Donald Trump is a buffoon. His lips move but he doesn’t really say anything of substance. I will do my best to see that he isn’t elected. I truly hope he sealed his fate by not attending the Fox debate tonight because of Megyn Kelly. What a big ol’ sissy.
“Their feeling is that most of the Bush establishment people they put on there — from Brit Hume to [Charles] Krauthammer to Karl Rove — have been in the tank all along for anybody other than Trump and Cruz.”
Fox News declined to comment for this story. Despite its reputation as a right-wing media network, it has long endured attacks from those who believe it is not conservative enough, although now that fault-line is being exposed in a dramatic way.
Hard-right conservatives still have a few heroes on Fox News, including Sean Hannity and Eric Bolling. But for many, the familiar stable of contributors is starkly at odds with their worldview. …
_______________________________________________
Donald Trump will widen a rupture between his supporters and the Republican Party establishment on Thursday when he boycotts a presidential debate in a snub to Fox News only days before the 2016 election season starts in earnest.
The billionaire front-runner for the Republican nomination will host his own event in Iowa during the Fox News debate, likely damaging prime time TV ratings of the most powerful media force in Republican politics. …
… And Trump won backing on Thursday when two Republican candidates, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, agreed to attend his alternative event, a fundraiser for veterans at Iowa’s Drake University, during the Fox News debate.
The pair, social conservatives who have long been at odds with the more mainstream Republican establishment, had been relegated to Fox News’ “undercard” debate of the candidates with low polling which takes place earlier than the full-blown debate at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT).
A CNN source said the network would likely air parts of the Trump event live and other networks are expected to give it live coverage as well. …
_____________________________________
… Can anyone predict—or even guess—what a Crazy Uncle Trump vs. Crazy Uncle Sanders contest might look like? Will it lead to the formation of new third-party efforts, as suggested by Peter Wehner in a New York Times column in mid-January? Under the title, “Why I Will Never Vote for Donald Trump,” the former speechwriter and adviser for President George W. Bush cites several of the same facts about Trump that I noted in my September column as reasons to reject him as a candidate. Wehner also says his conscience would prevent him from voting for Hillary Clinton.
How many other Republicans might follow Wehner’s example? Or, to make things more complicated, how many Democrats might find it a stretch too far to cast a Sanders vote for a man who wasn’t registered as a Democrat until last year, and has called himself a “socialist”?
Maybe the voters in Iowa will help straighten this out for the rest of us when they head for their caucuses on Feb. 1. Responding to those two crazy uncles is going to take some thoughtful and godly wisdom.
_______________________________________________
Bob – Your comment about political correctness reminds me of a Facebook discussion I had not too long ago. My friend equated being politically correct with being sensitive & respectful. (Her post claimed that people who don’t want to be politically correct really just want to say nasty stuff about women & minorities.) I pointed out that there is more to political correctness than merely being sensitive & respectful to others’ feelings, that political correctness involves more of a “thought police” kind of attitude.
So, no, I don’t want a president who feels he has to be politically correct, but I also want a president with the wisdom to speak respectfully (or at least maturely) of others. Calling a woman a bimbo doesn’t cut it with me.
Check out Tucker Carlson’s piece today that opens with a rather shocking voicemail he received from Trump a few years ago (and no, they didn’t know each other).
I think the article looks mostly at a few of the things Trump has “right” without saying yeah, he’s the best candidate. I’ve followed Carlson and can’t believe he’s actually supporting Trump.
I will say that some of Trump’s points are well taken, especially when it comes to political correctness and plain speaking, if you will. He pretty much shattered the wall on that and revealed that it’s something that has bothered a lot of people who otherwise seemed to be cowed or at least have kept quiet about it.
It still doesn’t make me any more likely to ever cast a vote for Trump.
But … maybe there are some instructive points in all of this that the party as a whole can learn from, time will tell.
This campaign so far isn’t dull, that’s for sure. And it could get even a lot wackier.
Just posted this over on the daily thread, but thought it would be appropriate here, too. . .
For those who are thinking of sitting out this election if Trump is the Republican nominee:
Instead of sitting it out, vote for the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. He probably won’t win, but since you weren’t going to vote anyway, you won’t be “throwing away” your vote. What this will accomplish is that it will send a message to the two dominant parties that people are getting fed up with them, as they see more people voting third party.
And from Eric Metaxas:
·
Don’t like Trump? I hear you, believe me. I have deep concerns. But I also DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU to read this gem by Tucker Carlson, writing in Politico. I TRIPLE DOG dare you…
If there’s a serious and decent conservative offered as a 3rd party choice — and I’m guessing there would be if Trump gets the nomination — I would vote for that person. Otherwise, I sit this one out I guess, for the first time in my life. 😦
I was thinking today as I read a few quotes by Trump (I try to avoid hearing him) that his prose makes me think of an advanced version of the old Dick and Jane readers. At best it’s choppy and disjointed.
Trump: “I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me —and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall.”
Don’t require insurers to provide birth control. (May 2012)
No federal funding for stem cell research. (Jan 2012)
Women’s right to choose until fetal viability. (Jun 2011)
Right to choose up until viability of the fetus. (May 2011)
Leave the decision up to the woman. (Jan 2001)”
“Gary Johnson on Civil Rights
Supports separation of religion and state. (Aug 2011)
Prostitution is safer when legal and regulated. (Jun 2011)
I support gay unions; government out of marriage business. (Apr 2011)
Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment. (Feb 2001)
Overturn CA Prop. 8: Let gays marry. (Apr 2013)”
AJ – As I wrote over on the daily thread, “Well, I mentioned the Libertarian candidate because the LP seems to be the most-known third party. I probably should have just suggested voting for a “third party candidate”. My main point was about sending a message to the dominant two parties.”
No! No! Vote for the Prohibitionist Party candidate before you vote for Trump. Apart from his liberalism and his serious personality disorder, think how embarrassing it would be to be an American with that buffoon as our President. You may scoff, but we would be remembering the “good old days” under Obama.
Trump is bad, but so are Johnson, Bush, Clinton, Sanders, Kasich, Webb, Christie, Rubio, Paul, and pretty much all the rest, but for maybe one or two of ’em.. It’s just a matter of differing degrees of suckiness,
And sorry, only two could be worse than Obama, and both of them are Dems.
At this point I’m voting for none of the ones I mentioned. If it’s any of them, I’m writing in Chas.
You may think the U.S. is a laughingstock around the world at the present time. Elect Trump and you will see the U.S. as a complete joke and a pariah state. It would not be just his moronic statements and behavior. His protectionism and hostility to other nations would completely end all traces of American global leadership.
Well, again, there is NO perfect candidate. That’s a dream world in politics. If we insist on that before voting, well, good luck. We’ll be ruled by heaven knows who.
There needs to be some give and take, some compromise — it’s the kingdom of this world and it’s just reality.
It’s an extreme case in which someone like Trump could wind up being the least of two evils — and, in my mind, too evil & a bridge too far even for someone like me who recognizes the reality of civil government.
😦
The other Repubs I could live with. Some I like a LOT better than others, but you have to play the hand you’ve been dealt.
I think there would be another conservative choice if it’s Trump vs. Clinton or Sanders. There are too many of us who simply would not be able to vote for Trump, someone would have to ramp up some kind of campaign as an alternative.
Not that they’d have a prayer of winning. But it would provide someone’s name to punch.
If not, I guess I sit this one out, first time ever. 😦
Ah, but the hair, haha — I liked the short hair when she first cut it — and she’s pretty and young enough that she can carry off the look she sported tonight — but sheesh. It’s just kind of weird.
And it was kind of nice not to have Trump on the stage tonight. I didn’t see a lot of the debate — heard some of it on the radio on the drive home, but had to stop at the grocery store so then I only saw the final 30 minutes on TV after getting home.
But it seems like a huge distraction — the elephant in the room (who’s always making faces) — was swept out of the picture. Nice.
As for Cruz complaining about being “attacked,” sheesh again — no whining! As Chris Wallace said, “It’s a debate.” Move on. Get over yourself.
Donna J, My wife is a Mexican with big Spanish eyes so she really doesn’t need makeup. She looks the same when she wakes up as when she is ready to go out on the town. However, old Megyn had on some serious white lady makeup, some big old fake eyelashes and a $500 hairdo. Nevertheless, I thank her for giving us one buffoon-less debate.
Women really are harshly judged on their looks — I thought she looked very glamorous. Not my favorite look for her, but she carries most anything off well.
Let me list some Politically Incorrect things;
God created the world,
Man didn’t come from monkeys,
Climate change doesn’t come from man,
Socialism is bunk,
Republicans are not stupid,
Obama is only half Black,
illegal aliens broke the law.
Some of these things could get a public school teacher in hot water…
I am glad I am out!
Wandering Views 
Don’t forget — the Trumpless debate is tonight. 🙂
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Aahhh!
It looks like Trump trumped Megyn.
“I refuse to call Megyn Kelly a bimbo, because that would not be politically correct. Instead I will only call her a lightweight reporter!”
Do Republicans really want a “politically correct” nominee? Sounds like a donkey to me.
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Trump looked like he was just seething last night on O’Reilly (although O’Reilly does seem to have that effect on a lot of people 😉 ).
But it looked like Trump could barely contain himself — you could tell he was ready to just have a meltdown.
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Donald Trump is a buffoon. His lips move but he doesn’t really say anything of substance. I will do my best to see that he isn’t elected. I truly hope he sealed his fate by not attending the Fox debate tonight because of Megyn Kelly. What a big ol’ sissy.
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That’s just the word O’Reilly used — buffoon — that set him off last night. 🙂 Can dish it out but can’t take it, I guess.
I hear Rudio’s finally breaking away and heading up in the polls, yay.
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Fox “not conservative enough” for some?
Not sure I was aware of this.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/28/politics/donald-trump-fox-news-conservatives/index.html
_____________________________________________
“Their feeling is that most of the Bush establishment people they put on there — from Brit Hume to [Charles] Krauthammer to Karl Rove — have been in the tank all along for anybody other than Trump and Cruz.”
Fox News declined to comment for this story. Despite its reputation as a right-wing media network, it has long endured attacks from those who believe it is not conservative enough, although now that fault-line is being exposed in a dramatic way.
Hard-right conservatives still have a few heroes on Fox News, including Sean Hannity and Eric Bolling. But for many, the familiar stable of contributors is starkly at odds with their worldview. …
_______________________________________________
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Sad the only choice we seem to have is between a candidate who loves power and one who loves money . . .
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More on tonight’s debate vs. Trump’s event and audiences.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN0V619Q?utm_source=twitter
____________________________________
Donald Trump will widen a rupture between his supporters and the Republican Party establishment on Thursday when he boycotts a presidential debate in a snub to Fox News only days before the 2016 election season starts in earnest.
The billionaire front-runner for the Republican nomination will host his own event in Iowa during the Fox News debate, likely damaging prime time TV ratings of the most powerful media force in Republican politics. …
… And Trump won backing on Thursday when two Republican candidates, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee, agreed to attend his alternative event, a fundraiser for veterans at Iowa’s Drake University, during the Fox News debate.
The pair, social conservatives who have long been at odds with the more mainstream Republican establishment, had been relegated to Fox News’ “undercard” debate of the candidates with low polling which takes place earlier than the full-blown debate at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT).
A CNN source said the network would likely air parts of the Trump event live and other networks are expected to give it live coverage as well. …
_____________________________________
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I see Santorum and Huckabee will be joining Trump…… 🙄
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/huckabee-santorum-to-join-trump-at-veterans-rally/ar-BBoPb24?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U142DHP
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That surprised me too.
From World Magazine’s Joel Belz on America’s “crazy uncles”:
http://www.worldmag.com/2016/01/two_crazy_uncles
_____________________________________________
… Can anyone predict—or even guess—what a Crazy Uncle Trump vs. Crazy Uncle Sanders contest might look like? Will it lead to the formation of new third-party efforts, as suggested by Peter Wehner in a New York Times column in mid-January? Under the title, “Why I Will Never Vote for Donald Trump,” the former speechwriter and adviser for President George W. Bush cites several of the same facts about Trump that I noted in my September column as reasons to reject him as a candidate. Wehner also says his conscience would prevent him from voting for Hillary Clinton.
How many other Republicans might follow Wehner’s example? Or, to make things more complicated, how many Democrats might find it a stretch too far to cast a Sanders vote for a man who wasn’t registered as a Democrat until last year, and has called himself a “socialist”?
Maybe the voters in Iowa will help straighten this out for the rest of us when they head for their caucuses on Feb. 1. Responding to those two crazy uncles is going to take some thoughtful and godly wisdom.
_______________________________________________
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Bob – Your comment about political correctness reminds me of a Facebook discussion I had not too long ago. My friend equated being politically correct with being sensitive & respectful. (Her post claimed that people who don’t want to be politically correct really just want to say nasty stuff about women & minorities.) I pointed out that there is more to political correctness than merely being sensitive & respectful to others’ feelings, that political correctness involves more of a “thought police” kind of attitude.
So, no, I don’t want a president who feels he has to be politically correct, but I also want a president with the wisdom to speak respectfully (or at least maturely) of others. Calling a woman a bimbo doesn’t cut it with me.
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Check out Tucker Carlson’s piece today that opens with a rather shocking voicemail he received from Trump a few years ago (and no, they didn’t know each other).
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Where would we find that, Donna?
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WARNING: Trump’s comment is obscene. Here it is:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/donald-trump-is-shocking-vulgar-and-right-213572?o=1
The article that follows is interesting and pro-Trump.
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I was going to label the opening as “R” rated, but Ricky posted it first (since I’d made mention of it in my earlier comment).
Good piece, but I don’t think it’s pro-Trump so much as it looks at how the heck this happened to the GOP.
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I think the article looks mostly at a few of the things Trump has “right” without saying yeah, he’s the best candidate. I’ve followed Carlson and can’t believe he’s actually supporting Trump.
I will say that some of Trump’s points are well taken, especially when it comes to political correctness and plain speaking, if you will. He pretty much shattered the wall on that and revealed that it’s something that has bothered a lot of people who otherwise seemed to be cowed or at least have kept quiet about it.
It still doesn’t make me any more likely to ever cast a vote for Trump.
But … maybe there are some instructive points in all of this that the party as a whole can learn from, time will tell.
This campaign so far isn’t dull, that’s for sure. And it could get even a lot wackier.
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Brit Hume’s take:
Brit Hume @brithume
.@TuckerCarlson writes a smart piece about the rise of Trump.
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Just posted this over on the daily thread, but thought it would be appropriate here, too. . .
For those who are thinking of sitting out this election if Trump is the Republican nominee:
Instead of sitting it out, vote for the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. He probably won’t win, but since you weren’t going to vote anyway, you won’t be “throwing away” your vote. What this will accomplish is that it will send a message to the two dominant parties that people are getting fed up with them, as they see more people voting third party.
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And from Eric Metaxas:
·
Don’t like Trump? I hear you, believe me. I have deep concerns. But I also DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU to read this gem by Tucker Carlson, writing in Politico. I TRIPLE DOG dare you…
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If there’s a serious and decent conservative offered as a 3rd party choice — and I’m guessing there would be if Trump gets the nomination — I would vote for that person. Otherwise, I sit this one out I guess, for the first time in my life. 😦
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Maybe the Tea Party conservatives – & those like them – could split from the GOP & form their own party.
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Karen, We’ve been trying to do that since 1861. However, y’all invaded us and drug us back in.
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That was a hundred years before I was born, Ricky. Don’t blame me. 😉
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I was thinking today as I read a few quotes by Trump (I try to avoid hearing him) that his prose makes me think of an advanced version of the old Dick and Jane readers. At best it’s choppy and disjointed.
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Trump: “I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me —and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall.”
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Karen,
AJ here.
Gary Johnson?
Ummmmm….. No.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Gary_Johnson.htm
“Gary Johnson on Abortion
Don’t require insurers to provide birth control. (May 2012)
No federal funding for stem cell research. (Jan 2012)
Women’s right to choose until fetal viability. (Jun 2011)
Right to choose up until viability of the fetus. (May 2011)
Leave the decision up to the woman. (Jan 2001)”
“Gary Johnson on Civil Rights
Supports separation of religion and state. (Aug 2011)
Prostitution is safer when legal and regulated. (Jun 2011)
I support gay unions; government out of marriage business. (Apr 2011)
Support principles embodied in the Equal Rights Amendment. (Feb 2001)
Overturn CA Prop. 8: Let gays marry. (Apr 2013)”
—————————
Honestly, I’d rather vote Trump.
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AJ – As I wrote over on the daily thread, “Well, I mentioned the Libertarian candidate because the LP seems to be the most-known third party. I probably should have just suggested voting for a “third party candidate”. My main point was about sending a message to the dominant two parties.”
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No! No! Vote for the Prohibitionist Party candidate before you vote for Trump. Apart from his liberalism and his serious personality disorder, think how embarrassing it would be to be an American with that buffoon as our President. You may scoff, but we would be remembering the “good old days” under Obama.
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Trump is bad, but so are Johnson, Bush, Clinton, Sanders, Kasich, Webb, Christie, Rubio, Paul, and pretty much all the rest, but for maybe one or two of ’em.. It’s just a matter of differing degrees of suckiness,
And sorry, only two could be worse than Obama, and both of them are Dems.
At this point I’m voting for none of the ones I mentioned. If it’s any of them, I’m writing in Chas.
I’m not kidding.
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You may think the U.S. is a laughingstock around the world at the present time. Elect Trump and you will see the U.S. as a complete joke and a pariah state. It would not be just his moronic statements and behavior. His protectionism and hostility to other nations would completely end all traces of American global leadership.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sigh.
Well, again, there is NO perfect candidate. That’s a dream world in politics. If we insist on that before voting, well, good luck. We’ll be ruled by heaven knows who.
There needs to be some give and take, some compromise — it’s the kingdom of this world and it’s just reality.
It’s an extreme case in which someone like Trump could wind up being the least of two evils — and, in my mind, too evil & a bridge too far even for someone like me who recognizes the reality of civil government.
😦
The other Repubs I could live with. Some I like a LOT better than others, but you have to play the hand you’ve been dealt.
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Dropping out and not voting — or voting 3rd party — is a last resort.
That may be necessary in ’16, but it should be a rare, rare exception.
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If things continue to play out as they are we’ll have either
Trump vs. Clinton
Trump vs. Sanders
If a 3rd party gets involved, it’ll most likely be Johnson, Paul, or Bloomberg, none of whom I’d vote for.
So who is the lesser evil in the above choices? Pick your poison, but remember, it’s all still poison. 🙄
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And what on earth did Megyn do to her hair? I thought it was Charlize Theron in Prometheus for the first 10 minutes. 🙂
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I would vote for Paul as a third-party candidate. Trump is deranged.
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Yeah, outta the list I gave above, Paul is the only one I might let convince me to vote for him. But it won’t be easy for him.
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On a lighter note, my Transspeciesphobic wife won’t let me have a pet:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/430434/cat-trapped-woman-body-norway
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I think there would be another conservative choice if it’s Trump vs. Clinton or Sanders. There are too many of us who simply would not be able to vote for Trump, someone would have to ramp up some kind of campaign as an alternative.
Not that they’d have a prayer of winning. But it would provide someone’s name to punch.
If not, I guess I sit this one out, first time ever. 😦
Ah, but the hair, haha — I liked the short hair when she first cut it — and she’s pretty and young enough that she can carry off the look she sported tonight — but sheesh. It’s just kind of weird.
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And it was kind of nice not to have Trump on the stage tonight. I didn’t see a lot of the debate — heard some of it on the radio on the drive home, but had to stop at the grocery store so then I only saw the final 30 minutes on TV after getting home.
But it seems like a huge distraction — the elephant in the room (who’s always making faces) — was swept out of the picture. Nice.
As for Cruz complaining about being “attacked,” sheesh again — no whining! As Chris Wallace said, “It’s a debate.” Move on. Get over yourself.
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Donna J, My wife is a Mexican with big Spanish eyes so she really doesn’t need makeup. She looks the same when she wakes up as when she is ready to go out on the town. However, old Megyn had on some serious white lady makeup, some big old fake eyelashes and a $500 hairdo. Nevertheless, I thank her for giving us one buffoon-less debate.
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“Old” Megyn?
Ricky, Ricky ….
Men. 🙄
Women really are harshly judged on their looks — I thought she looked very glamorous. Not my favorite look for her, but she carries most anything off well.
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Karen O
Let me list some Politically Incorrect things;
God created the world,
Man didn’t come from monkeys,
Climate change doesn’t come from man,
Socialism is bunk,
Republicans are not stupid,
Obama is only half Black,
illegal aliens broke the law.
Some of these things could get a public school teacher in hot water…
I am glad I am out!
LikeLiked by 1 person