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Bernie Sanders is not “The One”

And neither was Barack Obama.

Many of my liberal friends seem to be falling into two categories:  Either Bernie Sanders is the savior we’ve all been waiting for, or he’s a fraud and real liberals should be supporting the Green Party candidate instead.*

The answer is between the two extremes.

Nobody is perfect. There’s plenty of stuff about Obama I disagreed with when he was running (and through his Presidency). But he was clearly the better choice of those who had the possibility of winning the election.

If you refuse to support the best candidate who can win because they are not pure enough, you’re going to end up disappointed a lot.

As I’ve said here many times, politics is the art of compromise. I’d rather compromise and get 50% of what I want than be stubborn and get 0%. If you don’t understand that, you will lose. Over and over again.

This is the main problem with the Tea Party extremists on the right — they cannot understand that reasonable people can differ with them, and as a result, our government gets very little done these days because they hold their breath until they turn blue instead of working to accomplish some of their goals. They may win the lower races, but they’re never going to win the Presidency.

The left’s version of the Tea Party is not much better. They demand purity, and thus throw their vote toward Ralph Nader or some other third party, which only helps those on the right win elections.

Some people are just blind followers. Their candidate (or religious leader or political viewpoint or favorite band or preferred sports team…) is perfect, and anyone who doesn’t see that is just plain wrong and must be insulted. It’s impossible to discuss the good and bad points with these people.

 

*Then there are my liberal friends who are supporting Hillary Clinton, but the attitude I get from them is more of a resigned “Well, I think she can win” vibe;  I don’t sense a lot of enthusiasm there.

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Editorial cartoon: Some men just like to watch the world burn

Tom Toles

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Support your local blogger

There are many bloggers out there vying for your attention, and most of them have a little “donate” button on the side so that they can continue to provide you with information and entertainment. Or maybe they’ll do kickstarter campaigns for people. Or sell ads on their blog.

It’s not a bad idea — and it’s nice when people who create things can get compensated for their work.button with blood

I don’t do that. (The ads you see here are placed by WordPress, because I’m not paying them to host this blog.)

Still, for the blogger, it’s nice to be appreciated — to know that the people who enjoy reading the blog understand the work that goes into it.

So if you’d like to thank me for my posts and show your support for this blog, how about a donation of, oh, about $6? In exchange, you get to download my latest novel “Bloodsuckers: A Vampire Runs for President.” There’s also a kindle version, a nook version, an ibook version, and a paperback if you prefer.

This is even better than just donating something. We both win! I get a few bucks in my next royalty check, and you get to read a fun adventure. (Come on, if you enjoy my writing here on the blog, you’re sure to enjoy the novel.)

You can click here to read the first few chapters and here to read reviews.

Thanks for your support!

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Editorial cartoon: The Trump Party

Mike Peters

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Atheists are “intolerant”?

Often, religious folks complain that atheists are “intolerant” towards their religion.

Strangely enough, these atheists seem to be only “intolerant” toward Christians. Why is that?god

Well, Jews aren’t trying to pass laws banning bacon.

Muslims aren’t trying to pass laws forcing women to wear veils.

Amish aren’t trying to pass laws to make us give up electricity.

Wiccans aren’t trying to make us say “One Nation, under the Goddess.”

But some Christians want to ban all abortions, make gay marriage illegal, restrict contraception, edit history books, enforce prayer in schools, and all because of their religious beliefs.

So when atheists say “No” to them, that’s not intolerance. That’s fighting against tyranny. That’s standing up for what America was founded on — freedom to believe or not believe. To have a secular country.

All the atheist “fights” are defensive. Atheists are not doing a thing to prevent religious people from practicing their religion however they want to. They’re just trying to stop them from making us all do it.

EDITED for clarification:  I mean legal and political fights, not arguments and debates.  

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Editorial cartoon: Sacrificial Fire Arms

Ruben Bolling

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Being right doesn’t excuse your rudeness

A couple of activists from a “Black Lives Matter” group interrupted Bernie Sanders’ speech the other day and quite a few people are mad about it. The primary “Black Lives Matter” group has disavowed the people who did this, and others say that this has hurt their message.

Well, I don’t know about that. I support their cause and still think their message is important. What I disagree with are their methods.

But now there are those on the left who are complaining about those of us complaining. We’re being called racists because we think these protesters shouldn’t have done that. How ridiculous.

Calling out people who disrupt speeches (or gallery openings, or live TV shows, or plays, or anything else where they are not invited) doesn’t mean I disagree with their position. It doesn’t mean I am demeaning them. It doesn’t mean I am a racist.

It means I’m calling them out for their rudeness and inconsideration.

I came to hear someone give a speech, and it wasn’t you. Go away.

If I go to see a concert by a band I like, I’m not going to be happy if another band takes over the stage by force to perform their songs instead, even if I like that other band.

The same applies to anyone who interrupts Republican speakers. It applies to Westboro Baptist Church making noises to interrupt funerals and it applies to liberals who go to Congressional hearings and shout at the Congress members.

Yeah, sure, there is a place for protests in America. And sometimes those rallies have to be a bit rude. So go ahead, have a loud rally. Give a speech. Have a sit-in. You have that right. But don’t come to my event and take it over for your own purpose. Have your own damn event. (I feel the same way about people who come onto my Facebook page uninvited and decide to use it to spam my friends with their own political propaganda.)

These people had a right to interrupt Sanders’ rally. That’s how rights work. And I have the right to say that they were rude, inconsiderate, and didn’t help their cause one bit.

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Editorial Cartoon: GOP Debate Summarized

David Horsey

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Judge Enforces Sharia Law in America

An activist radical Muslim judge here in America has just used his religious views to force a defendant into an arranged marriage as well as demand that the defendant write out verses from the Quran as punishment.

“Get married within 30 days or do 15 days in jail” was the Judge’s Order.sharialaw1

The bride who was forced into this arrangement was quite unhappy with this as well, complaining that while she might have been willing to marry the man, they would never be able to have a nice wedding like she had hoped. The Judge didn’t care.

The Judge used his Muslim religion to force the man to read the Quran as well.

This is Sharia Law at its worst; it’s exactly what we were told would happen when we allow the government to force religion on us, and all good Christians — nay, all good Americans should be outraged.

No. Wait.

I’m sorry. I got a fact wrong.

The Judge was a Christian and he made the man copy verses from the Bible instead.

Well, surely all Christians should be just as outraged by this, right? If it’s wrong for the government to endorse one religion, it’s wrong for another as well, isn’t it?

(Insert sounds of crickets chirping and visual of tumbleweed rolling across an empty plain)

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Editorial cartoon: Not again

Glenn McCoy