Are they insane, or just stupid?

By Michael Oberndorf

I go through periods, particularly during election campaigns, when I stop talking and just listen to what others in the media, left and right, are saying, and to what the public reaction to their "conventional wisdom" is. This time around, I am appalled, though hardly surprised, at what I've heard.

As expected, the leftist "mainstream" media is censoring the news so that Clinton, Obama, and all Democrat policies and actions are made to appear overwhelmingly popular and successful, and everything about Trump, conservatives, and non-Establishment Republicans is sneeringly negative. They have been doing this sort of Nazi/Soviet/Maoist propaganda-as-news for years, but lately, it has escalated, nearly to the point of hysteria. Sorta like Hillary making a campaign speech. In any case, there is a desperation evident that I have never seen in the past that appears to be not unlike dogs howling just before an earthquake.

Unfortunately, we are hearing the same sort of lies and distortion coming from the Republican Establishment – the Political Class or Ruling Elite, as they seem to see themselves. As Rush Limbaugh astutely noted, this self-appointed New Aristocracy of the Right is angrier at Donald Trump than at Obama and Clinton. And sadly, far too many self-styled conservatives in the electorate have bought the crap being peddled.

Donald Trump has never claimed to be a Conservative (with a capital "C"), or a liberal, or a moderate. He's a businessman, and a very successful one. But perhaps more importantly, he is also something accurately described by a word that all the Purveyors of Wisdom on the Right seem to have forgotten. Donald Trump is a consummate pragmatist.

Trump understands that to succeed in a complex and highly competitive world, you need to know how to be flexible when necessary, and how and when to stand your ground. This is clearly a skill that is almost totally absent from today's politics. And it is one that we desperately need. We have allowed the Democrats, even when in a minority, to run roughshod over our economy, doubling the national debt in less than eight years, destroying our healthcare system, our military, our public education, allowing our country to be overrun with illegal alien criminals and Muslim extremists, turning our revenue service and environmental protection agencies into twisted, job and economy destroying political tools, corrupting our justice system, our courts, and our law enforcement, and worst of all, willfully and with apparent impunity, trashing the Constitution and the Rule of Law. And this brings us to the glaringly obvious, completely undeniable point: We cannot survive, as a free, capitalist, constitutional, democratic republic, even four more years of this. Do these Never Trump geniuses not understand that the next president will put anywhere from three to five new Justices on the Supreme court, able to either support the Constitution as written, or destroy it completely? Are they insane, or just plain stupid?

Trump is not, repeat, not, a part of the political establishment. He is independently wealthy and beholden to no one. He clearly and unashamedly loves America. These are the characteristics that we need in the people we elect to public office. And if we are going to succeed in Making America Great again, we need to clean the professional politicians out of government at all levels, starting with local offices, and replace them with honest, hard-working citizens with a genuine willingness to serve the people, not themselves and The Party. There are folks like that out there running for offices, if you take the time to look.

For example, Joe Danna is a veteran law enforcement officer in Harris County, Texas (Houston), running for the office of Constable:

I am a proud 2nd Generation of Danna Families born and raised in Precinct One. My law enforcement work for over two decades has provided police skills and experience that have made Precinct One a safer place to live and work I'm asking for your vote of confidence & support to elect me as your Constable. You have my word today that I am ready for the job and the huge responsibility that comes with it.

My commitment to you is very simple. As Constable, I will lead and manage the Department with discipline, fairness and a strict chain of command to insure accountability from supervisors, to maximize our efforts to PROTECT and SERVE the citizens and businesses in Precinct One.

Who is Joe Danna?

• Born, raised, married, educated and employed, all in Precinct One
  
  
• Christian, son, brother, husband, father, provider, public servant
  
  
• Learned the values of hard work and honesty at a young age
  
  
• Personal fitness and a healthy life style plays a major role in Joe's life
  
  
• Computer techie
  
  
• Pet lover
  
  
• Black-belt in Shorin-Ryu Karate and various Japanese weapons
  

What Joe has Accomplished?

• Advanced Peace Officer
  
  
• Helped in every division at the Constables Office
  
  
• Police motorcycle skills, first approved Deputy to ride motorcycles
  
  
• Wrote, implemented and managed grants through Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) for its Selective Traffic Enforcement Programs (STEP)
  
  
• Filed and executed juvenile, & traffic warrants and search warrants, that lead to the conviction of suspects for criminal activities
  
  
• Appointed as liaison to the Houston Independent Auto Dealers Association (HIADA)
  
  
• Worked with FBI, Harris County Sheriff's Department (HCSO) Houston Police Department (HPD) and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to increase awareness and reduce crime in Precinct One
  
  
• Involved with numerous undercover stings and sweeps with TXDOT, HCSO and DPS
  
  
• Called on by TXDOT to help train HPD officers to enforce the laws of offering/selling illegal vehicles otherwise known as Curbstoning
  
  
• Provided police security escorts for Hurricane Katrina evacuees
  
  
• Chosen by the Houston Texans, NFL visiting teams and other local sports organizations to provide police motorcycle escorts. Due to his excellent reputation as a people person, he is known for working well with other law enforcement agencies to provide police motorcycle escorts for VIP and celebrities
  
  
• Worked hand and hand with the Auto Dealers in Houston not only with the issue of Curbstoning but in the unique area of law enforcement the dealers feel are invaluable to their businesses
  
  
• Effectively used his technology background to investigate cybercrimes and fraudulent check cases, obtaining and executing search warrants which is unheard of from a civil deputy in the Constables office
  

Joe Danna is not unique. There are many like him already running, and many more who would be willing. We need all of them. Simply electing a president without the elected officers below to support him, will change little. We need to completely clean house, dump the corrupt, self-serving incumbents and replace them with honest, patriotic, ordinary citizens. We can do it. We MUST do it.

© Michael Oberndorf