The Inevitability of President Trump

The Inevitability of President Trump

I know that word is going to upset a lot of people.

Inevitable.

You read that right.  The results of this year's presidential election were inevitable.

Let's examine the evidence.

Dating back to President Truman, the same party has only held the presidency for 3 consecutive terms once.

ONCE.

When George Bush (now commonly referred to as Sr.) won the 1988 presidential election it marked the only time that either party had won 3 consecutive presidential elections in most of our lifetimes.  Yes, there were consecutive presidents of the same party (for a variety of different reasons: assassination, resignation, etc.) but this is the only time that a single party won the presidency in 3 consecutive terms.

In other words, the presidency usually turns over between parties every 8 years.  Clinton to Bush.  Bush to Obama.  So it only makes sense that the next incoming president would be (you guessed it) a Republican.

So history was on Trump's side.

"But it's Donald Trump!" I hear some of you screaming.  "The most polarizing political figure of a lifetime!"

Perhaps.

Or is it just possible that he is the 2nd most polarizing political figure of a lifetime?

And is it possible that THE most polarizing figure was actually on the other side of the ballot?

Consider this: a lot of people would still tell you that Hillary Clinton wasn't qualified to be a Senator back when she ran in one of the most liberal districts in the country.  Those same people would argue that she was equally unqualified to serve as Secretary of State.

"Then how did she get those jobs?" I hear someone asking.

I believe the work is "nepotism."

Yes, I know she was elected to two terms in Congress.  But she had to pull up roots in Arkansas and move to the ultra-liberal state of New York to win that seat.  Oh and by the way, she started that whole process while her husband was the President of the United States.  And I think we all can agree that her appointment to Secretary of State was prearranged before she agreed to step aside in the Democratic primary of 2008 to clear the way for the Obama presidency.

It's time to face facts.

Hillary Clinton did not lose this election because of race or gender bias.  She did not lose because she was a woman or even because she was a white woman trying to follow the first black president into office.

She lost because she was Hillary Clinton:  THE most polarizing political figure of the last 25 years.  No one in the United States is apathetic about Hillary.  You either love her or you hate her, there was never a third choice.

So as we prepare to welcome President Donald Trump into the White House let's set all the squabbles and excuses aside.

The man won fair and square.

No he didn't win the popular vote...but he won't be the first president to get elected that way.

Yes, he is a polarizing figure.

But the truth is both of these candidates were polarizing figures.  And at the end of the day, Americans decided they could stomach Trump over Hillary Clinton for the next 4 years.

I know many of you are still shocked by this... I for one wasn't.

I'm 38 years old and can honestly say I have never felt good about a single presidential candidate that has ever been on the ballot in my adult lifetime.  Ask yourself is Donald Trump any more offensive to you than Bob Dole or Mike Dukakis was in their time?

I believe those two names should give us all a bit more perspective.

John Eric Buckley is the author of The Worst of Times crime series, the Elsewhere sci-fi collection, the Disgruntled romantic comedies and the political thriller Shadow of Benghazi.  Find his books on Kindle, Nook, Amazon and most major online retailers.
Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @johnericbuckley

Jonestown...The Morning After...

It happened.

You aren't dreaming...it actually happened.

Donald Trump is the next president of the United States of America.

Yeah, I know.  I never thought I would get to write those words either.

Last night one political commentator compared this election to America being offered an experimental drug and deciding to "swallow the pill." (Images of  The Matrix rolling through my head...well at least we know we took the red pill, right?)

And now we wait to see the results.

Despite the importance of this vote it's time to focus on some much more important votes that were taken yesterday:

The Republicans have taken back the House of Representatives.

The Republicans have maintained control of the Senate.

Nationwide, state and local seats that have traditionally been Democrat stronghold have turned over to the Republicans. (Most notably the State House of Representatives in Kentucky, which has belonged to the Democrats for literally 100 years now has a Republican majority for the first time in a CENTURY!!!)

This election wasn't just about Hillary vs. Trump.

This is a clear mandate.

Americans are fed up.  They are tired of the weakening of the national defense.  They are tired of losing jobs that their families have depended on for generations (aka the closing of coal mines across Eastern Kentucky that cost Democrat Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo a seat he had previously held for 30 years.).  They are tired of not being able to feel good about their country's place in the changing international economy.

They are simply flat out tired of the last 8 years of American politics.

Americans want a change.

Do you remember the last time Americans demanded a change?

8 years ago.

In fact, the original Obama campaign posters incorporated the word "change" around his name.

Well, Americans got their "change" 8 years ago.

And they are about to get their "change" again.

Here's to hoping that this time the change that so many people have demanded actually results in a stronger economy and an America that we can all be proud to call home.



John Eric Buckley is the author of The Worst of Times crime series, the Elsewhere sci fi collection. the Disgruntled romantic comedies and the political thriller Shadow of Benghazi.  Find his books on Kindle, Nook, Amazon and most major online retailers. 

Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @johnericbuckley

What Would Jesus Do...About the 2016 Presidential Election?

We are all familiar with the phrase "What Would Jesus Do?"

We've all seen the abbreviation and the wristbands and the t-shirts...all of which somebody made money off of, by the way, but I digress.

The question implies that before making any decision in our lives we should ask ourselves what Jesus Christ would do in the same situation, and then do the same ourselves.  This may work in a lot of different scenarios but there is one decision that I would love to consult Jesus on before November 8th...

The 2016 Presidential Election.

Now I know that the Religious Right would tell us that we have to vote for the Republican based on traditional platform issues such as marriage rights and abortion.  But that pill is a little harder to swallow this year, isn't it? 

So we come back to the original question: What Would Jesus Do?

Would Jesus vote for a man who objectifies women and who has the reputation of a former slum lord?  A man who routinely uses loopholes in our tax code to avoid paying people for work they've done on one of his businesses?

It's hard to answer "yes" to that isn't it?

But what about the other side of the coin?  Rarely has this generation seen a more polarizing politician than Hillary Clinton.  Let's face it, people either love her or hate her.  There seems to be no in between.  And let's not pretend that she hasn't also benefited and profited from legal loopholes.  No one in the country is charging more to give corporate speeches and many believe she was in Wall Street's back pocket during her time in the Senate.

And let's not even mention Benghazi.  (There has been plenty written about that, though I feel the need to point out that my book was supposed to be historical fiction...but that's a topic for another day.)

So once again we have to ask ourselves:  What Would Jesus Do?

Well after much contemplation I have come to the following conclusion.

The Gospel of John 11:35

"Jesus wept."

Well, I think that about says it all.

The Truth About Iraq

I typed that title knowing that this blog entry is going to infuriate a lot of people.

That said it is time to discuss the real reason that American troops keep ending up in Iraq.

Let's back up a bit and start with a geography lesson.  Picture the Middle East on a topographical map.  What do you see?  A very large, flat desert surrounded by hills and mountains.  Ok, you are with me so far.  And where is the flattest part of that desert?

That's right.

Iraq.

Ok, so what?  So Iraq is the flat part of the Middle Eastern desert.  Big whoop.  Who cares?

The United States military, that's who.

But why there, I'm sure you are asking.  What do we care about Iraq?

Well, the truth is we don't.  And we didn't really care about Kuwait either.  And we now know there were never any WMDs.  So why do we keep going back?

Look at your map again. This time don't focus on the topography, but on the political boundaries.  Iraq sits directly between two other countries that we care very much about.

Look to the left, along the coast.  There you will find our dear friend Israel.  Despite your political leanings, we as Americans always seem to feel responsible for Israel.  And why not?  We did help create it.  But what do they have other than that strip of land?

One of the most advanced military air forces on the globe.  Thanks in part to U.S. funding.

Do you see the connection yet?  No?  Ok, so let's glance at the other border of Iraq.

To the west of Iraq we find the big bad Iran.  Now I wonder how we could keep an eye on those baddies?

Well, we could use the Israeli air force I suppose.  But wait, Iraq will just shoot down those planes, as they did so many times in the past.  Oh wait, I forgot.  Iraq is one of ours now.

Funny how that all worked out.

Now back to the desert.

Muslim extremists have been hiding in the hills to the north and west of Iraq for generations.  And even with all our technology we still have a hard time tracking those guys down.

It's a shame we can't just draw the majority of them out into a more open area.  Such as, oh I don't know, let's say a DESERT.

Hmmm...yeah, I guess that might work.

In fact it did.

Twice.

So forget about the Bush family ties to Saudi Arabian oil and the mythical WMDs.  In fact, forget about every lie that the government used to cover up the real plan.

This was never about oil prices people.

The American military drew the enemy out into the most open space in hostile territory to eliminate as many of them as possible.  And in doing so, freed up much needed airspace to allow for air force surveillance of a very dangerous enemy.

Well done, gentlemen.  My hats off to you.

The Myth of Reverse Racism

I have always hated the term “reverse racism.”

Racism is racism.

Even when that racism is focused upon the majority, it is still racism.

Consider the following:

“Reverse racism is a phenomenon in which discrimination, sometimes officially sanctioned, against a dominant or formerly dominant racial or other group representative of the majority in a particular society takes place, for a variety of reasons, often initially as an attempt at redressing past wrongs.”

Not sometimes, Webster.  All too often.

I first encountered this “phenomenon” during my days as a public school teacher.  At the time, I applied to transfer into an opening at another school within the same large public school district.  I was informed I would be granted an interview and that the hiring committee would interview three candidates.  This all sounded perfectly logical to me.  Then they dropped the bomb.  One of those three candidates had to be African American.  Not a minority, mind you.  That would have made a lot more sense.  No, the system required one of the candidates to be a very specific minority: African American. 

Ok, so I’ve still got a one in three shot right?

Wrong.

The district policy required that if that particular school was under a certain percentage African American staff that the hiring committee HAD TO HIRE THE AFRICAN AMERICAN TEACHER.

Let that sink in for a moment.

The committee was required to interview 3 candidates, but 2 of the 3 had NO SHOT AT THE JOB.

None whatsoever.

Then why go through the process of even interviewing the other two, you might ask?

“Fairness,” I was told.

Are you dizzy yet?  Mildly irritated?  Or just flat out pissed off?

I believe all three are suitable responses to what you’ve just read.

But that was just the beginning.

A few years later I had given up the teaching profession and was working for the federal government.  I interviewed for a job and was hired by a personnel director that was African American, a very kind and personable lady of which I have the utmost respect, who retired soon afterward.  The director’s replacement was also a friendly, pleasant African American woman.  No problem so far.

Then I began to notice a disturbing trend.  Ninety percent of the new hires under the new personnel director were all of the same race.  Now before I specify the race let me point out that if the new personnel director were a white man who hired ninety percent white employees there would literally be a federal case opened about it.

But it wasn’t.

It was an African American woman who hired ninety percent African American employees.

And not a word was spoken in protest.  Not by her superiors.  Not by the local media.  Not by anyone.

And this has continued for several years.

And is still the case today.

Let us reconsider our definition.

“An attempt at redressing past wrongs.”

At this point most would assume that the personnel director was showing her own preference in hiring mostly people of her own race.

But what if this wasn’t the case?

What if she was simply following orders?

Allow me to state very firmly that both scenarios are equally WRONG.

It’s difficult to get sympathy as a college educated white man.  Everyone assumes that the path is paved for you and that your life has been so much easier than theirs.

Many people are surprised to learn that there are more white people on welfare than any other racial category.  Not exactly a perpetuation of common racial stereotypes is it?

My point is that there are a lot of white people in this country that are having trouble finding good jobs that will allow them to support their families.  But no one wants to do anything to help them.  Most government sponsored job programs are aimed at helping minorities.

I’m not suggesting that should stop…far from it.

But it’s time that we as a nation put an end to this trend known as “reverse racism.”

It’s time that we stop letting the sins of past generations cloud our judgement and lead to feelings of hatred and resentment that lead to inequality.

In order for this country to truly move forward we have to stop seeing race as an obstacle not only in the workplace but in every aspect of our day to day lives.

Whatever Happened to the Republican Party?

Many of my readers have commented about the recent political sway that my original blog, adventuresofanindieauthor, has taken in recent posts.  After considering my options, I have decided to write a second blog that focuses on the state of politics in America.


Welcome to "American Conservative."


For my first post I have decided to address a question that I encounter often: 

Whatever happened to the Republican Party?

Let me start by stating that the current Republican Party holds very little in common with the party we know from our formative years.  Yes, there is still a focus on fiscal conservatism and I suppose we still waive the flag for states rights.  Despite these two similarities, many things have changed in recent decades.

It seems that the modern day Republican Party pales in comparison to our memories of the Reagan years.  I'm sure that nostalgia plays a role in that feeling.  The concept of "recency bias" also plays a role.  We tend to remember more details about what happened last week than what took place thirty years ago, thus our memories of the past are often painted by a longing for the "good old days."

For the purposes of this post, I will focus upon two specific changes that I have noticed within the party.

First let us examine the influence of a group known as the "Religious Right."

Many commentators have observed that today's Republican Party seems to have been highjacked by the modern day "Tea Party."  From my perspective, however, this is not the first highjacking that the party has suffered.  Over the course of the previous decades the Religious Right had emerged as by far the most outspoken political group within the party.  This group represents the true conservatives within the conservative party.  The basis of their goals revolve around attempts to codify their religious beliefs into modern day law.

This outspoken minority within the party pushed their own agenda harder and louder than the more moderate members of the party.  As a result, the Religious Right pushed many conservative candidates aside, vilianizing any candidate who did not get on board with their far right leaning extremist views.  Thus at the turn of the century the party's candidate for the Presidency became George W. Bush rather than the senior statesman John McCain.   Bush's social agenda conformed to the demands of the Religious Right, while McCain had a number of more moderate views on social policy.  Thus became President George W. Bush.  McCain was given the nomination after Bush's second term, but many within the party felt this was the equivalent of handing him a gold watch for years of service.  Similar to the candidacy of Bob Dole a decade before.  Both men had served the party and both were nominated in elections that the Republican Party did not expect to win.

President Bush termed the phrase "Compassionate Conservatism" hoping to soften the often hardline policies associated with the Republican Party.  A decade later, that term and most of his presidency has been overshadowed by the crash of the housing market and the subsequent stock market crash of 2008.  Those events ushered in the current administration, who rode a tide of discontent and defeated the aforementioned McCain in 2008.

That leads us the the second highjacking of the modern day Republican Party, this time by a group that chose a moniker meant to connect them with the original Boston Tea Party.  While some of those disillusioned with the current state of the Republican Party chose to chase the dream of Libertarianism, others instead decided to wage a coup within the party ranks.  The Tea Party began questioning the loyalty of long time party leaders such as then Speaker of the House John Boehner.  Tea Party candidates emerged as an alternative to the traditional Republican candidates and in some cases unseated senior members of both Houses.  In the state of Indiana, for example, long time Senator Dick Lugar lost a heated primary to a Tea Party challenger.  That challenger later lost the seat altogether to the Democratic candidate, a feat that most agree would not have happened if Lugar had been the Republican nominee.  Lugar had come under heavy criticism from the Tea Party for his willingness to compromise with the Democratic leadership on a number of policies. He paid for that compromise with the loss of his Senate seat.

Years later this same group, the so called Tea Party, would force the resignation of Speaker of the House John Boehner.  Boehner struggled for years trying to hold the party together.  Bending to pressure from the ultra conservatives in the Tea Party movement, Boehner refused to reach compromises with the Democratic leadership.  This led to years of hard feelings and resentment between Boehner and the more conservative members of his own party.  Boehner eventually resigned leaving House leadership to replace him with the even more conservative Paul Ryan.

So to answer the initial question: Whatever happened to the Republican Party?

Infighting with the ranks happened.

A fracturing of the once sound leadership base happened.

The Religious Right happened.

The Tea Party happened.


And now we find ourselves looking down the barrel of yet another presidential election wondering if the infighting within the party will once again cost the Republican Party another presidency.




As always I welcome any and all feedback.  Feel free to leave comments or questions on this page or email me at jebuckley@yahoo.com

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