the tax code. It does not measure the effects of inflation or certain regulations, which Republicans sometimes label "tax hikes" since they can raise costs for companies and individuals.

It also does not measure the social or economic benefits of Biden's spending policies, or of his regulatory efforts meant to help consumers, like cracking down on so-called junk fees and limiting the cost of insulin and other medication. Instead, the analysis provides a comprehensive look at what Biden has done to the tax code, and how those policies add up.

“Well done, Mr. President,” says the Biden NYT lapdog. It does not measure the effects of inflation or certain regulations, which Republicans sometimes label "tax hikes" since they can raise costs for companies and individuals.

It says nothing of the national deficit and how Biden continues to spend this nation into an unsustainable debt load. Under Obama’s 8 years in office the debt increased by 8.7 trillion dollars. In Trump’s 4 years in office the debt increased 7.03 trillion (4.2 trillion in his last year of office when Covid hit). Biden has increased the national debt by near 8 trillion in his first three years in office.

80% of American voters voice wanting to see a change in direction, yet the left refuses to listen and thinks the American voter is plain stupid! Is the country, or you, better off today than three years ago? Safer today; globally / at home?

[Lee Chowaniec]

Spot on Charlie Specht: Buffalo News political reporter

In today’s Buffalo News column political news reporter Charlie Specht informs us he is stepping away from the beat and from The Buffalo News to pursue an opportunity elsewhere. This report should be shared and read by everyone as it aptly presents / addresses today’s politics and our elected body makeup – IMHO.

[BN] Politics Now: Parting thoughts from a year on the politics beat
Charlie Specht

It was just over a year ago that Bob McCarthy and I traveled to Niagara County to visit George Borrelli, the longtime Buffalo News political reporter who preceded McCarthy on the politics beat.

I listened intently as the two men with decades of political reporting experience traded stories about mayors, governors, political battles, and newspaper lore. I went home that day feeling like I was carrying on a great tradition as politics writer for The News – and I knew I had big shoes to fill.

A year later, I’m stepping away from the beat and from The Buffalo News to pursue an opportunity elsewhere. But I feel even luckier than I did that day in Niagara County because I got an inside look at politics in Western New York during an exciting but uncertain time in our democracy. After a year on various campaign trails, here are a few parting thoughts.

It is easy with all the pomp and circumstance surrounding elected officials to view them differently, either because we feel they are “above us” and on a pedestal, or “below us” and in the gutters of the vicious right-versus-left split in our nation’s politics.

I like to tell people our leaders are in large part reflective of the people they represent. About a third of them are really bright – smart people who have a passion for public service and who throw themselves into the work of the people. Much of the public has no idea what kind of sacrifice – especially in today’s nasty political climate – they and their families make on a daily basis.

I’m thinking of one source of mine, in particular: the single mom who spends her days in a top position in county government, spends her weekends running campaigns for up-and-coming elected officials and who also finds the time to serve as a member of a local school board.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport,” she once told me. “If you want to make a difference, if you want to change your community, you have to get involved.”

Another third of politicians and staffers are followers – they will put their finger in the air, determine which way the political winds are blowing and adjust their sails accordingly. They’re happy to take orders from party bosses or consultants who advise them on the politics of each situation and how their actions might ensure their political survival.

And then there’s a group – you would probably find a few people like this in any workplace – who are pretenders. They are not particularly smart; their ethics are questionable at best and they are in it mostly for themselves or to get their family members and friends jobs. You talk to these people and think, “How did you ever get elected?”

Which brings us to the system. The Erie County Democratic and Republican machines are still largely in control of politics in this region in ways that they have been for years. Just ask the progressive Democrats who have made a lot of noise in the last few years but who have struggled to get elected. There’s a reason they’re called machines: They work, and they get people elected, warts and all.

I’ve tried to stay in my lane with the Politics Now newsletter and my occasional columns about the local political scene. I haven’t delved too deeply into national politics and have tried to think and write independently.

But I worry about what will happen to our politics – and our government – come November.

Former President Donald Trump has said there will be a “bloodbath” if he does not defeat President Biden. Trump is no longer just defying the norms of our democracy. He has shown – on Jan. 6 and many times since – a willingness to destroy our system of governance if it means holding on to power.

Like many Americans, I wish we could hit a “reset” button on the election and move on from both Biden and Trump. But that is not how politics works. If I’ve learned anything in the past year, again, it is that our politics are a mirror of ourselves. The solution to getting back to unity, to normalcy, to a time when we disagreed but didn’t demonize, lies within us. We created this problem, and we can fix it.

I won’t have a front-row seat to this struggle anymore. But I’ll be watching closely. And I’ll always be grateful for the year I had on this important and fascinating beat, following in the footsteps of two legends.

[mark blazejewski]

...Kennedy as a third party candidate, perhaps fully understands the lesson(s) learned from George Wallace's selection of Curtis LeMay in 1968 and Perot's pick of Stockdale in 1992: the Vice Presidential pick should do no reckless harm or otherwise cause embarrassment, which could detract from the campaign's thematic message... Absent some explosively radical proposal, big gaffe, or destructive revelation...That is fine with me.

This is very troubling to me:

"Federal Election Commission (FEC) data indicates Shanahan donated $30,000 to the Biden campaign in 2020, as Breitbart News Hannah Bleau Knudsen noted. However, the New York Times reports that Shanahan,' “who was once married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin,; was an early supporter of Kennedy Jr. this time around, donating to his campaign just a month after he entered the race in May 2023.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk also noted that Shanahan is a 'six-figure donor to… George Gascon, the pro-crime, Soros-backed prosecutor who helped wreck San Francisco and is currently wrecking LA. '"...

"Federal Election Commission (FEC) data indicates Shanahan donated $30,000 to the Biden campaign in 2020, as Breitbart News Hannah Bleau Knudsen noted. However, the New York Times reports that Shanahan, “who was once married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin,” was an early supporter of Kennedy Jr. this time around, donating to his campaign just a month after he entered the race in May 2023."

Reference: https://www.breitbart.com/2024-elect...nent-not-mine/

This also concerns me:

"Shanahan also previously donated to Democrat presidential candidates Marianne Williamson and Pete Buttigieg during the 2020 presidential race, and threw more than $150,000 behind progressive Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon's 2020 election bid."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who...jr-selected-vp


I truly like Kennedy's position on many issues, but the more I learn about Shanahan, the more uncomfortable I get with her. At this point, I am rather troubled by her own personal agenda, not beliefs, but her agenda, as well as her overall qualifications to become President at a moment's notice.

I still want to learn more about the Kennedy-Shanahan ticket.

However, if that ticket's message should turn its focus to a celebration of ultra-Left causes, and does so to the marginalization of Kennedy's anti-vax, anti-endless wars, and anti-Globalist messaging, I simply will not support Kennedy, Trump, or Biden.

I will not vote in the 2024 Presidential race, period. For me, that abstinence would be unheard of.