Trump is supporting candidates

When I heard the commercial for Billy Long for Missouri Senator, I was surprised that a PAC is pushing the link between him and former President Trump. It remains to be seen what will be done to the man that enticed followers to attack the Capital Building to stop him from being replaced as President.

I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I am 100% non-partisan. When I vote, I look at the candidates, not any party affiliation. I advise you to do the same. The best reason for this was the 2016 Presidential election. The only reason Donald Trump won was that there were more people who disliked Mrs. Clinton than were willing to reject the Republican candidate.

I hoped that 2016 would be the year that those of us who are not part of the political parties would reject the two major candidates in favor of someone else. I was surprised at the number of personal friends who did not support either of these two until after they had their party’s nomination.

This is what I dislike about the political party system. There are always those that say they vote for the candidate but never vote for anyone other than someone in a particular party.

We also have those that claim they are conservative, liberal, or middle-of-the-road. The conservatives tend to vote Republican or middle-of-the-road. The liberals are democrats. Most middle-of-the-roaders let their own minds decide who to vote for. Often conservatives and liberals call us fence-sitters.

On my uncle’s dairy farm in Marshfield, Missouri. I sat on the fence from time to time. Usually, because I was told not to go into the field where the cattle were. My Uncle Paul, Aunt Nina, Mom, Dad, or one of my cousins gave me the instructions to stay out of the enclosure. I would be as close to inside without literally violating their advice.

Politically, sitting on the fence puts me in the same position. I am close enough to the action to see anything on either side. I am also where I can jump to either side as I may deem necessary. It is a good place to be.

I have jumped off the fence on a number of issues. Donald Trump is one of them. Lying, cheating, and misrepresentation are others. Oh, yeah, that describes Mr. Trump as well. Political analysts say that it remains to be seen how voters respond to Trump this election year.

I hope that the majority have finally realized how dangerous he is. I and others knew this in 2016. More woke up in 2020. When he began to see that his chances of winning were slim to none, he started the rhetoric of the vote being rigged against him. In his mind, the only reason he would lose was if the other party cheated.

When I played games with my two brothers, they might “throw the board.” Often this was literal. It was usually when I was winning. They also said I was cheating. Which I, usually, wasn’t. I learned to do the same thing when I felt slighted. I wonder who taught Donald to do this. I never saw him in the room with us.

Over the years, I have heard of Donald Trump. First, as a businessman who seemed to be suspected of possibly illegal practices. Then a reality show host who enjoyed firing people. He reminded me of the bad bosses I used to work for. Therefore, I did not support him in the 2016 primary or presidential races.

Others were under a rock or had their heads in the sand before he switched from a democan to a Republicrat and then entered the conflict to secure his power. I was not fooled, then. I was surprised, but not confused when his end run was to try to take over the country by throwing us into chaos and confusion after he lost.

It is up to Congress to accuse, try, and convict him of trying to overthrow the U. S. Constitution. This was a violation of his Presidential Oath. It used to be a hanging offense. It may still be punishable by death.

At the very least, those of us who can think straight must realize that an endorsement by this traitor is reason enough to not support a candidate. One 7th district Missouri candidate for Congress is being accused of being a Romney Republican. It is said of him that he opposed Obama but never aided Trump against Clinton or Biden.

I believe he would be called a Rino by some Republicans. This may be my man this year. If his party sees fit to put him on my ballot in November. As usual, whoever the party members choose, I will select the man or woman that I feel is the correct choice. I hope you join me.

©Copyright 2022 by Charles Kensinger

Is woke really a derogatory term?

I’m a word guy. I read. I write. And I am constantly trying to improve my vocabulary. When I started hearing the term woke in political ads, I had no idea what it was. I thought they were mis-pronouncing wok. I know that a wok is a Chinese cooking pan. I like to make stir fry dishes in mine.

I am woke up every morning by our alarm clock. That doesn’t seem to fit what the Republicans are saying about their opponents. The term Woke Democrat or Woke Liberal is a mystery for most of us. I am not sure that those speaking the word in their commercials know the true definition.

Wikipedia says it means “alert to racial prejudice and discrimination.” The Oxford and Webster dictionaries agree with them. How is it bad to be aware of prejudice and discrimination? I am not sure how to interpret this word.

Do I respond like these Republicans and criticize anyone that can realize when racism and bigotry are evident? I guess they could call me a woke writer. By the way, woke is an adjective. That means it must be used to modify a noun like a democrat, writer, or republican.

I have not heard of a woke Republican. It would be nice to learn that they are alert to racial prejudice and discrimination. We need to be looking for our similarities and not our differences.

How are we the same? We all want what is best for each other. Pro-Choice and Abortion opponents want to protect the life of the mother and the baby. Whites and blacks and other minorities want to understand each other and repair any disagreements that we had in the past. Our differences should not divide us.

Even Democrats and Republicans or conservatives and liberals can cooperate to pass laws that we agree are needed. We all win when we work together.

What is most important to you? Is providing for your family your priority? Are you currently more worried about food or housing? Does your family have everything they need? Should you be helping others? Where and with whom should you be serving others?

We need to put others before ourselves. Many people focus totally on themselves. To be the country and the people that we want to be we must put others first. Step out of your place in line and give it to someone else. Walk to the back of the line and let your children know that is what we should be doing.

©Copyright 2022 by Charles Kensinger