Nice dinner with Julia at Wiz Burger last night after she walked over to KQED from the SPCA, where she was volunteering.
Just talked with Dylan, who drove up from Santa Cruz today. Sounds like he is doing well in classes and is planning to go to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in GG Park tomorrow.
We hope to have a brunch Sunday morning before he heads back to his apartment in Santa Cruz.
***
Donald Trump is very possibly the craziest person to ever head up a major party ticket for the presidency. The only comfort in that is he appears to be self-imploding. I hope all responsible citizens will make sure he never sets foot in the White House.
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Friday, September 30, 2016
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Election Report
It looks like Trump leads Clinton now. Tomorrow night's debate may prove pivotal but I do not think she is likely to win at this point. So unless key demographics come out to vote for Clinton in great numbers, she can lose.
Women, African Americans, Latinos -- it's really up to them. If they stay home, Trump will win.
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Women, African Americans, Latinos -- it's really up to them. If they stay home, Trump will win.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2016
A Meeting
I met Jeffrey Toobin, New Yorker writer and CNN commentator, today as he visited KQED to promote his new book about the Patty Hearst kidnapping on KQED's talkshow program, "Forum." It turns out Toobin was running late for the interview and the senior producer asked me to stand in for him at the start of the program.
So I went over and waited in the control room, ready to perform, when Toobin arrived just in time for the show. It was a very good show. In addition, host Michael Krasny and Toobin mentioned the articles in Rolling Stone that my friend Howard Kohn and I co-authored many decades ago three times.
Afterwards I introduced myself and walked Toobin out of KQED. He told me I was his "hero." I told him he was mine.
-30-
So I went over and waited in the control room, ready to perform, when Toobin arrived just in time for the show. It was a very good show. In addition, host Michael Krasny and Toobin mentioned the articles in Rolling Stone that my friend Howard Kohn and I co-authored many decades ago three times.
Afterwards I introduced myself and walked Toobin out of KQED. He told me I was his "hero." I told him he was mine.
-30-
Sunday, September 18, 2016
All Matters
Unfortunately the Giants lost. But she was appropriately bundled up for our climate.
There were three apparent terror attacks last night, which somewhat diminishes what happens at a sports game.
Monitoring media today as I try to figure out what is going on here...
-30-
Saturday, September 17, 2016
How Candidates Fail
The Clinton political machine, which is far more sophisticated in conventional terms than Trump's, has seized on two messages this weekend -- Trump's long overdue admission that his role in the "Birther" movement was based in a lie, and Trump's despicable suggestion, once again, that a gun advocate should consider shooting Clinton.
He can, and does, contest both points, but he is wrong and the Democrats are right.
In a few days, another wave of polls will come to light.
Clinton will be back up by 3-5 points nationally; Trump will have fallen behind once again in the critical swing states.
This back-and-forth is to be expected but I have never witnessed a candidate who makes so many self-inflicted wounds as does Trump. This weekend is a media disaster for him. The polls will confirm that.
The Dems have another new rhetorical weapon -- demanding that Trump release a letter from the IRS proving he is under audit, which is the excuse he uses to not release his tax forms. Is this a huge lie? Knowing what Trump says and does, I believe it is.
Having been audited six times myself, I am very familiar with the form letter that arrives, with dread, when it starts. He could easily black out the few specifics such letters contain, while proving he is indeed under audit. The IRS, by law, cannot confirm a taxpayer is under audit until the appeals process reaches what is known as Tax Court.
Given Trump's penchant for litigation, if he indeed is under audit, maybe his return will get there, which is the only time it would become public without his consent.
-30-
He can, and does, contest both points, but he is wrong and the Democrats are right.
In a few days, another wave of polls will come to light.
Clinton will be back up by 3-5 points nationally; Trump will have fallen behind once again in the critical swing states.
This back-and-forth is to be expected but I have never witnessed a candidate who makes so many self-inflicted wounds as does Trump. This weekend is a media disaster for him. The polls will confirm that.
The Dems have another new rhetorical weapon -- demanding that Trump release a letter from the IRS proving he is under audit, which is the excuse he uses to not release his tax forms. Is this a huge lie? Knowing what Trump says and does, I believe it is.
Having been audited six times myself, I am very familiar with the form letter that arrives, with dread, when it starts. He could easily black out the few specifics such letters contain, while proving he is indeed under audit. The IRS, by law, cannot confirm a taxpayer is under audit until the appeals process reaches what is known as Tax Court.
Given Trump's penchant for litigation, if he indeed is under audit, maybe his return will get there, which is the only time it would become public without his consent.
-30-
Friday, September 16, 2016
Election Analysis
Hillary Clinton no longer clearly leads Donald Trump either in the popular vote or via the electoral map. The political landscape is changing and anyone analyzing it has to admit that Trump has been peaking lately.
Now the question is whether Clinton and the Democrats can regain the momentum. There still are almost two months left before the race gets decided.
If the present trend continues, Trump could well win. But I would venture a guess that the present trend will not continue.
That's because I think most of the tightening in the polls lately is a result of natural trends in an election year when no incumbent is running. The election may be up for grabs, but the electoral map continues to favor the Democrats.
-30-
Now the question is whether Clinton and the Democrats can regain the momentum. There still are almost two months left before the race gets decided.
If the present trend continues, Trump could well win. But I would venture a guess that the present trend will not continue.
That's because I think most of the tightening in the polls lately is a result of natural trends in an election year when no incumbent is running. The election may be up for grabs, but the electoral map continues to favor the Democrats.
-30-
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Sunday Update
Picked up Julia as she returned from a retreat with Girl Ventures, where she is on the advisory board, and drove her to Bernal. I had a little package of jelly beans for her.
She seems to be doing very well in school and is one of the top students in her senior class at Gateway. Maybe the top one.
She is applying for colleges. Her first choice would be a small private college but I hope she gets into U-C, Berkeley, where I think she would thrive. I think having a big network after college is better than a small one.
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She seems to be doing very well in school and is one of the top students in her senior class at Gateway. Maybe the top one.
She is applying for colleges. Her first choice would be a small private college but I hope she gets into U-C, Berkeley, where I think she would thrive. I think having a big network after college is better than a small one.
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