Weekly Wilson - Blog of Author Connie C. Wilson - Welcome to WeeklyWilson.com, where author/film critic Connie (Corcoran) Wilson avoids totally losing her marbles in semi-retirement by writing about film (see the Chicago Film Festival reviews and SXSW), politics and books----her own books and those of other people. You'll also find her diverging frequently to share humorous (or not-so-humorous) anecdotes and concerns. Try it! You'll like it!

“The Day the Music Stopped” to Screen at Nashville Film Festival on 9/20/2024

On September 7, 2024

In Editorial, Music, News, Pop Culture, travel

THE EXIT/IN

Exit/In bar in Nashville, Tennessee

“The Day the Music Stopped,” directed by Patrick Sheehan is a 95 minute film that explores the end of an iconic Nashville indie music venue, the Exit/In. Last year’s Nashville Film Festival ended with a buffet meal at the Exit/In. It was great. The Big Names who have played at the iconic Exit/In venue appeared on plaques that literally filled the walls.

The room hosted its last indie concert on November 23, 2022. Fifty-one years of music as an independent venue stopped when Goliath beat David. As Wikipedia explained, Exit/In’s demise, it had 25 different owners over the years from 1971 to 2022 and was not continuously open, but it definitely was a place where many big names in music either got their start or performed over the years. It even served vegetarian food for a brief period. Comedian Steve Martin performed there while climbing the ladder of success.

LAST INDIE OWNERS LOSE

The final owners before the Big Boys of Music moved in and took over were Chris Cobb and his wife, Teisha, who put up a valiant fight to keep the venue independent. However, on November 14, 2022, club operators, Chris and Telisha Cobb, announced their departure.^[^2] In December 2022 AJ Capital Partners, was announced as the new purchasers and operators of the venue.^[^3]^[^4] The venue was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023. There are still shows at Exit/In and the Rock Block, but admission prices to the 500-seat space have, no doubt, increased. (There was even talk of how Live Nation would charge musicians a fee simply to use their lights.) There is a hopeful bit of film showcasing (Attorney General) Merrick Garland at the very end of the film that would probably bring forth a cheer from the group assembled in the photo below this paragraph.

Exit/In’s last indie show in 2022.

This film depicts the tumultuous last show as an indie venue and also charts a path forward that gives a glimmer of hope—a national movement, Save our Stages. Watching the crowd surfing group revel one last time you could feel the joy and also the sadness in the room.

The city and the state face the reality that capitalistic greed is destroying the music culture created in Nashville over decades. As Chris Cobb of the Exit/In said, “The winds of charge are certainly upon us.” Much of the fight centers on who owns the brand name “Exit/In.” (Still unresolved). A.J. Capital Partners (of Chicago) is the villain of the piece, especially when we learn that they are in business with Live Nation. It seems to be only a matter of time before the Big Boys gobble up all of the small venues that used to provide platforms for the future Taylor Swifts and Garth Brooks of the music business.

One by one, iconic venues are listed and (mostly) shown going under—Mercy Lounge (closed May 19, 2022), Douglas Corners, Exit/In, Lindsay Corners (saw Low Cut Connie there the last time I was in town), the Bluebird Cafe. The music business is still very unstable post-pandemic. Although Exit/In closed for what they thought would only be 3 months during the pandemic, the iconic venue once reopened in 1981 by Chuck Berry which spawned so many big names through the years is one of the casualties of what is described as “a corporate takeover of America by capitalists.” Exit/In still open, but it’s not the same.

THE OLD DAYS

Up-and-coming Nashville.

Many in the documentary talk about how, if you arrived in Nashville before 2012 or 2013, Nashville was a very different town. My daughter selected Nashville as her college town in 2005 (Belmont College). She can testify to the many changes that the city has experienced.

The film does a good job of explaining why 43 buildings on Music Row were demolished between 2013 and 2018. It also lays bare the dilemma that Nashville faces. “It truly is a crisis situation here in Music City.” As the Mayor outlined “an unparalleled series of challenges for cities with only a few million in cash reserves” the picture begins to focus. It’s not good news for those who considered Exit/In “a sacred space for Nashville.”

John Cooper, Mayor of Nashville.

John Cooper, the Mayor of Nashville, explains that, although Nashville has certainly enjoyed a booming economy, “We had not been a good steward of our finances.” When tough times hit, Nashville only had a few million dollars in its contingency fund, not enough to handle the crises that beset the city, beginning in 2010.

THE FLOOD, THE STORM, COVID & OTHER CATASTROPHES

Nashville flood of 2010.

First, there was the flood of 2010, which ruined downtown Nashville.

Then came the deadliest tornado on record on March 2, 2020 (25 people died). (There’s been another since then that killed 3 people on the block where my daughter lives in December of 2023.)

Just one week later, Covid struck the nation and the world.

Indie music venues were impacted very negatively. Even today, “a lot of clubs are in limbo.” It is an eco-system that cannot survive without assistance. The Exit/In closed for what they thought would be 3 months.

Add to the natural disasters the 63-year-old Nashville resident, Anthony Quinn Walker, who blew himself up inside an RV parked outside an AT&T building on December 25^th of 2020, taking most of historic 2^nd Avenue with him, and you have the makings of the dilemma that haunts creatives in Nashville now. As the film points out so well, the residents of Nashville have to ask themselves “Where are we heading?”

A GLIMMER OF HOPE

Famous spokespeople like Ben Folds speak out about the potential closing of RCA Studio A, the studio where Chet Atkins and Elvis recorded. It was established on June 20, 1924. It almost met the wrecking ball on Chet Atkins’ 90^th birthday, until some notable names like Ben Folds and Keith Urban stepped up and made efforts to save the iconic studio.

Erica Wollam, General Manager & Chief Operating Officer Bluebird Cafe.

Throughout the film there is much information about the fight to keep the Exit/In out of the hands of Live Nation. But Live Nation bought Ticketmaster and, as one executive told the owner of the venue, “In 10 years we’ll control the business from the top to the bottom.” A 2021 Live Nation document is shown onscreen that spells out how, if an artist were to cancel his or her Live Nation concert, “the artist will pay promoters double the artist fee.” It also highlighted how the cost of insurance to artists increased from 0% to 100% and, all-in-all, while getting only 40 cents on the dollar from any gig they might play in Music City under the auspices of the big music biz entrepreneurs, it has become more and more difficult to make a living as a musician—not that it was ever easy.

There are those who are fighting to save the stages. Jeff Syracuse, a BMI executive, is a City Councilman who is well aware of the competition for space in Nashville and how new talent is struggling to find a launching pad amongst dwindling indie clubs. Mike Curb, Chuck Elcan, Chris Cobb, Representative Johnny Garrett (R, Goodlettsville) are all shown working to pass a state-wide live music fund, the first in the nation, that would help struggling indie venues, which seems to be meeting some success by film’s end.

Honky Tonk Central.

Near the end of the film Chris Cobb (last owner of the Exit/In) is awarded the Blayne Tucker Advocacy Award for his work with Save Our Stages. I’ve never heard of Blayne Tucker. But I could relate to the talking head in the film who said “Money is gonna’ win a lot of the time.”

Patrick Sheehan, Stephen Thompson, Ian Criswell (Cinematographers/Director) and Michael Gomez (Photography), with editing by Sheehan have done a great job with this film. It sounds very familiar to an Austin (Tx) resident to learn that the music industry is not a straight-arrow biz. But it does have people within it who really love what they do and want to preserve music culture in their city for all the right reasons.

And then there are the others who just want to make as much money as they can as fast as they can; they don’t seem to care about much else. The creators of “The Day the Music Stopped,” both onscreen and behind the camera compiling this engaging documentary, obviously do care. With this documentary they are trying to help preserve the true spirit of Nashville. It’s a sobering look at greed spurred by the competition for space in Nashville. I hope those fighting the good fight catch a break in their struggle. Stay tuned for further developments in Nashville and nationwide.

Wild Bill & the Bruisers Rock Austin on August 30th, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On September 1, 2024

In Editorial, Music, Pop Culture

As part of our annual Wilson Family Fest, some of us journeyed out to hear Nashville band “Wild Bill and the Bruisers” at a bar in Austin, Texas, that was literally less than 5 minutes from our south Austin home. The Nashville-based band that plays on Broadway at various venues was only supposed to be the opening band for a band that had double-booked themselves, leading to the band playing from 8 p.m. until midnight at Sam’s Town Point at 2115 Allred Drive on Friday, August 30th.

Son Scott, Wild Bill (Will Allison), me on Friday night in Austin.

Since the daughter (Stacey) is a Nashville resident, and a graduate of Belmont University just like band leader Will Allison (aka, Wild Bill) she knew them all. Also in the 3-member band are lead guitar and vocals Ryan Hartman and Roger Ross on drums.

The band has an infectious enthusiasm; the crowd this night got into the spirit quickly. The band is releasing an album of their original songs. I think they announced the album would drop on September 14th, but don’t hold me to that. (Some of us were imbibing and dancing at the time.) I learned that my daughter has been doing the two-step a lot, and the rest of the crew (me included) certainly saw some accomplished dancers sweating up a storm in the low-ceilinged and hot Sam’s Town Point. If you look up “dive” in the dictionary, after the verb definition, you might find a picture of Sam’s Town Point, but it’s hard to fault the performance of the three musicians or the response of the crowd.

A friend of Will’s asked me to dance “the two-step,” a dance which I had never seen, let alone danced. Houston (my dance partner) informed me that the rules for this dance were: “Don’t look at your feet. Two steps left and one step right. Keep it close, like you’re in a closet.” I had just drunk my third or fourth Diet Coke (yes, I was drinking plain Diet Coke; after all, I’m here for the Texas Liver Institute to figure out why my liver enzymes are sky high, and your liver hates alcohol.) So, at least I was sober. (As Bill Murray would say, “At least I had that going for me,”)

Will Allison, aka Wild Bill of Wild Bill and the Bruisers

I was intent on hearing the band, as I had seen video of the lead on the bass throwing that thing around like it was a child’s toy. Will (Bill) needs a fairly high ceiling to do it justice and said he had developed a bit of a bad knee from going down on one knee to hoist the rather large fiddle into the air.

All-in-all, it was very entertaining. The honky-tonk and country tunes were big crowd-pleasers. I haven’t thought of the name Conway Twitty since the movie “Bye, Bye Birdie,” where it was changed to Conrad Birdie. That was 1963 and I was a senior in high school, so I was definitely not “up” on the catalogue of tunes that the band covered, but the original song “Do You Want to Dance With Me?” (on the new album) had a Huey Lewis and the News vibe. I certainly know who Johnny Cash was, but my knowledge of honky tonk and/or country music is seriously impaired by devotion to rock-and-roll. Enjoyed the Johnny Cash song Wild Bill selected, as he sold it well.

If you’re going to be in Nashville, check them out by checking their blog for dates and places, https://www.wildbillandthebruisers.com/

You won’t be disappointed.

Guitarist Ryan Hartman at Sam’s Town Point in Austin, Texas, on August 30, 2024.

Harris/Walz Sit for CNN Interview on August 29, 2024

By Connie Wilson

On August 29, 2024

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Interviews, Politics, Television

Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz sat for a joint interview at Kim’s Cafe in Savannah, Georgia on August 29, 2024. It was Harris’ 7th trip to Georgia and it is 68 day from the presidential election.

The Republicans have been making a Big Deal out of the fact that Harris (and Walz) had done no sit-down interviews, despite the fact that she just spoke about her vision for America from the DNC stage in Chicago and has been vocal about her views for a long time. One might point to the fact that Donald J. Trump goes off-script and offers bromides about windmills and toilets when he is onstage, which is not particularly helpful in trying to determine his true mind-set about a second term. It appears that his policy playbook would be “All Retribution All the Time.” He has grudges against a lot of people and is still proclaiming the untenable position that the 2000 election was stolen from him, Only his most loyal and blind-to-the-truth supporters even attempt to repeat that falsehood—the Kari Lakes of the party.

For the rest, it is a given that Trump lost in 2020 and Joe Biden has been President of the United States ever since. Only his decision to step away from the Oval Office at the end of his term and pass the torch to a new generation has vaulted Harris to the national prominence that she now enjoys, but she has been the acting Vice President (and the pivotal key vote in the Senate to break ties) ever since 2020. The GOP seems intent on painting a gloomy picture of the future and of being personally insulting to the woman who once served as Attorney General of the State of California. Trump has even gone so far as to say his 78-year-old orange out-of-shape self is “better looking” than the attractive Democratic candidate.

CNN’s Dana Bash asked Kamala Harris:

ON DAY ONE?

Tim Walz at the DNC in Chicago

If you are elected, what would you do on Day One in the White House? (Some of her answer is paraphrased below):

“I would do what I can support the American middle class….People are ready for a new way forward. .People are fueled by hope and optimism, but the former President is pushing an agenda that is about diminishing the character and strength of Americans. I would be implementing my plan for an opportunity economy (bring down the cost of daily goods, invest in families, extend family tax credit to $6,000, investing in the American family on affordable housing.)

Walz, asked about his agenda for a term as Vice President said his goal would be: “Inspiring Americans to what can be. We did it in Minnesota and diminished childhood poverty by 1/3.”

WE’RE NOT GOING BACK

“We’re not going back.” What if some of the Americans want to go back to DJT’s presidency when things were cheaper? (Bash’s second question.)

“When Joe and I came in our highest priority was to rescue America. Inflation is now under 3%. I have been dealing with price gouging. We need to bring down the cost of housing. (Credit of $25,000 for first-time home buyers.) First of all, we needed to recover as an economy (which is why, she says, she has not done more of this program previously). We capped insulin at $35 a month. When we do the work of bringing down the cost of prescription medication in the first year of being in office, cut child poverty down by as much as 50% this will benefit the American middle class. There’s more to do, but that’s good work.”

FRACKING

Banning fracking. Energy. “Do you still want to ban fracking.” Harris’ answer: I made that clear on the debate stage.” In 2020 she was against fracking. However, in 2024, she says, ” I will not ban fracking.” She also spoke out about the need for work on climate change:
“We have a clear crisis in terms of the climate. We created over 300,000 new energy bans.”

THE BORDER

Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party.

Why did the Biden/Harris wait 3 and ½ years to enforce sweeping border restrictions?

A: “The number of immigrants coming from that region (Central America, Kamala’s chief job as VP to negotiate with leaders of those countries to reduce the flow) has actually been reduced. Joe Biden and I worked with members of the United States Congress and a bill was crafted by some of the most Conservative members of Congress. The bill would have put 1500 new border agents on the border. That bill would have allowed us to seize more shipments of fentanyl. I will make sure it comes to my desk and I will sign it.”

Decriminalizing the border? “We have laws that have to be followed and enforced. I’m the only person in this race who actually served a border state as Attorney General.”

CHANGES ON POLICIES

How did you come to change your mind on policies?

A: “The most significant part of my policies is that my viewpoints and values have not changed. Climate change: Set deadlines and goals. We need to set certain goals and meet them. My values have not changed and 4 years of being VP…traveling the country…I believe it is important to build consensus and to find a common point on which we can build agreement. …I would put a Republican in my administration.” (*This is not particularly revolutionary. After all, Ray LaHood—my former neighbor—served as Secretary of Transportation in Obama’s administration and has endorsed the Harris/Walz ticket, although his son, Darren, spoke glowingly of DJT.”)

TO TIM WALZ:

Hope, Gus and Tim Walz at the DNC.

Service in the National Guard: “I’m incredibly proud of my 24 years in uniform. ..I’ll never demean another member’s service. I never have and I never will.” Walz spoke of his son Gus’ emotional outburst at the DNC in a positive way and only GOP nay-sayers have demeaned the 17-year-old who proudly declared “That’s my Dad” when Walz was onstage.

Walz was asked about his 1995 arrest for DUI: “I’ve been very public. My students come out and vouch for me. I think people know who I am. I’ve taught thousands of students. The contrast could not be clearer between us and our opponents.”

When Kamala Harris was asked about the non-issue of whether she had identified as Black before now, she simply dismissed the comment as being “Same old tired playbook.”

GAZA ISSUE

Gaza: would you do anything differently. “I am unequivocal in Israel’s defense and its ability to defend itself. 1200 people were massacred. Women were horribly raped. Israel has a right to defend itself and so would we. How they do so matters. We have to get a deal done about getting the hostages out, get the cease fire done. We have to get a deal done…the significance to the families, to the people living in this area. I remain committed to a two-state solution.”

JOE BIDEN’S CALL TO HARRIS

Just 39 days ago that Joe Biden dropped out of the race. Before he told the world, he called his VP as she was making pancakes and bacon for her nieces. She spoke very positively of President Biden.

CNN Discussion Post-Interview:

DAVID AXELROD (DNC STRATEGIST)

David Axelrod. (Photo by Lauren Gerson.)

“Kamala exuded a sense of confidence and calm. She was very connected to her words She seemed like someone who could be President of the United States. She handled the issue of her changes or perceived changes in policy pretty well. The idea that her values were the thing that has remained constant was a good one. As she spoke, I thought it showed a certain character. She didn’t run away from Joe Biden. She gave him his due. It was elevating to me in a way that was unexpected. Today, it showed that she can really do it. Hers is a consistent story of growth.

I think Biden deserves a lot more credit for guiding the country through the pandemic and the economic disaster he walked into,. To the degree that they are saying that she is going to continue to do exactly the same thing that Biden did, it is going to be a challenge for her. (But. he noted, it is the President who has the final say on policies, not the VP.)

If I were advising her, I would say make him (Trump) seem small. We know what his habits are. She should have a conversation with the American people about the way forward she sees, not engage with DJT.”

SCOTT JENNINGS (GOP STRATEGIST)

Scott Jennings,

Scott Jennings, Columnist, LA Times, Daily Mail, Gannett: “If I were the Trump people I would be salivating over her failure to show remorse” (for things she and Biden achieved or in Jennings’ opinion, botched.) (*He was critical of the Afghanistan withdrawal, but, finally, a President got us OUT of Afghanistan after many years of hearing it as a goal from others.)

Jennings claimed Harris said she was the last person in the room on Afghanistan. A disagreement arose between Axelrod and Jennings on what that meant. Axelrod pointed out that Harris was the Vice President, not the President, and the policy decisions were ultimately the President’s, not hers.

Others, such as Astead Herndon of the Podcast “The Run-Up” commented that Harris “is a homework do-er. You can see this in her preparation” and, also, that she is ready to be on the defense. Trump is preparing using Tulsi Gabbard who has debated against Kamala Harris.

Pillars of Community—Church, Schools—In Decline

By Connie Wilson

On August 28, 2024

In Editorial, Education, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture

Madison, Tennessee

Alec McGillis in “The New Yorker” reported on the closing of eleven of Rochester, New York’s forty-five schools this way:

SCHOOLS IN CRISIS

“Four years ago, as the school year started with remote learning in many districts around the country, particularly in Democratic-leaning cities, I reported a piece for ProPublica and “The New Yorker” looking at what Zoom school was really like for disadvantaged students. The piece focused on Shemar, a seventh grader in Baltimore who had grown deeply isolated since schools had closed the previous March, and who only occasionally logged on to his online classes. “That homeschooling is not going to get it,” his grandmother said.

Shemar would not return to in-person schooling until the following year, the end of an almost-eighteen-month hiatus. His struggles to engage since then have been unsurprising, and have been shared by countless other students. I have written several more pieces for The New Yorker and ProPublica on the lingering consequences of the closures, including learning loss and chronic absenteeism.

DEC:LINING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

Earlier this year, McGillis decided to report on another aftershock: declining enrollment that is forcing districts to close underpopulated schools on an unprecedented scale. Nationwide, public-school rolls have diminished by more than a million students, as many families have opted to leave for private schools or homeschooling. The declines are particularly stark in places where schools stayed closed the longest during the pandemic. (There is also the declining birth rate, which is plaguing many civilized countries. It is only because of the United States’ robust immigration numbers that our population numbers are not declining like those of nearly every other civilized nation in the world.

McGillis focused his reporting on one such city: Rochester, New York, where the district just decided to close eleven of its forty-five schools, a wrenching process that has caused disarray for families and left many neighborhoods without the hubs that sustained them for generations. “It’s like you’re watching institutions decline in real time,” one county legislator told me. “

Anchors of the community are disappearing.” This statement is very true. Placing unqualified people in positions of power, as happened in the first Trump administration, with Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education and others with no expertise in their field(s) put in charge of those fields is another reason why institutions show decline. Placing the vaccine-denier Robert Kennedy, Jr., in a position in the Department of Health would be another such miscarriage of justice, but has been rumored to be the deal that RFK, Jr., sought in order to endorse Donald Trump.

The piece raises the crucial question: Can American public education survive its downsizing intact, or is there a tipping point beyond which the system starts to unravel?”

DECLINING CHURCH ATTENDANCE

church

At the same time that public schools, nationwide, are under attack, the Catholic Church has been consolidating parishes and cutting way, way back.

In St. Louis, Missouri, where my cousin has been active as an organist in a large parish for many decades, she described losing her position when her church was closed. She went on to talk about how difficult it has become for some of the older members of her original parish to make it to the church that remains open but is not nearby,. There was no gold watch or gesture of appreciation for her large and well-regarded choir that had as many as 40 members who participated. People came from other churches just to hear the excellent choir. The priest who made the call to tell the 85-year-old organist that the Diocese had decided it was going to be better to dump the choir and the organ music and have a guitar mass with him playing solo.

Kind of rips at the community fabric that church is supposed to represent, don’t you think?

In East Moline, Illinois, St. Anne’s School closed after many years, following on the heels of St. Mary’s Catholic School just across town that closed 40 years ago. St. Anne’s was my husband’s childhood school. He went to school there from 1950 through 1958. Now, it is yet another empty building in an area full of empty buildings.

So, why are so many schools and churches closing?

On any given weekend only 3 in 10 U.S. adults attend religious services. This is down from 42% twenty years ago. Church attendance has declined across all U.S. religious groups and will almost certainly decline further in the future, given the fact that younger Americans have a weaker attachment to religion. The percentage of adults who say they never attend church has more than doubled over the past 22 years, going from 13% in 2000 to about 33% in 2023. The percent of those who attended weekly has declined from 32% to 20% in 2022.

Between 2000 and 2015, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, and the United Church of Christ lost 40% of their members. An elderly friend of mine who lived in Chicago at the time became an Episcopalian minister and returned to our mutual home town to take over the church that sits just one house from my childhood home. When she returned to take over these duties, the flock had dwindled to only 7 members and the church was in danger of being closed, but the strenuous efforts of my friend saved it from the chopping block. She remains its pastor at age 85 and has had some success in recruiting new members by instituting a weekly humanitarian effort they dub “Hot Dog Friday,” where free hot dogs are distributed to all takers. She once jumped out of an airplane on her 80^th birthday to raise funds to put a new roof on the very old church and St. James Episcopalian Church is much the better for her Herculean efforts to preserve it, even to the point that she was approached to run for Mayor of the town.

MILLENNIALS

“Many Millennials never had strong ties to religion in the first place. They were not brought up in the church in the same numbers as generations prior. This has left them without much connection to the church as they entered adulthood. Millennials are also reportedly turned off by the high-profile church leadership scandals and the increasing political polarization in many American congregations, causing many to lose trust in churches and religious institutions altogether.” When the Supreme Court appears to have been stacked by a former president and the peaceful transfer of power is in danger of disappearing, distrust of many American institutions is rampant.

Hopeful Signs of Millennial Church Attendance

However, there are some hopeful signs. Thirty-nine percent of Millennials report attending church weekly, up from 21% in 2019. (Barna), Millennials make up the largest surge in returns to church as the pandemic has ended. We are entering crucial life stages that make us open to church as a way to connect and find guidance.

When Catholics are asked about their failure to faithfully attend church services, they have mentioned the Catholic Church’s many scandals. Some of the Catholic Church and school closings nave been tied to the pay-outs the church is making to victims of abuse. Closing a church or a school may be linked as much to money as to declining attendance.

CONCLUSION

Donald Trump on January 6th

In a country where the schools, the post office, the Supreme Court and churches are under attack, the GOP candidate for the presidency is the least religious candidate in decades. Trump has no moral center. It is largely because of DJT that the United States Post Office under DeJoy (who owns stock in the private mail delivery services) is on life support. He would cause irreparable harm to our country by appointing even more unqualified people to his administration.

We need to elect the alternative to Donald J. Trump, because DJT is an agent of chaos and we can expect these pillars of our communities to decline further if he is ever anywhere near power again.

Did Trump Take A Bribe from Egypt?

By Connie Wilson

On August 26, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics

Donald J. Trump

According to Will Bunch, “It’s the most serious bribery allegation in American history.” What is it? Courtesy of the “Philadelphia Inquirer” and “The Week” magazine (Aug. 15, 2024, p.12) it is bribery of a U.S. President. In its details, it is the bombshell that does not surprise anyone who has a low (but accurate) opinion of former Trump Attorney General William Barr. Barr once said of DJT that Trump should not be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office, but now says he will vote for him in November. It was Barr who released the Cliff’s Notes version of the Mueller Report, leading the public astray as to what that lengthy report really said.

Remember: it is Egypt that bribed the recently convicted Robert Menendez (D, NJ) with gold bars, cash and autos.

So, here’s the scoop.

“The Washington Post” revealed that 5 days before Donald Trump took office in 2017 the state-run National Bank of Egypt got a request from a government source to “kindly withdraw” almost $10 million in U.S. currency. Federal investigtors found out about this suspicious withdrawal in 2019 and began examining whether Egyptian dictator Abdel-Fattah el -Sissi illegally gave Trump the cash. Trump put $10 million of his own money into his campaign shortly before the Egyptian withdrawal. The only thing missing was “the smoking gun that could tie in Trump’s unexamined bank records.” Then Attorney General Bill Barr blocked the investigation.

As president, Trump called el-Sissi “my favorite dictator” and released $1.4 billion in military aid to Egypt.

Congress should open a full-blown investigation into why Barr shut down the original probe.

Trump Team Dusts Off Old “Dog-Whistle” Politics Dirty Tricks Campaigning

By Connie Wilson

On August 24, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics

Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

In my recent fact-check of the Trump call-in to Fox News, after Kamala Harris’ speech to the DNC Convention, I mentioned the Willie Horton “dog whistle” attack on Dukakis in 1988 and predicted something similar would occur as Trump uses old techniques to try to drag down his opponent—the dirtier the better, as far as the Trump campaign strategy goes. It wasn’t even more than a day later that the “Washington Post” ran a story on Trump’s attack on Harris for the release of a Willie-Horton-esque criminal named Shawn Tillman.

Talk about predictable tactics from the unscrupulous candidate in the field!

Let’s not forget that Hitler rose to power after claiming that the Reichstag was burned down by his opponents, when history has shown that it was much more likely that Hitler’s supporters committed the arson in order to blame it on his opponents.

And so it goes.

8:50 p.m. EDT

Trump attacks Harris for 2020 tweet supporting Minnesota bail fund

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By Isaac Arnsdorf

National political reporter for the “Washington Post”

“Trump misleadingly blamed Harris for releasing a man from jail who went on to commit murder.

The allegation comes from a bail fund that Harris tweeted support for in 2020, during the protests that followed George Floyd’s killing. Almost two years later, the fund provided bail for a man named Shawn Tillman, who was charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure.

A judge decided to release Tillman on bail, and that charge was ultimately dismissed. In a separate case, Tillman was later charged and convicted of murder and sentenced to life.

The Trump campaign has attacked Harris’s connection to the bail fund as part of a tactic widely viewed by scholars and other experts as playing on old racist tropes and exploiting stereotypes about crime and people of color.”

Kamala Harris Accepts Democratic Presidential Nomination; DJT Phones In on Fox

By Connie Wilson

On August 23, 2024

In Books, Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

I had planned to write a piece commenting on Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech on the final night of the DNC in Chicago, Then, (following the dry cycle of my laundry), I moved to the bedroom to change the now clean sheets and put them back on the king-sized bed. In the bedroom, Fox News was carrying the DNC.

While I changed the sheets, I listened to Donald J. Trump phone in and rebut Kamala Harris’ speech. I will insert the complete 37-minute content of Kamala’s acceptance speech (in case you missed it), but I have to assume that most of you were watching it, so suit yourself. Unlike Trump, who rambled his way through a basically unlistenable litany of untruths at the RNC, Harris hit most of the issues and delivered her speech with sincerity and enthusiasm. She looked and sounded presidential (because she IS presidential.)

Then I watched 8 voters in Allentown, Pennsylvania say that her speech had sold her to them (auto workers all) and they would be voting for her (they had been unsure in a previous meeting). One woman retained the right to decide later. One Black male (in real estate) said he’d vote for Trump. Listen to Trump’s remarks about how the auto workers are all supporting him in the phone call above. [*Apparently not the 8 that just spoke to a reporter in Allentown, PA.]

Trump’s illusion that he is “strong” (Macho Macho Man) was consistent with why Black males were supporting DJT over Biden before July 21st. It also explains why Black males find it difficult to get behind the idea of a female president, even if she is half Black (and half Asian).

CHANGE

People want change for the better. This was emphasized by John King, Chief National Correspondent for CNN, who has been traveling the country gauging the temperature of the nation. Coming into the convention, Trump had 55% of voters selecting him on the economy versus 43% for Harris and 53% on the immigration issue versus 44% for Harris. Harris led only on the abortion issue (55% to 40%.) [This was from the New York Times Siena Poll. ] In the next 75 days Harris and Walz must change these perceptions.

CONVENTION BUMP

There are 75 days during which Kamala has to convince voters that she, the current vice president, represents change for the better. That will not be simple, since Harris has been in office as Vice President for 4 years and the GOP will attack her on that basis. (as DJT already did in the phone call above).

The Siena poll showed that 56% of voters disapproved of Biden. Only 41% approved of Biden in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and the other swing states. Now, the Republicans are going to try to give Kamala “Biden Baggage.” It started tonight with DJT phoning in to Fox & Friends. (*Did Fox & Friends, who claim to be so “fair and balanced” offer Kamala Harris the opportunity to phone in and rebut DJT’s RNC acceptance speech? No.)

John King, who has been doing political reporting for 40 years, says that Kamala did well. I agree. He pointed out, however, that in 1988: Bush won over Dukakis, but Dukakis had left the convention enjoying a convention bump that put him 17 points ahead in the polls. Despite the post-convention bump, Dukakis lost “bigly” to George Herbert Bush. This was partially because people wanted change and partially because of the Willie Horton dirty tricks that depicted Horton as practically Dukakis’ running mate. (*For those of you who don’t remember Willie Horton, he was a convicted murderer and rapist, who was released on a weekend furlough from a Massachusetts prison in a trial program and committed a rape and murder while temporarily free. Dukakis was the Governor of Massachusetts. The Bush campaign used Horton’s case to tar and feather Dukakis in a textbook example of what is known as “dog whistle politics,” which is what Harris and Walz are about to encounter, if I were to take an un-wild guess.)

John King was born in 1963, which means he is 61. I haven’t followed politics for as long as John King, but I am close to 20 years older. I go back to every President since Truman. I’ve also written 3 books on politics (the campaign of 2008) and was named the Content Producer of the Year for Politics by Yahoo in the wake of my coverage of the 2008 election of Barack Obama. (See my books on that topic, “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House.”)

Taken during a McCain rally at the Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport during the 2008 presidential campaign. Cover of Volume II of “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House.” (Available on Amazon in paperback and e-book).

LIKEABILITY

I agree with the white-haired CNN commentator with the 40 years following campaigns, and I agreed with Geraldo (whom I watched on News Nation) who stressed that “likeability” was key to electing anyone. It was likeability that doomed Hillary Clinton and, to a certain extent, John Kerry, who always seemed a little bit too patrician. We’ve all heard the remarks about how “W” seemed like a guy you would enjoy sitting down and having a beer with (*I don’t drink beer, so that’s a no for me.)

TAX INCREASES

Bogus. Tax increases on the rich, yes. On the middle class, not so much. Trump’s point on companies taking their business to another country (increasingly Mexico, not China) is fair, but THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR DECADES. Companies moving to cheaper countries is not a Kamala Harris thing; to say it is is unfair. It is far likelier that DJT will raise taxes on the middle class to give tax breaks to people like himself.

BORDER

Trump said, of the bi-partisan border bill, “It was a horrible bill. It was a joke.” It was a bi-partisan bill that was said by those who worked on it long and hard to be quite good. Trump told his allies not to vote for the bill, because it was to be his border issue. If you really don’t know what was in the bill, click on the link above and it will tell you. Don’t just trumpet things that either candidate says; research it. (Anthony Fatone: that is for you, Dear Heart. And thanks for saying I’m “smart as a whip” because that should tell you that, if I’m saying you need to do more “reading up” on these things, maybe I’m right.)

MARXIST ACCUSATIONS

First of all, as our old friend Wikipedia tells us, “There is no single, definitive Marxist theory.^[1]

It is likely that the “Marxist” accusations are a legacy from Kamala’s economics professor father, who taught at both Stanford and the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He has advised his country (Jamaica) on economic issues and some aspects were derived from Marxist writings of various sorts, but her father has remained completely out of Kamala’s career, refusing to be involved in her 2020 campaign and making a rather brusque rebuttal to a lighthearted comment that Kamala herself made (about smoking pot) on a radio show. She said something about smoking pot to the effect of, “Are you kidding? Half of my relatives are Jamaican.” Dad did not like it much, issued a rather public reprimand (Kamala did not respond) and has not had much involvement in his daughter’s career (or her life before that) since the couple split when she was in elementary school.

Jamal Simmons, political commentator on CNN, compared DJT to Midnight Elvis, calling in to talk shows, rambling around in Mar-A-Lago. Jamal mentioned Trump’s recent appearance in Howell, Michigan. White supremacists held a march there recently and voiced support for Trump, Hitler, Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. So, Trump’s strategy is to cater to THAT demographic. Roger Stone, a big Trump supporter, has a yearslong relationship with Proud Boys leaders, Enrique Tarrio in particular, and would regularly use members of the group as his personal security detail at political events.

Roger Stone.

I seriously doubt that DJT has much of an idea what Marxism is (and, quite frankly, it is difficult to pin it down as there are many offshoots.) There is actually a book on Amazon entitled “Marxism in Plain and Simple English.” It’s 62 pages. If Donald J. Trump really thinks that Kamala Harris is a Marxist simply because of her estranged father (a professor of economics), that is really reaching. I think The Donald needs a copy of that book. (*After all, Steve Bannon, his brain trust, is currently in jail until 2 days before the election, so the Wizard of Odd is having to rely on people like The Mad Hatter, Roger Stone, for intellectual guidance.) Another thing that his insult brings to mind are recent put-downs that DJT has made about Kamala Harris’ intelligence; she is quite obviously the child of two very bright people (while Trump’s own intelligence is often questioned, despite the supposed expertise and education that led to multiple bankruptcies.)

Here’s a snippet from “How to Compare Marxism to Capitalism.” It is quite clear that Kamala Harris is no Marxist. To wit: “Marxism, oftentimes interchangeable with communism, emerged from the writings of Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels in the 19th century, and is based on the theory that class conflict will eventually result in the establishment of a society where the public owns the means of production. The two theories are historic enemies, and their differences are most acute when examining their attitudes toward individualism, private property and profits.”

At no time has Kamala Harris sounded like she is not supportive of capitalism simply because she has argued for everyone in our society having a fair shake and an equal chance at making a life where they each of us has the freedom to make choices for themselves (as, for instance, in reproductive rights.) Trying to paint Harris as a Marxist or Communist is a page right out of the “dirty tricks” playbook of the GOP going back to 1988.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D. New Mexico), commenting after Harris’ speech, said she “showed us tonight what leadership looks like.” It is up to every woman of voting age in America to ask themselves whether they want the freedom to decide about their own health care and to decide if they do (or do not) want to have a child. Women need to mobilize like our grandmothers to gain us the right to vote. Only, this time, it is the right to live free (and not die) under an autocratic ruler who simply wants power for himself and his cronies.

IN CONCLUSION

As D.L. Hughley said at the convention, “The only way that Trump can keep Kamala out of the White House is if he buys it and refuses to rent to Black people.”

Tim Walz: VP Nominee Radiates Good Will & “Minnesota Nice” at the DNC on 8/21/2024

By Connie Wilson

On August 22, 2024

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics, Television

Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Democratic party.

I’m watching Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota accept his nomination for Vice President of the United States and I can’t help but think of “the happy warrior,” aka Humbert Humphrey—also from Minnesota.

So far, Tim Walz has called the campaign “incredible” and has thanked both Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. It IS pretty incredible to think that a high school coach from Mankato, Minnesota can potentially become the Vice President of the United States, but—at least on the Democratic side—stories like Barack Obama’s and Kamala Harris’ and Tim Walz’s do occur “only in America.”

He has proclaimed this moment as “the honor of my life” and his wife and son are blubbering in the audience, which is heartwarming, but also kind of out-of-sync with John Legend’s “Let’s Go Crazy” rendition that preceded him. No less a judge of superficiality than Geraldo Rivera (on NewsNation) has proclaimed the entire schtick “kind of great” and “genuine.” “The whole thing smacked of sincerity, to me,” said Geraldo.

WALZ’S BACKGROUND

Tim and Gwen Walz.

Butte, Nebraska is where Tim Walz grew up, he said from the dais, and there were 24 students in his class. Earlier I had read that he was born in West Point, Nebraska. He also lived in Valentine, Nebraska. Butte, Nebraska came in after his Superintendent of Schools father, a life-long smoker, was diagnosed with lung cancer and they moved. Tim’ dad died in 1984, when Walz was 20. Courtesy of Wikipedia, here are a few other states that Walz can lay claim to: “Walz’s father died in January 1984, which left his mother and younger brother dependent on social security survivor benefits for support. He moved to Texas and took courses at the University of Houston in East Asian studies while being enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard. Afterward he went to Arkansas, where he built tanning beds in a factory and was an instructor in the Arkansas Army National Guard. In 1987, Walz returned to Nebraska and continued his education at Chadron State College, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in social science education in 1989.”

Wikipedia also has this to say about Tim Walz’s career trajectory: “After graduating from Chadron State College in 1989, Walz accepted a one-year teaching position with WorldTeach in Foshan No.1 High School in Guangdong, China. He described the Tiananmen Square massacre that happened right before he arrived as an important moment in his life. He has said that the problem with China is not the people but the government, and that with the right leadership the Chinese people could accomplish anything. After returning, he took a job teaching and coaching in Alliance, a town of ten thousand in western Nebraska, and in 1993 was named Outstanding Young Nebraskan by the Nebraska Junior Chamber of Commerce.^”

NATIONAL GUARD SERVICE

Hope, Gus and Tim Walz at the DNC.

Walz served in the National Guard for 24 years after enlisting in 1981.^] During his military career, he had postings in Arkansas, Texas, the Arctic Circle, New Ulm, Minnesota, Italy, and elsewhere. He trained in heavy artillery, In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year.

After Walz completed 20 years of service needed for retirement from the Guard, he reenlisted instead of retiring, and later cited the September 11, 2001 attacks as the reason for his reenlistment. In August 2003, Walz deployed with the Minnesota National Guard to Vicenza, Italy, for nine months to serve with the European Security Force as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Walz attained the rank of command sergeant major near the end of his service and briefly was the senior enlisted soldier of 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment. His decorations included the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, and an Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with five oakleaf clusters. “ The GOP campaign has been busy attempting to “swiftboat” Walz’s decades of service, much as they did to John Kerry when Kerry ran for President in 2004.

SMALL-TOWN ROOTS

Hope and Gus Walz.

As someone who graduated from a class of only 110, I can relate to Tim Walz’s town of origin. “Everybody belongs, and everybody has a responsibility to contribute.” Walz talks about joining the National Guard at 17. His father was a Korean War veteran. When his dad died, he left a lot of debts. (“Thank God for Social Security benefits.”) As Tim has said, “There were 24 of us in my high school graduating class and none of them went to Harvard.” He coached and taught in Mankato and is talking about being a 40-something high school teacher whose students urged him to run for Governor.

DRAFTED BY HIS STUDENTS TO RUN

As someone whose own students urged her to run for the City Council race in East Moline, Illinois, I can relate to Tim Walz’s story. My run for office ended with a cheating scandal that even made its way into the Orange County, California newspapers, when I went door to door, documenting the cheating of the opposition. https://www.weeklywilson.com/helen-heiland-sets-the-record-straight-in-letter-to-moline-il-daily-dispatch/

GUS WALZ, TIM’S SON

Gus Walz at the DNC.

At tonight’s third night of the DNC in Chicago 17-year-old Gus Walz, son of VP nominee Tim Walz, was a welcome blast of fresh air.

The youngster was literally overcome with emotion at his father’s nomination, tears streaming down his face. He was ebullient and animated and hugged both his father and his sister onstage after Walz’s humanizing speech. It was heartwarming. It lifted my heart.

The Walz family told “People” magazine that young Gus has ADHD and anxiety issues, but described him as “brilliant.” I would point out how Gus reacted with joy and love towards his parents and sibling, Hope (born in 2001). The Walz family spent 7 years undergoing fertility treatments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, New York, in order to have their daughter, Hope (2001) and their son, Gus (2006). The family obviously has a lot of love for one another. Young Gus reminded me so much of so many youngsters I taught, especially during my years (1985-2003) as CEO and owner/operator of Sylvan Learning Center #3301 in Bettendorf, Iowa. I also taught for 18 years at the 7^th and 8^th grade levels and have taught many students who would be described as on the spectrum.

THE TOVA TEST

We used to give the TOVA test—Test of Variable Attention—which was 90% effective in diagnosing Attention Deficit Disorder, with or without Hyperactivity. I used to have my entire staff take the test, since it only ran 22 minutes on a computer, and it was not unusual for the Special Education teachers that I employed to score high on the test. Basically, the test-taker had to click a button when a certain form appeared onscreen and the degree of hyperactivity they demonstrated during the clicking exercise would indicate those with problems focusing and staying on message. (I did not score as high on it as some of you would assume, but special education teachers, in particular, did.)

Gus Walz, overcome with emotion as his father accepts the VP nomination at the DNC.

We paid $50 as a credit in a machine to give this test and absorbed it into our operating expenses if the child was our regular student, but, over time, we had more and more local residents who were bringing their sons and daughters in for the testing, in which case we charged them what it cost us to administer ($50). The test had been developed by a physician at the University of Minnesota in collaboration with his teenaged son. I learned about it at a Sylvan National Convention. It was very helpful in establishing whether or not some of our students would benefit from a variety of learning techniques and approaches.

It was not long before the local psychologists got wind of the TOVA. They began charging would-be test takers for an office visit first (over $100) and, if the psychologist felt it was merited, their office would administer the exact same test that we charged $50 for (but charge the test taker considerably more for the privilege.)

SINCERITY SPECIAL AT DNC ON 8/21/2024

It was a real treat to see someone as obviously overcome with emotion as young Gus Walz, who radiated good will towards all. When I saw young Gus Walz—-absolutely overjoyed—point to the stage and mouth the words, “That’s my Dad!” my heart melted a little bit. [If I remember correctly, we didn’t even see Barron Trump at the RNC and I would rather I had not seen Eric and Donald Trump, Jr.]

What a welcome sight. I felt like I had just been licked by a rambunctious, over-friendly puppy. It was great. YOU GO, GUS!

I liked it.

The Obamas Rock the United Center at DNC: The Gloves Come Off (8/20/2024)

By Connie Wilson

On August 21, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Politics, Television

Michelle and Barack Obama both spoke tonight at the DNC in Chicago. I haven’t been as moved by a speech since I stood in a field in the Village of East Davenport during the 2012 Obama re-election campaign and listened to the pair say to the crowd, “Stand with me again once more, Iowa.” It was Iowa that gave Barack Obama his ticket to ride to the DNC in Denver, where I was present, and his gratitude for the state’s support never waivered. Iowa’s contingent (and Illinois’) were right down front, honoring them for having honored him. I was overcome with a nostalgic wave of emotion as the former First Lady of the United States spoke then, and I was overwhelmed again tonight, when she spoke in Chicago.

As is my custom, I made every effort to get as much of the speech down as I could. It is not a word-for-word recitation of what was said, but I’m going to try to break it down for you a bit, (as I watched from my Texas living room).

Michelle was brilliant. As Leah Wright-Rigueur, a Political Historian said, “We are living through history.” I felt that in my bones when I began following the campaign of 2008 in Iowa, and I felt that it again, tonight, comfortably ensconced in my living room, watching it like I hope the rest of America was watching it.

So, what did Michelle Obama say that so inspired me?

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

She asked that we “not squander the sense of hope our elders gave us.” She was referencing women like me, who campaigned (unsuccesfully) for the ERA and fought for the right to decide our own reproductive futures. I appreciated the fact that Michelle Obama gave credit to those of us who worked hard to ensure a better future for our daughters. (Why should a panel of old white men or the Supreme Court decide whether my daughter and I do or do not have the right to decide about giving birth?)

VALUES

“In America we have the belief that if you do unto others, that if you work and scrape and sacrifice it will pay off, if not for you, for your children and grandchildren. Those were the values that my mother poured into me until her very last breath. Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values. Our mothers shared that same belief in the promise of this country. …The obligation to lift others up…Mom used to say, ‘Don’t sit around and complain about things: do something.’ From a middle-class household Kamala worked her way up to become the Vice President of America. Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the Presidency. And she is one of the most dignified…a tribute to her mother and your mother, too.”

Michelle went on about Kamala Harris’ background:

“Her story is our story…Kamala knows that, regardless of where you come from, we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life. All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued. No one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American: no one. Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by service.”

TRUMP TAKE-DOWNS

Bee Gone: A Political Parable

Harris “understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward,” Obama said. “We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don’t get a second, third or fourth chance. If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. No.We don’t have the luxury of whining. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t see an escalator waiting to take us to the top. We put our heads down. We go to work. In America, we do something.. Throughout her entire year, that’s what we’ve seen from Kamala. We’ve seen the joy of her laughter and her life. It couldn’t be more obvious: of the 2 major candidates in this race, only Kamala understands the true work ethic that has always made America great.”

“We don’t get to change the rules so we always win,” she continued. “If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top. We put our heads down. We get to work.”

BE AWARE OF OPPOSITION TACTICS:

“We know that folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth. For years, DJT did everything he could to make people fear us. He tried to make you fear two highly educated, hard-working, successful people who happened to be Black. Who’s gonna’ tell him that the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs? It’s his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic lies instead of creating ideas that will actually make our lives better.”

Michelle then went on to list some of the Project 2025 goals, such as shutting down the Department of Education and demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love. She mentioned (again) shutting down our right to reproductive health care and said, “It only makes us small. It is never the answer. It is petty, unhealthy, and, quite frankly, it’s un-Presidential. Why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we accept this from a candidate? America: our parents taught us better than that and we deserve so much better than that. There is no other choice but Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt.”

“Remember there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome. People who are going to prioritize building their own wealth over building a better tomorrow. We cannot be our own worst enemies. The minute a lie takes hold, we cannot get a Goldilocks complex over whether everything is just right. We cannot indulge our anxieties. We must do everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.”

Michelle Obama’s line about how Trump tried to get Americans to fear the Obamas in office, even though they were highly-educated, hard-working people who happened to be Black is right. There are many analysts who cite Obama’s election to the Presidency as the match that lit the racism of White Supremacists. They are right.

KAMALA & TIM

“Kamala and Tim have lived amazing lives. I am confident that they will lead with compassion, grace and dignity. It is up to us to be the solution that we seek. It is up to all of us to be the anecdote to darkness and division. I don’t care how you identify politically. This is the time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right. To stand up not just for our basic freedoms but for basic trust, dignity and empathy. For the values at the very foundation of our democracy.”

CALL TO ACTION

“If they lie about her—and they will–we have to do something. Only 11 weeks to make sure everyone has a voting plan. We cannot afford for anyone to sit on their hands and wait to be called. Our fate is in our hands. In 77 days we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division and smallness of the past.”

The talking heads in the room testified that the mood during Michelle Obama’s speech was electric. Although they gave props to Barack Obama for his good speech, hers was brilliant. I teared up at her remarks. She was that good.

So, following on the heels of that brilliance, “one of the most powerful and blistering speeches against Donald Trump” (a quote from one of the talking heads), we heard ex-President Barack Obama and I wished, again, that he was still our President. I found his remarks equally entertaining, (but she was better.)

BARACK OBAMA’S REMARKS:

First, Barack paid tribute to Joe Biden, mentioning their “common Irish blood.” To wit:”His empathy and his decency and his hard-earned belief that everyone in this country deserves a fair shot impressed me. And over the past 4 years those are the values that America has needed the most. At the time when Americans were dying, we needed a leader with empathy and a leader who led the strongest economic recovery in the world. At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality we needed a leader who did the rarest thing in politics: putting his own ambition aside for the good of the country. History will remember Joe Biden as a man who, in a moment of peril for this country, did the right thing.”

“The torch has been passed. Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. For all the incredible energy, for all the rallies and the memes, this will still be a tight race in a closely divided country—a country where too many Americans are still struggling. The people who will decide this election are asking a very short question: who will fight for me? One thing is for certain, Donald Trump is not losing sleep over that question.”

Light-hearted Remarks:

Leaf blower neighbor (DJT): annoying.

“Here’s a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down that escalator 8 years ago.

“Childish nicknames. Weird obsession with crowd size. It just goes on and on and on. Someone compared Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute of every day. From a neighbor that’s exhausting. From a President that’s dangerous.”

“DJT sees power as nothing more than a means to his end. He wants the middle class to pay for his ambitions.”

When Obama mentioned how DJT had killed the bi-partisan border bill the crowd booed. Obama said, “Do not boo: vote.”

“He doesn’t seem to care if more women lose their reproductive freedom, since it won’t affect his life.”

“He wants us to think this country is hopelessly divided between the real Americans and the outsiders who don’t. He wants you to think that if we will just give him the power to put those outsiders back in place things will be great.”

Presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

“Bluster, bumbling, chaos…We know these movies; the sequel is usually worse. (We have seen that movie before.) America is ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris.”

“This is a person who has spent her life fighting on behalf of people who need a voice. She was not born into privilege. She has had to work for what she’s got. She’s the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand, not the neighbor running the leaf blower.”

At this point, Obama mentioned some of Kamala’s fights: Homeowners….fight to get as much relief as possible for the families that deserved it. As VP helped take on the drug companies to cap the cost of insulin. “She is running for President to guarantee every woman’s right to make their own health care decisions. She won’t be focused on her problems; she’ll be focused on yours. She’ll work on behalf of every American. In the White House she will have an outstanding partner in Governor Tim Walz.”

Barack made this comment about Obamacare: “I noticed that since it got popular they quit calling it that,” True that.

First Gentleman Doug Emhoff.

On the border issue, Obama said, “We can secure our borders without tearing kids away from their parents” (*In re-reading my own book, “Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House” I was struck at how the border was a hot button issue for candidates way back then, including Fred Thompson, whom I interviewed after his speech in Davenport.)

The Obamas stressed that the Democratic ticket wants to “make it better for everybody.”

“Donald Trump…for him, one’s group’s gains is necessarily another group’s losses. For the GOP, power means that those in charge can do pretty much what they want. (taxes; firing people). We want the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water. Freedom for each of us to run our own lives. Freedom requires us to recognize that freedom requires us to let other people make decisions that are different from ours. That’s the America that Tim Walz and Kamala Harris believe in. ‘We the people includes everyone.’ Despite what our politics might suggest, democracy is not just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws. It’s the values we live by and how we treat each other, including those who don’t look like us or pray like us or see the world exactly like we do. That sense of mutual respect has to be part of it. We seem so quick to believe the worst of the other side. After a while, regular folk just tune out or they don’t bother to vote. This might work on those who thrive on division, but it won’t work for us who want to make progress on the things that matter.”

“Our fellow citizens deserve the same grace we hope they’ll extend to us.”

“That does not just matter to the U.S. The rest of the world is watching to see if we can actually pull this off. No society has ever tried to build a society as diverse as ours. Our allegiance and our community are not defined by race and creed . We shouldn’t be the world’s policeman but American can be and must be a force for good. (Climate change, promoting peace,) I know these ideas can feel pretty naïve right now. We live in a time of such confusion and rancor with a culture that puts a premium on things that don’t last. We chase the approval of strangers on our phones. We don’t trust each other as much, because we don’t take the time to learn about each other.”

“Here’s the good news, Chicago: all across America in big cities and small towns, the ties that bind us together are still there. We still feed the hungry and coach the Little League and feel the same pride when our Olympic athletes compete for the gold.”

“We want something better. We want to BE better.”

Barack and Michelle Obama paid tribute to her recently deceased Mom, who lived in the White House with them, saying,“My mother-in-law reminded me of my Grandmother. (stressing the hard work of his grandmother and mother-in-law). They knew what was true. They knew what mattered: honesty, integrity, kindness and hard work. They weren’t impressed with braggarts and bullies. They didn’t think that putting other people down or lifting themselves up made them strong. They found pleasure in simple things: a good meal and laughter around the kitchen table. Most of all, seeing their children and grandchildren going places and doing things that they never would have imagined for themselves.”

“Kamala’s parents crossed the ocean because they believed in the power of America. They weren’t important or powerful—they were good, hard-working people. A return to America where we work together and look out for one another. Bonds of affection. The better angels of our nature. That is what this election is about. If we each do our part over the next 77 days. We will elect leaders who will fight for hope. Together we will build a country that is more secure and more just. So let’s get to work. And God bless you and the United States of America.”

Those were the remarks from the 44th President of the United States, who rose to prominence 20 years and 3 weeks ago when making a 2004 speech at the DNC convention that nominated John Kerry (a presidential race that I also followed.)

Barack Obama—one of the most gifted orators to ever hold the office—and his wife Michelle held the audience within the United Center in rapt attention tonight. They made a plea to be patient with voters who might be on the other side and summed up the choice by saying, “Trump’s act has gotten pretty stale.”

Ensuring Legal Rights with the Help of Oklahoma City Divorce Attorneys

By Connie Wilson

On August 20, 2024

In Editorial, Education

Divorce can be an emotionally challenging experience, but beyond the emotional toll lies the crucial need to protect one’s legal rights. Whether it’s the division of assets, child custody arrangements, or spousal support, the legal ramifications of divorce can significantly impact your future. Ensuring these rights are upheld requires more than just awareness—it demands skilled legal guidance.

In Oklahoma City, divorce attorneys play a vital role in safeguarding their clients’ interests. These professionals not only provide expert advice but also offer representation throughout the divorce process, ensuring that all legal aspects are handled with precision and care. By working with a qualified attorney, individuals can navigate the complexities of divorce with confidence, knowing their rights are protected every step of the way.

Understanding Your Legal Rights

When going through a divorce, it’s essential to understand the key legal rights at stake. For many, the division of assets is a primary concern. This process involves the equitable distribution of property, which can include everything from real estate to retirement accounts. Without a clear understanding of your rights, you risk losing out on assets you’re entitled to.

Child custody is another critical issue. Determining where children will live and how they will be cared for can be one of the most contentious parts of a divorce. Knowing your rights regarding custody ensures that your child’s best interests are prioritized, and that you maintain a meaningful role in their life.

Finally, spousal support, or alimony, is a significant factor for many divorcing couples. Understanding the conditions under which support is granted—and the amount that is fair—is crucial to maintaining financial stability post-divorce. In each of these areas, having a solid grasp of your legal rights is essential for reaching a fair and just outcome.

The Role of Divorce Attorneys

Oklahoma City divorce attorneys play a crucial role in ensuring that their clients’ rights are protected throughout the separation process. Their primary responsibility is to advocate on behalf of their clients, offering legal expertise that helps navigate the intricate legal landscape of divorce. This involves a deep understanding of family law, which is essential for effectively addressing issues such as asset division, child custody, and spousal support.

One of the key ways divorce attorneys safeguard clients’ rights is through their expertise in managing legal complexities. They are adept at interpreting and applying laws to each unique situation, ensuring that all legal requirements are met and that their clients’ interests are represented. This expertise is invaluable during negotiations and court proceedings, where precise legal arguments and documentation can significantly influence the outcome.

Additionally, divorce attorneys are skilled negotiators who work to achieve favorable settlements for their clients. They can help mediate disputes, propose fair solutions, and negotiate terms that align with their clients’ best interests. Their ability to handle such negotiations with professionalism and tact ensures that their clients are not disadvantaged by the legal process.

Choosing the Right Divorce Attorney

Selecting the right divorce attorney is a critical step in ensuring that your legal rights are effectively protected. When choosing an attorney, it’s important to consider several factors to ensure they are well-suited to handle your case.

Experience is a crucial factor. An attorney with substantial experience in family law will have a thorough understanding of the legal system and a track record of handling cases similar to yours. This experience can greatly enhance their ability to address the complexities of your case and navigate potential challenges.

Specialization is another key consideration. Divorce and family law is a distinct area of legal practice, and an attorney who specializes in this field is more likely to be up-to-date with current laws and trends affecting divorce cases. Their specialized knowledge can be a significant advantage in crafting effective strategies and providing sound legal advice.

Finally, compatibility is important. You’ll want to choose an attorney with whom you feel comfortable and whose approach aligns with your needs and preferences. A good attorney will listen to your concerns, understand your goals, and work collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcome for you.

Common Legal Challenges in Divorce

Divorce proceedings can bring about a range of legal challenges, each with its own complexities. One of the most common and emotionally charged issues is child custody. Custody battles can become contentious, particularly when parents have differing views on the child’s best interests or when allegations of unfit parenting arise. These disputes require careful legal handling to ensure that decisions are made based on the child’s well-being and not influenced by personal conflicts.

Another challenge that may arise is the concealment of assets. In some cases, one party may attempt to hide financial resources or undervalue property to avoid a fair division. Addressing these issues requires a thorough investigation and understanding of financial records. Divorce attorneys play a crucial role in uncovering hidden assets and ensuring that all marital property is accurately assessed and divided.

A skilled attorney can help manage these and other challenges by leveraging their expertise and resources. They can provide strategic advice, represent you in negotiations, and advocate for your rights in court. By addressing these issues effectively, an attorney helps ensure that the legal process is fair and that your interests are safeguarded.

Protecting Your Interests Throughout the Process

Staying informed and involved throughout the divorce process is essential to protecting your interests. Regular communication with your attorney is crucial. Keep them updated with any new information or changes in your circumstances, and ask questions whenever you’re unsure about the process or your rights.

It’s also important to be proactive in gathering and organizing relevant documents, such as financial records and personal correspondence. This information can be vital in building your case and ensuring that your attorney has all the necessary details to advocate on your behalf.

Collaboration between you and your attorney is key to achieving the best outcome. Work together to set clear goals, develop strategies, and address any concerns that arise during the process. A strong partnership will enhance the effectiveness of your legal representation and contribute to a more favorable resolution.

Conclusion

Working with a qualified Oklahoma City divorce attorney is crucial for protecting your legal rights during a divorce. Their expertise in navigating legal complexities, handling disputes, and ensuring fair representation is invaluable. By choosing the right attorney, you can have confidence that your case is in capable hands.

Take proactive steps in selecting an attorney who meets your needs and has the experience to handle your case effectively. Your choice of legal representation can make a significant difference in the outcome of your divorce, so it’s essential to invest time and effort in finding the right professional to support you through this challenging process.