I wish that you would reconsider this hiatus that you are on here on OPP. Just as Salty took you under his wing so have you taken others under your wing so to speak. You don't know how many have posted to me asking me where you have been and are you coming back because they miss your wit as well as your funnies that you used to post. You do have a quite a large following on here whether you want to believe that or not it is up to you. We have all contributed to the OPP over time and we are better off as a group than as an individual. Some on OPP tick me off as well and I figured that the best way to deal with these malcontents is to ignore them and not even give them the satisfaction of a reply. I will not try to force you to do anything you know that but it is the season after all HO HO and all that ROT. Merry Christmas to you and to Mama hope you are all fine and I hope that you and Mama have a truly Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well.

Buddy Rich
From: “Give me a “bad guy” who can play …”
This is a famous quote from iconic drummer, Buddy Rich. Buddy only wanted the best musician on stage with him. He didn’t care about their “moral character” or if they were pleasant to be around. He didn’t even care if he, himself, liked them. He hired only guys who could burn the room down with him …not boy scouts who were mediocre. Hence, the famous quote.

President Donald Trump appears to be in trouble. A series of confessions and convictions, of and by people around him, are casting a strange, dark light on his presidency at the moment. There is a perception (at least) that shady stuff has gone on around this guy. And when shady stuff constantly goes on around someone in charge, you have to conclude that the guy in charge is okay with shady stuff.

Has he hung around tax evaders and money launderers? Probably. Did he pay off porn stars and Playboy Playmates to keep their dalliances quiet? I think we can safely conclude that he did. Is he a petulant child in the Twitter-verse? One hundred percent. Does he say things in public my mother would slap me for saying? Literally, everyday. Did he conspire with a foreign power to win an e******n? Hillary did, and he may have, too. Will any of this make a difference to his supporters? That requires a complicated answer. Let me explain …

I have a theory that all p**********l e******ns are reactions to the sitting president at the time. I remember Jimmy Carter getting elected (in large part) because he was a wholesome, moral breath of fresh air in an atmosphere of contention and scandal created during the Nixon years. I remember entire churches being excited to go out and v**e for an openly Christian man for president. Then, after four years of that disaster, I remember those same people breaking speed limit laws to get to the polls to v**e for Reagan as fast as they could.

The conditions that created a “president Trump” kinda started with Bill Clinton, who led to George W. Bush …who led to Barack Obama.

By the time we got to him, Mr. Obama was going to be the antidote to incompetence and corruption and war mongering and, yes …even r****m. But a very strange thing happened during Mr. Obama’s presidency. R****m didn’t end. Corruption got worse. And wars continued on. And incompetence actually got worse. My full day of talking to the customer service agent at the newly created healthcare exchange, was typical incompetence, and did NOT leave me confident.

And what was discovered during Mr. Obama’s 8 years was that, in a free market nation, over-taxing, over-regulating and having a radical left leader who constantly berates the business community and supports policies that place more emphasis on celebrating the “diversity” of people groups than on law and order for every individual, and foreign policies that take into account everything but the nation you’ve been elected to lead, simply doesn’t work.

What was also exposed in those 8 years was how feckless and weak Republicans had actually become in their opposition to such things. And with candidates literally talking openly about socialism and nationalizing private institutions, a guy like Trump comes along and promises to re-set the foundation of the nation the way Americans understand it …and the way they want it. Is he really that much of a surprise?

I talk occasionally about the fourth revolution. And Donald Trump is the leader of it.

If you’re appalled at the lewd behavior of your president, you’re behind. That ship sailed when one was getting blow jobs by an intern half his age, in the Oval Office … AND. NOBODY. CARED.

If you wish your president was decent and measured and was reluctant to return fire at his critics, you’re behind. We already had that guy and W was called a war criminal, who should be tried at the Hague (Rosie O’Donell’s public announcement) and “r****ded” (Chris Rock’s word), someone who should force his daughters to go to war (Matt Damon’s suggestion), a monster who deliberately broke the levees in New Orleans to drown black people (Spike Lee’s claim) and on and on and on … AND. NOBODY. CARED.

If you wish your president was upstanding and righteous and said all the right things, you’re behind Mitt Romney. He already ran. AND. NOBODY. CARED.

If you wish your president was a humble and honorable true public servant, without moral blemishes, you’re behind. Bob Dole (a man who gave his right hand to his country) and John McCain (a man who gave both arms to his country) already ran. AND. NOBODY. CARED.

Donald Trump was the last branch to grab before the nation hit the ground. But he has changed the game in some ways. Nobody believes a nice guy can get it done, anymore. We’ve had nice guys …and nothing changed.

Cutting taxes and repatriating a trillion dollars was the right thing to do. And it’s working. And only a guy who doesn’t give crap about what people think of him could’ve gotten it done. Moving the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was the right thing to do. It sends a message to the rest of the middle east and, in turn, creates a stability hard to quantify. Presidents on BOTH sides of the aisle have promised to do it. It should’ve been done decades ago. But only a guy who doesn’t give a crap about what people think of him could’ve gotten it done.

Taking Kim Jong Un on …head on … was the right thing to do. But only a guy who doesn’t give a crap about what people think of him would’ve even attempted it.

While Mr Trump’s lawyers and campaign people were perp-walking in and out of ivory towers, a teenaged girl in Iowa – as middle-America a place as you can find – was being murdered by someone in the country illegally. That creates real world fear for Americans everywhere. We have enough fear of our own citizenry, breaking our own laws. And reasonable Americans don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask people wanting to come to our country …to sign the hell in. Reasonable Americans don’t see how that makes them r****ts. It simply doesn’t compute. And the only elected leader giving them any cover is the flawed president.

So, did Donald Trump collude and conspire with Russians to win an e******n? What the media and his opponents (and even a lot of Republicans) STILL don’t or can’t or won’t understand is that it doesn’t matter. He didn’t have to collude with anybody. He was going to win either way. He had millions of Americans at “build a wall” and “cut your taxes” and especially at, “I don’t give a crap what people think” celebrations.

Donald T***p w*n't get impeached or arrested or disgraced or unseated or wh**ever. But what people had better realize is that if he did, and he’s gone, a large percentage of the population will be looking for something or someone JUST like him …to replace him. There’s too much at stake; too many socialists on the horizon, too many empty suits looking for lifetime political gigs, too many “nice guys” with great smiles and weak spines, to take anymore chances.

We just want an asshole who can play And with the economy roaring and North Korea neutralized and ISIS basically contained and defeated, and China learning the rules, it appears that despite all the weirdness that surrounds him, he can, indeed, play.

Buddy Rich
From: “Give me a “bad guy” who can play …”
This is a famous quote from iconic drummer, Buddy Rich. Buddy only wanted the best musician on stage with him. He didn’t care about their “moral character” or if they were pleasant to be around. He didn’t even care if he, himself, liked them. He hired only guys who could burn the room down with him …not boy scouts who were mediocre. Hence, the famous quote.

President Donald Trump appears to be in trouble. A series of confessions and convictions, of and by people around him, are casting a strange, dark light on his presidency at the moment. There is a perception (at least) that shady stuff has gone on around this guy. And when shady stuff constantly goes on around someone in charge, you have to conclude that the guy in charge is okay with shady stuff.

Has he hung around tax evaders and money launderers? Probably. Did he pay off porn stars and Playboy Playmates to keep their dalliances quiet? I think we can safely conclude that he did. Is he a petulant child in the Twitter-verse? One hundred percent. Does he say things in public my mother would slap me for saying? Literally, everyday. Did he conspire with a foreign power to win an e******n? Hillary did, and he may have, too. Will any of this make a difference to his supporters? That requires a complicated answer. Let me explain …

I have a theory that all p**********l e******ns are reactions to the sitting president at the time. I remember Jimmy Carter getting elected (in large part) because he was a wholesome, moral breath of fresh air in an atmosphere of contention and scandal created during the Nixon years. I remember entire churches being excited to go out and v**e for an openly Christian man for president. Then, after four years of that disaster, I remember those same people breaking speed limit laws to get to the polls to v**e for Reagan as fast as they could.

The conditions that created a “president Trump” kinda started with Bill Clinton, who led to George W. Bush …who led to Barack Obama.

By the time we got to him, Mr. Obama was going to be the antidote to incompetence and corruption and war mongering and, yes …even r****m. But a very strange thing happened during Mr. Obama’s presidency. R****m didn’t end. Corruption got worse. And wars continued on. And incompetence actually got worse. My full day of talking to the customer service agent at the newly created healthcare exchange, was typical incompetence, and did NOT leave me confident.

And what was discovered during Mr. Obama’s 8 years was that, in a free market nation, over-taxing, over-regulating and having a radical left leader who constantly berates the business community and supports policies that place more emphasis on celebrating the “diversity” of people groups than on law and order for every individual, and foreign policies that take into account everything but the nation you’ve been elected to lead, simply doesn’t work.

What was also exposed in those 8 years was how feckless and weak Republicans had actually become in their opposition to such things. And with candidates literally talking openly about socialism and nationalizing private institutions, a guy like Trump comes along and promises to re-set the foundation of the nation the way Americans understand it …and the way they want it. Is he really that much of a surprise?

I talk occasionally about the fourth revolution. And Donald Trump is the leader of it.

If you’re appalled at the lewd behavior of your president, you’re behind. That ship sailed when one was getting blow jobs by an intern half his age, in the Oval Office … AND. NOBODY. CARED.

If you wish your president was decent and measured and was reluctant to return fire at his critics, you’re behind. We already had that guy and W was called a war criminal, who should be tried at the Hague (Rosie O’Donell’s public announcement) and “r****ded” (Chris Rock’s word), someone who should force his daughters to go to war (Matt Damon’s suggestion), a monster who deliberately broke the levees in New Orleans to drown black people (Spike Lee’s claim) and on and on and on … AND. NOBODY. CARED.

If you wish your president was upstanding and righteous and said all the right things, you’re behind Mitt Romney. He already ran. AND. NOBODY. CARED.

If you wish your president was a humble and honorable true public servant, without moral blemishes, you’re behind. Bob Dole (a man who gave his right hand to his country) and John McCain (a man who gave both arms to his country) already ran. AND. NOBODY. CARED.

Donald Trump was the last branch to grab before the nation hit the ground. But he has changed the game in some ways. Nobody believes a nice guy can get it done, anymore. We’ve had nice guys …and nothing changed.

Cutting taxes and repatriating a trillion dollars was the right thing to do. And it’s working. And only a guy who doesn’t give crap about what people think of him could’ve gotten it done. Moving the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was the right thing to do. It sends a message to the rest of the middle east and, in turn, creates a stability hard to quantify. Presidents on BOTH sides of the aisle have promised to do it. It should’ve been done decades ago. But only a guy who doesn’t give a crap about what people think of him could’ve gotten it done.

Taking Kim Jong Un on …head on … was the right thing to do. But only a guy who doesn’t give a crap about what people think of him would’ve even attempted it.

While Mr Trump’s lawyers and campaign people were perp-walking in and out of ivory towers, a teenaged girl in Iowa – as middle-America a place as you can find – was being murdered by someone in the country illegally. That creates real world fear for Americans everywhere. We have enough fear of our own citizenry, breaking our own laws. And reasonable Americans don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask people wanting to come to our country …to sign the hell in. Reasonable Americans don’t see how that makes them r****ts. It simply doesn’t compute. And the only elected leader giving them any cover is the flawed president.

So, did Donald Trump collude and conspire with Russians to win an e******n? What the media and his opponents (and even a lot of Republicans) STILL don’t or can’t or won’t understand is that it doesn’t matter. He didn’t have to collude with anybody. He was going to win either way. He had millions of Americans at “build a wall” and “cut your taxes” and especially at, “I don’t give a crap what people think” celebrations.

Donald T***p w*n't get impeached or arrested or disgraced or unseated or wh**ever. But what people had better realize is that if he did, and he’s gone, a large percentage of the population will be looking for something or someone JUST like him …to replace him. There’s too much at stake; too many socialists on the horizon, too many empty suits looking for lifetime political gigs, too many “nice guys” with great smiles and weak spines, to take anymore chances.

We just want an asshole who can play And with the economy roaring and North Korea neutralized and ISIS basically contained and defeated, and China learning the rules, it appears that despite all the weirdness that surrounds him, he can, indeed, play.

I wish that you would reconsider this hiatus that you are on here on OPP. Just as Salty took you under his wing so have you taken others under your wing so to speak. You don't know how many have posted to me asking me where you have been and are you coming back because they miss your wit as well as your funnies that you used to post. You do have a quite a large following on here whether you want to believe that or not it is up to you. We have all contributed to the OPP over time and we are better off as a group than as an individual. Some on OPP tick me off as well and I figured that the best way to deal with these malcontents is to ignore them and not even give them the satisfaction of a reply. I will not try to force you to do anything you know that but it is the season after all HO HO and all that ROT. Merry Christmas to you and to Mama hope you are all fine and I hope that you and Mama have a truly Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well.

When Ronald Reagan was running against President Carter a very good older friend of ours stopped by our Cabinet Shop and talked politics with me for at least 2 hrs. My husband had know this man all of his life and had a great respect for him. I was a Democrate because my family and my husband’s family had always been Democrats, but after he explained the difference between a liberal and a conservative, I was definitely not a liberal! From then on I became more involved politically and have never v**ed for a liberal from then on! Jack and I were the first in our family on both sides to break rank and v**e Republican! LOL! We caused quite a stir with our elders that year. After all these years, only a few of the younger generation are liberals, but I don’t think they are interested enough to actually v**e!

It would be interesting to know how many people actually became Republicans because of the disastrous 4 years of Carter....was it just a handful, or more, or less? I really don’t know!

Thank you for this very interesting, thought provoking information........as usual!