Advancing Time: A Presidential Running Mate, Does It Matter?

Advancing Time: A Presidential Running Mate, Does It Matter?: While many people don't think it matters who a presidential candidate chooses as a running mate, it kinda does. This becomes even more ...

A Presidential Running Mate, Does It Matter?

While many people don't think it matters who a presidential candidate chooses as a running mate, it kinda does. This becomes even more important if they are up in age or in bad health. After witnessing the rapid decline of Joe Biden, the importance of who will step into the Oval Office if the need arises should be elevated. 

Over the years, most Presidential candidates have selected running mates that few Americans would be comfortable proclaiming as our President. The criteria for a running mate varies, some candidates select someone from an area they need to win, others to heal a wound in their party,  and some to fill another niche they think needs to be filled. 

The most important factor here is what it says about the leader of the ticket's values and judgment. The speculation is that Kamala Harris picked Tim Walz because she loved his governing record in Minnesota. Also, his biography and record of winning tough races resonated with her. Most of all, she just really liked him. Still, that does not mean he is a good choice.

It could be argued that of the four candidates on the Presidential / Vice-President ballot, Vance is the sharpest of the four and the most fit to serve. This doesn't mean you agree with JD Vance. It translates into the fact he probably has a more accurate picture of reality and greater knowledge of the issues facing America than the others. 

You don't have to be a policy or political wonk to understand the ramifications flowing from promoting an empty suit into the role of President.  The sudden ascension of Kamala Harris to the Democratic presidential nominee is a wakeup call to the issue that running mates matter. CNN recently put out an article comparing the Vice President to a backup quarterback and pointing out they need to be ready for the Oval Office if the situation arises. 

When it comes to Presidential candidates and their running mates, the least the voters can expect is a clear picture of the agenda they wish to pursue. Candidates need to give us policies defining where they will take the nation. Platitudes and clever sound bites fall far short of this.         

(A platitude is a statement that is seen as trite, meaningless, or prosaic, aimed at quelling social, emotional, or cognitive unease. For example, "America needs a leader who will build us up rather than tear us down.")

Prior to Vance being selected by Trump few Americans knew his name or anything about him. Whether you like him or not, it only takes a few minutes of listening to Vance to realize he is far more articulate and sharp than Trump, Harris, or Waltz. Few people have the experience to step into the role of President, but being smart and able to clearly voice and support your ideas has a great deal of merit.

Footnote: This link shows every running mate chosen since WWII ---- consider it a "memory refresher" of some rather forgettable charterers.  https://www.visualcapitalist.com/every-presidential-candidates-running-mate-since-wwii/  

(Republishing this article is permitted with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

Advancing Time: A Very Ugly Election Season Has Descended Upon Us!

Advancing Time: A Very Ugly Election Season Has Descended Upon Us!: The very ugly election season has descended upon us. Undeniably, polarization is the word of the day. For many Americans, this is not a rus...

A Very Ugly Election Season Has Descended Upon Us!

The very ugly election season has descended upon us. Undeniably, polarization is the word of the day. For many Americans, this is not a rush to pick the best President but to vote for the least worst. This has filled the internet with cheap parody songs attacking Trump or Harris depending on the entertainer's values. Examples of these parodies can be found at the bottom of this post. This post. however, is not about parodies or music. 

The reality is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A big deal is being made as a slew of "Never Trumpers" endorse Harris. At the same time, even more telling is that Robert F Kennedy Jr has suspending his run for the US presidency and announced his  endorsement of Donald Trump. Of course, Harris supporters have tried to spin this as "sour milk" rather than acknowledge the strong opposition Kennedy held to the current Biden-Harris agenda. 

 For years, Kennedy repeatedly condemned Trump, referring to him as a “bully,” who appealed to “bigotry,” “hatred,” “xenophobia” and “prejudice.” Among the chief attacks Kennedy has leveled at Trump through the 2024 campaign is to accuse him of corruption for turning his administration over to corporate lobbyists and special interests and his failure to “drain the swamp.” 

It must be noted, Kennedy and Trump do share similar isolationist views on US foreign policy, government censorship, and the need to address chronic disease in America. Kennedy has, in the past, called Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election appalling and a threat to democracy. He has also argued President Joe Biden has been a bigger threat. He blames Biden for censoring political speech using as an example his Instagram account being banned in 2021 over vaccine misinformation. 

On another note, one of the most open, honest, lucid, truthful, and issue-oriented political discussions I have seen in the modern age. took place in a riveting episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. There, Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate in his 2024 independent presidential campaign, dissected the legacy of Trump's first term and many other topics. Nicole openly shares her vision for government accountability, emphasizing the role of technology in enhancing transparency and productivity. It is a shame how few people will see it. It makes clear the issue of there being a monopoly on the scale of information distribution is perhaps the most important monopoly of them all.

A huge problem looms in the fact neither of America's Presidential candidates is interested in cutting the national debt and slowing our descent.  Dr. Lacy Hunt, former Senior Economist to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, as well as several of the world's largest global banks, is not impressed. He takes the position both Presidential candidates will only make our debt problem worse. 

Over the last few years, we have seen people working less and more people shifting towards taking some type of public support. This has been occurring at a time when productivity has not increased, Adding to America's economic woes is that consumers continue to dig themselves deeper into debt. To be honest, it is difficult to find a Politician anywhere who is advocating an economic path that deals with the problems ahead. They are instead paving the way toward stagflation or inflation.

It appears that Democrats don't get it. Rather than aligning themselves with the American worker, they have formed a coalition made up of the poor, the deep state, and the globalist elites. All these groups have one thing in common, and that is they are willing to sacrifice our future for more money and power today. This is evident in a number of policies rubber-stamped by this coalition that constantly favor big businesses such as Amazon over the far smaller companies that made America famous. 

Giving people money to stay at home and order online is devastating to the brick-and-mortar stores that line the streets of our communities. These are the companies that pay taxes and provide jobs for our friends and families. The major labor shortage and a fall in productivity will have long-lasting implications in the form of future stagflation. 

Today, many smaller businesses struggling under the expensive of ever-changing mandates being placed upon them by those in power.  Already, statistics show that 1-in-4 Americans primarily live on government support. The idea of simply giving these people more money in the hope it will boost consumption is unsustainable because the numbers don't work.

Not only is Biden mentally impaired, but he is a liar and a crook that belongs in jail for selling political favors, and so does much of his family. The idea Democratic voters should swarm to support Harris just because she is not Biden is a bit sick, but what else does she have going for her?  This election highlights the massive flaws in America's election system which was designed over two hundred years ago. A "fair update" is in order, but who would be able to design such a thing in the current political environment? 

It is difficult to say how this election will play out. Most Americans are opposed to corruption, and think weaponizing the Department of Justice to attack political opponents is wrong. Expect high drama. Expect a lot of allegations of this or that party stealing the election. Do not be surprised if America comes across as a banana republic. The only guarantee I will give is that when all is said and done, a huge part of our population will not be happy. 

 

    The first three examples go after Harris,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4

---  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4

--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4

   The below parodies hit on Trump ---  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4

--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4

--- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIN5G_2e6h4

 (Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)

 

Advancing Time: Slowing Economy In America To Result In Global Dis...

Advancing Time: Slowing Economy In America To Result In Global Dis...: America remains the world's largest economy and a slowdown here is likely to spread grief across the globe. It is amazing so many people...

Slowing Economy In America To Result In Global Distress

America remains the world's largest economy and a slowdown here is likely to spread grief across the globe. It is amazing so many people simply don't understand the dire implications America's slowing economy will have on the world. Considering much of the global economy is dependent on exports to the US, the world should expect more problems ahead. These problems will not only be economic but take a toll on society across the world.

Other countries manufacture the goods Americans buy which makes America a key component in their economies. Without the American consumer, factories across the world will see orders slow. Any such slowing in orders reduces the need for raw goods from developing nations in both South America and Africa. This causes a lot of stress on their economies.

Since World War II, America has been the economic locomotive or engine pulling the economy forward. As we look back to the time following the 2008 financial crisis, we find China sidestepped the major slowdown by over-stimulating its economy. This resulted in a great deal of malinvestment. Currently, China is pumping money into its economy however, the law of diminishing return has taken hold.  

Today any claims China was taking over the role of the world's economic engine have been tarnished by the recent revelations its economy is in shambles. Much of China's economy has been an over-hyped illusion. Its economy has proven to be more of a paper tiger built on a foundation of ghost cities, more factories than it needs, debt, and wasteful overbuilding.

In recent years, the EU has mistakenly shifted towards the East hoping China would act as a spark and revitalize growth. Instead, it has seen its trade deficit with China only grow larger. Some German observers are now saying the economy has reached crisis proportions and the reason is due to what the US economy's weakness is doing to the rest of the world. Rather than supporting a recovery, the situation in Germany, Europe's largest economy has turned ever more grim due to the growing negatives flowing out of America.

It is difficult to underestimate the role of the American consumer in the overall scheme of things and we have the trade deficit to prove it. This highlights the flaw in a system based on people buying stuff they often really don't need. What is deemed as demand tends to be a squishy area made up of waste and poor judgment. This is the first place consumers cut their spending.

Not Much Has Changed Over The Years - America Is Addicted To Imported Goods

The fact is that America with its massive trade deficit is carrying much of the world on its shoulders. This includes not only China and Mexico but countries such as Japan, Germany, South Korea, and even Germany. These countries are sucking the wealth right out of us.

Sadly, for those living off exporting to America, this spells trouble. When the US consumer falls into a state of protracted economic funk their priorities will take a hit. In times of financial duress expect American consumers to turn towards keeping a roof over their heads, food, and basic transportation rather than buying much of the junk we have been importing.

In a recent video, Robert Kiyosaki talks about what he sees as a looming global economic downturn. Best known for his book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" Kiyosaki's unique approach to personal finance and wealth-building has earned him a loyal following. While I believe in many of his views, I feel that Kivosaki often fails to point out that other fiat currencies are far worse than the dollar. Currencies are where many people store much of their wealth and even if they are debased and lose much of their value this is likely to continue. This is because currencies act as a primary medium of exchange in the modern world. 

Short of America suffering a massive military defeat, it is difficult to see any rival ripping away the dollar's role as the world's reserve currency anytime soon. As American consumers cut their spending, the combination of more wasteful government spending, more debasing of currencies, and a slowing of global economies has the potential to usher in a major "inflationary" global slowdown. While the East and West may be decoupling, the world has not decoupled from the American consumer.

 

(Republishing of this article welcomed with reference to Bruce Wilds/AdvancingTime Blog)