Just Wondering

++Progressives like that Bernie Sanders has union support. Today's New York Times poll have Americans  opposing Fast Track Authority by 55 to 42, the bulk of opposition is Democrats. Now we have a piece in the Washington Post where Democratic congress critters are complaining about the pressure exerted by unions on their position on Fast Track. Yesterday, Ed Kilgore went into the weeds about the age-old Democratic problem of appealing to white working class Americans for their vote. There seems to be cognitive dissidence in the Democrats' views on their track union support. Is it because unions no longer are the primary financial support of the Party? Or is it that the new coalition created by Obama depends on large numbers of minorities and growing demographics that exclude union members?

++The Duggar family sat down with Megyn Kelly to explain their son's sex abuse problems. One of the couple lamented that the media was brought into their children's lies. I guess they don't have a sense of irony when their whole lives depending on having their children on television.

++Today the Washington Post examines how President Obama re-wrote his Selma speech to exhort a domestic version of American exceptionalism. The President has been attacked this primary season by Republicans who believe Obama doesn't think America is exceptional enough. Personally, he has spoken more on this subject than any American President. I believe is a country has to constantly speak about this then it is no longer exceptional. 

++One question I would like the media to ask the various Presidential candidates is "What will you do about the $8.5 trillion missing from the Pentagon?" This would trigger a more substantial debate on national security than the nonsense ww will hear.

++I've noted that Bernie Sanders gets high praise for his authenticity and his straight-shooting. I like that. I also like the fact he is a Jewish grandfather who speaks like one. But let's be frank--Americans do not want real authenticity. We want good actors. Ronald Reagan emoted authenticity because he was a decent actor. But we want an illusion. And , conservatives forget, we want optimism. Can you think of any Republican wannabe President who exhumes optimism?

++CNN/ORC did a poll that showed that George W. Bush was more popular than President Obama for the first time. It also showed that Hillary's lead over all contenders have shrunk. The only problem with the poll was that 47% of the respondents were Republicans and a small sampling were independent. The purpose of the poll was to show that Hillary was in trouble. There are no longer 47% Republicans in the country anymore. When I led the International Republican Institute, it marked the first time 50% of Americans identified with the Republican Party. Then you had Clinton's impeachment and it went down from there. It's about 27%. If anything, the country has become less identified with political parties.

++New York magazine has an excellent article on Jeb Bush, who is more conservative than his brother. The article shows he was an efficient,hard-charging governor. His Spanish is flawless and he cobbled together an Hispanic following that went away from Florida's traditional Cuban base. His Spanish is flawless. But the article points out that he has been involved in sketchy business deals since leaving the State House and that he has only been associated with business types. I believe his political reflexes are rusty and he appears more wooden than I remember him. If conservatives live in a bubble, Jeb has lived in the bubble of business types. 

++Peter Beinert writes in the Atlantic and Ed Kilgore did a follow-up on his question "What will historians think about Americans obsessed with ISIS when China is emerging as a superpower?" The point being that ISIS is surrounded by enemies and poses no strategic threat to the United States so why the obsession. The answer is that ISIS provides better visuals. They provoke reaction by their crimes. The Chinese know better and just go quietly on amassing power.

++The Daily Kos this morning has a piece about how polarized we are as a nation. Neither party agrees with the priorities of the other. The GOP is obsessed with budget deficits (still) and terrorism,the Democrats are obsessed with income inequality, and job creation. When there is an agreement such as on immigration,the two parties are polar opposites. It will be interesting to see the two parties national campaigns.

++Have you ever checked out Ted Cruz' nose? That is one long beak. Meanwhile Ted has announced he has $34 million in his superPAC.

++I truly dread this presidential campaign. You have one charismatic leader leaving and we will be brought down to earth or even to despair. I still say the choice will be to the steady--here it favors Hillary.

++The American people know the system is corrupt. Just look at yesterday's poll on campaign financing. Hillary's Clinton Foundation problem is neutralized by Jeb's shady financial deals and Americans will vote for maturity and no hassles. There will be few expectations that this country will get anywhere.