#78- The Approval Rating of DJTrump - Down, Down and Down

We have all heard the stats.

George W. Bush ended his first calendar year at 86% approval, John F. Kennedy hit 77%, George H.W. Bush reached 71% and Dwight Eisenhower hit 69%.  Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama all finished their first calendar year with approval ratings in the mid-to-high 50s

President Donald Trump's approval rating sank to a new low in CNN polling last week*, earning the approval of just 35% of Americans less than a year into his first term.  That’s down from 45% in March of this year

*The CNN Poll was conducted by SSRS December 14-17 among a random national sample of 1,001 adults reached on landlines or cellphones by a live interviewer.  Results for the full sample have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points,

That’s an actual drop of 10%, over just a relatively short 9 month term, which is pretty remarkable.

It comes with the realization, that the iconic video of DJT riding down the escalator (with Melania dutifully in tow), the day he announced he was running for President, would prove to be a prophetic metaphor for his soon-to-be drop in popularity.  Down, down, and down….

If this trend continues, and DJT succeeds in remaining in office through the end his first and only term, if you extrapolate it out, his popularity will actually drop to a NEGATIVE 1.7% two months ahead of the 2020 Presidential election!

There are many reasons for this, too many to mention on this beautiful snow-filled white Christmas morning in New England.  But the one that stands out the most, the one that is head and shoulders above the rest, and the one that even hard core Trump supporters will tell you disappoints even them, is that DJT has done nothing to bring the country together, nothing to get us all marching in the same direction and nothing to provide a pathway to the future for the country. 

And, if you get a few eggnogs in them, many of them will readily admit, that he has only worked to drive a wedge between us all.

Mathematicians, statisticians, pollsters, physicists, teachers, waitresses, cops, cabbies and construction workers will all line up to tell me – This is mathematically impossible.   It can’t happen.  By definition, there is no human being on the planet who can receive an approval rating …below zero.  It is a physical impossibility, according to both the laws of man and of God.

But in the Age of Trump, I maintain, that anything is possible.

Merry Christmas everyone.  [Oh, and for the record, and I have been saying this for the better part of my 63 years, for as long as I could talk, long before DJT road his escalator down, down, down]

#77- Collusion In The Highest Levels Of The US Government

Sorry to disappoint you friends, but I am not talking about the possible collusion of members of the Trump Campaign with Russian backed entities to tilt the election away from the Hillary Clinton.  In all my posts, I have never once addressed this because, at this point in time anyway, collusion with Russia has not been proven, and because, simply because,  there is more than enough incompetence within the Trump administration to keep me busy for a lifetime,

No, the collusion of which I speak is so blatant, so disingenuous, so corrupt, so absolutely mind boggling, and blanketed in hubris that it leads me to believe that our country has truly lost its way, that we are incapable of being responsible for acts of true good in the world, because we are simply incapable of being responsible to ourselves. 

No, the collusion of which I speak is openly and coarsely perpetuated by every single Republican member of Congress who is in the process of voting for this upcoming give-away to corporate America and the top 1% of the country.

A paragraph from the Washington Post on Monday morning, discussing the upcoming vote  on proposed Republican tax “reform” sums it all up

“The plan schedules many of these individual-side tax cuts to expire in eight years, though Republicans say they expect a future Congress to extend these cuts and, as such, should be considered permanent.”

REPUBLICANS SAY THEY EXPECT A FUTURE CONGRESS TO EXTEND THESE  CUTS, AND, AS SUCH, SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PERMANENT

What?

Excuse me, but what kind of crystal ball are Republicans using to predict that the economics of 2024 will permit that Congress to extend the cuts?

Excuse me, but what kind of crystal ball are Republicans using to prove that the $1.5 trillion tax cut and deficit builder which grotesquely favors corporations and the wealthy will trickle down to the LONG TERM benefit of those most in need?

Excuse me, but what happens if things aren’t hunky dory eight years from now?  It’s a distinct possibility you know.  Sh*t happens.  You don’t have to go back too far in our history to remember that.  It was less than ten years ago on September 15, 2018 that Lehman Bros. failed and many economists and financial types were whispering the “D” word, for fear that if it was spoken aloud, it might just come to pass…..

And that crisis was of our own making.  It was not caused by external forces such as authoritarian dictators in the Middle East or the latest manifestation of your basic head chopping terrorists or a little Rocket Man in North Korea. 

We did it to ourselves.

Despite the fact that the 1980’s were a time which proved real estate values can decline precipitously, just two decades later, we permitted the sub-prime industry, which was predicated on real life estate values never declining, to grow and prosper, and it nearly took us down. 

We were in control of our own destiny and we couldn’t control it.  

With this in mind, how in heaven’s name are we to put our faith in a future Congress when we have no faith in the current one ?

And even if we can get past our own collective incompetencies, how can we be sure that external developments will permit us to provide more tax cuts seven years from now ?

Republicans in Congress, let by Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, can’t legally make the individual cuts permanent today, so they have colluded to subvert the rules of the reconciliation process, which were written to prevent stupid politicians from doing stupid things. 

They have colluded together openly, willingly, abusively, all to placate the selfish desires of their real base, large corporations and the ultra wealthy, and they colluded with President Donald J. Trump to ride the back of the so-called populist movement he created which attracted lower and middle class, less educated, working Americans, and then chose ...to turn their backs on them.  

Betrayed, in the blink of an eye.  

If that is not collusion in the highest levels of the US government, I don’t know what is. 

#76 - To Trump Supporters Everywhere: "Donald Trump thinks you are all buffoons"

To Trump Supporters everywhere, who believed he cared about you:  

     

Donald Trump thinks you are all buffoons

I don’t believe him my friends, but that's what he thinks.  It's the only plausible explanation.

Mr. Trump has stated that the prospective Republican tax legislation making its way through the  reconciliation process with the House and the Senate will “cost him a fortune”.  And that the plan is a "one of the greatest Christmas gifts for the middle class".  He infers that he is sacrificing his hard earned fortune for your personal benefit and for the good of our country.  How many of you folks believe him when he says that? 

Please raise your hands now.

OK, there are many of you. That’s not surprising.  If I supported a candidate for a long time, I would want to believe that he was telling the truth as well

But how many of you really understand the different components of the suggested tax changes in the proposed legislation?

Again, please, raise your hands. 

Sure, only a few.  That’s not surprising either.

Tax law can be extremely complex. And I claim no expertise, but my own business background has provided me with an awareness of the structural changes being put forth by Republicans which have received full-throated endorsements from Mr. Trump because:

(a) he needs a win, any kind of a win, on any topic or any issue, it doesn’t matter, simply because Mr. Trump can't be perceived as a loser, and 

(b) and this one is important, so take it in slowly and appreciate what it really means, he doesn’t care about helping you in the least, because when the day is done, it's just about him.  And he will do anything to continue enriching himself.  

It's true.  Don't take my word for it.  Let's look at some of the changes in the tax plans and some which were conveniently left out, which work to the specific benefit of the man you support

o  The top corporate rate would move down to 21 percent from 35 percent, and shareholders and others with investment income would see their tax bills cut by one-third or more. 

o  Owners of businesses that are taxed at the same rates as individuals would see their top tax rate drop from nearly 40% to closer to 30%. The Trump Organization consists of about 500 such "pass-through" entities, according the Presidents lawyers.  

o The legislation would also allow full expensing of capital investments for businesses— rather than requiring them to be depreciated over time (although this is phased out over time). 

o  The estate tax threshold would get doubled to $22 million for married couple, saving Donny Jr. and the Little Trumps approximately $4 million, when DJT Sr. kicks the bucket.

o  Parents would be eligible to use a type of tax-preferred savings plan — known as a 529 plan —, previously only available for college educations, to save for their children’s elementary and secondary education as well.  I am going to go out on a limb here, but I don't think DJT's kids and grand kids go to PS234.

o  During the campaign, DJT railed against certain wealthy investment managers (Private equity, hedge funds, real estate)  who, thanks to the so-called carried interest loophole, pay taxes on the majority of their pay at a lower capital gains rates. The only change requires the investments be held three years vs. one year, which is very common for these type of investments.  The change is a nothing burger.

        

o  Oh yes ,and the deduction for golf course owners, well that remains.  How many of you are helped by that tax provision?  Please raise your hands

Anyone?

Last question: Did you know that the individual tax actual cuts, your tax cuts, will expire in 2025, but the business tax cuts the ones that benefit DJT go on... forever?

Hmmm, silence.. no hands.  You seem surprised?  Shocked?  Would you like me to repeat the question?

So you see my friends, Mr. Trump believes you will take everything he says as gospel, and you won’t speak out against his one-sided, self-centered plan.

That’s because, he believes... that you will believe him, when he says it's all good for you.  

That’s because, he believes... you will let Republicans provide he and his family with one of the biggest tax windfalls in the history of taxation on Planet Earth.  

That's because, he believes... you are all buffoons.

I don’t believe him friends, I don’t believe him at all,  

But I can't prove it.  Only you can.

#74A- The Republican's "PT Barnum" Approach to Tax Reform

There are many reasons why the Republican monstrosity on tax reform should not see the light of day, but let me focus just on one.  It safer that way, if I put too many points into one posting, I would be afraid too many readers might just lose it completely and spontaneously combust into a pile of ashes. I wouldn't want that on my conscious

You may have heard that there are a lot of positive tax reductions for businesses, and there are also tax reductions for many, but not all individuals.   This part is true. 

But do you know that the business tax reductions are permanent?  Which means it's very possible that they could stay in place for all of eternity or until hell freezes over, whichever comes first.

But, but, but the individual tax cuts, on the other hand, are set to expire in 2025.  Did you know that?! Coincidentally that would be one year after DJ Trump's second term.  How convenient.  Let someone else clean up his f**k up.

As perverse as this is, Republicans, including Speaker Paul Ryan, blamed, what they consider to be, the arcane Senate rules, for causing this “disconnect”.  Imagine my surprise.  I thought those rules were in place to keep stupid politicians from doing stupid things.   It shows you just how little I really know. 

The arcane problem to which Republicans will refer is that if the individual tax cuts were permanent, that would jack up the calculated cost of these tax cuts from $1.4 trillion to somewhere in the range of $1.9 trillion, according to the fiscal watchdog group Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, which is roughly $.4 trillion over the so-called arcane Senate limit. 

Republican leaders, in promoting their PT Barnum “there’s a sucker born every minute” approach to tax reform say, don't worry, don't worry, Congress will do the right thing in 2025 and extend the individual tax cuts.  Right...the only thing we can be sure of is that Congress will only do what is good for Congress.  There is no direct correlation that their actions will be good for our country.

“The savings, the score (i.e. the $1.4 trillion stated cost), it just isn’t valid because you know that they’re not going to follow through,” Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), an avowed fiscal conservative, said in a recent interview. “You can’t assume that we’ll grow a backbone later. If we can’t do it now, then it’s tough to do it later.”

It should be noted, that Senator Flake has voted for this plan anyway.

In a desperate attempt to appear relevant, and to placate their donors, and to line their pockets, Donald Trump and the Republican Congress have falsely promoted their tax plan as the grand middle class tax cut, and in the process, they have sold America down the river.  

Even PT Barnum would have been impressed.

#75- Three Losers Walked Into A Bar

Three losers walked into a bar, fresh off a historical political loss in the state of Alabama.

The first loser said, “We may have lost this race, but at least I can go home and keep collecting my Seinfeld royalties”.

The second loser said, “We may have lost this race, but at least I can go home and keep abusing teenage girls”.

The third and biggest loser of the night said, “We may have lost the race, but there are hundreds more Republican Congressional candidates up for re-election over the next three years, none of whom will want my endorsement, so at least I can go home ….and watch Fox and Friends in the morning, work on my handicap in the afternoon and spew out hateful tweets at night.  My own personal recipe for Making America Hate Again"