Friday, September 30, 2016


Trump VS Hillary: Round 1



After the first debate between Hillary and Trump, the debate analysis from the media is unsurprising. Trumpsters say he did well, and “held back,” that next debate he’ll really dig into her. Clinton supporters (AKA Trump haters, as not many actually support the secretary) claim she was poised, healthy, and actually alive with a pulse. They even claim she wasn’t a robot. I concur, hesitantly. The last third of the media, who either dislike both candidates or are decently objective, believe that Trump won the first 30 to 45 minutes of the debate, while Clinton won the remainder. Many ideas have been analyzed, including the idea that Trump is used to being on the debate stage with 17 people, and the 1-on-1 style debates fare differently. Political pundits further discussed the fact that Hillary was well prepared, to the point of sounding robotic, while Trump was completely unprepared, making him look less stable.

But they all missed one major point. A point so HUUUUGGEE that it completely neutralizes all other analysis. A point that, once discovered, explains why many Americans know in their minds that Trump lost, but in their hearts they felt it a victory for The Orange One. It’s the difference between facts and feelings, between objective fact and subjective emotion. This overlooked and under-analyzed fact is this:

Trump is not a politician.

Sounds obvious. But take a closer look.

Trump not being a politician means that he’s playing on Hillary’s home turf. As an example, in high school, a group of friends and I were hanging out. Half of us were football players, half baseball players. The baseball players were talking trash, saying they could “pancake” us if we went head to head. So, the baseball players got their biggest, baddest dude (“Troy”), and the football players got their hero (“Joe”). Now, if they tied, the baseball players would never stop bragging, because football is Joe’s powerhouse. He’s expected to win. So nothing other than an utter, bone-crunching pancake by Joe would suffice. Luckily, when the two put on pads and helmets and lined up a few yards apart, Joe knocked Troy a few yards back an onto his rear, while Troy had difficulty getting to his feet. Utter destruction. Nothing short of that would do.

The same is true with Trump and Hillary. Hillary, politics being her wheelhouse, must completely and utterly dismantle Trump. She must knock him on his rear, and laugh at him while he staggers to his feet.  But she didn’t.

Let us imagine Trump as former NFL star Marshawn Lynch. Both are polarizing figures, everyone has an opinion on these men, they both have an aura and mystique about them, but we must respect their mastery of their craft. Whether it’s Lynch with the ball, or Trump with real estate or on reality TV, their skill set is obvious, whether you love them or hate them. Let us imagine Hillary as Kobe. Both legends in their respective arenas, as Hillary is a masterful politician. This does not mean she has been beneficial for the American public; rather that she has mastered money, power, and influence and used it to remain relevant. Plus, both have a few scandals in their past. If Kobe and Marshawn Lynch were to play a 1-on-1 game of basketball, and we were forced to bet money on who would win, most would gamble on Kobe. Both are athletes, both are legends in their respective sports, but when Lynch walks into Kobe’s house to play Kobe’s game, we expect Kobe to blow Lynch out of the water. 10-2, 10-3 would be acceptable scores. If Lynch loses 10-8, although he lost, he would not only have gained respect, but some would walk away thinking that he had won a moral victory, or an emotional victory. Yes, he didn’t “win,” but he “won,” similar to how Bernie Sanders didn’t “win” the democratic primary, but “won” in the sense that he gained influence, popularity, and stoked passions among the American left.

Trump lost 10-8 to Hillary. Yes, this is a loss. But he played Hillary’s game, a game in which she’s been playing for 30 years, on her home court, in front of a home crowd, with a “hometown referee” (Lester Holt, the moderator).

Trump lost that debate. I agree with many in the political realm who believe that Trump won the first 30 to 45 minutes of the debate, then Hillary got under his skin and shook him up, taking the ultimate victory during the last 45 to 60 minutes.  

But there’s more to the story. Lynch played Kobe in basketball and proved competitive. Must be a quick learner, an athlete. Trump must be a quick learner, too. He’s been a politician for less than 4% of the time that Hillary has been one. Imagine if Hillary entered into real estate or reality TV, without insider knowledge (see her cattle futures scandal), and attempted to compete with The Donald. He would crush her. Knock her back 3 yards on her rear; she would stumble trying to regain her footing as if she were walking to her van on a scorching hot 77 degree afternoon in New York. He would crush her 10-2, and she only scored because he gave her a free shot.

All in all, it was a loss for Trump. Was it a moral victory? A “feelings” victory? An “emotional” victory? An “image” victory?

Trump versus Hillary round two. October 9th. We’ll see if he really is a quick learner.
This election cycle is like a mental tug-of-war. Or, I could be going crazy here. Definitely a possibility.

Either way, I’m having fun. Hope you are, too.







PS: I bet Marshawn Lynch wouldn’t exactly be pleased with the idea of being compared to Trump. But I love Beastmode, fellow Golden Bear!!





www.GenerationWho.com

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Hate Both Candidates? Here's What To Do.



Hate Both Candidates? Here’s What To Do.

If you are anything like me, then this election is giving you cognitive dissonance overdose. On one side, we have an evil, corrupt liar who has defended a child rapist and traded favors for foreign donations, many of those donations coming from countries where killing homosexuals is seen as morally warranted. On the other side we have a man whose ego and narcissism has no limits, who flip-flops on nearly every single issue, and who has openly bragged about sleeping with married women. Most Americans dislike both candidates, and of those who rabidly support one candidate, view the other as “Hitler.” These observations are based on the fact that both candidates have record-setting unfavorable ratings, and the obvious sense that this election cycle has manifested vast quantities of hatred not only for the opposing candidate, but for supporters of the opposing candidate. During Romney vs. Obama 2012, if one supported Romney, it was rare for that individual to be slandered. Currently, if someone comes out and supports Trump, people are called all the typical empty descriptors such as “racist,” “misogynist,” “Islamophobic,” and the like.

Each side has their fanatics. Hollywood celebs such as Katy Perry have staked their post. Conservatives such as Sean Hannity have done the same. We even have people such as Mark Levin who basically says he’ll vote for Trump, but that doesn’t mean he likes the fact that he is doing so. Then, there is the #NeverTrump crowd, who are conservatives who claim they do not want to sacrifice their values in order to push for a weak candidate who does not align with them ideologically. Last, we have the far left (i.e. Jill Stein) and the far right (i.e. Gary Johnson). Of course, we have Sean Hannity saying that not voting is a vote for Hillary, while Obama says not voting is a vote for Trump.

So what is the average American to do? You know, people who are more pragmatic than ideological. People who could care less about the D or R by the candidates’ name, and care more about their plans for furthering this Nation’s greatness.

People who, like me, dislike both candidates.

Well, making arguments against each candidate is easy. But trying to figure out whom to pull the lever for is much more difficult.

Here’s my approach:

I honestly and viscerally hate Hillary Clinton. Her policies are destructive to our nation, to our freedoms, and she lies so much I don’t even listen to her most of the time. Not to mention that evil chuckle thing she does. Everything she touches catches on fire, burns to the ground, then a stray dog walks over the ashes and defecates on it. See: Benghazi, “Russian Reset,” Haiti earthquake relief, Iran deal, Clinton Foundation, etc. etc. etc. as infinitum.

Trump was not my first choice in the primaries. He was, however, one of my top two or three picks for VP. He is great at bringing eyeballs to the Republican side, and his attitude is something that the party has needed for years. He isn’t afraid to get in there and throw a couple haymakers, knowing full well he will be hit a few times. So when he won the primaries, I wasn’t thrilled, but I also wasn’t upset. I figured Trump could win, and with people like Cruz, Gowdy and the like in his ear, perhaps he would be a good representative of traditional American values. The longer this campaign has dragged on, the more disenchanted I become with Trump (although I was never on the “Trump Train”).

So here’s the brass tacks. Trump is a guy who goes big (HHUUUUUUGGEE) or goes home. He either makes a few million, or claims bankruptcy. He either bangs (a few) models or he’s having a petty argument with Rosie O’Donnell. Therefore, I believe his presidency will be the same. He will either be the best president since Reagan, or he’ll be the worst since, well, Obama. I think the chances are roughly 80% chance he’ll do terrible, 10% chance he’ll do great, and a 10% chance he’ll do something in between (these are very rough estimations). That’s a gamble, a roll of the dice. Presidential Roulette. Trump runs into a major problem if he enters office, because no matter how well he actually does, the media will crush him. He can do no right in their eyes. The man could cure cancer and the media will claim it’s due to greed and racism. Whether it’s hard news like CNN, or the late night comedy shows like Colbert, he will constantly be hit with brick after brick. Are you willing to bet on those odds? The best case I have in voting for Trump is that it will “trigger” a lot of uber-leftists. This is a fun thing to do. It would make many of the know-nothings of the far left go crazy, lose their minds, and I would pay good money to watch that happen. If, however, Trump does poorly, then that scar will take years to remove from the Republican party and the conservative movement. Is it worth the risk?

I cannot justify voting for Hillary with one exception. You see, with Hillary, we know exactly what we are getting into. Another four years of Obama, of the status quo, only with an adrenaline boost. It will be more of the same, but with more intensity, with a shot of caffeine. Furthermore, Hillary ruins everything she touches, including her husband and her aid Huma Abedin (married to Anthony Weiner). So we can assume another four years of disastrous policies both at home and abroad. This is good and bad news. The good news is we know what’s coming. If you’re fighting Mike Tyson, that’s going to be a rough night, but at least you can prepare for it. If you don’t know who you are fighting, and George Foreman shows up, good luck. The bad news is that Hillary will further take away our freedoms and damage our nation. This is the part we can use to our advantage.

A drug addict cannot get clean until said addict decides to help themselves. Nobody can do it for them. That drug addict must hit a “rock bottom” before they make the decision to get help. Just like the addict, the Leftists in this country (not all democrats, just Lefitsts) must hit a “rock bottom” before they decide to help themselves, open their eyes, and begin to believe facts, history, and common sense. Perhaps, by electing Hillary, these next four years will be so disastrous that they will wake up one day and think “man, this is not going well. Maybe I should look into other options.” This opens the door for conservatives to truly make a case for their values, and act as an interventionist or a rehab counselor. Here are our values, here’s why we know they work, and here’s our plan to fix this mess. Next, in four long years, we can have a true conservative ride into Washington to fix this country. Someone like Ted Cruz, whose opponents’ biggest concern is that his face is ugly, or Trey Gowdy, my personal favorite.

Maybe, just maybe by voting for Hillary (heartburn…), we can have a strong conservative uprising without having the brand of conservatism tarnished by a false conservative named Trump.

This is a long-term view, this is postponing gratification. This is the kid who doesn’t eat the first marshmallow with the promise of having two marshmallows later on.

Or, you could vote for Trump, and roll the dice.

Your call, America.

                                                                            www.GenerationWho.com


Friday, January 1, 2016

Why Politics Matter (Especially to Millennials...)

#1. Why Politics Matter (Especially to Millennials...)

        Politics? Who cares...plus Scandal is on after the football game. Plus, politicians are all bought and sold by campaign donors, controlled by lobbyists, and only care about serving themselves and their elitist friends. Our meager single vote doesn't make a difference anyway. So politics do not matter. Well, they sort of do, but there isn't a thing I can do about it.

        I remember when this was my mindset. Luckily, I have a father who enjoys and appreciates paying attention to the political landscape. Through osmosis, perhaps, I ended up watching what was going on, and holy cow! You can't make this stuff up! Drugs, sex, death, money, and power - all things that catch our eye in movies and TV shows. The point is this: politics do matter. And it's actually extremely entertaining watching these guys sweat when you're aware of what's really going on. Furthermore, the importance of politics for the Millennial generation is even more pressing. We're either going to have to clean up this mess and continue to be the great world power that we are here in America, or we are going to have to run out of this burning building before we collapse from smoke inhalation. I like the former idea rather than the latter (I live in California, so...), but make no mistake about it; the house in on fire. Like, NOW. Smoke alarms are going off, the walls are warm to the touch, the stench of burning plastic is filling the air. We have to do something. And the first step in the process of extinguishing the fire, cleaning out all the debris, and rebuilding is to be aware of what caused this massive issue in the first place. Without paying attention to politics, we live our lives unaware of the state of the Nation, which may have detrimental effects to our daily lives, or may give us a sign of opportunity for the future. Either way, politics do matter.

        Here at the Generation Who Blog, we don't use all the political jargon and the boorish language of the typical political pundits, because we aren't typical political pundits. In fact, we aren't political pundits at all. We are simple people watching what's going on in our nation, and we want to fix it. However, we think it truly is up to us young people to do the fixing. After all, we didn't dig this hole, we were raised in it. So a fresh viewpoint and fresh ideas for fixing the problems facing the nation is necessary. Many people of the older generations think we're a bunch of whiny, self-entitled, weak, sensitive, pot-smoking, good-for-nothing weenies who are essentially useless. We will artfully and forcefully dispel these and many more myths about us Millennials in a later post, along with in our first Podcast episode (www.GenerationWho.com or look us up at The Generation Who Podcast).

        Back to the importance of politics...
     
        History is key to understanding anything. It has a boring wrap, but many of these stories are captivating (see: Dionysian Mysteries or how Socrates was sentenced to death via charges from a fictitious play). After all, if you're on a first date with someone, you ask a bunch of questions about their history in order to form a fuller picture of them. If history does not matter, then neither does where your date lives, works, or even their criminal record! In Ancient Greece, voting was not only a right, but a duty, and not participating in politics was punishable by law. Modern-day Iraqi's risked their lives to vote. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost to assure African-Americans the right to vote in America. And you think Scandal is important? Well, maybe it is, but after it's done it would behoove you to check out what's going on in the world for five minutes.

        I'm not going to give you the standard, boring reasons why politics mater to your personal life. Yes, it's a citizen's right to vote, yes people died for your right to vote (regardless of gender or ethnicity), and yes, people around the world would trade places with you in a heartbeat; but we all know this at some level. Like I promised, we keep it real here. Let's be honest; politics are boring. The politicians are liars and fakes, the media is in bed with these guys (both Progressives and Conservatives), and they are all bought and paid for, bowing to the almighty dollar. What I am going to do is this: show you how politics affects your life now, how politics shapes the future for better or for worse, and how we can elicit change in the political landscape. 
       
        Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee once said that there is “one problem with politics: the word politics. It comes from the Greek Poly- meaning ‘many’ and tics meaning ‘blood-sucking leeches.’” This comment, although hilarious, is chillingly accurate. Governor Huckabee’s definition of politics explains why many Americans, especially those of us in the Rising Generation, despise the political process. After all, being born in the 1980’s to mid- 1990’s, let’s think about our political memories. First, we had George Bush Senior’s “read my lips, no new taxes!” line, just before he raised taxes. Then, we had Bill Clinton, who was not only accused of rape but was caught with Miss Lewinsky. After Bill came George W. Bush, which needs no explanation, especially after one of our generation’s favorite entertainers went viral for claiming that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” (just another gem from Kanye West). Finally, we had a bright star in Barack Obama, which of course turned out to be incorrect, as he failed to fulfill just about every single promise he made, along with not being half as “cool” as we thought and lying about “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Period” (We’ll dive into these issues in detail in another article). Mix in the Tech Bubble that popped, Y2K, The Great Recession, Hurricane Katrina, one big-ass earthquake in Japan, another one in Haiti, Tsunamis, Anthony Weiner’s ironic sexting, Blagojevich selling Senate seats, and growing up on The Backstreet Boys, and we’re doomed to think that these guys running the show are incapable of common sense, and that our teeny tiny little vote isn’t going to amount to much without a blank check attached to it. ***THIS IS EXAMPLE OF REAL POLITICS BEING MORE EXCITING THAN K.U.W.T.K.*** After all, millions of people vote, and we have the media constantly telling us that only a few Swing States like Ohio and New Hampshire matter in presidential elections, along with certain states automatically voting a certain way (i.e. Texas=Republican, California=Democrat). Then, the technicalities. The hell is the Electoral College, anyways? Why do we only have two parties, and why do they both suck? Plus, I can’t be a Republican, that’s the party of Old White Men who hate the poor and anyone who has a bit of pigment in their skin (We’ll get rid of this myth later, too. Note: I AM NO REPUBLICAN. Nor am I a Democrat. I just dislike non-truths.) Politicians spend in billions and chatter in trillions, we all know their smiles are perfectly practiced and fully fake. We know they don’t actually like that person they’re standing next to laughing with, that person is simply a prospective campaign donor. Money, sex, drugs, coercion. And we can’t do a damn thing about it. Or can we?

        The first step in changing anything is to pay attention to it. This may sound cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. But how does the political landscape affect one’s everyday life? Simply put, in just about everything one does throughout the day. The clothes you wear had to go through customs, the money you spend is minted by “The Fed,” the food you eat is regulated by the FDA, and most importantly, your paycheck is trimmed by taxes. I’m writing this article from California, and it’s painful to look at my paycheck, as nearly 40% of it gets eaten up by different kinds of taxes. If you have any investments, like stocks or mutual funds, these are affected by current events, good or bad. The Keystone Pipeline, relations with Vladimir Putin and Russia, Tesla car fires, and the effective tax plans of the party in control all affected my investments in recent years. Paying attention to politics isn't as difficult, time-consuming, or boring as it may seem. Maybe back in the day of the radio, or even with just the TV and a few major news outlets, but today we have literally endless news outlets in multiple forms from podcasts and YouTube to the traditional MSNBC or Fox News. The point is, make a commitment to tune in for a few minutes a day. explore different hosts, shows, and forms of delivery. I have found that I love listening to talk radio in the car and podcasts while I'm doing dishes or chores. These are things I have to do anyways, so I'm not losing any time. After a few months, I was able to sift through different hosts and sites, and learned who I liked and disliked. An important sidebar must be taken into consideration: know your host. Is this person a Progressive or a Conservative? Republican or Democrat? Do they work for or represent a major news corporation or are they independent? Do they have any affiliations or friendships with politicians? It's perfectly OK if they are any of the above, as we all lean left or right, but the awareness is key, so you can look for and recognize when their bias is getting in the way of the facts. Furthermore, I highly recommend having a 1:4 ratio of ingesting information from either side. Simply put, if you find yourself to be more of a conservative or Republican, and you enjoy listening to Michael Savage, Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, and Bill Whittle (all amazingly talented, smart conservative hosts by the way), then you ought to listen to Thom Hartmann as well (who is liberal and a very talented host as well). This is to put things in perspective as well as catch your own biases. This happens to me all the time, and is a natural mechanism of the human psyche. So listening to an opposing point of view is helpful, even if it makes your blood boil. Plus, this is what the men and women in Washington cannot or will not do. They jump in their respective battle stations, and start firing away and slinging mud back and forth. If they would shut up and listen to one another (and I mean listen, not just wait anxiously to speak again), they might actually achieve something. Never mind listen to us, the American public, who normally are not as stuck in their political ideologies as much as the politicians, and would prefer a common sense, pragmatic solution rather than an ideological victory.

        The next step is to vote. This is a must. This is how we kick out all the bulls running around the china shop breaking everything. Damage control is primary. To cite Governor Huckabee once again, "If a pipe on your sinks breaks and starts flooding everywhere, the first thing you do is stop the flow of water. Then you clean it up, THEN you fix it" (Note: this is para-phrased, not an exact quote. It was live TV, but I wrote down the quote as close and as fast as I could!). So first, we must stop the water from flooding by educating ourselves about politics and paying attention. Then we clean up the mess by voting out the useless and the harmful politicians from both our local, state, and national governments. And with mail-in ballots, it's literally as easy as filling in a few bubbles. Once we've stopped the flow and cleaned up the mess, it's time to rebuild and repair the problem. That is the focus of the rest of our blogs, podcasts, and videos (for more visit GenerationWho.com).
   
        The next step is to discuss. Discuss what you've learned with people. Discuss what you saw on TV, what you heard on the radio, or what you saw on YouTube. Discuss how it affects your life, and how it may effect theirs. Ask who they like and don't like, especially this year, the year of the Presidential race! Play Devil's Advocate, and debate with them whatever their position may be. This clarifies and brings new insight to both them and you, and I have found this to be a very powerful tool in life (Thanks Dad!). I know the old rule to never discuss politics or religion on first dates or family get-togethers, but the divorce rate is well over 50%, so it really couldn't hurt. I do it, and I've had great luck on the dating scene. My Grandpa and I trade books all the time, which gives us stuff to talk about and laugh about, which is called bonding, and is good for any relationship. Don't shy away, just don't be an ideological jerk when discussing these issues. Don't be that guy.

        The next step is to get involved. This is not mandatory, and may take on different forms. Very few of us will ever run for office in our lives. But, if you enjoy this blog thus far, that means you're probably a practical-minded person like myself and you would probably do much better than the demagogues there now. You can also donate to a pundit you enjoy, start your own Podcast, write a book, attend rallies, volunteer on a campaign, or do countless other things to get involved in the local, national, or international political scene. Do you have to become 'active?' No! But if you end up enjoying the brain stimulation you get from paying attention and putting the pieces together, then you will probably want an outlet for the frustration from lack of common sense in politics.

        Simple, yet effective. We can save the burning building. We can fix the broken faucet. We can save this Great Nation. But it's up to us. The politicians won't fix it. The older generations broke it. We need to fix it. And we won't get there by being divided into sects, colors, and genders; we can only fix it by uniting as Individual Americans.




Oh, and PS: Pick up a copy of the Constitution. Then read it. It will only take you a matter of minutes to finish it. Or, download the app (yes, there's an app for that!). Just search "US Constitution."