++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Frank Luntz does an interesting job of soliciting and analyzing the views of a randomly selected group of potential voters and based on his results my reaction to Kaine was verified.
Kaine did what he was robotically programmed to do and came across as obnoxious and I believe he resurrects Hillary's health issue because if Kaine ever became president America would be sucked down the drain worse than Obama has done.
Once again, we had a display of how the Clinton's have perfected their attack dog approach. Go after an opponent's character, lie, smear and project your own misdeeds by attributing them to your adversary. (See 1 below.)
Trump chose Pence, as his first appointment. I submit, Pence confirms my view that Trump will surround himself with accomplished and decent advisers etc. Pence had an outstanding record as Governor of Indiana. Had Pence chosen to run for President, I might have selected him over Kasich.
====
Two articles that support my concerns. (See 2 and 2a)
++++
I have a board meeting in Athens tomorrow and plan on going to Augusta, Friday to visit The Morris Museum. Rolland Golden is a very dear artist friend of ours and his award winning "Katrina Series" is showing at The Morris. It is ironic that we are leaving to go to Athens when Hurricane Matthew may be emptying The Landings and then to Augusta to view watercolors of the devastating hurricane that hit New Orleans as Mattthew attacks our own area.
No memos for a while and I hope when we return our home will still be here.
To all those located in the path of this storm I hope and pray you will be safe.
+++
Dick
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1) According to a focus group put together by longtime pollster Frank Luntz, Republican vice presidential candidate Mike Pence overwhelmingly won the debate against rival Democrat Tim Kaine in Farmville, Virginia Tuesday night.
Kaine is interrupting way too much.
The focus group wants the moderator to lay down the law and shut him up until it's his turn.#VPDebate
Mike Pence's attacks on Hillary's foreign policy is scoring much better than Tim Kaine's interruptions. #VPDebate
"Can we get a higher number than 100?"
My focus group absolutely loved Mike Pence's methodical answer on economic growth. #VPDebate
"Can we get a higher number than 100?"
My focus group absolutely loved Mike Pence's methodical answer on economic growth.
Tim Kaine is falling flat tonight while Mike Pence is hitting all the right notes. #VPDebate
Mike Pence is winning because Tim Kaine cannot debate like an adult without interruptions. #VPDebate
Even on preventing home-grown terrorism, Mike Pence is winning over undecideds while Tim Kaine makes the dials plummet.#VPDebate
This group of Ohio voters is not buying Tim Kaine's on "intelligent search."
Or maybe they're just tiring of his antics tonight. #VPDebate
This group of Ohio voters is not buying Tim Kaine's on "intelligent search."
Or maybe they're just tiring of his antics tonight.
24 group members say Mike Pence won on national security, 2 said Tim Kaine.
It may be too late for Kaine to turn this around. #VPDebate
Literally every time Tim Kaine talks:#VPDebate
My focus group literally laughs with Mike Pence's attacks and laughs at Tim Kaine's.
Pence goes high.
Kaine goes low.
Mike Pence won tonight's debate by a bigger margin (22-4) than Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump (16-6) in the first debate.
Tonight's #VPDebate focus group:
• 27 total
- 14 women, 13 men
• 7 lean Hillary, 5 lean Trump
- 12 voted Obama
- 14 voted Romney
- 1 other pic.twitter.com/TxmX5tVmxR
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Who won tonight's vice-presidential debate?
• 22 say Mike Pence
• 4 say Tim Kaine
2)
"....as former Secretary of State George Shultz once said, “diplomacy not backed by strength will always be ineffectual at best, dangerous at worst.”
Stop Assad Now—Or Expect Years of War
Ground the regime’s air force, create safe zones for Syrian civilians, and arm the opposition.
“They make a desert and call it peace,” wrote the Roman historian Tacitus, quoting an enemy of Rome about its brutal conquests. The same could be said today of Bashar Assad and his ally Russian President Vladimir Putin in Syria.
At this moment, Syrian and Russian forces, together with Iranian and Hezbollah militia fighters, are preparing to finish their siege of Aleppo. The 275,000 people who reportedly remain in the city are being told to flee. Thousands will do so, choosing to become refugees. The poor souls who remain in Aleppo will suffer a surge in relentless, indiscriminate bombing. And when Mr. Assad, Mr. Putin and their allies have slaughtered all that stand in their way, they will proclaim peace in the bloody sands of the Syrian desert.
The collapse of the most recent cessation of hostilities is not surprising. It failed, as did the Obama administration’s previous efforts to work with Russia in Syria, because as former Secretary of State George Shultz once said, “diplomacy not backed by strength will always be ineffectual at best, dangerous at worst.”
America’s intrepid secretary of state has now taken the meaningless step of suspending talks with Russia over Syria. Meanwhile, Mr. Assad and Mr. Putin are creating military facts on the ground in Syria that will enable them to dictate the terms of a peace secured by carnage. They have decimated coalition-backed Syrian groups, slaughtered countless civilians, consolidated the Syrian regime’s hold on power, and even struck a United Nations humanitarian-aid convoy. And they have done all of this with no consequences. Thus the war grinds on.
While the U.S.-led coalition is making progress in the fight against Islamic State, we cannot forget this terrorist organization is a symptom of the Syrian civil war. The future of that conflict will have significant strategic impact on U.S. national security.
The war in Syria has claimed more than 400,000 lives, displaced half the country’s population, and inflamed sectarian tensions across the Middle East. But as bad as this conflict is now, it can get much worse—and likely will. It will produce millions more refugees, undermining regional stability and straining the social fabric of Western nations. It will strengthen an anti-American alliance of Russia and Iran. U.S. credibility with our closest security partners in the Middle East will further erode. And it will provide ISIS, or its successor groups, fertile ground to radicalize Muslims, recruit and inspire them to fight, and provide them with dangerous battlefield experience.
This is where the conflict in Syria is headed, and the administration still has no strategy to do anything about it. Its diplomacy is toothless. And there appears to be no Plan B.
An alternative plan would not come without costs and uncertainties. The administration likes to pretend that Congress is not prepared to support a more forceful approach because of its lack of support for military action to enforce President Obama’s red line in 2013. This is a myth. What many in Congress opposed was granting a reluctant president authority to conduct what Secretary of State John Kerry promised would be “unbelievably small” airstrikes in the absence of a broader strategy to achieve U.S. national interests in Syria. The U.S. needs that broader strategy now.
Any alternative approach must begin with grounding Mr. Assad’s air power. It is a strategic advantage that enables the Assad regime to perpetuate the conflict through the wanton slaughter of innocent Syrians. The U.S. and its coalition partners must issue an ultimatum to Mr. Assad—stop flying or lose your aircraft—and be prepared to follow through. If Russia continues its indiscriminate bombing, we should make clear that we will take steps to hold its aircraft at greater risk. And we must create safe zones for Syrian civilians and do what is necessary to protect them against violations by Mr. Assad, Mr. Putin and extremist forces.
At the same time, we must provide more robust military assistance to the vetted Syrian opposition groups that are fighting the regime. The only way to isolate and target extremists on the battlefield is to make moderate groups more capable of fighting successfully on their own.
The Obama administration’s approach to Syria has failed miserably. Now is the time for a new strategy—including the necessary military component—that can achieve this more realistic objective. This will undoubtedly entail greater costs. But the alternative is far from cost-free: It is the continuation, for years and years, of terror, tragedy, slaughter, refugees, and a war in the heart of the Middle East that will continue to threaten the U.S. and destabilize the world.
Mr. McCain, a Republican from Arizona, is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
No comments:
Post a Comment