If they elected you President of the United States,
what would you do to make America Great again????


One thing about Trump, he can't be bought! And a second thing about Trump, he must care about the country because he certainly don't need to put himself through all this misery.

Oh good heavens, Jabber. That is a tough question!

I have long said that I would never run for public office - especially a national one - even though I love the idea of serving my fellow inhabitants of the earth. Too many haters in the world, and too many people who would look at choices I have made in the past and question them. Even though I might believe that I made the best possible decision for the time.

Anyway, I have not been a fan of Trump. I think a lot of the stuff he's been saying is ill-informed hot air. BUT I was really surprised this morning to hear that fellow billionaire Mark Cuban - who has not seemed to be a fan of Trump in the past - make a fairly positive comment about his presidency.

According to CNN Politics, Cuban said:

The part I found most important was this:


So: the problem with running for national office is that you never get to start from a totally clean plate. These is always going to be a hangover of "stuff" that happened before you got there, which you will be sucked into. You can't help it.

And that's - IMHO - one big reason why new and aspiring politicians generally fail to actually do the things they run on. They can't. The old quagmire trips them up.

And if I were POTUS, I guess one thing I would want to do to help make America Great again would be to put programs in place that would actively involve real people in fixing the little stuff in each of our communities. Sort of an FDR-like program, it would help get our roads and bridges fixed affordably, it would get older people working with youth, it would help people help each other.

But I'll have to think further, Jabber, about how it would work.

I must not be the only person impressed with Donald Trump! Indications are many others also think he's refreshing! I'm tired of "all talk" and "no action."

Jabber, I have been sucked into the political arena much sooner than I usually pay it any attention, simply because of the Trump factor.

I realize he is a consummate deal-maker, after all, he's written more than 6 books, the most famous being "The Art of the Deal," a book I have not read. But whose title reflects his expertise. He also co-wrote "Why We Want You to be Rich," a book I did read when it came out in 2006.

I think Americans are tired of the feeling of being held hostage by the world of politics as it has become. After all, post 2009, the last big election period, we kicked a ton of career politicians out of office, and elected a bunch of Tea Partiers, who were elected on their promises to reduce the size of government, and return conservatism to power.

Instead, IMHO, what we got was stagnancy. A stalemated system. The checks and balances that are supposed to keep our government under control aren't happening.

And meanwhile, out in Main Street, there's a politics of hatred brewing. Weekly the news media talk about another black person and/or younger person and/or cop being killed.

The death toll is so high I can no longer keep track of them. And everyone is pointing fingers.

We are no longer "the land of the free, and the home of the brave." And I don't know what will have to happen to cause us to be able to come together as a nation again...

At night these days, I watch TV shows like "The Astronauts Wives Club," and I long for the America of the 60s. The compelling scene on a recent episode, where it was announced that President Kennedy had been shot, comes to mind: The wives (many of whom had met JFK and Jackie) were stunned. They quickly said, "We need to be together during a time like this." So the screen showed a procession of the Houston-based astronaut families, trailing coolers, grills, charcoal and food, all walking down the center of the street, heading for the local park. Where they would eat together, and grieve together.

Clearly as we head into another election cycle, we Americans are AGAIN looking for something different. And at the moment, Trump seems to be able to project that "something."

Meanwhile, the "clown car" of all the rest of the Republican candidates trails behind, while these potential front-runners jockey around, trying to figure out how to get their names into the game.

The next few months will be interesting. The thing that concerns me, however, is that I am not sure ANYONE, even someone as charismatic and refreshing as Trump, can actually get anything to change in Washington. Remember: Obama ran on change, the Tea Partiers ran on change. We all want it. But it will take a very skillful politician to be able to unite all the current (in place) warring factions, and get them to work together.

It seems to be that the last time the US was able to come together an all work in a united was was after 9/11. It seems to take something that awful and evil to allow all our disparate factions to unite.

I'm not a political person. I rarely talk about politics. But even I am sickened by what is happening here in the US, and I'd love to see more discussion about how to heal America. Even though we have a rule not to talk politics here on this forum.

Anyone else willing to join the discussion, in a ladylike way? Remember, we don't want the hurt feelings that come from calling each other names... So this would need to be a civil chat.

IMHO we came together after 9/11 but 9/11 gave some folks' a
platform for exploitation. Case in point: Private Security Companies took hold in a big way by selling "background checks" to business owners: giving proprietors' a tool to see what sort of people they're doing business with, and/or as a way of weeding out the lowlife. Get a name. Run a check. Problem is that's only good if the information being posted is true. I believe, however, many people are unfairly flagged with tainted, sullied reputations. Citizens' freedoms are eroded, while Private Security companies are making big bucks off the backs of the innocent.

I don't like dicussing politics either but things needs to change. America is no longer free, though so many soldiers' have died or been maimed to protect this country's freedoms. I think Trump can buck the system. Nobody can buy him. He stands by his beliefs. And he doesn't need to do what he's doing. He's made an excellent life for himself and certainly doesn't need the misery of being scrutinized by 330,000,000 people!

Those are all good reasons to support Trump, Jabber I agree.

Me, I am still on the sidelines watching, at least until we have a few of these debates that are causing so much drama right now.

And on the Democratic side, I am waiting to see whether Hillary's issues with her private server escalate to the point that she has to withdraw. I am intrigued that Joe Biden may end up throwing his hat in as well.

The concept that he would reluctantly choose to do it because of Beau's deathbed wish certainly plays well with people's heartstrings. And I do think that he is a good man and a solid and experienced public servant.

I know we're on different sides of the political aisle. I'm just afraid of having more of the same if Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Biden
are elected. IMHO there needs to be a good housecleaning in the law-making bodies. Just sayin'...

I understand what you're saying, Jabber.

And I'm actually glad Trump is running, though I do think his candidacy has meant that other Republican candidates aren't being heard. You are right, as far as his not needing any PACs to fund his campaign. And as Mark Cuban said, he is putting himself out there, in a place where normally only politicians are willing to tread.. You have to admire him for that.

SO: Will you be watching the debates this evening?

Absolutely!

IMHO here's the order I see the GOP presidential contenders after the first debate: Donald Trump; Carly Fiorina; John Kasich; Dr. Ben Carson. I truly admire Dr. Carson and think he's an awesome person. But I also think he's too meek and mild. America needs somebody with fire in their belly. This country needs somebody to stand up for Her, defend Her and not cowtow to leaders of other countries. I want America to be "great again";
I want Her to be respected. And I want Her ideals to be revered.
What say you???