Election 2020: What You Will Not Hear From The News Media, PolitiDose Will Articulate In Its Commentary. Part III

Presidential elections are about the future and that is what the November elections are about.  The 2016 election was about the future also and the voters choose Donald Trump to lead the country for the next four years, and 39 months of that future have already past.  So the future has already been written for 2017, 2018,2019 and four months of 2020.  So let us examine that 39 month future that was trusted to the Trump presidency both pre coronavirus and after.  It is the story of a republican administration that followed in the footsteps of former republican administrations.

Job creation fell behind job creation of the previous President and Trump will end his four years in office with the worst job creation record since the great depression.  America will have the highest double digit unemployment rate since the great depression.  It was 4.7% when Trump took  office.  America has lost 26,000,000 jobs onTrump's watch, a record number.  America lost 8.5 million jobs on George W. Bush's watch during that republican recession.  The federal deficit has been increasing since Trump took office and now the Congressional Budget Office reports the Federal deficit for this fiscal year ending 9/30/20 will be approximately $3.6 trillion topping the previous record of $1.4 trillion that took place in Bush's last fiscal year.  The national debt is exploding and Trump's un-necessary tax cuts reduced federal revenue there by raising the deficit and reducing America's ability to deal with the financial challenges presented by the coronavirus epidemic .

Trump inherited an economy in its 7th straight year of economic expansion and job creation and had no economic policy agenda to keep it going such as infrastructure rebuilding and repair.  Like Reagan and Bush before him, Trump played the trickle down economic tax game that did not work.  Trump's trade wars with China has cost America and those trade talks are off the table with China until after the November elections according to Trump.  That trade war also cost America billions of aid to farmers that were harmed which helped to balloon the deficit also.

Trump's governing by ideology and a absent economic policy has retarded Americas ability to respond to the coronavirus which was made worse by his failure to act timely and recognize the dangers of his inaction.  And his lies and ever changing stories has exhausted all credibility.  The GDP will not achieve the consistent 3-4% yearly growth Trump promised and in fact fall into negative growth.  The 25 million new jobs that Trump promised will never come to be even if there were no coronavirus.  The Congressional Budget Office also projected that the unemployment rate would reach 15% this year, a number no one has heard of in the past 60 years.  The Reagan administration is the current champ where the unemployment rate stayed over 10% for 10 straight months from September 1982 to June 1983.

Everything Trump has touched became toxic, even his foreign policy.  Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accords, the nuclear treaty with Iran, weakening America's environmental laws and business regulation  His willingness to work with Russia to undermine America's democratic process was a betrayal of the country and its people.

The future that the people thought they voted for in 2016 never came to be.  The future of the past 39 months was actually predictable because it followed past republican administrations failure.  And the economic recession that is playing out now keeps the recession record intact.  Every republican administration has presided over an economic recession since the republican administration of President Theodore Roosevelt who served from 1901-1909.  That is over 111 years ago.  Does any one really believe that is just a co-incident?  Looking at it up close, in the last 40 years there has been four republican administrations.  Reagans, both Bush administrations and Trump.  All four presided over economic recessions and three of them had one thing is common, they passed massive tax cuts that added trillions to the deficit and the national debt.  And none of the four balanced one federal budget in the 23 years they served.  It was all deficit spending.

The 2016 vote for Trump to guide America and its people's future has turned out to be 39 months of betrayal, lies, a fiscal and economic disaster, a blatant disregard for the rule of law, the constitution and our institutions.  Reckless governing that respects no one and a extreme ideology.  It is all about Trump and his blame game and division.

America and its people's best future interest would  be to vote Trump  out of office in the November elections.

Note:  Above information on republican recessions taken from a story by Sam Stovall, Chief investment strategist for CFRA.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Business CEO's and Their Executives.

Will they continue to receive their salaries, bonuses and stock options during the coronavirus shutdown while their furlough employees have to depend on the federal government's stimulus and unemployment compensation?  How many are willing to take a cut in pay to keep at least some of their employees on payroll and help out the government's generosity?

IBM announced they earned $1.18 billion in profit in the first quarter.  But there was no mention of how much of those profits would be used to retain employees during this pandemic time  We do know that Derek Jeter, the CEO of baseball's Miami Marlins said he would forgo any salary during the shutdown and their executive team agreed to a pay cut.  Their baseball operations personnel will continue to receive full pay through at least May 31.  If every CEO and executive did the same, the business community would be in a better financial condition to reopen the economy on a timely basis when the time comes.

It will be interesting to see how many companies show a loss during the pandemic but still shower their CEO's and executives with lavish increases in salaries, bonuses and stock options.  The  past tells it will be business as usual for them.  The 14% reduction in the corporate tax rate (thanks to the Trump-GOP tax cuts) will not trickle down to the average worker who needs it the most during this pandemic.

When this pandemic is over and the economy works its way back, it will be the average worker who lost the most even though the business community had the resources to make things better for their employees if the average worker shared in the profits on an equitable basis.  The Reagan, Bush and Trump tax cuts added to corporate greed and swelled the financial gap and rewards between business executives and their workers.

And as of this writing, income inequality is at its worst and wealth is still being transferred from the middle class to the wealthy.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

Trump Continues His Traitorous Acts.

The President has betrayed his country, its people and his oath of office so often it speaks clearly about his mental unfitness to hold office.  And when that betrayal comes when the country is in the middle of a pandemic that has taken the lives of over 36,000 Americans, one has to wonder how such a person could be elected in the first place.  Friday, Trump took his betrayal to a new high.

On Thursday, Trump at one of his briefings which turns out to be all about Trump, laid out guidelines for opening up the country and the economy and said the state Governors would decide their states own fate in putting people back to work and other guidelines.  But just the next day on Friday, the impeached President urged protesters who are protesting stay at home orders and social distance from their Governor, to liberate Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia.  All those states have a democratic governor.  Trump betrayal after telling governors they would control their own situation was a traitorous act.  It was also a traitorous political act telling protesters to undermine the states rulings during a pandemic.

The  nations chief law enforcement officer has no respect for the rule of law and people can easily relate why the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach the President.  The coronavirus is a national problem but Trump has washed his hands of responsibility and turned it over to the states.  It gives him some one else to blame besides China, WHO and the scientiest.  Louisiana is fortunate to have Governor John B. Edwards lead the state during this pandemic.  His steady hand and leadership will see the state come back and be strong.

In 9 months the traitor in the White House will leave office as the worst President in the last 150 years, leaving behind a record of devastation in every thing he touched.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Democratic Blue Wave Drowns Another Trump Political Endorsement.

The democratic "blue wave" continued last week in Wisconsin's Presidential primary where the people  also voted to elect a state supreme court justice.  Republican Justin Dan Kelly was opposed by democratic circuit court justice Jill Karofsky who defeated  Kelly.  President Trump not only endorsed Kelly, he tweeted his support and tried to lay blame on the democratic party to postpone the primary until a later date because of the virus as playing politics.  The conservative state Wisconsin supreme court allowed the primary to take place over the objections of Wisconsin's governor.  Trump urged Wisconsin's voters to get out and vote now for Kelly.  But the democratic "blue wave" drowned Trump's endorsement.

And in the same primary Joe Biden won Wisconsin's vote over Bernie Sanders collecting over 60% of the vote.  The democratic voter turn our was super, especially the write in votes which shocked Trump and his party.  Biden now also has the support of Bernie Sanders and former President Barrack Obama who made their announcements in the last few days.  So another Presidential primary is in the record books where the democratic party did well and defeated another Trump ditto head.

This writer believes the "blue wave" will continue in the November elections.  Trump and his party continue the republican tradition of loss jobs, a failed economy, deficit spending, tax cuts that favor those who need them the least which do nothing for the economy.  A lack of policy and governing with an extreme ideology and the usual recession that follows.  And when the White House is occupied by a mentally unfit President who thinks only of himself, the results are devastating.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

When Should The Nation Resume Sports: Food For Thought.

In normal times college and pro baseball would be in season, followed by college football and NFL football.  But these are not normal times with a virus hanging around all 50 states that is killing people and shutting down almost all activity considered normal.  And now there are voices in sports who thinks America needs sports now more than ever with out  considering the consequences.  Sports is putting people to work which is good for an economy on the brink of recession.  But lets examine what takes place in sports.

Baseball:  Players sit in the dugout shoulder to shoulder, spit on the dugout floor thru out the game.  The players on the field are doing the same thing.  The batter has to take a spit after each pitch right Next to the umpire and the catcher.  The pitchers on the mound are spitting after each pitch.  The 40,000 plus fans in the stands are sitting shoulder to shoulder, screaming and blowing spit flying all over the place.

Football:  The players on the field make body, head and face contact on every play with sweat and saliva flying all over each other.  Some even spit in each others face when tempers flare.  The players on the field and on the side lines are spitting on the ground the whole game.  Many players blow their nose openly with out protection next to another player.  And what about the quarterbacks that wet their fingers with their mouth to have a better grip on the football.  The stadium fans, same problem as above with baseball but worse because football stadiums usually hold 80,000 plus fans.

So if the coronavirus is transmitted by fluids  from people to people how will that square with sports if sports are returned too soon.  It is obvious to this writer the cancellation of  sports on a temporary basis is worth the sacrifice in-lieu of the alternate that could take place.

Everything is relative that the country and its people are experiencing now, but for the sake of a better future it is best to be safe than sorry.  We will survive this virus and gain wisdom if we remain vigil to the challenge at hand.  And that challenge is to defeat the virus and have a vaccine that puts an end to another health threat to our nation and its people.

That is the best way to ensure that in the future, sports will continue to play a great role in our national past time.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders Exits The Democratic Presidential Race

Sanders is no longer a challenge to former Vice President Joe Biden as he announced his withdrawal from the Democratic nomination.  This writer believes it should have come earlier to allow Biden the room and time to put his general election campaign message together.  We will now see just how willing Sanders and his supporters will be to work and help Biden win the election.  Will they try and demand too much from Biden or swallow the fact that the people have spoken with their vote.  Time will tell how sincere they really are.

As for the presumptive democratic nominee Joe Biden, the ball is now in his court  He has to put a plan and policy together that the people can understand and one that he can articulate.  So far he has done a good job but now the country needs policy to guide the people out of the coming recession and massive debt that republican administrations always leave behind.  Biden's V.P. selection will be very important because of his age and he will have to show sound judgement there.  The conservative media and Trump and his party will be relentless with all the lies and false stories like they threw against Hillary Clinton in 2016.

The bottom line is the nation can not tolerate 4 more years of an impeached President who confirms every day he is mentally unfit to serve.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

A Leaderless White House Continues During A Health Crisis.

The ongoing firing, resignations or force outs of the people Trump hires continue to take place while the country and its people are living in a pandemic time.  The latest casualty, the President's press secretary, Stephanie Grisham who Trump appointed to the job last June.  She had not held one formal press briefing since her appointment because the Trump administration does not like to brief the White House reporters and then take questions from them.  Grisham was Trump's third press secretary in just over 3 years.

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly resigned Tuesday after making unflattering remarks toward Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, skipper of the U.S.S. Roosevelt who disclosed that many navy personnel aboard his ship had tested positive for the coronavirus and that those crew members needed to leave the ship for treatment.  Modly fired and removed Crozier of his command and called him stupid, laced with profanity.  When Capt. Crozier left his ship, the men under his command gave him a tremendous sound off of approval.  The acting Navy Secretary's actions represents another of so many examples how Trump's people act so much like himself with personal attacks against others.

In the 39 months Trump has been in office, his administration is a swinging door.  His appointments have come and gone with the wind, and when they leave he has to find fault with their performance even though they were ditto heads.  This is a very sad White House that grows worse with time.  What a shame.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio

The Jobs Report For March and The Unemployment Numbers.

The U.S. Labor Department reported the economy lost 701,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate came in at 4.4%, up from the 3.5% in February.  The report also stated that the job losses were actually more as the survey took place two weeks before the month ended.  There were also 6.6 million who applied for unemployment assistance during the month.  The job losses were the worst since the great economic recession that took place on President George W. Bush's watch.

The 701,000 loss of jobs in March wiped out all the job gains the previous three months and some in November 2019.  So the Trump administration falls farther and farther behind the Obama's record of job creation.  And those who follow the facts surely knew the Trump-GOP tax cuts would be a larger drain on the U.S. economy if a crisis ever came because tax cuts are not economic policy.  And because of Trump and the GOP's lack of an economic policy, we now have a $2.2 trillion stimulus package whose cost is approximately $800 billion more than the TARP program and the stimulus package passed to address the economic recession of 2008.

The positive job growth that began in 2009 and the record economic expansion of 10 years now comes to an end on the watch of another republican administration.  And the increase in deficit spending increased on Trump's watch before the word coronavirus was ever spoken and Trump's own budget director predicted last year that this fiscal years deficit will exceed $1 trillion.  It will actually be much greater with the added spending because of the virus.

So the reckless and unnecessary Trump-GOP tax cuts, coupled with Trump's trade wars, the global economic slowdown, the glut of oil on the world market, an overpriced stock market, a lack of an economic policy, the collapse of oil prices and now the coronavirus will take another toll on our country's fiscal house and national debt problem.  And once again, for those who follow the facts, it is not just a coincident it is taking place on the watch of a republican administration.

The Trumpet Man Wants To Be Appreciated.

The impeached President says the nation's governors should appreciate what he gives them in the fight against the coronavirus.  It is another tell tale sign that the President is mentally unfit for office and that every thing is about Donald Trump.  And he and Vice President Pence are still blaming others for their own mistakes and lack of governing during a pandemic.  President Roosevelt guided our country during WWII to produce the materials and goods needed to fight a war against multiple opponents and displayed his courage in governing.

The governors and mayors of our states and cities still lack the critical material and supplies to fight the virus and its effects on the people.  And the President still lacks a system to produce and coordinate the distribution of those materials and supplies on a timely basis to cover present needs.  Yet, he still attacks state and local leaders when they speak out about those shortages and needs.  The President's lack of respect for others during a time of a health crisis is notable, revealing and it is a common practice of this President.

Kellyann Conway, the President's lawyer said on the Fox News Network, Trump's ditto heat network, democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden should stop criticizing the President's actions and instead offer solutions.   But days before her statement, President Trump in answer to a reporters question said he did not seek the advise of any past administration on what they would do because he thought they had no solutions on the coronavirus.  But the fact is Joe Biden did offer solutions.  He noted the President had the authority to order manufacturing to produce the needed items on short supply to fight the virus.  Biden also offered a central distribution point to be more efficient in distributing the needed supplies.

Past Presidents acted in the best interest of the country and its people in good times, in bad times and in a crisis.  They did not act seeking appreciation when duty called.  They represented leadership with courage, character and a willingness to serve.  Donald Trump represents his own self interest and corrupt persona.


This commentary written by Joe Lorio