Thanksgiving 2016

                                          

To say I was born and raised in New York City would be a little misleading because in my memories of New York in the 40s and 50s, the city was a collection of small towns or villages. I was born in Woodside, a section of the borough of Queens, and the skyscrapers and streets of Manhattan were as remote for me as China would be to my grandchildren today.

Because of our insularity I can’t be sure if a Thanksgiving custom we had back then was unique to Woodside or whether it could have been found elsewhere throughout the great metropolis. Anyone else I’ve mentioned it to has never heard of it including my wife who was born a little bit north of the City in White Plains, the hub of Westchester county.

Anyway, on Thanksgiving morning the children in our neighborhood would dress up as bums or hobos. It didn’t take much since we would usually wear our clothes until they literally fell apart. We would take our most worn and tattered clothing and rip and tear them a little more. Then, we would blacken a cork over a candle and smear it over our faces to simulate dirt. I remember my grandmother giving me a little pouch with a drawstring, or was it a pillowcase, that we hobos could sling over our shoulders.

Then, we were ready to make the rounds of our neighbors to ask, “anything for thanksgiving.” Inevitably, they would answer our plea with some of the bounty from the meal they were preparing. Usually it would be apples, or walnuts, or sometimes a few pennies. Don’t laugh. twenty pennies were enough to buy a Spalding (Spaldeen), the elite of bouncing rubber balls used by us in so many street games.

I don’t know where the “anything for thanksgiving” custom came from. We lived in a small neighborhood that seemed to have been mainly Irish with a mixture of Italians. In my nearby Catholic school the majority of the kids seemed to have Irish names. There were Ryans, Regans, Dunphys, Moylans, and Healys. However, A few blocks down busy 69 Street were the Napolitanos who ran the grocery store. In the other direction lived the dreaded Gallos whose kids were the toughest in the school.

But I’m not sure that “anything for thanksgiving”  was an ethnic custom. We were a predominately Catholic neighborhood and the idea of thanksgiving was part of our religious heritage even though none of us knew that the word “Eucharist” meant “Thanksgiving.” On the other hand, it could have been a peculiarly American response to the end of the Great Depression and the Second World War. Nothing had marked the depression so much as homeless men on bread lines or riding the rails. These were the hobos that we children imitated. 

Even though most of us could be considered poor, at least we and our neighbors would be able to sit down that afternoon in our homes to the best meal of the year. We did have a lot to be thankful for. The Depression was over, the men had returned from the terrible war, and the NY Yankees were on the verge of recovering their past glory.

Almost 70 years have passed since those childhood years but I can truly say that my wife and I have much to be thankful for. Our grandparents came to this country from Italy with nothing but their own traditions, customs, and religion. Like most children of immigrants our parent came to love America and worked hard to provide for their children and give them a standard of living that is still the envy of the world.

Today, after one of the most divisive political campaigns in U.S. history, there is more reason to hope than to fear. I would just like to end this post with George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789. Thanksgiving did not become a National holiday until after the terrible Civil War, but Washington’s words are as meaningful today as they were in 1789.  

Thanksgiving Proclamation
Issued by President George Washington, at the request of Congress, on October 3, 1789


Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and—Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”



Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.



And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.



Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.


Go. Washington

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Trump Victory: Why and How?

The Woman Who Beat Hillary

Did Donald Trump win the election of 2016 or did Hillary Clinton lose it, or was it a combination of both? To answer the question let’s first get past the Electoral College business. It is true that Clinton actually beat Trump in the popular vote by less than 1% of the more than 120 Million votes cast. But Trump won the election by carrying enough states to win by a good margin in the Electoral college. 

In the seven games of the recent World Series the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians both scored the same number of runs but no one would ever suggest that the hard fought series ended in a tie. The Cubs were clear winners because their dramatic victory in the seventh game of the series gave them a clear margin of 4 games to 3. If the World Series had been decided on the basis of total runs scored, it would have been a completely different ballgame.

In the same way if the Presidential election was based on the total popular vote count, the whole election process would have been a completely different ballgame. Both sides would have mounted different campaigns with markedly different strategies. No matter what one thinks of the Electoral College, it is completely bogus to suggest changing the rules after the game has been played, especially since both sides had agreed to play by those rules. In fact, no Democrat ever complained about the Electoral College as long as Hillary Clinton was leading in the polls.

So, what explains the dramatic result that hardly any poll or pundit had predicted? Democrats are offering a number of explanations. Hillary Clinton seems to blame her loss on James Comey, the director of the FBI. She claims his surprise announcement that he was going to reopen the email investigation after earlier indicating that it was no longer worth pursuing stopped her momentum in its tracks.

However, as the results were coming in on election night distraught Democrat sympathizers were putting the blame on Clinton herself. The vote counters at CNN were forced to admit that Clinton was running well behind President Obama’s 2012 totals among Blacks, and Hispanics. She was also not getting the high percentage of votes she needed among women voters. Some commentators even began to admit that Clinton was a weak, flawed candidate to begin with. This was a startling admission for throughout the campaign none of her supporters had ever expressed the least doubt.

I stayed up till 1:00 on Election night and flicked between channels but failed to find anyone who would credit Trump and his strategy for the victory. Yet, he had campaigned hard and enthusiastic crowds appeared at all of his rallies. At a last minute rally in Michigan 30000 people waited to hear him address them at 1:00 in the morning. He had spent all that day appearing before enthusiastic crowds in five or six separate states. Despite his tarnished reputation, I don’t think I have ever seen a candidate generate such enthusiasm.

One commentator did admit that maybe in this election, enthusiasm counted for more than political organization. In key battleground states it is clear that more Republican and Independent voters came out for Trump than came out for Mitt Romney in 2012. At the same time, Hillary Clinton fell short of the votes gained by Barack Obama in 2012.

In the end, I believe that historians will look back and find that Trump, despite his flaws, was riding a great wave that began in 2010 when Republicans won back the House of Representatives only two years after Obama’s overwhelming victory in 2008. The House of Representatives is still the most responsive part of the Federal government, especially since each Representative must run every two years. Even with President Obama’s repeat victory in 2012 the wave continued to gain momentum when the Republicans gained control of the Senate in 2014.

Democrats and their many supporters in the media think that demographics are on their side but they largely ignored this populist groundswell though out the country. As I watched CNN throughout the campaign I was amazed at how much commentators talked and how little they listened. It was not just that pundits on both sides shouted down their opponents, but also that they failed to use their own eyes. Viewer got opinion but little actual reporting.

For example, on almost the eve of the election one panel worried about voter suppression tactics that they thought Trump supporters would use to keep the Black and Hispanic vote down. During the discussion the moderator asked a CNN reporter on the scene in either Florida or North Carolina whether he observed any voter suppression. He said that he had not seen any and that the presence of so many poll watchers meant that anyone who wanted to vote would be able to. The panel brushed aside this report and continued to bemoan voter suppression.

I don’t think that the wave that began in 2010 is necessarily Republican or Conservative. I think it is a wave of the under-privileged against the privileged. By under-privileged I mean those who have come to believe that they work and pay taxes to support those who get government benefits and privileges often without working. These people have to pay for their own medical insurance and receive no subsidies. They do not have the pension benefits that government employees and public service union members enjoy. They only have Social Security.

Perhaps the most shocking statistic coming out of the election was the vote in Washington D.C. where the nation’s Capital gave its three electoral votes to Hillary Clinton by a 96% to 4% margin. I know that there is a large Black population in Washington but it also appears that the overwhelming majority of people who work for the Federal Government are Democrats. Almost as revealing was the fact that more than 90% of the media covering the election were contributors to the Democrat party.

The new under-privileged are caught in the middle. They pay for the benefits enjoyed by wealthy Congressmen and well-to-do government employees, and also pay for the benefits and subsidies that go to the increasing number of those who do not or cannot work. They do not get food stamps, Medicaid, or housing assistance.

During the election campaign they saw Wall Street billionaires and hedge fund managers contributing massive amounts to the Clinton campaign. They saw wealthy entertainers and athletes campaigning for Hillary Clinton. Moreover, despite their hard work and patriotism they have to stand by and hear themselves called bigots, racists, and homophobes.

I don’t believe that Hillary Clinton lost the election because of her lies and emails. She lost the election when she spoke one line straight from the heart. She really meant it when she called Trump supporters “deplorables.”

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Presidential Campaign Wrap-Up

As the Presidential campaign nears its close the race seems to be getting tighter and tighter. Early in the race Hillary Clinton remarked that she should be leading by fifty points. Now Democrat politicians and pundits are acting as if they are in panic mode.

Democrat big guns including President Obama, Michelle Obama, Vice- President Biden, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and even ex-President Bill Clinton are traveling all over the country to drum up votes for Hillary even though privately none of them can stand her.

The left-wing media is acting as if every word counts. My Yahoo home page is full of headlines claiming that Trump is failing and Clinton is winning.

11/4/16: Will Melania’s Leaked Photos Damage…
11/4/16: LA Times Tracking Poll: Trump’s Lead Shrinks to 4…
11/4/16: Former Trump Supporter Looks Back with Regret…
11/4/16: Bernie Sanders Goes ‘All-in’ for Hillary…
11/5/16: Melania worked in U.S. Without Permission…

On Friday night CNN panelists tried to explain away declining African-American votes in the early balloting by bringing up the bogeyman of voter suppression. It was as if they were preparing to claim that the election was “rigged’ against Clinton.

It is instructive to watch these CNN panel performances. It is hard to call them discussions because the panelists are all party stalwarts with little trace of being impartial reporters of the news. All we get is the official party line. For over a year now they have been acting as if every one of the millions of words they have uttered is so important.

Nevertheless, I think that most voters will not be influenced by the avalanche of words coming from cable news. Nor do I think that they will be influenced by political or media endorsements. Last week my wife noted that this year’s Presidential election is not so much about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton but about what voters think will happen in the next four years. Will we have a continuation of the policies of the Obama Administration, or will we see something new?

Obamacare, the signature issue of President Obama, is repealing itself. It is imploding right in front of our eyes with double digit premium increases and huge deductibles on the handful of policies available to consumers. The so-called Affordable Care Act was supposed to provide coverage for 30 Million uninsured, but a recent statistic indicated that only 11 Million have been covered. It would seem that more people have lost coverage than have gained it. What kind of insurance is it if the deductible is $16000?

Overseas, the world is in a mess that has often been exacerbated by the policies of President Obama and his one-time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Attempts to aid and arm rebels in the Middle East have proved disastrous. We intervened in Egypt to overthrow a dictator but brought the Moslem Brotherhood into power. Now they are ruled by a military dictatorship. Our intervention in Libya produced even worse results. The assault on the American embassy in Benghazi and the murder of the American ambassador were just the tip of the iceberg there.

Syria is probably the worst example of failed American intervention in support of rebels. Donald Trump was right when, during one of the debates, he remarked to Hillary Clinton that she doesn’t even know who the rebels are that she is supporting. We have to take a good part of the blame for what happened in Aleppo. Moreover, Clinton’s support of a no-fly zone in Syria is inviting an incident with Russia that could have even worse consequences.

Speaking of Russia, at one point during the campaign the candidates were asked what they considered to be the most serious problem facing the world today. Clinton thought it was “climate change,” but Trump believed it was the threat of nuclear war. Democrats claim that Trump cannot be trusted with the country’s nuclear arsenal but in eight years the Obama administration has not been able to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. At the same time, we have no way of knowing if the costly deal with Iran will work.

Finally, are race relations in this country any better than they were when President Obama took office?  He was the son of a black father and a white mother, and his overwhelming victory in 2008 gave him a unique opportunity to usher in a new era of racial harmony in this country. Instead, he has politicized the Justice Department and the Attorney General’s office to the point where it would now be better called the Department of Injustice. Hillary Clinton has offered no solution other than to double down on the President’s misguided efforts.

This summer Donald Trump appeared to an enthusiastic crowd that filled the Sacred Heart University gym in Connecticut to overflowing despite record heat. At about the same time, Hillary Clinton spoke at a private $40000 per plate fundraiser in Greenwich. His speech appeared on television. Her remarks to the multi-millionaire donors were private, but we know from other such meetings that she believes that private truth is not always the same as public truth.

This election is about more than Trump and Clinton. It’s about who and what they represent. Trump may be a rotten s.o.b. but I tend to stand with the people in that sweltering gym rather than with those at the private $40000 per plate dinner.

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Note: Here is the latest Electoral College Map from Real Clear Politics. Blue States are for Clinton, Red for Trump, and Grey are toss-ups. I don't like to make predictions but I believe that Arizona and Nevada will go for Trump, and Colorado and New Mexico for Clinton in the West. In the South I believe that Georgia and North Carolina will go for Trump, and Virginia for Clinton. In the Mid-West I believe that Iowa and the key state of Ohio will go for Trump but that Michigan will go for Clinton. The race will then come down to Pennsylvania and Florida. If Trump wins Florida and loses Pennsylvania, he could still eke out a victory by winning New Hampshire and one of the Maine electoral districts.