American Presidents

February 13 Siena College Research Institute released results of its 6th Presidential Expert Poll, asking 157 “presidential scholars, historians and political scientists” to rate the best American presidents. Picking a few, Reagan comes in 13th, Clinton comes in 15th, Obama17th, G.W.H Bush 21st , Richard Nixon 29th, and G.W. Bush 33rd. Beating out Andrew Johnson (44th) who was impeached and James Buchanan (43rd) whose presidency was followed by the Civil War, Donald J. Trump ranks 42nd or the third worst American president.

Employing his boilerplate response to messages that doesn’t suit his purpose, Trump would, of course, kill the157 messengers.

My New Blog

My new site https://myex-mo.com is limited to thoughts on The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. Mormons are wonderful people. I love my Mormon family and friends. There are, however, Church history and doctrine which I find troubling, even impossible to believe. If you have no interest in Mormonism or are not okay with having LDS precepts examined, don’t go there. If it’s worth a read please tell your friends.

Delay getting site launched.  Should be up soon.

Democracy

It’s said Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden represent the status quo, old-fashion politics, business as usual in D.C. It’s true! It even has a name: Democracy! It’s civil debate and compromise. It’s respecting the loyal opposition, even when I vehemently disagree with their politics and policies. Democracy is not mean and rude.  It is not taunting, shoving and name-calling like a sixth-grade Bully! Democracy is not saying whatever serves your immediate purpose regardless of truth or fact!

Borrowing on English poet and philosopher John Donne, “No man (no nation, not even America) is an island.” Without the respect and cooperation of other nations we cannot survive. Our American Democracy does not thumb its nose, does not give the finger to the rest of humanity. The most favored people on Earth are duty-bound to do all we can—more than our share—to make life better for all people!

There’s a sense I earned and deserved this free and favored life. I didn’t and I don’t! Those who went before, parents and grandparents centuries back earned it. My responsibility is to preserve and pay it forward! My responsibility is to leave America and every nation on planet Earth more livable and safer for those to come.

With its full share of sins and shortcomings, each American administration, Democrat and Republican, represents Democracy in action. To this is point in time, none was a Trumpian/Putinian Oligarchy.

Comic Relief

Giving voice to uneasy secrets most of us hold, genuine comedy cloaks wisdom as “comic relief.” On the death of funny-man Jerry Stiller, NBC news recalled a quote which should be our Creed for Human Relations and World Peace.  Regarding Anne Meara, his wife for over sixty years—if memory serves—Jerry said, she’s “not hard to live with. You just have to put up with her.”

It’s about patience! Respecting others. Life will be so much easier if we remember Jerry Stiller and just “put up with” them.

Absolute Chaotic Disaster

I vow to disengage from this Trump nonsense, then something happens or someone says something and, like a dumb catfish, I grab the bait.

In a May 8 call to former staffers, President Obama called President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic “an absolute chaotic disaster.” Responding, Presidential Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany calls “President Trump’s coronavirus response . . . unprecedented and saved American lives.”

I’m reminded that on Feb. 28, after two months’ warnings, President Trump underscored his concern for COVID 19 by famously predicting, “One day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.” Today, May 10, with 1.3 million COVID 19 cases and 77,000 American lives lost, Trump’s concern and response, Ms McEnany, is indeed and tragically unprecedented!