Politics

Trump’s Final Pardon

I think the concept of the self pardon by Donald Trump should he be elected in 2024 is exaggerated. While it’s true that the president may have the power of self pardon, it’s likely to be deeply unpopular and will most likely be the political death of his presidency – as nobody likes it when a politician is primarily self interested and tampers with the administration of justice.

The reason why Donald Trump is still a popular candidate at this point is he was an effective leader at addressing conservative concerns – delivering tax relief, returning regulation of abortion to the states, making limited progress on gun rights and appointing a decidedly conservative Supreme Court. But if the president elects first actions are solely to benefit himself then I find it hard to fathom that he’ll have the popular support to accomplish the rest of his agenda.

A felon for President

I am pretty sure either Donald Trump will be convicted of a felony unless there is a hung jury with his New York criminal case. Whether or not the case is reversed on appeal, it seems likely that one of the leading presidential candidates will be a convicted felon. This means at least in the State of Florida, he won’t be allowed to vote for himself for President unless of course the legislature decides to change law, just for him.

Not that I’m convinced that this is a bad thing. For too long government has been held in too high of regard, the decisions of millions of government bureaucrats viewed as virtuous by default. There has been a reverence for the American government and those who work for it, even though government workers are just humans with as many flaws and bad decisions that are common not only in private business but in the administration of government.

Government, and our country needs to be knocked down a peg. Government workers, the courts, the police should be viewed with a degree of contempt. They should be looked down as a necessary evil, but something that is not virtuous but as servants of people. A leading presidential candidate who is a felon may forever change how we view our country, start a true discussion of the size and scope of government.

I’m inclined to think Biden won’t be on the ballot in Alabama or Ohio

That is if the Secretary of State or the legislature in those states doesn’t decide to issue an order or amend election law extending the date for Presidential nominees to be selected and appear on the ballot. In these increasingly partisan times, I have my doubts that the Republican elected officials in these states will lift a finger to help Joe Biden get ballot access when he’s not ordinary legally entitled to have ballot access.

I have my doubts the courts will be much help here for Democrats either. The law is the law, and it’s not like the state laws have changed or it was a secret. Instead, it was the Democratic National Committee’s fault for not moving forward the nominating convention before the required state deadlines. Nobody right to choose their presidential candidate of choice was denied, except by the party itself, who chose to ignore the law. Courts don’t like it when organizations know the law and choose to ignore it, and then beg for mercy.

Ultimately, I’m not sure it matters much. Alabama is solidly red and is almost certain to go for Trump. Ohio has drifted so far to the right in recent years, the same could be said about this former swing-state. Democrats just don’t play well in a manufacturing, blue collar state like Ohio anymore. But I’m sure that the state party will launch a vigorous write-in campaign for Joe Biden, and if the election is close come November, it could be a pretty big clusterfuck, should it come down to Ohio and counting potentially millions of write-ins for Joe Biden. That said, I doubt he’ll win Ohio at this point.

Democrats will inevitably blame Alabama and Ohio election laws and the unmoved Republican majorities in those states for not giving them ballot access for Joe Biden. But ultimately it’s not state’s fault that the Democratic National Committee has been emboldened to bully states around, with them not counting New Hampshire’s primary or holding their convention too late to get ballot access in Alabama and Ohio.

A popular idea in liberal circles lately is that Trump and his allies are rigging the system to allow him and other Republicans to pull off a win in a close election πŸ’‘

I mean, they’re not wrong. The Republicans in red states are being terribly naughty, exploiting conspiracy theories and raw power to make it possible to turn the tables in their favor during extraordinarily close elections.

But to call that anti-democratic, a threat to democracy or down right facist is a step too far in my book. Maybe Republicans will use some sneaky and unfair means to turn the tables in an extraordinarily close election but it’s not the end of the world – there is always another election for whatever office their exploiting power in two to six years, and many other offices will be up for election in the mean time.

The fact is you can sometimes out maneuver an opponent to win a close election. But in that case whoever wins still represents close to a majority of voters. And the candidate who wins on dubious means is unlikely to be that popular, having bathed in stench of dubious means of winning. You’ll have the reins of power for a few years but your opponents party will have all the excitement and likely will deliver majorities to Congress and state houses in the mid terms.

Elections are an approximation of public sentiment. By definition, elections are rigged by all kinds of laws and policies designed to favor incumbents, the status quo and the party in power. But power tends to be destructive in a democracy, often the highest flying stars in politics are those that are the fastest to crash and burn.

I’m not worried about democracy. It will mumble along, even if Trump manages to play the system and get a second term in 2024 with a minority of voters and makes a bigger fool of himself. He’ll have his term, he’ll probably bumble through it like his first term and be gone.

And then there will be another election and life goes on.

What would it look like if we made Daylight Savings Time permanent in Albany? πŸŒ…

Just imagine getting up every morning an hour or maybe two before sunrise, and being off to work in the dark. On the other hand, it might be good from an energy conservation perspective.

Week Sunrise Sunset   Week Sunrise Sunset
January 1 8:25 am 5:32 pm   July 2 5:21 am 8:36 pm
January 8 8:24 am 5:39 pm   July 9 5:26 am 8:34 pm
January 15 8:22 am 5:47 pm   July 16 5:32 am 8:30 pm
January 22 8:17 am 5:55 pm   July 23 5:38 am 8:24 pm
January 29 8:11 am 6:04 pm   July 30 5:45 am 8:17 pm
February 5 8:04 am 6:14 pm   August 6 5:52 am 8:09 pm
February 12 7:55 am 6:23 pm   August 13 6:00 am 7:59 pm
February 19 7:45 am 6:32 pm   August 20 6:07 am 7:49 pm
February 26 7:34 am 6:41 pm   August 27 6:15 am 7:37 pm
March 5 7:23 am 6:49 pm   September 3 6:22 am 7:26 pm
March 12 7:11 am 6:58 pm   September 10 6:30 am 7:13 pm
March 19 6:59 am 7:06 pm   September 17 6:37 am 7:01 pm
March 26 6:46 am 7:14 pm   September 24 6:45 am 6:48 pm
April 2 6:34 am 7:22 pm   October 1 6:52 am 6:36 pm
April 9 6:22 am 7:30 pm   October 8 7:00 am 6:24 pm
April 16 6:11 am 7:38 pm   October 15 7:08 am 6:12 pm
April 23 6:00 am 7:46 pm   October 22 7:17 am 6:01 pm
April 30 5:50 am 7:54 pm   October 29 7:25 am 5:51 pm
May 7 5:41 am 8:02 pm   November 5 7:34 am 5:42 pm
May 14 5:33 am 8:09 pm   November 12 7:43 am 5:35 pm
May 21 5:26 am 8:16 pm   November 19 7:52 am 5:29 pm
May 28 5:21 am 8:23 pm   November 26 8:00 am 5:24 pm
June 4 5:18 am 8:28 pm   December 3 8:08 am 5:22 pm
June 11 5:16 am 8:33 pm   December 10 8:14 am 5:21 pm
June 18 5:16 am 8:35 pm   December 17 8:19 am 5:23 pm
June 25 5:18 am 8:37 pm   December 24 8:23 am 5:26 pm
        December 31 8:25 am 5:31 pm

Winter mornings would be even darker if you get farther north and west in every Time Zone, such as Grand Rapids Michigan, which also is in the Eastern Time zone. πŸŒ†

 Week Sunrise Sunset   Week  Sunrise Sunset
January 1 9:13 am 6:19 pm   July 2 6:08 am 9:25 pm
January 8 9:13 am 6:26 pm   July 9 6:13 am 9:22 pm
January 15 9:10 am 6:33 pm   July 16 6:18 am 9:18 pm
January 22 9:06 am 6:42 pm   July 23 6:25 am 9:13 pm
January 29 8:59 am 6:51 pm   July 30 6:32 am 9:06 pm
February 5 8:52 am 7:01 pm   August 6 6:39 am 8:57 pm
February 12 8:43 am 7:10 pm   August 13 6:47 am 8:47 pm
February 19 8:33 am 7:19 pm   August 20 6:54 am 8:37 pm
February 26 8:22 am 7:28 pm   August 27 7:02 am 8:25 pm
March 5 8:10 am 7:37 pm   September 3 7:09 am 8:13 pm
March 12 7:58 am 7:45 pm   September 10 7:17 am 8:01 pm
March 19 7:46 am 7:53 pm   September 17 7:25 am 7:48 pm
March 26 7:34 am 8:02 pm   September 24 7:32 am 7:36 pm
April 2 7:21 am 8:10 pm   October 1 7:40 am 7:23 pm
April 9 7:09 am 8:18 pm   October 8 7:48 am 7:11 pm
April 16 6:58 am 8:26 pm   October 15 7:56 am 7:00 pm
April 23 6:47 am 8:34 pm   October 22 8:05 am 6:48 pm
April 30 6:37 am 8:42 pm   October 29 8:13 am 6:38 pm
May 7 6:27 am 8:50 pm   November 5 8:22 am 6:29 pm
May 14 6:19 am 8:58 pm   November 12 8:31 am 6:22 pm
May 21 6:13 am 9:05 pm   November 19 8:40 am 6:15 pm
May 28 6:08 am 9:11 pm   November 26 8:48 am 6:11 pm
June 4 6:04 am 9:17 pm   December 3 8:56 am 6:08 pm
June 11 6:03 am 9:21 pm   December 10 9:03 am 6:08 pm
June 18 6:03 am 9:24 pm   December 17 9:08 am 6:09 pm
June 25 6:05 am 9:25 pm   December 24 9:11 am 6:13 pm
        December 31 9:13 am 6:18 pm

Why do I fear information? πŸ“°

As they say, good information is expensive even though today with the internet it’s incredibly inexpensive to distribute. Creating information either through research or experience and writing it down is what is expensive.  When you can get information for free you should readily embrace it. Even though most free information is paid through either it being propaganda or advertising, it’s still worthwhile to consider. Just because information is trying to sell you something doesn’t mean you should resist learning more about it.

But I often find myself turning away from information that I find uncomfortable and either challenges my values or beliefs. Somehow I’m afraid to confront truth or that I will be forever changed after listening to new information. Yet, I’m aware that simply listening to information won’t automatically change your outlook on the world. But it sometimes seems very painful to have my views challenged.