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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 26, 2018

Author The EditorPosted on

The US faces politics within and without. President Trump refers to judges appointed by a president; Chief Justice Roberts rebuts, effectively, that judges aren’t owned by presidents. Trump never said they were, he was referring to who appointed them. Who makes an appointment is relevant, even in a court trial. Unless the question, “Who appointed you?” has never been answered by a plaintiff or witness in court, Roberts misunderstood. It would be best that the chief justice accurately understand the commander-in-chief’s “original intent”. As for Roberts’s claim that courts are impartial, that certainly is what we all hope for. Trump’s predication is that perfection is a humanly unreachable destination, which is why we need courts in the first place.

At the border, Mexico allowed the so-named “caravan”, now reported at over 8k people, to march through its country seeking immediate help, instant protection, urgent safety, emergency respite from political persecution—or some other timely need that is required to receive “asylum”. Asylum is not a fun thing to receive and often means never being allowed to leave the country once inside. Edward Snowden wasn’t allowed to walk from Hong Kong to Moscow, picking and choosing which country he could seek asylum from; he had to get it right where he was, before leaving the international terminal. If anyone in that caravan can prove that the kinds of protection an asylum specifically grants could not be provided by the many countries they marched through for many weeks, then they should be granted an asylum. They would also need to prove that they would never return to their home country to visit family, no matter what. That’s a tall order. But, if they can do it, they deserve it, but only if.

The Russianewsgategate scandal scandal is still barking and honking, predicting drama and awe, while quietly reminding audiences that there will probably be no indictment. ‘Tis no more than theater at this point, but an act that needs to be kept up so that the cast won’t be accused of having been pretending the whole time. After Kavanaugh’s unfair trial dubbed a “hearing”, avoiding the appearance of fakery in DC theater is important these days.

Whatever is going on in the US is a lot better than what’s going on in Europe. We are witnessing ancient, Biblical prophecy fulfilled in our day: The winged lion of Daniel 7:4 had the eagle’s wings removed and has now been given the sane mind of a human. While eagle’s wings internationally represent America’s mascot, the lion represents Britain’s. While Prime Minister May gave her speech about the Brexit status, she stood behind the crest of Britain’s lion. It is clear from her speech—by leaving the EU, Britain is no longer part of the madness festering in Europe.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 19, 2018

Author SymphonyPosted on

John Kelly’s failure to book seats for the first lady on Airforce One, thereby creating security snafus and other logistic problems, was no mere oversight. A military man made White House chief of staff doesn’t make security-logistic mistakes. Getting along with the first lady personally, then giving her a smaller staff than previous first ladies, refusing to promote her staff while promoting his own—all these were indications of something deeper.

Pacific Daily Times’ Symphony suggested on September 10 that the “mole” who wrote the infamous, and since forgotten, “New York Times essay” fit the profile of someone like John Kelly. The clashes leading up to his rumored replacement fit the profile even more. Similarly, is a DHS chief performing poorly—another non-accident—, then Kelly clashing with security adviser John Bolton when Bolton criticized the poor performance. Try this hypothetical scenario: The essay author was in cahoots with other saboteurs; when a fellow saboteur was called-out, the saboteur naturally got defensive. Such a saboteur probably didn’t storm out of the White House on October 18 from mere rage, but to perform apparently-needed damage control since his plans for sabotage were at risk. That scenario may not be true, but it would explain a lot. Does it seem all that strange that Kelly and the DHS chief he was so defensive of would both be on the radar for replacement?

Theories to fit the pieces together, however, are no more than theories. All we know from here is that a theory made Kelly’s departure all too predictable and that, to know the rest, we’ll just have to wait and see. Replacing a cabinet member should be easier with Governor Rick Scott having secured the fifty-second Republican seat in the Senate.

With rules of conduct in place for the White House press, it will be easier for reporters to have fair access to questions and easier for the White House to kick out reporters who want to take mic time from others. For suing the woman who worked at the White House who tried to take away the White House microphone from Jim Acosta—on camera—with no injury—when he wouldn’t yield the floor to his peers—CNN and Acosta should be ashamed.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 12, 2018

Author SymphonyPosted on

This was an astonishing victory for Republicans for any year, especially a controlling party midterm. Senate Republicans have rarely held this many seats since the FDR days except Reagan and W Bush. Losses in the House were among the lowest losses for a controlling party midterm. By gaining seats in the Senate, Republicans are winning the long game. We are headed for a possible supermajority by the end of Trump’s second term. In the next two years, House Democrats will have just enough power to be irritating, but not enough to make any difference, other than helping Trump get re-elected in 2020.

Democrats are darned if they do and darned if they don’t. Trump’s appointees can be approved faster and impeachment in the House would die in the Senate. Opposition party power is good for presidential elections. Trump’s best course of action would be to deliver the strongest Conservative proposals so Democrats can go on record as obstructionists. The best course of action for Democrats would be to talk and vote like Republicans, which has always been historically favorable, proven with Democratic Rahm Emanuel -led “blue dog” victory in 2006.

Results are still being counted. At last count, Democrats gained 30 seats in the House and had control of the House by 7. Most of those states had Democratic Senate and gubernatorial victories. In this victory for Democrats, nothing seems out of the ordinary. The election results appear to be real and fair; Democrats won the House fair and square.

The question of some after-election counting and recounting, however, seems sketchy. The Arizona Senate race looks like a lost cause for the Republican candidate. Arguably from Senate voting records, the Arizona seat up for grabs was not gained by Democrats except in name only. That Senate seat will be up the election Trump leaves office. But, that’s a different story from a cluster of recount fiascos in Florida and Georgia, where recounting is a matter of procedure, not questionable results. The losers in those elections are pushing in hopes that close results can easily be tipped. If recounts were to change those results, that would open bigger questions, bigger objections, and bigger investigations. So far, the number of ballots in question would not change the results; miscounts would.

Even with the ground Republicans took, Democrats outspent Republicans by roughly $300M. Ironically, Democrats campaign on a platform of opposing big money and suspect business man Trump of trying to buy the presidency. The spending was bad optics for them.

Trump’s proved helpful on the campaign trail. Many Republicans who pushed him away lost. Senate Republicans defeated incumbents in Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota. Senate Republicans also held vacant seats in Tennessee and Utah. 26 Republicans retired, more than any midterm year since 1974, the greatest retirements being 27 in 2008.

FDR holds both the greatest midterm gain and midterm loss since his time as president. After FDR, the greatest midterm loss was Obama’s first midterm. The greatest midterm gain in the Senate was Trump, the second-greatest being JFK with +3. This was a favorable midterm year for Republicans. But, already you read that right here at Pacific Daily Times before the election. So, while Republicans had a historic election, Pacific Daily Times has set a new standard for accuracy in the media.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, November 5, 2018

Author SymphonyPosted on

Doom and gloom flood the media on the eve of Trump’s first midterm election. Americans come off the weekend onto a big, info-flooded, single day of business and news before voting on Tuesday. Will the country gain momentum after the sharp turn it took two years ago or will it do a 170° and head almost back to where it was going under Obama?

Polls and forecasts spelled constant doom for the Republican party these past few months, all while Trump pulls farther and farther ahead in presidential polls. Too many so-called “experts” in mass media predict failure for Conservatives no matter what the outcome will be. With the immature display from Democrats during the Kavanaugh hearings, compounded with the growing #WalkAway movement, Conservatives have become so victimized and energized that it’s hard to imagine Republicans not gaining seats in both the House and Senate. A loss would beg questions of meddling.

Ironically, this election will decide more about the mainstream news media than it will about the nation. A Republican agenda over the next six years is more foreseeable than the media would have the nation believe. But, less clear is how much faith voters will maintain in the media. No matter what party a voter casts a ballot for, news networks that are as wrong they have been the past three years should not be able to stay in business. While voters will likely choose Republicans two elections in a row, viewers—Democratic and Republican alike—will likely choose to keep watching news networks that were wrong about Republicans two elections in a row.

Considering the fact that news networks stay in business with how wrong they were in predicting Trump’s 2016 loss, it’s a miracle any of them are still in business, let alone if they are wrong again in 2018. This miracle of such inaccurate news networks staying in business for so long is a big enough miracle to make the most avid Atheist believe in God.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, October 29, 2018

Author SymphonyPosted on

This past week began rich in fodder for headline minions. Statements like “bomb delivered to home of… [insert prominent Democrat]” and “Kavanaugh recused in three cases…” might convince a non-self-educated idiot that something was wrong. But, anyone who reads past the headlines should know that these stories shouldn’t even make the third page.

At least thirteen bombs were delivered, but none of them went off. That’s not the work of a “mail bomber”, but the work of a “fail bomber” or a “dud mailer”. Kavanaugh was recused from the cases because he has already been a judge with a decision and an opinion in those cases. In other words, Kavanaugh was recused for being over-qualified as a judge and being such an honest person that he won’t rule a second time on a case he already ruled on in a lower court.

Initially, the mailed duds looked like typical Democratic “wolf” crying. After the Ford testimony theater and unreported proof that another Kavanaugh accusation wasn’t true, Americans suspected the mail duds were also a self-inflicted conspiracy for pre-election sympathy. But, as more and more high profile Democratic heavyweights received dud bomb packages, it seemed more like an unexpected ruse that the Democratic media machine was hoping to salvage.

Then, terror struck. For the Democratic media machine, this meant losing valuable headline space before an election. For Jewish families in Pittsburgh, it meant grief and loss.

Then, the caravan halted. Mexico offered refugee lifestyle—housing, employment, education—a few even applied, making the caravan smaller. A child was kidnapped and the caravan stopped moving.

Midweek, the usual headline fodder took a 110° jackknife turn. What happened?—A shot across the bow happened, from whom we just don’t know.

Whatever story lays behind this “fail dud bomber”, this week was a warning to Democrats at the highest levels. Whether this was a self-inflicted media stunt that failed to get whatever victim election favor status was hoped for or if it was a genuine surprise, Democrats no longer have power. Their caravan can’t move on schedule. They aren’t as popular as they once thought. And, most sacred to Democratic elite class party bosses, their home addresses are known to scary people. If that’s not a shot across their bow, nothing is.

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In Encore

Encore of Revival: America, October 22, 2018

Author SymphonyPosted on

Saudi leadership is deeply entrenched in an attempt to make the world a better place. Just as Trump has his enemies, so do the Saudis. The Saudi Crowned Prince did not visit Turkey and personally dismember and murder a news reporter, no matter how many anti- fake news activists might have liked him to. There are many alibis in defense of the Saudi royal family, among them that they have many enemies who want violence to continue, who are even willing to engage in violence and blame it on the royal family to stir dissent against the royal family that wants to end violence.

Trump pulled out of the INF treaty, prohibiting medium-range ground-based nukes. Gorbachev doesn’t want Trump to pull out, but he hasn’t seemed so outspoken about Putin violating the treaty. Trump’s defense will be that the treaty has already ended, the US is merely jumping ship from the boat Russia has poked holes in for a long time. Putin’s argument is that missile defense in Europe violates attack missile treaties, though that argument needs further explaining before the American public will agree. By having argued that NATO defense violated treaties restricting attack protocols, Putin is more or less acknowledging that he already has a good excuse to violate the INF treaty, but Trump does not. Either way, Russia has nothing to complain about at this point because both parties seem to think the treaty no longer applies.

When your enemy argues that violating a treaty is fair, it’s stupid not to pull out of that treaty. Signed documents don’t cause missiles to freeze in mid air. Tension between the US rises and lowers based on how much the superpowers want to get along—and signed documents trail after the ebb and flow of the greater tide.

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