Hillary vs. Bernie- Showdown in New York

Today, Wisconsinites vote in their Democratic and Republican primaries. Until recently, Hillary Clinton was comfortably ahead in the Wisconsin polls and was hoping to further widen her national delegate lead over Bernie Sanders.

But in the latest polls, Sanders has surged ahead by about 5 points, and is now predicted to win by a little, or maybe a lot, if his upset in Michigan was any indication. Realistically, Bernie Sanders still has a lot of catching up to do if he wants to wrest the Democratic nomination from Hillary Clinton. But no one can deny that the momentum is definitely with the Sanders campaign.

Which brings us to New York.

As elsewhere, Sanders’ New York rallies are drawing thousands of potential voters compared to the hundreds at Clinton’s rallies. Losing the state that twice elected her Senator would be a major blow to the Clinton candidacy and would be a huge game-changer. while he would still trail in the delegate count, there’s no doubt that a Bernie Sanders victory would send a message to the DNC that Sanders isn’t going down easily, and could, just maybe, pull the ultimate upset. His rejection of income inequality and special interest money controlling Washington resonates loudly with voters across all demographics.

As of now, Hillary still holds a single digit advantage over Bernie in the latest New York primary polls, after leading by 20-30 points just weeks ago, but the trajectory is undoubtedly in his favor. Whatever the outcome, New York's April 19th primary should be a strong indicator of who will be the Democratic nominee come November.

Trump the Entertainer

"Let me entertain youLet me make you smile,

Let me do a few tricksSome old and then some new tricks, I'm very versatile"

-From the broadway show "Gypsy"

Tonight marks the official start to the US Presidential primary season, and the likely coronation of Donald Trump as the nominee of the Republican party. As recently as a couple of months ago, virtually no political pundits would have seriously bet on Trump seizing the GOP nomination, but no more. What began as a novelty campaign marked by insults, vague platitudes, and jingoistic bombast has implausibly snowballed into a full fledged movement. We'll know within the next few weeks whether the Trump candidacy is for real. Already in the past couple of interviews, there are signs that he's toning down the lunacy in an effort to win over more moderates. If it works, he may just pull off the slickest trick ever in US presidential politics.

Trump!

If the race for the Republican presidential nomination is a circus, Donald Trump is definitely its number one sideshow attraction. Whether repeatedly dropping the f-bomb at a speech in front of potential donors, giving out his opponent's personal phone number, or lobbing cheap insults to anyone who disagrees with him, his campaign so far more closely resembles a Comedy Network roast or a WWE taunting rather than than a presidential run. And so far, the audience seems to be eating it up. As of this moment, he leads among the GOP contenders in the major national polls.

So keep it up, Donald! It should be an entertaining year ahead.

Warren in the Temple

I must confess, it's been a while since I attended my last Catholic school religion class (which reminds me, it's been eons since my last Confession too), but some of the New Testament stories and lessons have stuck with me and still resonate all these years later.

One that I’ve always found especially thrilling was the single documented incident in which Jesus lost his cool and, in a fit of rage, threw out a group of moneychangers doing business in the temple. The story was always presented to illustrate Jesus’ human side, and as young students, how could we NOT thrill to the story of a badass Jesus brandishing a handy whip and going all Indiana Jones on the greedy heathens, driving them from the temple, yelling, “Do not make my Father's house a house of trade!” (John 2:13-17).

While for the most part monetary transactions have been banished from the churches (though you’d never know it looking at Joel Osteen Inc.’s megachurch), the same can’t be said of the temples of government, where Wall Street bankers and corporate lobbyists have long been calling the shots in Washington.  Thanks in large part to the Supreme Court's "Citizens United" ruling, unlimited campaign financing has lead to the election of politicians who serve the interest of their corporate donors, not their constituants.

In this environment of decades-long erosion of middle class wages while the accumulated wealth of the top 1% has skyrocketed, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has made a name for herself by calling out the political corruption that has lead to such rampant inequality. Fighting the lonely fight for the middle and working classes, she, along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have declared a war of sorts against the overwhelming influence of the megarich on the legislative process.

Belying her stereotypical librarian appearance, she delivers fiery speeches  preaching against Wall Street corruption and its insidious power over US politics and policies. This has lead to a growing grassroots movement for an Elizabeth Warren Presidency not seen since the improbable  and meteoric rise of Barak Obama in 2007.  And it seems the more Sen. Warren flat out declares that she’s NOT running for President in next years election, the more enthusiasm builds for her potential candidacy.

As much as I’d love to see a Warren candidacy, barring a political vacuum in which, for whatever reason, Hillary Clinton decides NOT to seek the Democratic nomination, a 2016 run for President seems to me increasingly unlikely. But we can hope.

Pangolin and Armadillo- my soon-to-be-written children's book

Lately, I've been exploring the idea of authoring and illustrating a children's book. So far, I have the main characters, Pangolin and Armadillo, and I'm working on building a story around them. That's the easy part, right?

I only recently learned what a pangolin is. For others unfamiliar with the critters, they’re small to medium sized mammals native to the tropics of Africa and Asia and are noted for their scale-covered bodies and anteater-like tongues. Unfortunately, they’re also quite tasty (according to the locals) and are in danger of being hunted to extinction.

Meanwhile, separated by a vast ocean, the armadillo makes it’s home anywhere from South America to the south-central United States. Though they share some similar characteristics, most notably the body armor and the ability to curl up into a hard-shelled ball, they’re actually fairly distant relatives.

My story will detail the gripping adventures and unusual circumstances leading up to the chance meeting between the exotic Pangolin and a travel-wary Armadillo. Romance and hijinx ensue. Look for it at your neighborhood (or online virtual) bookstore once I get around to writing/illustrating it and find someone to publish it. Then of course there’s the film rights and the plush toy royalties to haggle out. So much to do!