Tag: Cory Booker

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DISAGREEING WITH LIKABLE CANDIDATES

After watching the Democratic debates, I find myself disagreeing with the three most likable candidates.

I really like Pete Buttigieg.  I think he has the perfect style befitting a president of the United States.  He’s cool, calm and collected.  He’s intelligent and articulate.  He appears to be kind, tactful and diplomatic. And, I’m proud he’s a fellow Hoosier.  But do I agree with his proposed policies?  Not so much.  Here are his policies I don’t like:   open borders, popular vote.  I like the idea of Medicare for all, but don’t think it’s  economically feasible right now.  Maybe later.

Mayor Pete came into the debate as a lightweight underdog, but came across as a classy intellectual
Mayor Pete came into the debate as a lightweight underdog; he came out as a classy intellectual

Obviously, an octogenarian’s opinion  such as mine will not be mainstream.  Most Democrats seem to like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, but they strike me as far too strident.  When Bernie starts shouting and waving his arms, I’m afraid he’s about to have a stroke.  Elizabeth is a fireball speaker, but somehow, I don’t trust her.   Even Canada doesn’t offer a free college education for all.  I can’t imagine how we would pay for that, or all the money that would be wasted on kids who don’t want a college degree so much as a free ride for four years.

Biden?  Way past his time.  And, I don’t like his touchy-feely-smelly style with women.  Kamilla Harris?  I don’t see a former prosecutor as presidential material. The way she attacked  Biden  during the  first debate may have been her break out moment, but I think it was mean spirited  and uncalled for.

Booker and Gabbard have that likability factor

Besides Buttigieg, I like the way Tulsi Gabbard says it like she sees it—but her plan to pull out of Afghanistan is worrisome.    Cory Booker  reminds me of a better looking Obama.  He’s got that spark, but his  minimum wage plan is myopic.  $15 an hour in my city would result in a much different  lifestyle than in The Big Apple.

After watching the Democratic debates on television, my top likability picks are Booker, Buttigieg and Gabbard.   But if I ever met them face to face, we’d have to agree to disagree.

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IS FACEBOOK INVADING MY PRIVACY?

How is it that I receive all these “sponsored”  posts on Facebook ?   Before  the 2016 election, I was getting posts about Trump almost every single day.  Maybe they were part of the Russian attempt to influence the election.   I always ignored them, because I considered them nothing but spam. But now,  the Trump posts have  disappeared, only to be replaced by posts favoring Biden.  I don’t understand who is behind these posts, and why  are they allowed to do this.  Is Facebook invading my privacy?

WHY HAS FACEBOOK DECIDED i SHOULD RECEIVE ALL THESE SPONSORED POSTS?

OMG.  Just got a post from Cory Booker, asking me to send $1 to secure his spot on the debate stage. I don’t know Cory at all; never met him, probably never will.  I thought people couldn’t post on my page unless they were my friend.  Cory isn’t my friend.

Here’s another one from the Democratic Governors Association asking if I approve of President Trump.  If I respond Yes , will I be back on the Republican’s hit list?   And if I say No, will that be a green  light for all 20 Democratic candidate to start sending me requests for money?  Does this mean that anyone can buy their way into my Facebook account?  I’ve purposely limited my friends to a handful, because I don’t want to spend all day reading posts from a thousand  so called “friends.”

Apparently, Facebook lines me up with strange people they think I would agree with.  How they make this decision is a total mystery.  In the last election, something made them believe I wanted to hear about Trump.  It may have been the Russians, or just plain old American Republicans.  I will never know.  But now, the Democrats have decided I’m fair game.  Overall, I would guess that someone at Facebook has decided I’ve switched parties.

I haven’t switched parties because I never belonged to one.  If you read my blog,  you will know that I feel free to criticize politicians from either party.  My mother used to have an expression around election time:  “I vote for a new set of crooks every four years.”  She would be 114 years old if still alive—but her comments seem pretty up to date.

But wait.  This morning, my Facebook had “sponsored” posts from Costco and Magic Chef, neither of whom  have stores in my area.  It looks like Facebook is so desperate for income that they’re promoting more commercials.  We’re tired of seeing commercials on television, but we know that’s the price we have to pay to watch.  Is  it the same now on Facebook?  If so, a lot of us may be deleting our accounts altogether.