It’s time to Break It Down!

In the world according to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, the dastardly liberals of America conspired to create an issue specifically designed to ensnarl NC Republicans who, by the way, were at the time operating blithely in their own orbit doing harm to no one, in a gaggle of tawdry sensationalism and controversy. In my altogether at variance view, that is truly the stuff of fairytales.  IJS!

So how did we get here? On Monday, February 22, 2016, the Charlotte City Council voted by a 7-4 majority to pass a measure granting transgender people the right to use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. As passed, the law was scheduled to take effect in April. The idea was thoroughly reviewed and discussed by members of the City Council.

The law banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in housing and places of public accommodation. The most controversial and hotly debated provision of the law permits transgender residents to choose restrooms corresponding to the gender with which they identify.

Other so-called bathroom bills have sparked pointed debates in local and state governments across the country in the last several months. En masse, supporters view such bills as a preservation of the dignity and safety of transgender individuals. Alternately, opponents see the measures as opening the door for sexual predators to gain access to bathrooms of the opposite sex. As an aside, it is worth noting that while there is no history of rogue predatory transgender stalking and assaulting unsuspecting members of the opposite sex, the concern (at least among conservatives) is real, and must be addressed, accordingly.

The resulting debate in general has been particularly heated when restrooms and locker facilities in public schools are involved. As it were, the Charlotte measure does not include schools, but that fact does not remove the element of contentiousness from the conversation. In fact, the fervor may be somewhat more heated as the City’s Democratic Mayor goes head-to-head with a man who is a former Republican Mayor of the City, and the state’s current Governor.

Charlotte’s Mayor, Jennifer Roberts speaking after the passage of the law, said:

“I’m pleased that Charlotte has sent a signal that we will treat people with dignity and respect, even when we disagree.”

North Carolina Governor, Pat McCrory was already on record expressing concern that provisions allowing transgender people to select bathrooms based on their gender identity poses a threat to public safety and warned that state lawmakers could step in to negate the vote. After its passage, he addressed the Charlotte measure directly, writing to Charlotte City Council Members (The Mayor votes only in the event of a tie):

“This action of allowing a person with male anatomy, for example, to use a female restroom or locker room will most likely cause immediate State legislative intervention which I would support as governor.”

That is precisely what the General Assembly and the Governor did. After a one-day special session of the General Assembly, Governor McCrory signed North Carolina House Bill 2, or as it has become known familiarly, HB2, on March 23, 2016. The law not only overturned Charlotte’s anti-discrimination ordinance, but also included provisions that exclude LGBT people from protection.

The reaction across a wide spectrum of not so Right Wing elements of America was swift and steady. From planned business relocations to concert cancellations to conventions pulled to events, and hotel bookings scrapped, cancellations began to emerge on a regular basis, and continue even now. Almost right out of the gate Bruce Springsteen cancelled a North Carolina engagement. Since then Ringo Starr, Pearl Jam, Boston, and 98 Degrees canceled appearances. Just yesterday Itzhak Perlman nixed a scheduled concert.

By April 18, or less than a month after the State’s action, the Raleigh Visitors Bureau reported the loss of an estimated $28 million in potential spending. By the end of April, the Asheville Tourism Leader estimated that 7 groups had pulled out, accounting for over $1.5 million in estimated losses. Charlotte, Wilmington, and High Point, among others, also reported lost events, relocations, and revenue.

The Kellogg Foundation pulled a Retreat scheduled for Asheville, Architectural Digest pulled a Spring Party from High Point, the City of Wilmington lost an Architecture Conference, Cirque du Soleil canceled, the Community Transportation Association of America scratched plans, PayPal opted not to fulfill a relocation to Charlotte, and Lionsgate pulled a new Hulu film, also slated for Charlotte.

In response to the pulsating economic dissonance that has resulted due to the imposition of HB2, Governor McCrory conceived a creatively novel response. He contended, and in fact continues to posit that despite the fact he personally urged the General Assembly to take action against Charlotte’s nondiscrimination ordinance, and even though his GOP colleagues pulled this rabbit out of their top hat after only one day’s legislative work, and notwithstanding the Republican members of the General Assembly having drafted and pushed HB2 through both Chambers without the presence of a single Democratic Senator, and totally discounting that he signed HB2 less than 12 hours after its introduction, and forget about the fact he has passionately defended HB2 daily since its inception, the Governor argues, with a straight face, that liberals are to blame for HB2. In fact, according to the New York Times:

Governor McCrory said he suspected that “the entire matter had been orchestrated by Democrats and the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights group, to give Democrats an advantage in a tight governor’s race.” According to the report, the Governor used the word “Orwellian” twice, in describing the matter.

If you are counting at home, the City of Charlotte kicked things off with an anti-discrimination ordinance. This action was countered by the State of North Carolina issuing a drive by, I mean, one-day legislative response that came to be known as HB2. After a series of cancelled concerts, conferences, business relocations, and other events, the Justice Department entered the fray by suing the State of North Carolina. That action led to Governor McCrory filing a counter suit.

In the balance, the feds offered to relieve the State of $billions in federal funding. The State GOP has characterized this as an unprovoked threat and insists that the mere suggestion constitutes intimidation and overreach by the federal government. The matter has gained attention throughout the country and abroad. I am not at all sure how the matter will play out when all is said and done. I do believe both sides are attempting to extract a measure of leverage out of the proceedings.

By depicting North Carolina as a victim of an overzealous Federal Regime, intent upon stealing, or at least influencing, a tight Governor’s race, the Right is attempting to both engender a sympathetic reaction from conservatives, and jumpstart a robust funding stream, and huge voter turnout in November. Undoubtedly, the left would like to activate an empathic response of its own.

Many of my friends and associates believe it’s just a matter of time before the conservative faction, after putting up “the good fight,” will recognize that it is over matched, come to its senses, and concede. While that would be an outcome many would view as logical, it’s not what I expect. I think the NC GOP, much like the Trump-led national Republican Party is bound and determined to take down every aspect of what they consider Obama’s Democrats, or fight to the bitter end, and if necessary, go down trying. To that end, I believe they have said, in effect, “HB2: Not in Our (NC) Bathrooms!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article61786967.html

http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/gov_mccrory_blames_liberals_for_orwellian_orchestration_of_hb2_so_a_democrat_could_take_his_job

http://www.wccbcharlotte.com/2016/05/02/mccrory-continues-to-blame-charlotte-for-hb2-fallout/

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article68668307.html

http://www.politicsnc.com/going-full-trump/

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/10027763544

http://www.politifact.com/north-carolina/statements/2016/may/04/pat-mccrory/pat-mccrory-says-springsteen-canceled-north-caroli/

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article76502092.html#emlnl=Breaking_News_Alerts

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article75607477.html#emlnl=Breaking_News_Alerts

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/article72510252.html

http://www.charlottemagazine.com/Charlotte-Magazine/April-2016/The-HB2-Provision-Few-Are-Talking-About/

http://www.wbtv.com/story/31671640/nc-professor-explains-hb2-beyond-bathrooms

It’s time to Break It Down!

In his 1984 tragicomedic novel God Knows, Joseph Heller asserted “The truth is whatever people will believe is the truth. Don’t you know history?” Over the course of the past eleven months, the 2016 Presidential Campaign has unfolded all across our beloved country, from the Great Lakes to the Great Plains, from the mountains to the valleys, and from sea to shining sea. During that time both Parties have experienced what by historical terms must be considered unconventional races.

There are a number of reasons both races would be deemed unusual by almost any benchmark or analysis. On the Democratic side of the Aisle, the aspect that stands out most (at least to me) is that the principal challenger, in fact the only one remaining, to the presumed favorite is a Democratic Socialist, by his own appellation. After victory in last night’s West Virginia Primary, he reiterated his intentions to compete all the way to the Democratic National Convention, July 25-28, 2016, in Philadelphia. He insists that he has a challenging but existent path to catch the frontrunner, flip Super Delegates, and win the nomination. While the math suggests it’s improbable, Alexander Pope noted in, An Essay on Man, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.”  Small though it may be, I suppose he has a chance.

On the opposite side of the Aisle, the Republicans have had, arguably, an even more unconventional contest. It began with seventeen candidates that were considered viable, and gradually winnowed down to one. The sheer volume of candidates, in and of itself, makes the contest “different,” but there are other aspects as well that tend to stand out. When looking at the group as a whole, the success of non-politicians, and the total rejection of the so-called political class in general, and of the Party Establishment in particular is in a word, astonishing. However, besides those delineators of difference, the thing that stands out most to me on either side is the apparent creation of a fact-free universe by the GOP frontrunner.

In the March 13 Edition of Politico, in an article entitled Trump’s Week of Errors, Exaggerations and Flat-out Falsehoods, the magazine makes the case that Donald Trump is a veritable truth avoidance machine. This was a month ago, and several weeks before Trump was elevated through a series of convincing Primary wins to the GOP’s presumptive nominee status. The magazine in effect fact-checked a week’s worth of Mr. Trump’s verbal stump speech stylings. This amounted to 4.6 hours of speeches and press conferences from North Carolina to Missouri.

In summary, what they found was more than five dozen statements deemed mischaracterizations, exaggerations, or just flat out false. These were deemed material that would not have made it into one of the magazine’s stories, or in some instances would have lead to scuttling a story altogether. According to Politico, it amounted on average to roughly one misstatement every five minutes.

So with that in mind, I will focus on a single example of Trump spin, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). I specifically selected that topic because there is a historical record, which I will use to underscore the premise captured in the title, and to re-emphasize the point so forcefully made by Politico.

Here is Mr. Trump attacking Secretary Clinton last week on her lack of personal depth of knowledge on trade issues, and more importantly, her husband’s role in the bill’s passage and enactment:

“She doesn’t understand trade,” Trump said after his win in Indiana forced Sen. Ted Cruz to drop out of the race and all-but cemented the nomination for the real estate mogul. “Her husband signed perhaps in the history of the world the single worst trade deal ever done. It’s called NAFTA.”

In the world according to Donald Trump, Bill Clinton is totally responsible for the “scourge of NAFTA.” It’s as oft repeated as any of his fantastical assertions. It appears to be swallowed by the masses, certainly by Trump World, hook line & sinker. There’s only one small fact-riddled problem with the claim. It’s really not true…or at the very least, it is a misleading characterization.

Trump’s assertion makes NAFTA sound like Clinton’s idea, and a Democratic-led bust. In fact, George Herbert Walker Bush negotiated and subsequently (admittedly) ceremonially signed NAFTA. December 17, 1992 (before Clinton took office). It’s time to Break It Down! December 17, 1992 (before Clinton took office). In fact, just as important, when legislators ratified the bill, more Republicans than Democrats in both Houses voted for the measure:

The bill passed in the House: 232-200, with support by 132 Republicans & 102 Democrats

November 18, 1993

The bill passed in the Senate: 61-38 with support by 34 Republicans & 27 Democrats

November 23, 1993

There is no denying Bill Clinton did support the measure, and he ultimately signed it. However, as you can see clearly from the evidence above, NAFTA’s passage was not only a result of bi-partisan support, but drew it’s initial energy from a Republican President, and was passed with more GOP than Democratic support in the both the House and the Senate. The bottom line is President Clinton didn’t negotiate the bill, and a majority of Democrats in both Houses of Congress voted against it.

This makes it at best a misleading attack, and at worse, another example of Mr. Trump promoting an argument sans media, and up to this point, GOP rival’s pushback. It is my hope the Democratic opposition will do better. All-in-all, just more evidence that Trump’s campaign has existed and operated in the realm of what I have coined a “fact-free” universe.

How is it possible for a responsible media to not push back, with fervor, on such a bogus narrative? Full-throated ramblings of this nature are just one element of what has allowed the Trump phenomena to eat its own and position it to do the same thing to Democrats if left unchecked.

It is fair to say, Democrats have their own issues, and we do. The Party is still sorting them out. I believe there is inherent danger in relying upon the perceived demographic advantages the Party holds to carry the day in the fall General Election. In the end, victory will be predicated by turn out. If the Party is splintered, Team Trump is certainly capable of running roughshod over whomever emerges from the Democratic side. If he is permitted to dissemble and/or assert falsehoods, without resistance, he will continue to create his own reality, absent facts.

By the way, his “self-funded” campaign seems to be headed out the window too. I’m not sure whether to characterize that evolving development as simply misleading, or a case of bait and switch. Perhaps Republicans will take note.

I have a very good friend who insists Trump will not win in November. Alas, the most sobering of caveats follows his confident sounding assertion. “If he does,” my friend insists, “We will get what we deserve!”

I absolutely do not believe I got what I deserved in 2010, nor in 2014, when Democrats stayed home in bourgeoning droves, while Republicans first gave us the Tea Party, then took the Senate in consecutive midterm elections. Instead, I felt abandoned by folks who lost their vision regarding the importance of exercising their franchise at the most critical of times…and then rinsed and repeated the damaging action four years later. A Trump victory in November would leave me no less underwhelmed, disappointed, and feeling bereft. Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer beware)…”Fact Free Universe: The Quintessential Trump Advantage!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Heller

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Knows_%28novel%29

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/few-stand-in-trumps-way-as-he-piles-up-the-four-pinocchio-whoppers/2016/05/07/8cf5e16a-12ff-11e6-8967-7ac733c56f12_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3427221/posts?page=6

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/trump-fact-check-errors-exaggerations-falsehoods-213730

http://www.dailywire.com/news/4834/trumps-101-lies-hank-berrien

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-21/news/mn-59485_1_trade-pact

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-18/news/mn-58150_1_trade-pact

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement

http://useconomy.about.com/od/tradepolicy/p/NAFTA_History.htm

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/1993/11/em371-the-north-american-free-trade-agreement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush

http://epicroadtrips.us/2003/summer/nola/nola_offsite/FQ_en.wikipedia.org/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton

It’s time to Break It Down!

I never doubted last night would come. I have suggested for months that the assorted efforts to deny Donald J. Trump the Republican nomination for President, some by Party heavy-weights, others by Party mavens from GOP Christmas’ past, and most by the 15 other men and one woman who challenged him for the mantel of Party Leadership would all in time come to naught. Last night was zero hour of D-Day for the obliteration of the Never Trump Movement, the bewitching hour for what in effect amounted to the Lose with Cruz Circus, and most importantly, the dawn of the age of Trump as the quintessential Leader and mouthpiece of the modern day Republican Party. To Quote Drake (a Canadian, in honor of Ted Cruz) and Future, “What a Time to be Alive!”

Mr. Trump spent fourteen years as the executive producer and host of the NBC reality show The Apprentice. He has spent the last eleven months honing and aligning his business and entertainment-centered shtick to politics. Today marks the first day of the rest of his political life. Welcome the Twilight Zone of American politics.

Despite my certainty that today would arrive, I was not necessarily looking for it just yet. I gave some thought as I sat down to write about focusing on #WHCD, better known as the White House Correspondents Dinner. President Obama did his usual superlative job as he put his cool, refined, and well-timed comedic chops on display in that annual format one last time. Most frequent watchers of the event conceded, of his eight cuts at the mic, Saturday night was not at the top of the list, and yet, at least from my point of view, he still slayed.

Of course if POTUS’s comedic barbs were more pointed, potent, and targeted than those of the featured comedian, Larry Wilmore, host of The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Mr. Wilmore still managed to create the evening’s seminal moment…that thing which viewers were talking about the next day, and the next, and the day after that. In wrapping up his commentary, he recalled a time when he was growing up and the poignant question was “Could a black quarterback lead an NFL Football Team?” Then he pivoted to today, when a black man is the leader of the free world. Well-played.

The duality captured in those two very personal memories, juxtaposed against one another might have made for the perfect ending. In fact, a lot of Mr. Wilmore’s critics wish he had done exactly that and stopped right there. Instead he made a fleeting reference to “keeping it 100” (AKA the current vernacular for “keeping in real”), and then declared speaking directly to POTUS, “Yo Barry, you did it my…followed by a variation of the N-word…you did it!”

The Twitterverse lost its collective mind. Immediately! Many people whose opinions I respect skewered Wilmore. In general, they contended it was disrespectful of the man and of the office. They argued that and much more. I should add all the folks to whom I am referring were black. As is customary, when the N-word pops up on the radar, particularly when uttered by a person of color, black folks tend to dutifully police our own. That is not to suggest white folks did not weigh in; they did. Rather, for the purpose of formulating, reviewing, and assessing “my” opinion, I choose to address the various centers of black thought on the subject.

The topic is rife with possibilities, but there are really only two or three key points from Saturday night. First, to borrow a phrase from the political discourse, there is the Never N-word contingent. This group believes the word should be buried (the NAACP actually did that years ago, but the term had its own Easter and folks resurrected it…probably in three minutes in stead of three days), and never used again. Alternately, the Term of Endearment crew is the group that most frequently challenges the Never N-word contingent. Folks in this set believe the N-word can and possibly even should be used…in its proper context, which of course is to convey affection…or endearment. Finally, as it relates to Saturday night, the President, White House correspondents, and a national TV audience, there are those who believe, even as a term of affection and/or endearment, the high profile nature of the event certainly precluded referring to the President of the United States in that way.

My take on this is fairly simple and direct. The #WHCD features a comedian in the cleanup spot. Comedians who get the opportunity to land that gig endeavor to touch a lot of bases, but no matter who is President, of what Party he (so far) is affiliated with, they make every effort to be edgy. If you saw the show you know at the end of his remarks, President Obama dropped the mic. It was a fitting gesture for his last go-round after eight years. Well, whether you like it or not, Wilmore, in what amounted to his benediction, closed out the evening with an affectionate tribute to the President, while simultaneously ensuring that parishioners (attendees and the TV audience) would be discussing his message long after the service (show) ended. Was it a hokey (or should I say Trump-like) grab for ratings via controversy? Probably. Did it minimize or otherwise divest the Leader of the Free World of any power, prestige, or cash in hand? I certainly don’t think so. Did President Obama handle it just as nimbly as he did his own witty remarks? Yes he did. That’s enough for me. As they say in gymnastics, Mr. Wilmore “stuck the landing.”

Back to GOP politics, the suspense ended early last night. By 7:30 p.m. CNN had declared Donald Trump the winner in Indiana, yesterday’s sole contest. Before 9:00 p.m. Senator Ted Cruz raised the white flag of capitulation using these words:

“We left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we’ve got but the voters chose another path. So with a heavy heart but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign.”

The dominoes continued falling after that…quickly. By 9:05 p.m. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweeted that Trump would be deemed the presumptive nominee:

Reince Priebus

✔

‎@Reince

‪@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive ‪@GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating ‪@HillaryClinton ‪#NeverClinton

9:05 PM – 3 May 2016

8,285 Retweets
10,122 10,122 likes

Shortly after that it was Trump time. He admitted that he did no expect the turn of events to happen last night. Nevertheless, he managed to get through, what amounted for him, a short victory speech. In it he attempted to make his first effort to unite the Party, praising Cruz as, “one tough competitor, a smart tough guy.” That might even be viewed as an opening to invite an endorsement from the Texas Senator. Of course given Trump’s scurrilous attacks on Cruz’s wife, and as late as yesterday, his father, the question of a Cruz endorsement of Trump may remain an open one, indefinitely.

The man of the hour wasted no time in pivoting to Hillary Clinton, however. He said she would be a “poor President,” doesn’t understand trade, and he lamented the “deep carnage” wrought by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), ratified during the Bill Clinton presidency.

The anti-Trump movement, despite the sentiment expressed in Chairman Priebus’ tweet, served notice that it was still alive, even if on life support. Katie Packer of Our Principles PAC had this to say:

“There is still time for Trump to continue to disqualify himself in the eyes of voters. We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton, and is simply unfit to be President of the United States.”

Down the Primary ballot, Governor Kasich said he’s not leaving the race. John Weaver, his chief strategist, said:

“Tonight’s results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich’s campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention.”

With the already ineffective resistance softening even more, it is all but a certainty that Donald Trump will obtain the requisite 1,237 Delegates. By 9:30 p.m. (Eastern) last night, Trump had been assured of 51 of Indiana’s 57 Delegates. With 97% of the votes counted, Trump led with 53.3%, followed by Cruz at 36.7%, and Kasich with 7.5%. That pushes Trump’s total to 1053, or framed differently, 184 from the goal. With only Kasich, who is effectively running fourth in a two-man race (behind two former candidates, Cruz and Rubio), and token opposition from anti-Trump groups between him and the 1,237, and with the RNC finally solidly in his corner, Trump is all but home free. No surprise here. “The People (of the GOP) Have Spoken: Donald Trumps The Field!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kasich

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/03/politics/ted-cruz-drops-out/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reince_Priebus

http://news.sky.com/story/1689663/trump-is-presumptive-nominee-says-gop-boss

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/reince-priebus-trump-presumptive-nominee/2016/05/03/id/727074/

http://dailycaller.com/2016/05/03/rnc-chair-gop-must-unite-behind-presumptive-nominee-trump/

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/03/politics/indiana-primary-highlights/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Wilmore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightly_Show_with_Larry_Wilmore

It’s time to Break It Down!

Because it is not what I am discussing in today’s main topic, I am compelled to make a few passing observations regarding a discussion I’ve been knee-deep in for months. Herewith: Yesterday there were five Republican Primaries (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island). This latest version of Super Tuesday included the first Primaries since the vaunted Cruz-Kasich Collaboration, the virtual personification of the “Never Trump” Movement. To keep this brief, I’ll get directly to the point. There were 5 Primaries up for grabs. The Score: Trump 5 – 0 over the Cruz Kasich Collaborative.

Now the Keep Hope Alive contingent, which is about all the Never Trump Movement amounts to at this point, will argue that the outcome, based upon the geography and demographics of those Northeast corridor states, was baked in the cake, as it were. Perhaps, but Trump did not just win those five contests. To use parlance I’ve heard after more than a few sports contest routs, he beat the brakes off those bums. Based on at least one network’s analysis, Mr. Trump has positioned himself to secure what Ted Cruz and John Kasich maintain he could never achieve; a path to 1237 delegates (better known as victory in the quest for the Republican Nomination).

The pundits continue to haggle over the details associated with the GOP process. Weeks ago I observed that the factor not enough credence is given to is the deepest desires of GOP voters. That Trump can’t bridge the 40% barrier thesis should effectively be put to rest after last night. He claimed clear majorities in each of the 5 contests, more than 60% in most. Oh well. Get that next argument ready folks…and a new scheme would also help.

Now on to today’s regular programming. April 21, 2016, a day that will live in infamy, at least in the hearts and minds of fans of Prince Rogers Nelson. Almost certainly, Purple Rain fell as Doves Cried. On that day, 57-year old Prince Rogers Nelson (Jun 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016) departed this earthly realm.

In retrospect, it’s fair to say Prince was an acquired taste. However, regardless of whether you knew him as Prince Rogers Nelson, or as Prince, or as The Artist, or as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, or as that really short dude who sang, danced, played multiple instruments, and replaced James Brown as The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, you knew him…and you knew when you saw him perform, you had seen an immeasurably talented artist with more juice than the Energizer Bunny. His on stage persona was, without question, unique and unparalleled. He was a synchronized syncopated, “Delirious” musician. As the greats typically do, he demanded performance excellence of himself, and his ensemble, and it showed, each and every time he hit a stage. He exuded a level of command presence that few others in any entertainment genre manage to capture and display.

Last Thursday, as I contemplated the depth and breadth of the moment, it occurred to me that on July 1, 2009, I had memorialized Michael Jackson: “The King of Pop: Gone Too Soon.” In fact, even more recently, on February 15, 2012, I similarly venerated Whitney Houston: “Last Saturday The Music Died: Déjà vu All Over Again!” (http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2012/02/last-saturday-music-died-deja-vu-all.html) For me, without delving into the maudlin, Prince’s untimely demise ensured that I must at least add a discussion of his life and his sublime body of work to the honorifics of Michael and Whitney to form a tri-part montage in memory of the dearly departed.

In noting the obvious, Prince was a highly decorated, frequently honored artist. He sold over 100 million records. He was clearly among the best-selling artists of all time. He won seven Grammy Awards (30 nominations), and a Golden Globe Award. He won an Academy Award for the film Purple Rain. He had 5 Chart topping singles and 14 other songs in the Top 10. In 2004, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. He was ranked number 27 on the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Prince was a gifted marketer. He understood that to be the Master of his Fate, he needed to guard his image, protect his brand, and control his music. He worked diligently at all three, endeavors, but his efforts at the latter were groundbreaking. He engaged Warner Brothers in a multi-year wrestling match to regain ownership of his Music Library. In matching wits with the company, he terminated his contract and changed his name. At times he was called the Unpronounceable Symbol…though he actually gave it a name, the love Symbol #2. He also dubbed himself The Artist, and The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. All the while, he continued creating music at a frenetic pace, in part to hasten the day when he could secure the rights to his entire musical inventory, which he ultimately did.

He granted very few interviews. He admitted to being shy, but as shy as he may have been he was also shrewd. The lack of access created a level of mystery, which in turn fostered a heightened degree of continued interest. Ultimately, in the steroidal social media age, almost anything is knowable…if your interest and commitment levels are keen enough. Yet, Prince still flew below the radar on many levels because it was so much easier to find intel about other people.

Even in death, the mystery lingers. For example, many folks did not know Prince had been married. He had, twice. His first wife, Mayte Garcia Nelson, bore him a son, Boy Gregory. However, the child was born with Pfeiffer Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder), and lived only a few days. Between Mayte, and his second wife, Manuela Testolini Nelson, he spent ten years, four and six to each, respectively, as a married man.

Even his name is a source of confusion. Many folks believe Prince was a stage name; it was not. His father audaciously named him that in 1958. That also speaks to why he wanted not only his music, but also his name back. Speaking of his parentage, it is commonly assumed that Prince was bi-racial. He was not. Both his parents, John Lewis Nelson, and Mattie Della Baker Nelson were African American, hailing from Louisiana, and transplanted to Minneapolis, Minnesota. One more thing; Prince often alluded to the spiritual. But that did not mean he was not religious; he was. Prince was a Jehovah’s Witness.

In the arena of the known, based on his discography, we can safely say Prince released:

• 39 Studio Albums
• 4 Live Albums
• 6 Compilation Albums
• 17 Video Albums
• 136 Music Videos
• 13 Extended Plays
• 104 Singles
• 1 Remix Album

That’s 320 unique projects spanning from his first project, For You in 1978 to his last, HITnRUN Phase Two in 2015. It does not include the many hits he wrote for others, such as Chaka Khan’s “I Feel For You.”   Love him or hate him, he was one creatively prolific bad dude. Prince Rogers Nelson died as mysteriously as he lived. He was alone at his Paisley Park studio and home in Chanhassen, Minnesota, when he was found dead in the elevator last Thursday. At that moment I know for sure…“There Was Purple Rain: And Doves Cried!“

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002239/bio

https://www.geni.com/people/John-Nelson/6000000007748549638

https://www.geni.com/people/Mattie-Baker/6000000007748560635

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyka_Nelson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayte_Garcia

http://wikibin.org/articles/manuela-testolini.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeiffer_syndrome

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3555598/Prince-s-body-secretly-cremated-released-family-prior-private-emotional-memorial-fans-leave-balloons-notes-Paisley-Park-Purple-One-died-Minnesota-estate-elevator.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5516202214514810687#editor/target=post;postID=8436418957177793223;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=192;src=postname

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson

https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5516202214514810687#editor/target=post;postID=2307689826287035379;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=329;src=postname

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eartha_Kitt

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Vandross

It’s time to Break It Down!

Thomas Wolfe, a fellow North Carolinian, and University of North Carolina (UNC) alumnus, is considered North Carolina’s most famous writer. In 1940, two years after his death, Edward Aswell, his last editor, published Wolfe’s novel, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” posthumously. Wolfe, who entered UNC as a freshman at 15 graduated with a B.A. in 1920, and that same year entered the Graduate School for Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, from which he graduated in 1922 with a master’s degree.

Wolfe signature writing style is best characterized as autobiographical fiction. In many instances stories such as the ones Wolfe wrote are preceded by disclaimers such as, “the names of the characters have been changed to protect the innocent.” Indeed, folks in Asheville, North Carolina, Wolfe’s hometown, were often upset with the writer. The offended and those who subsequently disparaged him were known to include members of his own family.

It is with this reckoning as a backdrop that I draw inspiration for today’s title. Respectfully, I must disagree with Mr. Wolfe. The phrase you can’t go home again has become enmeshed into the American lexicon and typically is understood to convey how nostalgia denotes at once both an inaccurate positive bias as well as an inability to appreciate the changes wrought by time on places and people we tend to recall in static and permanent ways. In the World according to Wolfe, attempts to relive fleeting youthful memories are simply incapable of matching the originals.

Based on Wolfe’s personal experience, he really did find returning to Asheville a dicey proposition. While it is fair to note that his actions (specifically his writing) created the dynamic that made the prospect of returning to his hometown an uncomfortable one. I’m pleased to note the record shows he did eventually return. The irony of the prickly feelings is that when Wolfe, in a later novel, did not employ depictions of his homies, they were equally upset. But I’m digressing now.

This past weekend I returned home, in a manner of speaking. Forty years ago I was in the midst of spending two academic school years and the summer in between in Chapel Hill, matriculating at the University of North Carolina where I earned an advanced degree in planning. Right here, right now, I can stipulate fully and unconditionally that the two years I spent in Chapel Hill, and the three years before that I spent in Fayetteville matriculating at Fayetteville State University (FSU) were without question five of the best years of my life.

Earning two college degrees was the business at hand, and as my father surely appreciated, I completed that business ahead of schedule and under budget. The degrees served me well during my nearly 35-year long career in public service. I acquired the necessarily arrayed skillset for my toolkit that enabled me to formulate a vitae that served as the lever to open up a career path that sustained me for three and a half decades of succeeding at seeking, acquiring, maintaining and successfully executing increasing responsible jobs and responsibilities.

But college is more than books, studying, testing, and moving on to next level courses. Don’t get me wrong; they are of first order priority. They are just not all there is. I formed friendships in college with people from all over America, and a number of individuals from other countries. I still maintain many of those friendships today. I participated in extra-curricular activities, social clubs, and an honor society as a part of fully engaging in campus community life.

Of all the associations and organizations in which I partook while in college, the most notable was the fraternity I joined, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I know a lot of folks don’t get the whole Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO) shtick. I understand, starting with the clarification that they are not Greek Organizations, or Black Greek Organizations for that matter. The appropriation of Ethiopian (African) culture is a subject that could consume an entire blog. Perhaps that will serve as fodder for another day.

In 1973 I pledged Alpha. Today the very term pledge is an anachronism. It was a process that was phased out, beginning in the 80’s due to being conflated with hazing. While examples of underground or offline pledging can still be cited, none of the organizations in the Divine Nine approve of or authorize such activity. Again, I digress. I was initiated into the Epsilon Zeta (EZ) Chapter of the Fraternity on December 1, 1973. Thus began a life journey that continues to this day. EZ was the 316^th Chapter in the Fraternity. It was established at FSU November 3, 1958 at FSU.

When I arrived in Chapel Hill in August of 1975, aside from adapting to a new college town, a significantly larger university, populated primarily by the dominant culture, unlike FSU, figuring out how to most efficiently traverse the distance between my Graduate Dorm (Craige Hall) and New East, which houses the Department of City and Regional Planning, and figuring out where I would eat on a regular basis, seeking out the community of Alpha men was among my high priorities. I quickly discerned that my current situation (at that time) was a good news/bad news scenario. The good news was there were quite a few Alphas on campus. The bad news was there was no Chapter of the Fraternity at the University; we were all enrolled in Graduate and Professional Schools. This was problematic. Fortunately, three of us had come from FSU, two to pursue degrees in planning, and one in business. We quickly pulled together the threshold number of Brothers necessary to initiate a serious discussion about establishing a Chapter on UNC’s campus.

Working with the State’s District Director, we completed the prerequisites and by the Spring Semester we introduced the first Line of Alpha Phi Alpha at UNC. On April 15, 1976, The Sensational Sixteen Stepmasters entered the House of Alpha becoming the organization’s 447^th Chapter, Mu Zeta. Early on the Founders and members of the Charter Line recognized the importance of not just ensuring that members applied themselves to their academic pursuits in a most serious way, but that they permeated and insinuated themselves throughout the University community. All parties involved understood not only the importance of those pursuits, but also the primacy of establishing a robust historical presence for posterity sake. To that end, Mu Zeta has conducted 5-year Reunion, one of which took place this past weekend.

I recall returning to FSU for the 40th Anniversary of my Pledge Line, the Truckin’ 11, in 1973.  This past Fall (October 2015, I returned for the 40th Anniversary of my Graduation.  My College Chapter, EZ, hosted its Annual Retreat this past weekend also.  I was torn, but I knew I had to be in Chapel Hill to commemorate MZ’s 40th.

That brings me full circle. I looked forward with great anticipation to returning to Chapel Hill for MZ Week 2016 as the Chapter’s Founders and its members from over the years and across the country returned to where for the members, it had all begun. In the 40 years that have ensued since the Chapter’s inception, Mu Zeta has initiated men from 40 different Lines. I have served in many capacities in the Fraternity, including President of my Alumni Chapter and in several District positions. In reflecting on my fraternal life, my serving as a Founder, Assistant Dean of Pledgees, and subsequently associating with the members of Mu Zeta over the years, few if any activities rise to the level of having established Mu Zeta and watching with great pride their evolution, development, and many significant accomplishments.

I extend kudos to Brother Garrett Holloway, current Mu Zeta President, and Brother Kenneth Hill, Charter Member (and my home boy/Kinston, NC), who spearheaded the preparation and execution of the Reunion. I especially thank the team that worked on the various assignments necessary to elevate the Reunion from an exciting vision to an exceptional reality. I also want to take a personal point of privilege to thank Calvin Burney, the Charter Dean of Pledgees, for attending. This past weekend was his first trip back to Chapel Hill in decades. His participation was certainly a highlight for me. Not the biggest highlight, mind you, but definitely a really big deal. The itinerary included a Step Show, a Cookout, a Brotherhood Reception, a Business Meeting, a Service Project, a Golf Outing, a Ball, and Closing Brunch. Each of those activities was on point. But for me, THE high water mark was the opportunity to once again play basketball with my “young” Brothers. Oh yeah, and my “3” to win the game. What, you didn’t know I’m a vet? You’d betta ask somebody! LOL!

Last summer my current Chapter, Beta Nu Lambda (CLT), the 156^th Chapter of the Fraternity, established August 1, 1939, hosted the National Convention. As a result, I gained hands-on, first person experience with planning and executing one of the Fraternity’s most important events. For a local College Chapter such as Mu Zeta it doesn’t get much bigger or more important than organizing a hosting a Reunion that touches members from the entire history of the Chapter. The organizers of MZ40 did a phenomenal job.

Most importantly, the men of Mu Zeta helped me affirm that none of my anticipation and pre-event excitement was misplaced. I have no buyer’s remorse. In effect, returning ”home” was as good as I thought it would be; maybe better. Ultimately, my Brothers demonstrated, in no uncertain terms, it is possible to go…”Home Again: 40 Years Later!”

GO HEELS, ’06, I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wolfe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Can%27t_Go_Home_Again

http://www.amazon.com/You-Cant-Go-Home-Again/dp/1451650493

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Aswell

https://uncfsu.collegiatelink.net/organization/alpha-phi-alpha-fraternity-inc

https://sites.google.com/site/muzetaalphas/Home/mz-chapter-history

http://betanulambda.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Phi_Alpha

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BGLO

http://www.amazon.com/The-Divine-Nine-Fraternities-Sororities/dp/0758202709?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20

It’s time to Break It Down!

After a three week hiatus during which I wrote about guns, Cuba, and basketball, I am pivoting and redirecting today’s post back to the Party of Lincoln and its rather interesting, if not unique effort to determine the GOP nominee for President. In previous posts the topic of the rift between Donald Trump and the Republican establishment was explored. A number of developments sprang forward, including a series of initiatives broadly referred to as the Stop Trump movement; also known as the Anti-Trump movement, and the Never Trump movement. These names are all various strands of a central theme, one centered upon the efforts of a number of Republicans and other so-called conservatives to stymie the current front-runner, Donald Trump, and his efforts to secure the Party’s nomination at the Convention in Cleveland for the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

Trump announced his candidacy in June 2015. On the outside looking in it appeared that for the rest of last year and the first couple of months of 2016, Republicans largely viewed the New York Real Estate Magnet and former Reality TV Host as a fleeting nuisance, whose prospects were sharply delimited by a predefined ceiling of 25-30% of voters, and who would garner even fewer votes as the number of candidates winnowed from 17 down to a handful or less. All that sounded good. Then the field narrowed; currently it’s down to three. The movement, if you want to call it that, received a turbo jolt of energy following Mr. Trump’s wins in the March 15, 2016 Super Tuesday primaries, the most substantial of which was thrashing U.S. Senator Marco Rubio in Florida. That defeat instantly ended the Rubio Campaign.

At that point, the Establishment, unquestionably, had seen enough. Four weeks ago I framed it as not so much a failing of the Party to nurture, develop, and support better, smarter, more well-prepared candidates, but instead, a function of millions of voters expressing their preference for The Donald. It will be interesting to see, if the Never Trump movement is successful, and if it is, whether that outcome will create a schism between the will of the establishment and the desires of the Party faithful.

In that previous post I mentioned the Mitt Romney personal broadside initiative to derail Trump’s momentum. Since that time a number of Trump’s former rivals, including Carly Fiorina and Senator Lindsey Graham, have coalesced and joined forces with Ted Cruz, all in an effort to stop that inimitable force that Donald Trump has surprisingly proved to be. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who upon exiting the race himself, initially endorsed Jeb Bush, was so off put by both Mr. Trump and Senator Cruz that he likened choosing between the two as akin to a death sentence. In precise terms, he framed it thusly:

“It’s like being shot or poisoned. What does it really matter?”

This was in response to being asked which of the two he preferred. Arguably, this may have been just a dose of the seemingly casual folksy Palmetto State jargon that Graham is known for delivering. Perhaps it was, but he didn’t stop there. He went on to characterize Mr. Trump as “The most unprepared person I’ve ever met to be commander-in-chief,” and said of Senator Cruz, “He’s exhibited behavior in his time in the Senate that makes it impossible for me to believe that he could bring this country together.”

Of course in just a few weeks, Jeb Bush had himself suspended his campaign. That naturally meant Graham had to choose another would be standard-bearer. Ultimately, it appears he decided he’d rather be poisoned than shot.

As time marches on and the Primary Season advances, the saga continues. This week a number of Republicans, some of them key Party figures, are either contemplating skipping, or have already decided they are not attending the GOP Convention in Cleveland. In fact yesterday when former Florida Governor and 2016 GOP Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush was asked whether he’d attend, he told a CNN reporter “No.”

New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte is in the midst of a tough bid to secure a second term. She was asked if she would be in Cleveland. Her response, while not absolute, betrayed a clear lean. She said:

“Unlikely, I’ve got a lot of work to do in New Hampshire, I have my own re-election and I’m going to be focusing on my voters in New Hampshire.”

Here in The Old North State, another such dynamic has emerged. North Carolina Senator Richard Burr has made his priorities clear. Speaking about convention attendance, he had this to say:

“I’m up for re-election. I’m more valuable outside of Cleveland than inside of Cleveland.”

While Senators Ayotte and Burr are weighing the implications of challenging campaigns as they contemplate the Calculus of whether to attend the Convention, Jeb Bush is free of such concerns, and yet he seems to have already kicked the Cleveland Confab to the proverbial curb. In other words the Never Trump movement and the Cruz brand of inviolable conservatism are seen as equally uncool. Both those in tough swing state elections, as well as those who might actually believe there is still currency in the ideal of negotiation, collaboration, and bi-partisan governance are viewing the Party’s National Convention with a jaundiced eye.

By all accounts, there are GOPers among the highest rungs of the Party’s leadership encouraging rank-and-file members to stay the “aitch” away from Cleveland. You’d have thought the Secret Service hadn’t intervened and the Right Wing gun-lovers were actually going to be strapped up in that joint. One top level Party Official, speaking to CNN after having been granted anonymity, admitted that he has advised his colleagues to hold campaign rallies and town halls in their home states and districts during the convention in July. A senior Senate aide echoed that idea.

Skipping conventions is not unheard of, especially by moderates who wish to show some daylight between themselves and a nominee who might alienate their supporters at home. That’s fair, but it’s worth noting even some of the members of the edge leaning Tea Party plan to stay home in July. Representative Rick Mulvaney, a co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus has said he will skip, and after discussing the matter with about 20 conservatives recently, about half agreed with him and plan to delete Cleveland from their respective itineraries. As he put it:

“Let the activists, let the people decide (who the nominee will be, rather than the politicians). I’ve decided not to go to Cleveland. I’m going to stay at home and work.”

One senior House Republican leadership aide also told CNN they are hearing that several members have drawn their own conclusions that it behooves them to stay home and tend to their own elections. That aide said explicitly:

“I think if you are in a competitive district that’s smart.”

Let’s face it, the GOP has a lot going on right now. On top of all the above, there has been an undercurrent of ambient noise surrounding a Draft Paul Ryan initiative. The rumblings became so significant that Representative Ryan, the Speaker of the House, attempted to quell them yesterday by giving his own version of the Lyndon Johnson recusal, “I will not seek, nor will I accept my Party’s nomination.” The Speaker said:

“Let me be clear, I do not want, nor will I accept, the nomination of our Party.”

It sounded good, even convincing unless you fell into one of two categories. One, those who desperately want the Speaker to play the role of White Knight and come to the rescue; the other, folks who remember when he said virtually the same thing about the Speakership. In other words, time will tell. There are advantages to not entering the fray before one has to do so.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve got my popcorn at hand. “Party On GOP: The Fun Is Just Beginning!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeb_Bush

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelly_Ayotte

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Burr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Mulvaney

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Trump_movement

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/politics/lindsey-graham-donald-trump-ted-cruz-poison-or-shot/index.html

http://www.mediaite.com/online/graham-choosing-between-trump-and-cruz-like-being-shot-or-poisoned/

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/22/graham-choosing-between-cruz-and-trump-like-choosing-whether-to-be-shot-or-poisoned/

http://www.kerngoldenempire.com/news/top-republicans-may-skip-convention

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/us/politics/paul-ryan-to-ruleout-run-for-president-aide-says.html?_r=0

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/paul-ryan-i-do-not-want-nor-will-i-accept-nomination/vp-BBrGoLl

It’s time to Break It Down!

As readers who know me are aware, I seldom determine what I will write about until it times to generate a post. Today is no exception. Occasionally, I can commit from the outset the post will not be a long one. Consider that a made promise.

Sports are a significant element of our national culture. In general terms, I am a casual sports fan. There are sports whose nuances I do not fully grasp (football and soccer come to mind), sports that I watch every now and then (if a favorite player is competing; e.g., Serena or Tiger), sports that I once played, but seldom watch now (Thanks for the memories Little League Baseball), and then there is basketball…the sport that I still play twice a week, even at my advanced age. No surprise that is my fave.

Monday night, the Wildcats of Villanova University captured the 2016 NCAA Division I College Basketball National Championship in a game played at NRG Stadium in Houston. Championships are hard to come by, so it goes without saying, the fact ‘Nova won was huge in and of itself. The Cats played five games in the Tournament prior to the Championship tilt. They won those contests by more than 24 points per game on average. Not only that, but they beat the overall Number 1 Seed, Kansas University, holding them to a season low 59 points in the process. They demolished a Number 2 Seed, Oklahoma University, holding them to 51 points, and winning by 44, the largest margin of victory in Final Four history. They did this despite facing the Tourney’s leading scorer, Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield, who scored 37 points (including 8 straight 3’s) against Number 1 Seed Oregon in the Elite 8 game before playing Nova in the Final Four. The Cats held him to 9 points in their 44-point victory.

In Monday’s Title Game, Villanova, a 2 Seed, was matched up against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, another Number 1 Seed. The teams were similar in that they both entered the contest with a measure of feeling underappreciated and over critiqued. It’s fair to say, both teams (and their respective fan bases) had a proverbial chip on their shoulders.

The Heels managed to gain a narrow advantage in the first half, going up by as many as 7 points, and leading by 5, 39-34, at the half. The Cats responded by rallying and ultimately leading by 10 with 5:29 to play. It was the Tar Heels’ turn to rally, and they did, tying the score at 74 all with 4.7seconds left on an improbable double clutch 3-point shot by the Tar Heels’ Academic All-American Marcus Paige.

The two heavyweights had each had their moments, and while Nova had managed to gain the bigger advantage at a more critical point in the game, with less than 5 seconds left, it was essentially 0-0. The Carolina faithful, undoubtedly breathed a sigh of relief, while the Tar Heel team exhorted by their venerable coach, Roy Williams, and their inimitable senior leader, Marcus Paige, exited their huddle understanding their mission; play 4.7 seconds of defense and get to overtime.

Alas, Villanova left the timeout on a different mission. Win the game in regulation! With .4 seconds remaining, Villanova’s Kris Jenkins made the play of the game, the play of the Tournament, and quite possibly the single most notable play in the history of the game, and certainly of NCAA Title Games. Quite simply he hoisted a shot that while traveling through the air toward the basket would not end its flight until there was nothing but zeroes on the clock. Oh by the way, it went cleanly through the net. With that, the Tar Heels’ mission was exploded, while Nova’s was both realized, and immediately celebrated. For the first time in the history of the Tournament, which launched in 1939, the game ended with a made 3-pointer at the buzzer deciding the outcome, with no time on the clock.

There are those who might argue some other (Title) game was higher scoring, or more aesthetically pleasing, or perhaps more physical. But for sheer optics, pure excitement, between two teams playing the best basketball of the season, and a spine-tingling knockout punch at the-last-possible-moment finish, I submit to you Monday Night’s contest was the unparalleled defining shining moment of NCAA Title Games.  P.S. I fully understand that means that ending not only makes the game an “Instant Classic,” but assures we will see “the shot” an infinite number of times between now and forever.  Oh joy!

As a passing FYI, I must add a moment of self-disclosure. The Heels are my team. I count myself among alumni and fans. I confess, had Carolina won, I would not have written about the Tourney/this game. My opting to do so is in an odd way cathartic (for me).

I’ve observed, heard, and read about others who focused on the officiating. Most, but not all the observations came from Tar Heel fans. I understand fully that the conventional view of such commentary, especially those emanating from fans of the team that lost, are prone to be viewed as sour grapes. But just to be clear, while I do not subscribe to the notion that Nova won because of officiating (they played hard, they played smart, they played with pride, and perhaps most important, they played hard, smart, and with pride, until the final buzzer sounded. That is, in my opinion, why they won the game.  One more thing; having said all that, I am a Tar Heel, all day, everyday.  GO HEELS!

Yet, there are insightful fans that are not UNC alum or fans that also questioned “the Stripes.” Just for chuckles, see below a couple of examples tweeted Monday night by two distinguished gentlemen who attended a prestigious University not named UNC:

Retweeted 2,355 times

Jay Bilas

Verified account

‏‪            @JayBilas Apr 4

Officials have had a tough night. Unfortunate.

2,355 retweets/2,167 likes

Jay Williams ‏‪@RealJayWilliams Apr 4

I feel bad for both teams. This is one of the worst officiating championship games I have ever seen. ‪@ESPN ‪@Sportscenter

2,115 retweets/1,766 likes

For the millions of Tar Heels who have lamented the outcome, and/or commiserated with others about Monday’s big game, I offer you a small, but powerful dose of perspective.  Consider Tar Heel player Nate Britt.  Britt and Nova’s Kris Jenkins are adoptive siblings.  So basically, for the rest of their natural lives, Kris and his brother Nate, both juniors in their respective programs, will have the 2016 Title Game as a shared experience…and Kris’ shot as a reminder of one’s transcendent sports moment and the other’s hoops nadir.  With that I close by reiterating the Title thought…”One For The Ages: Hail To The Cats!” I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2630402-with-one-shot-villanova-cements-it-place-as-one-of-college-hoops-top-programs?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2016/04/04/villanova-defeats-north-carolina-national-championship-final-four-kris-jenkins/82630838/

http://www.nytimes.com/live/villanova-unc-ncaa-championship/

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/04/05/villanova-beats-buzzer-north-carolina-to-win-ncaa-championship.html

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/04/04/villanova-unc-national-championship/

https://www.rt.com/sport/338463-ncaa-villanova-carolina-jenkins/

http://www.newsday.com/sports/college/college-basketball/villanova-men-s-basketball-vs-north-carolina-ncaa-tournament-national-championship-pictures-1.11652380

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25540168/xs-and-os-how-north-carolina-villanova-match-up-in-the-title-game

http://www.fayobserver.com/sports/so-close-villanova-defeats-north-carolina-in-final-second/article_107e4786-fada-11e5-a4aa-6374b2f97210.html

http://abc7chicago.com/sports/villanova-defeats-north-carolina-wins-2016-ncaa-national-championship/1276592/

http://www.goheels.com/ViewContent.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3350&CONTENT_ID=1778962

http://www.scout.com/college/north-carolina/story/1658172-jordan-s-locker-room-visit

It’s time to Break It Down!

I recently observed, from afar, the origination, development, evolution, and ultimately the apparent elimination of a quintessential conundrum. Last week I saw what I considered an interesting proposal crafted in the form of a petition. Eugene Scott, a friend of mine, penned an article that appeared at CNN’s website this past Sunday, discussing this petition, which promotes allowing guns at this summer’s Republican National Convention. Needless to say, Fox, ABC, and a host of other media outlets also covered this story.

Now in the interest of full disclosure it is incumbent upon me, at this juncture, to convey the fact I am not a Republican, not leaning Republican, and not likely to vote for any of the three candidates to which the GOP-T Party’s Presidential campaign has finally and painfully winnowed. In that regard, of course I do not speak for the Grand Old Party, and naturally, I will not be in Cleveland at the Quicken Loans Arena for the Convention.

With the proverbial electronic small print is out of the way, let’s return to the issue at hand. The GOP and its gun-promoting affiliate, AKA the NRA, have taken virtually every opportunity to fervently lambast and otherwise assail President Obama, most Democrats, and any other politician and/or public official who dares not render absolute fealty to the notion of never ever under any circumstances propose, construct, or enact any form of legislation that would regulate the sale, purchase, use, or carrying of firearms.

On its face, I must admit it seems to me this is an idea whose time has come. Think of the overwhelming symmetry of logic that stands in the balance permeating this potential scenario. On one hand, on July 18-21, 2016, thousands of America’s finest citizens, emblazoned in all manner of GOP paraphernalia, will assemble at Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena. If polls, the NRA, and the vast majority of GOP Congressmen (and Congresswomen) are correct, most of those visiting the Arena as Delegates, or as convention functionaries, will be gun owners and/or proponents of the previously referenced GOP stance on firearms. On the other hand, all those Congressmen and Congresswomen who walk in lockstep with the NRA will also be moving in, around, and about the facility during the entirety of the event. Sounds like Nirvana to me.

Given that these two dynamic forces that co-own a shared perspective on gun policy, along with mutual strident opposition to any new gun laws will be coalescing in one building for four days, what better way to underscore their support of what they burnish as a key principle than to urge, no make that insist upon, supporting this petition. In fact, I am simply shocked and amazed that there has been no indication, of which I am aware, of all three of the remaining GOP candidates promoting, endorsing, and in every viable way, calling for the tenets of this petition to be enacted.

The author of the petition has opted to mask his or her identity, listing “N A”/and Hyperationalist as nom de plumes. The author did seek the support of Mr. Trump, Senator Cruz, and Governor Kasich in lobbying the Republican National Committee (RNC) to support changing the Arena’s policy. Though Ohio is an open carry state, the Quicken Loans Arena does not permit the carry of firearms within the premises. The petition consists of five key points, including:

THEREFORE, WE ARE CALLING TODAY FOR THE FOLLOWING POINTS OF ACTION:

1. From the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland:A suspension of their policy preventing the open carry of firearms on the premises of the arena from July 18-21, 2016 to coincide with the Republican National Convention.

2. From the National Rifle Association:An immediate condemnation of the egregious affront to the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution constituted by the “gun-free zone” loophole to the state law.

3. From Ohio Governor John Kasich:A concerted effort to use his executive authority to override the “gun-free zone” loophole being exploited by the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

4. From Reince Priebus and the Republican National Committee: An explanation of how a venue so unfriendly to Second Amendment rights was chosen for the Republican Convention. Further, we demand a contingency plan to relocate the convention to another location should the Quicken Loans Arena refuse to honor the constitutional rights of the RNC guests to open carry firearms during the convention.

5. From all Republican candidates for President: You have been brave in raising awareness about the immense dangers posed by “gun-free zones.” In order to ensure the safety of your supporters, delegates and all attendees at the convention in July, you must call upon the RNC to rectify this affront to our Second Amendment freedoms and insist upon a suspension of the Quicken Loans Arena’s unconstitutional “gun-free zone” loophole. Every American is endowed with a God-given Constitutional right to carry a gun wherever and whenever they please.

By yesterday the petition had amassed over 51K signatures. Alas, that seems moot, however. On Monday the Secret Service moved to put the Kibosh on NA/Hyperationalist’s petition. They announced that no firearms would be allowed past a specified checkpoint. Their explicit language was framed thusly,

“Individuals determined to be carrying firearms will not be allowed past a predetermined outer perimeter checkpoint, regardless of whether they possess a ticket to the event.”

Undoubtedly, the Secret Service studied this issue assiduously, and eventually found a provision in federal law that authorized them to block the action promoted by the petition. They used the following citation:

“Only authorized law enforcement personnel working in conjunction with the Secret Service for a particular event may carry a firearm inside of the protected site.”

In other words, if you are not an officer of the law, a member of the National Guard, a member of the military, an agent of the Secret Service, or a member of some unit authorized by one of the preceding organizations, forget the idea of bringing a firearm into Quicken Loans Arena during the Republican National Convention. I must take a personal point of privilege here and say; no one is more disappointed by that determination than I. But I digress.

Now here is the rub. Alas, at least one site, CNET, offered the opinion that the petition itself was a satirical joyride designed to get gun-loving types even more lathered up than they are typically.  At least 51K of them have signed-on as of yesterday. In framing this argument, the writer, Chris Matyszczyk, lifts several comments of the petitioner for closer examination. One in particular stood out for its levity, presuming you have a sense of humor. That statement follows below:

“It just doesn’t seem right that thousands of patriotic Republican good guys should be left totally unprotected by whatever bad guys might wish to do them harm. I mean forgodsake people; ISIS could show up to take out everybody in and around that building and they’d be sitting ducks. Sitting ducks, I tell you! There might even be a bad egg or two among the delegates.”

That right there is some rich prose. I just wish the Secret Service had not received it so poorly. All kidding aside, here is where I draw to a close by pivoting back to the title…”The Secret Service Opts To Save The GOP From Itself: Thanks President Obama!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/26/politics/guns-petition-republican-national-convention/index.html

https://www.change.org/p/quicken-loans-arena-allow-open-carry-of-firearms-at-the-quicken-loans-arena-during-the-rnc-convention-in-july-2

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/03/26/nearly-20000-support-petition-to-allow-guns-at-republican-national-convention.html

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/26/republican-national-convention-gun-ban-petition

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/03/26/20000-sign-petition-allow-guns-republican-national-convention/82289342/

http://www.whio.com/news/news/national/30000-sign-petition-allow-guns-republican-national/nqsrM/

http://www.ohio.com/news/break-news/update-petitioners-for-guns-at-rnc-in-cleveland-soar-to-45-179-secret-service-says-no-1.671384?localLinksEnabled=false

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/over-40000-people-sign-petition-allow-guns-gop-convention

http://www.cnet.com/news/25000-sign-satirical-petition-to-allow-guns-at-republican-convention/

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/28/politics/guns-gop-convention-petition/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

http://2016.republican-convention.org

http://www.cnet.com/profiles/chrismatyszczyk/

It’s time to Break It Down!

The United States and Cuba, just ninety miles apart, though for more than 50 years they might as well have been in two different solar systems. In fact, for all practical purpose they were a world away…until now. On Sunday President Barack Obama bridged another ideological chasm by becoming the first U.S. President in 88 years to visit the Island nation. As many observers have noted, the Cuba that the 30^th President (Coolidge) visited is not the same as the one 44 visited this week.

The ninety miles that separate Cuba and Key West is equivalent to a trip from Charlotte to Greensboro (North Carolina), or from Washington, DC to Richmond, VA, (though we are are separated from Cuba by the Atlantic Ocean rather than a highway). Folks who know the history of our two countries are aware the spatial and geographic distance has not been the primary barrier between the two. Rather geo-political differences, nearly capped by a potential nuclear war between the United Soviet Socialist Republic (former official name of Russia) and the United States of America.

Fidel Castro led a movement in Cuba to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Though Batista was a strongman, he was also a U.S. ally. The Cuban Revolution, which displaced Batista (with Castro) lasted from 1952 to 1959. Castro immediately changed Cuba’s political dynamics by aligning himself and the country with Russia, which was engaged in the Cold War with the U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower responded to this shift by allocating $13.1 million to the CIA to plan Castro’s overthrow. The organization worked with counter-revolutionary forces to plan the operation.

The (failed) operation known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion resulted. On April 17, 1961 the CIA-sponsored expedition manned by the paramilitary group Brigade 2506 confronted the Cuban Army, led by Prime Minister Fidel Castro. The invading group had been trained in Guatemala, and launched its mission from that country. The CIA had grossly underestimated the Cuban Army’s readiness for battle; the counter-revolutionaries were defeated in 3 days.

This incursion agitated Fidel Castro. He grew even fonder of his budding relationship with Nikita Khrushchev and Russia. As a result, he asked Khrushchev to intervene. Partly in response to the Bay of Pigs Invasion, but more due to the U.S. having deployed Jupiter ballistic missiles in Italy and Turkey with Moscow within range, The Soviet agreed to a request from Castro to place nuclear missiles in Cuba to deter future American harassment of Cuba. After a secret agreement between Nikita and Fidel in July, construction of a number of missile launch facilities started later that summer.

This high stakes political poker game was known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, which lasted 13 days, from October 16-28, 1962. The hostilities between the United States and the Soviet Union took center stage for the whole world. Up until today, this exercise in brinkmanship is as close as the world has come to a full-scale nuclear war. A long period of tense negotiations ensued.

Ultimately, President John F. Kennedy, who succeeded President Eisenhower, and Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union forged an agreement to stand down. The Soviets dismantled their missiles in Cuba and returned them to Russia (Technically the U.S.S.R. was comprised of more than Russia). This weaponry downgrade was subject to U.S. inspection and verification. For its part, the U.S. agreed never to invade Cuba without direct provocation. Secretly, it also agreed to dismantle American missiles in Italy and Turkey. The high intensity of these negotiations between the two Super Powers revealed a need for a quick, clear, and direct communication line between the two nations’ leaders in Washington and Moscow. Because of this, the two countries established the Moscow–Washington hotline. Afterward, a series of agreements sharply reduced tensions between the two countries over the course of subsequent years.

The seven preceding paragraphs went deep into the weeds of American History, Cuban History, and geo-politics. Undoubtedly that includes more information about a time before many of you were born than some readers feel they would ever need to know. However, sometimes there is no substitute for context. Those paragraphs provide the bedrock for not only how, but why we needed to get to this past Sunday and President Obama’s visit in the first place. To give you a quick anecdote, I saw a meme recently that said, “The person who knows how will always have a job. The person who knows why will always be his/her boss.” The quote was attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. I want you to know why President Obama needed to go to Cuba so that you can be a (knowledge) boss, not merely someone working your way through (the weeds of) this topic. And yes, it’s that important.

On December 17, 2014, after secretive discussions, heavily influenced by Pope Francis, President Obama announced the restoration of full diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, and the opening of an embassy in Havana. Pope Francis helped broker a prisoner swap, which was a key element of the rapprochement of the two nations. When I initially posted on this topic, back on July 1, 2015 (…”Rapprochement: The United States and Cuba Resume Diplomatic Relations!”), I framed the unexpected news this way:

“The announcement, a surprise at the time, followed the end of 18 months of secret talks that produced a prisoner swap negotiated with the help of Pope Francis, and concluded by a telephone call between Presidents Obama and Raúl Castro. The unexpected and historic deal broke a prolonged stalemate between two countries separated by just 90 miles of water, but oceans of mistrust and hostility that go back to the days of Theodore Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill, and the nuclear brinksmanship of the Cuban missile crisis.”

Cuba was always on President Obama’s foreign policy agenda to-do list. There were those who doubted he would get it done…and others who hoped he would not. Not surprisingly, there are a number of folks who are less than enthused now that he has moved on another key initiative that once again, flummoxed his opponents. Still, despite the naysayers, there was no lack of interest, judging by the size of the President’s travel party. Not only did a host of members of Congress make the trip, but he was also accompanied by a number of American businessmen.

A frequent question I have heard or seen in print in the wake of the President’s trip is “Will anything of substance emerge from this venture?” Tealeaf reading is not my forte. I do believe however that the President built this move on a solid foundation; recognition of the fact that five plus decades of embargoing Cuba has not substantially benefited America, or Cuba. While it may have provided Cuban Americans with an element of satisfaction over exacting punishment for their personal loss, the preponderance of economic “timeout” did not bring Cuba to its knees, nor return expatriates their possessions. The President has reasoned that moving to a win-win scenario from a lose-lose- scenario makes more sense, both in terms of economics and of humanitarianism. Not only might both countries receive a boon, but also, formerly estranged family members may leverage new opportunities to reunite. It may not be a huge step forward, but a step forward it is.

In wrapping this up, consider several examples of how President Obama pressed his own case:

“I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas. I have come here to extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban people.”

He noted the continuation of very real differences between the two countries, including political systems and economic models. On this point he added:

“I can’t force you to agree,” then he added his belief that “every person should be equal under the law; citizens should be free to speak their mind without fear.” That line drew applause.

He also said that people should be able “to organize, to criticize their government, and to protest peacefully, and they should not be arrested for doing so.”

He recognized that not everyone agrees with him on these issues, but went on to say, “But I believe those human rights are universal. I believe they are the rights of the American people, the Cuban people and people around the world.”

President Obama also made a key observation about the Presidential races here in America. He noted:

“You had two Cuban-Americans in the Republican Party running against the legacy of a black man who was president while arguing that they’re the best person to beat the Democratic nominee who will either be a woman or a democratic socialist. Who would have believed that in 1959? That’s a measure of our progress as a country.”

Of course while the trip is steeped in diplomacy and meetings, and concluding discussions, negotiations, and agreements, there was more. President Obama took his family, including Michelle, Malia, Sasha, and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Robinson. They attended a scheduled baseball game between the Cuban National Team and the Tampa Bay Rays. President Obama sat between President Castro and his family. For record, and for the baseball fans among you, The Rays won, 4-1.

At least for now, I will embrace the optimistic point of view regarding that frequent query I noted above. I believe that POTUS’ visit will yield substantive results for the people of Cuba, not just for the Castro Brothers and for American businesses. It is said a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Consider the journey underway. “Viva Cuba: President Obama Visits Havana!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/22/politics/obama-cuba-change-speech-embargo/index.html

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/2015/07/01/rapprochement-the-united-states-and-cuba-resume-diplomatic-relations/

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/president-obama-begins-historic-visit-cuba-37806738

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/03/21/remarks-president-obama-entrepreneurship-and-opportunity-event-havana

http://www.mtv.com/news/2797302/obama-needed-to-go-to-cuba/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miriam-leiva/barack-obama-will-not-create-change_b_9522724.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/cuba-rolls-out-the-red-carpet-for-obama-2016-3?op=1

http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/business-a-lobbying/273343-obama-goes-to-cuba-and-dc-follows

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/21/politics/obama-cuban-raul-castro/index.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/03/22/obama-goes-game-does-wave-castro/82126632/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/conversation?gameId=360322339

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_Coolidge

http://nypost.com/2014/12/17/pope-francis-helped-broker-us-cuba-agreement/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis

http://time.com/3637901/pope-francis-cuba-obama/

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/12/17/3604800/rubio-attacks-pope-for-helping-broker-cuba-deal/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_of_Pigs_Invasion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raúl_Castro

It’s time to Break It Down!

I have hesitated to make this point earlier because the bottom line is we all have the right to self-determination. The franchise of the vote is personal and sacrosanct. However, I have watched with curious interest, and written on several occasions about the runaway freight train of a phenomenon that the Trump Primary Electoral Tour has become. Clearly, this post will add to the list.

As we prepare for the last week of voting before the advent of spring, more and more Republican leaders, call them Establishment for lack of a better word, have come out and shown their hand in an effort to galvanize an anti-Trump firewall; an actual Movement, referred to in some circles as “Never Trump!” This ideological force field’s singular purpose is to prevent Donald J. Trump from securing the GOP Nomination.

Recent initiatives, including those of Mitt Romney who set out with his own one man show a week and a half ago, and Marco Rubio who last week went so far as to cede an entire state, Ohio, by urging Ohio voters to vote for a rival, Ohio Governor John Kasich in that state’s Primary, rather than himself, all in an effort to create a Tic-Tac-Toe style block to thwart the Trump machine. That move, Rubio falling on his petard, was foreshadowing in a way, for while Kasich did win Ohio yesterday, Trump pummeled Rubio in his home state’s Primary, forcing the Florida Senator to suspend his flagging Campaign.

In a race that has become nearly as entertaining as Indiana Jones’ pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant, a number of key Republicans are pulling out all the stops. Here is how you know things have reached a critical mass. Early in the election season, most of the candidates systematically and in virtual lockstep routinely blamed President Obama for every ill in this country, past, present, and future. Without regard for the facts this was simply the strategy. For example, say someone’s brother-in-law’s cousin’s son’s classmate’s father was unemployed. President Obama’s alleged “horrendous job policies” were to blame. Forget that we are in the midst 72 consecutive months of adding jobs to the U.S. economy, the longest such period of job increases to the economy since records have been kept. That kind of illogic, in fact untruth, is emblematic of the kind of fact-free madness that rules the day in Republican campaign circles.

As recently as a couple of weeks ago, that was true even for some of the ridiculous antics surrounding Trump rallies. For months, there have been reports of Trump supporters verbally and physically attacking protesters at his rallies. Never mind why voters who support other candidates would attend Trump rallies in the first place, be that as it may. They do have a right to free assembly…but it takes a special kind of person to submit needlessly to such abuse…when there have been so many examples of what one can reasonably expect. Nevertheless, several of Mr. Trump’s competitors attributed Trump supporters’ actions to the President.

That was then. Fast forward to here and now. This past weekend the intensity of crowds, protesters, and raw rhetoric all combined to reach a predictable boiling point. In fact, the environment became so rough and unstable in Chicago that authorities cancelled the planned event.

So how does all this dovetail? Well, now, Mr. Trump’s three remaining competitors (two after last night) for the GOP Nomination have all concluded that he actually has contributed to the atmosphere that has led to these extracurricular activities at his events. Surprise, surprise; if one were a cynic, one might think this newfound visionary insight by these men is a product of routinely getting their pants beat off them by the Donald.

That brings me to my existential point. All the finger pointing about the cause of Trump’s success; all of it, whether thrust at President Obama, or even Trump himself, for that matter, is misguided. No matter how much Republicans regret or resent it, Mr. Obama is the Commander-in-Chief. Still, his considerable powers, stemming from his high office, do not enable him to coerce one single Republican voter to cast a ballot for Donald Trump. In a similar vein, given all the Donald’s bluster, wealth, and considerable influence, he has not cast a single ballot in any of the GOP Primaries or Caucuses held to date. To frame it in terms of a familiar axiom, “When you point fingers at someone, three are pointing back at you.”

This past Sunday on CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” journalist Carl Bernstein characterized Trump as a ”neo-fascist who is appealing to nativism, racism, and bigotry.” From many if not most people’s vantage point, he has been all that and more. Yet, vote for himself, is not something he has done.

Now, take a step back, and breath deeply while you are at it. Don’t believe the hype, and don’t be deceived by all the talking heads or political genuflection. The compelling question is, who is responsible for the rise of Donald Trump?

First, let me tell you who/what is not responsible. It’s not:

• Barack Obama
• Hillary Clinton
• Bernie Sanders
• Mexicans
• Muslims
• Black Lives Matter (BLM)
• The Iran Nuclear Deal
• The Economy
• The Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare)
• Entitlements

Having been perfectly clear about what has not been responsible for producing Trump Madness, no sleight intended to March Madness, the culprit in this mystery is far too evident for all the handwringing and intrigue machinations offered by a variety of theoreticians. Simply put, first let’s discount the notions of blame, or credit, depending upon one’s perspective, for the unexpected success of Donald Trump. Instead I suggest we shift the paradigm, and think and speak in terms of accountability.

That being said, there is but one element that logically can be held accountable for that which DJ Trump has become, and that group is, drumroll please…Republican Primary/Caucus voters…period, full stop, exclamation point for emphasis.

Anyone who opts to cite one of the 10 factors delineated above, from President Obama to Entitlements, or any other(s) in lieu of the individual living, breathing, sentient, beings who actually pulled a lever, or checked a box with Trump’s name affixed thereto, is dissembling, obfuscating, excuse-making, or dare I say more pointedly, just plain lying through their collective Centrals, Laterals, Cuspids, Bicuspids. Molars, and Wisdom Teeth.

The most ardent explainers and excuse makers insisted the problem was simply one of proportionality. They reasoned that having 17 candidates in the field ensured that the votes were splintered into too many disparate parts for the will of the people to shine through. They also said as the number of prospective candidates winnowed down, the votes would go to other candidates and Trump would fall off and eventually drop by the wayside. That was 13 (now 14) former candidates ago, and with just 4 (3 as of today) candidates remaining, including The Donald, Mr. Trump is not only still in the thick of it, he often pulls from 40 to 50 percent of the votes in primaries and caucuses. So how’s that been working for them?

Ergo, if you are Republican and Donald Trump prevails, in the off chance you didn’t vote for him, odds are…you have a boatload of friends and associates who did. Feel free to send them a card that reflects your gratitude, or lack thereof. In case you’re having difficulty coming up with an appropriate sentiment, “Thanks for nothing” comes to mind.

Conversely, if Trump becomes the nominee and you rep the GOP, and perchance, you did vote for him, give yourself an enthusiastic pat on the back, not unlike Mr. Trump does to himself at the slightest provocation. What can I say? If that was really your choice, extra long pause…then undoubtedly, you got the candidate you deserve!

To be clear, despite all the efforts and initiatives undertaken by concerned Republican leaders, Donald Trump is doing just fine, thank you very much. Of course, the grand prize of the day was Florida, where he literally ran “Little Marco Rubio” (a Trump appellation) out of field. In addition to the Sunshine State, he won in North Carolina, and Illinois yesterday. Governor Kasich won Ohio (where Trump finished Second).

At midnight with 99% of the votes reported in Missouri, Donald Trump held a razor thin lead (about 2,600 votes). This is actually critical for the guy Trump calls “Lyin’ Ted,” since of the four out of yesterday’s five contests already decided, Cruz had not won any, while Trump had taken won 3, and Kasich 1.

Don’t get me wrong. There are those who dismiss the wisdom of the voters. As a rule, such people think certain voters have not thoughtfully considered their options, or they have been hoodwinked and bamboozled, or that they are simply unaware of the consequences and repercussions, or worse case, all of the above.

I simply do not believe that to be true. The GOP has in large measure been baptized by fire in the font of pure unadulterated Obama hate. Donald Trump has been fashioning what became his campaign persona all the way back to the time of the Birther controversy. He is in effect, the anti-Obama, and as such, the natural candidate of choice for countless Republicans. Therefore, it stands to reason, from my observations anyway, Mr. Trump has distinguished himself as the one guy running who is most un-Obama-like, and as a result, he has established himself as the man to beat on the way to Cleveland for the Republican National Convention, July 18-21, 2016. To wit, finger point all you want to, if you want to; just remember, “Three are Pointing Back at You!” That’s ironic, as there are now also (just) three candidates left in the race.

I’m done, holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/03/14/daily-202-breitbart-exodus-highlights-schism-over-trump-within-conservative-media/56e6183e981b92a22d8a4621/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_daily202

http://m.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2016/never_trump_or_always_trump

http://www.newyorker.com/news/benjamin-wallace-wells/g-o-p-debate-the-never-trump-movement-gives-up

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/04/heres-the-conundrum-for-the-never-trump-movement.html

http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/the-problem-with-the-never-trump-movement

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/us/politics/donald-trump-republican-nomination.html?referer=

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/never-trump-2016_us_56d9ea47e4b03a4056788d85

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/432237/donald-trump-why-i-cant-vote-trump-nevertrump

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Never_Trump%22_movement

http://www.commdiginews.com/politics-2/the-good-of-donald-trumps-rise-and-the-never-trump-movement-59239/

http://www.morningnewsusa.com/never-trump-movement-heres-everything-want-know-2361645.html

http://www.salon.com/2016/03/14/in_one_particular_way_barack_obama_really_did_create_donald_trump_and_it_reflects_horribly_on_republicans/?source=newsletter

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/cover_story/2016/03/how_donald_trump_happened_racism_against_barack_obama.html

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/03/13/carl-bernstein-trump-is-neo-fascist-in-mold-of-mussolini/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Cruz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kasich

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Bernstein