Thank You Senator Toomey

Wednesday January 27th, 2021

My Dear America:

I have been hearing and seeing a lot recently concerning Pennsylvania Politicians.  Quite frankly I think that over the long haul Pennsylvania Politicians have mainly been pretty good Politicians.  At least the Democrats have been, for the most part.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolfe has been someone who I have a great deal of Respect and Admiration for.  He has held out during the Covid Outbreak insisting on Pennsylvanians wearing masks, socially distancing and staying away from each other as much as possible.

Very smart on his part, I think.  I certainly have appreciated his concern for Pennsylvanians health.  Unfortunately, however, Many Republican Legislators have fought Wolfe's efforts to keep PA residents safe and have even gone to court to fight against Wolfe's policies of Covid Safety.  As a result, the state has opened up against Wolfe's objections and Surprise, Surprise, Covid infections and deaths have risen sharply.

Two former Pennsylvania Republican Politicians who really get on my nerves are Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Former Pennsylvania Congressman Charlie Dent.  Both Santorum and Dent have eased into spots on CNN as the supposed voices of Republican Reason.  Santorum was soundly defeated by Senator Bob Casey a long time ago and was and still is less than a voice of reason and more of a voice of continued apology for everything that Donald Trump and his Republican Supplicants have done.  

At least Charlie Dent left his office under his own steam, not as a loser like Santorum.  But Charlie only left because he saw the handwriting on the wall that Trump didn't like him and that if he stayed in Congress his life was going to be a living hell, courtesy of Donald Trump.  Leaving, therefore, was a wise move for Charlie.

Both Dent and Santorum continue to be CNN Commentators and although Charlie does a tolerably good job, Santorum's weak and disgusting Republican apologist commentary on everything Trump and his minions have done genuinely rubs me the wrong way.    

The Pennsylvania Legislature does contain some very fine people on both sides of the aisle.  Two of the best (Democrats) from my area are Pete Schweyer and Mike Schlossberg, two guys that I have known for a long time and continue to be proud to know.

But in addition to Pete and Mike our Pennsylvania Legislature also contains some other people who have proved to be very disappointing in their actions recently, particularly with regard to Donald Trump and his efforts to screw with the Election Results in Pennsylvania.  In an obvious attempt to curry favor with Trump several Pennsylvania Republicans did what they could to try to throw the legitimate 2020 Election vote count out and replace it with a count that would throw the PA Election to Trump.  

When this occurred I fully expected that United States Senator from  Pennsylvania, Pat Toomey, might just go along with this brazen act of vote hijacking.  I was wrong, however.  Pat Toomey did not go along with the attempts by Donald Trump and some Pennsylvania Republicans to steal the Pennsylvania Presidential Election.  In fact Toomey was quite vocal in his condemnation of  Republican efforts to mess with legitimate Pennsylvania votes.  In an era when most Republicans have been very timid in their criticism of Donald Trump, Pat Toomey showed a genuine Profile in Courage when it came to the sanctity of protecting Votes and Voters in Pennsylvania.

Pat Toomey has, over the long haul, showed himself to be a rather Right Wing Republican.  He was my Congressman for several years and he, like Charlie Dent, chose to leave the House of Representatives.  He was the head of the Right Wing Group, Club For Growth for a time before running for the Senate and winning.  Before now, I would never have expected Toomey to be bucking Trump or his party but I  have to say that I am pleasantly surprised to see Pat Toomey turn out to be a genuine Patriot and a Defender of Democracy at a time when we need that most vanishing of species - An Honest To God Moderate Republican.   

I am still disappointed that Toomey voted to acquit Donald Trump during his first Impeachment in 2020.  I communicated with Toomey's office prior to his vote recommending that Toomey vote to convict Trump.  Toomey sent me a one and a half page letter giving me reasons why he did not vote to convict Trump.  The reasons were Bullshit but I did appreciate the fact that Toomey did put into writing why he had let Trump off the hook.

Now in 2021 Trump has once again been Impeached by the House of Representatives for Inciting an Insurrection on January 6th that resulted in Trump Supporters breaking into the United States Capitol and his Impeachment Trial is now headed for the Senate.  By a vote of 45 to 5, Republicans in the Senate voted for a proposal from Senator Rand Paul stating that there should not be a Trial in the Senate because Trump is now out of office.  One of the five Republican Senators who voted against that proposal was Pat Toomey.  Once again, Pat Toomey has shown some degree of courage in a Republican Group of Senators that overall seem to be severely lacking in the courage department.

Word is that Toomey is leaving the Senate after his present term is over.  There is some speculation that he might run for Governor.  If he does run for Governor I do not expect that I will be voting for him but I will give credit where credit is due and right now at least some degree of credit for courage under fire is due to Pennsylvania Senator Pat Toomey.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

 

A Beautiful Day For Democracy - Inauguration Day And Night In America

 Friday January 22nd, 2021

My Dear America:

Inauguration Day started off Weirdly with Donald Trump and Melania exiting the White House early in the morning.  Of course, the classy thing for Trump to do would have been for him to show up at the Inauguration and willingly pass the torch to the person who beat him soundly in the November, 2020 Election, Joe Biden. Unfortunately, however, Trump's Treasonous actions two weeks prior to Inauguration  Day when he encouraged his followers to raid the Capitol Building to hopefully stop the counting of the Electors made his presence at the Capitol for the Inauguration somewhat similar to the prospect of inviting a  Skunk to a Picnic.  Luckily Vice President Mike Pence had agreed to forego attending the Trump sendoff so that he could attend the Biden Inauguration and show that there had been somewhat of a Normal Peaceful Transfer of Power.

Trump took full advantage of his Presidential position on this day, however.  He talked incoherently outside of the White House as he exited and then he walked awkwardly with Melania out to the Presidential Helicopter on the White House Lawn, the both of them looking like two strangers who never met and didn't want to meet.  The Helicopter took them to Joint Base Andrews where Trump got the 21 gun salute that he had Demanded.  He got on the stage in front of a sparse crowd, which did not include Mike Pence, and once again spoke incoherently, he introduced Melania and then walked off the stage with Melania and with other members of the Trump Family they got on the plane and sailed off into the wild blue yonder like the permanent Florida Snowbird that he was bound to be from now on. 

Finally, our Long Four Year National Nightmare was over just as his appeared to be beginning as after his lighting quick Impeachment in the House, the Senate Impeachment Trial loomed as one of the First Orders of business in the New Political Day in America with a Democratic House of Representatives, Democratic Senate and as of Noon today A Democratic President of the United States - Joe Biden.

No One was thinking much about Impeachment Today, however.  Today was going to be a Day of Celebration.  A New and Exciting Day had come for Americans which would start on the Capitol Steps.  The same steps that had been loaded with Lunatics just two weeks prior breaking into the Capitol trying to hunt down the same Democrats who were today celebrating the new Democratic spirit that would electrify this day and night ahead.

Inauguration Day was truly a new day for America.  The sun was shining all day.  As one could tell by watching Bernie Sanders sitting looking like he was freezing with his mittens on it was what Tom Waits might say "Colder Than A Well Diggers Ass."

Despite the cold the Inauguration participants other than Bernie looked like they could care less about how cold it was.  Amy Klobuchar appeared to be somewhat of a Mistress of Ceremonies and seemed to be enjoying that role.  I thought back to February when she and Pete Buttigieg suspended their own Presidential Campaigns right before one of the Super Tuesdays and met in Texas with Joe Biden and Beto O'Rourke in a show of Democratic Unity which had certainly led directly to this day.  Amy and Pete had both left the Campaign Trail at a time when both of their Campaigns were picking up steam.  Biden had certainly appreciated their support and their unselfish gesture of Democratic Unity.  Now Pete was Biden's choice for Secretary of Transportation  and Amy was here hosting the Inauguration festivities and she looked like she was having a Great time doing it.  

When all was said and done it almost seemed like a miracle that Joe Biden was here ready to take the reins of government on this bright Inauguration Day.  He had been only one of a slew of Candidates initially in the Democratic Party Primary running for President.  Early on he was not doing well in the race until South Carolina.  In that State United States Representative James Clyburn endorsed him and as they say the rest was history.  

There were some very well known people here today to celebrate with Joe.  There were three Ex Presidents.   His Friend and Ex boss, Barack Obama was here with his wife, Michelle.  In the last days before the election Obama came through for Joe by vigorously campaigning  for him in several states.  Certainly Joe had to appreciate that.  Also on the stage with Joe Were Hillary and Bill Clinton and George and Laura Bush.  Jimmy Carter couldn't make it to the Inauguration although he did send his regards.  Later in the day the Previous Presidential Trio would record a video tape together that would talk about the concept of Peaceful Transfer of Power that would play later on during the night time Television Spectacular that would be broadcast during the evening.  The Musical guests at the TV Celebration would read like a Whos Who in Music and included Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, The Foo Fighters, Katy Perry and John Legend, among others.

But on the noon time Inaugural Stage the Music was also Spectacular.  Lady Gaga sang the National Anthem.  Jennifer Lopez sang This Land is Your Land and Garth Brooks sang Amazing Grace.

Certainly the most talked about person on the Inauguration stage, other than Joe Biden, was the young Poet, Amanda Gorman.  Her poem and her delivery were both exceptional.

Joe Biden, in what would most certainly be one of the most important speeches he would ever give, nailed it.  Certainly his delivery was not at powerful as his Buddy Barack but he still gave an uplifting and inclusive speech letting those who heard it look forward with Hope and Change once again in the wind and in the White House.  

Following the Inauguration at the Capitol Joe and Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses visited Arlington Cemetery and then Joe and his family moved into the White House. 

Later on White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki gave an impressive White House briefing in which she promised White House Correspondents Truth and Transparency in the White House Press Office.  She also advised that President Biden would be signing 15 Executive Orders on Inauguration day, many of them reversing Trump Policies.  Some of those Executive orders included rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and rejoining the World Health Organization.

The last part of the Inauguration and certainly the most entertaining part was a Television Spectacular that truly lived up to the name Spectacular.  It was a most enjoyable night ending with a Truly Spectacular Fireworks Display.

All in all, the Inauguration could not have turned out much better than it did.  Considering the reckless and dangerous days that Preceded it Joe Biden and Company showed that there truly was a New Sheriff in Town.  A new President had arrived who was thoughtful and concerned about other people beside himself.  Who was organized and competent to do his job.  When the day was over it was clear that things had changed in Washington.  A New Day had come to America and clearly in the days ahead things would be looking up for the United States Of America

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher  

 

Lessons That The Trump Mob Taught Us

Sunday, January 17th, 2021

My Dear America:

I can't Lie.  What happened in the United States Capitol Building on the afternoon of January 6th scared the hell out of me.  I have thought of little else for the past week and a half.  

We have been truly violated by the members of the Terrible Trump Brigade who felt that they had the freedom to Ransack the Capitol Building in the name of the "Big Lie" that Republicans allowed Donald Trump to spread far and wide following the Election in November.  Thanks to the decent people (Many of them Republicans)  who ran the Presidential Elections in every state in the Country we ended up with great vote counts and recounts and an election in which the winner was clear.  The winner was Joe Biden despite the strongarm attempts by Trump to kill or maim the United States Post Office and spread Election lies throughout the country.

Joe Biden clearly won the election and thanks to Republican officials throughout the country who counted ballots fairly Biden's win was evident to everybody in America except Donald Trump and his followers.  Realistically Donald Trump can count also.  He knows full well that he lost the election but even at this late date Trump continues to refuse to admit his November Election Defeat.  

Certainly it does not stand to reason that all of Trump's voters were too stupid to realize that Joe Biden won the Presidential Race handily.  But clearly some of them, after listening to Trump's continuous Whining and Lying about the Election, really did believe that Joe Biden unfairly stole the Election from Trump.  Clearly the only Election robber was Donald Trump and thanks to his clear exhortation to his followers who answered his call to join him for some "Wild" times in D.C. on January 6th, an overwhelming number of Trumpers broke into the Capitol and went on a Violent Rampage.

There was only one reason that Trump's Criminal Goon Squad attacked the Capitol.  It was because Donald Trump told them to.  Thankfully many members of Trump's Shock Troop Brigade have been arrested thanks to their maskless photos (Clear and Brilliant Photos all over Social Media.) I guess they have never heard of the FBI and Face Recognition Capability.  

Quite Frankly, the fact that there were so many people willing to put themselves on the line to raid the Capitol for Trump due to a baseless lie is most distressing.

What we are now hearing from leaders of countries all over the world is how shocked and concerned they are about what is happening in the country that has for many decades been the De Facto leader of the world for so long.  These World Leaders are well aware of Donald Trump's deficits but like all true Democracy Loving Americans The World Leaders can recognize quite clearly how bizarre and deadly this situation might be not only for the United States but also for the world.

We are truly lucky that only five people died and none of them were Congress People, as a result of the Raid by the Trump Mob.  It was very bad but It certainly could have been much worse

On January 6th the shit clearly hit the fan and its reverberations have been felt around the world.  Even now Chinese officials are pointing out that America has no right to criticize Chinese Civil Rights Violations when some of our President's followers have shown themselves to be nothing but a Goon Squad.   

We only have a few days to go before what should have been and always has been a peaceful transfer of power in the middle of January.  Hopefully we will see an Inauguration free of violence and terror.

I can't wait until Joe Biden takes the oath of office and Donald Trump flies off to Mar A Lago hopefully for the rest of his life.

I will never understand Donald Trump's appeal to members of the Republican Party who have always been believers in Democracy.  Wake up, People before it is too late and get on board the Biden Train on its way back to Normal Freedom and Democracy.

Hopefully with Trump locked off Social Media the madness might decrease.  I know that I will be trying my best to write about something other than Donald Trump in the coming days and years.  The topics may be less exciting and more boring but that will be Okay with me.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

 

In Search Of Unity

 Thursday, January 14th, 2021

My Dear America:

It was another gut wrenching day for all of us again, America.  

Today Donald Trump became the first American President who was Impeached Twice.  Certainly this was not a distinction that President Donald Trump wanted but it was certainly a distinction that was highly deserved.  

The First Impeachment was for pressuring the Ukrainian President to get dirt on Joe Biden and his son.  We all found out about that dark deed because a Government Whistleblower let it be known.  Although the House of Representatives voted to Impeach Trump the first time out it was strictly a partisan vote with absolutely no Republicans signing onto the resolution.

Today's vote in the House was still mainly a Democratic Majority vote but largely due to the abhorrent invasion of the U.S.Capitol building by Trump's Supporters on January 6th, 10 Republicans this time joined the Democrats in the Impeachment vote.  One of those votes was Liz Cheney.  

The word is that Donald Trump is pretty much alone in the White House as many of his closest aides, followers and synchophants that have been supporting him up to now have been abandoning him like a carrier of the plague.  

Poor Donald.  All he has now are his Klansmen and Nazis. At least those who have not been arrested yet by the FBI and other Law Enforcement Agencies.

It was interesting in a very weird and twisted way to listen to Republican Members of Congress pleading with their Congressional colleagues today in a sudden search for "Unity."

Up to now these same people were instead pleading for everyone to turn off their minds and believe that in "the most secure election in history" that Donald Trump had actually won but inexplicably had his election victory stolen from him by a wide ranging Nation Wide Democratic Conspiracy.  Never mind that the final actually counted vote tally in several key states in which Trump claimed to have won, Biden had in the end very substantial vote total margins far eclipsing Trump's totals. 

Donald Trump's Stolen Election Victory was one more nonsense conspiracy that Donald Trump's less than brilliant supporters chose to believe and with their red MAGA hats on after Trump encouraged them to go to the Capitol they raided the Capitol building last week on January 6th threatening to "Hang Mike Pence" and Kidnap and/or Kill Members of Congress. In their wake they left broken windows and doors, Human waste on the floors and five people dead including one Capitol Police officer whose skull was crushed in by a Fire Extinguisher.  It was hard to believe that these were the same people who were angry at Black Lives Matter Protestors for supporting chants of "Defund The Police."  It was difficult to see that MAGA support for the police at the Capitol Invasion.

And after the Capitol building was cleared of the violent MAGA Supporters and the Electors Count and Certification began again Republican Senators and House Members still had the gall to continue to object to the counting of Electors and continued the "Big Lie" that Trump had the election stolen from him.  

In the end, though, the Electors were selected and certified after nearly an all night Session of Congress.

Now these same Republicans, including Donald Trump, want to put the dangerous images of last week behind us and "Unify."

When Joe Biden was calling for Unity before last week all you could hear from Republicans was "Stop The Steal."

But next week is coming and Joe Biden will still be calling for Unity.

Good for him.  I hope he gets it.

But I am not counting on the fact that he will.

Yet soon, like a killer Pandemic, Donald Trump will be gone from the White House tarnished forever by a record of being a Two Time Impeachment Loser.

It is Frightening to see what terrible things Donald Trump has done over the last four years and still see the support he has had with Republicans and Conspiracy Theorists including QANON.  Hopefully after the events connected with the ransacking of the Capitol Building that support will fade.

He will be voluntarily moving out of the White House, however, and he will be forever stained as a Loser and a Sore Loser, at that.

So as we head for what we can only hope is the end of the Donald Trump Era in Politics it may be worthwhile to challenge those Republicans who are calling for Unity to put their votes where their new calling is.

I'm All for Unity in the New and Hopefully Improved Next Four Years after the Senate hopefully drives the last Nail in the Coffin of Donald Trump's Presidency.

We need Unity.

We Need Biden And Next week we will have him.

And as bad as things have been I find myself feeling grateful that Joe Biden did win and won substantially enough to take away the nightmare scenario of Donald Trump lasting in the White House for the next four years.

Welcome Joe Biden.  We who still love Democracy more than Donald Trump can't wait to see you take over Next Week.  Just be safe and move indoors if you can for your Inauguration.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher 

The Miracle Of Democracy In America

 Thursday, January 7th, 2021

My Dear America:

We all had a rough day yesterday, America.  It was, as Walter Cronkite used to say "A Day That Altered And Illuminated Our Time."  And We Were There.

Your day began with President Donald Trump greeting his followers in D.C. with his recurring lies about having had his Election Stolen from him by that damned Democrat, Joe Biden.  If only the Ukrainian President had just delivered on some Biden dirt that Trump could have used against the unbearably likable Delaware Democrat. Damn that Biden.

I continue to wonder and be concerned about the dumbing down of Americans if this ridiculous Bullshit Stolen Election Claim can't be figured out by Trump's Followers.  It certainly seems to me very easy to figure out that Trump is lying.  Why the hell can't these people figure it out.

I have to admit, though, that Trump can be convincing when he is laying out his Bullshit Election claims.  I watched Trump the other day lying to his Georgia Followers at his last Georgia Rally about the Election that was "stolen" from him and as he rattled off his ridiculous claims it almost began to sound like some of the lies he was telling could be true. After All, Trump is a very convincing liar.  He very nearly convinced me.

But then, there are the actual vote totals in every State in the Union that blow Trumps Election Claims to Kingdom Come, at least for me.

Certainly I don't think that Harvard Educated Ted Cruz or Josh Hawley or their other Senate and House Partners in Collusion with the President's "Stolen Election" Scenario believe for a minute that Trump really won the Election any more than Brian Kemp, Brad Raffensperger or Gabriel Sterling believed it.  I think that Georgia's Secretary of State Raffensperger's taped conversation with Trump was a brilliant move on the part of the Georgia's Secretary of State.  The tape was proof that Trump was trying everything in the book to get Raffensperger to come up with just enough votes to throw the Georgia Presidential Race to Trump.  Although Raffensperger, Kemp and Sterling all claimed to have themselves voted for Trump they were obviously not willing to throw the Election to Trump and in the process throw their careers and Reputations into the Dumpster Fire that Donald Trump had become in recent days.

Its over now.  The deed is done.  Congress stayed long into the night and despite the Trump Demanded Attempted Obstruction of Senators and Congress Men and Women to delay the acceptance of Certifiying Electors, The Hell on Earth Scenario that Donald Trump encouraged from his followers happened today as Trump's hopped up fans followed Trumps instructions to go to Congress and be "Strong" 

Although a great many Trump Supporters followed the rules and behaved appropriately as they protested, seemingly just as many Trumpers disrespected barricades and broke windows as they pushed their way into the Capitol and caused havoc and a Lockdown of Politicians and Staffers.  They even came onto the floor of the Senate and House and one individual had a picture taken of himself in Nancy Pelosi's office.  I hope the guy in Nancy's office is smiling like he is in his picture when they haul his ass off to jail.

But in the end after the lockdown ended police reinforcements arrived and pushed the Trumpers outside and as far away from the Capitol as possible. By the time the D.C. Curfew was in operation at 6:00 PM many of the Trump Addicts were gone from the Capitol grounds and Law enforcement officers and National Guard troops had control of the area.  Unfortunately at least one woman had been killed from a gunshot wound inside the Capitol.  At least three other people were dead also and Many Law Enforcement Officers were injured.  Certainly no one was calling for defunding the Police on this day when the world was watching all hell break loose inside the United States Capitol Building simply because Donald Trump was upset because he lost his Presidential Election.

And Donald Trump did lose the Election.  He may not accept it, but by now most Clear Thinking Americans have come to terms with the actual fact that he was soundly defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Race despite his herculean efforts to suppress the Democratic vote.

But to Donald Trump's surprise the Democrats voted in record numbers.  In fact, both Democrat and Republican vote totals were astounding and record shattering.  Unfortunately for Trump his record setting total was less than Joe Biden's record setting total.  

Back in November following the election totals showed that Biden not only had an Electoral College total win but also a vote total win.  In other words

JOE BIDEN WON THE DAMN ELECTION

There was no doubt about who won the election, except for Donald Trump who had told his followers over and over that the only way he could lose the election was if it was rigged.  So Trump unleashed Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell out to the far reaches of America to try to find those elusive votes that had somehow failed to be counted for Trump in that "rigged election."

Unfortunately, Trump's Republican minions in Congress decided to play along with Trump's Election Fantasy and so here we are at the end of the line with the Capitol building in shambles and the Republican Party in shambles too.

Clearly yesterday was a bad day for America.  

There were a couple of bright spots for Democrats, however.  After the Trump supported madness was over in Congress yesterday, Congress followed through  on their duty to count the Electoral College votes.  They voted long into the night to show Americans that they were going to do their job.  To no ones surprise Joe Biden's election was certified and finally it was over and done with.  

Along with the bad news in D.C. there was a bit of good news.  We found out that after the votes were counted in the Georgia Runoff Election for Senator both Democratic Candidates, Raphael Warnok and Jon Ossoff had won the Georgia Senate Seats thereby giving the Democrats control of the United States Senate.

It has been an election season like no other in History.  But now at the end of the line we can be overjoyed that regardless of what Donald Trump and his gullible fans think Trump is out in two weeks after putting our country through Hell for the past four years.

Once again the Miracle of American Democracy has worked.  Despite the lies and manipulation of Donald Trump, in all 50 States in the U.S. votes were cast in staggering numbers for President and for many other Political offices.  In Georgia, Arizona, Nevada Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and many other states Americans worked at the polls, many of them worked for no pay as they have for many years.  The votes were counted in each state and despite efforts by the Trump Campaign to suppress Democratic votes, More Democrats voted than in any other Presidential Campaign.  State officials like those in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and elsewhere took care to count and recount the votes.  Instead of denigrating those unsung heroes who brought this Election Period to a close and the baseless Trump claims of fraud we have brought this Election period to a successful close.  

Certainly the desecration of the Capitol is, like Pearl Harbor, D Day and 911, a day that will live in infamy.

But in the end it looks like, despite the efforts to dispose of it by Trump and his Supporters, Democracy has won out over Tyranny once again in the United States of America and those people who made our Miracle Election happen during these difficult times have reason to be very proud and are worthy of Great Appreciation.

We did it again America.    

We the American People Salute you and thank you from the bottom of our heart for what you have done once again to keep us Free And Fearless in our Great Country.

We truly have Made America Great Again.

Now Lets get Joe Biden into the Oval Office with a Democratic House and Senate and get to work on that Great New America.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

 

 

 

Desperate Republicans

Sunday, January 3rd, 2021

                                                          

                                                There's Something Happening Here

                                                      What it is Ain't Exactly Clear

                                                 "For What its worth" by Stephen Stills

 My Dear America:

I still remember the good old days when Elections were so much better.  We didn't realize it at the time but things were much simpler.  

You had Political Campaigns where Candidates introduced themselves.  There weren't usually many candidates in the race. 

You had Hard fought Primary Elections before the Political Conventions.

After the Republican and Democratic Conventions which were held in crowded Convention Halls, usually in Major Cities, You had an Election in which you went to your neighborhood polls, not worried about the prospect of being around other people, and voted for the Republican or Democratic Presidential Candidate of your choice.

And Then: Like Magic you turned on your TV that night and there was the Winning Candidate thanking their voters and also thanking the other Losing Candidate, the Candidate that they were running against for running a "Great Campaign."

Aw, it was so stress free back in the day if you were just the voter and not the Candidate.  

We didn't know how good we had it.

There was usually no fuss or hollering about who won.  The Candidate won who got more votes.  It was simple.  The votes were counted and the person with the most votes won.  I didn't always like who won but it didn't matter whether I liked it or not.  The person with the most votes counted won the Election.

What the Hell happened to that way of doing things.  What is wrong with counting the votes and declaring a winner.  That is what we still should be doing.

But we didn't have Donald Trump running for President back in those good old days.  Now we do.  And instead of a simple counting of votes and in some cases counting and recounting of votes we have instead a truly Undemocratic Russian Style Authoritarian Election Shit Show.

I don't know about You but I don't like it.  I want to go back to those simpler Democratic times when Donald Trump was still just an obnoxious Egomaniac Real Estate Mogul, Best Selling Author of books written by other people and Star of his own Television Show.  Life was simpler then when Trump was simply an Annoying Asshole with no Political Power.

But here we are just a couple of weeks before Joe Biden (The Legitimately Elected, by number of Actual Honest To God Votes, President Elect of the United States of America) is sworn in as our next President and the Donald Trump American Election Shit Show is still in high gear.

Today MSNBC and CNN kept playing excerpts of an Audio Recording of Donald Trump calling last night and talking to Brad Raffensperger, Secretary of State for the State of Georgia.  On the tape the MSNBC And CNN Anchors, Correspondents and their guests showed a mixture of outrage and disgust with Trump's abusive treatment of Raffensperger and his Agency Lawyer, with Trump demanding that The Secretary of State find the missing votes that would give the Presidential Election to Trump. 

Nobody really identified where the extremely well recorded Audio recording came from other than it was initially broadcast on the Washington Post Website.  It was presented as if the recording was surreptitiously obtained.

Was it or was it not?

I don't know.

What I do believe, however is that this recording was in fact released by Trump and his staff.  The more I listened to the tape the more I realized that Trump was doing what he has always done.  He was lying and kept saying over and over about how he "won the election" and there were problems with certain counties and that machines were moved etc.

Raffensperger was incredibly patient and let Trump ramble on for over an hour.  I don't know who eventually hung up but it was pure Trump Bullshit from start to finish from what I heard.  

Clearly this tape was released with the intention of manipulating the media into becoming outraged but getting Trump's base on board with putting the pressure on gutless Republicans to somehow go along with over a hundred Congressional Representatives and 12 Senators who care more about staying in the good graces of Trump Voters than they do about the continuation of legitimate Democracy in the United States of America.

In addition to his despicable recording Donald Trump is encouraging his supporters to come to Washington D.C. on Wednesday, the day that Congress votes on the legitimacy of the Electoral College.

Watch this Space Tuesday and Wednesday as the Donald Trump Shit Show  Continues.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher