…”and Influence People”

So many of you won’t even be old enough to recognize the full title, let alone what the far-reaching implications for American Society as a whole are. So, here’s “The Rest of the Story” as the late Paul Harvey was fond of saying. The name of the book is, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. Since my late parents took the Dale Carnegie Course in about 1970 and would later become instructors themselves, believe me when I tell you this book was required reading in my preteen years. It helped not one whit in the “Winning Friends” arena, but as I grew older, I learned I could damn sure influence anyone. That one trait was borne out of a natural loner personality, and it has most certainly saved my hide on multiple occasions.

So, mayhap with just a few days until Election Day, it is far overdue to torque a few minds; believe me when I say so many on media platforms are the low-hanging fruit, just waiting to be picked, so here we go.

If you are easily offended, it may be a lovely notion for you to stop here, and pretend we never “met”. One of my many talents is being a total iconoclast; you have been duly warned.

When an unknown Senator from Illinois announced his candidacy for President of 02/10/2007, I knew this was an all too familiar sensation. Very reminiscent of a once unknown former Governor of Georgia. In 2008, I indeed voted for McCain, sans even the remotest of enthusiasm for him. (The same thing happened the next election cycle, with a lesser of two evils named Romney.)

So, the Electorate gave us Obama, and I found myself thinking, “Well, give him his due and he may, being a minority, actually translate that into making some level of difference in the lives of minorities like myself.” Didn’t happen of course. Not that anyone would or even wanted to understand why he would when a Nobel Peace Prize when the nominating deadline was closed out 11 days post-inauguration. Many were baffled at this, especially seeing his dismal performance on all matters domestic.

So, the Powers-That-Be deemed him acceptable for yet a second term, and many were past mere dismay at the end results.

Fast forward to 06/16/15, and Donald J. Trump announces his Candidacy for President. In that small span of time, the man who was befriended by people from all walks in life is suddenly an absolute pariah. As long as the greenbacks flew from Trump’s hand, everything was kosher. Even Hillary Clinton is on record as saying she’d like to see wealthy businessmen run for President because they can’t be bought.

So, in that regard, Hillary got her wish. Trump. A businessman worth a few billion. (How many billions has always been a bone of contention. Needless to say, I personally could care less; it is at least a billion more than the majority of us have, so that suits me just fine.)

So, run he did. The ultimate DC Outsider had thrust himself into the largest single spotlight one can be under; the microscopic spotlight of a Presidential Candidate. Trump took a take-no-prisoners attitude at the Republican debates, and bested the supposed “Cream of The Crop” of The GOP. Yes, he threw numerous outlandish accusations, but seemed to relish the infighting amongst his challengers. The brash billionaire that was frequently in the news while I was growing up HAD BECOME THE NEWS.

In my own Kansas State Caucus, I cast my lot with Senator Ted Cruz, who won the caucus by a margin that exceeded 2:1. It wasn’t that I disliked Trump’s standing on any on the issues; I sincerely felt that Sen. Cruz better personified my values and priorities. It didn’t last long, as Senator Cruz would fold his campaign on May 3, 2016, and Trump getting the needed Delegates on May 26th.

Trump’s every word would be examined in more ways than I knew existed, and his policy positions mocked incessantly. Obama would take every opportunity to ridicule the Republican Nominee, going as far to say that the manufacturing jobs that had left the USA, were NEVER coming back, all the while mumbling some barely intelligible grade-school “Magic Wand” theory.

All the while the band played on in Camp Clinton, as the slow dripping of info on her illegally kept server seldom made any major news outlet’s main storyline. (This in spite of the fact that it should have been more than enough to force Hilary from her perch as The Democratic Nominee.) On July 5th, 2016, Former FBI Director Comey would singlehandedly proclaim Hillary’s innocence in the “Email/Server Matter”. Not quite how American Justice really is designed, nor would it resemble any type of justice that would be meted out were similar situations were engaged in by “Ordinary Americans”.

The chorus of “Never Trumpers” would become a roar courtesy of total sellouts like Bill Kristol, George Will, Max Boot and a host of others that could be at least listed, but I’m trying to limit this to a 15–20 minute show here, ok?

As if the aforementioned was insufficient, the steady droning of “RACIST! FASCIST! NAZI! MISOGYNIST! RAPIST! CHILD MOLESTER!” definitely showed the desperation of those who wanted Trump to lose regardless of the costs. Seems the awards he won side-by-side with Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali either vanished or maybe never were awarded on the first place. His multiple affairs & marriages even became ammo in the minds of The Clinton Clan, who America has long since acknowledged as the Paragons of Virtue we should all follow.

On September 9th, Hillary Clinton accompanied by her ever-present hot sauce and fake drawl, would tell America, “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right?

The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic — you name it. And unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.” This one got a LOT of traction with myself and innumerable others, seeing as we who didn’t want a continuation of Obama for another term were really thought to be a bunch of collective idiots. Fortunately for Hilary, an Access Hollywood tape from 2005 would suddenly put The Trump Campaign in deep peril. What was seen in the immediate aftermath was a contriteness from a Candidate that we virtually never see.

But all the spectacle; the clownish insults from both sides were finally worth it on the night of November 8th, 2016. The beginning of the salvation of The Republic had indeed begun. Those of you who cannot see that, do please educate yourselves before you commence to pick it apart. Yes, I said REPUBLIC, not DEMOCRACY. But, safe assumption that most of you reading this were likely never told the difference.

Then all the professional rioters, thugs, and idiots immediately decided it would somehow help their cause to Burn, Loot, Murder, and Destroy. Even in D.C. a few short blocks away from where The Inauguration was taking place. Their parents must have been so damn proud.

I frankly could care less about how much you despise me, or President Trump for that matter. You may as well get used to 4 more years. Get out of your sandboxes and put away your toys, and face the world. Get a JOB! It is amazing when you work and see the fruits of your labors every day. (No, torching City Halls, cars, blocking legitimate traffic just to be an ass doesn’t count. Give up the Soros Check, and you may want to ignore Kamala Harris’ promise that this bs will continue post Election/Inauguration Day. Just looking out for you, ok?)