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

It’s time to Break It Down!

Believe it or not, I really am going to go beyond what must appear to be my inexplicable fascination with the kudzu of a phenomenon that is D.J. Trump and his seemingly Svengali-like master mining and domination of Republican Party Presidential politics. Honest. But not before I take one more peek behind the curtain at the new and improved Wizard…and this is not of Oz, if you know what I mean.

Things became so bad that last week Mitt Romney delivered a planned (pre-released to the media) statement under the general heading of Trump is a fraud, annotated with a host of historical facts and implications referencing the Donald’s failed enterprises, his bait and switch initiative that appears tailor-made to hoodwink a gullible American electorate, and of course a notion that has emerged as a staple if not favorite GOP Establishment go-to chorus, Donald Trump is not a conservative.

Pause. Stop laughing. Cease rolling around on the floor. Pick my azz up and get back to my keyboard. On its face, this may not equate to Reefer Madness, but it is some of the funniest schiznit I have heard in…well, forever.

Why is that you may ask. There are too many reasons to articulate in this post alone, but I’ll share enough for you to get the general point.

Oh my, where do I begin? Let me start with the end. Consider that Willard “Mitt” Romney took to a podium in the official capacity of GOP (Establishment) Spokesman. Say what?

All things considered, that in and of itself is one heck-of-a mouthful. Considering Mitt was the architect of the GOP’s last failed attempt to wrest the White House away from those “dastardly” Democrats, doubling down, even to seek advice and counsel from him seems more than a little odd. Perhaps the only thing imaginable that would be stranger, not to add funnier, and borderline pathetic, would be for Mitt to have delivered his statement jointly with John McCain, President Obama’s other vanquished foe. But I digress.

Now back to Mitt, the emerging Elder Statesman of the Grand Old Party. The candidate of 47%, of Binders of women, of Corporations are people, of Romneycare (that was Obamacare…before Obamacare), and most notably the candidate who lost a plethora of critical voting demographics; so many that his loss to President Obama was virtually signed, sealed, and delivered. How bad was Mr. Romney’s showing? It was so bad that Team GOP conducted a post election audit, and in doing so found that the Party needed to fundamentally re-invent its approach to Presidential election politics.

As we enter the sunset of the Obama era Presidency, it is worth revisiting the areas in which President Obama bested business mogul and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

Source: Exit polls conducted by Edison Research of Somerville, New Jersey, for the National Election Pool, a consortium of ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, Fox News,^[139] and NBC News.^[140] Total vote and results by region are based on the “Votes by state” section of this article.

Taking a look at the categories above, let’s zero in on a number of specific categories:

Total Vote – Obama 51%                                Romney – 47

Liberals – Obama 86%                                             Romney – 11

Moderates – Obama 56%                               Romney – 41

Democrats – Obama 93%                               Romney – 7%

Women – Obama 55%                                             Romney – 44%

Non-Married Men – Obama 56%                     Romney – 40%

Non-Married Women – Obama 67%               Romney – 31%

Black – Obama 93%                                       Romney – 6%

Asian – Obama 73%                                       Romney – 26%

Hispanic – Obama 71%                                   Romney – 27%

Other – Obama 58%                                       Romney – 38%

Catholic – Obama 50%                                            Romney – 48%

Jewish – Obama 69%                                     Romney – 30%

Other Religion – Obama 74%                         Romney – 23%

No Religion – Obama 70%                             Romney – 26%

Few Times/Month – Obama 55%                    Romney – 44%

Few Times/Year – Obama 56%                       Romney – 42%

Never – Obama 62%                                       Romney – 34%

Non-White Evangel. – Obama 60%                 Romney – 37%

18-24 Years Old – Obama 60%                      Romney – 36%

25-29 Years Old – Obama 60%                      Romney – 38%

30-39 Years Old – Obama 55%                      Romney – 42%

Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual – Obama 76%              Romney – 22%

Heterosexual – Obama 49%                                    Romney – 49%

Non High School Grads – Obama 64%                   Romney – 35%

High School Graduate – Obama 51%             Romney – 48%

Some College Education – Obama 49%                 Romney – 48%

Postgraduate Education – Obama – 55%       Romney – 42%

Under $30,000 – Obama 63%                         Romney – 35%

30K – $49,999 – Obama 57%                          Romney – 42%

Northeast – Obama 59%                                 Romney – 39%

Midwest – Obama 51%                                   Romney – 47%

West – Obama 54%                                        Romney – 43%

Big Cities (500K+) – Obama 69%                    Romney – 29%

Mid-Sized Cities (50K to 500K) – Obama 58%         Romney – 40%

Keep in mind this (2012) was a Presidential Election in which Mr. Romney endeavored to paint the Obama economy as trenchantly slow to improve, to frame the Affordable Care Act (Romneycare before it was Obamacare) as failed and costly government intervention, to characterize American Foreign Policy as feckless and ineffective, to describe the administration’s immigration policy as both costly and pandering, to suggest the President’s Same-sex marriage initiative as a tack that would destroy the American Culture, and to propose eliminating the minimum wage (which President Obama campaigned to increase). There were other issues of note, to be sure, but those items above include a litany of items that Team Romney attempted to use as a club with which to batter the Obama Administration/Campaign on a daily basis. It didn’t work; hence the Republican National Committee’s audit and recommendations to reinvent itself ahead of the 2016 Election.

To cast Mitt Romney in the role of the long arm of the GOP law, tasked with brandishing his Light Saber and coming to the rescue in order to rid the political Galaxy of the Darth Vader that is Trump, no matter your political affiliation or ideology, that is just bordering on the jagged edges of sheer disbelief. Yet, that is the space in which the GOP Establishment finds itself, for all practical purposes, desperate for the Establishment Empire to Strike Back.

Despite the perceived strange nature of the individual selected to deliver the message, there is evidence that the effort has some degree of resonance. Of the four states up for grabs in GOP balloting this past weekend, Ted Cruz bagged Kansas and Maine, while Donald Trump claimed Louisiana and Kentucky. Both declared victory, and in fact, were winners, of sorts. Cruz was able to continue claiming he is the only candidate poised to trump Trump (as Rubio and Kasich trail badly, and Carson conceded he sees no path forward), while Trump continued to amass delegates and hold on to his overall lead.

Last night, the battle continued. Mississippi, Michigan, Idaho, and Hawaii voted yesterday. At the time this post was released, Trump had secured victories in Mississippi and Michigan; Idaho went to Ted Cruz.  Trump, Rubio, and Kasich (in that order) trailed.  Hawaii’s returns came in late due to its Time Zone.  For the Keepers of the Flame (of the ranks of the GOP Establishment), more bad news. Trump won easily!

So to summarize the theme of the day, dismiss the all the protest messaging of the GOP that suggests that everything is OK. The Party may not be in disarray; that’s true. But there is every reason to believe, based upon ample evidence, the panic button has been pressed. Any argument to the contrary is pure unadulterated wishful thinking…or worse…read that falsifying the facts. The bottom line here is the Party handlers and message makers do not want Donald Trump to represent the GOP in this fall’s general election. At this point, that is exactly what at least a plurality of those voting are making perfectly clear, more often than not. To wit, what we are witnessing is, “The (GOP) Empire Strikes Back, or…Developing a Systematic, if Late-to-the-Party, Strategy to Contain Donald J. Trump!”

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.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-35717888

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012

http://bipartisanreport.com/2016/03/07/mitt-romney-files-fec-paperwork-to-run-in-2016-election/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/seeing-trump-as-vulnerable-gop-elites-now-eye-a-contested-convention/2016/03/07/976d2c62-e487-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/video/mitt-romney-to-gop-dont-pick-donald-trump/vi-BBqiMSK

http://www.gallup.com/poll/154559/US-Presidential-Election-Center.aspx

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

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

http://www.ontheissues.org/Mitt_Romney.htm

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/08/politics/primary-election-results-live-updates/index.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

For all practical purposes, Team GOP has become the Party of Trump. If you believe the voters rather than the oft-rehearsed lines of the Party apparatus, numerous operatives, the still-in-denial Party Establishment, and the voices of the Right Wing chattering class, all of whom have much to lose by being too closely identified with the angry (his word, not mine) New York billionaire, Donald J. Trump, you believe, as I do, that Mr. Trump is towering over the remainder of the Republican field of candidates seeking to secure the Party’s nomination for President. He did so when there was a crowded field of 17 candidates, and despite the arbiters of conventional wisdom who argued enthusiastically that he and his energetic movement would dissolve like the Wicked Witch of the West when doused by water if only the field would thin out, and he does now. That was 12 suspended campaigns ago, or more than two-thirds of the candidates in the original field. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, with only 5 candidates remaining in contention for the GOP Nomination, DJ Trump is still kicking asterisks and taking names.

Yesterday was Super Tuesday, a day in which 11 states conducted Primary Elections or Caucuses. They include:

• Alabama (Trump)
• Georgia (Trump)
• Massachusetts (Trump)
• Tennessee (Trump)
• Virginia (Trump)
• Arkansas (Trump)
• Vermont (Trump)
• Alaska (Expected Trump)
• Texas (Cruz)
• Oklahoma (Cruz)
• Minnesota (Rubio)

Of those states, Donald Trump was projected the winner as soon as the polls closed in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Massachusetts; Virginia was quickly added, Arkansas and Vermont were declared in his category by 11:00-11:30 p.m. Eastern. At that time Senator Ted Cruz had claimed his home state of Texas, and neighboring Oklahoma. Around the same time, Senator Marco Rubio claimed victory in Minnesota; his first win of the campaign season.  The last state to be decided, Alaska, was still counting ballots as this post went to press.

A month or two ago, Trump, full of confidence and the swagger borne of his own success opined that his mojo was so robust he could stand in the middle of 5^th Avenue (NYC) and shoot someone, and he would not lose votes. He repeated this forebodingly braggadocios boast again in recent weeks. Of course, no one but no one ever mistook Donald Trump for a shrinking violet. He’s been and remains the one candidate who never ducks a hot mic. He has also “almost” never been found lacking for answers, regardless of the question…or the factually verifiable nature of his replies.

This weekend however, the Donald, mystifyingly, broke his own protocol. In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper this past Sunday, Trump “blinked.” When asked if he would disavow white supremacist David Duke, who endorsed Mr. Trump, the New Yorker lost his normal bravado and claimed not to be familiar with Duke, and said he’d have to research the question in order to provide an informed response. Aside from the fact no one ever recalls such a non-response response from Trump, he had, on several instances in the past, distanced himself from Mr. Duke. The more cynical among us deduced that the fact the question was posed just two days prior to Super Tuesday when 7 Southern States, many of which have a significant Duke following, would be voting had a lot, if not everything to do with Trump’s tightly crafted and sanitized answer. I’m not saying that’s my opinion. I’ll leave it to you to draw your own conclusion. I will however suggest if a smell test were applied, the odds of that reply passing would be slim.

A day later, Mr. Trump would endeavor to clarify his response, saying his earpiece was faulty, and he didn’t understand the question. Never mind that Mr. Trump has previously pulled excuses out of his repertoire when he flubbed a question. In September Hugh Hewitt of the Salem Radio Network in a foreign policy discussion with Trump asked a question about the Quds, and Trump answered about the Kurds. Trump cried foul and claimed it was a “Gotcha Question.” This of course totally dismisses the fact Mr. Hewitt was conducting an interview and posing questions on foreign policy to a man “who would be President.” Gotcha? I got your gotcha. GTFOOH!

But let’s not lose the lesson. As I suggested last week, Donald Trump is approaching political bulletproof status. One need go no further than recognizing that DJ Trump is an individual who has:

• Characterized most Mexicans entering the United States as rapists
• Promised to build a wall separating our two countries and “make Mexico pay for it”
• Declared John McCain is not a war hero
• Called Senator Lindsey Graham weak and ineffectual
• Dubbed Jeb Bush low energy
• Referred to Ted Cruz as the biggest liar ever
• Said Marco Rubio was “sweating like a dog”
• Suggested he would ban Muslims from entering the country and deport all illegal aliens
• Insisted he saw thousands of Muslims celebrating in New Jersey after 9/11
• Dissed Fox News analyst Megyn Kelly and attacked Carly Fiorina’s looks

While that may not be a Top 10, it is certainly a significant sample. But then, even if it were a Top 10, at least one of those items would have to be displaced by the recent David Duke row. Last night, as he gave remarks after acknowledging his 5 Primary victories (up to that time), in response to a direct question, he firmly and repeatedly disavowed David Duke and hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), though he never referred to either Duke or the Klan by name. It took far too long, but in bulletproof fashion, better late than never.

The GOP brain trust wants greatly to diminish and/or dismiss any thoughts that Trump will prevail, and to at nearly all costs distance itself from his brand. To all my friends and associates who happen to be Republicans, you have missed your opportunity. That is not to say with 100% certainty that Donald Trump will capture the Republican Nomination. But make no mistake about it, the closest thing the GOP has to a presumptive nominee is DJ Trump. Like it or not, it is what it is.

This is where things get interesting. In the erstwhile smoke-filled rooms (very few interior spaces permit smoking these days), and back alleyways of Republicandom, operatives, bundlers, the Party apparatus, and a host of bigwigs and muckety-mucks are huddled and feverishly conferencing and negotiating on pathways to derail the Trump Express. Party officials deny it, of course, but back channel conversations always leak the obvious. This is happening even as a number of Party moguls and celebrities, reluctantly, or strategically, you decide, are lining up to endorse Trump.

To date, that list includes former GOP Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr., and NASCAR Chairman and CEO, Brian France (So much for that NASCAR Diversity Initiative). It does not include the aforementioned David Duke…but he has endorsed Mr. Trump. On an aside, Jon Huntsman, Jr., former Ambassador to Singapore, and the 16^th Governor of Utah, has stated he would likely support Trump were he to become the Party’s nominee.

During his comments last night, Ted Cruz, who has won a total of 3 states (Iowa, Texas, and Oklahoma) all but urged Marco Rubio and the other candidates to get out of the race because, he is the only one who has beaten Trump 3 times, and the only one who can beat him for the nomination. Rubio, who won Minnesota last night, for his part indicated that he is continuing to accrue delegates, and intends to continue for the foreseeable future. Translation: You get out. No, you get out. Advantage Trump.

All things considered, if anyone other than Trump had amassed the metrics he has by now, the race would be declared over. To summarize, of the fifteen contests held to date, Rubio has won once, while Cruz has prevailed three times.  That means Donald Trump has amassed eleven victories, presuming Alaska holds to projected form. Of course, Given Sarah Palin’s endorsement it would be quite the irony if Donald Trump did not win the day in “The Last Frontier.” The estimated Delegate Count per candidate after yesterday’s results is, Trump – 274, Cruz – 149, Rubio – 82, Katich – 25, and Carson – 8.  The total required to clinch the Nomination is 1,237 Delegates; happy hunting.

You can believe it, or you can do your best ostrich imitation and stick your head in the sand. Alas, to do so is quite simply to fool yourself. That’s your choice; I ain’t gonna be mad atcha. When all is said and done, what you are left with is…”An Inconvenient Truth The GOP Refuses To Openly Admit!”

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://thinkprogress.org/politics/2016/02/29/3754695/trump-fox-news-juan-williams/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tptop3&utm_term=3&utm_content=13&elqTrackId=587e75f6ee924390873f8ec58bdd739d&elq=14cdc4ced805466abf60a8b9d2deee7d&elqaid=29325&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=5143

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/super-tuesday-states-219886

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/03/politics/donald-trump-gotcha-question-terrorist-leaders-hugh-hewitt/index.html

http://www.inquisitr.com/2655426/donald-trumps-largest-tall-tales-of-2015-republican-presidential-hopeful-named-king-of-whoppers/

http://www.cnn.com/specials/politics/super-tuesday-2016

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

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVi4JUdZWdS8AKjgPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTBzdDByNmd0BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNyZWw-?p=trump+on+marco+rubio+sweating+video&type=mcy_coin02_15_12_sa&param1=yhsbeacon&param2=f%3D2%26b%3DSafari%26cc%3DUS%26p%3Dmcyahoo%26cd%3D2XzuyEtN2Y1L1QzutCtDyEtBtC0DyCyEtGzztAyC0AtGyD0CzyyCtGzz0A0DtDtGzztAzztCyEyB0B0C0BtDyEtBtN1L1G1B1V1N2Y1L1Qzu0D0CyE0B0B0C0D0EtGzyzz0DyDtGyE0EyD0BtGzzyCtDtAtG0B0EtC0E0DzztCyByBtDtD0AtN1Q2Zzu0StCtCyByDtN1L2XzutAtFyDtFtDtFtCtDtN1L1Czu%26cr%3D1984512836%26a%3Dmcy_coin02_15_12_sa&hsimp=yhs-fullyhosted_011&hspart=iry&ei=UTF-8&fr2=rs-top&fr=sfp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_candidates,_2016

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/01/politics/super-tuesday-results-live-updates/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/politics/jon-huntsman-donald-trump-david-axelrod/?iid=ob_article_footer_expansion&iref=obinsite

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

http://www.nytimes.com/?action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&region=TopBar&module=HomePage-Title&pgtype=article

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/28/politics/donald-trump-jeff-sessions-endorsement/index.html

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/24/donald-trump-secures-congressional-endorsements/

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/chris-christie-endorses-donald-trump-219861

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/03/01/donald-trump-nascar-endorsements/

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/aaron-carter-endorses-donald-trump-for-president-responds-to-fans-on-twitter-w165506

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/26/evangelical-leader-jerry-falwell-jr-endorses-trump/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-donald-trump-endorsement-sarah-palin-20160119-story.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

As a casual observer of the American body politic, and a fascinated on-looker of what on it’s face appears to be one of the most rambunctious political seasons in recent memory, I am increasingly amazed that my initial characterization of the so-called Trump phenomenon continues to resonate as on point. In mid-June when Trump announced his Presidential Campaign and immediately began denigrating Mexicans, he was rewarded by quickly rocketing to the top of the charts so to speak, as far as GOP poll numbers are concerned. It was about that time I predicted that this guy might just shock the world and go on to capture the GOP Nomination.

That was then, and it was early. Most of my friends discounted my assessment as just my normal tendency to expect the worst of evils to prevail in political contests (because too many folks cede to apathy and opt out of voting). If my friends provided a counterbalance with a personal touch, based on their own insights about me, the professional pundit class offered the objective and expert opinion that Mr. Trump’s soaring arc of popularity was just a fleeting matter that would soon come to an end.

That is what they said after he deemed Mexicans raping marauders. They were wrong. That is what they said when he said Senator John McCain was not a war hero. They were wrong. That is what they said when he broadcast Senator Lindsey Graham’s cell phone number on live TV. They were wrong. That is what they said when he, without documentation or authentication, claimed he saw thousands of Muslims cheering in New Jersey after 9/11. They were wrong. That is what they said when he had a Hispanic journalist removed from one of his rallies. They were wrong. That is what they said when he placed second in the Iowa Caucuses after having led in the polls right up to the day of the Caucuses. They were wrong.

I could go on, but I think you get the point. After failing to win the Iowa Caucuses, where he finished second, Donald Trump has rebounded by winning the next three states, including two Primaries, and one set of Caucuses. There are many ways to frame this, and the candidates undoubtedly do that more creatively than I ever could.

In Iowa, Marco Rubio, who finished third, responded with a series of news conferences and media spots that led Ted Cruz to point out the misplaced self-promotion and ensuing media adulation bestowed upon the third place finisher, while, in his view, ignoring the winner (himself). But this GOP-i-fied new math was not only a factor in Iowa. Last night Ted Cruz finished third in Nevada and all but declared victory. He boasted that his campaign is the only campaign to beat Donald Trump in the first four contests, and he further asserted that his campaign is the only campaign than can beat Donald Trump. that is true, but, so what?  On this particular night, he did not beat Donald Trump.  In fact, he is now on a three contest losing streak, finishing third in each case, twice behind Rubio, and once behind Kasich.  I suppose turnabout really is fair play.  LOL!

An interesting thing has happened as the GOP contest unfolds. All those folks who have been so consistently wrong about the projection of a soon to be faltering Donald Trump includes the Party Establishment. I’m not a Republican, and while I may not be the most astute of political observers…I am still a political observer.

What have I observed? Alexander Pope said, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” I have seen Republicans hope against hope that Trump’s star would fade. Time marches on; now there are those whom, no longer content to merely hope, are poised to take matters into their own hands and try to alter the operational dynamics of the Party’s multiple campaigns. For weeks now, there have been rumblings that the field must narrow in order to promote a redistribution of voters to candidates other than DJ Trump. A large swath of conventional wisdom has held for some time, that if candidates drop out, their votes will go to one of the establishment candidates, e.g., Bush, Cruz, Kasich, or Rubio.

The problem with conventional wisdom frequently is, very often it proves not to be particularly wise. Take this conversation for example. In the last couple of weeks, several GOP candidates have dropped out of the race, including Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, and Jeb Bush. Conventional wisdom, at least as practiced by all those folks who urged those candidates to get out so the remaining candidates could contain Trump, got an unceremonious comeuppance last night. The GOP field, which stands at just more than a third of its original number, was greeted by some stunning metrics last night.

Absent roughly 10 candidates, Trump’s numbers didn’t weaken; they strengthened. The punditry has loudly and frequently repeated the trope that Trump was only able to garner 25% to 30% of the vote. They insisted that when the field narrowed, the traditional candidates would emerge stronger and Trump would subsequently fade.

Earlier this week, Trump scoffed at that notion and declared that he would get his share of those voters. Score one for the Donald. Nevada may or may not be like anywhere else, but it’s fair to say, they showed Donald Trump the love. In the Nevada Caucuses, he earned roughly 45% of the vote. So much for 25% to 30%. In fact, he didn’t just outperform the artificial ceiling placed upon him by the pundit class, he smashed the measuring stick. His numbers, well over 40%, approached those of Rubio and Cruz combined, both of whom finished in the 20’s.

Let me be clear, the race for the GOP Presidential Nomination is by no means over. While I’m giving them a fair amount of grief, the pundits and experts still have an opportunity to be right. But make no mistake about it, the clock is running and Trump continues to defy the odds. The next plank in the conventional wisdom theories holds that for Trump to be slowed or stopped, either Cruz or Rubio must exit the race. Key races are approaching. There is reason to believe Cruz could, if not should, win Texas, where he is a sitting Senator. Likewise, Rubio has a shot in Florida, where he serves as a Senator. Super Tuesday is around the corner, just six days away. The GOP Establishment appears to be leaning toward Rubio, instead of the often irascible, even to his own Party, Cruz.

I write all that to say, the fun is just getting started. However, if the GOP Establishment doesn’t get a handle on it’s Trump “problem,” which admittedly, his supporters view in a quite different light, they will have to come to grips with an undeniably victorious Donald Trump, whose best quote from last night’s speech was, as he noted the demographics he won, said, “We won with the poorly educated; I love the poorly educated.”

I bet he does! But I’m going to leave that right there, because as easy as it may be to take off on that, he won lots of demographics, including the well educated, but perhaps most notably, the Latino population. I’m just gonna leave that there for you to cogitate upon.  But it did not end there either.  Trump won every major demographic except for voters under 30…which accounted for less than 8% of the turnout.

That’s about it. Four contests are in the books. “Act IV, Scene I: Nevadans Bet Big on Trump!”

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/Republican_Party_presidential_candidates,_2016

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/nevada-republican-caucuses-live-updates/index.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/nevada-republican-caucus-results/index.html?section=money_news_international

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/politics/nevada-caucus-republican-problems/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/politics/marco-rubio-nevada-caucus-strategy/index.html

http://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/primaries/results/nevada

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/us/politics/nevada-caucus-gop.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

http://news.yahoo.com/trump-wins-nevada-gop-caucuses-050435455.html;_ylt=A0LEVvJcXs1WXUgAnXQPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMDgyYjJiBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw–

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_29554062/nevada-gop-caucuses-trump-notches-another-win-rubio-bids-elbow-past-cruz?source=rss

http://fox59.com/2016/02/24/trump-wins-nevada-caucus-cnn-projects/

It’s time to Break It Down!

Saturday, February 13, 2016 may be a day that will reverberate throughout the entire 2016 Presidential Election Season. It was on that day that an official in Presidio County, Texas, Cinderela Guevara, declared Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia dead of natural causes. Shortly after that pronouncement, a cacophony of Republican voices emerged suggesting, subtly in some cases, emphatically in others, that the Senate would not consider any nominee that President Obama might put forward to fill the seat formerly held by the late Justice.

The Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, said the American people should have a voice in the selection of the next justice, (and oh, by the way, he implied electing President Obama twice did not qualify to meet that standard); he added the vacancy should not be filled until after a new President is elected. The Majority Leader’s opining was swift and sure, coming about an hour after the Justice’s death was confirmed.

The timing was propitious in that it occurred prior to last Saturday evening’s GOP Debate in Greenville, South Carolina. Following the cues of the Senate Leader, each of the last six men standing in the GOP race (some would argue, to the bottom) for the Presidential nomination opted to protest even the idea of President Obama selecting another nominee for the High Court.

But it did not stop with them. The siren, or if you prefer, dog whistle call circulated around and throughout the GOP universe, especially in the all-important realm of the Senate. A number of Republican Senators weighed in on the subject, including:

Senator Orrin Hatch, Utah – A member of the Judiciary Committee, and potential candidate for The Supreme Court (presumably by a Republican President). Yesterday he said, “There’s no need to bring forth a nominee to succeed Justice Scalia in the politically charged environment of a presidential election year.” He further argued that “The Constitution doesn’t say that you have to do this in a certain constraint,” in comments made to CNN.

Senator Rob Portman, Ohio – He said, “I believe the best thing for the country is to trust the American people to weigh in on who should make a lifetime appointment that could reshape the court for generations.” (Again, I note, the people have spoken, twice!)

Senator Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania – Mr. Toomey said, “Obama insists that he will nominate someone for the court. He certainly has the authority to do so. But let’s be clear – his nominee will be rejected by the Senate.”  Alrighty then!

Senator Ted Cruz, Texas – One of the GOP’s leading Presidential Candidates elevated filling Scalia’s vacant seat the centerpiece of his campaign.  I guess it’s on now.

On paper, this is a battle the GOP is positioned to win. Their role in considering Supreme Court nominations is advice and consent. Of course, they do not have to approve the nominee. The Senate Judiciary Committee is currently composed of 20 members. Of that number, 11 are Republicans, 9 are Democrats. This is the Committee charged with holding confirmation hearings, and voting whether to send the nominee to the full Senate. The GOP also holds an overall Senate majority, 54-46. As such, Democrats have the unenviable, conceivably impossible task of persuading 14 Republicans to join them in breaking what is sure to be a filibuster.

The math is actually the simple part of the looming decisions on this question. The political calculus is also significant. Control of the Senate will be determined by the outcome of November’s elections. Democrats view Ohio (Portman), Pennsylvania (Toomey), New Hampshire (Kelly Ayotte), and Wisconsin (Ron Johnson) as states the Party can possibly flip in November. As a result, they are highlighting the GOP Senator’s call to wait until next year…and the next President. For example, Ted Strickland, an Ohio Democrat has produced a funding appeal that emphasizes Senator Portman’s position. In it he said:

Senator Portman “has a clear choice to make: He can look out for his Party and D.C. special interests by holding back President Obama’s nominee, or he can do his job for the people of Ohio.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats had their own observations and tacks. They unfolded a little something like this:

Governor Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire – She criticized Senator Ayotte, arguing that President Obama’s Constitutional right to nominating a replacement is not suspended in his last year in office.

Three Pennsylvania Democrats challenged Toomey and railed against partisanship over Senatorial responsibility. It is clear we face another example of the partisan divide that has shadowed the Obama Presidency.

Senator Dick Durbin, Illinois, Number 2 Democrat in the Senate – Durban notes, “Senate Republicans continue to think that governing is as simple as being against President Obama at every turn. It’s not, and the American people deserve better leadership than they’re getting with this Congress.”

As the early days in the wake of Justice Scalia’s demise pass, Democrats appear to be intent upon trying to pressure the Senate Majority Leader to allow a nominee to move forward. Thus far Senator McConnell has shown no evidence he is likely to relent from his initial position, expressed shortly after the death of Justice Scalia was announced.

A number of the conservative groups that exulted in satisfaction at having had a hand in forcing GOP Speaker of the House John Boehner to step down have questioned Senator McConnell’s loyalty, and insisted that he remain firm in his commitment.  We will see.

Michael Needham, Heritage Action – “Senator McConnell is right. Under no circumstance should the Republican Senate majority confirm a Supreme Court nominee as Americans are in the midst of picking the next president. Republican rhetoric condemning President Obama’s willful disregard for the rule of law will ring hollow if they do confirm a nominee.”

In the overarching picture, Republicans and Democrats have argued over the Senate’s production, or lack thereof this year. Any potential action on trade and/or criminal justice reform looks more unlikely than ever. However, the President’s allies are endeavoring to make it clear that if the GOP chooses to ignore or delay the President’s nominee, they will accuse the GOP majority of obstruction, thus framing a salient argument in their case to retake the Senate. It’s safe to say, this will be chess, not checkers.

For his part, President Obama has lifted Justice Scalia’s legal philosophy and injected it squarely into the debate. The Constitutional scholar committed to follow the words and “original intent” of the Constitution by choosing an indisputably qualified nominee. He is flatly rejecting the calls of the GOP to leave the selection to his successor.

The President said he was amused by those members of the GOP who call themselves strict interpreters of the Constitution, and who were citing unwritten precedent about not confirming justices during an election year…in order to justify their position. He went on to say:

“It’s pretty hard to find that in the Constitution. The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now.” To put a finer point on the conversation, the President said, “I expect there to be hearings. I expect there to be a vote. Full stop.” The President made those comments yesterday shortly after two key Senate Republicans expressed some level of doubt about the Majority Leader’s suggestion that there should be no nomination process during an election year.

Some experts noted GOP leaders might have made a tactical error that could incite a public backlash. Republican Senator Charles Grassley, Iowa, head of the Judiciary Committee indicated he might be open to holding hearings on an Obama nominee. He added he’d wait until after the nominee is revealed before deciding on the ultimate course of action.

Thom Tillis, Republican, North Carolina, warned his GOP colleagues that if they rejected the President’s nominee, sight unseen, they might actually be rightly called obstructionist. I suppose time is an arbiter of perspective, even for Republicans.

On Saturday evening Grassley had said it was “standard practice” to not confirm new Supreme Court justices in an election year. He said:

“It only makes sense that we defer to the American people who will elect a new president” in November. I’m sure it is more than somewhat significant that legal experts have cited over half a dozen instances since 1900 in which justices were confirmed during an election year.

Ironically, Senator Grassley was one of the 97 Senators who voted unanimously to confirm Justice Anthony M. Kennedy in February 1988, which just happened to be the last year of the Reagan Presidency. There is considerable speculation not just on whom the President will nominate, but on whether the individual will be a moderate or a liberal. Quite naturally, neither the current Judiciary Committee, nor the Senate would confirm a liberal. However, refusal to confirm the President’s nominee might be used to create a spike in Democratic voters this fall. There may actually be some motivation to take this route because the truth is, the GOP, even if they hold hearings is not likely to approve an Obama nominee, on GP, even if that person were deemed a moderate.  IJS!

So, what has already been shaping up as an unpredictable election season just received an added wrinkle. We knew the Executive Branch was up for grabs and there would be a new President next January. Now it looks likely the Legislative Branch may get caught up in the winds of change, as the Senate appears to be in play. Finally, whether this year or next, there will be a new Justice added to the Supreme Court. In the super unlikely event President Obama prevails and his nominee is confirmed, or if not, but a Democrat is elected in November, the majority on the High Court will change hands from Right leaning to Centrist or Left leaning. We have truly reached “Another Level: All Three Branches of Government in Play!”

I’m done; holla back!

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

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

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

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/02/13/mcconnel-obama-scalia-replacement

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/16/politics/barack-obama-antonin-scalia-replacement/index.html

http://www.sltrib.com/home/3543422-155/senate-gop-to-obama-dont-bother

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/15/us/politics/gop-debate-highlights.html?_r=0

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/mitch-mcconnell-antonin-scalia-supreme-court-nomination-219248

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/13/10987814/obama-republicans-scalia

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/13/10987112/scalia-replacement-republicans

http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2016/02/14/bush-on-blocking-a-potential-replacement-for-justice-scalia-its-up-to-mitch-mcconnell-it-is-not-important-to-me/