Friday, October 7, 2016

Just how corrupt do the politicians think we are? And I’m increasingly afraid they are correct.


The Attorney General of New York State reads in The Washington Post that the Trump Foundation has not done the paperwork to raise funds in New York . He tells them to cease fund-raising activity immediately. Only twenty-four hours between the announcement that the proper forms weren’t filed, and the cease and desist order.

As someone who will vote for Trump, I got no problem with that at all. Trump’s foundation should obey the law.

Meanwhile, Scripps-Howard reports that two Clinton foundations don’t follow NY law, in that they fail to identify their donors and report the amounts each gives them. The AG’s office says ‘no problemo.’ Laws are for the little people, not the Clintons.

Care to guess what party the NY State Attorney General belongs to, and who he supports in the presidential race?

But will this affect anyone’s vote? I doubt it. ‘Corruption, Shmorruption’ seems to be the attitude.

And I doubt this will get the AG thrown out of office either, though it should. We’ve reached the point where the electorate doesn’t believe that anyone on their side can do wrong. That scares me.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

How stupid do political fundraisers think we are? And are they right?


Yesterday, I got one of the many polls asking me if I agreed with this group's nostrums, and would I send them money? I like these. I give the exact opposite of the answers they want (yes, I want to see our country ruined; no, I don't want to stop the evil folks from taking over). Gangs of fun.

Well, this poll was a duplicate, so I decided to make up a new name for it. (Vote early and often, that's what I say. I've taken some of these polls about ten times). I picked Sergey as my first name, and used my regular last name. This was the first time for Sergey, unlike my other aliases.

Today, I got an e-mail addressed to Sergey, saying that "As one of our most active supporters in Minnesota, you have been selected to take our new" politician survey.

Sergey got a second letter, asking him his opinion on a vital question. Click Yes, No, or Unsure. No matter which one you click, you get taken to the same survey, with the same leading questions.

These surveys usually imply I'm one of the select few whose opinion they're asking. The criterion of selection is, of course, that they have my mailing address.

Occasionally, one of my aliases gets a letter asking 'Is it true you're voting for that evil person the other party is running?' The survey that follows, though, invariably contains the same questions as the ones that think I'm one of their stalwart fighters for truth, justice, and the party that sent them.

So, who do they think they're fooling with these? It's insulting they think I'm dumb enough to respond, but it's scary, thinking that lots of people either do fall for the phoniness, or (worse) don't care that our would-be political saviors are so routinely dishonest.

P.S.: I miss Bernie. I never sent him any money either, but his letters weren't quite as hackneyed as the ones I get now.