The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

It seems like a fairly easy question to answer, doesn't it? Vladimir Putin is a Russian dictator. Barack Obama was the U.S. president who got his country through the greatest recession since the Great Depression. Stunningly, this is how Republicans see the two men: Approval Rating Putin: 25%/62% (net -37%) Obama: 18%/80% (net -62%) Difference: Putin +25%/Obama -25% This is how backwards the Republican Party has become. They prefer a Russian dictator over a U.S. president who was void of any major scandals and ended his second term at 60% approval. Not only that, but the gap is 25 points. So, there you have it. When asked, "Who do you like more, Barack Obama or Vladimir Putin?," while most of the world laughs at the question's seeming ridiculousness, Republicans go another route and say, "Yeah, we'll go with the Russian dictator." https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/explore/public_figure/Vladimir_Putin https://www.washingtonpost.com/page...

On a recent episode of the Fox News show The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton , conservative commentator and inspirer of the creatures in Alien  - Ann Coulter - said this: "They (Republicans) were exposed as a 'uniparty,' indistinguishable from the Democrats..." Let's break down just how similar the parties are: - Democrats believe in women's reproductive rights; Republicans don't. - Democrats believe in equal pay for equal work; Republicans don't. - Democrats believe in immigration reform and protecting DREAMers; Republicans don't. - Democrats believe in building from the bottom up; Republicans believe in trickle-down economics. - Democrats believe in tax reform benefitting the middle- and lower-classes at the expense of the upper-class; Republicans believe in tax reform benefitting the upper-class at the expense of the middle- and lower-classes. - Democrats believe in expanding education; Republicans believe in removing education...

NRA spokesperson and woman most likely to be voted He-Babe of the Year by conservatives - Dana Loesch - just said the following about the recent Supreme Court Colorado bakery decision on her show, Relentless : "This is clearly a victory for Jack Phillips (the baker). The desire of really big, statist government progressives to force people to engage in expression, of course this whole bake the cake thing is far from over. But surprisingly, over in California, a judge just ruled that baker Cathy Miller, yet another baker, was under no obligation to make a wedding cake for a same-sex marriage. Now in the ruling, Kern County Superior Court Judge David Lampe said, quote, 'The right to freedom of speech under the First Amendment outweighs the State's interest in securing a freely accessible marketplace,' and 'the right of freedom of thought guaranteed by the First Amendment includes the right to speak, the right to refrain from speaking, and sometimes the most profoun...

I'm often a defender of political correctness. When it comes right down to it, political correctness can be defined as, "Trying not to be an as*hole." However, there are times that political correctness goes too far even for me. The controversy surrounding a recent episode of the ABC show Quantico is the latest such example. Aired this past week, the episode The Blood of Romero  generated controversy due to its storyline which revolved around Indian terrorists plotting an attack in Manhattan and then blaming Pakistan for it. Star of the show, Priyanka Chopra, is of Indian descent, and was singled out by many on social media, as fans wondered how she could have partaken in such an episode. ABC has since apologized for the episode, while depending Ms. Chopra. I'm sorry, but really? Quantico is a work of fiction. Priyanka Chopra isn't a writer of the series; she's an actress. So how is she getting blamed for the episode and why is there a controversy at all? ...

While I was at a bar last night, I overheard a drunk man exclaim, "Trump has done more in his first year than Obama did in all his years!" I had to simultaneously chuckle and give myself a facepalm at this declaration. It's ironically humorous that this individual feels this way, for he's about one thing and one thing only - money. When Barack Obama entered the Oval Office, we were dealing with the largest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Hundreds of thousands of jobs were being lost every month, to the point where the unemployment rate increased to 10.0%. People were losing their jobs, money, homes at a pace not seen in 70 years. Under Obama's leadership, however, the economy was able to stabilize, and the unemployment rate decreased to 4.8% as a result. So it's quite amazing and ignorant for this drunken individual to lay claim that a man who inherited a strong economy has done more for it in a single year than one who inherited the Great Reces...

Just yesterday, Donald Trump told the world, "I really think if I'd had been there, I would have run into the school and disarmed the Parkland shooter with my bare hands." Here's a man that basically ran away from an eagle, a person shouting at a rally, and someone who was dying. He has more Vietnam deferments than Jesus has disciples. Okay, that last one may be slightly exaggerated, but you get my point. The man possesses less courage than my spayed dog has testicles. However, if he wants to play the game, Things That Would Never Happen , why should we stop there? In the future, expect Mr. Trump to state the following: - "I really think if I had been there, I would have jumped on to the iceberg and pushed the Titanic away from it with my bare hands. I really do." - "If I were God, I woulda created the world in 5 days." - "I woulda only needed a rubberband & a Blockbuster card to kill Hitler." - "I've always said th...

Donald Trump Jr. shared an article yesterday, entitled, "Trump's first year in office was the year of the woman," and as I often times do during the era of Trumpism, I double-checked to make certain it wasn't an Onion article. Sadly, it wasn't. In his first 24-member Cabinet, Donald Trump appointed 4 women and 4 minorities, which amount to 17% of the total. Under then President Obama, on the other hand, women accounted for 32% of his Cabinet and minorities accounted for 45% of it (7 and 10, respectively). Any comments about that, Don Jr.? "Trump's first year in office was the year of the woman." Approximately 20 women have come forward alleging Trump of sexual improprieties, the latest of which is porn star Stormy Daniels, who once claimed President Trump asked her to spank him with a Forbes magazine which included he and Ivana on the cover. Jr., any thoughts? "Trump's first year in office was the year of the woman." Let...

Donald Trump Jr. continues to showcase that the "bigly" stupid gene runs in the family, as he has again illustrated he knows as much about socialism as a dog named Lucky knows about kama sutra. On Halloween, the president's son tweeted a picture of his daughter Chloe holding up a half full/half empty bowl of candy, adding the words, "I'm going to take half of Chloe's candy tonight & give it to some kid who sat at home. It's never to early to teach her about socialism." Apparently there is such a thing as TOO late to teach him about socialism, well, and English/spelling. Let me get this straight; on a day when kids all over the country knock on neighbors' and strangers' doors, asking for free candy, Don Jr. stealing half that candy from his own daughter and giving it to a kid at home is an example of socialism? As Mandy Patinkin said in The Princess Bride , "I do not think that word means what you think it means." Let's b...

What do NFL player Derek Wolfe, actor Steven Seagal, and former college football head coach Lou Holtz all have in common? Yes, it may sound like a joke, but it's not. In recent days, they've all showcased their displeasure with the NFL-national anthem protests. Let's start with Denver Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe, who said this to ESPN's Josina Anderson on Sunday: "I stand because I respect the men who died in real battle so I have the freedom to battle on the field. Paying tribute to the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom is why I stand. But everyone these days likes to find a reason to protest and that's their right. It's America and you are free to speak your mind. I just feel it's disrespectful to the ones who sacrificed their lives and it's maybe the wrong platform. But like I said to each their own it's America! The greatest country in the world and if you don't think we are the greatest country in the wo...

As he seems to do on a daily basis, Donald Trump came under fire today for retweeting a doctored video of him knocking Hillary Clinton over with a golf ball. Some on the right have defended the president as a "fun guy" and that we all need to lighten up. Some on the left have claimed the tweet proves Trump is a misogynist. In my opinion, both sides are stretching here, Republicans need to stop defending the president, and Democrats need to focus their attention on other things. I don't think it can even be debated anymore; Donald Trump is a sexist. With exceptions, the president typically views women as nothing more than sex symbols, whose sole purpose is to please men's eyes and loins. Having said that, however, what President Trump despises even more than giving women credit based on their actual merits is losing or being called out for being wrong. Donald Trump holds stronger grudges than a teenager nicknamed Sir Grudge-a-Lot. There's a reason why he continua...

When walking to Air Force One, en route to Texas, which was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, First Lady Melania Trump donned a pair of thin heels. When the First Lady and her husband landed, she walked out in a pair of sneakers. So what's the big story from many on the left? The image Ms. Trump wearing heels in such a situation projects - that she can't empathize with the victims of the storm, won't even try to empathize, takes money and possessions for granted, and cares more about her appearance than the livelihoods of the hurricane victims. Look, I for one have never been able to stand heels and, while I agree it may not have been the best of looks for the First Lady in such a situation, we have much more important things to criticize and worry about than her shoes. I may be in the minority here, but I care far more about a leader's words and actions than I do about his/her appearance. When then President Obama was criticized for wearing a tan suit, my immediate reacti...

I was beginning to wonder where former Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson had gone. Shortly after she began speaking to Fox News's Ainsley Earhardt and Wendy Osefo on Fox & Friends  this morning, I remembered why she was likely replaced in the first place. Here's part of their back-and-forth: Pierson: "It (slavery) absolutely deserves a place, because bad history is still good history for this country --" Osefo: "Slavery is good history?" Pierson: "--considering where we are today, where we are today. Absolutely." Osefo: "Slavery is good history? Absolutely. Oh, wow." Pierson: "During those times, during those times -- think about this for a second. Where would we be today if not for that Civil War? How would our children even know --" Osefo: "Where would we be without slavery? Are you serious? Do you hear what you're saying?" Pierson: "How would our children even know how special and how wond...

On Tuesday morning's episode of Fox & Friends on Fox News, conservative commentator Star Parker, when confronted about the Charlottesville Unite-the-Right rally over the weekend and President Donald Trump's response to it, said this to co-host Steve Doocey: "That is not what happened. Nancy Pelosi is exploiting an opportunity that they think will play to their side. On Saturday, there were two sides that were in an American city that were - then it was escalating very rapidly. No, the question became then, well, do you denounce the one part of it? But you know what's really interesting and really incredible irony here is the same people that are demanding that the Confederate flag comes down are the same people that are insisting that the rainbow flag goes up. These two flags represent the exact same thing. That certain people groups are not welcome here. So if Nancy Pelosi wants to say that we're going to start shutting down First Amendment rights of a certa...

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski just uttered something so ridiculous, I'm thinking he may have serious potential in stand-up. The sad part about it is, however, he wasn't joking. As a guest on the Fox News show The Fox News Specialists , Lewandowski said this, and yes, with a straight face: "You have to let Trump be Trump. I've said it 100 times in my life. Anyone who thinks he's going to change the president is not going to. He is the greatest communicator we have ever seen as an elected official. There is no question about it. " I wanna send this over to Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers... "Really? Really?!? I mean, REALLY?!?!?" Mr. Lewandowski, let's look at history, shall we? Trump: "You know I'm automatically attracted to beautiful - I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the p*ssy. Y...

Not long ago, former Pro Bowl quarterback and human-highlight reel Michael Vick came under scrutiny for advising former Super Bowl and current free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick to get a haircut, saying image is important. While I disagreed with the former #1 pick's assertion that Kaepernick's protests last season played no factor in him not being signed today, I could understand his unfortunately real assertion that most NFL owners are white and there's often a double-standard in the league as far as black and white players are concerned, particularly when it comes to image. Well, now it's former Super Bowl and future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Ray Lewis's turn, and in my opinion, his advice to Kaepernick is far more troubling than Vick's. Just the other day, Lewis said this: "The football field is our sanctuary. If you do nothing else, young man, get back on the football field and let your play speak for itself. And what you do off the field, don...

Fox News host and man who yells at his kids while sleeping - Sean Hannity - decided to try his hand at (unintentional) comedy on his show Monday night, as he said this to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: "You know, Mr. Speaker, I kinda feel in many ways we've been--and you've been included in this and you've been an enormous help with great analysis--we've almost been a sole voice here of sanity in the media."  Really? Okay, you can all stop laughing now. But seriously, really (where's Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler at when you need them?)? According to Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-check site, Politifact , Hannity and Gingrich have the combined scorecard: True: 12 (11.9%) Mostly True: 12 (11.9%) Half True: 24 (23.8%) Mostly False: 19 (18.8%) False: 21 (20.8%) Pants on Fire: 13 (12.9%) True/False Net: 23.8%/52.5% (-28.7%) Mr. Hannity, what do you think about those numbers? "You know, Mr. Speaker, I kinda feel in many ways we'...

U.N. Women and Promundo conducted a study on sexual harassment, as they asked 4,830 men in the countries of Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Palestine if they had ever sexually harassed women in public with anything from "ogling" to "groping" and "rape." Embarrassingly, the numbers ranged from 31% (in Lebanon) to 64% (in Egypt). If that wasn't bad enough, up to 90% of the men surveyed (in Egypt) said they harassed these women because they thought it was fun. Sadly, those weren't even the most eye-popping numbers in the survey. In all four countries, a greater number of men than women said the women liked the harassment due to the attention they received from it. In Morocco, 71% of men felt this way. I'm sorry, but men really are idiots sometimes. There is a stark difference between flirting and harassing, between complimenting and obsessing, between making a woman feel flattered and making her feel violated. According to the men in this survey,...

In a recent interview with Salena Zito of the Washington Examiner , President Donald Trump made the following comment about former President Andrew Jackson: "I mean, had Andrew Jackson been a little later, you wouldn't have had the Civil War. He was a very tough person, but he had a big heart. And he was really angry that -- he saw what was happening with regard to the Civil War. He said, 'There's no reason for this.' People don't realize, you know, the Civil War - if you think about it, why? People don't ask that question, but why was there the Civil War? Why could that one not have been worked out?" The big problem with this claim is the fact Andrew Jackson died in 1845 and the Civil War didn't start for another 16 years, in 1861. Given this, expect Trump to utter the following lines in the future (if he hasn't already): - "My favorite president has to be George Washington. The way he handled 9/11 was just unbelievable!" - ...

Donald Trump has never been known as an eloquent speaker, but even for him, his recent interview with the Associated Press was something special. Here are my ten favorite quotes from that interview, followed by my personal comments: "So the Republican Party has various groups, all great people. They're all great people. But some are moderate, some are very conservative. The Democrats don't seem to have that nearly as much. You know the Democrats have, they don't have that. The Republicans do have that. And I think it's fine. But you know there's a pretty vast area in there. And I have a great relationship with all of them. Now, we have government not closing. I think we'll be in great shape on that. It's going very well. Obviously, that takes precedent." While Bill Clinton infamously asked the question, "What is 'is'?" I'm now going to ask The Donald, "What is 'that'?" "But President Xi, from the t...

While I agree that every person should be afforded the right to possess and share their opinions, why does it seem cable news networks and talk radio programs hire the loudest, craziest individuals to share their insane viewpoints? Case and point, Jeffrey Lord of CNN. The cable news network's political commentator and Donald Trump butt-wiper just recently compared Donald Trump to Martin Luther King. His full quote is as follows: "Think of President Trump as the Martin Luther King of healthcare. When I was a kid, President Kennedy did not want to introduce the civil rights bill because he said it wasn't popular, he didn't have the votes for it, et cetera. Dr. King kept putting people in the streets in harm's way to put the pressure on so that the bill would be introduced. That's what finally worked." Apparently, Jeffrey Lord knows comparisons and logic about as well as Beethoven knew disco. Martin Luther King fought to provide millions of people with eq...