Tag: Political Issues

Take your toys and go home, Donald

June 29, 2026

Have you noticed the tantrums that the man who holds the office of Chief Executive has been throwing lately? He’s continued to lie about everything from how the 2016 election ended to having a photograph taken in Europe. He has his point of view, while others disagree with how he sees reality.

Now he has come back to the U.S. and decided not to sign a law that the Senate and House had both approved. He’ll sign it as soon as the Trumpites browbeat those who don’t agree with him into agreeing on another bill that does not seem to be very popular.

This is just another example of the childish attitude of a man who is old enough to know better. Spoiled brat behavior is often seen in preschoolers. Grown men who have been elected President of the United States rarely pitch these kinds of fits in front of the press. We know today that some of the former Presidents did this in private.

Donald Trump no longer has a filter that most of us use to prevent the embarrassment of foot-in-mouth syndrome. I’ve been a non-Partisan voter for all my voting career. When I registered to vote in August of 1972, they tried to tell me at the county clerk’s office that I had to declare a party to be eligible to vote.

Having my high school diploma did not necessarily guarantee that I knew voting law. My history teachers made it a priority to teach us about the new laws that were in effect after the problems in the sixties. I asked to speak to the county clerk, and he told me I was correct that I did not need to declare a party.

I currently serve as an election judge for Greene County, Missouri, where most voters are Republicans. When I signed up for this job, they needed to know my party affiliation, and I told them I was non-Partisan and that is what I am listed as. To me, that means I should be able to work with a Republican or a Democrat. I have always been paired with a member of the GOP because here, there are always more of them and fewer of us.

It does not matter to me whether Trump belongs to any party. I have known for over forty years that he is a dishonest, lying businessman that I would never trust, even if my pastor told me to. For the last three elections, when most of my friends thought he was the only choice, I disagreed with them. I continue to believe that he never should have been elected either time.

This year, as always, I want to overthrow all the political parties. It is not just the way our groups work against each other. After fifty-plus years of watching politics, I have seen US and other countries’ politicians use party affiliation to bypass the people they represent. I’m tired of it. We need to learn this as citizens.

Did you know that Trump used to be a Democrat, and so was former President Ronald Regan. When the Republican Party was formed, it was the party for the downtrodden. The Democrats were the ones who supported slavery. They continue to flop back and forth on almost every issue. I can trust a candidate but not the party he belongs to. They sell their souls to the parties to get money to buy their election. It must stop.

©Copyright 2026 by Charles Kensinger

Lying in politics

October 18, 2024

You know the old saying, “How can you tell when a politician is lying. His mouth is moving.” Yes, that was a lawyer. I know this is probably a century or more old. Certain people seem predisposed to lying. They do not belong to any one group as we may view them. There are politicians, businesspeople, used car salespeople, and every conceivable profession that will be honest or not.

I can point out a few men and women who are running in the election who have or are openly lying about themselves. We all believe that our opinions about the issues are correct. I will not argue those opinions. I am talking about statements and claims made by these candidates.

One claimed he was not a politician during the first election he ran in. The definition of a politician is one involved in politics. Specifically running for an elected office makes you a politician. He also promised us that he was not and would never be a professional politician. He ran for a second position before his first term was completed. These are two lies.

Check the promises that are being made. Some want you to accept that they will do things that we all want them to. Stating that you want these things accomplished is wonderful. Claiming you can do them the first day you are in the office is a lie. Either they know this is a lie or they are not smart enough to represent us.

Another has been convicted of crimes. This must be part of his strategy to be elected so that he can pardon himself if his appeals fail. Whether or not I think that this candidate is guilty is not the point

I am not telling you their names because the ones I know about are not the only candidates spreading falsehoods. I am sorry if you support these liars. I hope you will look at each candidate you intend to vote for. Remember that the general election is on the fifth of November. Our time is running out to decide how to vote before then.

In Missouri, we will also have many issues on our ballot. My best advice on this is for you to find the bill or amendment as it is written. Do not listen to those who support or oppose any amendment or item. They also seem to not be able to tell the truth. They want you to view their “facts” as true.

I’ll give you a couple of examples. In Missouri where I live, Amendment 3 to our constitution will make all abortions legal. Proponents claim that currently, doctors cannot help women who are having problem pregnancies. Some OBs say this is correct. Others have stated that they continue to care for their patients as they always have. Ladies, ask your doctor what they believe. They are the ones to whom you should listen.

Two other amendments are about gambling. One small city wants its own casino boat, which is legal in this state. They want to change our constitution to allow this. My reading of the original wording of the amendment makes me believe that it will open the door for many more casinos than are currently allowed by our existing statutes. This is Amendment 5 on our ballot.

The other gambling bill is Amendment 2. This will allow sports betting not just at our few casinos, but online. The supporters of this issue claim we will see ten million dollars for our schools in the first five years. The casino owners oppose this and claim our schools will receive nothing. Both gambling proponents are lying. If you want to bet on athletic events or go to a casino, vote for these bills.

Do not believe that our teachers, schools, or students will benefit from taxes on this. Three other times voters have approved gambling that was supposed to benefit not-for-profit organizations or schools and the exorbitant claims were found to be incorrect. I believe those who accept these statements will determine how they were duped within the five years for which the prediction has been made.

Check all the facts. Read the legislation and the claims of the candidates. Those who have been in office should find it easy to verify their claims. The difficult ones are those like our current senior senator who ran for auditor eight years ago on a platform of not being a politician. He failed to complete that term because he won the nomination to oppose a sitting senator who was running for her third term.

Remember that I am a non-partisan voter. I will not vote for a bad candidate when his or her party wants to force me to accept someone who shows themselves to be a liar. I will not accept who you choose. If your party does not nominate a decent candidate, I will find a qualified person elsewhere. This may be the election that more folks who are not Republicrats or Demicans will fill the positions. See you at the polls.

©Copyright 2024 by Charles Kensinger