If I'm the Trump Campaign team (and the Hat Trick actually knows one of them from my days as a DC lobbyist...) this can't be good, even if it's June. As this NPR story shows, Ohio and Florida as "Toss-Ups" and Texas "Leaning Republican" tells you all you need to know.
Lots can happen and the theme of 2020 seems to be whenever something really crazy happens, 2020 says "hold my beer"...but Texas has been an especially solid Republican state having last voted for the Democratic nominee in 1976. Florida is more of an outlier, sometimes going Republican (1980, 1984, 1988, 1992) and sometimes going Democratic (1996, 2008, 2012) and sometimes having a major identity complex (2000!). Ohio has also been more changeable, going Republican in years when a Reagan or Bush was the Republican nominee, Democratic in the rest until 2016 when it went for Trump. President Trump also won Florida in 2016 and absolutely needs to win the state (as well as Ohio) to win re-election in 2020. Again, the electoral environment can change (look at Hillary Clinton's polls in June of 2016) but the current polling in these three states do not express confidence in the re-election chances of President Trump.
Showing posts with label President Trump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label President Trump. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
The Virus, the Swamp and the Wings...Oh My...
Needless it's been busy time since I attempted to begin blogging again...I had good intentions back in October of 2019 but got busy with the holidays, work and more work. And then this crazy virus situation has just made life go into "full interesting" mode...
Since my last post I've gone all in on really my first true love, the aviation world. I'm working full-time for a major airline in the area of ramp operations mostly, spending some time at the gate and occasionally getting to operate the jetway. It's been fun, although stressful between the holidays and then what we call in Florida "Season" and then the current disaster. No layoffs so far, just reduced schedules for everyone and a hiring freeze. The hiring freeze shuts down any attempts at trying to move up within the company, but I'm okay for now and will continue to develop skills to try and make me a more candidate in the future.
As to the virus, I try not to think about it, especially at the airport. Our flight schedules have dropped dramatically, but we will have passengers arriving from infected areas so I try to be as careful as possible. It's probably more dangerous when I do have to venture to a grocery store, or Costco, as some generational people in my area (generally older adults) don't seem to understand the concept of social distancing...very frustrating!!!
Finally, what can I say about our current political class? Not much. There are a few members o Congress trying to do the right thing, but for the most part the impeachment faros and then the loading up of a stimulus bill with unnecessary items tells you all you need to know. And Republicans would likely have done the same thing had they been in power. It's very discouraging. While I still lean more "center-right, moderate conservative" it feels more and more like being in the political wilderness than every before. Two sharp factions, one hard left and one hard right, are controlling our politics and leaving those of us with mixed fews firmly without any political base. It's an alarming situation and doesn't look like it will get any better.
To that end I may end discussing political items and move the hat trick to happier items...focusing on aviation and hockey (if that ever comes back). Even though the Red Wings have had some disappointing seasons recently, they are still a more honest topic to discuss than anything happening in politics in 2020.
Since my last post I've gone all in on really my first true love, the aviation world. I'm working full-time for a major airline in the area of ramp operations mostly, spending some time at the gate and occasionally getting to operate the jetway. It's been fun, although stressful between the holidays and then what we call in Florida "Season" and then the current disaster. No layoffs so far, just reduced schedules for everyone and a hiring freeze. The hiring freeze shuts down any attempts at trying to move up within the company, but I'm okay for now and will continue to develop skills to try and make me a more candidate in the future.
As to the virus, I try not to think about it, especially at the airport. Our flight schedules have dropped dramatically, but we will have passengers arriving from infected areas so I try to be as careful as possible. It's probably more dangerous when I do have to venture to a grocery store, or Costco, as some generational people in my area (generally older adults) don't seem to understand the concept of social distancing...very frustrating!!!
Finally, what can I say about our current political class? Not much. There are a few members o Congress trying to do the right thing, but for the most part the impeachment faros and then the loading up of a stimulus bill with unnecessary items tells you all you need to know. And Republicans would likely have done the same thing had they been in power. It's very discouraging. While I still lean more "center-right, moderate conservative" it feels more and more like being in the political wilderness than every before. Two sharp factions, one hard left and one hard right, are controlling our politics and leaving those of us with mixed fews firmly without any political base. It's an alarming situation and doesn't look like it will get any better.
To that end I may end discussing political items and move the hat trick to happier items...focusing on aviation and hockey (if that ever comes back). Even though the Red Wings have had some disappointing seasons recently, they are still a more honest topic to discuss than anything happening in politics in 2020.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
East Coast Wing Returns Again...
Sadly, it's been a while since I wrote something...over two years in fact. I think I have avoided writing simply because it's easier to avoid facing current political news and the descent of this country, and how we interact with our fellow citizens, into a scary and sad place.
President Trump is a disaster in my opinion. Maybe the conservative movement got two good Supreme Court justices out of this administration, but is that an important enough to pay this kind of price? The end result is that we are now seeing candidates from the Democratic Party who I struggle to find any public policy areas where I can agree. Former Vice President Joe Biden would be palatable in my mind, but he is seeing his current lead in the polls closing as the liberal base of the party coalesces around more liberal candidates such as Senator Elizabeth Warren and Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders...ironically not even a Democrat. I suppose one positive is that, if it ends up either Warren or Sanders, they won't have the political and ethical baggage that Hillary Clinton brought to the 2016 race that made it, IMHO, the Worst President Election...Ever.
If the President's Twitter behavior isn't bad enough, we've also scene poor Twitter behavior from a host of our citizens, both known and unknown. There are times when I read some of the nasty tweets from people, I have to wonder if they are employed...tweets, blogs posts, Facebook posts, etc. don't go away, it's not like you can burn something you have written. That is why this blog has always tried to take a respectful tone in discussion serious matters.
As a result, this blog is likely to take less of a political focus and more of a focus on aviation and travel, consulting and management...plus, of course, hockey...and especially Detroit Red Wing hockey! I've had some exciting changes in that area since my previous post (in 2017...yikes!) which I'll talk about in later posts.
To that end, it's going to be a bumpy ride as we finish up 2019 and go into 2020...
President Trump is a disaster in my opinion. Maybe the conservative movement got two good Supreme Court justices out of this administration, but is that an important enough to pay this kind of price? The end result is that we are now seeing candidates from the Democratic Party who I struggle to find any public policy areas where I can agree. Former Vice President Joe Biden would be palatable in my mind, but he is seeing his current lead in the polls closing as the liberal base of the party coalesces around more liberal candidates such as Senator Elizabeth Warren and Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders...ironically not even a Democrat. I suppose one positive is that, if it ends up either Warren or Sanders, they won't have the political and ethical baggage that Hillary Clinton brought to the 2016 race that made it, IMHO, the Worst President Election...Ever.
If the President's Twitter behavior isn't bad enough, we've also scene poor Twitter behavior from a host of our citizens, both known and unknown. There are times when I read some of the nasty tweets from people, I have to wonder if they are employed...tweets, blogs posts, Facebook posts, etc. don't go away, it's not like you can burn something you have written. That is why this blog has always tried to take a respectful tone in discussion serious matters.
As a result, this blog is likely to take less of a political focus and more of a focus on aviation and travel, consulting and management...plus, of course, hockey...and especially Detroit Red Wing hockey! I've had some exciting changes in that area since my previous post (in 2017...yikes!) which I'll talk about in later posts.
To that end, it's going to be a bumpy ride as we finish up 2019 and go into 2020...
Friday, January 27, 2017
New Year, New Era, Oh My
Happy New Year all. While I had every intention of restarting my writing this past September, life did not cooperate. The ongoing saga of buying a new home in our new state of Florida ended up being a far more complicated process than I could have imagined. Add in the unexpected death of our family dog and it just didn't happen. But, as with any New Year's Resolution (which I don't really believe in) I've decided to be more active in my writing in 2017. Since today is January 27, I think it still counts as a resolution of sorts.
I'm also going to change the direction of the blog this year. While I will address politics to an extent, I find myself completely dejected after the 2016 election. To say Election 2016 was the worst election in a lifetime would be an significant understatement. The Hat Trick was not a Donald Trump supporter at all...AT ALL...but I was also almost as equally offended by Secretary Hillary Clinton. Considering the amount of talent in this country it's amazing that these two were the best we as a nation could do. It is still amazing that Trump won, yet when you look at the data and the mood of the country, it becomes less surprising. Unfortunately there is a lot of emotion and hysteria in the country right now and nobody on the left is very interested in looking at why Hillary lost. And on the right? Just a lot of gloating...
I have some pieces in various draft form on some of my aviation experiences plus some hockey observations...could this be the year the Red Wings miss the playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season? They are looking shaky in the NHL Eastern Conference standings now but there is still a lot of hockey to be played from now and until April...added bonus, the Hat Tricks will be seeing the Wings live on March 30 in Tampa Bay.
All in all it should be an interesting winter and spring!
I'm also going to change the direction of the blog this year. While I will address politics to an extent, I find myself completely dejected after the 2016 election. To say Election 2016 was the worst election in a lifetime would be an significant understatement. The Hat Trick was not a Donald Trump supporter at all...AT ALL...but I was also almost as equally offended by Secretary Hillary Clinton. Considering the amount of talent in this country it's amazing that these two were the best we as a nation could do. It is still amazing that Trump won, yet when you look at the data and the mood of the country, it becomes less surprising. Unfortunately there is a lot of emotion and hysteria in the country right now and nobody on the left is very interested in looking at why Hillary lost. And on the right? Just a lot of gloating...
I have some pieces in various draft form on some of my aviation experiences plus some hockey observations...could this be the year the Red Wings miss the playoffs for the first time since the 1989-90 season? They are looking shaky in the NHL Eastern Conference standings now but there is still a lot of hockey to be played from now and until April...added bonus, the Hat Tricks will be seeing the Wings live on March 30 in Tampa Bay.
All in all it should be an interesting winter and spring!
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