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By Roz Rogoff

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and...  (More)

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@Never Trump but not Hillary either

Uploaded: Oct 3, 2016
Yes, I am truly a @NeverTrump voter. I plan to vote for Gary Johnson no matter what stupid thing he says or does next because his stupid things are not nearly as stupid as Trump's stupid things. But please, Trumpanzees don't ask me to name all of Trump's stupid things. I don't want to do an internet search to find them, but I'm sure there are many. Johnson's are so few I can name them off the tip of my, oops.

Both Hillary and Trump are campaigning against Johnson and Stein claiming that a vote for a Third Party Candidate takes away a vote that should have gone to one of them. That might be true in some swing states where the polling is close between Clinton and Trump, and voting for a Third Party Candidate like Johnson might make a difference on which of the main candidates wins the electoral votes in that state, but I can vote for Johnson in California because Hillary is a sure thing here.

Johnson is still hanging on to his dream of winning the election if he can get into the next national Debate. He could do this if can get his polling numbers up to 15% in five national polls. He's already at 15% in at least one poll and over 10% in two others. So he's getting close.

I hope he will be invited to the next debate because what he has to say is very good. If he isn’t in the next debate, at least give him a listen on his website www.johnsonweld.com or his Facebook page. He's really not a dummy and his ideas are better than either Trump or Hillary's (in my opinion, which this blog is). As a Libertarian he wants to cut spending at the Federal level and leave it to State and local governments to determine how much to spend on services for their citizens.

That means some states, like California, which spends a ton of money on all kinds of things for everyone, will continue to do that, but other states like Mississippi and Alabama will probably spend very little. The people who live in those places know that, so they will probably all move here if they haven't already.

I can see many of my readers shaking your heads right through my monitor. The reality is that Gary Johnson doesn't have a snowballs chance in New Mexico of winning the Presidential election, but I would like to give him a chance to debate Trump and Clinton. He will add a third voice to the discussion and possibly get people thinking differently about our elections.

We need new blood, new ideas, and maybe new Political Parties. The big two are getting as old and tired as their current candidates.
Democracy.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by Danville, a resident of Danville,
on Oct 4, 2016 at 6:57 am

[Removed because it is unfounded rumors that should not be perpetuated]


Posted by Sam, a resident of Oak Hill,
on Oct 4, 2016 at 8:05 am

"Johnson is still hanging on to his dream of winning the election if he can get into the next national Debate. He could do this if can get his polling numbers up to 15% in five national polls. He's already at 15% in at least one poll and over 10% in two others. So he's getting close."

Roz, I don't know where you're getting your numbers but Johnson is nowhere close to getting to 15%. Check out the latest polls presented by RealClearPolitics at the link below. Johnson is currently averaging 7.4% in the polls, with the individual polls reporting values from 5% to 9%. Also, look at the timeline graph of Johnson's average on the same web page. He has never broken 10%. Hitting 15% is not going to happen.I guarantee you that Johnson will not be making an appearance at any of the future debates.


RealClearPolitics: Web Link

.....


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 4, 2016 at 2:11 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

Gary Johnson has zero chance of making any debate round. Keep wish-casting, its not going to happen.


Posted by Brewer N. Shipley, a resident of Danville,
on Oct 4, 2016 at 4:41 pm

Brewer N. Shipley is a registered user.

Roz: I thought Danville's post was useful in demonstrating desperation. Nobody cares about that stuff -- it's so '70s.

And speaking for the '70s, I continue to believe that Gary Johnson's candidacy is "one gaffe over the line."


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 4, 2016 at 10:27 pm

rosalindr is a registered user.

The VP Debate

The debate between Vice Presidential candidates was much more interesting and persuasive than the first debate between the two parties' main candidates. [Web Link


I was particularly impressed by Indiana Governor Mike Pence. He actually made Trump sound like a good candidate. Pence is a very good choice to balance Trump's bombast and inexperience. Too bad Pence isn't on the top of the ticket, because I still can't vote for Trump.

Pence was selected by Trump's adult children after interviewing several potential VP candidates. It is reassuring at least that Trump's children, Donald, Jr., Eric, and Ivanka, are their father's best advisers. They would be able to reign in Trump's potential to say or do reckless things. As VP Pence would also add another stabilizing influence on The Donald.

Senator Tim Kaine represented the Democrat side as the VP Candidate for Hillary Clinton. He started off well but seemed to be trying too hard to defend Clinton or attack Trump by frequently interrupting Gov. Pence which I found very annoying.

So on the basis of the VP candidates' individual personalities, Pence sounded much more "Presidential," and Kaine sounded much more "Political." The media and pundits say that VP Debates usually don't have much influence on the election results, but in my judgement Mike Pence helped Trump's campaign much more than Tim Kaine helped Hillary's.

Roz


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 5, 2016 at 12:05 am

rosalindr is a registered user.

Sam & Dan,

I've gotten some of the poll numbers off of the Johnson Weld website. Web Link Perhaps not the most reliable source. But Johnson has been endorsed by several major newspapers. It seems that even the press can't choose Trump or Hillary.

Roz


Posted by MelissaNil, a resident of Pheasant Ridge,
on Oct 5, 2016 at 4:24 am

MelissaNil is a registered user.

Hello! I totally agree with an author. In my opinion Trump or Hillary doesn't deserve to become a President. Unfortunately, it is a true. Thanks for this valuable post. Luckily we still have a time before voting for making the right choice. I am hoping the same cool posts from you in future. If you need any paper help - professionals at www.custom-paper-writing.org may help you 24/7!


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 5, 2016 at 7:41 am

DKHSK is a registered user.

Roz,

Of all the news sources out there I'd say the Tribune might be one of the most balanced, so it doesn't surprise me that they would endorse Johnson. That being said, the few endorsements he's gotten just won't be enough to get him anywhere close to the debates.

VP Debate:

As much spin as I've been reading, I really think last nights debate was...frustratingly boring.

It was frustrating due to the constant and childish interruptions from Kaine, a man I had expected to be poised and knowledgable. Having never heard him before, I likened his style and delivery last night to Anthony Weiner, the soon-to-be ex husband of Huma Abedin, Clintons top assistant and he of sexting fame. A vile individual.

The debate was also boring due to Pence' propensity (no pun intended) to be so deliberate as to spend so much time on thinking through his answer, prior to his actual delivery, that when he finally got around to answering I was lost on what the question was. It could have been that I happen to be working at the time and couldn't completely give it my full attention, but if he had had just a smidgen more energy, my ear might have perked up a bit.

As to the content of what they said, I thought Kaine did a better job attacking Trumps past statements. He threw in some zingers that Pence seemed to let slide. Conversely, I thought Pence did a horrible job pressing all the negatives of Clintons past, especially on Russia and the middle east. He also could have focused on a lot of other things but it appears he took the -slightly- higher road.

I really didn't care for the debate moderator. She lost control from the start and only regained it about 1/2 way though. The questions were ok, but I always think there's not enough time for answers.


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 5, 2016 at 8:36 am

DKHSK is a registered user.

Just saw that that Kaine interrupted Pence 72 times, which converts to 1 interruption every 1.25 minutes.

It would seem to me that someone confident in their messaging would allow someone else to articulate their own message, especially in a "debate".

I wonder...


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 5, 2016 at 1:37 pm

rosalindr is a registered user.

Good comments, Dan. Thanks for posting.

Roz


Posted by res1, a resident of Vineyard Hills,
on Oct 5, 2016 at 9:38 pm

res1 is a registered user.

I am one of those people who is middle of the road and neither Clinton or Trump come close to representing me. The two major parties have become so divisive. It is only going to get worse with either Clinton or Trump at the helm. I think Johnson/Weld have the best opportunity to govern from the middle and since they are not a D or a R, they can bring Washington back to a place where our representative work together and compromise to get what is best for the nation. Our current two-party system is quite broken and it is up to us, the voters, to fix it with moderates in the White House.


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 6, 2016 at 9:50 am

DKHSK is a registered user.

Roz,

So it seems that Gary Johnsons' running mate, William Weld, is now indicating that he will put all his efforts in to defeating Donald Trump, as opposed to pushing his own ticket.

Web Link

Safe link to Boston Globe.

To say that I am unsurprised by this development is an understatement.

It sure seems that the professional political class and the media are straight out gunning for Trump.
Smells of desperation. I can't help but draw on the comparison in behavior of politicians and media during the recent BREXIT and the current US election season.

We shall see...


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 6, 2016 at 2:20 pm

rosalindr is a registered user.

Dan,

That makes sense actually, because the biggest danger to the US and the World would be a President Trump. He's totally unprepared and unhinged. Johnson has made some serious gaffs that hurt his credibility as the alternative to Hillary or Trump.

The Libertarian ticket performance has been disappointing. The candidates have not been able to get into the debates, and are not being taken seriously; so the only path left to Weld, who is a serious Republican, is to Dump Trump. I hope he can.

Roz


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 6, 2016 at 2:59 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

Roz,

If 'calm, cool and collected' were the hallmarks of successful leadership, then we probably wouldn't be where we are in this political season.

Gives pause to think, no?


Posted by BobB, a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood,
on Oct 7, 2016 at 7:55 pm

BobB is a registered user.

Trump should drop out. This is nuts.


Posted by BobB, a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood,
on Oct 7, 2016 at 7:59 pm

BobB is a registered user.

just "locker room banter"


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 7, 2016 at 9:48 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

This is nuts!

Monica Lewinsky:Web Link

"Bimbo eruptions": Web Link

Clinton should drop out.


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 7, 2016 at 9:53 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

The first four reasons for not voting for Clinton...

1. Amb Chris Stevens
2. Sean Smith
3. Glen Doherty
4. Tyrone Woods

Indeed.


Posted by BobB, a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood,
on Oct 8, 2016 at 9:21 am

BobB is a registered user.

@DKHSK,

I don't recall Hillary bragging about groping any of those people.

Trump should drop out.


Posted by BobB, a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood,
on Oct 8, 2016 at 9:52 am

BobB is a registered user.

Do you think he has any chance at this point?


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 8, 2016 at 12:19 pm

rosalindr is a registered user.

BobB,

He's pretty much lost women's votes but he never had most of us anyway. So it just depends on Democrat turnout and how many are willing to vote for Hillary. I'm still voting for Johnson, but she will win California anyway.

Johnson could be the spoiler if he wins New Mexico's 6 Electors, which he still could. That could split the Electors so that neither Trump nor Hillary gets the necessary 270. Then it would go to the House of Representatives to decide and how they vote would depend on how much pressure they get from constituents. Some Republicans would probably abstain or not show up for the vote, which would basically give the election to Hillary.

Roz


Posted by Billie, a resident of Mohr Park,
on Oct 8, 2016 at 2:44 pm

Billie is a registered user.

Food for Libertarian thought:
Bill Weld to Chuck Todd, Sep 30: "I'm not sure anybody is more qualified than Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States."


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 8, 2016 at 7:43 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

BobB,

For those of us who remember, the left circled the wagons around Bill Clinton, a sitting President who lied to a Federal Grand Jury regarding his affair with a 20 year old intern right there in the Oval Office of the White House.

A President whose wife (Hillary) has attacked the women who have accused him of rape and sexual molestation, yet later says that all victims of sex crimes need to be believed.

Hillary Clinton, the woman who defended a serial child rapist and gleefully laughed when the prosecution lost crucial evidence.: Web Link

It is highly ironic that the same people who looked past ALL of the above examples, now shriek at off-the-cuff remarks uttered in privacy by someone else.

The democrat/left lost its "moral equivalence" card when it started attacking religious morals and teaching.
Now, it wants to put on its morals cap and act like Trump is the devil incarnate.

Not gonna work.

The Emperor has no clothes.

ps,
And this reeks of desperation...


Posted by BobB, a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood,
on Oct 8, 2016 at 10:12 pm

BobB is a registered user.

Enough about Hillary. Do you really think Trump has a chance at this point? I can't see how.

To me it makes a lot more sense for him to drop out.

Maybe Pence should take over?


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 8, 2016 at 10:47 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

BobB,

"Enough about Hillary"

You don't get to dictate the terms. If you want to judge Trump by his past go ahead, but Hillary Clinton is fair game and should be held to the same standards.

You might be right, Hillary might win this one. But one has to wonder why they are pulling out all this dirty laundry right now if they are so confident? Are they trying to bury Trump, and if so, why?



Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 9, 2016 at 8:40 am

DKHSK is a registered user.

I think its funny that we're sitting here talking about something a guy said in a private conversation 11 years ago, but nothing is being said about Clintons responsibility in lying to the American public about the murder of 4 individuals in Benghazi.

Color me surprised.


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 12, 2016 at 1:24 pm

rosalindr is a registered user.

Dan,

The Trump tape simply goes to character and anyone but an idiot knows Trump is a pig, but so was Bill Clinton; so that's not a criteria to keep from being elected President.

The Benghazi thing is totally different. There were troops on Standby in Italy ready to go into Benghazi, but (this is from an interview earlier this year with Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta):

ANDREA MITCHELL: "Was there any effort by the Pentagon to intervene that the State Department rejected and would she have even been in the role?"

PANETTA: "I'm not aware of any such effort at all. As a matter of fact, after meeting with the president, I immediately went back and we made decisions to deploy forces, to put them in place to be able to go in and provide help to those involved, and we in fact put forces in place. The problem was that [the] attack ended quickly and because of time and distance we never had a chance to get there. This is a tragic event. It's tragic in a number of ways. But most importantly, it's tragic because it's now become a political football that unfortunately, I think, doesn't do service to all of those that were committed to trying to protect lives."
Web Link

Hillary Clinton could not have done more than this. There was NO WAY to save the Ambassador and his staff in the time available and any attempt to send in troops could have started another all out war in the region.Here's more on the repeated investigations on what happened.

"There have already been seven investigations, 13 hearings, 50 briefings, and 25,000 pages of documents have been released. But that won't stop Republicans from re-re-re investigating Benghazi as a part of a crass partisan ploy to turn out the far-right base in November."

Vote for Trump if you believe he is a better choice for President. I think he's a terrible choice and should not even be running. I'm not, as I've already said, voting for Hillary. I'm voting for Gary Johnson and Bill Weld and would like to see an incredible but impossible upset. But it doesn't matter in California, because Hillary will win the Electors from here anyway.

Roz


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 12, 2016 at 9:36 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

Roz,

"Hillary Clinton could not have done more than this..."

That's not true: Web Link

Safe link to ABC News

There were things she could have done PRIOR to the attack that she and others on her staff did not do, even though they were aware of the dangers. This is fact.

But lets not stop there. Let discuss the deliberate and planned lying that she (and the rest of the Obama flunkies) were perpetuating on the American public with regards to who was attacking the consulate and why.

Clinton issued a statement at 10pm Sept 11 after the attack stating in part: "Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet."

At 11:12pm that same night Clinton sent an email to her daughter stating in part: “Two of our officers were killed in Benghazi by an al Qaeda-like group..."

So, right there, she demonstrates her "public vs private actions and thoughts, just as she has done in front of the dreaded BANKERS!

But I digress

To back this up even further, on September 12, she again makes reference to the video as being that cause when she delivers a speech to the State Department saying: "Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior, along with the protest that took place at our Embassy in Cairo yesterday, as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet."

This pattern of telling the public one thing, while saying something different in private is a pattern. But more than a pattern its also something some of us call A LIE.

And this pattern continues for days after the attack.

All done because of an election.

So continue on talking about the WORDS of one candidate. I'll continue to focus on the ACTIONS of the other.

Oh, and here's the timeline for Benghazi: Web Link

As always, would love for any dem/lib to challenge anything I presented but they won't, because they can't.

Silence.


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 27, 2016 at 12:44 am

rosalindr is a registered user.

Here's the latest email I received from Bill Weld.

"Rosalind

Responding to numerous web stories and media reports regarding my strong denunciation of Donald Trump Tuesday, I released the following statement today:

Several web sites and media outlets have seized upon my statement from a news conference Tuesday in Boston to jump to conclusions that are wishful thinking, rather than reality.
Led by Occupy Democrats, a well-known mouthpiece for the left, the sensationalists and wishful thinkers are re-writing my forceful condemnation of Donald Trump into a suggestion that voters should support Hillary Clinton.
That is absurd.


Contribute $15 to Stand Up to the Machine


Governor Johnson and I are campaigning nonstop, with rallies and appearances scheduled over the next few days across the country from Alaska to Cincinnati, and are fully committed to giving voters the third choice they deserve in this election.
Any suggestion to the contrary is the product of active imaginations and partisans in both the Republican and Democrat camps who see how many independents, millennials and other disenfranchised voters are looking to our ticket as a vote they can cast in good conscience.
I have made clear from day one my fear of a potential Trump presidency, just as I have made clear my policy differences with Hillary Clinton. The only candidate I am urging voters to support for President is Gov. Gary Johnson. Period.
The wishful thinkers need to take a break and start wishing for something else, because the Johnson-Weld ticket is not giving an inch to Donald Trump OR Hillary Clinton.


The two parties are working hard to keep voters from looking to our campaign. They know, if we win a single state, or get 5% of the national vote, their duopoly over the election process will be over.

Will you chip in $250, $100, $50, or even $5 to help us fully fund our get-out-the-vote effort and combat the multi-billion dollar partisan machines?

Thank you for all your support,

Gov. Bill Weld

PS: Please forward this email to any who even suggests we are backing down an inch."



Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 27, 2016 at 8:46 am

DKHSK is a registered user.

Roz,

Giving any money to that campaign is akin to taking a match and lighting it on fire. It would truly be a waste of money at this point.

Respectfully.

Dan





Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 27, 2016 at 11:21 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

Roz,

I also like how Weld is now adding to his previous criticisms of Trump by bringing up Clinton in the negative.

Looks like someone is covering his bases.

Typical modern day politician.


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 28, 2016 at 11:04 am

DKHSK is a registered user.

For all of you who thought the investigation by the FBI into Clintons email scandal: Web Link

Headline from WASHINGTON POST (that's for you Sammy):

"FBI to conduct new investigation of emails from Clinton's private server" Dems hardest hit!

I might have added that last part.

I wonder why the FBI would do this?

Dan


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 29, 2016 at 8:31 pm

rosalindr is a registered user.

Dan,

The latest news is that the FBI investigation is of Congressman Anthony Weiner, whose wife (who is finally divorcing him) is Huma Abedin. Abedin is also the right hand woman on Hillary Clinton's campaign. Somehow Hillary's email wound up on Weiner's computer. Web Link

Are we all getting this now? Tell me this isn't some kind of Marx Brothers' movie we are all trapped in! Even Shakespeare couldn't come up with a wackier plot for this "Comedy of Errors!"

Roz


Posted by rosalindr, a resident of San Ramon,
on Oct 29, 2016 at 8:41 pm

rosalindr is a registered user.

One more thing. Gov. Johnson and Gov. Weld starting to look like the only reasonable candidates for President & VP out there. Voters say they want to get away from the two political parties. Here is the chance.

Trump supporters say they like Trump because he isn't a politician, but he's running as a Republican and that party is full of politicians. If you want a President with governing experience but not part of the political system, it is time to give serious consideration to Johnson/Weld.


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Oct 30, 2016 at 7:56 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

Roz,

This isn't some Marx movie to be sure. This is outright corruption by a major political figure and half of the country couldn't care less.

You'll note that none of the usuals (and they know who they are) haven't commented one bit about this new development.

The latest is they found 650k emails on Weiner's computer. 650,000 EMAILS!

The dems just 2 months ago were praising Comey, now they're calling for his head...ya' gotta laugh, this has been a heck of an election season.

Dan


Posted by DKHSK, a resident of Bridle Creek,
on Nov 2, 2016 at 10:47 pm

DKHSK is a registered user.

Just putting this out to Sam.

Hey Sam! Still waiting for you expert analysis on all the recent developments of Wikileaks and the FBI re-opening up the email investigation of Clinton. I seem to recall you saying you'd give your input a week or so ago.

So...waiting.

Billie and SHale can opine if they need to as well.

Heh.


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